CHAPTER XXXVIII

Eintausend Jahre

Weiss awoke before Bedivere did. She had spent the entire night cradling him, comforting him as they both shed tears together until he ran out of stamina and fell asleep. She had stayed awake even past that point, spending most of the night sorting out in her mind all of those images she had seen. The Wraith's incomprehensibility aside, she could not get over the gargantuan guilt residing within Bedivere's heart. That he was able to function was miraculous. Merely glimpsing it made her want to break down and cry, which she began doing now. She kept herself from sniffling, letting the tears fall silently. She didn't want to wake him up. He needed to rest.

He began to stir, she quickly dried her face, but there was nothing she could do to get rid of the redness. He opened his eyes, gazing into her pale blues with his hazels, which were already wet with tears. Or perhaps he had never stopped weeping, even as he slipped into sleep.

"Weiss," he whispered.

"I'm right here," she whispered back.

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and holding it for a moment before releasing it slowly.

"I told you I wasn't going to leave you," she said.

He nodded, moving himself closer to her until his forehead touched hers. "Stay with me a while longer."

"I'll stay with you forever."

Just having her warm touch was enough to still his tumultuous heart. Her hand found his and they interlocked fingers. Even though this hand she now touched was not the one he was born with, through it flowed his blood, his warmth, his spirit.

"Ich bin dein für alle Ewigkeit," she said quietly to him.

He opened his eyes, gazing into her pale blues, which were full of sincerity and love for him.

"I really mean that, too," she said.

He managed a small smile before closing his eyes again. He moved himself, wrapping his arms around her small body as he buried himself into her chest, wetting her nightgown with his tears as he wept silently. She held his head close, resting her own head on his.

"Niemals werde ich dich verlassen," she whispered.

—

"So, this happens tomorrow, huh?" Jaune said as he joined the rest of his team, who were hanging out in the academy's training hall. A number of other Huntsmen and Huntresses were practicing as well.

"It would appear that way," Ren said.

"Penny, you up to speed?"

"Combat ready!" Penny announced, standing up and giving him a salute.

"Me, too!" Nora said, also saluting.

Jaune let out a chuckle. He watched as their guests trained lightly, mostly just to keep their muscles nice and primed for the big operation tomorrow.

"We're taking back Beacon," Nora said, standing next to him.

"And avenging everyone who died there," Ren said, joining them.

"Yeah," Jaune said. He unsheathed Caliburn and looked at it. "It won't bring back the ones we lost, but at the very least, it'll bring us some justice."

"More importantly," Penny began, "it will set back our enemies significantly. The Relics must not fall into Salem's hands."

"Hey," Jaune began, stepping forward and facing his team. "Let's go out on the town. Whaddya guys say?"

"I think that's a good idea," Ren said. "It's best for us to keep our minds clear, just as Bedivere had us do before the defense of Mistral."

"Are we gonna have some ice cream?" Penny asked.

"Ice cream!" Nora said, jumping up and down. "Should we invite Team RWBY? And Oscar? And Hollie? And Sun? And—"

"I was actually gonna suggest just us," Jaune said. "Since, ahem, we are the best team."

The rest of them smiled.

"I agree," Penny said. "As much as I would enjoy hanging out with the others, this excursion will aid us in building team solidarity!"

"Let's go, then," Ren said.

—

The day was spent mostly relaxing and bonding. Tomorrow would bring another critical battle and they had to be in tip-top physical and mental condition. Vigorous training was out of the question. It was mid-afternoon when Bedivere and Weiss finally got out of bed.

"You didn't have to stay with me all day," he said, sitting on the edge of the mattress.

Weiss glanced over at him as she brushed her hair in front of his mirror. "Of course I did," she said. "You know you can't last a day without me."

He smiled. "You're absolutely right about that."

She turned back to the mirror with a smile, continuing to brush her freely-flowing hair. He got up, standing right behind her, just as they had done so long ago when they had first met. She stopped, looking at their reflection. He stood a whole head above her, his posture strong and unbreakable. She was still in her nightgown and he was in shorts. Last night had been so full of craziness that it dawned on her only now that she had spent the night in bed with a shirtless man.

