Weiss Schnee

"This isn't a big deal... it's not a big deal... it's not. a. big. Deal!"

It was a big deal.

Being a princess was probably the most important detail of her life. It was the one thing that dictated most of the other parts of her life, why she could or couldn't do things always stemmed back to the fact that she was the Crown Princess of Vale.

The issue currently, was one of the things she couldn't do. She blushed as she thought that over in her head.

Ruby Rose... was a commoner. A human. Someone with no training in any fields that would earn respect, and someone with no monetary value that Weiss didn't provide herself.

Ruby was an asset. That was how everyone that looked at her connection to Weiss would see it... and in truth they weren't entirely wrong. Weiss was after the Dragon Formula... she needed it to bargain with her father for the right to dictate the direction of her life.

Ruby was the key to that. Perhaps most Wizards wouldn't believe that this Human girl with no renown had already cracked three of the five Phrases... but Ruby had... well, Ruby at least knew she had, and Weiss trusted her. Ruby seemed super confident about it, but Weiss knew that theoretically it was impossible to test the Phrases unless you had the Formula as a whole and attempted to cast it.

Ruby had a secret... whether that secret was that she was the world's best lier, or that she had some unknown method to work out formulas... that was the question that Winter often posed. Weiss never listened to any of it. How could she? She had absolute confidence in Ruby.

The reason why though...

Weiss let out another sigh.

"A month... she wormed her way into my heart... in a month..." The princess had a crush... and not a small one either. Weiss hadn't even been aware she was into girls until she suddenly started sneaking peaks at Ruby's-

She shook her head.

Whether she was into girls, boys, both, or just Ruby... didn't matter.

She would never be able to be with Ruby... not as things stood, her father would never allow it.

"If Ruby were a Dragon though... suddenly father would view her as the most valuable person in Vale..." Weiss chuckled, the thought was nice but... That dream required three things Weiss was unsure she could obtain.

The first was confirmation that Ruby even liked her back... which she was unsure about how to obtain.

The second was her family's blessing... Weiss knew Yang and Blake at least kind of liked her now... but... that was different to liking her as a suitor for Ruby.

And the third... was time. Ruby actually had to complete the Formula first.

"Not a matter of if... but when." And when was the issue. Vale was starting to settle down... her father would be done sorting things out soon... and the second he finished...

Weiss's hand had remained empty up to this point in no small part thanks to how busy her father had been... to busy to notice her. As things grew calmer, the risk of him noticing that bargaining chip grew. Weiss would be married off to who knows who... and then she'd never...

That was another question... Weiss liked Ruby... liked Ruby... but there was still a big jump from that to... spending there life together... getting married... having children...

Her blush returned in full force.

Ruby was...

"Perfect..."

She cleared her throat.

But realistically... did Weiss like her that much...? Could she say that? Could she say that she... loved... Ruby?

Weiss stared into the mirror, her brow furrowed and her eyes tight. She took a deep breath in... and let it out. Her face falling to one of calm, her features softening.

"I love Ruby Rose."

She waited... for something... anything... she had known how to study people's faces for lies for... years... her whole life maybe... surely that skill had to work on herself...??

It didn't help how easily she had said it... how smoothly it came out... no breath hitch, no stuttering... sure it was easier to say it in private then to someone, but this had to account for something right? All she had felt was like she had a weight off her chest and something stirring in her stomach like-

"Oh..."

Like butterflies...

"Oh shit."

She could be calm. This wasn't a big deal. It was okay. So her 'little' crush was actually love... or at least what she thought was love. Did she know what Love felt like? Wasn't it too soon?? It probably didn't help that she had never loved anyone before!

"Well, Winter... but that's different..." She sighed and leaned back into her chair. She needed a plan. If she had a plan she could... a plan for what though?!

"Why is this so difficult!?" Her scream met no one but the empty carriage and she sighed once more.

She wanted to come up with a plan... she wanted to find a solution to this problem but...

