Crimson

Chapter 2

By

Grevin Hades

Who was this…girl? Woman? Person? Why was she staring at him in such a way that he could feel pressure on his very being…and why was she calling him "cutie"? Jaune swallowed the lump in his throat and mentally cursed his inability to really talk to women…despite his family being mostly female he just never saw that many girls who would tolerate his shy nature.

"U-um…I'm sorry, did you say I'm not going anywhere?"

The woman in the black and red dress gave him a small smile before taking three steps into the room, her heeled shoes clacking softly on the stone floor. Her silver eyes seemed to shine with mirth as she bit her bottom lip ever so slightly. "That's right. This kind of storm comes about once in a great while but when it does, it is best to stay indoors until it passes, lest you be blown or washed away."

Jaune let out an internal sigh as he reached up and lightly rubbed the back of his neck. "O-oh, I see…well, I don't wish to be a bother but if the storm is as bad as you say…"

The petite woman waved her hand off and shook her head. "It's no trouble, you will, ahem, are welcome to stay as long as required. As I'm sure you can see, we have lots of room in this manor."

"Are you certain it is no trouble? I can earn my keep if need be."

She took a slow inhale with her nose closing her eyes as she did so, a smile coming to her lips, before opening them once again and motioning to the hallway behind her. "I'm certain you will my handsome young man, but for now you must be hungry from your travels…Please, come with me."

"So, just how bad do these storms get around here?"

She glanced at him over her shoulder then motioned to a nearby window where he could see outside and indeed, there was a heavy torrent of rain coming down that showed no sign of stopping. Making matters worse, the wind was whipping harshly causing the droplets of water to nearly fly horizontally by the glass. "Very bad. If not for the strong foundation of this building I have no doubt it would have blown away by now."

"I see…in that case I'm very much in your debt. Thank you for your kindness…though…um, not to be rude but while you now know my name, I'm afraid I still do not know yours."

She stopped dead in her tracks and spun to look at him only giving him little time to react before running into her. She leaned in a bit, her silver eyes locked onto his causing him to lean back a bit. "Hmmm? I didn't, how rude of me. My name is Rubinya Consuela Julietta Roselia The Third…but please just call me Ruby Rose."

She was close…she was leaning in, her eyes bright with mirth…and she smelled good. He could feel his cheeks beginning to head up and he quickly took a step back. "Eh-heh-heh-heh…Well, it's nice to meet you Miss Ruby Rose. Thank you again for letting me stay here."

Ruby smirked and gave a small wink. "You're welcome. It isn't often we get visitors after all."

Not wishing to be rude he fell into step behind her. "So…you said "We" earlier…who else lives here?"

She reached out and lightly ran her fingers along the wall as she walked, her crimson nail polish glinting in the candlelight. "Oh, not many, just me and my brood. We've been friends for a long time and decided to help take care of one another. You'll meet them all in time I'm sure. Now come along, I will see if we can get some hot food in you."

Not giving him a chance to respond she turned on her heels and continue to lead him deeper into the manner. They passed the main entryway which he had passed through earlier and now he found himself passing a large staircase that led to what appeared to be a large upstairs. The floor was covered in a red carpet that seemed to glow under the shadows casted by the candles in the hallway. Soon though, something else caught his attention. It was bread…he smelled fresh bread. He would know that smell anywhere. Years of helping his family prepare it made him able to recognize it without issue.

Ruby continued to walk ahead of him. "Already salivating at the smell of fresh bread eh?"

He quickly checked his chin finding no drool there. "W-well, I did some cooking at home on the farm and helped make the baked goods often. Smelling it here brought back some pleasant memories for a second."

"So do you work with your hands often?"

"Well…I suppose you could say that. I never gave it much thought. I'm always helping my family with the daily chores whether it be work in the fields, taking care of the animals or helping with the prep for market."

"That kind of work will build up your muscles and endurance quickly, I love strong strapping young men…It looks like the hard work is already showing on you cutie."

