Author's Notes

As always, please leave a review: anything and everything helps. Thank you so much!

Chapter 10

"Make way for the Heiress!" Cassius boomed to the two Watchmen standing guard at the gates. They hurriedly pushed open the gate and blinked in confusion as they watched Weiss ride past, followed by her own Sentinels and a single girl in a caged carriage.

Weiss shivered as she entered the Vermilion Headquarters; a two-acre wide compound that housed the Officer's manor, the Vermilion Barracks, and the Vermilion dungeon. The manor housed the officers of the Vermilion Garrison, including the commander herself. It looked more like a tavern in much need of new coat of paint: the three story building had large rectangle windows on rooms towards the exterior. The second and third floors had a large walk out balcony where inhabitants could rest in hammocks suspended from the ceiling or to stargaze during the night. The large porch on the ground level that led to the main entrance also had hammocks, as well as rocking chairs and a small fire ring for officers to enjoy.

As she and her group passed the manor and rode alongside the long rows of barracks where the guards lived, more and more eyes fell onto her. Sentries and Guardsmen alike stopped what they were doing to look at her. Weiss knew that Jaune and Gregory were the only guards that weren't Sentinels who had seen her. But by the look on the men's faces, they knew who she was, for in the great hall of her manor there were seventeen oil portraits of hers; one painted of her on every of her birthdays. While they may have not seen her in person, the guards, in a way, grew up with their Heiress; remembering the face of the person that they would one day serve.

Barrack doors flung open and men with food in their mouths and men barely clothed came rushing out to see her. Curious whispers turned to open speculation, and then finally to loud cheering. Time seemed to slow as Weiss' heart raced from the excitement and pride she felt as she studied each guard's face. Grins and dropped jaws were some of the expressions she saw before a voice attracted her attention.

"Heiress Schnee!" Weiss quickly located the source of the sound to see a Guardsman remove his helmet and place a fist over his heart. "It's an honor!" Quickly, more men spoke directly to her.

"My Lady!" a middle-aged Guardsman exclaimed as he took a knee. "It's good to see you!"

A young Sentry was boosted onto another guard's shoulders. He threw his fist into the air and recited the Garrison's motto: "Honor, service, loyalty!"

More and more of the guards joined in and chanted the motto as Weiss rode passed the barracks and towards the dungeon. Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see her Sentinels keeping a distrustful eye on the other guards. She let out a quiet sigh. It was well-known that her father gave preferential treatment to the Sentinels, and by doing so, he drove a wedge between them and their lower ranked comrades, knowing or not. As they approached the Vermilion dungeon, which had its own separate walled complex, the cheering guards were halted at the guarded gate.

"Ahem, my Lady?" Cassius asked.

Weiss turned around to see Cassius with an eyebrow raised. "What is it, Cassius?"

The senior Sentinel pointed to the gate, where the two Watchmen on duty were struggling to keep out the rowdy guards. "Perhaps you should say a few words."

Weiss nodded and rode back to the gated entrance. The two Watchmen were indeed struggling to keep back the masses, after all, one needed clearance and a reason to enter the complex.

"Go back to whatever you were doing!" one yelled frantically as more guards pushed up against him.

The other noticed Weiss and frowned. "My Lady," he squeaked, "please help!"

A quick chortle escaped her lips as she looked on the adoring faces of the many men in front of her. A hush ushered across the mass as she lifted a hand. With a tilt of her head, a tender smile, and a twirl of her finger, she gave the 'turn around' motion to the men. A collective wave of disappointment sighs and groans was their response. But they obeyed, and with waves and smiles, the men reluctantly turned back to return to what they were doing before they saw their Warden's daughter for the very first time.

Weiss happily watched them leave for a few more seconds before quickly riding back to her Sentinels who were already waiting for her in front of the stone staircase that led down to the Vermilion dungeon. Cassius hopped off of his horse to help her down.

