Strike The Box! Chapter 57: Season 3: Part 17, a rwby fanfic

October 25, 2021

Today was the day that Ruby and Delwyn were to get married. Originally scheduled for the 20th, it got pushed back to the 25th due to several high-profile events that had occurred in the Menagerie Civil War involving a suicide truck bomb attack that struck Kuo Kuana that day, killing 84 and injuring over 150.

All of Team RWBY and Team JNR was there. Even Blake was there, though she was in a wheelchair. Delwyn chose his brother, Prince Aeron, who was 18 years old and was soon to ship out to Menagerie with the Valeanian Army, as his best man. Ruby chose the rest of Team RWBY plus Nora and Penny as her bridesmaids, with Yang holding the position of maid-of-honor. Unlike other previous royal weddings, Ruby wore a flowing red dress with various rose motifs. Because of Taiyang's death in the attacks and Summer's death many years earlier, Qrow and Raven took the places of her father and mother. To hold her veil in place, a tiara that had originally been made for the Queen Mother (Delwyn's mother) when she had been wed to Delwyn III sat on her hair. Delwyn wore the full dress uniform of the army regiment he had belonged to prior to becoming king.

The wedding was broadcasted around the world, and millions tuned in to watch it. Aside from the usual wedding vows and ceremonies, Ruby would also be sworn in as the Queen Consort of the Kingdom of Vale, as per the Constitution of Vale.

In the Hall of Virtues, a place of worship where members of the royal family were wedded, crowned, and mourned, Ruby was escorted down the aisle by Qrow and Raven past the throngs of guests, which included other royals, heads of state, ambassadors, lawmakers, and more as a choir sang. As they continued, she whispered to both of them, "Thank you." Her eyes beamed with joy as she approached Delwyn.

"No problem, Rose Petal," Qrow replied. He then smiled. They both then waved at Team RWBY, Penny, and Tean JNR, who were all towards the front.

Raven then told her, "Go get 'em, Rubes." They both then quietly giggled. Once they reached the altar, Ruby stepped forward to meet up with her son-to-be husband.

Once they were across from each other, they held their hands and smiled, ready to make their vows. The officiator of the service, Royal Archbishop Jonathan Lapis, then began his sermon, saying to the crowd, "God, our Father, King of all Kings, Savior of Mankind, we thank You for bringing together these two families in holy matrimony. We ask nothing more than to protect this loving couple as they vow to stay by each other's side for as long as they shall live. Ruby Rose of Patch, His Royal Majesty Delwyn IV of Vale, you have chosen to be married in the sight of a generous and forgiving God who so loved the world that He gave its people Dust, the very key to survival from the creatures of the Devil, the Grimm. You do so because you love each other and wish to spend the rest of your lives on this world, and even beyond that in the afterlife, together. I pray that all of us present and the many millions watching this ceremony and sharing in your joy today, will do everything in our power to support and uphold you in your new life. And I pray that God will bless you in the way of life that you have chosen, that way which is expressed in the prayer that you have composed together in preparation for this day: God, our Father, we thank You for our families, and for the love that we share and for the joy of our marriage. I pray that in the business of your lives, you both can keep your eyes focused on what is real and important in life and help us to be generous with our time and love and energy. Thank you, and God bless both of you." He then turned to Delwyn. "Delwyn ap Delwyn, do you take this woman to be your wife for as ling as eternity will last?"

"I do," he replied.

He then turned to Ruby. "Ruby Rose, do you take this man to be your husband for as long as eternity will last?"

"I do," she replied.

"Now," the archbishop continued. "You shall both state your vows to each other."

"I, Delwyn ap Delwyn, take you, Ruby Rose, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse: for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; to love and to cherish, long after death." His eyes beamed with joy as he said those words to her.

"I, Ruby Rose, take you, Delwyn ap Delwyn, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse: for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; to love and to cherish, long after death." Her eyes lit up as well as she felt ecstasy in saying those words to him.

Delwyn then took Ruby's left hand and put a ring onto her ring finger. "With this ring, we are now wed to each other, and with this ring, we now share everything, in the name of God, our Father, King of all Kings, Savior of Mankind."

Ruby then put a ring onto his ring finger on his left hand. "With this ring, we are now wed to each other, and with this ring, we now share everything, in the name of God, our Father, King of all Kings, Savior of Mankind."

The archbishop then said to both of them, "God, our Father, King of all Kings, Savior of Mankind, bless, preserve, and keep this couple for as long as eternity shall last. Thank You." He then nodded, signalling for Ruby and Delwyn to kiss, which they did.

As they kissed, the crowd applauded the couple a they turned around and began to walk together down the corridor, hand in hand, as the choir began singing again. Delwyn whispered to his now wife. "I love you, Ruby."

"I love you, my King," Ruby quietly replied to him.

20 minutes later, Ruby and Delwyn emerged onto a second floor balcony, facing a massive yet silent crowd as a Supreme Court Justice held a holy book in his hands, ready for Ruby to be sworn in as the Queen Consort of the Valeanians. As thousands looked on, including Delwyn, Ruby, still wearing her wedding dress, stood opposite of the justice. "I am ready," she said to him.

