Hello, hello! It's chapter 10! We've hit something of a milestone, and so I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone who has been following, favoriting, and reviewing. Your support really pushes me to keep going. And for those of you that are just now reading the story, welcome! I hope you look forward to what is to come. Anyway, I wish everyone who has finals and such coming up the absolute best of luck! Push through your procrastinating habits and study hard! As always, more at the bottom, so for now, on with the chapter~!
"Winter?!" Weiss gasped, stepping out from behind Yang. Slowly, hesitantly, she approached Winter, who had not dismounted from her horse. "What are you doing here?"
"Clearly I am here for you. There are not many other matters that would send me to this remote corner of the kingdom." Winter said, her tone icy.
Before either of the sisters could say more, Yang stepped forward. "How did you find us?"
Winter arched a single, well-groomed eyebrow, regarding the blonde with as much disdain as she would an insect. "And you must be Weiss's companion. What is your name?"
"I asked you a question first," the blonde grunted.
The younger of the two Schnee siblings put a placating hand on her companion's shoulder before she cleared her throat. "This is Yang. She has been traveling with me and keeping me safe for almost two months now."
The redheaded captain, who had been silent beside the elder Schnee up until now, spoke up. "Greetings, Miss Yang! I am Captain Pyrrha Nikos. Thank you very much for keeping Princess Weiss safe. We are greatly indebted to you." From atop her horse, she bowed deeply, the other soldiers behind her following suit. Only Winter remained upright.
"So," the elder Schnee intoned, "what is it you desire for your reward?"
Yang blinked before her brow furrowed. "Reward? I don't need a reward."
"No need to be modest. You deserve a reward for your… heroic actions." It seemed as if her pervious statement left a bad taste in Winter's mouth. True, she was grateful to the blonde barbarian for keeping her precious little sister safe, but she didn't want the brute tainting Weiss any further with her presence.
Yang shook her head. "Then let me rephrase what I said earlier, Your Highness: I don't want a reward. I didn't save Weiss because I thought I'd get something out of it. I saved her because I wanted to."
Winter's ice-blue eyes, devoid of the warmth that Weiss's had, narrowed dangerously. In her peripheral vision, she could see Pyrrha wince. "You dare speak her name without her proper title? How bold you have become in such a short time of knowing her."
The situation was devolving fast, and a quick glance at her companion's normally-lilac eyes –now dyed a bloody red—told Weiss that she needed to intervene quickly before the argument turned violent.
"Winter, please! I told Yang to address me without a title!"
But the elder Schnee paid her no mind, dismounting her horse and swiftly closing the distance between herself and the blonde barbarian. Yang had several inches on her, but that would not stop her.
The redheaded captain quickly dismounted, sparing Weiss an apologetic nod before attempting to diffuse the situation.
"Your Highness, Princess Weiss and Miss Yang have likely experienced a lot of hardship together. It is only natural that they would grow closer because of it."
Weiss hurried to stand in front of Yang, laying a hand on her arm and squeezing gently. Her blonde companion's eyes had not once left Winter's, locked in a silent battle. "Yang, please," she whispered. "It won't end well for us if you start a fight with my sister. I'm begging you to let it go."
At the hushed concern of her companion, Yang let out a breath, feeling her anger go from an all-consuming rage to a simmer. She could feel her eyes return to their usual color. Weiss was right, and it probably wouldn't do to punch her sister, the heir to the Atlesian throne, square in her pompous face.
She finally met the worried gaze of the smaller girl and sighed. "Alright, I'll let it go." The relieved smile on Weiss's face was reward enough for her decision.
Winter, however, would not back down. "Kneel and apologize, peasant. Give Princess Weiss her due respect."
Pyrrha winced for the second time. To her, this was not a matter of respect, but rather a matter of Winter displaying dominance. Still, there was nothing she could do, no matter what her thoughts were on the matter.
Weiss mirrored Pyrrha's wince, checking on the reaction of the blonde brawler.
Yang felt her fingers twitch, positively itching to silence the eldest princess. Still, for Weiss's and her own sake, she kept her anger in check.
She glanced at Weiss, whose wide eyes betrayed the fear she felt, before she dropped to one knee and bowed her head begrudgingly. "I am deeply sorry, Princess Weiss," she ground out. "I humbly beg you to forgive my thoughtless insolence."
