Red Queen and her Chess Pieces
Ch. 2: Let the Journey Begin
Queen Ruby awoke early that morning, the sun shining in through the large window that took up an entire wall of her room. She woke to see the backs of her chess pieces, diligently watching over her while she slept. She always wondered when they found the time to rest themselves, seeing as they were by her side almost all hours of the day, except for when they trained. She had reasoned with herself many times that they must take shifts sleeping throughout the night, but she always found them both awake whenever she would wake in the night after a bad dream. The would comfort her, holding her close to their hearts to remind her that they were still alive, still there to serve and protect. She would usually fall back asleep and not wake till the late hours of the morning.
But today was different, today she would begin the long journey to the meeting point in the northern mountains were the four kingdoms met and discuss whatever matters it was that needed discussing. Ruby sighed heavily as she rose from her bed in her long nightgown.
"Good morning my queen." Her chess pieces greeted in unison.
Ruby smiled, kissing each of them on the cheek lovingly. "Good morning my dear chess pieces."
"Today is the day that we will begin the journey to the northern meeting point." Blake smiled down at the tired eyed little queen. "Are you ready?"
"I need to bathe before I dress, then after that we can all head out." Ruby smiled tiredly between the two knights. They wore simple tunics, Weiss's white, Blake's black, and the same brown pants. They both wore belts that held their weapons, but they wore no armor. Ruby had insisted that they not wear their armor at all times, especially not while they watched her in her sleep. She believed that though the two must always be ready to battle, they must be ready to battle in any condition. They had agreed to this.
"Very well." Weiss nodded.
"Would you like to accompany me?" Ruby questioned the two. The bathing room was large and somewhat lonely whenever she went in their alone. It reminded her to much of when she was little and would take baths with her mother, father, and sister. She would remember how Yang would splash her with water in the spring, and how her mother would wash her hair with the utmost of care. It brought back the memories of her family and it was all to painful, sending a stabbing pain throughout her chest every time she went in there alone.
"Of course we will go to watch over you, my queen." Blake nodded.
"No, I mean will you accompany me while I bathe?" Ruby smiled softly up at the tall, intimidating woman before her.
Blake blushed slightly, but nodded. "If that is what the queen wishes, we will do so. Right Weiss."
Weiss nodded as well, the same light pink dusted over her cheeks.
Ruby laughed softly. "Honestly now, there's no need to be embarrassed, it's not as though we haven't bathed together before."
"Yes, but is still very improper for a knight to bathe with their queen." Weiss muttered.
"Well that's why it's our little secret, isn't that right." Queen Ruby smiled slyly.
"Yes, I suppose it is." Blake smiles gently down on the queen, kissing her forehead softly.
The three walked to the bathing room, Weiss in front of Ruby, Blake behind. When they arrived Weiss opened the door, allowing the two to enter the steamy room. The bathing room floor was made of marble, in the center of the room was a small hot spring, water used from the natural flowing water that ran under the castle. It was surrounded by stones, soap and wash rags resting on them, the water trickling through tiny streams into a flowing tiny waterfalls and rivers. Stones were set up so that the people bathing could walk through the river and streams without getting wet, something that Ruby always found strange as it was a bathing room. She disrobed, walking through the small river, splashing the water upward with her feet as she waited for her two knights to disrobe as well.
"My queen." Ruby turned to smile at her two knights. Their naked bodies were covered with battle scars that Ruby's eyes had mapped out long ago, knowing their origin stories by heart. The long gash that ran across Blake's hip was received when she first began training to be a knight. The scar on Weiss's shoulder from the blow she received while fighting in the south. She knew them all, and loved them all.
"What is it?" Ruby questioned.
"We are not sure if it is wise to show yourself so freely to us." Blake muttered awkwardly.
Ruby smiled kindly at the two, walking to stand before them and taking one of each their hands in hers. "Do not think so much about this my precious chess pieces, we are simply bathing together, we are not doing anything wrong at all."
"It is still frowned upon by the royal court." Weiss mumbled.
"I do not care." Ruby huffed. "As the queen of this country my wishes will be granted, and all I wish is to be able to spend time with my beloved chess pieces and bathe with them."
The knights stared at their queen before both breaking out into smiles.
"If that is what you wish my queen, then we will gladly grant your wish." Blake squeezed the queen's hand softly. Ruby smiled happily back at the two, leading them to the spring. As they submerged themselves in the warm water Blake reached for the soap and rag, scrubbing them together and began to wash her queen's shoulders and neck. Ruby smiled contently, remembering how her father would do this for her when she was young.
"My queen, please sit on the rocks." Weiss instructed. Ruby did as she was asked, sitting on the rocks as Weiss got out of the water. She took the soapy rag form Blake, beginning to wash the queen's back, as Blake remained in the water, using another rag to wash her legs and feet.
Ruby sighed contently as Weiss lifted her arm and began to was her sides. "This is nice, I much prefer bathing with you then anyone else."
"What do you mean by that my queen?" Blake looked up at her in slight confusion. "You have bathed with others?"