"Excellent," he then said as he signaled for their microphones to be turned on. "Now," he said as his voice bellowed throughout the crowd. "Ruby of Patch, are you willing to swear this sacred oath?"

"Yes," she replied as the justice placed the book in front of her. Ruby then placed her left hand on the book and put her right hand up.

"I, state your name, do solemnly swear."

"I, Ruby Rose, do solemnly swear."

"That I will faithfully aid my husband, the King,"

"In governing the people of Vale by their consent."

"Furthermore,"

"I will faithfully aid my husband, The King,"

"In preserving, protecting, and defending the Constitution of the Kingdom of Vale."

"So help me, God."

"Thank you," he said. "Effective immediately, you are now the Queen Consort of the Valeanians, and your title will be Her Royal Majesty, Queen Ruby of the Valeanians." He then shook Ruby's hand as the crowd clapped and cheered. She then waved to the crowd of adoring citizens, who now looked in awe towards their new Queen.

November 1, 2021

At Vale City International Airport's military embarkation zone on the military side of the airport, Ruby wore a RVHC uniform as she checked her bags. With her at the rather drab-looking and crowded waiting area was Team RWBY, Delwyn, Sun, Qrow, and Raven, as well as two royal guards. "Well," she said as she zipped up her backpack. "That's everything. I got Crescent Rose, extra ammunition, personal items, and a cellphone you all can contact me on that has my old personal number on it."

Yang then hugged Ruby, telling her, "Please, be safe."

"I will be," Ruby replied as they split. "I can take these guys." She then walked over to Weiss and shook her hand. "I'll see you again in about two months, Captain Schnee."

Weiss then hugged her as well. "As to you, Firefighter Rose." They both then laughed.

Ruby then went over to Blake, who was being wheeled around by Sun. "Hopefully you'll be on the trucks again when I get back. It feels empty without you back at the firehouse." She then bent down and hugged Blake in her wheelchair.

"I should be," Blake replied as they split. "The doctors say I can do exterior operations starting in early December. I'll be able to do interior operations by the time the next AFP class rolls around in January."

"Good," Ruby replied as she shook Sun's hand. "Take care, Sun." She then went over and hugged Qrow and Raven at the same time, saying to both of them, "Mom and Dad would be so proud right now."

"They would be," Raven replied.

"I know they are," Qrow replied. "They're watching over you every day, Rose Petal."

"I know," Ruby said to them as she split. "Say, Raven, can I call you "mom" too, like Yang?"

Raven, taken aback, replied, "Oh! Of course! Ruby, you can call me that if you want to. We may not be related by blood, but still."

"Thank you, Mom." Ruby replied, making Raven smile. Ruby then saved her husband for last. "Well, I'll see you in two months, my King." The two then kissed. "I love you, Delwyn."

"I love you, Ruby." Delwyn replied. "Now, go kick ass. Make the White Fang pay for what they did to us."

"I will," Ruby replied as she put on her backpack. "In the name of all of my brother and sisters in the fire service I lost on August 23rd, I will."

November 4, 2021

Ruby was located in a small city not too far from the front lines of the civil war that raged between Menagerie and the White Fang. In said small city, Menagerian forces, aided by Royal Mistralian Navy Fleet Air Arm airstrikes, local anti-White Fang partisans, and RVHC SOU forces, were beginning to take back the town block-by-bloody-block. Ruby was perched on the rooftop of a three-story apartment building, looking over a small residential neighborhood with a 20-year-old spotter from the Royal Valeanian Marine Corps. Though the two were not far apart in age, they were very far apart in combat experience.

As they both scanned the buildings, the spotter suddenly got a call over his radio. "Question Uniform 339, we will be patrolling down Road 27. This is Mike Echo November Alpha 64, over."

"Roger," the spotter replied. "Mike Echo November Alpha 64 patrolling down Road 27." He then turned to Ruby, "You got all that?"

"Yeah," Ruby replied as she placed a Menagerian Army patrol unit in her sights as it went down a main avenue in the city, looking for any potential attackers. Then, she noticed that the unit had stopped. A small shift to the right revealed why through her scope. "They stopped because of some little kid and his mom on the road. He can't be much older than 9 or 10." Then, he noticed that the mom had given her son something as it appeared that the Menagerian troops were trying to tell her to move off of the road. "Oh fuck, don't do it, please... That bitch is giving her own son a weapon..."

"Holy shit," the spotter replied as the situation dawned on him. "No..."

Then, she saw the kid charge at the troops holding a mortar round. "No!" She then aimed and pulled the trigger on Crescent Rose, firing a round off at him. The round hit the kid, killing him and causing him to fall the ground as the stunned Menagerian troops looked on in horror. Then, Ruby saw the boy's mother pick up the mortar round, so Ruby fired another shot at her, striking and killing her as well. After this shot, she turned her eyes away and sighed. "These fuckers are using little kids now. This is a new low, even for the White Fang."

"That's fucking disgusting," the spotter said in agreement. "What kind of monster sinks that low, Lieutenant?" He referred to Ruby by her rank in the RVHC of Lieutenant.

"A monster that needs to be stopped," she simply replied as she looked back into her sights as the Menagerian patrol started up down the road again after moving the bodies and took the mortar round with them.