Jaune felt his cheeks warm again. Why does she keep calling him that? He supposed he was a bit handsome but was by no means a lady killer. The thoughts continued to rattle around in his mind as they entered a large kitchen space where it easily could fit ten people. Across the way against the far wall was a large wood burn stove and a pantry his mother would kill for. There were vegetables, spices, fruits and meats of all kinds. It looked amazing. On the stove was a large pot boiling that had steam rising from inside filling the room with an amazing smell. Standing in front of the stove was another girl, this one also dressed in a maid uniform but she had on an apron as well. She was thin and tall, but her most discernable feature was her long red mane that was done up in a ponytail that hung down to her lower back.

Ruby grinned and lightly clapped her hands twice catching the attention of the girl making her turn to face the newcomers. Jaune nearly stumbled, if she looked cute from the back, the when she faced him, he saw true beauty. Her face was soft, her lips full but her eyes, her eyes were the most captivating green he had ever seen.

Ruby continued into the room. "Pyrrha, how are you? Better yet, how is the food? We have a guest who needs something to eat. A Mr. Jaune Arc."

Jaune smiled sheepishly as the womans bright gaze shifted to him. He lightly rubbed the back of his neck and sheepishly looked to the side. "Uh…well, just Jaune is fine. It's nice to meet you Miss…?"

She smiled warmly and gave a small bow "Pyrrha Nikos sir. It's a pleasure to meet you." She stepped forward moving close enough to make him take a small step back. "I'm a servant here in the Manor and I'll be happy to serve you. If you need anything just let me know and I'll attend to your, every, need."

Jaune could feel the tension in the room grow as well as a lump in his throat as he took a small step back. "Oh…um…well, if it isn't too much trouble I am a bit hungry…and I thought I smelled fresh bread earlier, does there happen to be any?" She smells faintly of flowers…

Pyrrha smiled and nodded. "Of course, please have a seat, and I hope you don't mind but you look like you need more than just pure bread to be satisfied. So, how would you like some fresh stew that I've been preparing?"

He nodded eagerly, his stomach already rumbling. "T-that would be wonderful actually. Are you certain it's no trouble? Perhaps I can help clean up to help earn my keep?"

Pyrrha smirked and turned away moving to the stove to gather the items she needed. "Perhaps…a strapping young man like yourself would be most useful here."

Ruby smiled and placed a soft hand on Juanes back gently pushing him towards the large table. "Go, sit, Pyrrha will take care of your needs for the time being. I am going to inform Blake that we will be needing the guest room prepared for tonight."

With that Ruby turned while running her fingers up his arm and quietly exited the room, the sound of her footsteps clacking on the stone floor oddly quiet unlike before. However, before he could give it much thought a bowl of steaming stew and freshly buttered bread was slid down in front of him. "Here you go sir-I mean Jaune."

Before him was what he could only describe as an amazing dish. The broth smelled delicious, the potatoes full and thick, the carrots healthy and full of flavor. The onion in it looked delicious and the beef looked to be very tender. He had to swallow to keep himself from drooling. Pyrrha giggled and covered her mouth with her fingers, her eyes smiling. "The look on your face makes it look like I've placed a feast in front of you."

Jaune felt his cheeks redden but he shook his head. "N-no, it's just that I've never seen such good-looking stew before. We aren't exactly wealthy so many of our ingredients aren't as fresh or as healthy as these. All our good ingredients go to the product being sold at market. This…this looks amazing. Thank you."

Pyrrha grinned and slowly sat down at another seat at the table, resting her hands on the flat surface and said nothing as she watched him, her eyes tracing over his face, taking in every little detail she could. Jaune noticed that she was continuing to watch him and after a few minutes he finally had to break the tension and turned to face her a bit. "Um…is…is there something wrong?"

She blinked and sat back a bit a hint of red coming to her cheeks. "Oh, no, I'm sorry. I was just curious. We don't get many visitors here. Especially young men like yourself…"

Jaune paused mid-chew at that glancing over at her noting that her cheeks were becoming a bit redder than before. He finished his bite and swallowed before clearing his throat. "Ahem…well…I can relate to that. It's not every day I get to visit a manor that is the home to several pretty girls, so this is new for me as well." He gave her a small smile.

Pyrrha said nothing for a moment before a new smile appeared on her lips and her eyes seemed to focus on him further. "Y…you think I'm…pretty?"

