Feeling a little better today. Yesterday was rough in a tired and detached kind of way, shock probably, or just that miserable feeling where you stop every now and then, get lost in thought, snap out and realise two hours has passed. It's rough. I've had family die before, but they've always been old or unexpected, and it just happened, and you deal. This is the first time I've ever had to actually be on call or interact with someone literally dying, and it's horrifying.

I know it must feel better for them, and that's why I'd do it a hundred times over if I could, but damn, it's hard. Or maybe it was just so much worse because it wasn't a peaceful passing, but you can hear them choking on the very air they're tyring to breathe. Okay. Morbid. Let's just write.

Cover Art: Z-ComiX

Chapter 61

It was decided that Merlot would escort her as he was her mentor and unofficial guardian outside the walls, or so the Azure Arcanist reluctantly found himself thrust into the role of. "Really," he huffed, "I finally have a proper specimen to research, and they call me out for this? Anyone could have filled this role. What a waste of my precious time."

He hadn't been her first choice either, but Glynda had made it clear she wouldn't be going out alone no matter how much she promised to be on her best behaviour. The rules were not to be broken, the white would not falter, etcetera, etcetera. Ruby just wished she could have found, cornered and maybe strangled Jaune before this, or at least asked about his mother. Instead, she was left to pick at her white robes and wonder if they weren't too plain for meeting with someone who was apparently one of the most powerful women in Vale.

"Do they really think satisfying the demands of the nobility more important than understanding how Grimm are made? The secrets I could uncover might serve the Collegium for millennia, but no, we have to scramble the moment a noble summons one of our own. Pathetic."

"Aren't you a noble as well?"

"I am an Azure Arcanist before anything else. Much of my fortune has been invested in my work and I really could not care less about name or lineage. What does it matter? No one will remember us once we are gone, but the works we leave behind can last generations."

"Do you know anything about the Arc family?" she asked.

"Honour thy Duty." Merlot said imperiously. "Their house motto. All houses have them, though most are just fancy words and little more. Mine was `With Sword in Hand` and there hadn't been a knight or soldier in our family for the last two hundred years. It's all nonsense, really, but the Arc family is one of the few who actually perform enough to warrant theirs."

"Their line is almost always impressive," he went on. "Diplomats, Knights, Generals, Stewards, no matter what profession their members take, they always excel. It's not even talent or anything else, really. I've heard people say they'll `work like an Arc` as a way of expressing effort. That's not without good reason. Honour thy Duty." He snorted. "Might as well be Obsessed with Duty."

Hard workers didn't sound so bad, but it might not just be that. Malneux was a hard worker as well and he was a prick. "What are they like? Are they arrogant?"

"Arrogant in action more than intent. You needn't worry; it's more that they do better than you in everything you ever try, and some people take that as arrogance. To an Arc, however, it's merely their duty. I've heard they can come off standoffish or strict. Keep an eye out for that. And for the love of the Azure, be polite. I needn't tell you how powerful this woman is."

"Yeah." Ruby swallowed. "So, if they're amazing at everything, are there any Arc Arcanists?"

"No. Not amazing at everything, it seems, for I don't think the family has ever been registered as having the spark. Not that it's stopped them any." He lowered his voice, nodding ahead. "Here we are. The Arc family home."

The mansion, for there was no other way to describe it, was a beautiful white stone creation with pillars and windows jutting out of the walls along its length. Green vines blossoming flowers in shades of pink and purple dotted one side of it, while two royal blue pennants fluttered down on either side of a large, ornate entranceway leading to a white pebble path and open gates.

A solid wall of hedges hiding iron spikes surrounded the rolling gardens, within which Ruby could see an orchard in bloom, numerous flower patches and even what appeared to be a small riding area toward the back. Three horses were out with riders, jumping over brightly coloured obstacles. Nearby, a wooden set of stables was attended by numerous stable hands, while gardeners knelt by flowerbeds, tending to the displays.

As Ruby and Merlot crunched their way up the path and toward the main building, two guards bowed their heads. They wore bright steel armour encrusted with a bronze pattern of the twin moons sigil of the Arc household. Jaune's family had their own personal guards, maybe even a small retinue or army.