She felt her face redden, but she wasn't ashamed for him to see it. Indeed, she turned around to face him, admiring the lines of his body, the separations between his muscles, those strong arms of a seasoned warrior. She placed her hand on the center of his chest, right over his heart. She closed her eyes, leaning her head against his bare chest, listening to his strong heartbeat.

He enveloped her in his arms, resting his head on top of hers. He, too, closed his eyes. Just being here together made him forget all about that abomination that resided within the center of his soul. At least for a moment, it was just him and her. The rest of the world faded away. He sniffed her hair.

"You need a bath," he said.

"Ugh," she said, smacking him lightly on the abdomen. "Way to ruin the mood."

He snickered as she turned back around to continue brushing her hair. After about half a minute of looking at his smug grin in the mirror, she let out a heavy sigh.

"Now I'm getting self-conscious," she said. "I'm gonna go take a shower."

He chuckled, watching as she stomped out of his room, leaving his door wide open. He grabbed a towel and a change of clothes. Ruby, Blake, and Yang were standing in his doorway when he turned to leave. He was taken aback by the three faces staring at him with narrowed eyes.

"We'd better not find any pregnancy tests in the bathroom later," Blake said.

"What she said," Ruby said.

"You three weren't spying on us all day long, were you?" Bedivere said, reddening.

"Didn't need to," Yang said. "Your door's been shut all day and literally you were the only people missing."

"N-Nothing happened," he said.

"S-S-Stutter much?" Ruby mocked him.

He rolled his eyes before trying to squeeze past them. They formed an impenetrable human wall, each one folding their arms across their chests, each one glaring at him. He felt a sudden shiver run down his spine.

"I do not know what you presume happened between us," he said.

"You know what we're talking about," Blake said, her amber eyes burning holes in his skin.

"You better have worn protection," Ruby added.

"Please," Bedivere said. "I just wish to take a shower."

"Trying to wash away all the evidence?" Yang said.

"What on earth are you all talking about?" he said in frustration.

"You know, the birds and bees and all that," Blake said.

He sighed heavily. "So, am I going to be barricaded in my room for the rest of the day, or may I go and take a shower?"

No one responded. He sighed in surrender as he joined in the silent standoff. Who would give out first?

"Think we should let him go?" Yang said, keeping her eyes on him.

"I dunno," Blake said, also not looking away. "What do you think, Ruby?"

"Hmm," Ruby said. "I mean she did storm out of here pretty mad, don't you think?"

"We should probably teach him a lesson," Yang said, readying her gauntlets.

"Good idea," Blake said, drawing her sword.

"Yeah," Ruby said, deploying her scythe.

Bedivere's eyes went wide as they stepped into his room. This would be a fight for life and limb. There was no way of telling whether he would survive this encounter.

—

Qrow and Winter were having coffee with Ghira and Kali in Haven Academy's front courtyard when an explosion rocked the building. They all stood up to assess the situation when Bedivere smashed through a window mere feet away from them, rolling out onto the grass.

"Bedivere!" Winter shouted. "What in the world? And, where are your clothes?"

"Nothing happened!" he yelled as he evaded another salvo, running off.

"Get back here!" Ruby yelled, taking aim with her rifle. He managed to dodge all of the shots.

"You're not gonna get away with taking advantage of Weiss like that!" Blake said, chasing after him.

"Yeah, that's our Snow Angel you're messing with!" Yang said, following after Blake.

"What?" Winter growled, drawing her sword. "Taking advantage of my sister?"

"You all have the wrong idea!" Bedivere shouted as he leaped over the academy's front gate.

Qrow watched as all four of them chased after Bedivere. He let out a sigh before shaking his head and sipping his coffee.

"And that's why I stay away from women," he said.

"Is that why you do what you're always doing with Winter?" Ghira said with a hearty laugh.

"Hey, hey, that's just professional courtesy between rivals."

"Dear, you know he's interested in even younger women," Kali said to her husband.

