Weiss remembered how speechless she felt when the girl entered her bed chamber. Her mother would have had a fit if she found out that this complete stranger had been chosen to be her lady in waiting. The young princess barged out of her room, not bothering to greet the faunus girl who had intruded on private apartments. Her mother would know exactly what to do with her, toss her out into the streets where she belonged.
For the past 14 years of her life, Weiss had be strictly instructed in her mother's ideals. Weiss wasn't particularly fond of her strict lessons in etiquette, language, and everything else her mother felt she needed to know. "You will be a girl of taste, character, and poise. Your father may be loved by the commoners but there is a balance that must be met. The people of the palace never ceased to raise their brows at him." she use to say this as she instructed Weiss. She did everything her mother instructed, and never once did she dare question her. After her mother's passing, many believed she had become the splitting image of her mother. She wanted to be someone else, that is, herself. Yet, she never knew how, and she had tried everything else. She didn't have her father's loud booming voice, her voice was always sharp and had a clipped tone.
Weiss took a deep breath as she stood in front of the door, shouting like a child wasn't going to do her any favours. Her mother raised her to uphold her values, she had never known how to do anything else. She gave a sharp knock under the door, "come in!" her father's booming voice called. Weiss walked in and her father chuckled "my apologies General Ironwood, but much like the people, my daughter's demands must be met". The other man bowed respectfully and left, leaving Weiss and her father alone.
"I hate her." Weiss spat, "what, pray tell is she doing in my private chambers?" she asked. With her head held high, and the way she spoke with clarity and conviction, truly she looked like her mother at this moment.
"She is the daughter of one of the kitchen maids, it was her dying wish that her daughter be raised in the palace" her father said, his voice low and sorrowful.
"Mother's will states that Lady Rose and Lady Long were to be appointed as my ladies in waiting", she said "you would choose a common kitchen maid over mother?".
Her father sighed, trying to prevent his daughter from becoming the woman that was loathed by the kingdom. He saw beyond the courtiers into the outside world, were his queen was hated and criticized by the people. "Both of those wishes are being honoured" he said, "besides, Blake is your half sister". Weiss didn't know what she found more repulsive, her father being on first name terms with her half sister, or the fact that she was her half sister. Weiss had nothing else to say, she left without saying another word. Before she could close the door, her father said "please Weiss, give her a chance".
Weiss stormed back to her royal apartments, she had nothing else to say to her father, the taste of her own venom simmering in her throat. She barged into her bedroom, Blake who was sitting on the chair stood up as she entered. Weiss gave her a swift once-over, before taking a few steps closer to examine her. She wasn't ugly, Weiss admitted that much, though she felt something needed to be done about her ears. "Do you have a surname girl?" she asked, not wanting to spend the morning shilly-shallying with introductions.
"Belladonna, Princess Schnee" she said, her voice low and quiet.
"Well then, Lady Belladonna" Weiss felt her tongue curl around the words, her father named her as such and she must respect his decisions. "Do they teach you how to curtsey in the kitchens?" she asked. Blake curtseyed before her, Weiss gave a satisfied smile before walking over to her dresser and retrieving a black ribbon. "It's a known fact that not every courtier shares my father's viewpoints", she said as she began to wrap the ribbon around Blake's ears.
Three years later...
"Hold still milady", Blake sighed as she tried to pin up Weiss' hair. Weiss had grown use to her company over the past three years. Blake didn't want to ruffle her feathers by disobeying any of the palace rules. She was to walk at least three steps behind the crown princess at all times, and curtsey to her when she enters the room. Weiss herself wanted to believe the her father was a good king, but the courtiers disagreed. They didn't see her, they saw her mother living on through her.
"What do the peoples make of these 'travelers'?" Weiss asked, there was a performance at the palace and everyone was invited to attend. She already knew what the courtiers would say, in their eyes they were thieves, scoundrels, cut purses, and little else.
