Hey guys. Just want to say a bit before we get on with the chapter.

Thank you all for the support you've shown so far. Was not expecting such a positive response at first. If anything I was anticipating at least one negative comment. (touch wood)

2. Please don't hold back any criticisms you may have. I'm looking to improve my writing after all. That said, this is my first story after all so if you would kindly be a bit gentle with your words that would be nice.

3. Some bits may be a bit forced so I apologise for any parts that seem offputting or of lower quality compared to the rest.

4. I must apologise for such a long delay in uploading. Between Christmas, the New Year, CNY and my internship, I haven't had much time nor energy to produce much at night. (Also, hope you guys had a great Christmas, a wonderful New Year, and for those that celebrate it, a happy Lunar/Chinese New Year [get that money])

5. I've gone back to the previous chapters to edit them a bit. Just a few formatting changes, nothing major. Do let me know if this chapter or any of the previous ones have any glaring grammar mistakes that need fixing (thanks).

Lastly, I'm just gonna answer a few questions from the reviews:

Ewerton Da Silva Rodrigues: Admittedly I wrote myself into a hole there. But I'm up for the challenge. It may be a bit underwhelming since I tend to speed over these issues but nonetheless, I'll try.

Coment9: Not exactly. I plan to follow the canon storyline of RWBY. And yes there will be Knightmare Frames in the fic. Am working on finding a way to fit them into the story.

arga101: Thank you. I wish the same to you too. Hope 2020 treats you well!

And without further ado, onto the fic!

Warning: This chapter is dialogue intensive.

Uploaded: 28/01/2020

Last Updated: 30/04/2020 (some spelling changes)

Chapter 3

That was a rhetorical question. He already knew who they were. After all, the Iris Program served to dig into networks and dredge up information otherwise inaccessible to Britannia's intelligence, public or otherwise. That and Rolo has already sent their profiles to him in advance. The academies weren't exactly secretive when it came to the pupils. Not to mention the teams having caught the public eye given their members and their escapades. Who hadn't heard of the Invincible Girl and the 15-year-old prodigy, Ruby Rose?

Nonetheless, a facade must be maintained for the plan to work. He'd be damned if he blew it now!

Coming back to reality, he realised that they still stared at him in cautioned and analytic gazes. So, he cleared his throat.

"Ahem!" Snapping out of their wonder, the teams, now closer, could take a good look at his appearance. He seemed tall, roughly 6'2" and was lean built, like a swimmer. Simply oozing a sense of regality, he looked tan, his face covered with dust, marred with a painful-looking gash down his right cheek and had a mop of sweat-drenched, raven black hair that almost fell over his eyes, a pair of amethyst orbs. He wore a red undershirt, drenched with sweat as well, and a scuffed, dented, dark violet cuirass with golden trim and multiple plates, all covered by an open black jacket with a silver zipper and a windstorm collar, sporting golden piping and trim along with a violet interior.

The jacket itself was marked with his personal symbol, on the right shoulder and the back in deep violet. It was simple in design, with a minimalistic bird stretching its wings out, curving upwards as if to form a ring. Seemingly piercing its middle, denoted by a downward kink in the figure, was a cruciform sword, bearing only the most simple of details. In stark contrast to the black, his cuffs provided a splash of red. Some of the more observant members also spotted regular segments on the jacket that were just a little bulkier than the rest.

On his shoulders were a pair of silver pauldrons, seemingly riveted into the jacket while a pair of black, baggy cargo pants covered his legs, adorned with segmented, golden armour plates on his thighs, knees and shins. Below that, he wore a pair of black boots with steel plated toes, soiled with detritus.

He also wore two belts, one a brown leather baldrick across his torso, with ammunition magazines strapped to the front. The other was on his waist, a simple black belt with a silver buckle. Strapped to it were more magazines and on his right hip, what looked to be a dagger, while on the left was a small pouch, complete with a snap-buttoned lid and also stamped with his emblem. His hands were wrapped in dirty white bandages and torn in several places, trailing up and into his jacket. Meanwhile, his forearms were protected by a simple pair of silver bracers, clasped(?) tightly over the sleeves.

Finally, on his neck was a small, golden chain where a hexagonal, amethyst locket hung, flanked by a pair of dull, grey, oval pieces of metal and a pair of red rings with black engravings.

Then, one of the students finally managed to muster some courage and answered. "Hi!" began Ruby in a cheerful chirp, "We're Team RWBY and Team JNPR of Beacon Academy! We had just finished fending off another attack in the city centre when we heard reports of another horde here. So we decided to come over and help! But it looks like you and your... ship had it covered." Being at the forefront, none of her schoolmates saw it but Lelouch did. When she looked at the ship, the HMS Pinafore, he saw those eyes. Eyes similar to what Lloyd got when it came to new pilot data materials.