"Do you mean Winter's younger sister?" Ghira said.

Qrow spat out his coffee.

"No, hon," Kali said. "Blake's friend. The one with the lovely voice."

Qrow began coughing and he banged on his chest. "If you two don't mind, I'm gonna go get a refill. Of something other than coffee."

—

Weiss closed her eyes as she let the warm water run down her entire body. She hadn't felt so refreshed in far too long. That whole ordeal with the Wraith was simply too much for her. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't bathed since he had woken up from that mini coma. It wasn't surprising that she had an odor.

Still he didn't have to be so dumb.

She smiled even as she thought that. If he was capable of joking around again, that means she truly had him back. The emotions began to overcome her and she sat in the shower, pulling her knees into her chest. She was sobbing, but they were no longer tears of sadness or fear. She was genuinely happy. After so much sorrow for the last several weeks, beginning with that accursed castle, she could finally feel happy again.

She looked up at the shower head, feeling the little droplets on her face. The water was already starting to get cold. She had spent much too long in here already and hadn't even used any shampoo or soap. She took her time with both, working the shampoo in as she scrubbed all the built up grime on her skin and hair.

She let out a sigh as the water took it all down the drain. She closed her eyes again, imagining Bedivere in here with her, scrubbing her back as she waited to scrub his. All she wanted was to get closer to him, even closer than the night prior, when she had explored the very depths of his soul. Her face began to redden.

Yang's dirty mind is rubbing off on me, she thought as she turned off the water and dried herself off, swathing her hair up in a second towel. She wrapped herself up before leaving the showers.

She collided with someone in the hall as she turned a corner.

"My apologies," Bedivere said. "Oh, Weiss!"

She looked up at him. His hair was still dripping, a towel the only thing covering him at the hips. She felt her face warm up again. He, too, reddened. They looked away from each other momentarily.

"I, uh," Weiss stammered.

"Yes," Bedivere said. "I-I shall be heading to my room now as well!"

"Yeah, that. I mean, I'm heading to my room, n-not yours. Just so that's clear."

"Y-Yes, yes, of course!"

They stood in place for a little bit.

"Bye!" she said, hurrying to her room.

Bedivere let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"That tension, though," Ren said as he and the rest of Team JNPR and Team RWBY and Hollie peeked out at them from Sun's room.

"What is with everyone spying on us today?" Bedivere said before marching off to his room.

Ruby, Nora, Penny, and Hollie all shared a giggle.

—

Weiss made sure to put on her nicest dress. There wasn't any special occasion, but this was the final day of rest before their mission tomorrow, which would begin before dawn. She looked at herself in the mirror, straightening up her clothing. The last thing she put on was the locket Bedivere had gotten made for her. She opened it up, admiring the photograph of the two of them along with the inscription on the right.

Ich bin dein für alle Ewigkeit.

She closed her eyes as she shut the locket and let it hang with the red black opal facing outward. Her entire outfit consisted of deep shades of dark blues along with some lighter icy blues. Her silver and sapphire earrings accentuated the rest of the look. But the black red opal was the one thing that stood out the most, its deep red hue in complete contrast to the rest of her blue outfit. It was sure to catch his attention.

She smiled at herself before equipping Myrtenaster and leaving her room. She ran into Ruby in the halls.

"Whoa," the younger one said. "What in the world are you dressed up for, huh?"

"Ruby, you should already know by now, that I always dress nicely," Weiss said.

"Not this nice. Is Haven holding a formal dance I don't know about?"

"I don't want to tell you."

"Hey! Don't do that! I thought we were best friends!"

"That's not going to get me to tell you."

"Weiss! Don't be mean!"

—

Bedivere looked at himself in the mirror, straightening his outfit, which he had custom ordered a long time ago just in case. Today wasn't a special occasion, but he thought it would be nice to wear it on what might be the last day they would spend in Haven Academy. If they were to succeed at liberating Beacon, that would be their new home base.