"Is there even a problem...? The only issue is I don't know what to do... is that even something I need to plan for...?" She held in her sigh... she'd done enough of those for the next year... well... being honest with herself, next day maybe.

She politely knocked on the door to the workshop. Sure she could just waltz on in but... at a certain point this had become Ruby and... Penny's... space. She didn't want to intrude.

Penny was great. It was good knowing that Ruby had a friend, that Ruby was safe, that Ruby was looked after.

Weiss was happy that Ruby spent most of most of her days... with Penny. Yes. She was definitely happy about that.

The door opened and she was greeted by the wrong redhead.

"Salutations Weiss! What brings you here?"

Weiss wanted to strangle the ginger. She had no clue where that urge came from, but she felt the vein on her head nearly explode with pressure as she put on a pleasent smile.

"I'm just here to check up on things."

"You did that yesterday though friend?" Penny tilted her head.

"Well. I am allowed to check up whenever I want. Aren't I?" Weiss said that last part with perhaps a little... too much malice. Penny quickly nodded and stepped to her side to allow Weiss in.

"O-of course Weiss!" Penny was a little suprised... but bless her heart, all Weiss saw on her face besides that was worry... She probably thought Weiss was just having a rough day or something...

Penny didn't deserve Weiss's animosity... it wasn't even her fault. None of this was Penny's fault, hell, Weiss had given her this job...

The worst part was... if Weiss just told Penny how she felt... she knew the girl would help...

"Penny! Check this out! I think I figured out how to- Weiss! What are you doing here?" Ruby's face lit up as she saw Weiss and the princess felt her heart melt.

She stared into those silver eyes, perhaps for a moment too long but she didnt care. All of this worrying up until now... all of this struggling and planning... who cares? This was all she needed to be sure. To just look into Ruby's eyes one more time.

As Yang would so eloquently put it... She had it bad for Ruby.

"I'm..." Weiss struggled for words as she continued losing herself looking at Ruby.

"Weiss is just here to check your progress Ruby." Penny came to her rescue and stepped into the kitchen, returning with a glass of water and a small smile. She handed it to Weiss and the white haired girl smiled at Penny.

"Penny is too pure for this world."

"Oh. That's neat! I was just trying something new." Ruby smiled and headed over to one of the many benches littered around the main workshop area.

"Can you tell me about it?" Weiss approached and sat at a nearby table.

"Oh uh... is this... Weiss my friend asking or Weiss my boss asking?" Ruby looked back at her nervously and Weiss felt her heart clench.

Somehow... she hated the sound of both of those options... but... lesser of two evils...

"I'm asking as your friend Ruby." Weiss spoke cautiously.

"Umm... I'd rather not say if that's alright..." Ruby returned her gaze back to the bench and Weiss felt like strangling someone again. What had she done wrong? Was there a reason Ruby didn't trust her with this?? Surely she had earned a decent reputation with Ruby...

The worst part was Ruby had been set on telling Penny about it when she walked in, who had now joined her over by the bench. Weiss had to take deep breaths... she wasn't jealous... she wasn't. Weiss Schnee. Was. Not. Jealous.

"I'll talk to you about it later Penny" Ruby spoke in a voice quiet enough to clearly have not been meant for Weiss's ears.

"How difficult would it be to get Penny sent back to Atlas..."

Weiss face planted into the table and groaned.

"W-weiss?? Are you ok?" She really wasn't... her emotions were killing her and frankly... that face plant had hurt way more then she was expecting.

"Yeah... peachy... can I get a progress report...?" Weiss had to keep herself from groaning out her words. She hadn't moved her head from its spot on the table either.

"Oh well... I'm ahead of schedule on this month's attempts. This workshop has helped a lot, I didn't think I was gonna use all four circles at first but... wow it's helpful. I should be good to do a new batch of test Phrases in... two weeks? Maybe." Weiss was looking up at her now, her chin resting on the table still.

"You don't test the Phrase ideas as you get them?"

