One of the main reasons she stays by his side is because she sees herself as the guardian of flame alchemy. She’s trying to make sure of two things: 1. no one ever gets their hands on it again. and 2. the only person who can use it never misuses it again. That’s why she follows him. She has to. She’s watching the weapon she helped create.

And she has to keep him alive not only because he’s the one with the political power (meaning he’s her only real way to make sure the trials happen), but because he has to live long enough to atone for what he did with flame alchemy. The power SHE gave him.

From Riza’s point of view, every crime Mustang commits is hers too. Every time flame alchemy is used to kill that blood is on her hands too. Every person he killed is someone she killed by proxy.

She’s not just guarding him. She’s sharing his guilt. It’s like she’s trying to atone for her own sins, but he has to atone too so she can atone through him.

Thief who sold herself to her mother's killer for the mere possibility to save the rest of her town. COMPELLING.

Creepy bookworm assassin on the run because she lived through a genocide as a child. Fascinating.

Princess undercover as a mercenary to save her country and called a good fit for the throne not because of her white knuckled devotion to her people, but because she knows how to turn the other cheek. Suffering.

Most eldest daughter ever who thinks she should pay for the crimes she committed to stay alive and is right. Ough.

Former slave turned queen who uses her desirability as a means of control and falls for the first man who doesn't want her body. Devastating.