Great. Another engineering nut.

She also seemed somewhat proud of their defence of the city. So he pushed further. Profiles only went so far, firsthand experiences always exceeded them.

"Wow! You guys just came over from another fight?" he exclaimed in (faux) surprise. "How brave of you! It must have been tough!" he said with a good-natured smile.

Her eyes brightened, not unlike a child eyeing their favourite candy. Hook

A toothy grin broke out on her face and she took a breath, her tiny body shaking and trembling with barely-held excitement. Line

And when she spoke, he knew he had her. And Sinker

"I KNOW RIGHT?! WE WERE IN A TRAIN IN MOUNT GLENN BUT THEN IT CRASHED INTO THE MIDDLE OF VALE AND WE WERE LIKE *CRASH*! THEN WE WERE SURROUNDED BY GRIMM. BUTTHENWEWEREALLLIKE*HWAAAH!WACHAWH!SKRRRAATSKRRAT! AND THEN…" Her comrades groaned in annoyance, knowing they could not stop the excitable fifteen-year-old now. 'There she goes again,' thought Yang mournfully. It was like fate decided to crap on them today. 'Why?' she mentally moaned to the heavens. 'Why?!'

And so Ruby Rose prattled on and on, shrugging off multiple attempts to stop her exaggerated recalling. Even Weiss failed, receiving a flailing hand to the face for her efforts. Much to Lelouch's genuine amazement, the speedy teen's semblance really shined through at times.

Like now.

'Didn't think I'd see a half-hour battle summarised in 5 minutes' mentally chuckled Lelouch. The pain on her friends' faces only amused him more. 'Perhaps Schneizel was right on me being a sadist.' pondered the boy. Nonetheless, he was barely able to keep up with her pace and by the end, he was surprised to have felt relieved.

"Hey, you mentioned the Vytal Festival Tournament just now," pointed out Nora. "So that must mean that you have a team! So," she declared with a pointed finger, "when do we get to see them!? Are they super cool and strong like you are?! Do they kick ass and take names?! Do they-" a hand clamped over her mouth and her eyes widened in shock, with only muffled mumbles being heard.

"I think what my partner meant to say was 'Whe-" began Ren. Suddenly, he recoiled his hand from Nora's mouth, a thick coating of clear viscous fluid dripping from it. "...Did you just lick my hand? Again?" he asked incredulously.

A raspberry and a pout was what he got from the Valkyrie.

With a sigh (and a wipe on his pants), he continued. "As I was saying, Where's the rest of your team?"

With a deep breath, Lelouch pressed his weight onto his sword and, with a grunt of effort, pushed himself up to stand. Then his arms reached up, linked together and with a brief "hold on!", he stretched his back, twisting this way and that way, the audible *CRACK* making the Beacon pupils wince. With a flourish, he plucked his sword from the still-dissipating creep with a wet *SQUELCH* and sheathed it on his back.

"That's better," sighed Lelouch contentedly. "Thanks for that reminder by the way," he replied, receiving a nod in response. He then tapped his earpiece and spoke.

"Gino, Suzaku, Rolo! Form up on my position! We're securing the LZ!"

'Wait a minute, Rolo? What's he got to do with-'

"You may want to step back a bit," warned Lelouch as he reached for his back. Pulling out a red stick, which they recognised as a flare, he hiked out of the crater with a tired limp in his step. He continued walking from the crater, looking for a large enough space for the landing shuttle, untouched by the conflict. All the while, the students, who climbed out of the hole themselves, watched as he stopped, uncapped the flare and struck it against its cap. After a few tries, it lit up in a shower of sparks, a column of orange smoke rising from the tip.

Faintly aware of the enclosing atlesians, Lelouch waved the flare in the air a few times before placing it on the ground before him. Now he just had to wait for his team. 'I wonder what's taking so long?'

"Lelouch!" crackled Gino's voice over their communications, "I'm seeing several atlesians in the vicinity. They friendly?"

"Stand down guys, they're on our side. It's safe." replied the raven-haired boy.

"Well that's a relief then," echoed Suzaku's voice from his left. Turning to the source, he saw his longtime friend limp out from an alley, probably from his sector. He was leaning on the brick wall to his right and looked like hell, his mussed brown hair singed and messy. Lelouch mentally noted the burn damage seen on his friend, leaving his outerwear in charred tatters to reveal a black tank top. His pants were better off, suffering some slight scuffing at most, while his weapon, sheathed in its hilt and fastened to a metal bandolier with what seemed to be rails, was held in his free hand.

