I came up with the idea for this story after seeing this picture on Deviant Art:

madgamer2k7 deviantart com /art/RWBY-Maidens-The-Four-Seasons-579749090

All credit for drawing goes to the original artist madgamer2k7

I hope this ends up being good :3

Prologue:

Weiss Schnee stood near the window in her bedroom, idly staring at the snowflakes gently floating to the ground.

"Lady Schnee?"

She was in deep thought about this feeling she's been experiencing for the past week. A strange nagging sensation; as if she were trying to remember a memory that was far too distant.

"Lady Schnee?"

There was just something about this feeling… …something…

"Lady Schnee!"

Weiss finally snapped out of her thoughts to be greeted by her sister, "Winter, you know you can just call me by my first name. You're my sister first and my retainer second, you don't have to refer to such formalities" she said.

"I'm sorry lady Schnee but this is urgent. I've just received word that a large army has arrived near our borders."

"What?!" She shouted, "Who are they? Where are they from?"

"Apparently from the kingdom of Mistral, but that's not all. From what the border guards said, the army is being led by Lady Belladonna of Haven; and she has requested an audience with you within three hours, or she will attack"

She grew a look of concern, "I'm going" she said walking up to her bed post and grabbing her weapon Myrtenaster.

"Are you sure Lady Schnee?"

"Yes. The world has lived decades without violence. We cannot allow whatever petty disagreement this is to throw us into war"

"What's the situation General Ironwood?" Weiss asked as she, Winter, and the aforementioned General walked past numerous soldiers along the tops of the border; a massive wall that towered over the sea, decorated with Mistralian ships.

"They arrived overnight, but they haven't shown any form of aggression... ...not yet at least."

"You said that Lady Belladonna requested to talk to me?"

"Yes, but we immediately plan to deny it. Hmph, to think we would allow her to see you by yourself. The idiot" the General scoffed.

All the while, Weiss stared at the many ships aligned with one another, watching their sails flow in the snowy breeze. "How many soldiers are there per ship?" She asked narrowing her eyes.

"Well… it's not certain, but our tacticians believe each carry at least twenty-five"

Hearing this, Weiss closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "I'm going"

"Absolutely not! For all we know, those beasts most likely set up a trap!" Winter said.

"Even if that's true, I'm still going. I want to show that I'm willing to negotiate. That way we can settle this without the need for violence" Weiss justified before stepping out onto the edge, "Which one is her ship?"

"Lady Schnee, you know we cannot allow you to…"

"Then I'm ordering you to allow me" She interrupted, "Which one is her ship?"

The general and Winter glared at her, "*sigh* the one with the amber colored sails. But just so you know…if you are not back by noon… …we will retaliate" the General warned.

Weiss nodded before leaping off, hearing many of her soldiers' gasp and call out her name in worry. Summoning glyphs one after another, she safely navigated herself to what was said to be Lady Belladonna's ship.

When she landed on the deck, she was greeted by two Mistralian soldiers, "I am Lady Schnee of Mantle. Your leader asked for my presence?"

The soldiers looked at each other, "Follow us".

::: ::: ::: ::: :::: ::::

She entered an elegantly designed room, with a throne-like chair at the end of it. In said chair sat Blake Belladonna, wearing an exotic battle kimono colored black and violet with amber trimming. "Hello Lady Schnee" she said, taking a sip from her whine glass.

"What are you thinking Lady Belladonna?! Assembling your army and threatening to attack my kingdom?! You're a Seasonal Maiden! You're supposed to help maintain peace on Remnant, not tarnish it!" Weiss shouted.

"Hmph, that's saying much, coming from a hypocrite like yourself"

"Excuse me?!"

Blake finished her drink and stood up to walk closer, "Oh Schnee, you know exactly what I'm talking about"

"What do you mea…"

"You and I both know your kingdom reaps benefits from faunus slavery. We know of your involvement in the Menagerie slave trade. We've intercepted several of your cargo ships to find hundreds of faunus, beaten and malnourished! Civilized people, kidnapped from their homeland! Families torn apart! And for what?! To go work in your dastardly mines." she said with distaste.