"Thank you," Weiss said quietly. The ends of her eyebrows lowered as she looked towards the carriage. Immediately the smile on her face and the cheerful cries of the guards left her. The short amount of time that her blood ran warm, soon returned to cold. The crying Huntress lay on the floor with her bloody hands covering her face; her hands were shaking.

The Heiress turned back to the Sentinel, "Cassius, escort her in, and then report back to me. I want a word with you." She then pointed to the other three Sentinels. "All of you."

The Sentinel took off his helmet off revealing one of his eyebrows to be raised. "Yes, my Lady," he said with a quick nod. He then turned around and pointed to the Sentinels who traveled on foot. "Leo, Simon, you two return the horses and carriage to the stockade!" He then gestured to the Sentinel still on his horse. "Brutus, you will escort the girl in with me. After that, double-time it back. The Heiress," he said slowly, "would like a word with all of us."

"Yes, sir!" they replied in unison. Brutus hopped off of his horse while Leo and Simon came from behind and grabbed hold of the reins. Together, the senior Sentinels went to the back of the carriage and unlocked it.

"On your feet, girl," Brutus growled impatiently. The girl slowly stood up, with her left hand still covering her nose and her right hand holding onto the cage for balance. Weiss could see that her prisoner was badly bruised. The rocks that she had been pelted with at the sight of her arrest caused many cuts and bruises on her face. Purple and red covered her body, where her parts of her skirt and blouse were torn open. Weiss pursed her lips as she watched her prisoner shuffle forward shakily, but stopped when a spurt of blood shot through the cracks between her fingers; a muffled cry of pain escaped her lips as she fell to her knees. Cassius let out a sigh as he hoisted himself up into the the carriage, and then grabbed Ruby by her arm.

"On your feet."

He pulled her up and pushed her towards Brutus, who caught her with both hands. The massive guard slung her over his shoulder while Cassius locked the cage. The latter then whistled to Leo and Simon, who began to lead the horses to the stockades. Cassius led the way to the front gate as Brutus followed him quickly. Weiss straightened her posture and inhaled as the guards approached her with the prisoner. She took a step back to allow her Sentinels to pass and lowered her gaze in an attempt to avoid eye contact with her prisoner. Her eyes didn't listen. Weiss' eyes met Ruby's, which were barely open, but in a heartbeat, the Heiress felt her hair stand on end as the prisoner stared at her; her silver eyes seemed metallic and devoid of any emotion. In an instant, Ruby swiped at Weiss. The Heiress barely dodged in time; the prisoner's nails barely grazed her cheeks, leaving only a small smear of blood on her pale face.

"Keep your filthy hands away from her!" Brutus barked as he punched Ruby in the gut, forcing her hands back to herself. He turned to face Weiss and gave a slight bow. "Apologies, my Lady. We will be right back."

"Of course," Weiss mumbled absent-mindedly as she watched her Sentinels approach the two Sentries which stood at attention in front of the dark entrance to the dungeon. They stood on opposite sides of the stone arch with their halberds leaned against one another, forming an "X". They pulled back their halberds for the Sentinels to pass through, then quickly returned to their resting position as soon as they passed through. Weiss watched them fade into the darkness as they descended down the torch-lit spiral staircase.

The blood wiped off cleanly as soon as she pressed her handkerchief against it. It was just a small smudge; there wasn't even a scratch left behind, yet Weiss continued to feel the surface of her cheek where Ruby had touched her.

"My Lady?"

She turned to see one of the Sentries eyeing her worriedly. The warm light of a torch above his head reflected off of his blue eyes. "Are you alright?"

"I'm perfect-" Weiss clasped her shaking hands together. "-ly fine. Nothing to worry about."

The Sentry nodded. "Yes, my Lady." The other Sentry gave him a puzzled look in which the former returned with a subtle shrug.

Weiss tried not to pay any attention to them, and instead extended her hands towards the torch nearest to her for warmth.