"No... well... see its much more efficient if i-" She cleared her throat with a blush. "S-sorry, I was about to rant again." Ruby awkwardly laughed and turned away... Weiss felt like someone had just punched her heart.

"I like hearing you talk about magic..." Weiss Schnee, Crown Princess of Vale... was pouting.

"That's umm... nice of you to say Weiss. B-but I tend to rant too much when I talk about it... Penny's been helping me in breaking that habit." Ok now she definitely was back to wanting to stab Penny. Ruby's magic rants were adorable and full of fun facts... how dare Penny take that away from her?!

But... if that's what Ruby wanted... if it was something she didn't like about herself... Weiss was ok with letting it go... well, she wasn't, but that didn't matter.

This was the issue... she could only spend so much time with Ruby... Penny had an unfair advantage... was Weiss only a wallet to Ruby...? She shook her head quickly, Ruby would never think of her like that.

But... if someone asked Ruby who her best friend was... Weiss knew the answer would be Penny.

"Maybe that's ok..."

Weiss took a moment to rethink things... Weiss didn't even know if Ruby was into girls... let alone if Penny was. If Penny had taken the position of Ruby's best friend, Weiss could live with that... she was aiming for a higher position after all. Crush, girlfriend... Wife...

She felt a blush tinge her cheeks, she couldn't even think about that without growing giddy.

If Penny wanted to firmly slot herself into the friendzone, why fight that? Weiss just had to make Ruby fall for her, and let Penny shift onto the side lines.

It was a perfect plan.

An unbeatable plan.

Truly, Weiss Schnee is a genius.

Ruby had said something and Penny burst out laughing. The ginger girl was holding onto her stomach and her face had a light blush as she laughed. Ruby had a bright smile as she listened to Penny roar with laughter.

"Oh that bitch likes Ruby."

Weiss needed to calm down... sure she was in a sticky situation... but perhaps she could handle this with a little grace...

"Yang Xiao Long!! Open this door now!!" Weiss had pressed the doorbell three times, and used the knocker so much that she was suprised it hadn't broken yet. She knew Yang was home. She just knew it...

She hadnt called ahead for once though.

Weiss felt her anger grow as she was left without a response.

"The arma gigas could bring down this door... it totally could..." Weiss was fumbling with her Scroll as she grumbled, debating in her head if the angry response from Yang and Blake was worth getting to talk sooner if the Golem smashed through the door...

Ok it was worth it.

Weiss started to pull out the enchanted metal when the door flew open.

Yang was barely wearing pajamas, a strap on her top was off her shoulder, her hair was dishevelled, and Weiss could recognise what a Hickey looked like... apparently Blake was frisky because Yang had a lot of them.

"Weiss. Whatever reason your here for. It had better be important." This calm anger was not what Weiss had expected from the first time she had seen the deep glowing red of Yang's beserker eyes activated. Weiss froze... how could she start this conversation... how was she supposed to get gossip out of Yang like this... how could she-

Oh that was such a stupid idea it just might work.

"Yang! Tell her if she doesn't leave now I'm going to get revenge when she sleeps tonight!" Blake's voice was surprisingly loud for once, Weiss had to question if Blake actually could break into the castle at night.

Yang chuckled.

"You heard her Weiss, surely whatever this is can wait-"

"I'm in love with your sister." Well, Weiss was no stranger to diving into the deep end. With a brick attached to her... oh God what had she just done?

Yang's eyes returned to violet in an instant and she just stared at Weiss in shock. Weiss didn't even hear Blake, she had just suddenly joined Yang at the door, in an even worse state of dress then her wife... literally just a sheet she was holding with one hand to cover herself with.

"What...?" Blake was the first to speak but Weiss had fully turned away now with a very bright blush.

"M-maybe your right, we can discuss this at a later time when your both not so-"

"Nope. No way. You get in here, I'm going to go get some clothes on." Blake had already walked away and Yang looked offended.

"Sounds like Ruby's love life is more interesting to you then sex with me!" Yang called out to her wife in a teasing voice.