"Good to see you made it out alive," replied Lelouch as he rushed to his friend's aid. Hoisting an arm over his shoulder, Lelouch helped Suzaku out from the alley, getting a tired "thanks", and hobbled him over to the others.

"Wasn't expecting a welcoming party this big, Lelouch! You could've at least told us!" rasped out a hoarse voice from atop a nearby pile of rubble. Snapping to the source, the Atlesians trained their rifles, prepared to fire. It was only the frantic de-escalation on Lieutenant Hail's part that allowed the Britannian student approach them, albeit cautiously .

"Gino! Was everything alright on your end?" said Lelouch as he helped Suzaku sit down next to the medic. Much like Suzaku, his outfit was ravaged by battle, deep gouges made into his blue torso armour and his pants torn in random areas. His armaments seemed to come in a pair, with one apparently attached to his left forearm while the other hung by a holster on a simple brown belt. His face was a mess too, a dried-up gash and blood trail staining his left temple. Splotches of soot and dust-covered only his upper face, curiously enough. The wind ruffled his hair, two of his small braids left flowing while a loose lock of hair blew about in place of what was presumably the third.

The blonde boy turned to his leader and replied, with a thumbs up, "Everything was good on my end buddy! Just had a few civilians to evac. It was fine otherwise. Throat hurts though." He coughed and rubbed his neck after that as if to accentuate his pained state.

A tossed canteen of water was caught and with a grateful nod and raise, Gino greedily chugged down the ambrosia. Meanwhile, Lelouch walked out, his face etched with a hint of worry.

'Where could he be?' pondered Lelouch. By now, the teams had crowded around him with a load of new questions, having arrived a few minutes ago with the atlesians. From the senior Team CVFY to half of SSSN, the supporting forces converged on their position, curious to see these newcomers. He couldn't care less though. Where was his little brother?

As the ravenette stood, scanning the buildings for his final member, the Beacon students slowly came out of their stupor. For one snow-white girl, her awestruck, speechless state was replaced by one of anger and indignation.

'Britannians? What are they doing here?! After all they've done?! They dare?!' Slowly, her face began to burn red, a smouldering glare levelled at the presumed leader.

If looks could kill, she would no longer be known as "Ice Queen".

Whilst the white member of Team RWBY glared in anger, her black teammate was much the opposite. Her gaze was one of adoration and wonder, entranced by the raven-haired boy.

'Britannia? As in the 'allowing Faunus into nobility' Britannia?!' gawked Blake. She had only ever heard rumours of the "Fifth Kingdom", hushed whispers among White Fang ranks and her friends back in Menagerie. A kingdom of exiles and outcasts, one that stood against the four kingdoms and held its own. One where Faunus were said to have gained equal rights and, if the rumours were true, could even ascend the ranks of nobility. As fantastical as that would be, that was all it was to them. A fantasy.

Until now.

'Should I ask him?' pondered the cat faunus. Just as she was about to approach him, her ears perked up, picking up a soft ticking and whizzing. What could it be?

Out of nowhere, a loud cry of "Lelouch!" echoed through the air, causing his face to wash over with relief. As he, along with the rest of the small crowd, turned towards the roofs, a black blur shot over the lip of a nearby building. A soft *WHIZZ* and metallic *CLANK* rang through the air as a silver line shot out to a nearby streetlight, a curved metal object wrapping around the bar. The line pulled itself taught and as the black figure swung in the air, a soft ticking could be heard. As they watched, it seemed to pull itself closer to the lamp as it swung.

'Steel cabling? Grappling hook functions?! Who is this guy?' wondered Ruby with stars in her eyes.

As it reached the upswing, the silver line stopped retracting, going loose as the figure reached its apex. Then it landed on the bar, crouched on all fours. And so there stood (crouched?) an exhausted and happy Rolo Lamperouge, Ruby's mystery dance partner and point of teasing for Yang, dressed in black and grey. He was panting slightly and removed a black beanie from his head, wiping his brow with it and letting his ears spring out.

'Wait a minute. I know him. Isn't that-' "-Rolo?!" called out Ruby. The boy turned to their direction and upon seeing her, gave a jovial wave. At that point, a smack could be heard as Yang's fist met her palm in recognition.