He looked down at his bowl sheepishly, the tone of her voice making him feel embarrassed. "W-well, yes…I mean your eyes are very nice, and you look cute in that maid outfit, and your hair looks so unique…. not that I'm one to judge a person solely on their looks, I'm sure you're a very nice person as well. Oh…um…look this is embarrassing, please forgive me if I overstepped my bounds."

Pyrrha just gave a small nod as she rose back to her feet, her hands laced together in front of her as she gave a polite bow. "Oh, of course. Please forgive me if I made you uncomfortable."

He quickly shook his head and attempted to go back to eating his food but if he had turned his head a bit more he would have seem the girl turn his back to him with a sick grin forming on her lips, her thumb being brought to her mouth where he bit down on it slightly, a small shiver coming through her. "…he thinks I'm pretty…"

A few minutes later, and several stolen glances at Jaune by Pyrrha, the young man finished his bowl of stew and piece of homemade bread sitting back in his chair with a satisfied sigh. "That was amazing…thank you very much for the meal."

Before the maid could answer there was a loud boom from down the hall from which he had come from and a cold air rushed over him for a moment before the sound of the large door closing and the cold air ceased again.

"WE'RE BACK!"

"WHOSE CART IS IN THE OVERHANG? DO WE HAVE GUESTS?!"

Jaune blinked as he turned and rose to his feet and glanced over at Pyrrha who was still giving him small glances with a shy smile. "Um…should I be concerned?

Pyrrha shook her head. "Oh, not at all. That is just Nora and Yang coming back from their…supply run."

As he watched the hallway from which he came, he could hear the two voices through the darkness. "Hey, I smell something good…something tasty."

"Heh, relax Nora, we'll be able to eat soon enough."

Moments later two women entered the room, both of whom appeared to be rather…wild. The first was a tall woman with a wild blonde mane of hair that cascaded down her back. She was thin but muscular, and wore a shirt and vest that appeared to be made out of animal fur but was short enough to show her midriff along with her muscular abs. She wore tan pants and had a pouch attached to her side belt and a knife on her left. Perhaps the most eye-catching feature of her were her eyes, they were a deep lilac color that seemed to draw his focus directly to them. It was safe to say that if his sisters were present they would be deeply jealous of her.

Next to her was another wild looking woman who was a bit shorter but had vividly orange hair and ice blue eyes. She wore a similar outfit with a fur vest and while she wasn't as…voluptuous as the first girl, this one had a girl next door feeling too her that he could not deny. His sisters would have easily made friends with this one without a doubt.

Both girls were carrying large boxes filled with all manner of vegetables, meat and spices but appeared to be moving without any difficulty at all, that in itself was incredible. He could tell that he would have trouble with one of those just by looking at it.

As they walked in they seemed to not really pay attention to him and instead moved directly to Pyrrha who had moved near the pantry and ice box. "Hey Pyr, where would you like these goods? We also go the fresh stuff already put in the usual place."

Pyrrha gave a nervous chuckle as she glanced at Jaune which caused the two women to turn and finally notice his presence. "Ahem…girls, we have a guest. This is Jaune Arc. Jaune, this is Yang and Nora."

The two turned their heads in unison but their reactions were quite different. Yang narrowed her eyes, a dangerous smirk coming to her lips while Nora let out a small gasp and all but dropped her box and was suddenly in front of the young man, her nose almost pressing into his, making him quite uncomfortable. He took a small step back but she followed keeping her ice blue eyes unblinking as she stared at him. "Hi there, I'm Nora. So good to meet you. Are you staying the night? We'd all love to have you for dinner, especially- Uuuwwhhaaa!"

The exuberant woman was suddenly pulled back by the back of her vest and his vision was now filled with the figure of Yang standing up a bit high than him, smiling down at him with what he could only describe as a near predatory grin. "Ah, so you're the one with the cart outside huh. Nice to meet you. Sorry about Nora, she can be a little energetic at times."

She leaned down a bit allowing him to seem a glimpse down the front of her shirt and for a moment his eyes began to wander but he caught them and quickly pulled the back up to look her in the eyes. Yang grinned and licked her lips. "Good boy…you know how to behave yourself. I like that."

