Fourth Kingdom
Chapter 2: Escape
As the morning came, Ruby discovered a great flaw in her master plan. The plan itself wasn't the flaw, rather it was possibly the greatest thing she had ever thought of. The weight of Weiss's body near her, the subtle sounds of her breath as she slumbered, the warmth of her limbs as she laid there tangled in Ruby's arms, the sheer closeness of it all, it was perhaps the greatest thing Ruby had ever experienced.
And therein was the problem. This was meant to be a one-off thing, something to help Ruby calm down the night before the foreign visitors arrived. Now that she had done it, however, she wasn't exactly sure she could go back to sleeping alone in the servant's quarters again. Her bed, while not horrible, was nothing compared to the luxurious mattress that the princess slept on. The warmth that spread throughout the room was a wholly unfamiliar feeling, especially compared to the icy chill that was more prevalent in the residence of the castle's less important workers. Of course, that all paled in comparison to be the largest reason that an adjustment back would be difficult: The simple lack of Weiss.
Mentally, Ruby chided herself, she should have known better. She had felt like this before, back when she realized that Weiss meant far more to her than was acceptable. That realization had created a gnawing hunger, which only intensified when she discovered that Weiss reciprocated, a longing to be closer, to have something more than the concealed hand squeezes, or the subtle looks they threw at each other when no one was looking.
She thought she had squashed that desire, locked away the hunger, but now that she was here, laying in the princess's bed with the woman herself at her side, that same hunger came roaring back to the forefront of her entire being. It ate at Ruby, chewed away at her soul, and suddenly she wished that time would freeze so she could enjoy this forever.
Had Ruby her way, the two of them would have stayed like this for the entire day, curled around each other and basking in each other's presence.
Unfortunately, at that very moment, reality decided to rear its ugly head.
The sound of someone attempting to open a door broke the silence, breaking through the quiet like a bull in a glass shop, a loud rumbling noise as someone attempted to open the door Weiss had locked in the night.
Jolting out of her musings, for a terrifying second Ruby had no idea what to do, if she acted quickly she could get out of the bed and pretend that she was in the process of waking Weiss up, as she tended to do every morning. How she would explain the blockaded door, she didn't know.
"Under the covers, don't make a sound, don't move." Weiss hissed at her, and without thinking Ruby followed the princess's orders, ducking under the heavy blanket and attempting to conceal herself as best as possible. She felt a few…somethings hit her, the little light that managed to get through the blankets being blocked out as a few square-shaped objects covered them.
In this tomb of blankets and pillows, Ruby heard Weiss stalk over to the door, a muffled sound of something being opened was followed by words that Ruby couldn't make out. There was more talking, and someone's voice got louder, before, after what felt like an eternity, the sound of a door closing let Ruby breathe a sigh of relief.
A few seconds later and with verbal confirmation from Weiss, Ruby peeked her head up from under her hiding place, letting loose another relieved breath as she realized that the two of them were alone again. Weiss sighed as well before sitting back up on the bed, a tired yawn escaping her. "Just a servant coming to wake me up," She said at Ruby's silent question.
"Gods, I-I'm so sorry Weiss, I don't know what I was thinking last night!" Ruby managed to stammer out, Weiss made a noise as her eyes slid over to watch Ruby, who continued to ramble. "You were completely right, I shouldn't have even thought about it, I should've just stayed collapsed on the floor instead of doing something stupid like this. Oh gods what if they figure out, I shouldn't of-I shouldn't of-" Ruby abruptly stopped her rambling as Weiss placed a finger over her mouth, silencing her without a word.
"You talk too much," Weiss said, removing the finger with a twinkle of amusement in her eyes.
Ruby laughed a little bit, "Y-yeah, well I tend to ramble when I'm nervous.." She laughed again, this time more out of nervousness than mirth.
Weiss sighed, "Did you forget that it was just as much my idea as it was yours? Do you truly think that I would have permitted you to stay if I thought it was too dangerous or not worth it?"