"That's the boy you were dancing with!" pointed out the blonde. Ruby, flushed in response, desperately tried to wave off her curious friends who were probing Yang for details. Much to her chagrin, it was futile. Even Pyrrha was joining in! Oh, the betrayal! How was she going to get out of this?! All she could really do was hope for the best and focus on the present. So she turned back to the newly arrived Faunus, who had hopped off the light and onto the street.

"Rolo! Thank goodness you're alright!" called out Lelouch in relief, ignoring the chatter of the Beacon students. With a jovial chuckle, he strode over to the feline faunus and gave him a big hug. Once they separated, Lelouch, much to one Yang Xiao Long's amusement, began to fret over Rolo's bumps and bruises, as if he would disappear at any moment.

"Was your sector alright? Are you hurt anywhere? Have you dealt with your Grimm?". Rolo looked elated, proud of himself even, and nodded.

"Yep! All Grimm neutralised! I think." he (not so) confidently replied. That doubt at the end was not missed by Lelouch, who let out a soft sigh and pat Rolo on the shoulder.

"Don't worry," assured the ebon haired boy, "we'll find any stragglers. I'm just glad you're safe."

Suddenly, a howl pierced through the air, causing all gazes to turn on a nearby alley. A lone beowolf had stood at the entrance, having followed the swift boy back to his friends. It let out a roar in challenge, lowered its body and charged towards the gathering, ready to fulfil an ancient and innate desire.

It didn't make much ground.

The bark of a firearm saw the beast meet its end, a terminal whine emanating from the body tumbling a small distance ahead via the momentum. Already it was starting to flake off and dissipate. Heads turned to the raven-haired boy, his sheath empty and a rifle held in his hands, tiny wisps of smoke and dust residue flowing from the muzzle. With the flick of a switch and the sound of metal pieces sliding and rearranging themselves, his weapon turned back into a blade and was sheathed. Then he turned back to his younger brother with a raised eyebrow.

"Like that one," he remarked.

"Yeah, sorry about that," meekly apologised Rolo. His face burned as he looked down in embarrassment. What if someone had been killed because of his negligence? What if a family was broken because he didn't look hard enough? What if-

A sharp flick on his forehead snapped him out of it, literally. He looked up to see his elder brother, a look of slight annoyance on his face. "Rolo, calm down. You're hyperventilating again."

"Well, it's not like you don't."

With a deadpan expression, Lelouch paused for a moment before he retorted, "Touché, but I can control myself. You, on the other hand, need to get ahold of yourself." That observation made Rolo's face flush once more in shame.

'Oh no. He looks so sad!' thought Ruby. She wished she could go over and console him but the conversation seemed private. All she could do was watch and hope for the best.

"Hey," consoled Lelouch, "I don't expect you to perform to the best standards imaginable. All I ask is that you put in your best and trust your allies, like me, our team and the crew to look out for your blindspots. Alright? It's normal to miss out a few."

"Sorry," muttered the younger boy. He continued to look down, unable to make eye contact. His ears were folded so low they were nigh flush to his scalp.

"Remember what I said when I started training you?" asked Lelouch. A silent nod was his brother's response but was enough for him to continue.

"We can't help everyone. We can't save everyone. So we do the next best thing and-"

"-try to save as many as possible," finished Rolo. His brother's little counselling session seemed to work, his previously gloomy mood now gone and replaced by a comforted one.

"You alright now? Feeling better?" asked Lelouch, satisfied that he pulled his brother out of his slump."

Tears leaking from his eyes, Rolo wiped them away and gave a nod. With that, Lelouch let out a comforting grin and ruffled his little brother's hair, much to the latter's annoyance (and amusement), waving off his elder brother's offending limb. Despite his apparent irritation, his mood was visibly better, if his now-perked up ears indicated anything. It was a heartwarming sight for the onlooking 15-year-old.

'Awwww! How cute!' squealed Ruby internally. Suddenly, everything was quiet. She looked around, confused and wondered, 'Why did everyone stop talking? Why's everyone staring at me? Did I do something wrong? Wait. Don't tell me that-'

"I was thinking out loud again wasn't I?" asked Ruby rhetorically. Yang's muffled chuckles behind her confirmed her suspicions and her shoulders slumped in defeat, her head hung in the, according to Ruby, "UTTER HUMILIATION". Oh, the horror! Her social life was over! She shivered under their gazes, feeling naked as a newborn with all the amused attention on her.

Just then, a new pair of chuckles were heard. Looking up, she blushed in embarrassment when she realised it was Rolo and his brother that were laughing, their shoulders shaking in mirth. "My apologies," began Lelouch as he calmed himself, "but that was absolutely adorable. May I know your name, miss?" As he said that, he walked up to her, took her hand and left a light kiss on it, which left her flushed and stuttering, at a loss for words.

