Chapter why am I still doing this whole 'chapter' thing: Reprieve (3 of 3)

A/N WANT THIRDS? HAVE SOME!


A lot has changed in the past four days, more than anyone accounted for. Ruby expressly tried not to think about it in order to focus on her duties as a mage. Just because Yang was out of the castle's reach didn't make her any less in danger, one raven and in a few hours, Yang's fellow soldiers will break her bones. Ruby, in just one night, had forgotten the feeling of having her sister's life in her hands and that overwhelming pressure. Ruby was praying to the God of Light for blessings to be placed on Remnant and its rulers. Light grey smoke of favor rose from the urn where she burnt her incense. She so wanted to make the Gods hate Remnant and it's vampire occupants, but Weiss was among them. And she can't make the Gods do anything anyhow. Do prayers even work if your heart isn't in it?

She proceeded to say the ritualistic incantations in a hushed tone, moving in practiced movements around the urn.

"Crack!"

Her fingers twitching were her only reaction to the obscenely loud racket. She carried on with her work, feet kicking up small puffs of ash from previous prayer sessions.

"Bang!"

Ruby wanted to cuss out whoever was being so fucking inconsiderate outside the temple, but alas, she can't do any such thing until the ritual is complete. The commotion did not end for the next ten minutes that it took Ruby to pay her proper respects. And oh how they were going to regret not being more mindful of their surroundings.

"If I hear one more crashing noise, I will snap your necks with my magic!" Ruby called out as she exited the temple, angrily scanning the area for the culprit. She found them, two young children with a broken and dented gong and various sticks that they were using to slam into it. They shirked away from her gaze, trying to act as if they were innocent. Ruby was there in a split second due to her Semblance, kicking the damaged gong across the stone platform that the temple rested on. "What in the world were you thinking by so blatantly disregarding the sacredness of this site and disrupting my work?!"

The smaller one hissed at her, baring their small fangs. "We don't answer to you, mage!"

She slapped them across the face, "think again." She snarled, grabbing them both by the ears and dragging them off the platform. "My temple, my rules. If I ever see either of you here again I won't let you off the hook with just a warning!"

They squealed, clawing at her hands. She let go of them, letting them run off with shouts of how she'll regret her actions. "Heh, I'm sure. Little fuckers." She stormed back to the temple stable and hopped on Armageddon, setting off for the castle. Once she arrived, she was greeted with the public humiliation of some soldiers. They were all naked and chained to a post each. A man walked back and forth down the line of troops, whipping each one with a leather horsewhip. The whip left angry red streaks in its wake and the soldiers cried out each time it hit their flesh. Pyrrha was watching from the side, the only sign that she wasn't happy with what was happening being her furrowed brow. Ruby hopped off Armageddon, jogging over to where the guard stood. The vampire didn't turn to look at her. "What going on? What are they being punished for?" Ruby asked, trying to ignore the snapping of the whip and the following cries of pain.

"They were discovered to be rebel sympathizers. Normally, the punishment for this is death, but all of them agreed to take the whipping and a brand that will tie them to the king's army for life instead." Her voice was smooth, careful and controlled. There was no sign of emotion in her tone while still being nowhere near monotone.

"I see, and the publicity of their punishment?"

"Protocol, hasn't the Schnee heiress told you about these things?"

"Every now and then and in little detail."

Pyrrha nodded, not taking her eyes off the brutal scene before her. "You should ask her more about such things, it will allow you to become more informed for the day you will surely rise to her side as an adviser to the throne. You and her are close, after all."

Ruby smiled nervously, "I've never really thought about it. The advising thing, I mean."

"It isn't guaranteed, but it does seem probable due to the direction your relationship has been going in." Pyrrha turned on her heels to face Ruby, stature and posture perfectly straight. "Would you be willing to take the position if it was offered to you?"

Ruby didn't meet her companion's gaze, rather, she looked up at the sky. It was clear, immaculate of clouds. It was almost imposing, like it knew of it's perfection and was looking down at the little beings below it with contempt. Silver met emerald and Ruby chose her words carefully. "If Princess Schnee wanted me to take that position, I would."

"But?"

"But I can't say I'd be happy to do it or even that I'd be willing to do it for any other reason other than Princess Schnee wanted me too. This castle is not my home, it never will be."

"I see," Pyrrha look to the side where the man picked up the pace, striking the men and women harder and faster. "And what is your home?"

"I don't have one."

"That's a shame, everyone needs a home. Even if all it is, is a touch. A lover can be a home, I know mine is." The vampire went to the man and told him to slow it down and give each person only ten lashes more.

Ruby left the scene, leading Armageddon to the stables. She gave him some oats before trotting inside the inner courts. It has been one day since Yang left and Ruby received a raven the previous evening saying that Yang and the other five were going to camp once it got dark. Ruby stripped off her boots and socks, not caring that she was walking through the halls barefoot. She made it to the servants' dining room, taking a seat near the head of the table. Nora, the beloved assistant cook to Lie Ren, her husband, came tumbling out of the kitchen and placed the two huge platters of fire roasted potatoes and ham onto the table where Ruby and the others started to dig in.