"Yes, because you're a kind and good person and can't stand watching people you care about do stupid things to themselves," Ruby stated matter-of-factly.
Weiss blinked, then her gaze softened as a warm smile crossed her face, "You say that without hesitation and with such certainty…" She reached and put her arm around Ruby, who leaned into the snowy-haired girl without hesitation. Weiss's other hand reached up and gently began moving through her hair, the familiar and soothing motions put Ruby's worries to rest.
"I know you want more than…this." Weiss vaguely gestured with the arm that was still around Ruby, "I know, I really do. I want it to. I hate that we have to be so careful, I hate that we have to dance around my family, I wish we could do this every day and not have to worry about being found."
Ruby frowned, she knew that was impossible, there was simply too much in the way. Weiss's life was already planned out for her, she would inherit the kingdom once her father passed away, she would marry some nobleman, and she would have kids that would inherit the kingdom when she passed away. That's how it was going to go, and nothing could change it.
And Ruby would be there the whole time, her bodyguard, her lover, but never anything official, never anything public. She knew that Weiss would always love her, knew that whoever she ended up officially marrying would always play second-fiddle to Ruby in terms of Weiss's feelings, but it still hurt.
Her face must have made her thoughts too obvious, as Ruby suddenly found herself looking up as a gentle hand tilted her head upwards. Weiss's eyes were filled with concern, her face twisted in a small frown.
"And you talk about me being a million miles away."
Despite herself, Ruby smiled, "Sorry princess, I was…thinking." Ruby could tell Weiss didn't buy the nonspecific answer, but she didn't say anything, instead shifting herself so that she was leaning up against Ruby.
"I hate it when you do that, you're always so cheerful, it hurts seeing you get yourself down like that," Weiss spoke softly.
Ruby winced internally, "Sorry, I'll try not t-" She stopped as Weiss cupped a hand over her mouth, the apology seemed to only make her more upset.
"Stop that. Don't apologize. That's the one thing I dislike more, I can't stand you acting like that, like you're subservient to me, like you're somehow lesser than me."
Ruby sighed as gently removed the hand over her mouth, "Well, I mean, I am. You're Weiss Schnee, royalty, heir to a kingdom, scion of a noble bloodline. I'm….Ruby, a jumped-up peasant girl who found out she's really good at killing things with a scythe." Ruby gestured wildly with her hands as she spoke. "I'll never be your equal, Weiss." Ruby laughed sadly as the familiar feeling of inadequacy settled neatly in the pit of her stomach.
She didn't have time to feel bad for herself for long, as sudden movement at her side caught her attention, the only warning she had before her snowy-haired lover was suddenly in front of her, wrapping her arms around Ruby tightly.
"No, no, no. Stop that." Weiss whispered, "Gods, can't you see how wrong that is?! How plainly incorrect that thought is? Do you think blood is what makes people great?!." She laughed a bit before suddenly leaning forward and kissing Ruby, gently cradling her head in her hand as she did so.
For a moment the world faded away, the bed disappeared, the room vanished, and the shining sunlight was snuffed out. For that brief, beautiful moment there was nothing but the two of them, the world was forgotten. A moment later Weiss broke free of the embrace, looking up at Ruby with a soft smile.
"What makes you think you're lesser? Because you grew up poor on an island? That means you know how to survive away from an easy life in a castle without servants to attend to your every whim, I don't. Because you have no lineage to call your own? What utter nonsense!" Throughout the conversation, Weiss had shifted herself off Ruby and the bed, pacing around as she became uncharastically heated.
Ruby herself watched with growing fascination as Weiss paced back and forth, becoming the most animated she had ever seen the princess in a long time.
"You are strong, resourceful, and the only person in this castle that I can trust." Weiss stopped her pacing and stalked over to Ruby, placing her hands on her shoulders, blue eyes staring into silver ones. "You're right, we'll never be equals because I can never hope to be as great as you."
Ruby's vision blurred as she felt a smile creep onto her face, and she searched for something to say, something to convey the unexplainable swirl of emotions she felt. "I…thank you, Weiss, thank you."
