"Mirror mirror, tell me something: who's the loneliest of all?"
The rays from the setting sun filtered through the dining hall's windows and cast themselves over the table filled with a rather exorbitant amount of food. She sat across from her father, the only other person in the room aside from the fleeting moments a server came by to inquire of their needs. He had requested this, a time for father-daughter bonding before her departure, but so far they had gone through two courses and were half-way through the third without either of them saying a word.
In most cases, Weiss would not have an issue with this arrangement. If her father was silent that meant he wasn't unjustly yelling at her for unrelated events or lecturing her about the business, but this was different. He had requested this specifically, and with her looming travel to Beacon Academy in the morning, she knew he had something to say. More than likely, a lot of somethings. So why he hadn't said anything yet, she didn't know. But she did figure if he was deliberating his words, it probably was not good.
And really, even without that, part of her had hoped to spend time with her family tonight. All of them. She was leaving in the morning, she had hoped that maybe they would want to have one last night together. Instead, she had no clue where her mother was and Whitley was off with some peers from school. It was just her and her father, which she imagined was how he wanted it. It was always easier for him to say what he wanted to her, what he really wanted, without the presence of anyone else.
She looked up from absently picking at her food when she heard the clank of silverware against a plate. Her father was looking at—no, studying—her with his chin resting on folded hands. "Are you not hungry, Weiss?" he asked, his voice betraying nothing, "Need I remind you, it is impolite to pick at your food."
Weiss glanced down, an easy, apologetic expression. Submissive in its act. "I would have preferred a lighter meal," she admitted. It wasn't a full explanation, but she figured that admittance would cause no harm as it would come as no surprise. She always preferred a lighter meal before a trip, it reduced the risk of sicknesses the next day. Heavier meals also didn't help a stomach with nerves, and she was definitely feeling those as well.
"Yes, you do travel to Vale in the morning, don't you?"
She waited, knowing that was a rhetorical question and expecting more to come. When he didn't continue, she looked up to find him staring back at her with an expectant look. "Yes. …That is why you called for this tonight, correct?" That was the impression she had been under, anyways.
"So you still intend to go through with this silly plan of yours?" he asked and punctuated his disappointment with a sigh, "Even after…that," he added and gestured to her face.
Weiss resisted the urge to grit her teeth, feeling the engraving of the scar over her eye almost burn with indignation at the remark. It had been his idea in the first place. Fighting the newest model had been her test to prove she was worthy to go. Worthy in his eyes, a man who had never fought a day in his life. A man who found the very notion utterly barbaric. Yet, she had taken the challenge and passed. It was a feat she and only she was pleased about.
"I beat the thing, didn't I?" she asked and cleared her throat, making sure not too much emotion slipped. All she needed was enough confidence to get her point across. "Besides, we Schnees are resilient. We don't stay down, correct?"
Her father couldn't argue against that, it was a great marketing strategy and she knew it. He huffed and another tense silence fell between them. Weiss had to wonder if this was it. He had been trying for months upon months to wear her down and talk and belittle her out of this and stay to be the heiress of the SDC and nothing more. And now that he realized he couldn't, would he end it? Would he give her an ultimatum? Or would he immediately decide she was too much like Winter, too much of a risk, and disinherit her too?
She had given almost everything to keep her title. Every moment she possible could, she was with her father studying the business and attending multiple meetings with board members and trade partners and other government officials. She performed at countless events and maintained the company's image to the highest degree. She dropped every friend and association her father had wanted her to, befriended and schmoozed every person he wanted her to, went to the school he wanted her to, even stayed out of relationships to assure she wouldn't be caught in any scandal. She gave everything…but this.
She couldn't give up on this dream. There was too much at stake, personally and professionally.
Was it finally time that he punished her for it?
"You truly believe this will help the family business?" her father asked finally.
It wasn't an outright acceptance yet, but it wasn't an immediate ultimatum either. She still had a chance if the latter was coming, at least, and she was relieved. She could at least work with that. "I do," Weiss nodded. She had explained this hundreds of times already, and even though it was frustrating she supposed she could do it once more. "The business currently does not have the best press at the moment." Faunus worker violations, White Fang attacks, having an entire train full of cargo stolen, every bit of news coming out about the SDC right now was terrible. "I am not yet set to inherit the company, but everyone by now knows that I am the heiress. Imagine what you could do by informing the masses the future leader of the Schnee Dust Company is training to be a Huntress, one of the legendary guardians of humanity."
She didn't want this for publicity, the idea unsettled her actually, that the one thing she had personally wanted all her life would be aired for the world to see. But she would allow it to occur if it was necessary to achieve it. "Imagine how much good light that would shed on you, and how good of a distraction it would be from everything else," Weiss added, "I think this is the best decision for the company."
To her surprise, her father sighed and nodded, "It could be used to our advantage." She had expected to be scolded for bringing up the negative press, and instead he relented. In that moment, she could see how exhausted her father really was. She had seen it in fleeting glimpses during his shouting matches and during the occasional meeting, but had mostly disregarded it as her imagination. He would never show weakness in such a way, they were similar in that regard. But now it was upfront and undeniable. The current wave of negativity leveled against the company was wearing on him the same way he was wearing on her. She almost pitied him. Almost.
"You will do well at Beacon."
Weiss nodded, "Of course, father."
He shook his head at her, "That wasn't a question. It was an order," he stated, "You will do well at Beacon, top of the class and leader of your own team. You will be popular, and spread the good name of the Schnee Dust Company. Anything less is unacceptable."
She nodded again, not quite sure what to say to that. Anything less was unacceptable, that was his order and his declaration. Anything less would put her in hot water.
Her father said nothing more and glanced out the window as twilight approached. Something about the conversation seemed to remind him of something and he stood from his chair. "I have other matters to attend to, now that this has been cleared," he announced, "I will see you in the morning. Sleep well."
"Good night, father," Weiss said to her father's retreating back.
When he disappeared down the hall, she finally let out a sigh and gently pushed her plate away from her. Her attention returned to the window, and in the dimming light of twilight she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror. The same girl who appeared the day Winter left stared back at her. Cold, confident, and unflinching, the stranger she had gotten so used to seeing didn't blink. But there was something just barely different about the familiar stranger. It was just a flash of loneliness in those icy blue eyes.
She had given up everything for this, everything to keep her position as heiress and everything to prove herself worthy of going to Beacon. She was happy, she didn't regret it a bit, yet the loneliness was still there, quiet but ever present.
Weiss was happy, but she had no one to share that with. Her mother and Whitley didn't care, Winter wasn't around to hear the good news, she had no real friends to tell, and her father…well her father didn't care about her accomplishment. He didn't care that this was what she wanted, just what it would do for the company, excelling was now simply an expectation of her in this regard as well. She was happy she succeeded, but she couldn't celebrate that because nobody cared about her and what she wanted.
She sighed again and turned away from the window. She stared at her food a moment longer before pushing herself up and turning to go to her room. She perhaps had foolishly hoped that maybe her mother or brother would greet her on the way back. Or at the very least would see her to say goodbye and wish her luck before she left in the morning. She had hoped her family, her own parents and her brother, would want to wish her well on this task. But that simply wasn't coming. There was not going to be a celebration or any well wishes, not tonight and not ever, so there was no point in staying awake. Tomorrow was going to be a long day with the trip to Vale.
Maybe in Vale there would be a difference. She could only hope.
Thanks to those who dropped by and left a comment! I'll admit I expected to be writing to a wall, so to speak.
-Stormy