Seeing her sister's predicament, Yang was about to step in, both to save her sibling as well as pick up on even more blackmail for later (though she would never admit to the second reason). However, Headmaster Ozpin clearing his throat left her taking every ounce of effort to not jump and yelp in surprise. When did he arrive? She looked behind him and saw the rest of the faculty. When did any of them arrive?! Collecting herself, she peered behind them, only to see the previous debris that blocked the streets now pushed to the side.

'Must've taken a ride' thought Yang.

"As comedic and... youthful as miss Rose's statement was," spoke Ozpin, causing students to silence their chatter, as well as seeing two foreign pupils scramble to stand (much to the displeasure of the medics), "it is heartwarming to see such a brotherly display. It is a pleasure to meet the rest of Mr Lamperouge's team, who represent their school and Kingdom. And please, gentlemen," he said to Gino and Suzaku, "don't risk your wellbeing and treatment just for appearances. No need to stand." With a bow, the two sat back down in the transports, letting the medics do their work.

Moving away from Ruby, who was the subject of Rolo's slight concern at her dazed state, Lelouch replied, "It is a pleasure to meet you, Headmaster." He reached out his hand and gave a firm handshake to Ozpin before he continued. "I must apologise for our ragged appearance. It would have been preferable to meet you at our best. Unfortunately, that obviously is not the case."

Ozpin let a moment of silence hang in the area, analysing the tall boy in front of him. Then he let out a tiny grin and spoke, satisfied with what he saw, "No need to apologise, young man. As nice as it would have been to see your team crisp and clean, this is better. What better way to show cooperation between our homes than having your team aid my students and this city in its defence? I'd argue that this display is better than any meeting in my office and for that, I must thank you on behalf of Vale."

"You don't need to thank us, Headmaster. Thank you for the praise but it is our duty to protect the public from the Grimm, no?" spoke Lelouch. The principal nodded sagely.

"I suppose you are right. But nonetheless, you have our gratitude. I must ask, however, why are you still waiting here? You should be getting checked up." pointed out Ozpin.

"Of course I should. But I must await my liege fir-" the whine of aircraft engines cut short Lelouch's answer. Looking up, everyone saw a gold-trimmed, royal blue shuttle exit the airship and make it way down, It seemed to be a modified bullhead with additional armour plating and a regal finish, with the banner of Britannia proudly flying on an antenna. It was a government ship.

"Please excuse me and my team, Headmaster, but duty calls." Saying his piece, Lelouch strode with purpose towards the flare he dropped, flanked by his teammates, who likewise responded when they saw the incoming shuttle. With a fluidity that screamed hours of practice and high chemistry, they lined up on either side. Rolo stood with his brother and Suzaku with Gino. To Ruby, not only was this a chance to see more BUT she also noticed them taking their weapons. 'Could it be?' she gasped internally, 'that I'll get to see their weapons? THE BABIES?!' She giggled darkly at the thought, one that took a bop to the head from Yang to snap out of.

Just then, the whine of engines could be heard as the vessel landed on the street. However, what was more eye-catching were the, in Nora's words, "GIANT FREAKING ROBOTS" that escorted the shuttle on its descent before ascending to the airship above. Ruby could only drool and mutter about the things she would do to one of those. She would've continued, too, if not for Yang bopping her AGAIN.

Meanwhile, the boys stood at parade rest as the ship landed between them. With a hydraulic hiss, the bay doors lowered and a resounding *clomp clomp clomp* of boots announced the diplomat's security detail, emerging from the surprisingly well-lit hold. Marching out of the mist were half a dozen soldiers in black armour, though their right shoulder was trimmed with gold. In lockstep, they moved forward, their rifles held tightly to their bodies as they silently secured the area for their liege, bayonets affixed and glinting in the sun. Behind them came a man, roughly 5'9". He had rose gold hair and was dressed in a blue-green, double-breasted uniform. He had a pistol strapped to his side and held a tablet in his hands.

Stopping in the middle of the lane the four boys had created, lengthened by the soldiers that stood at attention after them, he took a deep breath and spoke.

"Announcing the arrival of His Highness, Prime Minister and Second Prince of Britannia, Schneizel el Britannia!" he blared out. Stepping aside, he let his lord walk down the ramp and past him, coming into the public's view. Whilst this happened, the four boys knelt in synch, their right knee on the ground along with their left fist while the right forearm was crossed over the chest. Or in the case of the swordsmen, their blades were drawn and tips placed on the asphalt, their left hands gripping the hilts of their upright weapons.