Weiss reached out and gently wiped away the tears that had begun to form in Ruby's eyes, before sitting down next to her. After a moment that could only be described as not long enough, Weiss got up again, stretching, "I guess we should present ourselves to court now, we've kept them waiting long enough."
Ruby nodded as she stood up, shoulders straightening as she slipped back into the persona of the impassive protector, distant and emotionless. "After you, Milady."
Weiss's first impression of the Ylissiean prince was that he was naive. Perhaps that wasn't the kindest thing to think of foreign royalty, but it was true. It was genuinely difficult to maintain the stoic facade expected of her when the blue-haired seemed to genuinely expect her father to throw his support behind Ylisse just because the current Exalt had a hand in preserving Weiss's life.
Then again, most people didn't know her father as she did.
She had turned out of the conversation once the negotiations had begun, her job was to stand there and be silent, don't say a word, don't interrupt, don't draw attention to herself. Just stand there, like a pretty statue.
"While I understand the plight you are in, Prince Chrom" Her father's words snapped Weiss back to reality, "The truthful situation is that Atlas is in no position to offer significant aid. Our treasury, which your sister seems so interested in, is vital to maintaining our kingdom, not to mention that subjecting our people to the horrors of war is the last thing any ruler wants."
It was code, peaceful words cloaking the hidden barbs, what he was saying was that he had no intention of helping in the war.
From the look that crossed Prince Chrom, the meaning of his words didn't go unnoticed. A look of anger flashed across his face as he took a step forward.
"Gangrel is ravaging the continent and you intend to do nothing but hide behind your walls?! Do you think he will stop with Ylisse? Should Ylisse fall, he will turn his gaze north, towards Regna Ferox, towards Atlas."
Her father said nothing, but gave a dishonest smile, and Weiss realized that the young prince had done exactly what her father wanted.
"Ah, there it is. I had hoped we could speak as friends, especially after all I have done to accommodate you." A look of confusion spread across the blue-haired prince, "And yet all I get is veiled threats." Curiously, while looks of shock appeared on the prince and princess of Ylisse, the other two, the white-haired enigma and the knight, seemed more resigned than anything.
"Threats? You misunderstand me, I meant no dis-" Chrom started, before being cut off.
"Of course, you meant no disrespect." Her father started again, with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "You merely demanded entry into a kingdom that has been isolated for ten years, a privilege that has been granted to no one previously, and then, once granted, you barge in here and demand that I open the gold reserves of Atlas to you. No disrespect at all…"
Chrom looked ready to say something else, but he was silenced as the brown-haired knight, Frederick, stepped forward, drawing the attention of all present.
"Your majesty, please forgive milord's impetuous words, we are all tired from the journey here, and I assure you he would not have acted like this had he been of sound mind. As we speak, Milord's dear sister, the Exalt Emmeryn, is in constant threat of being captured or killed by Gangrel's forces. I'm sure you can understand his desire to move things along swiftly."
Chrom seemed to struggle internally with something, a conflicted look on his face, before nodding at her father. "Indeed, your majesty, please forgive me for my rash words. I plead with you to remember the kindness my sister did you, as well as to understand the fact that when this war is over, the continent is going to be a different place. When that happens, I'd rather Ylisse and Atlas speak on friendly terms rather than neutral ones."
Translation: Things are going to change, join the war and you'll have a seat at the negotiation tables when that happens, or ignore it and be swept aside when the time comes.
Weiss smiled internally, so the little prince could play politics.
Her father caught the meaning behind the words as well, if the way his smile suddenly became a lot more forced was any indication, "It is true, Exalt Emmeryn has done me a great service in the past, and I am not one to forget past kindnesses." Meaningless words that may have fooled the Ylissieans, but only made Weiss internally seethe.
Not one to forget kindnesses? What utter lies. Her mother had given him the ultimate kindness, had elevated him from a middle-class businessman to a monarch, had given him her name, all because she loved him.