It was a few minutes later when she heard marching in the distance. She breathed into her hands and took a few steps away from the entrance to get a look. Her eyes widened with surprise as she saw a group of Guardsmen approaching her. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that they were the same group that had bought her time to escape unscathed from the riot; for some of the kite-shields they wielded were only used by defensive class Sentinels. The Guardsmen marched in two lines of six with flawless synchronization. The one who led the left row seemed to struggle with timing his steps with his comrades. When they were no more than ten feet away from her, the first Guardsman of each line walked away from the line and right up to her.

"Guardsmen," Weiss greeted with her usual authoritative tone. "I am most grateful for your assistance during my arrest of Ruby Rose." The two Guardsmen looked at one another and then began to take their helmets off. "You have my...thanks." Weiss looked at Gregory Halacre and Jaune Arc who stood in front of her, with their helmets in arms.

"My Lady," Gregory started.

"At your service," Jaune finished with a yawn. Gregory elbowed him, hard. "Ow!"

Weiss looked at the both of them and groaned. "Why were you there? I told you that my Sentinels and I would handle this." She put a tender hand over a bruise underneath Gregory's left eye.

The senior Guardsman smiled weakly. "It seems that I find it very hard to leave you out of sight, my Lady."

Weiss looked at the tired group of Guardsmen and then back to Gregory and Jaune. "How did you know there was going to be unrest?" She looked at Jaune, who lowered his head.

Gregory licked his lips, exhaled, and raised his head. "It is because I believed that you would make a scene and stir up emotions among the crowd."

Weiss narrowed her eyes at Gregory and retracted her hand. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Gregory continued to stare straight forward. "My Lady, I serve your family with utmost loyalty and commitment." He turned and looked Weiss straight in the eye. "But I do not believe your judgment has matured enough for you to handle such a scenario all on your own."

Weiss put a hand over her chest. "But I wasn't alone. I had my Sentinels with me!" Weiss' shot back in a louder voice.

Gregory nodded. "Yes, you did have your personal guard with you, but I honestly do not think that they were the ones who should have accompanied you."

Weiss took a step back. "They are my Sentinels, Gregory. You may not like the truth, but the truth is that I trust their judgment over yours."

The Guardsman opened his mouth to speak, but closed it as he looked behind Weiss. He took a step back and nudged Jaune. They both saluted. Weiss raised an eyebrow, just as a hand rested on her shoulder from behind. She turned around to see Cassius and Brutus standing behind her. Cassius motioned towards the dungeon. "My Lady, it is done. The wretched girl is now in shackles and awaits interrogation."

Brutus pointed to the side of the road. "It seems that Leo and Simon have finished with their business as well." Once the other two Sentinels made their way over, Brutus turned to Gregory. "I take it that you're in charge of these men?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, the Heiress has some words to speak to us." He made a 'shoo' motion with his hands. "Leave us be."

"Yes, sir," Gregory said through gritted teeth. He and Jaune bowed towards Weiss and then turned back to their men.

Cassius turned to face the Heiress and nodded. "What is it that you wanted to tell us, my Lady?"

Weiss blinked at Cassius. "Erm, um, oh! Yes. The things I wanted to tell you." Cassius, Brutus, Leo, and Simon stood in front of her patiently. "I have something to ask."

"What is it?" Cassius asked.

Weiss sighed. "I do not doubt your judgment Cassius," she said softly. "It's just that when I said...when I said that I wanted you four to be adamant during today's arrest, I didn't imagine it would involve-" Her voice trailed off. She looked nervously at her men. "I didn't think it would have been as violent as it was."

Cassius put a fist against his heart. "My Lady, I apologize if we were more forceful than you had hoped," the Sentinel reassured. "I just wanted to make sure that there was no chance of you getting hurt."

"Surely, you didn't have to hit her? She had already been disarmed. And you didn't have to kick-"

"My Lady," Brutus interrupted. "It might have been wrong of us to treat the prisoner with such force, considering her age, but we did it for you."

"For me?" Weiss asked.

Brutus also put a fist above his heart. "When you told us you wanted to a caged carriage, which is commonly used for only the most dangerous criminals, to transport this girl, I was most confused." He lowered his head. "But then I realized, why was I doubting my Heiress? Daughter of our Warden? It all became clear to me. The others and I believed that you were doing this to show off your authority. Your power."