At the main building itself, a tall woman waited in the entranceway, standing at the top of a marble set of steps leading up and inside. She had long, flowing blonde hair that fell down behind her, two braids brought forward and resting on her shoulders, golden earrings and a beautiful green and white dress with pleated bands across her abdomen, giving a strange cross of a dress uniform top half and a flowing skirt for the bottom. Ruby wasn't sure if it worked or not, but she stared at them so fiercely and so powerfully that she wouldn't have dared question it.

Merlot swept a bow. "Lady Juniper Arc. As you have summoned, so have we-"

"Let us skip the pleasantries, Lord Arcanist. Is this Lady Ruby Rose? A pleasure to meet you at last. Please, enter." The woman stepped back with one foot, gesturing Ruby inside. "Lord Arcanist, I am sure you would be content to break your fast in the gardens, no?"

Merlot stood straight again. "Actually, I am required to watch the Initiate."

Juniper Arc, for who else could it be, raised her head. "Is my character in question, Lord Arcanist?"

"Not at all, Lady Arc. Quite the opposite. I am required to watch the Initiate in case she-"

"Is my son's choice of companions in question? I will be perfectly safe and have my own way of defending myself. Lady Rose would not attempt to leave and could not if she tried. I know it will be the White who has placed this task upon you, Lord Arcanist, and you may instruct them to entreat with me if they have issue. I did not request Lady Rose's presence for our conversation to be monitored, however. I will have privacy, one way or another."

Glynda wouldn't be happy, that much was for sure. Merlot looked between her and Lady Juniper Arc before eventually sighing and shaking his head. With one final warning look her way, he turned and strolled toward the garden, followed by a servant of the Arc House.

A hand came to rest on her shoulder and turned her away. "Come," Juniper Arc said. "We have much to speak on."

The woman steered her into the house, over a wooden floor so varnished she could see her reflection in it, away from the huge staircase and into a smaller room set with numerous comfortable looking chairs and a fireplace that was for now empty. Juniper pushed her down into one of the chairs, and no sooner was she sat than was there a servant offering her an iced goblet of orange juice. The older woman accepted one herself and sipped at it gently before speaking again.

"I hear you are from Menagerie. A tragedy what happened to your people and your family. My son has mentioned your name in passing in his letters, what little he remembers to send, but I have my own means of keeping eyes on him and those he spends his time with. Including those he invites to spend his time with, be it in his room or at a formal event."

Sun? It was the first name to come to mind and she didn't dare ask, but he was the only person Ruby could think of that would be close enough to Jaune to know he'd invited her to the ball.

"I think there's been a misunderstanding!" Ruby squeaked.

"Is that so?" Juniper fixed her with icy blue eyes. "I hope so as well. Forgive me if I come across blunt, but I personally believe that is the best way to handle things, so I shall say it loud and clear." Her lips thinned. "I do not trust my son's heart to an Arcanist, let alone one who wears your colours."

Oh. Oh wow. Ruby looked down and swallowed, unable to meet the older woman's eyes. That… It wasn't a complete accusation or insult, but it was as close as you could politely get to a `stay away from my son` as she'd ever heard.

"I hope that makes my stance clear."

"I… um… yeah, I guess. Me and Jaune aren't together, though. We're friends."

"Friends…?" Juniper's raised eyebrow suggested she didn't believe it. "If that's all you say you are then very well, but I will make it clear now that as Matriarch of the Arc House, I have the final say on any arrangements. That includes marriage arrangements involving my son, and I shall refuse any that come from the Collegium."

"We're not getting married!"

"You're not."

"No, no, no! It's not like that."

"Listen here-"

"No, you listen!" Ruby snapped. The nearby servant gasped in horror, and while Juniper Arc didn't show any anger, her eyebrows did raise in clear surprise. Ruby pushed on regardless. "We're not interested in each other like that. Jaune is my friend – one of my best friends – and he's helping me out with some bullies by asking me to the ball. He only did it to get help me! There's no romance or marriage involved, so stop saying it!"

