Chapter 9: The Acquaintanceship
Sunlight peeked through the sheer satin curtains of Weiss's bedroom that morning, tickling her skin with warmth as she rose from her dreamless sleep. Her cheek still throbbed from her father's slap, and when she raised a hand to touch it she winced at the slight swelling that still remained. Instead of Klein or the stable boy bringing her breakfast, she had asked Blake instead, so as not to raise questions about her bruise or what had transpired the night previous.
Blake's golden eyes had a certain way of looking right through her, knowing her deepest kept secrets even if she were keeping completely silent. The feline Faunus held true to this as she carefully applied makeup to Weiss's porcelain complexion; the girl did not really care for such useless things like makeup, but she did not want other servants looking upon her with pity. The poor Schnee girl whose father hit her, the last time she had forgone makeup over the remnants of Jacques anger the pitying looks had stung almost worse than his slap.
She was not to be pitied, she had more dignity than that. No, she would cover the wound and pretend it was nonexistent until it faded away in wait for the next. Only there would not be a next, Weiss would correct her mistake, and not allow another to be made. As Blake finished her delicate brushing of color onto the lady's cheeks, her silence broke from the weight of her curiosity.
"What was it this time, late for dinner again?"
Weiss scoffed, "More like absent entirely, and the Winchesters were there too."
Blake did not try hard to hide the snicker choking through her monotone disposition. "I can't say you missed anything remotely exciting, the young lord's ego grows larger every day."
"That's not surprising, although it was rumored he was watching one of the Faunus servants at one of father's parties, do you suppose there is any truth in that?" it was not a topic she was interested in, but it directed the conversation away from the elephant in the room.
The maid only shrugged as she picked up the silver hairbrush from Weiss' vanity and began to run it through her silky locks. "I've heard too many versions to tell you the truth; that she is his victim, that she is his lover, we've spoken a few times during parties but I haven't seen Velvet recently so I do not know."
The pale lady stared off into space, letting the subject die before too much gossip could rear its ugly head. Weiss did not care so much for the young Winchester lord; he was brash and cared more for the wilds of hunting and exploration than he did for the company of a potential bride. He was not a good match if his mind was always somewhere other than his wife, Faunus lover or no, Weiss would not be leaning towards him when she inevitably chose her husband.
Even still, to reject him without proper face-to-face evaluation, did not give her opinion much credit. If she had been present at supper then she could have let the engagement die quickly, now it had to be drawn out slowly and painfully for both parties.
Thoughts which brought her back to why she had been absent; she'd been thrown from her horse during her afternoon ride and had taken the rest of the day to find her way home, only with the help of Sun Wukong though, the stable boy.
"Blake, can I ask you something?"
Yellow eyes glanced up from her work, meeting icy blue in the mirror before them. "You're my lady, you can do as you wish, ask away."
Weiss sighed, watching her fingers as they interlocked with each other in deep thought. "What do you think of Mr. Wukong?" Blake only looked at her, halting in her brushing.
While yesterday had done much to alert her of the consequences her father could distribute without hesitation, it had also given her much to think about in regards to Sun. He had made her smile in the forest when she had been angry and irritated, not to mention afraid of what punishment she would face, but he had also taken that punishment for her. He had interrupted her father when he was shouting at her, and had taken the blame for a mistake that had been hers. Her saddle was not loose, and he had not been at fault, so why would he do such a thing when she had been nothing but spiteful towards him.
He had been so kind, she had to know why.
Blake did not make any outward tells, only returning to her soothing motions of bringing the bristles through Weiss' hair. "I think he is a good worker, and has done his best to fulfill your wishes." She set the brush down and began to weave the snowy strands into her usual up-do of her off-center ponytail fastened with a silver comb her grandfather had given her on her eleventh birthday. "We haven't really sat down and conversed, but he gives the impression of someone who gives great effort to what is important."
"Do you think I've been too hard on him lately?"
"Do you want me to answer honestly, or to tell you what you want to hear?"
Their eyes met in the mirror again, only this time they held each other's gaze, almost daring one to look away first and prove the other right. Weiss sighed, "I know I've been cruel to him, and I can't tell you it is anything other than pettiness that forced him to endure my company, he must think so bitterly of me."
"On the contrary, from what I've heard from the kitchen, he thinks highly of you, and only wishes to do you well so he can remain in work here." Blake's finger expertly wove through her hair, fastening the comb into place before wiping her hands on her fresh apron. "I hear he has a human foster-brother living in the city, and admires Miss Xiao Long's cooking as well as your thoroughbred Tundra, though he has called him haughty and high-strung."
