There was something to be said for the breezy fall air. Atlas was known for cooler weather than most, and it came as no surprise that the subzero temperatures came around quickly. Mating season ended as abruptly as it started. After two weeks of Blake's attentive, and sometimes aggressive overtures, the world went back to relative normalcy. Life became somewhat more mundane, and Weiss found herself able to entertain guests at the manor once more.
It was a good thing, too, because there were many visitors coming to her home in the coming days.
"He really is adorable, Jaune." Weiss replied simply.
"Yeah." Yang butted in. "He has his mother's eyes."
"I'm just thankful you didn't mind the family tagging along this time." He said, bouncing his youngest on his knee. His other children were out making a ruckus in the yard with Ruby and Nora. "From what Pyrrha says, these kinds of events aren't exactly the sort that the children should attend."
"Normally, that would be true." Weiss replied, looking out to the two little girls that were every bit as rambunctious as one might expect of three year olds. Twins, blondes with short pixy cut hair-styles and their father's social awkwardness. Weiss had encountered the little girls enough to know that the Arc gene pool ran rather strong.
"So, what's the catch?" Jaune asked, as his youngest, a strawberry blonde with green eyes, saw fit to chomp down on his teething ring.
"They won't be the only children under the age of six in attendance this year." Weiss told him. "Coco and will be bringing their eldest along. She's about their age. Velvet and Fox agreed that it's about time to start introducing them to their political peers."
"Plotting alliances and arranged marriages already?" Jaune asked with an upraised brow. "Aren't they all just a little young?"
"Starting early means less opposition later on." Weiss said as she brushed off his concern. "Childhood friends who favor each other are far more likely to become amicable spouses later on. It's true, they're young...but no younger than I was, when I went to my first ball. In fact, Coco and I met well before Beacon because of these events. We simply didn't see eye-to-eye on a vast many issues, and so we avoided each other outright."
"Speaking of spouses, where did Pyrrha sneak off to?" Jaune wondered, seeing that Blake had also been missing for quite some time.
"The same place Blake always sneaks off too, I'll bet." Weiss replied, not mentioning that it was likely the household library. "It's no matter, Ren's with them after all."
"I still don't understand the need for all of this protection mumbo-jumbo." Jaune sighed, scratching the top of his head as little boy squirmed in his lap. "Pyrrha's still a much more competent fighter than I am."
"That might be true, but even she doesn't go into the field much anymore." Weiss replied, gesturing to Yang. "I don't either, which is why I keep Yang at my side. While I don't question my ability to fight Grimm under duress, I do question my ability to fend off an assassination on my own. Pyrrha feels the same, I'm sure."
"I don't make the rules, I just follow them." Jaune laughed then. "She's the one in charge of the corporate sponsorships. I just try to keep the house from being destroyed while she's gone."
A loud boom sounded, and with it, the crash of a nearby tree. Weiss merely sighed as Yang grinned. It was never a dull moment with JNPR around. "In any event, do make yourselves at home. It goes without saying that if you need anything before the fall ball, let someone know."
"We should be fine." Jaune couldn't ignore that fact that his son was getting cranky any longer as he began to fuss about. "…I hope."
"That's it." Yang clapped, rubbing her hands together eagerly. "Gimmie." She didn't even wait as she plucked the toddler out of his arms. She laid herself across the floor, and started to play as only Yang ever did, holding the child over her head, blowing raspberries and making a fool out of herself.
"Baby addict..." The man murmured under his breath...though, he was thankful his son was no longer about to start screaming his head off. Yang always had that that special little spark about her.
"My bodyguard reduced to a buffoon…" Weiss said, though even she couldn't keep the smirk off of her face. "It never ceases to amaze me."
"Would you expect any less?" It was Blake who posed this question, Pyrrha at her side as Ren quietly brought up the rear.
"Hardly." Weiss poured tea for all of them, inviting her friends to take a seat. She pointedly ignored the fact that Yang was making a mockery of herself at every turn. If anything, it only further served to strengthen the bond that the two teams maintained. "So then, Pyrrha, have you given any thought to what we talked about over the scroll?"
