A Princess, Lost

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist or any associated characters/plot lines, nor do I own the idea of Anastasia. I own this story and my original characters only.

May 1919- Dopa, Drachma

Edward Elric thought he was done with this nonsense. Sure, he still held his title as a State Alchemist since that bastard Hohenheim had given Ed his Gate without asking for his opinion on the matter, but Grumman had left him alone since he and Winry had gotten married. He sighed as he disembarked the train in the small Drachman town of Dopa. Maybe it was the divorce that convinced Grumman to send him abroad again. The renewal of his State Alchemist certification had been a point of contention for him and Winry, which had ultimately lead to them deciding that it was better for them to stay as close friends (more like siblings, if Ed was honest). They'd separated and divorced, though they'd kept a good relationship. However, Ed couldn't deny that he had been itching to get out of the small town of Resembool, if only for a bit. This wasn't exactly the vacation I was expecting, though, he thought grouchily, looking for the General while rubbing his port, which had already started aching from the cold.

"Fullmetal," came a familiar drawl from beside him. Ed started as he turned to see General Roy Mustang, who smirked at his reaction. "Didn't Grumman tell you? We're on this mission together."

Ed growled. "I listened to the briefing, General Smartass! Maybe you should try not sneaking up on people, huh?"

"Well that's one thing that's changed since you last went out on these little excursions."

"Hey, shut up!" Ed complained, his face heating up. "And show me where our damn apartment is, my port is killing me." Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but he did want to get out of the snow.

"Fine, fine. Follow me. And keep your mouth shut unless you're talking about regular matters in Drachman, the government here is hostile," Mustang reminded him.

Ed rolled his eyes, muttering, "I know, I know," as he hoisted his suitcase onto his shoulder.

---

Talia darted through the streets of Dopa, taking period glances behind her to see if the muggers who had cornered her in the alley were still in pursuit. She swore as they started gaining on her, then swore louder when she slipped on the icy roads. She slammed into someone and fell to the ground, groaning. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she said quickly, trying to get up.

"No, it's fine," said a male voice. The man offered his hand to Talia, who hesitantly took it. She looked around, seeing that the men following her had backed off. When she looked back at the man, she understood why. The man was dark haired and pale, like most Drachmans, but his pale skin was made paler by the maroon uniform of the Konservator regime.

Talia gasped, drawing her hand away and apologizing frantically. "I'm so sorry, sir, I should have watched where I was going-"

"Really, it's okay, Miss...?"

"Talia," Talia supplied after a moment.

The man smiled. "Well, Miss Talia, you're lucky you came along this way. Those men are some unsavory characters, right? Care to join me for a coffee? There's a good shop near here, they tend to give me a discount, and it'll get them off your back for a bit longer."

Talia looked around. "I- I think I ought to go. Your uniform won't scare them off forever." She started walking quickly, then turned back and said, "But thank you!" As she walked away, she felt someone staring at her, though she chalked the feeling up to the men who'd tried to rob her.

---

"So this is the town that would be most affected by the Promised Day, but we need to sneak in to see it?" Ed asked, looking over the map of Drachma. Dopa was circled in red ink and Ed kept running his finger around it. "Isn't investigating in a country without their knowledge a little... unethical at best, illegal at worst?"