Weiss shook her head with confusion. "W-What do you mean? My power?"

"Instead of choosing to tie the accused to a rope which is tied to a horse, which is the custom for common criminals, you went and chose the most noticeable way of transport." Brutus' voice grew louder and more passionate. "Either you overestimated this girl, which I do not think you did, or you simply wanted to show that crimes in your father's village would be dealt with severe consequences." He looked up at Weiss and grinned. "You. Are. Power, my Lady: it is our sacred duty to uphold your name's reputation and your blood's prestige."

"That was our intention," Cassius continued. "By showing yourself in public for the first time without your father's permission, having us, your Sentinels flex our might to the people, you publicly denouncing the girl. It was all to send a message to the people of Vermilion, was it not?"

Weiss leaned against the cold wall, taking in everything Cassius and Brutus had told her. She looked at Simon and Leo, who seemed as if they had just heard the words of a prophet; they nodded their heads in solid agreement. "I-I don't know," she whispered.

"I am sure that was your true intention." He pointed at Weiss. "You are your father's one and only Heiress, and you are just beginning your journey to become Warden of our village." Cassius smiled. "Come now, let us get you home. Your father will want answers, and we will be there to support your actions."

He put a gentle hand on Weiss's shoulder. "B-But wait, we still need to question her."

Brutus chuckled. "We have more important things to do. Leave that dirty job to the Guardsmen."

"You're right, if one of them get her to confess, they just might get a promotion to being one of us!" Leo sported.

Simon scoffed. "Shut your mouth, there are enough of us as is."

Weiss looked one last time at a solemn Gregory, before she was escorted out of sight.

"Unbelievable, they didn't even thank you? Thank us?" one Guardsman asked Gregory appalled.

Another one sighed and shook his head. "I bet fifty Lien that those Sentinel pricks were bad mouthing us." He walked up and put a hand on Gregory's shoulder. "Listen, the boys and I should go. It's getting late and our shifts ended hours ago. You asked for our help, and we gave it to you."

Gregory nodded. "You're right." He turned to the exhausted Guardsmen behind him. "I appreciate that all of you volunteered for this mission and I understand that I kept you longer that I originally thought. I apologize for that." He gestured to them all. "You're free to go."

"Ah, it's alright. We saved the Heiress' little tush, right?" a Guardsman joked as he swung his sword over his shoulder and began his way down the street.

One by one, the rest of the Guardsmen dismissed themselves and began walking away in different directions, conversing among themselves about their feat. "Ha, those high and mighty Sentinels would have been stomped to death if it weren't for us," another Guardsman boasted proudly while his buddy pretended to faint in awe. No one caught him.

"You bastard!"

Jaune rubbed his head and chuckled. "Sheesh, I don't know about them, but I don't ever want to be caught between an angry 300 pound logger and a bunch of ticked off farmers." The newly promoted Guardsman's smile faded when he saw Gregory's serious expression. "Um, Gregory, sir, are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Jaune," the Guardsman answered tiredly. "I'll finish things here, you should head on home."

"O-Okay, sir." Jaune looked worriedly at his partner before turning around and leaving.

Gregory watched Jaune disappear from his peripheral vision before letting out a heavy sigh. He ran his hands through his hair and stood for a moment. Another sigh. The sun was just about to dip beneath the horizon. As he felt the last warm rays of the sun disappear from his face, a cold breeze blew through the chinks in his armor. Wanting to get out of the oncoming cold, he made his way to the Sentries.

"I'm here for the Huntress." They pulled their weapons aside for Gregory as he walked by and descended down the dark spiral staircase. Soon, the familiar stench of blood and feces reached his nose. At the bottom of the staircase was the first level. The first level consisted of ten prison cells and three rooms that were used to interrogate or torture prisoners. Below the first level were two more levels, each corresponding with the level of danger associated with the criminal. Gregory grabbed a torch off of the wall and walked to the guard sitting at the table. He seemed bored out of his mind as he poked the keys that were attached to his belt.