The woman nodded, elegantly as ever. "I'll keep an open mind. Though, I must admit, I'm a bit surprised you're interested in our bloodline."
"I still think you're all being idiotic." Blake murmured from behind her tea cup. "I'm not even pregnant yet, Weiss, for heaven's sake."
"But you will be eventually." Weiss replied, her usual haughty nature coming to the forefront of the discussion. "And when you are, you'll be carrying a Schnee by blood, even if not by name. Only the best for our child, just you wait and see."
"Exactly my point." Blake murmured, giving Pyrrha a long and knowing look. "This isn't a slight to you, or your family, Pyrrha…but, Weiss most certainly didn't go along with what her father wanted. I don't imagine any children we have would be willing to go along with what we want, either."
"I have two words for you." Weiss shot back. "Cardin Winchester."
Blake shook her head at that. That was a rather sickening thought. One that, Blake had to admit, infuriated her to even think about. "Touché." She grumbled.
"I thought so." At this, Weiss crossed one leg over the other, and very openly rested her hand on Blake's upper thigh. Quite the possessive statement, but one that was comfortable among friends. Neither Jaune nor Pyrrha batted an eye at the action, having accidentally been privy to far more personal acts during their formatives years at Beacon. "In any case, ensuring our families stay within the realm of power is quite important. I only ask that you leave an opportunity for an arranged marriage open with us."
"I wouldn't have it any other way." Pyrrha nodded as the two family heads shook hands to agree to it.
Truth be told, Weiss was exhausted.
The fall ball was one of four balls that the Schnee Dust Company hosted every year. Figureheads from all around Remnant would be attending. With over three hundred people on the guest list, it was going to be one of the largest around. This year was also of particular importance, because it would be the first year that Blake would be coming dressed in a ball gown, rather than in her combat attire.
There was so much planning, and so little time. Weiss was in overdrive to see to every detail, and to ensure that her friends were comfortable while they resided in her home.
It was strange to hear the pattering's of small feet running through the halls, not that she minded, but it was odd. The maids certainly weren't amused by all of the snow being trekked through the household. Weiss was much less worried about the snow, and far more worried about the progression of the future as they knew it.
The Nikos family had three children already, and if Jaune had anything to say about it, it wouldn't end there. He wanted a large, chaotic family. Pyrrha hadn't denied him, which meant that they probably would see more progeny sometime in the future.
Yang hadn't settled down yet, and Ruby was too busy adventuring around the mines to find romance. Nora and Ren were not only unmarried, they were all too happy to live vicariously...not much to be done about it, but that was a concern when looking for alliance that would carry onto another generation.
Thankfully, the Adel family had six children, with more on the way, if Velvet's pregnancy was to be believed. Plenty of opportunities to branch out, and become stronger. Plenty of alliances that would, at least by degree of separation, influence the Schnee Dust Company, hopefully for the better.
Knowing that the two largest alliances to the Schnee Dust Company already had their futures secured was both a comfort and a stressor. While it was true that Blake wanted to be a parent, Weiss simply had to be one. There was no way around it. Winter was happy with her military services. She didn't have a child to speak of, so there was no one for Weiss to pass the torch onto.
There was nothing to be done about that this evening however, so she merely enjoyed the nighttime for what it was. She no sooner changed into her nightgown, that she noticed her bed was overtaken by books. "Blake, how long have you been hording those?"
"You don't want to know." Golden eyes were already glued to the thick tome in her lap. "It's interesting...that cat Faunus actually call their children cubs I mean." She looked up from her book. "Don't tell Yang I said that." She looked back down to her reading. "Anyway, you'd think since we're so humanoid in appearance usually, that we wouldn't draw attention to our heritage…"
"Well, what did your parents call you?" Weiss asked as she began moving the books off the bed. She made a neat stack on the floor since there were too many for the end table to hold.