There were tears forming in Weiss's eyes; it truly hurt to see Yang forced into such a humiliating state, but she kept the tears at bay. Keeping a stiff upper lip, she forced out, "You are forgiven. You may rise."
Yang did so in a flash, sending Weiss an understanding look before turning her fiery gaze on Winter. The whole situation had turned sour because of the eldest princess, but she knew better than to pick a fight with royalty.
"Will that suffice, Your Highness?" Yang asked, sarcasm heavy in her tone.
Winter huffed. "For now." She turned her gaze to Weiss, who was looking worriedly between Yang and herself. "Come, Sister. It is time you ended this little escapade and returned to the castle."
Weiss's gaze fell the ground, her head bowed slightly. Despite her obvious submissive behavior, she did not move.
"Weiss, I am not asking you; I am telling you it is time to return home." Her tone was imperious, almost overpowering as she arched an eyebrow at her sister.
Again, Weiss did not move, electing to simply stare at the ground. She wrapped her arms around herself, seeming to shrink under her sister's gaze.
Yang glanced at Weiss, taking in her fearful yet defiant actions, before she stepped in front of her, crouching down to meet her gaze. She kept her expression soft, as she quietly addressed her companion, keeping her voice low enough so Winter and the soldiers couldn't hear. "Weiss? I've really enjoyed traveling with you." She took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she would say next. "But the choice is yours to make."
Weiss's eyes, which had squeezed nearly shut in fear, shot wide open. Openly, she gaped at her companion.
"I'm not gonna tell you what to do; whether you go back to the castle or not, I'll support you with everything I've got." With each word she forced out, Yang could feel her heart twisting violently in her chest. If she was to be completely honest, she wanted nothing more than to knock out the soldiers, punch Winter square in her snooty face, and sweep Weiss off her feet to some hidden paradise. But, the realistic part of her knew that she couldn't do that.
Weiss had spent the entirety of her life being told what to do, how to act, and what to think. Since she left the castle, she had been able to blossom into a stronger, freer version of herself. Yang was not going to take that away from her and tell her to stay, no matter how much it would destroy her if she left. She couldn't be selfish, even though her heart desperately screamed at her to do so.
In that moment, it became entirely clear to her that what she felt for Weiss was far deeper than simple gratitude or companionship. She held a strong affection for Weiss, but searching her heart for how deep that affection ran was a dangerous endeavor. If it ran too deep, Weiss's return to the castle would shatter her heart, which had just begun to open up again. For now, she would leave it be and hope that Weiss would choose to stay.
Weiss searched the earnest eyes of her companion, wondering if there was something there that she could latch onto, some kind of emotion that could guide her. Unfortunately for her, whatever Yang was feeling was well hidden; she truly did want Weiss to make the choice.
However, despite what Yang might have guessed, she was completely sure of what she wanted. Her heart wanted nothing more than to stay. However, her brain and her instincts were warning her of the danger of defying her sister.
Winter had been something of an enigma for years, and Weiss could not figure out what she meant to her elder sister. Still, there was one thing she knew: Winter was serious about Weiss returning to the castle. The elder Schnee seemed to operate on militaristic terms, never really showing what she was feeling to Weiss. Here though, she knew that Winter was determined to bring her back to Atlas Castle, willingly or not.
She had never openly defied Winter or King Schnee, terrified of the repercussions of doing so. But, if she was to stay with Yang, she would be forced to muster her courage and do just that.
"Weiss, this is the last time I will say this: we are returning to the castle. Or will I have to strap you to the saddle and take you back by force?" Winter had witnessed the blonde brute whispering to her sister, no doubt trying to convince her to defy her beloved elder sister and stay. The whole thing left a taste so bitter, she nearly spit.
Yang rose from her crouch, but not before giving Weiss what she hoped was a reassuring smile. It was hard to tell if it was convincing or not, but she hoped that Weiss didn't see something that would sway her opinion unfairly.
For a long, tense moment, Weiss didn't move. She kept her gaze firmly on the ground, gathering her courage to announce her decision.
Slowly, but surely, she brought her head up, sparing Yang a quick glance before fixing her determined gaze on her elder sister.
"No."
Around her, everyone froze. The soldiers fearfully glanced at the eldest princess, who had not so much as twitched.
Yang felt her heart soar, but she couldn't dwell on the feeling; now was the time to figure out how to get her and Weiss away from the standoff safely. No doubt when Winter recovered, all hell would break loose.