He was tall, about 6'7", had blonde hair and a pair of cold, violet eyes, which were dotted by scaly growths under them. He was dressed in a purple, double-breasted blazer and an open, flowing, white overcoat with black lining, a high collar, a maroon inside as well as golden trim, epaulettes and split tails. He had a white cravat and gloves on, along with a white belt and white pants. On his belt, there hung what seemed to be a white and gold sceptre, with four blue, gold-trimmed, spiked prongs with a crystalline centrepiece barely poking out from his right hip. More notably, his left forearm looked slightly bulkier, with two silver rings on his left-hand connected to thin cords leading up his sleeve.

Further behind him, another six identical soldiers marched down behind him. They marched as one to the end of the lane, where Ozpin and his entourage stood, curious Beacon students and Atlas personnel peeking from further back. Just then, the sound of reporters and news teams buzzing around on-site came into their awareness. 'They must have given the all-clear' thought Jaune as he watched the exchange unfold.

"Headmaster Ozpin," greeted Schneizel with a handshake, "I must apologise for our delayed arrival and the circumstances of our meeting. A Grimm horde popped up in one of the shared islands and since we were there, we had to quell it."

Ozpin shook his head with some mirth. "No need to apologise, Your Highness. Your trainee huntsmen team has already done so. And I must say, they have impressed me with this defence. Something tells me that this will be the start of a fruitful relationship with your kingdom." he said with hidden anticipation in his voice. Meanwhile, the soft clicks of camera shutters and the reports of eager journalists flooded the background. Some even sought to interview the dignitaries but a line formed by the atlesians quickly halted any advances.

Schneizel could only nod his head, ignoring the news teams. "Please, Mr el Britannia is fine. Nonetheless, thank you, headmaster. And I do agree with your hopes for our kingdoms. I'm sure we will prosper together. But first, business. I understand that young Rolo has already delivered the treaty ahead of us, correct?"

"Yes, he did. A well-mannered boy I must say too," replied Ozpin.

"Well, that's good to hear. Also," he turned to the four kneeling boys, "at ease gentlemen." In unison, they stood up and returned to parade rest. Satisfied, he continued.

"Anyway, we need only officiate the treaty by signing it. Also, I have brought with me the other trade agreements between us for signing." spoke the Prime Minister.

"Besides that, I think Beacon would be delighted to indulge in some of our more academic imports. Like our native Grimm, captured for your researching leisure." A perked and excited "HO HO!" could be heard from the back followed by a hushed "Quiet!", an oddly soft *SMACK* and a dejected "Sorry." Ignoring the reactions of Ozpin's entourage, Schneizel carried on.

"Furthermore, we've brought some books on Britannian history as well as our own combat simulator. I hope that your staff and students will find them useful and fruitful in future studies. Think of them as tokens of our newly formed relationship, which I hope will last."

The mention of books had Dr Oobleck, who had been previously comforting an embarrassed Port, snap to attention, standing ramrod straight, while the combat simulator took Glynda's attention away from the Grimm studies professor, who she had been in the middle of disciplining.

"There is one more matter that needs to be addressed," mentioned Ozpin. With a quirked eyebrow, the prince motioned for him to continue. Inhaling deeply from his nose, he said, "We need to travel inland to the political centre in the city of Dell. I appreciate your arrival here but I'm afraid you will need to travel a bit more before we can officially instate this agreement of Kingdoms. I hope it is no trouble for you."

Schneizel's lips quirked up in amusement before he replied. "It is no problem headmaster. I doubt the Pinafore is suitable for Beacon's bullhead docks. Sad as it may be, our tour of the academy will have to wait. That said, what better way to announce a new age of peace and cooperation than having your people look up and see Britannia's ships gliding among the clouds alongside your Valian fleet?"

"Given the fact that most of the airships at Dell are of the Atlesian fleet, Prime Minister, alongside the fact that many still carry doubts and prejudices against your home, it may not be the best way," replied Ozpin. It was troubling enough to have Atlas ships causing worry, but adding in Britannians?

It would've been easier to skin an Ursa.

Unfortunately, there was not much of a way around it, the council and relevant figures needing to be completely present and all. As if sensing his doubts, Schneizel sought to assuage them.

"I'm sure General Ironwood will be reasonable. With enough communication and demonstrations of goodwill, I can guarantee that the public will have a change of heart, even down to the most vehemently prejudiced. Even then, this just means we have to prove ourselves further, no?" replied the prince.

Thinking pensively, Ozpin decided that both for the sake of peace and the fight against HER that he would seek cooperation between the two militant Kingdoms. Just then, Schneizel speaking broke him away from his thoughts.

"With all that said and done, would you and your staff like to tour the Pinafore? It will be rudimentary, given that the official tour is a week from now but I'm sure the captain and my father wouldn't mind if for the sake of establishing relations. She's not the largest in the fleet but she is a glimpse of what's to come. We can ferry you to Dell and back too if you would like that."

Just as he was about to respond, a high-pitched squeal tore through the air, its screeching so piercing to the ear that even the atlas troops, in all their protective armour, cringed and winced in pain.

"-EEEEEEEEEEEEEE! ME ME ME ME ME ME! I WANNA GOOOOOoooooo… Sorry." Ruby's comically excited outburst and her sheepish ending, with a slowed and embarrassed lowering of her hand and the noticeable decrease in BOUNCE, left the rest in stitches, her team just barely keeping it together while JNPR let out occasional snorts. As for Team CVFY, Sun and Neptune, they bellowed in laughter, though to their credit they tried their best to suppress it and stifle their giggles.

She suddenly found her feet a lot more interesting, hugging herself in reassurance from the embarrassment and pouting in some attempt to hold back her emotions. Seeing her sister's duress, Yang quickly calmed herself, reached over and gently patted Ruby's head. "There there," she comforted, "it's not that bad. Not as if you're gonna have your rep smeared or whatever."

"B-But normal knees.." muttered Ruby.

"I'm sure you'll get it in time, Rubes! I know you will," reassured Yang. Patting her on the head, she continued. "Don't worry, squirt. Your time will come. You'll have your normal knees in no time!" reassured Yang with her regular gusto.

Taking a step back, Yang was satisfied to see a cheered up Ruby. At the same time, the scythe wielder spoke, with great confidence, "I'm not a squirt! I drink milk!" Yang's only response was to ruffle her younger sister's black mop and smile comfortingly.

Suddenly, her gentle reassuring smile turned devious, her lips threatening to split with just how wide they seemed to spread.

Uh oh.

"Soooooooooo, Ruby. My sweet little sister Ruby. Did I tell you that you're my favouritest sibling in the woooorllld?" began Yang. Her younger sister groaned in dread and grief. Not this again! Whenever Yang used that tone, it's because she wanted to know something. It worked on her then but dang it if it would affect her now! (she would need a cookie to fall for it.)

"I'm not saying anything, Yang. My answer is NO."

"I'll give you a double chocolate cookie for-"

"What do you need to know?!" demanded Ruby, eyes alight with anticipation.

She needed her fix! SHE WANTED HER COOKIE.

With a cocksure smirk, Yang took the advantage. "I distinctly remember you being especially social during the dance last week. With one person in particular. Say for example… cat boy over there?"

"I-i mean W-we. Yes we! We were just umm…" stuttered Ruby.

"My, my. What's this I hear about young Rolo?" asked a deep voice. A shadow covered them and the two turned, faintly aware of the sudden berth their friends gave them. They looked up and saw, of all people, the prime minister himself tower over them!

When did he get there?!

"Oh how rude of me! I've forgotten to introduce myself." He then proceeded to bow as he continued. "Greetings. I'm Schneizel el Britannia. Second prince and prime minister of the Kingdom of Britannia. Who might you two brave young ladies be?"

As he said this, he took Ruby's hand. And much like Lelouch before him, he kissed it.

"R-ruby Rose, your nighmes- I mean your highness!" nervously replied Ruby as she tried (and failed) to curtsy, much to the Britannians' amusement. What was with Britannians and hand-kissing?! Her face burned a tomato red in embarrassment.

"Ooh, Ruby! Two kisses in one day already?" teased Yang. In her flustered daze, the younger daughter of Taiyang did not realise what she said next till it was too late.

"Third one...Rolo too" ground out Ruby.

"Ho ho! At the dance as well? Oh, I can't believe my little sister is such a charmer! What would dad say about this?" teased Yang. While Ruby burned an even deeper red, Lelouch couldn't help but be forcefully reminded of a certain blonde friend of his back home. She even had the 'queen bitch' laugh down.

The resemblance was uncanny.

"And you are, fair maiden?" asked Schneizel. Like with Ruby, he took Yang's hand and placed a kiss on its back. Though unlike her younger sister, she took it in her stride.

"Yang Xiao Long," she replied. While Ruby flushed at such comments, Yang revelled in it, enjoying every minute of the spotlight.

"Xiao Long and Rose. Half-sisters then?" questioned Schneizel. He, like the paladins, has already read their files. Nonetheless, he wanted to form one for himself.