"They seemed to have taken a liking to them milady", Blake muttered as she inserted the last of the pins into Weiss' hair. Weiss looked in the mirror at her hair, her fine white hair piled high into an up-do. She looked at Blake, with her thick dark hair tied back in a ponytail. Weiss may have gotten use to Blake, but her father never spoke of her. Of course no one said a word about Blake's mother, Blake was raised in the kitchens and slept in the servant's wing. The staff taught her all the etiquette expected of a maid, but never expected that her mother had other plans for her. Weiss rose from her dressing table seat, Yang and Ruby walked through the door, curtseying to Weiss.
"It's going to be wonderful, they will be performing at the festival tonight." Ruby cheered. Weiss led the three of them out of the room and down the hallway. Yang and Ruby were gushing excitedly about the upcoming ball and the performers that had arrived in the kingdom. Blake kept her distance from the three of them, dragging her feet and carefully avoiding walking ahead of Weiss and the others. She knew her place in the palace, as did everyone else, there was little that could be done to change it.
The ribbon did little to hinder Blake's hearing, she could still hear the courtiers gossiping about her. It was no secret that she looked out of place at the king's court, but no one could quite put their finger on it. Still, she would not spoil this evening for the princess. At the ball, the courtiers danced amongst each other whilst Weiss looked on from the feasting table. Blake was seated at her side, along with Ruby and Yang. Jaune, who was a palace guard, stood behind them and kept a watchful eye on Weiss. Suddenly Blake heard a voice ask "would you care for a dance milady?".
The voice belonged to a boy with blonde hair, who wasn't dressed up as nicely as the other courtiers and who wore a black mask.. Blake couldn't help but notice his tail swaying and brushing against the marble floors. "I'm afraid I'll have to decline" Weiss snapped, but the boy didn't leave the table. Blake was surprised at his determination, few courtiers had the courage to approach Weiss this way. Yet before them stood a faunus boy who had less than refined attire. There wasn't a doubt in Blake's mind that he was good looking, but it was still highly unlikely that Weiss would accept an invitation from him.
"I wasn't asking you, your highness" he said, Weiss could only her eyebrows in response. He asked again, "would you care for a dance Lady Belladonna?". He offered his hand and Blake was too stunned to speak. Firstly, only Weiss would sincerely call her 'Lady Belladonna'. Secondly, this boy had asked her and not the crown princess who sat before him. Blake looked to Weiss, only to have her respond with a dismissive wave as if to say "sure, go play, I don't care". Blake took the stranger's hand, shortly afterwards she was whisked away into the crowd amongst the courtiers.
Weiss was feeling slightly irritated when they heard another voice, "I do apologize for my companion your highness". Weiss looked up and saw a gentleman with blue hair greeting her. He wore a maroon coloured suit and a blue mask. Weiss smiled at the charming guest, he certainly seemed more refined than his companion. "Would the lovely crown princess do me the honour of a dance instead?" he asked, taking Weiss' hand and planting a small kiss on the back of her hand. Ruby and Yang exchanged excited expressions, whilst Weiss tried to maintain her composure.
"I don't see why not" she replied, her voice trying to remain composed as she too was lead away from the table. As they danced among the courtiers, they only seemed to take notice of each other. They glided effortlessly across the ballroom floor as they danced. Weiss had spent most of her childhood under her mother's strict and watchful eye, for the first time in her life she was have fun with a charming stranger.
The music that was playing came to an end, and her father had the attention of everyone in the room. "Ladies and gentlemen, from the kingdom of Mistral, I present to you a troupe of traveling performers here to entertain you tonight." he said. Weiss clapped politely but without enthusiasm, she knew she would be keeping a tight grip on her purse. What she didn't expect to happen was the charming stranger taking his leave at this moment.
"Enjoy the show princess" he said as he bowed, before making his way to the stage. Weiss' face fell, the courtiers had just seen her dancing cheerfully with a commoner, one that they believed to be a thief.
