Quick warning for some mild homophobia this chapter. It's nothing too bad, though.

Weiss' eyes fluttered open and she yawned. She had slept like absolute death. Apparently the stress from the previous day had worn her out more than she'd thought.

Her insides froze when she realised the sun was well above the horizon. Blake sat at her desk while Vona picked at some wooden thing on the stand in the corner. However, Blake looked over and her ears twitched. "Good morning, Schnee. I take it you slept well?"

"What time is it…?" The lack of timekeeping devices really was getting to her. Her schedule was completely off without something to help keep her on track. Hopefully they could get get her something to help with that…

"About nine thirty. Breakfast will be in about half an hour." So they did have the conception of hours and (seemingly) twenty-four hour days. She hoped that they would have something to help her…

But nine thirty? She should've been in lessons an hour and a half ago! Why hadn't Blake— Right. She didn't have lessons here. What was she supposed to do all day without lessons? She very much doubted they had teachers for people like her. Everyone had at least been raised here even if they were humans or Faunus. Blake had said that was why changelings were taken as babies and not at her age.

"I'll be skipping my lessons today so we can go into town. I know a great merchant that deals in tons of human wares. He has books aplenty, so we should hopefully be able to find something for you." A bookstore… Oh Holy Father, what a dream come true! She was really looking forward to it. She'd have to endure breakfast but if it was anything like yesterday, it wouldn't be too bad.

"I ran by your room and picked you up a fresh dress. If you want to get ready, you know where the bathroom is." Blake sat the garment on the foot of the bed and Weiss nodded.

She went and quickly got dressed, though she frowned as something hit her. She didn't have any of her products. Nothing for her hair or her skin. It wasn't an immediate worry, but if she went too long without them, she'd start to look very haggard. And if she went too long without her skincare products, she might even get acne. Now that was an utterly terrifying thought. But how was she supposed to get everything from Schnee manor?

"Hey, Blake, sorry to bother you, but I need my hair and skin products from Schnee manor. Is there any way to contact Auria so I can get them?" She worked so hard to maintain her looks. She doubted that Blake would want her to have a gross breakout and look bad. It'd reflect so negatively on the family. If she was part of the family like Blake said, then it would be very bad for her to look like some scruffy street rat.

Blake looked at her and tilted her head. "Oh, sorry… I hadn't thought about that. I can call her after breakfast and see if she can run them over here sometime today." Weiss nodded and settled on the window seat. That did remind her…

"By the way, who was the woman with the giant brown bird yesterday?" She'd seriously thought that thing was going to attack her. It'd come at her so suddenly… What else was she supposed to expect? Concern had definitely been the last thing she'd expected.

Blake blinked, ears twitching before she nodded. "That was Valerie and her eagle, Malini. She's an animal handler. Her family comes by for dinner. We'll be eating some of our meals with different families, so you'll need to get to know these people. Meals are an extremely important part of Lider culture for socialising. They're communal affairs for us. We eat with three families for breakfast and dinner, though lunch is for our family exclusively." So there were people she'd have to get to know… Fantastic. People that could easily manipulate or she really didn't want to trust them at all. But if she were to survive here, she didn't have much choice here.

"By the way…" Blake pulled a book off her shelf and handed it to Weiss. Baby names…? Why would she need a baby name book? Why was she giving it to her at all? "Look through that book before we go into town. We'll need to get your soul name sealed by the Name Holder. You'll either need to give up your given name and choose a new one or find a name that truly speaks to your soul to take the place of your given name." Names really were important to fae, weren't they…? She still didn't really get it, though. Blake hadn't explained it yet.

"Okay." She settled fully into the window seat though Blake spoke again.

"Also, one manners thing to know… Fae do not appreciate being lied to. With your lack of shielding, any fae will be able to tell if you're lying or not. It'll reflect poorly on not just you but my family too. So don't lie. If you don't want to respond to something, say that. We'll respect boundaries in both courts. You won't be pressed for details if you don't want to answer." Weiss bit her lower lip at that. Be honest? That was begging for trouble! It made her a sitting duck! People would have her for an appetiser! It'd be so easy for anybody to manipulate or harm her!

She felt faint but she turned her attention to the name book. She had more pressing things to worry about. She didn't have much time left until breakfast or they left for town…

Blake cleared her throat and made Weiss look up. "We should head down to breakfast. I really do hate to suggest this, but with as particular as fae are about manners, it might be best for you to remain silent until you can understand we interact with each other." Weiss frowned and nodded. Unfortunately, that was fairly common for Atlas. She couldn't take too much offense when it was her normal place. Women and children were to be seen and not heard. That was especially true of female children.

"Okay." There was no point in arguing. She didn't see any reason to go upset. It was normal, everyday life. Why get upset at something so outside of her control?

Weiss gathered her skirts and stood, Sayaka fluttering onto her shoulder. She managed a small smile and. The bird really was quite adorable. Animals were wonderful despite what President Jacques tried to teach her. They weren't mindless beasts with a complete lack of any gratitude. Neige was always glad to see her like she was to see of them were grateful for the limited time they got to share with each other.