This clothing was not all that different from the way he used to dress back when Arthur would throw grand balls for the nobility or to honor a guest from a foreign land. He had given detailed instructions on how to fabricate it from the ground up and the seamstress had done an excellent job at recreating the clothing of the nobility of Albion.

He had chosen blue colors of different shades in honor of the colors worn by mages. Blue denoted wisdom and a calm mind, which were essential when commanding such a powerful force as magic. He also wore white colors, representing purity and virtue. He was going to comb his hair just as always had when attending Arthur's grand parties, but he figured he would leave it the way it was. After all, this was the Bedivere that she had come to know. He wanted her to be comfortable around him.

He left his room, running into Hillphire in the halls, who stopped as he ran by.

"Did I miss the invitation?" Hillphire said.

Bedivere chuckled. "No, there's no grand party or anything," he said.

"Then, what's the occasion?"

"Weiss is the occasion."

"Ahhh, I see. So you're embracing the aristocracy just for her."

"Perhaps."

"Perhaps my butt."

"What about you, blacksmith? Who are you here to visit?"

"Why, all of you, of course!"

"Not the girl in red? Or the girl with the pink bow in her hair? They both are important to you, are they not?"

"Of course they are. In different ways, of course."

"Of course."

"I will be off now. You enjoy whatever it is you are planning with that Snow Angel of yours."

"Snow Angel. That was Jaune's nickname for her, was it not?"

"It's a cute nickname, don't you think?"

"Yes. It is."

—

Weiss walked into the academy's recital hall, where a piano was already rolled into the middle of the stage. There was someone sitting at it, playing a soft melody. She quietly walked over to the pianist, listening to the splendid harmony, which elicited a calm emotion from her. As she came closer, Weiss realized that the pianist was none other than their resident lion Faunus muse. She waited until she finished playing before walking over to greet her.

"Oh, Weiss," Hollie said, turning around. "Were you standing there the whole time?"

"I've only been here for about five minutes," she said. "That was beautiful, by the way."

"Not as beautiful as that dress. Jeez, who are you all dolled up for?"

"No one in particular."

"Uh-huh. That pretty little red locket tells me otherwise."

Weiss reached up and played with it.

"Hey, I hear you like to sing, too," Hollie said.

"A little," Weiss said. "I'm not a rock star like you, though."

She chuckled. "No, but you are quite the concert princess, aren't you?"

"Please don't call me that."

"My bad. I just saw one of the videos of you singing in Atlas recently. That was an awesome performance."

"Thanks."

"But I do like that other song you've sung. Wanna give it a shot? With no audience, of course."

"Yeah, sure."

Hollie began playing the melody to her song, which was a soft, melancholic, but hopeful tune. Weiss began to sing as her part came. She sang toward the piano since they had no other audience. That's what she and Hollie thought, anyway. They did have an audience, a regally dressed knight from a faraway land, complete with white gloves.

Some believe in fairy stories

And the ghosts that they can't see

I know that I could do so much

If I could just believe in me

Mirror mirror

I'll tell you something

I think I might change it all

"Gosh," Hollie said, her hands trembling as the song ended. "I had no idea your voice was so pretty."

Weiss smiled. "I had a good accompaniment."

She chuckled. She was going to say something when she spotted Bedivere ascending the steps to join them on the stage. Weiss turned around, shocked by the splendor in which her knight was dressed. They even matched in color.

"Weiss," he said. "You make that dress look more beautiful than it is."

She smiled coyly, extending a hand to him, which he took and kissed gently. Without saying a word, Hollie grinned as she sat back down on the piano bench to start playing. She watched as Hillphire walked to her from backstage with a chair and cello in hand. They didn't even need to say anything to each other. Music was a language that did not need words to be expressed.

"I somehow knew that such a voice would come from you," Bedivere said.

"You flatter me, sir knight," Weiss replied.

"Not at all. I only speak the truth, my lady." He admired the dark red opal hanging from around her neck as it caught the light from above. "Red is the color of courage."

"Is it?"

"It suits you."

They both listened to the music Hollie and Hillphire began playing together.