And how had her father repaid that kindness? With a knife in the back. Her mother, Willow, had given everything to him, taught him how to rule, and made him something he didn't deserve to be. And once he had gotten everything he could out of her, that was when the purge began. Generals were poisoned, lords murdered in their beds, foreigners expelled or arrested, and her mother, Jacques's own wife, killed personally by him.
She still remembered the funeral, remembered staring numbly throughout the whole affair, she refused to believe it at first, refused to believe that her mother was gone. She remembered how her father pretended to be sad and made grand speeches about "living up to her memory" and "finding justice for her killers." She remembered Winter having to stop Weiss from throwing herself at him in a fit of rage once she had discovered the truth.
Winter…Winter had never been what Father wanted, she was out-spoken, never afraid to criticize him. She was competent, resourceful, she could adapt and change and see how Father's isolation policy had harmed the kingdom. She was the perfect heir.
Sometimes she wondered if Father killed her too.
"..-nd I will be pleased to offer a detachment of soldiers as well." Her father's voice called her back to reality. Surreptitiously looking around, she realized she must have zoned out for a while, as the negotiations seemed to be winding down. The Ylissieans seemed to be more relaxed now, suggesting they accomplished whatever goal they set out on.
Realizing that nobody was paying attention to her, she subtly whispered to the red-robed woman she knew was next to her. "What did I miss?"
"King Jacques is going to offer half the Atlesian treasury, a contingent of soldiers, as well as some advisors," Ruby whispered back without missing a beat.
Weiss frowned, Atlas hadn't been to war in 10 years, even the naive prince must realize that the offer of advisors was worthless, they'd know less than the Ylissieans did.
As negotiations began to wind down, the talks shifting to the logistics of getting the gold to Ylisse, something began to take hold in Weiss, an idea forming in the corner of her mind. It was reckless, insane, and would be tremendously difficult to accomplish, but a part of her felt she had to take the chance as she realized something.
The Ylissieans were her way out. If she could somehow convince her father to let her accompany them, then she could finally see something besides the cold walls of the castle. She could see the world, see the realm she would inherit, meet the people she'd need to know once she became Queen, and forge relationships with other rulers and important people. She could be free of her father.
"Ruby…" She started, her voice the whisper of a whisper, "Would you like to leave Atlas?"
When no reply came, she turned and looked at the girl, thinking she didn't hear her, only to find a look of indecisiveness on the brunette's face. A second later she replied.
"Milady, you know that I will follow you anywhere." Ruby's voice was a ghost in the wind, drowned out by the sounds of everything else happening. It was only thanks to their closeness that Weiss heard her at all.
"I know, but I'm asking you if you want to leave."
"...To what end?" There was a note of confusion in Ruby's voice, one that hid the smallest stirrings of hope in her voice.
"To be away. We'd be in unknown company, in unknown territory, and fighting for our lives almost every day, but we'll be free of Atlas, and my father, at least for a time." It wasn't until she said it out loud that Weiss realized how much she wanted that, how much she wanted to be free of the constant gaze of her father.
"...Yes...I think I'd like that." A gentle hand squeezed her hand tightly for a half-second before vanishing again. The affirmation suddenly made the goal seem far more achievable. It would be an uphill battle, her father would most certainly not approve of it, but now she felt like she couldn't fail. She didn't have a choice, not anymore.
Taking the time to build her confidence, to calm her racing heart, Weiss watched as her father talked about…something, after a moment, there was a pause, a lull in the conversation.
That was her chance.
Taking a deep breath, she mentally rehearsed the lines before speaking up, "Father" That one word got everyone in the room to look at her, her father's piercing eyes washed over her and for a moment Weiss felt cowled. For a second she almost took a step back, almost apologized, and went back to being a pretty statue.
Then her eyes caught a glimpse of Ruby and she remembered that she wasn't doing this for just herself, not anymore.
Steeling herself, she looked her father in the eyes before speaking. "Father, I believe I should go with them." There was a pause, as everyone just…stared at her, it was quite obvious that no one had anticipated this.