Pyrrha giggled and walked over placing a gentle hand on Yangs shoulder causing the wild woman to glance over at her without turning her head. "Ah, Yang, I believe Jaune is going to be our guest for the evening. Ruby seemed pretty excited."

Yang leaned back and stood her full height while giving Jaune one more look over. "She was huh? I'm glad then. It's nice to meet you Jaune. I'm looking forward to spending more time getting to know you."

Before he could reply, she turned and motioned to Nora who gave him a small wave. "Come on runt, we need to take care of a few more things before it gets completely dark outside."

Nora grinned and gave a small salute before turning to walk down the hall as well, both disappearing into the darkness of the hall. "Bye Jaune-Jaune!"

He stood there a moment blinking at the interaction he just had only snapping out of it when he felt the soft touch of Pyrrhas hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright Jaune?"

He nodded. "Oh, yes I'm fine, I just was a bit caught off guard by those two…but they seem nice enough." He motioned to the boxes they had brought in. "And they look to be pretty strong too…say…um, do you need help getting all that food stored and sorted? I'd be happy to help since you fed me and all."

Pyrrha smiled warmly but shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. This will not take any time. Why don't you return to the lounge area and enjoy another drink? Dinner will be about two hours from now and I'm sure you'd enjoy yourself more on a comfy sofa than on a hard-wooden chair."

Jaune smirked a bit as he crossed his arms. "Oh, I don't know. I grew up with those kinds of chairs, I don't think they're all that bad."

Pyrrha giggled slightly but shook her head. "Go on now, out with you. No bothering the cook."

Jaune let out a small laugh as he was all but pushed out of the kitchen and down the hall from whence he had come. Doing his best to remember the route from before he managed to find the main entryway from earlier and then he saw the faint glow from a distant doorway. That must be where the fireplace is…. though it seemed like it was farther away than before, but then again his mind could be playing tricks on him.

As he turns into the room, the familiar sight of the living area greets his vision once again however, this time the room is not empty. Sitting on the couch near the fire, drink in hand was Ruby. She glanced over at him as he slowly stepped into the room and smiles softly. "Welcome back Jaune…I take it Pyrrha took good care of you?"

He quietly nodded as he made his way back over to the bar to pour himself another drink. "Yes…she was quite polite and the stew was delicious. Thank you for your hospitality," He poured himself another drink that looked to be clear and had a sweet odor. "She insisted I come back down here though and wait for dinner to be ready, though I did offer to help."

He paused when he felt a pair of hands slowly massage his shoulders and slide down his arms followed by a soft pressure on his shoulder like someone resting their chin on him. He quickly turned around with wide eyes nearly spilling his drink. He glanced around a bit expecting to see some person standing directly behind him but instead he saw Ruby still seated on the couch looking over at him with a small smile on her lips. "Did you see that?"

She took another sip of her drink and pulled her legs up to her side making her position more comfortable. "Saw what? Are you alright Jaune…you seem a bit skittish," She smiled and gave him a small wink, "Don't tell me that little old me is making you nervous."

Jaune blushed at the tone of her voice but quickly shook his head as he picked up his drink and moved to a cushioned chair, taking a seat and sinking into the comfortable surface. "Madam Ruby-"

"Just Ruby."

He blinked but nodded as he continued. "Apologies…Ruby, but you're certainly not old and I don't feel that nervous around you. I suppose it's just being in an unfamiliar place…with several people who I have never met before has me a little bit on edge. Especially since you all have opened your home to me so willingly without knowing me and asking for nothing in return."

Ruby smirked and lightly ran her fingertip over the rim of her glass, her silver eyes staring at him. "Cutie, I'm sure we can find a use for you here in some manner. After all, you're a tall, strapping young man. I'll be very surprised if we can't find a few chores for you to help with."

Jaune glanced away breaking the eye contact and took a quick drink from his glass doing his best to ignore the burning sensation as the alcohol slid down his throat. "Erm…yes…I'll be happy to earn my keep for the night."

Ruby took another sip of her drink before speaking once more. "So…you mentioned you have family earlier. Just how many are in your family?"