Little did she know, Pyrrha's mind was racing as well. She hadn't expected Weiss to come willingly, but she certainly hadn't expected her to openly and brazenly defy the eldest princess.
Frankly, Pyrrha was happy that Weiss was able to escape the stifling atmosphere of the castle and see the world. It was incredibly enlightening and beneficial for the sheltered princess.
Still, she had a job to do, and in the search party, she was directly under Winter's command. Defying the elder Schnee was tanamount to suicide, yet a part of her was completely willing to sacrifice herself so Weiss could live her life as a free woman.
She would simply have to wait and see what happened before she made any life-changing –or life-ending—decisions.
After an incredibly tense moment, Winter's mind finally began to work again. She had expected hesitance –some light resistance even—but for her little sister to boldly defy her… it was no doubt due to the influence of her brute of a companion.
Her eyebrow twitched and her jaw clenched firmly shut. She felt her blood boil as she clenched her fists so hard, they shook. "What… did you say?" she ground out.
"I… I said no," Weiss said, her voice a little louder and more sure of itself. "I'm not going back to the castle."
She stepped up next to Yang, lacing her delicate fingers with the calloused ones of her companion. "I want to stay with Yang."
The blonde couldn't resist the triumphant smirk that made its way onto her face. The look of furious disbelief on Winter's face made it grow even wider. Though she knew she shouldn't, she couldn't help but rub her little victory in Winter's face.
"So she said, Your Highness. May we take our leave now?" Yang's tone was heavily laced with a smug confidence that only served to anger the eldest princess further. She knew she was playing a dangerous game, but Winter had it coming.
"You dare to defy me?! You dare to defy father?! You have had such an easy life at the castle until now. Why would you throw it all away?! For this vagabond?!" Winter bellowed, abandoning any semblance of self-control as the rest of the soldiers looked on in terror.
"Yang is not a vagabond! How dare you say that?! And secondly, you think my life has been nothing but easy? Don't make me laugh," Weiss shot back with a hiss.
"True, when it comes to material possessions, I have wanted for nothing, but that is empty! It does not replace the lack of human relationships! You and I used to be so close, but as soon as you began your studies to take over the throne, you acted as if I didn't exist! Father treated me as nothing more than an annoyance. When he wasn't treating me like a failure, I was left alone in that giant, cold castle. That wasn't a home; it was a prison."
"I did that to protect you, Weiss!" At the scoff of her little sister, Winter plowed on. "If I had remained close to you and made any mistakes with my studies, father would have blamed you for distracting me! You would have been treated far worse than ever before," Winer shouted, throwing her arms wide.
"Don't you see? Everything I've done has been for you!"
Weiss barked a sharp, humorless laugh. "Do you hear yourself? You admitted how terrible father is! Why on Remnant would I go back to the castle to be mistreated by him? And whether or not it was all for me is irrelevant. You could have told me instead of leaving me in the dark to suffer alone!"
Winter faltered, but only for a moment before she renewed her efforts. "Yes, he is terrible, but you must return despite that. If word spreads to the rest of the people that you have disappeared, father will be forced to act to save face, and his attempts to drag you back will be far more aggressive."
She lowered her volume just a bit. "Please, Weiss. Please understand that I only want to keep you safe. Even if you don't believe me, I love you," Winter pleaded.
Pyrrha and the other soldiers nearly gasped. Never before had Winter shown this much emotion. There were glimpses of it along the way, but she generally kept her affection for Weiss well hidden. Clearly, the matter of her little sister's return meant far more to her than she had initially let on.
Now though, the question on everyone's mind was what the younger princess's response would be. All heads turned toward the youngest Schnee, eagerly awaiting her answer.
Weiss though, for the moment, had none. Winter's final declaration made her jaw drop, though in the back of her mind, something was nagging at her. The timing of the declaration was rather convenient, and she knew Winter's ability to engage with anyone was not to be taken lightly; she was a master of molding her personality to the tastes of whomever she was in conversation with.
It had certainly fooled most of the nobles that their father wanted to be on agreeable terms with. Frankly, it had almost fooled Weiss a few times as well.
Still… despite those suspicions, her sister's outburst had seemed sincere. Not to mention the fact that her icy demeanor had been thawed during their exchange. So, that left the answer to be one of two options: either her sister was an even better actress than Weiss had realized, or she was honestly telling the truth.
It didn't matter though; it's not as if the answer would change her mind. She had come this far, and she was not about to stop now. She would stay with Yang and no one –not even her elder sister—was going to stop her.