"That is….quite possibly the most preposterous thing you have ever said" Her father replied, his eyes narrowing as he scanned her face, trying to read her intention only to frown when he couldn't. "You have never been outside Atlas, and now you wish to throw yourself into a war?"
She mentally smiled, the stoic facade that he had been so adamant about was now being used against him. "Yes, father. As you said, I have never been outside Atlas, I have rarely been outside the castle. How am I to rule one day when I have known nothing but the confines of these walls? How can I understand my people when I have never seen them?"
As expected, her father did not give in so easily, "You are no fighter, you have never raised your blade in defense of your life before, yet now you wish to force yourself into life or death battles? You do not have the strength to do so." He said the last part bluntly.
"I…" Weiss started, but she was interrupted before she could say anything more.
"You're wrong." Ruby's voice was low and full of steel, "It may not be my place to say so, your Majesty, but you're wrong. Her Grace has killed before, three years ago, or have you forgotten that dark time already? She's strong, stronger than you think" Her voice was poisonous, barely restrained anger evident in it.
Her father's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Watch your tongue, girl, and remember your place. I am aware that my daughter has fought and killed before, but there is a difference between fighting in self-defense and warfare."
Weiss wanted to point out the self-contradiction there, but the momentary courage that had filled her a second ago had faded under the withering glare of her father. What was she doing? She was stepping out of line, forgetting her place in the world. She should just apologize and fade back into the background again, like a good daughter.
Then her gaze wandered onto the empty space near her father's throne, the area which once held the seat her mother sat upon. The visual reminder of her father's crimes spurred her into action, the fire relighting in her body.
"Father, I am more than capable of defending myself, and would this act not foster goodwill between our two nations?" It was a long shot, but it was all she could think of at the moment, she was banking on the idea that her father would actually be considering opening up the nation again, considering the arguments made by the Ylissieans to get his support in the first place.
For a moment she had hope, logically she had made a sound argument. And by stating it in a public place, she ensured that her father couldn't argue it without admitting that he intended Whitley to succeed him instead of her for all to hear.
And then her father slowly shook his head and Weiss felt her heart plummet, "It is far too dangerous, you will remain here, in the safety of Atlas."
"But, Fa-"
"Be silent." Her father's voice cut through her like a knife through butter, and Weiss felt herself freeze as nearly two decades of conditioning seized control of her. Involuntarily she felt herself stepping back, her head down, mumbling an apology.
"Return to your quarters, and speak no more of this." Her father's authoritarian voice spoke again, numbly she did as she was told, feeling more automaton than human. Distantly she was aware of Ruby following her, and the muffled words of still more talking.
It was only when she found herself back in her room that she realized that she was alone, she had expected Ruby to follow her, and she was mildly upset that she didn't.
Perhaps that was to be her fate, alone forever. Her room felt more like a prison, the walls felt like they would close in on her any minute now. She had been so close, only to have her one chance of escape ripped away at the last moment.
She should never have said anything, she should have just stayed quiet and still, like a good daughter. She walked over to the window that overlooked her bed, displaying the cold realm of Atlas. It was fitting symbolism, watching the world from the confines of the castle, her gilded cage, but never touching it.
She only barely heard the door opening, a small creaking noise followed by footsteps. Her father no doubt, here to berate her for speaking out of turn at court.
"Father…I, please forgive me." She said without turning from the window, working to quickly gain control of her emotions, it wouldn't do to speak to her father without the mask of stoicism.
Instead of a response, Weiss instead felt familiar arms wrap around her from behind and Weiss reflexively relaxed into the embrace.
A moment later, she heard Ruby's voice from behind her, "Do you want to leave Atlas?" Her voice was quiet, very quiet, little more than a breath in her ear.
Weiss shook her head, "I can't, Ruby, my father has made that very clear."
"I know, but I'm asking if you want to leave."
Weiss smiled a bit despite herself as her words were thrown back at her. "I…I would, but i-" She stopped talking as a hand reached out from behind her and cupped her mouth.
"Would you rather fight in a war than be here?" Ruby's voice was steely and determined, and as Weiss turned her head to get a look at her, she saw that her face's expression mirrored that.