Sayaka chirped and they headed down toward the dining hall. "Another thing before we get there: remember to only give your family name. I doubt any of the fae here would abuse the power, but it's better safe than sorry."

"What is the big deal with names anyway? You do keep bringing it up…" She hadn't gotten a clear answer yet. What was the big deal? She'd never had anybody use her name against her. Well, she had. Everybody wanted the Schnee name and so many had tried to get close to her for her standing. But that didn't seem to be what this was about especially with the concept of a 'soul name.'

"Basically, it gives a fae power over your soul. We can manipulate somebody's soul to make them do what we want. It isn't such a big deal in the Lider court, but a lot of Misum would use that knowledge. Usually it'd be mischievously but it'd still best to not risk it. I hope you found a name… Remember, if it doesn't really speak to your soul, you'll have to give up your given name." Weiss swallowed hard at that. She had found one name that did speak to her, but she wasn't sure if it'd be enough to replace her normal name. How was she supposed to adapt to life with a new name entirely…? It sounded really unpleasant to have her soul taken over like that…

"Once you have your soul name, never reveal it to anybody unless you believe you can trust them with the knowledge they can make you bend completely to their will." Weiss shuddered at the idea. Someone manipulating her emotions was bad enough. But to give somebody that much power over her? The only person she could trust implicitly was Winter. She would never trust another person to that degree. Even her own family wasn't worth trusting. Willow was always drunk and/or passed out from the alcohol and sleeping pills. Whitely was a snake in the grass, completely untrustworthy. All he ever did was connive and tattle on her to President Jacques if she messed up something in his presence. He only meant punishment for her.

"I won't." Promises meant nothing to her, but in this case, it was a promise that she could and would keep. Nobody would get her soul name if she could help it. She would guard it with her life if she had to.

They reached the dining hall and loud laughter pealed through the closed doors. Servants opened them and the rambunctious laughter continued. What was so funny? She'd never heard anybody laugh like that. It was frankly uncouth. Blake was a dutchess. Why would anybody of such high standing laugh so loud?

Blake dragged her hand down her face. "Why are you so judgmental? You're going to cause my family some major problems with that…" Weiss tilted her head. What was wrong with hit? She didn't understand. This was how people were. Everyone around her judged and they judged harshly. It was simply how Atlassians were.

A cleared throat made both girls look up. A massive man and a much smaller woman with cat ears sat at the head of the long dining table. A myriad of other people sat on the right and left sides, two spots open on the left-hand side.

Blake offered a slight bow and Weiss hastily copied the motion. Was that their traditional greeting? No curtsies? Holy Father, that was going to take some time to get used to. Every proper lady in Atlas knew to curtsy. But Blake wasn't doing that so…

"I apologise for being late, Mother, Father, esteemed guests. Schnee and I got a little caught up in what we were doing. Esteemed guests, may I introduce Schnee? She is our new charge, a late-arriving changeling from the human world." A soft gasp went through the crowd.

"A late-arriving changeling? Kali, what nonsense is this? And her eyes… She's a changeling of the Misum court!"

"Who allowed such a thing to happen? Ghira, don't tell me you let your child do something so dangerous! This could endanger the whole realm!"

Weiss looked down as she heard more whispers on the left side of the table. Was it really so hard? What was so wrong? Then again, Blake said it was rare for this to happen… Most changelings were taken as babies… This was quite the scandal, wasn't it?

"We have it under control," came a smooth voice. The woman with cat ears at the head of the table spoke. "There will be no further discussion of this at the table." The guests looked at each other, but nodded, clearly reluctant. People loved scandal. Of course they wanted to talk about it. How else would they get their entertainment?

She followed Blake to their seats, but she was aware of the eyes. Every eye followed her as best it could. Thankfully, the people they walked behind didn't turn to look. In Atlas, they most certainly would have. Atlas didn't know the first thing about privacy. Not that here sere seemed any better.

It didn't take long for the conversations to resume although almost everyone kept casting glances at Weiss. None of it was anything she cared about: births, pregnancies, religion, and more. So Weiss took the time to survey the people. Some had Faunus traits and there were all manner of hair color. A few of the people had darker skin too. Was skin color not a huge deal for fae either? It wasn't a huge deal in Atlas as far as she knew, but dark-skinned people were definitely in the minority in the upper class.

Eventually, she figured out they were sitting on the same side as the older generation. There were only six people there as opposed to the seven on the opposite side. But that didn't make any sense.

The more she watched the people on the same side of the table, the more she realised one couple were both female. They both wore dresses and sat close side by side. They wore twisted pieces of metal on their upper arms that mirrored each other, just like who were obviously Blake's parents. What…? That made no sense. How could two women be together?

And obviously have children?

Almost as soon as the thoughts passed her mind, the women in question looked at her then one glanced away. She heard a sigh from Blake. "Dutchesses Varela, please forgive Miss Schnee… She's new to the realm—less than a day. She has yet to understand our ways are different than hers." Even though Blake's tone was carefully rehearsed and polite, she could sense the frustration behind it. She knew hidden anger and frustration all too well. It was all too common in Atlassian society.