"Ruby!" Nora exclaimed happily. "Princess Schnee dropped by earlier and said that if you came here for lunch to tell you to bring her some of whatever we were serving and to pick up the pot of soup she ordered for the two of you."

Ruby nodded, stopping to layer more of the meal onto her plate and standing to go into the kitchen to retrieve the pot of soup. When she entered she found Jaune holding a white decorated pot full of fragrant broth-y soup. "I'll carry it up for you," he said to Ruby, not meeting her gaze. Jaune had long since had a crush on Ruby, one that the red-head never reciprocated. About a year ago he confessed his feelings for her making a whole scene in front of Yang and the entire courtyard, sure she would say she liked him too, except she didn't. She probably should have cushioned the blow but when he moved to kiss her, she leaped back, shoving him back as well. After that, there really wasn't any point in trying to not hurt his feelings when she already had. Horribly so. She tried to apologize later but he wouldn't listen to her, slamming his bedroom door in her face.

Before they left, Ruby tied the shoelaces of her boots together, slinging them over her shoulder. They headed out, walking silently with Ruby in the lead. The guards lining the hall of Weiss's room gave Ruby and Jaune a look, disgust played across a few of their faces when they the mage wasn't wearing any shoes. She knocked on the door, "it's me and Jaune! We brought the food!"

Weiss opened the door for them, stepping to the side. A table was set with a vase of roses and decorative plates and bowls and silverware. Ruby and Jaune set their burdens down but when Ruby turned to thank him, he was already gone, running back down the hallway.

"He was eager to get out of here, was it the perfume? I sprayed a bit around the room." Weiss asked, pulling Ruby's seat out for her. The heiress was dressed black, knee-high boots, brown trousers, a loose silk button up, and her hair was braided back with flowers woven through it. She looked utterly ravishing.

Ruby gulped, staring at the masterpiece before her. "I t-think he just wanted to get back to the kitchen."

Weiss signaled over a maid who cut her wrist over Weiss's empty cup, the blood flowed freely and filled the crystal to the brim. She licked the wrist clean and wrapped it with the rag the maid brought over to staunch the bleeding. Ruby uttered a short incantation, the cut healing instantly. The maid thanked her, leaving the room under Weiss's instruction. Weiss turned her full attention back on Ruby, leaning back in her chair and raising an eyebrow. "You didn't look that turned on even when I fingered you."

"I didn't have much chance to ogle you when my eyes were rolled into the back of my head."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"You should."

They took this as an opportunity to serve themselves, scooping soup into their bowls and the ham and potatoes onto their plates. Weiss took a long draw of the blood, never taking her eyes off of her lover. "You look... angry." Weiss observed, cocking her head to the side.

Ruby nodded guiltily. "Sorry, I couldn't help but think about these two kids who were banging some old gong outside the temple today. It really gave me a headache."

Weiss touched her hand, giving it a small squeeze. "It's fine, I'm sorry they did that to you."

Ruby blushed, smiling. "Eh, it was a while ago... Right now I'm just glad to be with you."

The went back to their food, making little small talk every now and then. Mostly, Ruby tried to come up with the nerve to ask Weiss about politics. It was such a daunting topic, filled with opinions and wrong turns and all the different ways the current form of rule could be better. Ruby was half-way terrified that her thoughts would be different than Weiss's - she only just got the heiress's affection, and she wasn't keen on losing it. And when she wasn't working up courage, she was staring. Something about Weiss was different, bolder, more confident. Her every move now seemed charged with unseen strength and her eyes had an edge that was just shy of boring into Ruby's soul.

Weiss noticed previously how Ruby was looking at her, but she chose to not say anything until they were both finished with their food. "What's up?"

"The sky."

"Very funny - now answer me."

"I don't know what you mean."

"You have this look in your eye, specifically when you are looking at me."

Ruby twiddled her thumbs, "I-i dunno."

"Yes, you do." Weiss's voice was soft, almost pleading.

"Lately I've just noticed you appear more self-assured and, well, for lack of a better term - tougher."

"Tougher?"

"Stronger, more powerful, shredded, ripped, like you have enough muscle mass to be burly... even if you aren't burly."

Weiss choked back a laugh. "I see. Does this bother you?"

"No..."

Weiss prodded Ruby with a raised eyebrow.

"I just want to know why, that's all. You been doing strength training?"

This time Weiss did laugh. "No, Ruby, I have not. But you know what I have been doing?"

"What?"

"I have been spending every second thinking about you, openly. Just earlier a maid asked me what was on my mind and I told her you were. And nothing - absolutely nothing - fills me with more joy and confidence than to be able to admit, even in the smallest of ways, my love for you."

Ruby stood, rounded the table, pulled Weiss onto her feet and kissed her. Hard and passionately. Weiss reciprocated the kiss with just as much fervor. If anyone had walked in at that moment, they would have sounded the alarm. Ruby and Weiss would have been executed. But together, these two women found undeniable strength in each other. Even if it was just a postponing of the inevitable, it was a reprieve nonetheless.


A/N If I get ten reviews (you could literally just type "part 4 pls" idc) I'll do a part four where you get to see what happens to Yang on her trip and read the lovely speech she gives about love. (You might even get to see some Jacques-ass kicked)

Have a good week!