Finishing with a huff, she sat back in the chair and snatched up the goblet of juice, downing it in one go and washing away the frustration. Nobles were so stupid! Why couldn't they just listen? It took a few more seconds for her to remember she was in a noble's home, surrounded by their guards and without Merlot to help her.

"Um. I meant that more politely than it came out."

"Did you now…?" Juniper didn't snort, that would have been too unladylike, but she did cover her mouth with a white gloved hand and chuckle. "Never in all my years has someone given me quite such a telling off."

"You wouldn't listen!"

"Don't whine," the woman chided, but it had a little more warmth to it, or lacked the arctic bite her words had before. "Friends, though? Is that so? Rather unusual for Jaune to have made friends among the ranks of the Arcanists."

"Is that because he's a Huntsman?"

"He has told you that as well, has he? You're an Initiate still, so you wouldn't know otherwise. Interesting." Juniper looked at her anew, considering. "And you have no problem with what he is?"

The strange absence of magic that coursed through him, she supposed. The same one that most Arcanists felt afraid of whenever they entered the Sanctum. Neither bothered her, though Cinder had made it clear that being stuck inside long term was agonising. In short doses, though, she had no problem, and Jaune was even a solution to her bouts of lost control.

"It doesn't bother me. I don't care if he can't use magic."

"It's a little more than that…" Juniper trailed off, shaking her head and placing her goblet down. "Your interest in him goes no further than friendship, then? Is that how I am to understand this?"

"Jaune thought I was a boy the first time he met me…"

For the first time, the woman across from her laughed. It was a sudden burst of peals of laughter that had the servants relaxing and the guards untensing. "He did!? Oh Jaune, you silly boy. His sisters will love to hear of that one. How, may I ask? You're quite womanly despite being so petite."

"I was really thin back then and these weren't so big. I had a flat chest."

"Ah. The journey from Menagerie must have been long and arduous." It was easier to say nothing than to agree, that way she could tell herself she hadn't lied.

"We've been friends since. Me, him, Sun and Weiss."

"And this invite to the ball?" she prompted. Ruby explained the bet and Jaune saving her at the last, and it looked like Juniper was content with it, shaking her head but smiling all the same. "Ever the gentleman. He really was a polite young boy, just like his father."

Ruby perked up. "Nicholas?"

Juniper's head snapped back to face her. "How do you know that name!?"

"I… uh… Jaune's dad?"

"Answer the question!"

"I met him. I-I met him in the Sanctum." When Juniper looked no less likely to call for her head, Ruby blurted out, "I got punished for being out after dark and they had me work in the Sanctum for a few days, but I liked it there and he was working the desk and friendly and we got to talking. I only found out he was Jaune's dad recently, though."

It must have been too quick because Juniper held up a hand. "Slower. You say you liked being in the Sanctum? I was under the impression most Arcanists are terrified of it."

"More terrified of being sent there," Ruby lied. She didn't want to draw attention to her differences. "But working there was fine. I volunteer a bit, too."

"And Nicholas…" Juniper licked her lips. "He interacted with you…?"

"Not at first. Or, well, he did, but only to give me the sash and take my name down, but something else went wrong and people thought I'd gone outside the walls because they lost track of me when I was volunteering. Nicholas was the one the Grand Arcanist called up to prove I was in the Sanctum and hadn't run away. Honestly, that's the first time I learned his name."

"How… How is he…?"

Juniper looked worn and afraid, fearful of the answers. Ruby wished she could tell her Nicholas was okay. "He's… not all there. He keeps forgetting things and even repeats the same things to me. He…" Ruby trailed off when she noticed the woman's pained expression. "Yeah. It's not good. Is… Is something wrong with him…?"

"Isn't that obvious!?" Juniper snapped. "I'm sorry," she added immediately after. "That was uncalled for. He was – is my husband and I… I wish there was more that I could do. He…" Her eyes closed and her teeth clenched together. "He should be here. He should be resting here, surrounded by family, whether that leads to good or ill. Not locked into his duty even after his mind has failed him."

Ruby couldn't disagree. The man was sick and needed help. "Why isn't he here?"

"Because your Arcana knows best," Juniper spat.