Weiss frowned, "What do you want?"

"The release of all faunus slaves you keep captive in those underground prisons you call mines, as well as others you have working other forms of hard labor. We want them returned to their homelands, and we want you and your people to pay dues for taking part in the trade"

Weiss stayed silent, "It's not that simple Lady Belladonna"

Blake furrowed her brow, "I will agree to pay dues for the trade, but we cannot release our mine workers. Doing so will devastate our economy and send our kingdom into a recession we couldn't fathom overcoming" Weiss justified.

"Lady Schnee... I urge you to think differently…" Blake said flashing her obsidian katana, Gambol Shroud. "We faunus are willing to die for the safety of our own"

Weiss armed Myrtenaster, taking a battle stance, "And I am the Winter Maiden, willing to die for the safety of the world"

Blake smirked before turning around, "So be it"

Suddenly, she vanished in blur of shadows, reappearing above Weiss delivering an overhead slash.

Weiss was barely able to parry the attack, causing her to stumble, "Shit, she's faster than be-*gasp*" Weiss gasped. Blake went for the follow up, slashing directly upward at her face.

"AAAaaah!" Weiss screamed in agony; the attack slashed her left eye, leaving a massive gash. She reeled back, clutching her eye with her left hand as blood started to flow. But when she looked up she saw Blake's katana, this time coming for her neck.

She ducked at the last second, Blake's attack only cutting her tiara in half, causing her hair to fall freely. Stabbing Myrtenaster in the floor she summoned a pillar of ice, striking Blake in her torso and sending her across the room, hitting the wall hard.

She fell with a thud, with Weiss making haste for the main deck. Seeing this, Blake tried to stand, but collapsed to her knees clutching her side, "Nngh, Guards! GUARDS! Don't let her escape!"

"Shit" Weiss thought as she saw two guards coming for her from the end of the hall, one with a bow, the other with a lance. The former quickly drew three arrows and fired all in quick succession.

Ducking and side-stepping to her left and right, Weiss dodged all three. Grimacing, she summoned a haste glyph underneath her before dashing towards them instantaneously, slashing the one with the bow across his neck.

The other swung with his lance. Parrying two of the strikes, Weiss brought Myrtenaster back before stabbing him six times in the chest with blinding speed.

"Stop right there!" Weiss turned around to see another dozen soldiers at the other end of the hall, all of them baring different weapons. With widened eyes, she ran for the stairs that led to the main deck, and when she got to the top she never stopped running.

The rest of the soldiers came shortly after, all of them chasing her as fast as they could. "Kill her! Don't let her get away!"

:::: :::: :::: :::: ::::

"Lady Schnee!" one of Weiss' soldiers called out.

"What?!" Winter asked, shoving the soldier out of the way. When she looked, she immediately caught sight of Weiss clutching her eye with blood spilling from her hand, "Rrr, we told her not to go alone!"

"Dammit Lady Schnee, you should've known you couldn't negotiate with these animals" the General mumbled.

:::: :::: :::: :::: ::::

Weiss was panting, the pain was starting to become overwhelming. Looking back, she saw the soldiers gaining on her. Gritting her teeth, she swiped Myrtenaster to summon a large glyph under them all, encasing them in a giant block of ice.

"I have to get out of here" She thought approaching the bow of the ship. She summoned a large black glyph and she stepped onto it. And with a flick of her wrist, she launched herself back to the top of the border walls.

She landed ungracefully, with many soldiers coming to her aid. "Weiss! Are you alright?!" Winter asked.

Weiss breathed heavily, blood dripping from between her fingers. "Lady Schnee?" She looked up to see the General.

Grunting in pain, she slowly stood up, "Men, arm yourselves… …we're going to war".

The End