Authour's Note: There are three things that I would like to address. Firstly, I have been busy with exams and coursework, and therefore I haven't had the time to update this story for quite some time. Secondly, Monty Oum will be missed by friends, family, coworkers and adoring fans like ourselves. Thirdly, this is how I imagined Winter, as a character foil to her younger sister. So if you have a different interpretation, that's all well and good. By the way, Bai Xue means white snow in Chinese, combining Weiss' name with Ren/Yang's name.
The letter was clutched firmly in Weiss' hand as she entered the room, it was just as unbelievable as she thought. She didn't dare say anything to her ladies in waiting, because she didn't want to believe that the letter was true. As she entered the meeting room, there was one person sitting at the end of the table. The courtiers were sat ether side of this person, they looked to Weiss for hope. "We didn't want to believe it ourselves, but your father insist on letting her in" one elderly courtier said.
Sat between them was the very reason they looked to Weiss, sat between them was the girl that threw away a throne, a kingdom, her duties…all for a commoner. "Winter" was all Weiss could say, the tall sylph-like girl gave a kind smile that made Weiss feel ill. Life outside had the palace hadn't changed her, she was still every bit the beautiful girl in the portraits around the palace. Her oval face slimmer than Weiss' heart-shaped one, her hair long, pale and flowing freely past her small shoulders. When Winter left, their mother ordered the servants to deface her portraits. Weiss had one that was untouched and kept in her room, she never knew why. She told herself it was to remind herself of who she would never be. A fool, a fool who ran away from home to be with a commoner. Weiss also noticed the child at her sister's feet, shyly curtseying before Weiss when she saw her. While their mother was bedridden and wasting away, while Blake had been moved into the palace, while expectations were thrusted upon Weiss...her sister had been breeding. Her composure remained strong, "I am capable of dealing with this matter on my own. You may leave." she commanded. The courtiers obediently left the meeting room without question or complaint. As the doors closed, Weiss turned towards Winter, who could only smile like the foolish girl she was.
"I meant to pay a visit to you" she said, "but…" she trailed off and Weiss had no patience for this, she needed answers.
"Why did you leave to begin with?" she asked bluntly, trying to get the truth out of her sister.
"I fell in love Weiss, what more do you want me to say?" Winter said, hoping that Weiss would understand. All Weiss remembered were the shouts, the arguments, the crack of the meter stick the next morning in lessons. Their mother always had high expectations of them, but when Weiss was nine years old and Winter was seventeen, she had agreed to leave the palace with her lover. Three years of a grueling regime had seen to it that she wouldn't fail her mother, not the way Winter did. Weiss didn't care to know why her sister put her own feelings over the wishes and expectations of her people. The small child at her feet didn't say a word, she just stood there looking at the floor.
Weiss tired to change the subject, her sister would never understand the damage she had done. "Who is the child?" Weiss asked bluntly, the girl flinched in surprise, clearly she was expecting to be ignored.
Winter gave the child a gentle pat on the back, the child straightened up and curtseyed to Weiss "Bai Xue, your highness".
"At least the little brat has learned some etiquette" Weiss thought, "Who gave her the name I wonder?" she asked.
"I did, after her aunt and her lady in waiting. She looks so much like you it's unbelievable." Winter remarked, as the child rose and retreated behind her mother. "Her father is still working at the bakery in town". Weiss had almost forgotten that the commoner her sister fell for was a kitchen boy. Weiss had seen them together as a child, but thought nothing of if until their mother found out. Then the shouts and the arguments began, they could be heard throughout the royal apartments. Until the day came, that her sister abdicated the throne and left the palace. The child's large eyes stared up at Weiss, and she realised this would not be the right place to argue.
In the dining hall, their father greeted Winter with open arms, Ironwood politely bowed his head as she entered. Their father adored over his young granddaughter, while Weiss sat in silence. The child herself seemed taken with the colourful people on the other end of her father's dining room. Weiss rolled her eyes as the child was absolutely enchanted by Sun's tail, it was like watching a cat trying to grasp a toy mouse.
As her ladies in waiting entered the room, Weiss wrinkled her nose at the extremely strong smell next to her. A strong, floral, vanilla scent appeared next to her, Weiss turned her head to find that the smell was coming from Blake. It wasn't the worst smell in the world, but certainly out of character for someone like Blake. Weiss needed sometime to distract her, her sister's return and the little girl she brought with her were too much for her to take in. Everyone else ate in silence while Winter gushed aout how much she loved her life in the countryside with her husband and child. The child seemed continued to be captivated by Sun's tail, Weiss felt like she was watching a cat being teased with a toy.
Speaking of cats, she couldn't help but ask her half-sister about the suddenly change in smell. "Any particular reason you decided to greet my sister's arrival which such an out of character scent?" Weiss asked, Blake didn't look at her as she answered.
"It wasn't intended for you or your sister milday", Blake muttered, Weiss noticed her eyes glancing up at the person it was intended for.
Weiss sighed, why Blake was so taken with the boy she'll never know. Her eyes looked over to Neptune, she could do with a distraction from this sudden madness. "So Weiss, the courtiers tell me that you are next in line to be queen", Winter said and Weiss looked over at her with a deadpan expression.
"Yes, such is tradition Winter, surely even the people of the countryside are aware of it", Weiss said.
Winter laughed "I suppose I still remember you as a little girl, and now you're all grown up".
"I grew up quickly did I not?" Weiss asked, "our dear mother made sure of that".
The atmosphere felt tense, Weiss herself felt tense, she tried to calm herself but she couldn't face the woman before her. She tried to calm the rising anger inside her, there would be another for a confrontation. Their father tried to break the tension with jokes and laughter, but it all became noise to Weiss. Sun, Scarlet and Neptune were cracking jokes of their own, whilst Sage ate in slience. Pointless noise that she could not be bothered to silence, all she wanted right now was a distraction. A distraction that Neptune was going to give her, something that would replace her anger and frustration.
After the meal, Weiss pulled Neptune aside and simply said "meet me in the stables later in the afternoon" she hissed before returning to her room. Neptune did exactly what she asked, and Weiss prepared herself for her 'distraction'. No one needed to know about what happened with Neptune in that room, or any contact that she had with Neptune. She was still a person with needs like any other, though she wouldn't act so foolishly upon them the way her sister did.
Ruby, Blake and Yang appeared behind her, following her back to her royal apartments. "If I may ask your highness," Ruby began "what business do you have with your father's guest?"
Weiss turned to her, "none of your concern Lady Rose" she snapped, Ruby nodded in fear at Weiss' clipped and abrupt tone.
Yang wasn't pleased the way in which Weiss spoke to her sister, "if I may say your highness, my sister was merely being observant" she said through her teeth.
"A little too observant" Weiss thought, "then I apologise Lady Rose" she said calmly. Making a mental note to be more careful about how she acted around Neptune. As they walked through the castle Weiss kept repeating the same sentence in her head like a mantra "I will not make the same mistakes that Winter made". The courtiers may overlook a harmless affair, but they will never forgive her for abandoning them in the process. She could not afford to disappoint them, Winter's return meant that there would be more pressure for her to take hold of the throne. Winter made it clear long ago that she would always choose love over the throne. They would see to it that Weiss wouldn't make the same foolish choice.
Later that afternoon in the stables she saw him, Neptune waited patiently for Weiss. Weiss arrived in her usual riding clothes, Neptune was surprised that she had agreed to do this, having staunchly rejected the idea before. "Prepare the horses" she snapped at the stable boy "have them reading for an afternoon ride".