Such words in that order made her lips turn upwards in a smile, her bruise stinging slightly from any form of laughter or facial movement, but for a moment she had forgotten it was even there. "He certainly speaks his mind."
Blake nodded. "So it would seem, my lady."
Seeing now that she had finished, Weiss dismissed Blake and the feline girl left with a curtsy and one final piece of advice. "Perhaps showing a form of thanks for his sacrifices yesterday would improve your relationship, talk to him, like a real person would." Weiss' façade of the perfect and pristine lady of the Atlas House was one that very few staff were aware of. In fact, only Klein and Blake had ever seen her true colors. They were the only ones she could confidently call her friends, as few as there were in a sea of false promises and superfluous shows of wealth in a world surrounded by poverty.
Jacques had revoked Sun's pay for the remainder of the month, such an act of albeit imbecilic courage on his part, deserved some form of thanks. For, if not for him, Weiss would have had to sustain more than just a bruise from her father's ring, such injuries that would need more than powder to conceal.
"Thank you Blake, you may go."
The maid nodded and left the bedroom with a quiet click of the door, leaving Weiss to think alone.
Sun's snores bounced off the walls of his room, the light having filled the small space and warming up his bed, plunging him into an even deeper more comforting sleep. The extra hours were a blessing, as he had turned in later than normal due to having to clean and scrub Tundra twice before returning the haughty stallion to his stall and unceremoniously flopping into his bed.
He blinked slowly as the brightness of his namesake made it difficult to stay asleep, accepting that slumber would not return and it was time to begin the day. It took a moment to settle into the fact that for the first time in weeks he had overslept, and though he would be missing his pay for the rest of the month, that was no reason to place him even farther from the Master's good graces. Making peace with his god, Sun threw back his blanket and began scrambling for his clothing, knowing his routine of grooming and tacking the horses before transferring to serving Miss Schnee until she dismissed him at supper, then he got to groom and tack the horses all over again. It was a dull affair and often the stretching silence or bitter exchanges of words with Weiss were the most exciting part of his day.
Clicking his belt into place, he grabbed his boots and yanked them onto his feet as he hopped on one foot towards the stable, tripping onto his chest only once before he made it there completely dressed. Sun grabbed his tack box and almost moved to grab Molly when he stopped himself, having forgotten to tuck in his tail and holding the box in its simian grasp. He set it down and curled his tail, wincing in discomfort as he tucked it into his trousers once more.
"You know that's not necessary," a voice suddenly spoke.
Though he would deny it, Sun let out a very non-masculine squeak in surprise, having not heard a trace of Weiss' footsteps as she approached, even with his Faunus hearing. The lady only arched a perfectly groomed eyebrow, for once not dressed in her riding gear, but a simple yet lavish dress. The bodice was an ivory color while the skirt faded into an opalescent shade of blue, the chiffon sleeves adorned with small almost unnoticeable gems with caught the light revealing their presence. It was a gorgeous if not expensive dress that most certainly was not expected in a stable.
"My lady, sorry, I did not hear you come in." he stuttered, fidgeting in place and for once feeling self-conscious about the dirt underneath his fingernails.
Weiss took a step towards him, the fabric of her dress moving like water in a still pond. "I suppose you wouldn't, what with your haste to improperly dress yourself." She gestured to his attire. Sun looked down and felt his cheeks burn; he had buttoned his shirt wrong and his trousers remained unbuttoned entirely. He quickly turned away from Weiss in an attempt to fix it, turning back when he was somewhat presentable. She gave a firm nod and continued, "Mr. Wukong," she began.
"You can call me Sun, if you want," he interrupted without thinking, the snowy-haired heiress blinked in slight bewilderment, and for a moment he thought she would yell at him again or glare, but she only cleared her throat and began again.
"Sun, I wanted to personally thank you for what you did for me last night, with my father,"
The way she looked away when speaking of the Master put an unfamiliar taste on his tongue. It was bitter and stung as if he had eaten something especially spicy. "It was no trouble ma'am, but… why was he so angry with you?"
She made a face that showed only disdain but hid all else from his view, "That is not your concern," Weiss gestured with her hand, "Walk with me," not waiting for him to reply, she began walking away from the stable and towards the manor grounds, the grass and soft dirt being replaced with hard cobblestone safe for a lady of the aristocracy to walk upon.
As much as Weiss stood out in her lavish clothing against the untouched nature of the pasture, Sun stood out just as hard in his mussed shirt and trousers, muddy boots, and grimy hands beside the luxurious and clean mansion.
