Right Hand Woman
If you protect those under you, they can in turn protect those under them. This is the doctrine of Colonel Roy Mustang and one he fiercely lives his life by. His main subordinate and primary source of motivation, love, courage and support is First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye. The one he must protect who, in turn, protects him.
The two met before the Ishbal War as Roy's alchemy teacher was Riza's father. After the demise of her father she shares the deadly knowledge left behind by him with Roy - trusting in his dream of protecting their country. It is later that they both realise how naive they had been, when the war finishes and they are left with nothing but bloodstained hands and an empty aspiration. At this point of hopelessness for Riza, Roy tells her his new ambition; to prevent an event like the war they had just seen from ever happening again. From the brink of despair he gave her life a new meaning and the two start a new journey together.
The relationship between Riza and Roy is somewhat complex. This is greatly due to Riza's stoic and Roy's joking exterior – the extent of their feelings for each other are always carefully sealed away, behind strict words and jokes, only showing in times of great distress when the emotions can't help but spill over. Their true relationship lies behind the facade of work congeniality - Riza never refers to Roy by his first name and vice versa. Both are extremely careful; so immersed they are in their resolve to stealthily take down the military from within, not being able to afford any leak of information about their plans.
But what they share is far more than a common goal. The sense of familiarity from the years spent together has developed into an intensifying bond. They understand each other deeply, needing few words to express feelings and intentions. They know one another better than they know themselves – already predicting how the other person will react before they have, sensing each others intent in a single glance.
Roy is the only person who has been able to completely wreck Riza's calm and collected nature. When Lust informs Riza that Roy is dead she opens up several mags on her before breaking down in tears, unable to defend herself. Without Roy, without his companionship, his understanding and their common goal Riza cannot go on. Her selfless pursuit of an her ambition, her reason for going on living carrying her guilt, is made possible because of Roy. And vice versa Roy is able to stand where he is today because of Riza's support.
"It's very hectic to watch over the Colonel. Because he'll ditch work."
She goes from saving his life to maintaining his schedule, battling foes to gleaning information to pass on to him. They are deeply ingrained in each others lives and irreplaceable to one another.
Riza's promise to him protects not only his life but his moral integrity. So the power that she bestowed to him would not be used for evil, so that their ambitions remain pure, he makes her promise to take his life should he stray from the path. When Roy is consumed with revenge facing an already beaten Envy, Riza is forced to point her gun at him. He is her reason to live, and a precious person, but they made a promise. She would keep it no matter what.
It is this promise, the knowledge that Riza would not live much longer after Roy dies, that stops him more than anything. Like Riza, his life means little to himself, but for the sake of others he will live on...particularly for the sake of his First Lieutenant. Both Riza and Roy learn over the course of the series how important their lives mean to one another, and in turn find a will to live.
“I...I won't die...I've been ordered not to die you see.”
The question within fandom now is not whether their love is real, but whether it is truly romantic. Personally I believe that neither Roy nor Riza could truly allow themselves to be happy with one another until their ambitions are reached and their burdens laid to rest. For two self sacrificing people a romantic love would seem like a selfish desire. This does not mean that they do not have feelings for one another - it's fairly obvious that there can never be anyone more important to one than the other is. The restrained atmosphere between the two, the hidden depths to their bond, speak of great emotions repressed within. I just hope in the future that the two are allowed the chance to explore those feelings.