"Excuse me, I'm here for the girl who was just brought in."

The Watchman stretched his arms above his head. "The one that the Sentinels brought in?"

"Yes. Ruby Rose."

"Second level," he said quietly.

Gregory paused and furrowed his brow at the other guard. "Second level? Are you serious?"

The guard nodded. "There's no way that poor girl deserves to be anywhere else than here, with common thieves and ruffians, but the Sentinels insisted that she be put there."

Gregory gritted his teeth. "Those fellows Cassius and Brutus, correct?"

"Yes," the Guardsman said with a sneer, "those two."

Gregory nodded thanks to the guard nodded back before returning to playing with the keys he had on his belt. As he walked down the aisle, what he saw didn't surprise him. Young boys: probably thought that they could get away with stealing. Older man: probably a town drunk who was caught being indecent in public.

"Got me drink?" the man asked after a hiccup.

Definitely a town drunk. Gregory reached the last cell right before the staircase that led to the level below and put his hands on the cold iron bars. Empty. It was empty, yet the brutes still wanted to torture the girl even more.

When he descended to the second level, he had to hold the torch closer to his face, for the stench grew even worse. The Guardsmen who were in charge of keeping an eye on the prisoners sat asleep at the table, with empty mugs in front of them. He sympathized with them; prison duty was almost the worst thing a Vermilion guard had to do. He held the torch close to the bars. One by one, he passed the prisoners. Their placement in the second level that their offences were more severe than something petty like a thievery. People locked away in the second level were usually taken in for reasons that ranged from robbery, defamation of the church, or sexual assault.

The next cell seemed to be empty, but upon further inspection, there was a person sitting towards the back of the cell, snoring loudly. Definitely not Ruby. He continued to the next cells. After encountering a man who shouted sexual profanities at him, a woman who seemed to be loose in the head, and a man rolling around in his own feces, Gregory finally found her.

Lying on a bench facing the wall and with shackles around her ankles, was Ruby Rose.

"Ruby!" he whispered. "Ruby, are you alright?" He waited patiently, but there was still no response. Not wanting to wake the guards, he tried again. "Ruby? My name is Gregory, I'm a friend." Silence.

Worried, Gregory ran back to the two table where the Watchmen were still sleeping. He quickly circled around the table, looking for the keys. After a few frustrating seconds, he located the keys: they were clasped in the hands of the Guardsman who sat closest to the cells. Gregory held his breath as he gently lifted the man's fingers up, one by one. Sweat trickled down his forehead as he worked as quietly as possible. A heart-racing minute later, all of the guard's fingers had been pulled up away from the keys. As he pulled the keys, the guard snorted in his sleep, making Gregory jump. The guard simply picked his nose and returned back to snoring. He grabbed the keys by their bases and pulled it up and away quickly. He let out a muffled sigh of relief when the guard remained asleep. "Thanks," he said to the snoring guard.

With the keys now in hand, Gregory quickly made his way back to the cell and quickly unlocked it. He set the keys onto his belt and approached the girl. She still lay still after he nudged her shoulders gently. "Ruby?" He gently pulled her towards him to get a closer look.

Ruby's silver eyes shot open as she tackled Gregory to the ground. "Where's my sister?" she yelled. Gregory covered his face as Ruby's fits came down upon him. "What have you done with Yang? Yang!"

"Stop it! I'm not going to hurt you!" Gregory yelled as quietly as he could. He struggled to keep his hand over Ruby's mouth while simultaneously trying to create as little noise as possible; the Huntress was incredibly strong despite being so small. "I'm not going to hurt you," he repeated over and over. Her strength soon faded and her cries reverted back to quiet whimpering.

"Why are you doing this to us?" Ruby whispered. Gregory looked at her to see dried blood over the Huntress' face, and moist tears streaming down her face.

All he could do was to put a hand over her head and to wrap her in a tight embrace. "I'm so sorry. I am so sorry," he whispered.