He settled back into the chair further. "Well, there are ten total. My mother, father, and my seven sisters."

She smiled openly now a small laugh escaping her. "Seven? You poor boy, you were terribly out-numbered."

He chuckled a bit and looked down at his hands. "Well…yes I was but it was alright. I was the youngest of the group so they doted on me and would tease me constantly. I can still remember having to run when they wanted to practice their makeup skills on me like a practice dummy."

Ruby shifted a bit in her seat. "I bet that as you grew, they would hang on you and use you like a teddy bear."

He paused in surprise before slowly nodding. "…They did. How did you know that?"

She winked and took another drink. "Womans intuition. If I had a younger brother I would have made him my teddy bear…I would have even made him sleep with me at night."

"Wouldn't that be awkward?"

She shrugged as she set down her now empty glass. "What can I say, I'm a cuddler," She gave him a playful smirk and slide a hand down her leg smoothing out her dresses material. "For as long as I can remember I will wake up with my arms, even my legs wrapped around a pillow, keeping it pressed tight against me."

Jaune shook his head a small smile coming to his lips. "I'm glad my sisters weren't like that. I imagine they would have piled on top of, and easily smothered or crushed me."

"Allow me to change the subject. Tell me Jaune, being the healthy young man that you are, have you ever found yourself becoming curious about women?"

Jaune nearly spat out his drink as he began to cough from nearly inhaling the alcohol. He felt his cheeks burn red, partially from his drink and partially from the liquid he has imbued. "U-um, w-what? What do you mean?"

She giggled at his reaction and shifted in her seat once again. "Forgive me, but I don't to talk to many outsiders so I tend to enjoy a bit of gossip and prying into personal affairs from time to time. I meant to ask if there were any special women in your life back where you come from. Perhaps a neighboring farms daughter who caught your eye…or a village girl…perhaps a more mature woman who you know?"

Jaune averted his eyes once again from the silver eyed woman and lightly cleared his throat. "Well, I…uh…"

Ruby leaned forward a bit as she lightly bit her bottom lip. "Yes? Let me guess, it's an older woman…perhaps a teacher in your village? Or perhaps a young milk maid who you flirt with when you see her?"

He sheepishly shook his head and still looked away. "Ah…well…I suppose there was a girl here or there that I would try to talk to but I'm not exactly known for being a ladies man. On top of that, my sisters tended to scare off any of the girls that lived nearby the moment they wanted to talk to me or me them."

"Ah I see, they wanted to make sure their brothers honor remained intact."

"What do you mean by that?"

A snort and giggle from the rooms entryway forced both to turn and see that both Yang and Nora were standing there grinning widely. Nora stepped forward and moved to sit down in the chair beside Jaune. "She means that your sisters wanted to keep you away from any girls that would want to do things with you, naughty things."

Jaune's face burned bright red and he tried to sink back into his chair somewhat from embarrassment. "Ah, well, um…no, I doubt that, I mean why?"

Yang smirked as she slowly made her way to the bar and poured herself a drink, her hips moving in a slow mythodic fashion. "That's easy. Big sisters like to protect what's theirs. You've not been with many girls have you Jaune?"

He lightly played with his fingers. "Well…no…I mean there weren't many around where I lived."

Yang walked past him on his left letting her hand brush over his shoulder, lightly tracing down his arm. "It's ok Jaune, I can smell a guy like you from a mile away…plus I think it's cute your sisters kept you that way."

He frowned a bit in confusion. "Wait, what way? I'm not quite sure I follow."

Yang gave him a feral grin as she sat down next to Ruby and rested her arms against the back of the couch, her glass hanging lazily in her hand. "You're just too innocent. You're pure…untouched…"

A soft voice in his ear, washing warm breath over his skin caused him to jump a bit. "You're a virgin, aren't you?" Jaune jerked his head to the side pulling back to see that Nora had leaned over from her chair, making herself become uncomfortably close. She grinned at him, her teeth shining in the dim light, her blue eyes filled with mirth and something more as she licked her lips.

"W-w-what?! That's none of your business."

Ruby smirked as Nora and Yang both chuckled at his reaction. "My apologies Jaune, Nora and Yang can be… Excitable. On top of that, your reactions make it easy to tease you. I promise they simply mean to tease."