"Weiss," Bedivere began, "may I have this dance?"

She smiled before extending a hand. "I would be delighted," she said.

Their waltz perfected the harmony created by Hollie's piano and Hillphire's cello, each movement deliberate and matching the tune step by step. This was their first dance together, and yet it was as though they had always done so. Their very hearts beat as one, each slide of the foot matching those of the other, each twirl and arm movement in perfect synchronization, their emotions in full complement. She was the grace to his strength.

Weiss closed her eyes, trusting in her dance partner to lead every step of their performance. There was no one to watch this beautiful choreography, but it didn't matter. Because they weren't dancing for anyone else. They were dancing for one another, a dance long-overdue.

Weiss spread out her arms like wings as Bedivere lifted her by the waist from behind, carrying her up high before she came back down to earth to him, continuing the waltz, spins, dips, lifts, and all. To anyone watching, this would win more than just a mere dance competition. It would win the hearts of every spectator, enrapturing and transforming them into participants in the dance even from where they sat and watched.

When the musical piece ended, they were face to face, her hands were in his, his hands in hers. No, it was more than just their hands. They held each other's very hearts. She looked up, her pale blue eyes meeting with his hazel eyes. Before she knew it, the emotions had overcome her and she began tearing up. She turned and took three steps away before stopping. She sniffled before wiping the tears away with her thumbs, careful not to smear all of her makeup.

She listened to his gentle footsteps on the hardwood and closed her eyes, reliving every second of their waltz. She wanted to dance with him forever, to hold him in her arms forever. She couldn't wait for that day, when he was hers and she was his, for the rest of eternity.

"You have it all wrong," he said quietly to her, responding to her emotions. "I already am yours for all eternity."

She turned around, looking up at him. "And I am yours."

"I have loved you, Weiss, for a thousand years. And I will continue loving you. For thousands more."

She smiled, leaning closer to him before resting her head on his chest, listening for his heartbeat. She could listen to this strong rhythm for the rest of her life and be fulfilled. She pulled away before looking up at him. They grew closer and closer together until their faces were only inches apart. They stopped as they noticed an audience.

"Oooh, c'mon!" Ruby said quietly as she clenched her fists in front of her chin. "Kiss her already!"

"Well, it's not going to happen now, is it?" Bedivere said sarcastically as he and Weiss turned their faces away from each other.

"Aww!" Ruby whined. "Why not?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Weiss said. "You ruined the mood!"

"Thanks a lot, Ruby," Nora said.

"You killed it," Yang said.

"Stabbed it like they stabbed Caesar," Blake said.

"We waited forever for this," Ren said, "and you messed it all up."

Jaune let out an exasperated sigh.

Ruby watched as everyone left her behind. "Hey!" she yelled. "Why are you all putting the blame on me?"

Weiss chuckled as all of Teams RWBY and JNPR left the recital hall. Penny gave her a wave and she waved back.

"William, Hollie," Bedivere said to the only other two left. "Would you mind playing that piece one more time?"

The two musicians shared a smile.

"For our friends," Hillphire began as he brought up his bow, "we would do anything."

"Damn straight," Hollie said, turning to face the keys.

Weiss held out her hand for Bedivere as they once again let the music sweep them away and dictate their choreography.

"Snow Angel," he said as they danced.

"Hmm?" she replied.

"I was just thinking about that. It was Jaune's nickname for you, wasn't it?"

She smiled. "Do I sense jealousy?"

"Not at all. It's a cute nickname."

She waited for a moment. "But?"

"I just don't think it fits you anymore. You're more than 'cute' now."

"Oh? What would you call me, then?"

He feigned contemplation before finally saying, "Silver Maiden."

She smiled. It had a nice ring to it.

"Snow Angel was cute. I agree with that. But beauty deserves a more beautiful name. And so I have chosen Silver Maiden."

She danced closer to him, laying her head on his chest as they decreased the vigor of their waltz to one of slow contemplation. She closed her eyes, once again placing her full trust in him to lead their movements.

Yes, she thought. I would be okay with this forever.