"I'm sure you're aware of the duties a lady of my age and stature is expected of, so you must know that as the eldest child of the house and a lady I must one day not only take charge of the Schnee Oil company, but also adopt a husband and produce and heir." She explained. Sun was familiar with the workings of the wealthy, but had never really taken interest in the way they lived their lives compared to the way he lived his. Girls he knew in the city were more concerned with making enough money to put food on the table, they couldn't care less about finding a husband even if he literally fell into their lap.
He also supposed that if you did not have to worry about things such as money, you had to worry about other things, like how to keep it. Marrying another rich member of society ensured wealth to last lifetimes, he figured. "I never really thought of it like that, most people I know don't get married until much older."
Weiss sighed, "Better to send me off while I'm still young, I recon."
"Hey, don't sell yourself short ma'am, I know a few gentlemen whose eyes would fall out of their head at the thought of being your suitor."
Though the statement was bold, and may have overstepped a boundary, Weiss still smiled beneath her bangs. The makeup that adorned her porcelain features seemed so out of place; why would someone so physically perfect looking need makeup at all? "And what about you?" she asked, "I hear the city is full of exotic ladies who would appreciate a hard working husband, has anyone caught you eye?"
Sun smirked, "Now who's being too bold?" he teased.
Her chest bounced slightly as she chuckled, but it soon faded into a frown. "Last night, I was required to attend a dinner with the Winchester family, their son is a possible suitor that I've no doubt offended with my absence, so now my father must pick up the pieces in order to repair the damage I've done."
The Faunus winced, guilt pooling in his stomach at the memory of him getting her in trouble. "My apologies…"
She cut him off before he could utter another word. "I have no intention of punishing you further, my father has done enough to assure any mistakes on either of our parts will not happen again, but that still leaves the issue of your pay."
Icy azure met sky blue, and for once Sun did not feel as though he would freeze under her powerful gaze. "You defended me from my father's chastising, even though you had no reason to, you did exactly as I asked of you and served your lady, so as a reward you will receive a raise in your current pay beginning now and ending with this month."
It took Sun a matter of three seconds to understand the gift she was giving him; Jacques had revoked his pay for negligence, and Weiss was giving it back for sticking up for her and taking the metaphorical bullet. He was truly at a loss for words, because sure, he knew Weiss had it in her to be nice, even compassionate as shown by her not ripping his tail off for the smallest faults any longer, but this display of generosity from her had him completely tongue-tied.
"Well?" she huffed, looking away from him as not to expose the blush dusting her cheeks. "Aren't you going to say something?"
Sun stuttered incoherently, mentally scrambling for something, anything, to say as a way to covey his gratitude. "I-I don't know what to say…" he managed. "I mean, thank you and everything, but I feel like I don't deserve this," now he was just putting his foot in his mouth, babbling on as to fill the hole left by the awkward silence.
Weiss smiled with closed eyes, "Nonsense, you did something for me, so now I've done something for you." She explained, opening her eyes to look into his once more. "Though if you're feeling that grateful, I suppose you can repay me by… continuing to be my personal hand? Just until a fiancé is secured for me, after that I'm afraid any form of male company would be prohibited."
That bitter taste had returned to Sun's tongue, but he promptly ignored it. "Y-yeah, it would be no trouble at all ma'am." He bowed to her slightly, as was expected of him, yet for some reason unknown to her, Weiss did not take satisfaction in the sight of him groveling.
She cleared her throat and he looked up at her, "In fact, since you're so adamant on breaking social statutes by calling me your friend, and we will be spending more time together, it seems more appropriate that you simply call me Weiss from now on."
Sun could not stop the smile from tugging his lips upward. "It would be an honor, Miss Weiss," he gave her a teasing wink, and Weiss scolded herself for blushing an improper shade of red at such a socially inappropriate display.
A twinge in her stomach alerted her of how late in the morning it had gotten, and if she did not hurry she would miss her high noon meeting with her father to further discuss her possible engagement to the Winchester heir. An activity she inwardly scoffed at, but a duty she had to uphold nonetheless. She cleared her throat and turned away from Sun, her skirts shimmering in the early sunlight, "Now then, back to your chores, I have to see my father about important matters, come find me afterwards to discuss your new status as my hand."
"Yes Miss," he nodded. "And Weiss?"
An odd feeling formed in her chest at the sound of him uttering her name. "Yes?"
"Thank you, and good luck with your dad." Without another word he took her hand in his and pressed a kiss against it. Unlike the last time, Weiss did not pull away, instead noticing how their hands contrasted against each other's. her pale and unmarred flesh held by his rough and calloused palms already coated in dirt from his early morning work.
She found herself staring.