Yang good a slow sip of her drink. "Yeah, don't worry, we don't mean anything by it…and if you want I can even help you."

He frowned and shifted in his seat once more. "Help me?"

She licked her lips. "Absolutely. They don't call Nora and I man-eaters for nothing."

Jaune glanced to his side once again to see that Nora had slide a hand down to her shirt collar and had tugged it down slightly allowing him to have a view if he would tilt his head just slightly, her eyes half lidded and mouth slightly open with the tip of her tongue just slightly visible. "Care to have some fun Jaune? I'll be gentle." Jaune reacted accordingly.

He Jerked back and toppled out of his chair, nearly knocking his glass to the stone floor as well. He quickly rose to his feet and took a few steps back as the three women all began to laugh at his 'plight'. He frowned and clenched a fist at his side. "That, was not funny."

Ruby smiled and finished her drink. "Well, perhaps not for you but for us it was."

He scowled a bit and turned walking back to the bar to set down his glass. Behind him Ruby quickly rose to her feet and moved after him waiting until she was closer to place a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I do apologize Jaune. You're a guest here. We're sorry. I'm sure as a person with seven sisters you can understand our need to tease."

He took in a slow breath but nodded in understanding. "I do, and I'm sorry if I over reacted. I'm just not used to being under that sort of scrutiny."

Nora continued to smirk at him, her thumbs pulling at her vest with her thumbs. "Sorry about that…I can't help myself sometimes."

Ruby shook her head and waved off Nora. "It is said and done Nora."

"Ahem…Excuse me."

The group all turned to see Blake standing in the entryway, hand clasped in front of her while giving a polite bow. "Forgive the intrusion but Pyrrha sent me to inform you that dinner finished early and is currently being served in the dinning room. I have taken the liberty of setting a place for our guest as well."

Ruby smiled and glanced toward Jaune. "Very good, I was beginning to grow hungry. Come, let us go enjoy the fruits of Pyrrha's labors."

Within moments the group had made their way down the hallway turning down a portion of it not far from the kitchen which Jaune hadn't seen before and entered into a beautiful looking dining room that looked like something out of a story in his eyes.

The room was large, larger than expected. It had at least twenty-foot-high ceilings and large hanging candle lit chandeliers which provided just enough light to allow him to see the rest of the room. The windows were tall with beautiful cloth curtains hanging on them allowing a small view of the storm raging outside and the floors had beautiful carpeting with designs on them unlike anything he had seen or even heard of before. The dining table itself was a long rectangular shape that was wide enough to allow each person their own seat with plenty of room to breathe. The wood was dark and the finish on it was smooth and glossy. It was beautifully crafted.

Jaune wasn't given much time to take in the rest when Ruby slid her hand into his and pulled him with her towards the head of the table. "Come along Jaune, you will be sitting next to me."

Before he could respond he found himself sitting on the first seat to the right of the head of the table where Ruby sat. She simply smiled at him while Nora sat down to his right and across from her sat Yang, then Blake to her left leaving the space directly opposite of him open. "T-this is amazing. Just how large is your manor?"

Ruby giggled a bit hiding her mouth behind her hand. "Well…it is large enough to meet our needs, which is why we enjoy it so much."

Nora scooted her chair a little closer to him her eyes still looking a bit wild. "Definitely. It's great. Plenty of room to run around and have fun in too."

Before he could question her the large door to the kitchen burst open and out came Pyrrha pushing a large cart filled with a wide variety of plates of food. He watched in awe as she maneuvered the cart around the table and placed a large plate in front of every person there including in the empty space in front of him. "Here you all are, just as requested, I do hope the food is too your liking."

In front of him was a beautiful looking steak with perfect looking sear markings, along with a bit of au'ju sauce on it. Next to it was a small pile of fresh steaming vegetables and a potato that was baked and opened with fresh butter and sour cream. He could feel his mouth watering as he took in the sight and smell of it. "This looks amazing."

Pyrrha sat down across from him, smoothing out her uniform and quickly picking up her knife and fork. "I'm glad you think so Jaune. Try some and see how you like it."