She nodded.
Slowly, the hand covering her mouth was removed, and Ruby turned her around so they faced each other. Ruby's eyes were narrowed, her posture straight, it was the look she had when she was on bodyguard duty: fierce, determined, and singular in purpose.
"Do you trust me?"
Weiss answered without hesitation, "With my life."
"Then trust me when I say that we're getting out of here. Give me some time, I'll make preparations, don't go to sleep, I'll come to get you in the night."
For a moment, Weiss didn't believe what she was hearing, then the words sunk in as Ruby detached from Weiss. "Ruby! Wait, you can't do this. If my father finds out, he will, he wi-"
"To hell with your father." Ruby snapped back, coldly. "I'm tired of watching him make your life miserable."
"Ruby…if you do this, my father could have you labeled a traitor, could bar you from Atlas entirely, could issue kill on sight orders.."
"To hell with Atlas, too!" Ruby wheeled on Weiss, her face contorted in anger and voice filled with raw emotion. "What ever made you think I give a damn about Atlas or your father?! Do you think that's why I stay here?! No! I stayed here for you, Weiss!" Her expression softened as her anger gave way to a soft smile, "It was always about you, I thought you knew that by now."
Weiss stared blankly for a moment, her mind a jumbling cacophony of emotions, Ruby's little speech was touching. What could she say to that? Part of her knew she couldn't leave Atlas, her duty as crown princess meant that she couldn't just go gallivanting across the continent. It would drive her father mad.
And yet…there was a part of her that wanted to do exactly that, precisely because it would displease her father to no end.
"Ruby…I can't just leave…I can't ignore my duties because of my own whims…"
Ruby shook her head, "Didn't you say it yourself, how can you rule when you know nothing beyond these walls? And you plan on ending your father's policy of isolation, right? Wouldn't it help, then, to be on good terms with Ylisse and Regna Ferox?"
Weiss felt her resistance break down as she sighed, "All right, just…be careful, please."
"So that's the gist of it" Robin concluded to the rest of the Shepherds as they all made preparations to leave. "We've got the gold and some troops from Atlas. It honestly went better than I expected."
Chrom nodded, "We still have some sunlight, we can probably make it to Regna Ferox before nightfall if we head out now." There was a rumble of agreement from the people there.
Sully got up and stretched her legs, "Hell yeah, no more sitting around and waiting for things to happen. Now we can bring the fight to those rotten Plegian bastards!" There was a round of loud agreement as the sentiment was shared across the room.
"May I have a moment of your time, Milords?" A voice came from behind them, whirling around, Chrom and Robin were met with the sight of the girl who appeared to have a great obsession with the color red, this time with no scythe.
Caught off guard by her sudden appearance, Chrom spoke up, "Er, I'm sorry, you have me at a disadvantage."
The girl did a small bow, "My name is Ruby, Milord, and I am here to ask you a favor."
Well, points for conciseness, not many people were willing to approach royalty and ask for something so bluntly, either she knew that Chrom had a weakness for helping people, or this favor was seriously important.
Chrom, being the way too trusting and nice person he was, simply smiled, "Of course, what can I do for Atlas?"
Ruby shook her head, "This request does not come from His Highness, King Jacques, but from me. I know that you have no reason to hear me, you owe me nothing nor can I offer anything of value in return, but I plead that you do so anyway."
Chrom smiled again and shook his head, "Peace, Ruby, if I can help you, I will do so."
"I request that you take me and Princess Weiss with you." She stood straight up, her eyes fixed forward as she relayed her request to the prince. It actually would have been quite intimidating if it wasn't for the fact that she was clearly the youngest and smallest person in the room, Ricken notwithstanding.
Chrom looked taken aback, "I…that was something she asked, and didn't King Jacques deny her request? What can I do?"
For a moment a look of uncertainty crossed the red-hooded girl, before being replaced with a look of determination, "If I may be blunt, Milord, Lady Weiss and her father do not have the best relationship, she has wished to see more of the world for a long time now, and frankly, I'm tired of watching His Grace make her life miserable."