"Only the people who were appointed to help me bath when I was younger, after my parents death." Ruby answered with a slight shrug.
"Ah, I see." Blake nodded, continuing to scrub the queen's feet, making her giggle softly. Blake smiled to herself, the queen's laugh a beautiful melodic sound. Weiss washed the queen's armpits, arms, and hands, before letting her sink back into the warm water, washing the suds off.
"Okay, now it is my turn to wash you." Ruby spoke, addressing both her knights. They blushed, looking away.
"M-My queen, we have been over this before, it is not right for a queen to wash her knights." Weiss reminded her.
"Yes, you say that every time, but can't we do so just this once?"
"No." Blake said curtly. "Forgive me my queen, but I cannot let you wash us, it is beneath a person of your status."
Ruby sighed, resigning to watch the two as they washed themselves. Their muscles contorted as they moved their limbs, and Ruby wondered if she could ever look like that. Her knights skin looked so strong and hard, where as hers was soft and supple.
"Will I ever be able to look like you?" Ruby questioned.
Blake and Weiss turned to her, looking at the dark red haired girl in slight confusion. Weiss finally spoke. "Why would you want to look like us?"
"You both look so strong, while I'm..." Ruby lifted her arms from the water before splashing them back down.
"We only look like this because we have been training for so long." Blake spoke softly. "Besides, you are very beautiful your highness, why would you wish to look like a battle scared warrior?"
"Because I think you are both beautiful." At these words the two knights blushed brightly.
"Th-Thank you my queen." Weiss muttered.
"Yes, thank you." Blake nodded.
Ruby smiled, wading through the he water over to her knights. She kissed them each lovingly, making them look away in embarrassment.
"I do not understand why you think we are beautiful." Weiss muttered. "I think the only beautiful one here is you my queen."
Ruby giggled softly, making her two knights turn to her in confusion. "I am by no means beautiful. I am much to thin and small to be considered so in the eyes of any man. Not that I find that to my displeasure, as I much prefer the company of you two to any man."
"No my queen, you are by far the most beautiful maiden in all the land!" Weiss voice raised slightly from her usual calm tone. "You must not speak so illy of yourself!"
"But it is true." Ruby sighed, but a light smile still ran across her face. "My hips are not wide enough to bare strong children, and with my small stature I fear I would not even live through child birth."
"You must not think like that your highness." Blake placed a hand on the queen's belly. "You healthy and strong, and any child you bear will be as radiant and healthy as you."
"Thank you Blake, but I still fear I will not be able to bring a good heir to the throne."
"Do not fear me queen, you are still young, only fifteen, and you have a good few years more to grow and become stronger." Weiss consoled the queen.
Ruby smiled softly up at the two. "You two are truly the only ones who care for me."
"All the subjects adore you my queen." Blake mumbled. "But I must agree, their love for you can not compare to Weiss and I's love for you."
"Yes." Ruby nodded. Weiss and Blake smiled down at their queen.
"Come now, we must dress and begin our journey." Blake spoke, climbing out of the spring. Ruby and Weiss followed, Blake offering a hand to the queen to help her out. Ruby smiled kindly at the gesture.
The three donned robes of silk as they walked back to the queen's room, walking briskly through the cold castle. Once safely hidden away from prying eyes, the queen was dressed by her changing maids, while Weiss and Blake dawned their armor themselves. The changing maids were dismissed leaving the queen and her knights alone in the large room.
"We will begin the three day journey in a matter of mere minutes... Is there anything else you need before we go?" Weiss questioned the queen.
Ruby shook her head. "No, I have already packed, the knights are ready, as is the carriage. And I have my precious chess pieces by my side. There is nothing else I need."
Weiss smiled down at the little queen, standing elegantly in a deep red dress, the tiny gold jewel encrusted crown atop her head. "Very well, let us go."
The three made their way out of the castle, out to where the carriage was waiting, along with the other knights. Queen Ruby entered the carriage as Weiss and Blake mounted their horses.
"Are you sure you won't ride in the carriage with me?" Ruby questioned her chess pieces.
"No my queen, we wish to be ready in case of battle." Blake smiled down at the queen from atop her horse.
"Wont at least on of you accompany me in the carriage, in case I need defending from within?" The queen smiles softly, knowing the Knights would not be able to say no when she had made such a valid point.
"Very well." Blake nodded. "Weiss will you accompany the queen in the carriage?"
"Yes, of course." Weiss nodded. She dismounted her horse, giving the reins to a knight who would be traveling by foot, before entering the carriage. Once they began the journey and were a good few miles out of the village, Weiss finally spoke again, a small smile dancing on her lips. "Your cunning is by far the best in the land, you always find a way to get whatever it is you want."
"I'm sure I have no idea what you mean." Despite her words a sly smile rested on the queen's face.
"Of course not my queen." Weiss smiled.
They remained in a comfortable silence for a long while after, not speaking, simply enjoying the scenery that passed outside the carriage windows. The landscape was beautiful, rolling hills, clear blue streams, beautiful.
And so their journey began.