"I suppose we can overlook it this once," one of the women said. Again, polite and controlled, but she knew better. She had deeply offended them. She knew upper-class politics and tones all too well. She could see between the lines no matter how polite the tone was. Polite meant something to hide.

She looked at Blake whose ears laid against her head. "We're getting you a shielding ring when we go out into town," she hissed. Weiss looked down at the plate and left her eyes glued there. It seemed lie even her thoughts were a faux paux to the family. She was trying… Blake had told her to watch and listen and she was trying to do that. And she'd stumbled across something she didn't understand. She was only trying to make sense of it. It didn't make any sense in her worldview to have two women married, let alone have biological children.

She blinked some tears away and finished eating. "Duke Belladonna, may I be excused?" she asked and looked at him. He was massive even sitting down, dwarfing everyone at the table. She didn't want to embarrass them anymore. For all she knew, that's exactly what she was doing, but it was easier than continuing to cause harm with her thoughts.

"Go on ahead, dear." It was the woman that spoke. Her amber eyes swelled with emotion, though Weiss couldn't place any of them.

"Thank you." She stood up then curtsied, lifting her skits before leaving the room. She had Sayaka direct her back to her room. She fell on her bed after the starling left her shoulder, then pulled a pillow to her chest. Why was this so hard? She was trying her best, but she was getting turned away… This places really wasn't so different from Schnee manor…

‡

Blake watched as Weiss left, her ears drooping over. She really hadn't meant to make Weiss feel bad. The dutchesses, should they desire it, could easily have Weiss' head for her slight. Questioning somebody's relationship like that wasn't polite. It was one thing if it was across racial or class lines. But both born nobles? It was basically asking for trouble to be so openly nosy!

"Blake, honey. You've got to be softer with her." She looked up at her mother. "While I understand where you're coming from, she's used to harshness. It's counterproductive. Treat her like you would a shy horse or pegasus. Treating them roughly only make things worse, right?"

Blake nodded and sighed. "Yes, Mother." She knew how to treat shy animals. Some had come from neglectful for a very long time. Weiss…was a lot like that from what she'd seen. She'd only known one place and one style of being handled. She probably shouldn't be equating her to an animal, but it was the closest comparison she could make. Abuse of family and acquaintances was so rare in fae culture she'd never met anybody that had been abused before. She didn't know how else to think about things.

With that out of the way, the families went back to talking. Blake didn't join in the conversation this time, though. She'd really screwed up. How could she make it up to Weiss? She wanted to make things right, An apology wouldn't be enough by any means. Maybe a gift? She really didn't know.

Breakfast drew to a close about half an hour later and Blake made her way up to Weiss' room. She knocked on the door but didn't receive a response. "Weiss, it's me. Can I come in…?" She really didn't blame her if she never wanted to speak to her again. She had really messed up, but she didn't know what to do. Abused people were so far outside of her skill range.

The door opened a moment later, cracking just enough to show one of Weiss' eyes. She opened it fully and resignation hit Blake in waves. She so clearly did not want to let her in, but she felt she had no choice.

So Blake stayed where she was. "You don't have to let me in if you don't want to. Would you like to wait a while before going into town? You can take some time to decompress." She doubted she'd get much of anywhere with Weiss after that. She'd upset her so badly. She was so afraid Weiss would offend some fae and meet with a horrible fate. She'd seen serfs cross their nobles wrong and be punished horribly. Without the Belladonna family having legal guardianship over her yet, any noble could have her punished in whatever way they saw fit.

"We can go." Resignation still colored Weiss' thoughts. She felt like she had no choice. That…really wouldn't make for a good trip. She'd been so excited about the bookstore too… Blake wanted her to have that infectious enthusiasm. It'd been so pure and giddy.

Then a thought hit her.

"Would you like to go for a horseback ride? I can show you the bounds of the property—well, some of them. That's an all-day event on normal horseback—and you can ride Neige." That prospect perked her up a bit and she nodded.

"That…does sound nice. But didn't you give Auria my riding habit and other supplies? How am I supposed to ride if I don't have all of that?" Weiss frowned, her soul churning. All Blake could pick up from the chaotic emotions was 'impropriety' and similar ones.

"We all ride astride here. Some noble fae might do sidesaddle, but it's a rarity. They only do it because sidesaddles are a rare commodity from the human world. Plus, it's easier to keep things continuous with pegasi. They can't be ridden sidesaddle due to their wings." That made Weiss frown and the sense of 'improper' only grew stronger. What was the big deal? It wasn't like riding astride meant anything. It was a way to ride horses and nothing more.

Resignation once again hit her and she sighed. "Let me get changed into some pants then… Do you want to come get me?"

"Yeah. I need to change too, then we can go out. Would you maybe be interested in a pegasus-back lesson either later or tomorrow?" Weiss' eyes momentarily sparkled but she gave a small nod. Despite her attempts, she could feel the excitement bubbling off her. She so clearly loved animals. Maybe that would be a good area for her to pursue… It was still so early to tell, but Blake would keep it in mind for the future.