Chapter 15
(Weiss POV)

A hush falls over the room in an instant. Conversation dying in Winter's throat as she look on to the couple near the door. King Ozma enters into the vast assembly hall with his queen by his side. Salem is dressed opulently in a white and black ball gown. Her hair has turned a perfect white, the only sign of her everlasting age. Her pale complexion is akin to those from furthest reaches of atlesian royalty. Her bloodline tracing back further than even my own. She is the last known purity of a long and storied bloodline. No one knows how old she truly is. It would not be unfair to assume that she is even older than Ozma himself.

The king escorts her to the open seat beside the head of the table. He hesitates to take his own. Instead, he takes a breath, looking out to the men and women of high standing. Vale is the only kingdom that permits the gentry to view proceedings such as this firsthand. Perhaps that is why he is so beloved by the people who reside in Vale.

"We may now begin the proceedings in full." King Ozma announces as servants pour glasses of sweet red wine from the cellar. "Allow me to explain the reason we have truly gathered today." He looks out to the many watching us over head. Onlookers murmuring amongst each other in their seats. "You, Vale's most valued gentry have been invited to bear witness to the topics as they unfold. For those of you who do not know, the Faunus have once again requested to be granted a kingdom all their own."

More murmurs echo from the shadows. A simple raise of Ozma's hand silences them. With his shoulders squared and his head held high, he gives the faintest nod to his people. "You would be correct to be concerned. Recognized and revered, the four great kingdoms have managed a careful peace amongst ourselves. Faunus have wish to be welcomed among our fold for a very long time. This meeting is to discuss the topic at length, as well as consider a strange marital request."

He looks back to the table, his eyes scanning across those of us seated here. His gaze finds my own, in search of something. Then he slides his gaze to Blake, who sits directly across from me. His examination unsettles the both of us. While I attempt to prepare myself against the worst outcome, Blake hide her own worries exceedingly well. He goes to his own seat, taking it and making himself comfortable.

Then, he sips from his wine and delicately clears his throat. He speaks to us now, as though the gentry peering down at us do not exist at all. "I would like to make something quite clear. I have always favored the Faunus, and this is well known. I have supported the request for a kingdom when no one else would. I would hope all of you keep that amongst your highest considerations when I explain my decision in full."

"What decision would that be, exactly?" Winter presses, unamused with the way Vale allows onlookers to watch these personal matters.

"I expected to be greeted by Ghira himself this dawn, but it was not his voice that graced my ears. If I am to understand the situation correctly, young Blake aims to partake the throne for herself. My concern should be obvious, this is a dubious request. I am inclined refuse it." He turns to Ghira then. "I feel I must ask, has this been made in error?"

"No, I assure you that it hasn't." Ghira says simply. "The kingdoms have denied my request for years. However, where I have failed, Blake has been given sworn promises to be granted a kingdom. I believe a new era is upon us, your highness. I think you see it, too."

"I believe there is merit in that. I just don't feel that merit is enough, in this case." He says somberly, with a level of earnestness that makes my heart fall. "Surely, you can see my concerns."

Salem shows no hint to what she may think of all of this. Another worrying sign.

"A concern we share, Ozma, be certain of that." Winter replies with a frown on her elegant lips. "It was a shock to me as well." Her frown is one that emulates our deceased father. She may have our mother's beauty, but the frown is in his image. It always has been. "It is preposterous, no?"

"That is one way to put it." Ozma sighs at length. "I would remind you, and my most valued onlookers that the plights of the Faunus has never sat well with me. That said, I find it difficult to entrust an entire people to a mere child, still so youthful and untrained. A kingdom is no tribe, and I fear that many would not bow to her leadership."

"A war could break out from the discontent." Winter adds softly. "The boarder conflicts in Vacuo were bloody enough, I'd rather not provoke another."

"Yet, a request like this could indeed cause more unrest between Faunus and humans." The great king of Vale adds softly. He turns back to the chieftain. "What reason do I have to place faith in one so inexperienced?"

"With all due respect, your highness, you don't." Kali finally speaks. She looks to me softly, a gentle smile of encouragement on her lips. As if seeing my worry, attempting to soothe and comfort me when my own sister cannot. "I propose a pilgrimage of your choosing. My daughter will be expected to fulfill it. That will act as your sign of proof. If she were to succeed, only then could she expect your full cooperation in the matters going forward."

"I find it doubtful that such a feat alone would be enough." The king murmurs.

"Doubtful, truly? Or is it merely that you've chosen to be stubborn, Ozma?" Salem says to him. I've heard that it's rare for her to speak out against Ozma in any way. "I'd like to remind you that we were young once, trying to unify Vale, for all the good that it did us. Young ones already sit among our fold. Take a look beside you. Winter is young, but she is not inept. You've complimented her abilities upon the atlesian throne often. What, may I ask you, makes Blake so different?"