Well, that solved that question, this Ruby girl was almost certainly aware that Chrom was a sucker for helping people in need. And Chrom seemed to be seriously considering it too
Frederick seemed aware of that fact too, as he turned to Chrom, "Milord, this has 'diplomatic incident' written all over it. Are you truly considering this?!"
Robin nodded, "Frederick's right, Chrom, we already have everything we need from Atlas, what point is there in antagonizing them by going down this course of action?"
Chrom thought for a moment, then, "Robin…when I first found you, Frederick advised me to leave you there, you were an unknown, more than likely a Plegian. But I didn't leave you, did I? And I don't regret that fact."
Robin made a face, "Chrom this is different, if we go down this course, Jacques could levy accusations of kidnapping, hostage-taking, whatever he wanted, at us."
Chrom smirked, "Well, then I guess we'd better be out of Atlas before he realizes then."
Robin sighed as he realized that Chrom was already set on his course of action, "You've...you've already decided to do this...by the gods I can't believe you Chrom."
"A thousand thank yous, Milord." Ruby kept her impassive look but a jolt of energy seemed to have taken hold of her body as she more or less bounced on the heels of her feet, "We will meet with you once outside of Atlas. You will not be held accountable for anything, I assure you." She seemed to be fighting a smile off her face, before turning and leaving.
Robin groaned, "She played you, you know? The instant she said anything about the princess being miserable, your mind was made up, wasn't it."
Chrom laughed as he sat down, "You know me too well."
Lissa laughed as well, "You get used to him, Robin. I mean, it's not all bad, that stubbornness of his is the reason we have you, after all!."
Despite the headache Robin could feel coming on from the nightmare of a situation this was becoming, he smiled. "Yeah…I just hope it doesn't get your brother killed one day…"
Darkness crept throughout the room, an engulfing blackness that swallowed the world. Despite the late hour, sleep did not find Weiss, even if she wanted to, she wouldn't be able to. The candle on her desk, the sole source of light in the dark room, blurrily reflected the parchment in front of her.
"Father, I beg forgiveness for this act but know that I must do it. When I return to you, I shall be a changed woman, I will be stronger, more capable. This is something I have to do. Know that I do this of my own free will."
Weiss reviewed the paper she wrote with a frown, it wasn't enough, far too few words, but how could she explain it to him? How could she explain the longing desire to be away, to grow, to be free of his influence? She couldn't. So this inferior piece of writing would have to do.
"Are you ready?" A small voice asked her. Without looking, she knew Ruby was next to her. Her voice was steady but Weiss knew Ruby well enough to notice the subtle inflections that gave away her nervousness, her fear.
"No, I'm terrified, I don't want to disobey Father, or maybe that's just what he wants me to think. I'm scared to be among unknowns, I'm scared to go to war." Her thoughts ran rampant, and it took every ounce of willpower to not let any of them slip out of her mind.
"Yes, I am," Weiss said, finally turning to the silver-eyed girl. Ruby reached out and took hold of her hand, gripping it firmly, before leading her out of the room.
As they exited their sanctuary of privacy, Weiss instinctively began to remove her hand from Ruby's, an act that had been done over a million times. As she did so, however, Ruby only tightened her grip, shaking her head.
"It won't do any good to just escape physically, for this to work, Weiss, you need to escape mentally as well, let's start now."
Weiss smiled despite herself, yes, let the escape start now.
So, this chapter ended up having a lot more fluff and a lot less subsistence than I would have liked, as well as generally being shorter than what I wanted originally. This can be attributed to the fact that work absolutely kicked my ass, and I didn't start work on this chapter until the 4th of this month. As you can probably tell, it's also a lot less refined and polished, well, as polished as any of my writing can be. I might end up uploading only every two weeks instead of every week in order to ensure these chapters have better quality and have more meat to them rather than just dialogue and fluff.
As always, I hope you enjoyed reading this and I appreciate any sort of feedback.