Gregory heard footsteps and alarmed voices echo around the dungeon. What he had done was illegal, but in a way, he didn't care. Instead, he continued to keep Ruby in his embrace as footsteps approached the cell. "What do you think you're doing?" the voice called.

He turned around to see Geoffrey Schade staring at him. "Geoffrey! It's you. Look, I can explain everything, just please let me stay-"

"Oh my God...Ruby?" He pointed a finger at Gregory who shook his head vehemently. He turned around and shouted at the guards at the table. "Which one of you bastards hurt the girl?" The responses were slurred and incomprehensible. "Useless." Geoffrey quickly made his way over and knelt besides Ruby and fished out a handkerchief from his pocket. "Who did this to her?" he asked as he gently wiped away the blood.

Gregory opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when Ruby put a bloody hand to his mouth. The Huntress sat up straight, and tried to speak, but her words came broken as she still struggled to catch her breath. They waited patiently as Ruby calmed down and exhaled slowly. Her nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Weiss Schnee."

Weiss flinched at her father's booming voice as he stormed across the grand hall; his face was entirely red.

"Father, please let me explain-"

"You disobedient little dolt! Who gave you permission to leave the manor and to organize a search party by yourself?" He took another step closer and pointed at the floor. "I have told you a million times to stay out of official business!"

"My Lord," Cassius interjected bluntly. "Permission to speak?"

The Warden let out a disappointed sigh and rubbed his temples. He motioned to Cassius and the other three Sentinels. "And you four! You disobeyed as well. Why did you allow this?"

Cassius placed a fist over his heart. "My Lord, the Heiress only wanted to help. She could not sit by idly while there was a killer on the loose within her own village. It might please my Lord if I add that we have arrested two suspects." He then motioned towards Weiss. "Because of her."

"Impossible," Lütolf said with a scoff, "none of the garrison has brought me any leads to these crimes yet."

Cassius smiled. "My Lord, your daughter convinced us that she could pick up on things us guards could not see. In other words, she has a different perspective on this case." The Sentinel began to motion with his hands as he described the Heiress' actions. "First, Weiss sought the help of Guardsmen Gregory Halacre and Jaune Arc, the men who were first to discover the brutal murder scene." Cassius motioned to Weiss. "My Lady?"

Weiss nodded and picked up where Cassius left off cautiously. She avoided her father's burning gaze. "I asked the two to bring me to the Thrush residence to reexamine the evidence that was there. We found a small notebook of all of the people who owed Landlord Thrush money. At the top of the list was a girl by the name of Yang Xiao Long."

Warden Schnee folded his arms. "Xiao Long? The one who holds a trade with my garrison!"

Weiss nodded. "According to notes written into the notebook, the blacksmith owed a total of 900 Lien. She had failed to pay the lease to her blacksmith's house a total of three times; which resulted in penalty fees of 300 Lien per incident. Thrush had also written in a reminder than more than three late payments would result in eviction." Weiss inhaled through her nose and exhaled quietly out of her mouth as she studied her father. He was actually listening to her.

"What makes you think that this girl was the murderer?"

Weiss swallowed at the thought. "Well, I didn't see the crime scene in the state that Gregory and Jaune found it in. But I did see-" she paused to glance at her Sentinels with concerned looks on their faces. Her father's wasn't so similar. She cleared her throat and continued. "-t-the blood, and the wires that were used to suspend the Landlord from the ceiling of his room. This was a truly violent crime as we all know. But it was not a robbery that went horribly wrong."

"Correct," Brutus added on, "alcohol, jewelry, fine clothing, and a safe with thousands of Lien inside was found untouched."

"This means, that the killer did not arrive at the Thrush residence with the intent to steal. That person came to kill," Weiss added on. "Since nothing of value was taken from the residence, I think the other guards who investigated the scene overlooked Yang as a suspect, or she was the one who owed the Landlord the most amount of money, and yet nothing was taken."