"My-?" Ruby looked down and scowled. "I'm not really of the White. I was forced to join when they ruined the Azure Arcana, and then Lady Goodwitch basically recruited me, and I didn't have a real choice. I… I hate them." Ruby tensed even as she admitted, afraid she might have made a grave mistake. "I hate the White Arcana…"

Juniper was watching her cautiously. "Is that so…?"

"Yes. I hate them. I can't stand them!"

"What have they done to earn such enmity from you, Ruby Rose?"

What hadn't they done? Ruby launched into a tirade about the Azure, about the Archives, about the party from Menagerie that had been murdered by a White Arcanist for no other crime than doing what they had to in order to survive. She spoke of Adam, how he helped them and surrendered and how the White brutally took him down.

"They act like they know best about everything and everyone else is too stupid to do what needs to be done!" she ranted. "They're arrogant, stuck up, mean and they don't care what anyone else thinks!"

Juniper Arc shushed her suddenly. Without a word, she made a gesture over her head. The servants and guards nodded, leaving the room and closing the doors behind them, leaving them truly alone for the first time since her arrival.

"Your words are dangerous, Ruby, perhaps even treasonous, but I will not lie and say I do not like them. The White has overstepped. There are many among the noble families who believe it so, though we dare not say it openly. Their goals may be noble, but it seems to us now that they care less about protecting the city from crimes caused by Arcanists, and more for hiding evidence of those crimes."

"On the surface, both seem similar," she continued. "Less crimes reported may be argued to be less crimes committed. Alas, that is not the case. It isn't just culpability, either. It has begun to feel like the White is spending less time keeping the Collegium in line, and more time keeping us in line. Not just the noble families, but the commoners too. They are setting themselves up as the power that rules the Kingdom, perhaps without even realising it. In their eyes, the best way to maintain stability is to control everything." Juniper leaned forward. "And I do mean everything. Ideally, they'd like to have control of every possible variable."

"How do you know all this?"

"Because I have experienced it. I have lived it." Juniper leaned back, eyes closed and fingers drumming on her legs. "Because my family is torn apart due to it, and I have not seen my husband in four years. They will not let me see him. They claim he is undergoing treatment, that they are helping him, that my appearance might cause him problems."

He was working in the Sanctum. As far as she could tell, the White weren't doing anything to help him, but then how was this person supposed to prove that? The White would just say she was lying.

"I… I don't know what to say…"

"Say nothing. Although… my son. No." Juniper shook her head. "It's best you not involve yourself in things that cannot be changed. My son shares the same illness as my husband and will share the same fate in time. It is not just my dislike of Arcanists that has made me reject every marriage suit for his hand. I would not want someone to go through what I have. Thank you for coming today, Ruby. You have helped me in more ways than you know. I ask that you continue to be a friend to my son for as long as he needs it."

"O-Of course. Jaune's my friend."

"Thank you."

"Is there a way I can help him?" she asked desperately. "If he's going to forget and turn out like his father, isn't there some way to stop it? There has to be!"

"The Collegium says there is not, and who am I to accuse them of lies?"

/-/

"Lord Merlot tells me you parted with him at the Arc home." Glynda may have said it as though it were only a rumour, but she knew better, and to think the woman was as calm about it as she implied.

"Lady Arc wouldn't speak with Merlot there."

"It is not your position to decide what is acceptable and not, Initiate."

"And I didn't. Juniper told him to go and Merlot did. I didn't get a say in the matter!"

"Lord Merlot," Glynda corrected. "And Lady Juniper. If it is as you say then I shall leave it be, but in future you should have left with Merlot. When you became an Arcanist, you set aside all other titles you held and the trappings that came with them. Though we allowed you to answer the Arc's summons, you are not bound to. You are an Arcanist first and a citizen of Vale second."

Them against the city. Glynda might not have meant it to sound that way, but it was how it came out. Except the city isn't fighting us. They don't even care about the Arcanists. It's just the White being paranoid.

"I'll do better next time, Lady Goodwitch."

"Will you? Well, I appreciate the words, but actions will speak louder. Either way, what did the Arc Matriarch wish with you? What did she say?"

