From the balcony, Whitley watched his sister as she sang on stage, illuminated by spotlights, and surrounded by her fans. It was exactly as his father had commanded, or so he thought.

There's a part of me that's desperate for changes
Tired of being treated like a pawn
But there's a part of me that stares back
From inside the mirror
Part of me that's scared I might be wrong
That I can't be strong

"She's as lovely as always, isn't she?" Whitley whispered to his father.

"Indeed," Jacques replied. "That's my girl."

"But, do you ever think she might be trying to, I don't know, send us some kind of message?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

I've been afraid
Never standing on my own
I let you be the keeper of my pride
Believed you when you told me
I was nothing on my own

"Like, what if she's talking to you?" Whitley asked. "What if you are the one who told her she was 'nothing on her own?'"

Jacques scoffed. "What? Preposterous! Her songs are just songs! They're fiction! Her lyrics have nothing to do with reality!"

Whitley bowed. "Forgive me, Father. Of course you're right. You couldn't possibly be the one she's singing about. Weiss has no rebellious tendencies whatsoever."

"Exactly. Weiss has always been obedient."

"Yes, that time she ran away to Beacon for her barbaric training as a huntress was just a phase. She'd never say anything bad about you, especially not at your own concert, with hundreds of people listening."

"She sure wouldn't."

Amazing how you conquered me
Chained me in servility
And made me see
The world the way you told me to
But I was young and didn't have
A way to know the truth

"... still," Whitley said, "it sounds like she's trying to vent something, don't you think?"

Jacques laughed. "Weiss isn't here to vent anything. She's only here to give a good concert, just as I told her to. She's perfectly content with her family."

Born to live your legacy
Existing just to fill your needs
A casualty
Of this so-called "family"
That you have turned into a travesty

"She probably means some other family?" Whitley suggested.

"Yeah, she could be talking about anyone! I bet she's talking about her worthless mother!"

"But I thought it was fiction?"

"Shut up."

But I don't intend to suffer any longer
Here's where your dominion falls apart

"Well," Whitley said, "if, hypothetically, she is talking about you, that would be pretty bad, wouldn't it?"

"How so?"

"'Here's where your dominion falls apart?' That sounds rather hostile, doesn't it?"

Jacques let out another laugh. "Okay, let me humor you. Even if Weiss were to act out of line, there's no real damage she could do. She is entirely under control. There's no way she could even leave."

Whitley nodded. "Yes, we'll just keep her trapped in her own bedroom. There's nothing to worry about."

I'm not your pet
Not another thing you own
I was not born guilty of your crimes
Your riches and your influence
Can't hold me anymore
I won't be possessed
Burdened by your royal test
I will not surrender
This life is mine

The song concluded. "In any case, it was a beautiful song," Whitley said. He stood up and applauded.

The crowd, on the other hand, was silent.

"By the gods!" someone cried. "Guys, don't you get it? Jacques is, like, abusing Weiss or something!"

"We need to do something!"

"Someone call the police!"

The tension quickly escalated as people demanded Weiss to be immediately liberated from her oppressive father. Atlas security moved in and engaged the angry mob. At least a dozen people were going to die in this riot. Oh, well. It was a great chance to test out the new line of Paladin mechs. Whitley called for a servant to hand him a cup of coffee. He took a sip, listening to the crowd's screams.

"This is fine."