"Your daughter also pointed out that while there was no forced entry into the house," Cassius noted, "the lock to the front door had been picked. Either the killer had experience in lock-picking, or-"

"-experience with metalwork." Weiss let out a quiet hmpf as she saw her father nod slowly in agreement. "With a suspect clearly in mind, I wanted to get in contact with those were are closest to the blacksmith. With the help of Guardsman Jaune Arc, who is a friend himself, compiled a list of individuals that we should speak to."

"And who are these individuals?" the Warden asked as he stroked his beard.

"The butchers of The Dragon Butcher, Lie Ren and his assistant Cardin Winchester, the baker of Valkyrie's Bakery, Nora Valkyrie, the bookbinder of Belladonna Binding, Blake Belladonna, and Ruby Rose, a quote unquote 'Huntress' who is also Yang's younger sister."

"Ha, a Huntress you say?" The Warden put his hands on his hips and laughed. "These girls sure love to pretend to be men!" Brutus, Leo and Simon joined in on the laughter until she pouted and cleared her throat.

"Other names which came up were Commander Pyrrha Nikos and Guardsman Geoffrey Schade. For obvious reasons, I wanted to consult them last, as getting into contact with them is much easier and time efficient."

"Long story short," Cassius said frankly, "we happened to find the butchers and baker at the Valkyrie girl's bakery, where we overheard them acknowledge that the blacksmith was easily capable of committing a crime such as murder."

"We then quickly made our way to Celica Ironworks, and knocked on the door to speak with her. Yang was the one who answered. At first she seemed rather composed and cooperative. She invited us inside and answered our questions smoothly. But the longer I questioned her about her relationship with Landlord Thrush, the more agitated she seemed to become. I took this as an opportunity to allow her to calm down while we looked around the residence for anything that would indicate her involvement. Leo and Simon stayed inside while I accompanied Brutus and Cassius outside and searched the perimeter of the house." Weiss began to pace slowly back and forth. "At the back of the residence was a small makeshift bathhouse. Immediately all three of us picked up on the smell of blood. However, there didn't seem to be any traces of blood in the bathhouse; there was only the smell of it. As I wandered into the yard the connecting yard, I found a patch of dirt that appeared to be flatter than the dirt around it. What was more suspicious was the heavy stone placed on it..."

"Well, go on!" the Warden insisted. Weiss could see the look in his eyes. He knew where this was leading.

"I took my blade and stuck it into the soil, seeing if I could feel anything. Instead I just hit something hard. Thinking it was another rock, I drew my blade out to try another area." Weiss drew out her rapier. "There was blood on my blade." She then sheathed her rapier and continued. "I called Cassius and Brutus over immediately to lift up the stone and to begin digging. The earth was soft despite someone's attempts of packing it tightly. What we found was incriminating evidence of Yang Xiao Long's involvement with something heinous: we found a pair of Cestus wrapped around in bloody bandages." Weiss faced her father. "Confident now that she was responsible for the murders, we rushed back in to the residence to see Leo and Simon unconscious on the floor. The blacksmith stood over their bodies with a fire poker in hand."

"She rushed us, my Lord," Cassius acknowledged, "with speed I have not seen before in my life. Brutus and I barely unsheathed our swords in time to defend ourselves."

The Heiress looked at Leo and Simon, who seemed rather embarrassed to hear the story again. "I managed to disarm her, father. Shortly after, Cassius ad Brutus managed to overpower her and place her under arrest. We knew that her sister would arrive home quickly, so I ordered Leo and Simon to transport the prisoner to the dungeon while we waited for the sister's return."

"And now you have both suspects in custody?" Lütolf asked; eyes staring straight into Weiss'.

"Yes, father." Weiss smiled too early, for the gratitude and acknowledgement from her father didn't come. He just stood there, quietly looking at her, and then back to her Sentinels.

"My Lord," Cassius said quietly, "I ask for your forgiveness on our behalf for disobeying your direct order."

"But we cannot apologize for your daughter's accomplishments today," Brutus concluded firmly. He pointed to himself and the other Sentinels. "We will gladly accept punishment for our wrongs, if that is what must be done."