"Isn't that private?"

"This was a summons between the Arc family and the White Arcana. I am an involved party, Initiate, especially when I bent the rules to allow you and Lord Merlot to go visit the Arc home. Now, what was it she wanted with you?"

"She… She thought I wanted to marry her son."

Glynda frowned. "That's all? A marriage meet? I find that unlikely."

"It wasn't much of a meeting. She basically told me in advance that no matter what I say or do or try, she won't let me marry him. She also said she wouldn't let any Arcanist marry him and would step in to reject any that were proposed." Ruby laughed awkwardly and averted her eyes. "That was pretty much it. She hated me."

Glynda Goodwitch hummed for a long moment, watching her and looking for lies. Perhaps someone raised as a noble might have some tells, but for a girl who had learned to lie and beg for scraps from a young age, her face was the picture of innocence.

"I see. That's fine then." Glynda huffed and settled the papers on her desk. "You shouldn't take it personally. While some families enjoy having Arcanist blood among them, others do not. There is fame and reputation to be had in a successful Arcanist, but the rules that prevent us taking positions of office and authority in the city are a great drawback."

"Yeah," Ruby lied. "That must be it."

"From what you said before I was led to understand your relationship with him was platonic only."

"It is. I think she got the wrong idea from rumours."

"Likely so. Or perhaps your rival knew it would cause this reaction and let the news filter back. Either way, I take it this won't interfere with your studies?"

"Nope. Jaune and I are friends."

"Very well. You are dismissed then. Do try to stay out of trouble this time."

/-/

Nicholas Arc wasn't on the front entrance of the Sanctum for once, which was a shame since she'd come specifically for the chance to try and talk to him. It was a different man instead, also white of hair and incredibly passive in letting her in and granting her a purple sash. When she asked if Nicholas was around, he stared back at her blankly until she ducked her head and went deeper into the Sanctum.

It didn't take her long to find Adam and Cinder. The two, as the only living Wildmages in the Sanctum, were often together, and in this case had taken a small table by a barred window to play a game that involved flipping a coin into an empty pewter mug. They paused on seeing her, Cinder looking positively relieved as she made room.

Ruby wasted no time filling them in. "I was summoned to meet the Arc family today!"

They listened to her recount the meeting and what Juniper had said before Cinder said, "At least one family raises a fuss when their child is taken away from them. If only I'd been born there instead of to the Malneux."

"Not much of one," Adam countered. "They still let their son and heir be taken away. Speaking of, how does she intend for him to be heir if she's going to refuse every marriage? Is she trying to make the family collapse? I don't understand all this noble business."

"It may be a form of rebellion," Cinder said. "Or she could simply want him to marry outside the Collegium. If he's the family heir, then doing so might require him to travel. Maybe she wants him out the Collegium so she can prevent him going back."

Why didn't she just ask him to leave then? It wasn't like Jaune was a prisoner. He'd been outside the walls before, not only to escort her but also to look for her Wildmage disguise in the slums. All the Collegium Guards could come and go as they wished.

"Perhaps he feels he cannot," Cinder said when she brought it up. "Lady Arc spoke of this illness, this malady. If the Collegium has told him they are working on a cure, then he may feel he cannot leave."

"And do you think they are?" Adam asked. "It would be just like them to dangle it in front of your face and fail to deliver. There has to be benefits to having the scion of a powerful house under your sway, even before he's a Huntsman."

"That's what I thought. Nicholas' letter said I needed to save him."

"Don't you have enough tasks already? Impose more on yourself and you'll be stretched thin."

"These are one and the same," she argued. "The White are the ones behind the Sanctum, and behind Jaune's problems as well. At least that's what his mother thinks. It can't be normal to keep her away from her husband like this."

"Not unless they have something to hide," Cinder agreed. "Very well. We can try interacting with this Nicholas if we find him. You, however, should focus on trying to graduate into a White Arcanist. Whatever answers you may believe yourself capable of finding now will be a hundred times easier with a gemstone."

About all I managed today. Hoping to get back into the swing of things tomorrow.

Next Chapter: 18th October

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur