Blake had made sure everyone still in fighting shape could make the trip. Her father marshalled the citizens from Menagerie back to their boat and then moved to rendezvous with her, the rest of Team RWBY, Jaune, Nora, Ren, Sun, Ilia, Kali, and the Mistral police. She had no intention of letting Adam catch her unaware, and if he fled back to White Fang headquarters they could surround the building and keep him locked safely inside until he starved himself of supplies.

When her amassed forces did finally kick down the door, however, Blake found no trace of Adam or his loyalists… only a barren and empty hall, and Sienna Khan's unoccupied seat of power. Blake dispatched Ilia and Ren to search for anything substantive while the others remained on their guard. However, it quickly became apparent Adam was long gone –if he'd ever returned at all- and the White Fang headquarters were theirs' once again.

Her father had privately been dreading this moment. Ghira had been fully prepared to resume leadership responsibilities for the White Fang, but he was by no means eager to take up the mantle again. He'd quite enjoyed the peace and relative stability in Menagerie, and he'd be stepping into a political firestorm taking over the post of High Leader again after all Adam had wrought in his short tenure. Nor was he looking forward to speaking about Sienna Khan, though that was a subject he was even quieter about.

Ilia did eventually return to Blake, holding up a dusty tome in one hand. Blake raised her eyebrow. "It's… a book?"

"A book that was hidden in the High Leader's quarters behind three other books and between the case and the wall," Ilia explained. "Whatever's in it is something the High Leader wanted to hide."

Blake knew the trick well: she hid her fair share of questionable novels in the same groove. And since it was a book of some kind, it probably hadn't been Adam's secret… he was never one for intellectual pursuits. It didn't surprise Blake at all he'd never noticed Sienna Khan hid something from him because it wouldn't be important –or immediate- enough for him to look.

"Okay," Blake nodded, accepting the tome. "Keep looking." She glanced over at her father looking at the throne, her mother gently coaxing him forward. "Just in case there's… anything else."

Once Ilia was safely out of sight, Blake turned her attention to the book, browsing through the pages. As near as Blake could infer from the writing style it was not any sort of playbook for strategy and tactics, but rather a personal diary… nothing too interesting, just another personal effect to add to-

A word caught her eye: Vale.

And beside it a date. A date from nearly a year prior… right when Blake and her friends started at Beacon.

Why was Sienna in Vale then? What reason would she have to leave her post and spend any time in a foreign –possibly hostile- kingdom?

Her curiosity undeniably piqued, Blake drew her finger to the top of the entry, reading on…

The regional leader made a grave error that forced me to intervene. By losing Blake, he's lost a valuable rallying point for our people. The boy doesn't even realize what he could cost us.

Sienna… was aware of her relationship with Adam?

Vale, the Past

He bowed and scraped and kowtowed, humble and subservient and eager to please… all acts, all carefully practiced and measured farce. He was boiling with rage, so much of it that no smoke or mirrors could help to conceal it. Sienna was not impressed.

"I thought I could trust you to keep your house in order," Sienna scoffed. "Do you have any idea how valuable the Belladonna name is? Do you know what we lose just by appearing to lack their support?"

"With all due respect, your concern is misplaced, High Leader," Adam assured her. "She has merely… lost her way. I'll see to it she's brought back into the fold."

Empty promises or wishful thinking. Neither would appease Sienna. "And how will you do that when she's enrolled at Beacon? How do you mean to remove her from out from under Ozpin's eye?" At Adam's surprised expression, Sienna reminded him: "You're not the only one with eyes."

Adam changed his tune immediately. "I only mean that she will return to us, High Leader. She will honor the White Fang as her family always has, once she's had… time to consider her actions."

He was scrambling now. He was nothing but emotion and impulse; forward planning clearly wasn't his strong suit. But for the moment, Sienna was stuck with him.

She massaged her temples for a moment before speaking to him again. "The only reason I haven't stripped you of your rank and cast you out is because your unit has already suffered from a high profile desertion. Any further signs of instability would only weaken us further."

Sienna pointed her index finger at him. "But do not mistake this as an act of generosity. I am willing to remove you, should you continue to fail… so I suggest you prove your worth to me before standing in my presence again."

Adam bowed lower. "Of course, High Leader."

He was a cornered dog. Sienna had to be careful not to let him bite. "Very well, then. Get up, Adam. There's work to do."

Mistral, the Present

Blake could certainly enjoy picturing Adam squirming under Sienna's heel, but she was curious as to why Sienna seemed so invested in keeping her –or at least her family name- in the White Fang. She read on, finding more entries about Sienna's visit to Vale.

But as she read, Blake found… something very different to tales of putting Adam in his place.

I should feel ashamed of what I've done, but I don't. I don't regret what I've done.

Blake read closer to see what troubled Sienna's mind then.

I violated so many of our beliefs today, but… he was special. I try and tell myself that he's a unique case or a moment of weakness or a passing fancy, but… that's not the case at all. He's affected me somehow.

That should be fine. That should be something to celebrate… until I remember who he is. What he is.

A human.

Blake's thoughts on herself and Adam were abruptly replaced by renewed curiosity about this human who drew Sienna's attention.

And how –apparently- he fell out of the sky.

Vale, the First Semester at Beacon

Her bodyguards pointed their rifles skyward, as though expecting more bombardment. A few among them closed ranks around her to protect her from shrapnel and debris, but Sienna quickly shoved past them, irritated. "You idiots, it's not a bombardment- it's a Huntsman's weapon locker."

She stepped towards the smoldering hunk of steel poking out of the dirt, eyeing it carefully. It bore a sigil she didn't recognize, but she recognized it design. Was Ozpin trying to contact her? Had Blake Belladonna become aware of Sienna's quiet surveillance of her and sending a message of her own?

Then the locker visibly shook. All her guards trained their weapons on it. Sienna listened closely with her sensitive ears, she heard what sounded like… breathing?

"Um… hello? Anybody out there? Can you help me?" a voice asked from within the metal confines. "I'm… um, not sure where Cardin programmed the locker to send me…"

Sienna stepped towards the locker, reaching towards it… only for whoever was trapped inside it to finally figure out how to escape and pop the door open, tumbling forward into the dirt before the High Leader.

He looked up at her with big blue eyes, timidly remarking: "Um… hello."

Sienna crouched down, reaching her long fingers down to the boy's cheek to make out more of his face… scraggly blonde hair, fair skin, and such an intriguingly clueless expression.

"Hello, indeed."

Mistral, the Present

Blake turned her attention to Jaune, talking with Ruby and Nora in the throne room far from Blake's position. She looked down at Sienna's words and back to Jaune, eyes wide with disbelief. Was it somehow possible that…?

Jaune never mentioned it, but he had been gone an unusually long time after Cardin sent his locker off-campus, and when he returned he'd refused to bring up his experiences. Blake hadn't been especially close to him at the time and hadn't really given it any thought, but…

Was it possible?

Sienna wouldn't have any reason to admit to such a thing… especially not with a human…

Blake read on. Sienna didn't go into detail, but she seemed to be implying that she and Jaune… knew each other quite deeply.

That could provide insight too. If… if indeed Jaune and Sienna had-

She couldn't even think it. How could Blake hope to broach the subject with him?

Well, now she had to know for sure. Curiosity had carried her this far.

Blake took a deep breath and stepped towards him.