"Tsk!" The Warden rubbed his forehead and sighed. "I trust you and your brothers' words, Cassius. I understand that you four had the village's safety in your mind at the time you made your decision. Your commitment to serve is admirable." Lütolf's voice dropped to an eerie growl. "But let me be absolutely clear, one more time: if this happens ever again, all four of you will be demoted to Sentry."

All four Sentinels dropped to a knee and bowed. "Understood, my Lord!"

"On your feet now," the Warden bellowed, "Cassius!"

"My Lord!"

"You will bring a message to Commander Pyrrha Nikos that we have two suspects in custody and that she and Guardsman Jaune Arc are needed for further questioning, no later than tonight!"

"It shall be done." Cassius put on his helmet and nodded to Weiss before leaving the grand hall.

"Brutus!"

"My Lord!"

"You will be in charge of the interrogations of Yang Xiao Long and Ruby Rose. Use whatever means necessary to discover the truth about their involvement."

"It shall be done," Brutus bellowed. He put on his helmet with a grin.

"Leo, Simon! You two will notify the officers and carry this message to them: the search for any suspects and evidence still stands until further instructed."

"It shall be done," they answered in unison. The two Sentinels put on their helmets and right before they dashed off, winked at her. Then they were gone; the sound of their steel boot clapping against the tile floor sounded through the empty manor. Weiss' eyes lit up as she turned to her father, straightened her posture and took a deep breath.

"As for you," Lütolf said as the footsteps of Leo and Simon faded away.

"Yes, father?" the Heiress could barely suppress the excitement in her voice.

"You will return to your chambers, at once."

"W-What?" Weiss stuttered. She put a hand on her chest and in disbelief. "Father-"

"For the next thirty days, your meals and your studies will be brought to your room, and the only time you are allowed to leave, is to use the washroom. Your Sentinels will continue their job in protecting you, but I have made myself very clear to them. The next time you disobey me, the consequences will be most severe. You are dismissed!" He cleared his throat and began to leave to the opposite side of the hall.

"I don't understand," Weiss said in a hushed tone; her hands began to tremble. "Why are you doing this to me?" She clenched her fists and glared at the back of her father. "Why did you thank Cassius and the others entirely when it was I who put the pieces together? Why do they get all the recognition and credit?" The Heiress angrily followed her father up the stairs and to the entrance of the hall. "Why must you insist that your daughter is incapable of amounting to anything?" As he stopped in front of the door leading to the next room, she slammed her foot down against the tiled floor. "Why can't you acknowledge for once that I am ready to begin taking responsibilities for my village?" she shrieked.

Lütolf turned around in an instant, his eyes wild. "Because you don't belong in this village, you miscreant!" he boomed in retaliation.

Tears trickled from the Heiress's eyes. "Take that back," she whispered. "Take that back...you monster."

The Warden sneered. "You are an ungrateful dolt who doesn't realize-"

Weiss drew her rapier in a flash and pointed it towards her father. "It's you. It's you. You're the monster that mother read to me about. It was you all along!" she cried out as she burst into loud sobbing. Lütolf jaw dropped slightly to the side in a show of surprise and amusement. He took a step forward towards Weiss and sneered when she flinched. He took another step forward, and another. Weiss struggled to keep her stance steady as her father, the Warden, towered over her as he closed the distance between them to the point where the blade pressed against his heart.

"If I'm the monster, then you're the coward who couldn't slay it," he hissed menacingly. Blood dropped onto the tiles below as Weiss bit her lips. Her rapier went back and forth between pressing harder against her father's heart to putting less pressure. "A coward wants to replace me as Warden to Vermilion. I can hear them," Lütolf muttered through gritted teeth as he looked upwards, "I can hear the Gods laughing at my bloodline. These must be the final days."

Lütolf turned his attention back on Weiss and grabbed the rapier with his bare hand. "Don't you ever draw your weapon against me, you wench." And just like that, the 6th Warden of Vermilion threw the rapier to the floor and marched out of the grand hall, slamming the door on his way out. The Heiress's wails soon followed.