"My name…" Blake said gently, a purely offhanded statement.
Weiss rolled her eyes, plucking that infernal book from Blake's grasp. "I meant besides that." The final book too, made it to the top of the stack. "Something else perhaps? Such as a term of endearment, or something akin to it?"
"I don't know." Blake only frowned deeply. "Weiss, I don't remember much about that."
"But you do remember something…"
"Hmm, well a little bit, I suppose." She said as she cocked her head to the side thoughtfully. "Though, I've got to admit, it's all very vague. I remember more tactile things. For example, my father always smelled of acrid dust after a peace march. Beneath that, though, he always had the smell of cinnamon and bonfire. He had a tail to go with his ears too. He'd always curl it around me when I was a baby so I wouldn't go toddling off."
"A tail like Sun's?" Weiss asked.
"Not so prehensile, but a lot larger, with sleek black fur." Blake murmured, trying to recall the soft feeling of it. "I remember that because I used to be a biter, but I hated the taste of fur...so for all the chewing I did, I never chewed on him. I take after my mother, she didn't have a tail either. When I was little, I wanted one, so I was always enamored with his." Blake sighed wistfully. "Those are the types of things that stick with me."
"I'd say that's fairly normal." Weiss smiled as she pulled the sheets back and crawled into bed. "When I was a small child, I used to fall asleep in my father's lap while he worked. There was something woodsy about the tobacco he smoked. It always soothed me for some reason. That and dancing, I loved when my father would take be out onto the floor during the ball. There was just something so personal, it was one of the few times I ever saw him smile."
"Speaking of the upcoming event, you don't really want me to attend as merely your spouse, do you?" Blake sighed then, not entirely fond of having to mingle with the extremely prejudice upper class. When she attended as a bodyguard, everyone knew she was married to Weiss, but, they were never expected to speak with her. She was more than happy off in a corner, or standing quietly behind her wife. They would share dances off and on through the night, but Blake was neither encouraged to drink, or to greet those that actually hated her.
This year, however, Weiss had come home one afternoon presenting Blake with one of the most beautiful ball gowns that she had ever seen. The dark, beautiful fabric was low cut, snug in all the right places, and came with a shawl. It demanded attention, and Weiss, true to tradition, had managed to obtain a very feminine looking tuxedo in the same color. Both of them came with matching heels.
Weiss had spared no expense to assure that Blake would be in the spotlight. "Blake, we talked about this. I want you to be seen and accepted as more than just my bodyguard. I want people to make an effort to take notice of you, and see you as my chosen lady, because that's what you are. I know it's difficult for you, and it drives you crazy when I prance you around in expensive clothes. I'm asking a lot out of you, I know that...but please...for me?"
"This is what I get for marrying into money." Blake rolled her eyes. She much preferred retaining her individuality. Her solitary nature just enjoyed the idea of being a bodyguard better. That, and it played into her slightly possessive mannerisms. She was never controlling, but when dressed as a bodyguard, she could act as such the moment Weiss became uncomfortable. She didn't have the same luxury attending as a spouse. Truth be told, Blake liked the freedom to intimidate anyone she thought might be a threat. "The press is going to throw a fit..."
"As well they should. Now, no more worrying, okay?" Weiss was rather insistent as she cupped Blake's cheek. "We've been front page news before, we're going to be front page news again. Several times over in our lifetime, I'm sure. You might never get used to it, but, at the very least you must tolerate it."
"You're lucky I love you so much." Blake growled under her breath, golden orbs twinkling as she took in the scent of her lover. "You'll stay near our group, you understand?" Leaning in, she nipped at the exposed porcelain skin of her neck. A not entirely unhappy rumble issued from deep within her chest. "Yang had better not let you out of her sight."
"She won't Blake. I promise." Though Weiss also suspected that Blake wouldn't let her go far either.
Blake merely sighed in exasperation as Weiss kissed her deeply, quelling even that wordless retort. There were just some times that would never change, and the paparazzi seemed to be one of them.