"Yep. Any problem with that?" asked the buxom blonde. While she enjoyed the attention, she was ready to defend her sibling to the end.

"None at all. I have a few of them myself actually. I can tell you're ready to defend her. A commendable trait, one we do not see enough of today, unfortunately."

"O-oh. Thank you. Sorry about that."

"No offence taken. So, Yang Xiao Long? The little dragon of light. I must say, such a name suits a fearsome and fiery beauty like you."

"Oh stop it you!" replied a flattered Yang with a hand on her cheek. She tried to wave him away dismissively (at least as cordially as she could make it), yet she practically basked in the praise and flattery. If all Britannians treated her this way, she would have achieved the princess fantasy all girls had at some point in time.

'I could get used to this,' she sighed internally.

Schneizel smirked. It was always fun to see their reactions to his comments. But alas, his duty to his nation called to him. And it came in the form of the headmaster.

"Your Highness, perhaps it is best we move on to Dell to get the treaty done?" pushed Ozpin. As fun as it was to watch the interactions between his students and the dignitary, peace, like it's estranged cousin time, waited for no man.

"Of course headmaster, my apologies." Turning back to Yang, the 2nd prince said his parting words. "I assure you, miss Xiao Long. Comments of such nature will be the norm for you, that I'm certain of. Nonetheless, I wish you and your compatriots the best. Good day." Having said his piece, he began to walk back to the bullhead's ramp, hands clasped behind his back. Stopping just short of it, he turned to his right, where the jet black paladin stood.

"Lelouch Lamperouge."

A sharp click of the heels and a bark of "Your Highness!" came in response.

"Good work on the defensive here. You've done well to make a good impression. Keep it up."

"Thank you, your Highness!"

"After the treaty is signed, perhaps we'll have time to converse. We must speak about your mother. And for Oum's sake, get yourself cleaned up man!"

"Yes, my lord!"

"Excellent. If that would be all, gentlemen, you are free to mingle, make friends and get used to the new environment for the Vytal Festival. Your bags will be sent to Beacon for your collection and I wish you all the best in the tournament. Good day to you." With that, he retreated into the shuttle, followed by his aide, his guards and Ozpin, along with Glynda and Dr Oobleck. Meanwhile, the atlesians, deeming the situation suitable for journalists, let the news teams through. They surged towards the shuttle, hoping to get a comment or opinion from the present authority figures on the morning's events for their next big scoop. But alas, to no avail. They were too slow.

With a hiss, the ramp closed and the aircraft lifted off, ascending to the airship for the flight inland. Meanwhile, a medic finally managed to get ahold of Lelouch and his injured teammates and guide them to a nearby troop carrier for treatment. As the Beacon students watched the airship lazily cruise into the distance, over Beacon tower, their attention was drawn away with a loud yawn.

Turning to the source, they were greeted with the sight of Rolo, doing surprisingly flexible stretches with the now spent flare in his hand. Realising the attention on him, he put his arms down. An awkward silence persisted between the students, only broken by a meek suggestion from Ruby following a loud belly growl.

"You guys wanna get something to eat?"

That single utterance drew the attention of awestruck journalists, who up until then were staring at the Pinafore make its way inland. And so, they descended like a committee of vultures upon the poor trainee huntsmen. As they closed in on them, Jaune managed to aptly convey pretty much everyone's thoughts in two words.

"Oh crapbaskets."

I should point out a few things right now. Britannia is the dragon continent that RT seems to never use. Visualisation is always an issue when it comes to fics so I hope my descriptions were sufficient. For those that were rudimentary, I plan to elaborate in further chapters. That said, I encourage your imagination to fill in the gaps that I can't since everyone's visualisation tends to be unique.

Charles will be a decent dad in this fic and I'm downsizing the royal family as well as shrinking the age gaps a bit. You can probably guess who I'm keeping in the family.

I'll try to inject a bit of culture in Britannia and most of them will be based on (or at least attempt to resemble) major European cultures (eg Scottish, German, French etc). Also, original Grimm ideas, rejoice.

Lastly, if it's not too much trouble, I need your help. The team acronym is LRSG (not in that order save for 'L', which must come first from what I recall) but I'm having trouble coming up with a name for them. I did not realise how difficult naming could be and now have a newfound appreciation for it. Put your suggestions into the reviews!

On that same note, what should Lelouch's semblance be called? I've set up a poll in my profile for you to vote in.

With not much else, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter and until next time, stay safe and enjoy yourselves. All the best in whatever you do!