"This is an enlightened age, Salem. Our strife was rather different, the two cannot be compared." Ozma tells her with the gentle sternness known of him. "Furthermore, Winter inherited her seat among us by blood and bone. I didn't hand her a position of power, and I never once endorsed her inheritance of the throne. She is self-made in all ways. The same cannot be said for young Blake."

"I see." Salem says softly.

"Don't go around making enemies now, Ozma." Yang cuts in out of turn. Winter sends Yang a look to quiet her, but it does no good. "I just got Winter to start considering Blake, and now you're the one backtracking?"

"I'd hardly call it that." He murmurs unhappily.

"That's bullshit and you know it." Yang bit out, fist slamming onto the table. "I don't know about you, but Blake has my full-fledged endorsement, and that's not all. Pyrrha will soon rise to power herself. Promises have been made to the Faunus for years. Would you really be so cowardly now just because Blake's the one to inherit a possible title instead of her dad?"

"Yang…"Winter hisses out under her breath in reprimand. It falls on deaf ears, of course. If she wanted an obedient wife, she never would have married Yang in the first place. Even though my back is to him, I fully believe Taiyang has his hand to his face.

"Oh, no. Don't you start up on me." Yang shoots back. "This used to be my homeland. I spilled blood for him, killed in Vale's name." She scoffed, shaking her head. "Blake marched the same hells of Vacuo in loyalty to him. She had no reason to, but she did it anyway." Her temper raising up, we could only watch in awe. Yang's voice became thunderous. "Hundreds of Faunus from Menagerie died in the sands of Vacuo on her command!" She bellowed, before her voice dropped to a seething whisper quiet. "I'll be damned if Vale's greatest king goes back on his words now."

Blake and Kali have flattened back their ears, which I'm sure are ringing from the echo that rang out in the room. Yang isn't done, yet though, fiery words still perched on the tip of her tongue.

"Don't forget, she killed in your name, too, Winter." Yang goes on to say. "You owe her a chance to prove herself worthy of leading a kingdom. I will remind you of that for however long it takes."

"Young ones indeed." The king sighs at length.

"Young, but not incorrect." Salem poses to him.

"The point still stands." Ozma replies, sipping on his wine.

"There is an arrange marriage involved in all of this, or so I believe." Salem said then, laying a hand over her husband's own. "That is the nature of your concern, correct?"

Ozma nods, peering to Blake, and then to me. "You must understand, a kingdom being given to the Faunus for the wrong reason is not something I could ever abide."

"Well, if the question is one of motivation, perhaps we are being too frugal in our assessment." Salem says, her palm opening towards Blake in gesture before gliding across the air to me. "I would request the children at this table speak for themselves. Do you honestly believe that a Schnee and Faunus could truly command the will of an entire Faunus population?"

"That is the question, isn't it?" I say, trying to keep the tremor from my voice. "Honestly, I don't know the answer."

"Precisely my concern." Ozma grumbles. "Some would think such a thing would be impossible."

"When you say that, you prove segregation still exists." Blake tells him. "It makes me think that to a point, you condone it."

Ozma bristles slightly under the accusation. "I assure you that I don't."

I can only hope that Blake knows what she's doing. If she were to gain the king's ire, no good will come of it.

"What does Weiss being human really have to do with anything? If she were a Faunus, I wouldn't be sitting at this table today. If I had a kingdom, the conversation would have gone no further than a meeting between myself and Queen Winter. It's because Faunus do not have those rights, those freedoms that you do. It's because of that, I am forced into doing things this way. Doesn't that say anything to you? Anything at all?"

"Mind your manners." Ghira whispers.

"Manners will get us nowhere without equal respect across this table." Blake hisses back, ears flattening down on her head. Tears edging into her eyes. "I am tired of being lesser. I am tired of being seen as a pitiable creature who cannot speak on my own. Others do not speak for me, father. They cannot, because they are not me. Yang is right. I will prove myself worthy of a kingdom, but if you think it will be a strictly Faunus kingdom, you are all mistaken."

"What you say is laughable at best, deadly at worst. You've spouted this once before. I see no evidence to believe you. You speak as if humans would choose your kingdom over another." Winter chastises coolly. "That's a lofty statement to make. Too lofty, perhaps, for someone of your station. I'd rethink your statements, seeing as now you have an audience with eyes upon you."

"That was the point of this gathering." Blake half growls. "If I had a kingdom, this wouldn't even be close to an issue. Humans and Faunus would not be forced into being lesser. Equality can and will exist, in my kingdom." Blake replies, vitriol burning within molten amber eyes. "It will, because it must."

"Is that so?" King Ozma murmured, as if in disbelief.

"It will be so. You mark my words here on this day. In my kingdom, humans and Faunus will live side by side. I will swear my life on that." She says, her claws nipping into the edge of the dark oak table. "If I fail, you may have my life on a silver platter. You may behead in an effigy, or rip me to pieces limb my limb. I will raise a kingdom unlike any other, you have my word."