Winter rose at the crack of dawn every morning no matter the day or occasion or season. Today however she want nothing more but to stay asleep. Once she woke up there was no going back. From this day forward nothing would ever be the same and there was nothing she could do about it. Eventually her maids woke her to get ready.

Winter sat limply through the whole process. They bathed her in warm water and cleaned her with wonderful rich soaps, they moisturized her until she glowed radiantly. Her hair was dried and brushed and pulled up into a tight bun atop her head. Her maids forced her into her corset and squeezed until her already thin frame was contorted into an inhuman figure. One maid pulled the slip on over her head. It took two maids to hold her dress for her to step into.

The dress had a large and unyielding hoop skirt decorated in tulle and real feathers. A sad reminder she could not take wing and escape, despite her abundant feathers. The body of the dress was a strapless, lace up bodice of sturdy silk. So was bedecked in centuries of family jewelry, necklaces and rings alike. They added lavish amounts of makeup to add some color to the pale girl's face. She looked ridiculous and she knew it but her maids insisted she look in the mirror. The only part of the ensemble that she willingly put on was her veil so that she wouldn't have to look at herself any more

She was escorted to the top of the grand staircase of the mansion for her father to inspect. Her mother smiled sadly and hiccuped some light compliments. It appears her mother was drinking harder than usual at this hour, of course she probably knows that her daughter is taking her first step down the same path. What she wouldn't give for her daughters to have the happiness she was denied.

Weiss was bursting with excitement. As sad as she was that Winter was being forced to marry, she knew that her sister was intent on fulfilling this duty. She cooed at what a beautiful bride her sister made and tried her best to cheer her up. She also was eager to show Winter her pretty new flower girl dress.

"Settle, Weiss, it is unladylike to speak." Jacques Schnee sneered as he entered the room. He walked up to Winter and looked her up and dad. There was no love or sadness like most fathers feel at the wedding of their child, only calculating consideration.

"Well I suppose this will do. You're makeup does not help your face and your waist is still too wide. You will really need to thrill him in bed if we're going to close this deal." Jacques shook his head.

"I will do my best, father." Winter bowed her head in submission. Her heart broke at the realisation that she would in fact be faced with an evening of loveless rutting in just a few hours. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she was guided into a stunning white carriage. The beauty of it did nothing to ease her stress, all it did was save her feet as they rode towards her doom.

"So what's the signal again?" Ruby asked for the third time.

"I'm not giving you a signal Ruby, the priest it. When he says 'If anyone objects to this union,' then you do your thing. Then that is my signal. Got it?"

"Got it."

Ruby wore a pretty pink dress and hid behind a bush near the entrance of the large cathedral. A large family of last minute guests rushed past and Ruby followed on their tail and slipped into the back of the sanctuary. Behind her was a main entrance which was also the main exit. To her left was an emergency exit and towards the front, behind the balding groom in his early 40s, was a door that led to the offices.

As she scanned the room she heard the organ begin. The main doors opened and the processional began. Ruby watched for her target. White hair, blue eyes, white dress, flowers. Got her. Ruby nodded and waited for her cue.

As Winter walked up the aisle she found herself praying that she would not have to go through with this. The prayer intensified as she caught sight of her groom who was easily twice her age. In fact she was so focused on it that she had forgotten about the whole wedding.

Until she heard a scream.

Weiss was gone. All that was left was a trail of red and white rose petals. Which is odd because she only have white rose petals. Winter was stunned and began to panic. She tried looking around for her sister but she was frozen to the spot.

"Jacques Schnee!" A gravelly voice called from the rafters. "I have come to collect on your debts."

A man armed with a broadsword and dressed as a pirate jumped down from the rafters. He grabbed Winter's arm and pulled her towards him then held a dagger to her throat. Jacques stood angrily, more inconvenience than worried about his daughters' well-being.

"Unhand her at once, I owe you no debt sir." Jacques argued indignantly.

"To me? No sir, to society. You owe us all for wasting the air in your lungs with your sorry existence. I have simply decided to take my payment. I mean, you were just about to sell her to this fella weren't you, Jackyboy?" Qrow taunted. Jacques frowned,

"This is business and you know nothing of my business."

"Oh I know plenty about business. I know that sometimes a higher bidder can swoop in at any moment and seal a deal. So tell me Jacko, which bid is higher?"

"Are you asking me to choose between my daughter's life and my company?" Jacques guffawed.

"Oh no, I'm asking you to choose between your life and your company." Qrow grinned.

Jacques turned ferocious and took a step forward, only to be stopped by an arrow in his foot. He looked up and saw a hooded archer in the rafters. Qrow was suddenly behind him, sword drawn and pressed to his back. Terror filled Jacques eyes and he looked to his wife who was pleading with him to save her daughters. He turned his back on her and ran away.

Qrow grimaced at the man and nodded at the archer to chase him. He looked to Winter's mother and winked and smiled then he hoisted Winter up and ran. He threw her gracelessly into the back of a cart and took off at the highest speed he could muster. The next thing Winter knew she was being blindfolded by someone else, an accomplice. She tried to scream for help but was gagged. They hit a large bump and Winter hit her head on something hard in the cart and she finally succumbed to the unconsciousness that had been trying to creep in since she first woke that morning.