Without further hesitation Jaune did as he was told. First the potato. The buttery flavor that washed over his tongue followed by the perfectly salted, fluffy potato filling as enough to make him close his eyes in satisfaction. Next came the vegetables which were crisp and filled with flavor. Finally he cut into his steak and as he brought it to his lips he noted a rather unique flavor to it. It was juicy…very juicy and it had a very unique texture. Swallowing it he noted that there was a bit of a copper aftertaste left on his tongue. Glancing around he noted that the rest of the group was eating their meal with a near voraciousness of someone who had been starving.

Across from him Pyrrha was sighing as she chewed on a piece of her steak, a small dribble of it's juice sliding from her lips to her chin. "Oh, um, Pyrrha, you have a little something," He motioned to her chin.

She blinked a moment then smiled taking her napkin to clean up the tiny mess. "Thank you Jaune. So…do you like the meal?"

He gave a small nod. "Yes it's quite good. The Potatos and Vegitables are perfect and the Steak…" His words froze in his throat as he glanced down at his plate again. There now sitting on the plate was his steak but what he hadn't realized was just how rare the meat was cooked.

His steak was now resting in a puddle of crimson, the meat on the inside of the steak so rare that it appeared to be nearly uncooked. No wonder he had tasted that coppery taste…it was near raw! He slowly set down his fork and knife and glanced around at the rest of the group noting that each of them were eating the same kind of meal he was. He saw Pyrrha chewing her food with a satisfied smile, Blake as well. Yang had already devoured hers and even had some crimson remaining on her lips. Noras face was all but covered in it from how wildly she ate and Ruby…the only sign on Rubys face was a small hint of red on her lips.

He felt his stomach roll. How were they eating that? Were they used to it? He reached out and took his cup of water drinking it quickly in an attempt to push the taste from his mouth.

"Hey Jaune Jaune!"

He jumped in his seat and turned to see Nora who was looking at him with a wide grin, her face now clean unlike it was seconds before. "Uuh…yes?"

She motioned to his steak. "You going to eat that?"

He paused and quietly shook his head. "No, go ahe-"

"Thanks!" And with that, the steak was gone and was already mostly in her mouth.

"Jaune?" A soft voice spoke out to him from across the table.

He turned and faced Pyrrha who was looking at him with worried eyes. "Was something wrong with your food? Was it not to your liking?"

He quickly shook his head. "Oh, no, no. I just...well, I'm just not feeling my best. I must have had too much to drink or been out in the weather for too long. I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude."

Ruby cleared her throat causing both to look over at her as she daintily dabbed her lips with her napkin. "Jaune, do not be concerned. If you're not feeling well, then you simply must rest. Don't worry. If you grow hungry later I'm sure we can arrange a late-night snack. Now them, Blake can you please escort Jaune up to the guest room we had prepared for him? Make certain he is well taken care of if you please."

Blake smiled and nodded as she rose to her feet and gave a polite bow. "Of course. Please, come with me."

Jaune quietly rose from his seat and nervously made his way towards her, nodding politely at each girl as he passed them, all of whom were watching him with near gleaming eyes making his spine shiver. He fell in step behind Blake as she led him through another set of doors, separate from the ones he had followed Ruby through before and down another hallway. After a few turns she led him up a few stairs to a second level and took a few more turns until they finally reached a single, unassuming door.

She opened the door, which opened with a small creak and led him inside and what he found was quite surprising. The room was large, as large as his homes living room. There was a large bed, larger than anything he had seen before. It was a four-post bed with curtains hanging from them. There were small candles lit throughout the room giving it a beautiful glow. Blake turned to face him as he walked past, still taking everything in. "I do hope this room will be to your liking."

Jaune slowly nodded. "Yes…this is amazing. Just how rich are you all? It would take a year's worth of market profits for my family to build on a room this size."

She smirked and stepped in closer to him, "Mistress Ruby asked me earlier to make certain you are comfortable during your stay. Would you like me to draw you a bath? Perhaps a massage?"

Jaune turned to face her stepping back a bit as she leaned in causing him to step back. He could see mischievousness in her amber eyes and in her smirk. "Uhmm…I'm sorry, what?"