Finally she had her answer. She pressed close to Yang, who had been silently watching the exchange with awe. "I don't need you to keep me safe, Winter. I have Yang for that."
The brawler felt her chest puff with a bit of pride; she was indescribably happy that Weiss trusted her that much.
Quickly though, she realized that Weiss's declaration was probably leading them towards conflict. Winter did not seem like the type to take someone's word without any evidence of them being able to back their claims up. No doubt Yang would be forced to prove her abilities.
She scanned her eyes over the soldiers; most of them looked relatively easy to handle. The problem was not the common soldiers though, but the captain that led them.
Pyrrha Nikos exuded combat ability that rivaled Yang herself. There was something about her that made the blonde's instincts go on high alert. If it came down to an all-out brawl, the redhead would likely be the biggest problem.
The unknown factor was Winter. The girl had likely been trained to defend herself in some form or another, but Yang couldn't guess just how much training that would be. Still, underestimating an opponent could be a fatal mistake, so Yang would be watchful of the eldest princess.
After Weiss's bold declaration, it was Winter's turn to scoff. "What can one woman possibly do against fifteen trained soldiers and myself, let alone an entire unit should father get involved?"
"You would be surprised, Winter. Yang's abilities are not to be taken lightly."
Winter raised a brow. "Is that so? Then I'm sure she wouldn't mind putting her skills to the test. After all, I can't simply leave my little sister's life in the hands of an incompetent fool, now can I?" There was a distinct trace of challenge in her voice, tinged with a bit of smug amusement; she truly didn't believe that Yang could possibly defend Weiss from that many soldiers.
There it was. Yang's grip on Weiss's hand tightened a bit. If she couldn't prove to Winter that she could defend Weiss, there would be nothing left to stop the elder Schnee from taking Weiss back to the castle.
Weiss chanced a hesitant glance into Yang's eyes. Perhaps it hadn't been her brightest idea to assert how strong Yang was, but it was far too late now. The only thing she could do was hope that she hadn't dug her companion a hole that was far too deep for her to climb out of.
Yang met the nervous gaze of her ivory-haired companion with what she hoped was a confident grin. Even if she couldn't be sure that she would win, she would try her absolute hardest to do so. She wouldn't let Weiss be taken back to the castle after she had decided to stay.
The blonde took a deep breath. "It is as you say, Your Highness. Thus, I propose we have a duel to determine whether I am worthy of protecting Princess Weiss. If I win, you let Weiss and I resume our travels. If I lose, I'll have proven that I am unfit to protect Princess Weiss, and will place her back under your protection. Do you agree to these terms?"
She hated herself for putting Weiss's freedom up as a bargaining chip, but that was essentially what the duel was about. If she failed, Weiss would return to the castle and lose her independence.
She shot Weiss an apologetic look before steeling her gaze back to Winter.
"I will add one condition; if you lose, not only will Weiss return to the castle with me, but you will never be allowed to approach her again." The smirk on Winter's face was entirely sinister; she knew there was no way Yang could refuse, not if she wanted to keep traveling with Weiss.
The younger princess gasped. "Winter! That's not—"
"Very well," Yang said, cutting off Weiss's protest. She gave her companion's hand a gentle squeeze. Winter had forced her into a corner, so now all she could do was play by the elder Schnee's rules.
"Excellent," Winter said with a clap of her hands. "We shall hold the duel in Pesca, and of course, we will escort you there so you do not entertain any foolish ideas."
With a grim nod, Yang hoisted the dropped burlap sacks onto her back while the soldiers mounted their horses.
When the group was ready, they set out for Pesca, with Weiss keeping an iron grip on Yang's hand.
From her seat atop her horse just behind the two, Winter couldn't help the triumphant smirk that broke out across her face.
I'm looking forward to seeing you lose, brute. Just you wait.
Whew! Chapter 10 is done! I was cutting it close again because I have 5 things due tomorrow, so I was pressed for time. (A 30 minute group presentation in Spanish is probably the biggest thorn in my side at the moment) There was mostly talking in this chapter, but I wanted to set the inevitable duel up for next chapter so it could get the attention it deserves. Also, Yang's conclusion is similar to Weiss's as far as her feelings go: it's better not to think about it right now. She knows more about her feelings than Weiss does, but she still won't put a name to those feelings until their situation stabilizes. Anyway, good luck to everyone! Until next time~!