She stood back and clasped her hands in front of her once again. "I can draw you a warm bath, or I can give you a massage…I can help warm your bed too if you wish."

Jaune blinked a moment processing what she just said before pulling back and averting his gaze as his cheeks burned red. "N-no, that isn't necessary. A warm bath does sound nice however…if you don't mind that is."

"Of course. I will prepare it for you right away. Will you wish for me to wash your back for you while you bathe?"

"What? No, no. No. Why do you ask these things?"

Blake blinked before smiling warmly. "It's just a formal part of my training. We haven't had a young man such as yourself in the manor for quite some time so my etiquette for helping men may be a bit dated but I'm certain I'm doing everything I was taught properly. It is my duty to make you as comfortable as possible now by any means I can. The mistress wouldn't have it any other way."

Jaune nodded slowly, his eyes still wide with surprise. "I…see. Um…well, I don't wish to make you feel as though you are going against your training or orders but I don't think it's necessary to…uh...'warm my bed' or 'wash my back'."

Blake frowned but gave a small nod. "Pity, it would have been enjoyable. Very well, I will draw a bath for you. Please feel free to leave your clothing in here, I will wash it for you and leave you an appropriate change of clothes to rest in."

With that she left leaving Jaune to remove his clothing and deposit it on the chair she had motioned too leaving himself in his boxers. With his clothing removed he found that the air of the castle was colder than anticipated. A warm bath sounded better and better now. Thankfully he didn't have to wait long.

"Master Arc, your bath is prepared."

He carefully padded his way to the bath becoming more self conscious with each step until he finally reached the bathroom where he saw the welcome site of a large rub filled with steaming, clear, water. What he failed to see was Blake standing just inside the doorway to his right, holding a towel and washrag. "I hope the water is warm enough for your liking."

Juane nearly jumped but managed to only look marginally startled. "Oh, um…yes, I'm certain it is fine. Thank you."

She smiled softly and nodded but continued to stand there with the towel in her hand, watching him expectantly. Jaune glanced at the water then at her shifting on his feet uncomfortably. "Um…i-is there anything else I can help you with Blake?"

She shook her head. "No. I'm just waiting for you to finish so I can help you dry."

"…is that another part of your…duties?"

"Of course."

"While I'm glad you do your job so diligently, I…I don't think that I will need help drying off. Would you be able to just set the towel down and provide me some privacy?"

She gave a polite bow and set the large towel down on a nearby stool before walking out of the room closing the door behind her. "Alright…however if you change your mind and wish for help with your back, please don't hesitate."

The moment the door clicked shut, Jaune felt a wave of calm wash over him. This place was unlike anywhere he had ever been before…however, they have been very kind towards him. A place to sleep, a hot bath, a decent meal…he was lucky.

Removing his remaining clothes, he slipped into the bath, a sigh escaping him as he felt the muscles of his back relax. He was even pleasantly surprised to find that the tub was deep enough to allow him to sit down and have the water come up to his collar. Closing his eyes and allowed his head to rest back against the tubs edge letting a soft sigh to escape him. This was amazing.

*An hour, and a good scrub later*

Jaune peeked his head out from behind the door to the main room, a towel wrapped around his waist. Noticing no one was there he slowly stepped out and as he approached the bed he found that there was indeed a fresh pair of pants and a shirt, very similar to what he wore before folded neatly there…there was even a pair of boxers.

Not waiting for a second he quickly put on the garb and within moments he was feeling like a new man. Deciding not to waste any more time, he began to blow out the candle around the room until the only light came from the fire place. Then he crawled in bed and began to let the comfortable sheets pull him into a deep rest…that was until he heard it.

An all too familiar sound. The distressed neighing of a horse…not any horse…his horse. He knew that sound anywhere. However, what made it worse was that very faintly, he heard something else…he heard a scream.

-too be continued.

Authors Notes: So we get to know a few more characters here…and I want to know your thoughts. What was with that scream? Are the girls involved? Whats the end game going to be like? Who will live, who will die? Tell me in the comments.

Again thank you for taking time to read my work. I appreciate you taking time out of your day to read my contributions. Have a great day.

-Grev.