"That's exaclty what I'm saying!" Blake's response left Yang feigning a wound in her chest as she held onto the door frame, trying to keep herself up.

"Your such a dork..." Weiss sighed and put a hand on her hip.

"Can I come in?"

"So... your in love with Ruby..." Blake calmly took a sip of her tea and Weiss rolled her eyes.

"How many times do I have to say that..." She had a light blush.

"Before we continue I have an important question." Yangs voice was serious... very serious... Weiss gulped and braced herself. "Do I give you the big sister talk, or the mum talk?" Weiss face palmed.

"Yang..." Blake even groaned.

"What? It's a legitimate question."

"Ruby is your sister..."

"Who I love like a daughter? Plus, the mum speech is probably way more fun." Yang grinned and took a sip of her coffee.

"There probably won't even be a talk to give me..." Weiss's mumbling was something she had gotten used to doing around Blake... it helped her say things she wasn't prepared for, and the ebony haired girl alway heard her.

"What makes you say that?" Weiss sighed and looked into her yellow eyes.

"Penny."

"Ruby's new friend?" Yang asked the question innocently but it was enough for Weiss to snap her attention to the blonde.

"Did she say that? Just friends? No crush or anything??" Her desperation leaked through... well, poured out more like.

Yang held her hands up defensively.

"I haven't heard much about her... I've met her once or twice but Blake probably knows more." Blake glared at Yang, she had basically just sicked Weiss on her.

The princess's eyes returned to the yellow ones and Blake sighed.

"My honest opinion? Penny is Ruby's best friend... sorry but that's just the truth. I can't say much about how Penny feels... can't read the girl at all... but... Penny is a good person... surely you could just ask her if she has feeling's for Ruby?" Weiss groaned.

"I can't do that... if I do... she'll ask why I wanna know... and if I tell Penny that I like Ruby... then she won't pursue her... Penny is really nice and she deserves that chance..." Weiss mentally kicked herself, why couldn't she be as selfish as the voice in her head?

"If you ask me that's stupid. Take every chance you can get. Get the girl Weiss Schnee! That's what I did with Blake." Yang winked at her wife and Weiss tilted her head. "Me and this guy named Sun sorta competed a bit for Blake."

Blake nodded and sighed a little... and well, this was too much of a distraction for Weiss not to ask.

"Sun? As in... the same name as your-"

"Yes Weiss, very observant." Blake rolled her eyes.

"Sarcasm is unbecoming of you Blake."

"Whatever Princess." The ebony haired girl giggled and sighed. "Sun was... a good friend. I didn't see him that way, I let him down easy and... he was incredibly respectful about it. He was a man through and through... everything I could wish for our son to grow up and be... though if he's a little smarter I wouldn't mind that." Blake chuckled. "I don't think he ever got over his feelings for me... and... he congratulated both of us when we got together... he died saving Yang..." Blake swallowed and sighed, and Yang continued.

"I made a mistake... let's leave it at that... a mistake that would've cost me my life... Sun chose to lose his instead... he... he passed away in my arms and..." Yang leaned back in her chair. "He told me that he saved me for selfish reasons... that... me making it back home would make Blake more happy then if he made it back home... I could tell he was at least half lying... he was selfless through and through... maybe he saved me partly cause of that but... he was also just a good man, that gave up his life to save someone else." Yang downed the rest of her coffee and sighed.

"I... I'm sorry for bringing up such a painful memory." Yang shook her head and smiled at Weiss.

"Weiss... that was neatly twenty years ago... sure... that's not a long time for non humans but... Ruby's kinda made me experience that time at a human rate... I'm over it. It hurts, but it'll always hurt. It's not gonna keep me up at night. Not anymore." Weiss nodded and glanced at Blake, she had the same somber smile as her wife... Weiss smiled.

They were both so strong... though, perhaps time just did that. She sighed.

"So... what would you do in my situation...?"

Yang tilted her head in response.

"How do I get Ruby to fall in love with me..." Weiss blushed as she said those words... and of course Blake had to giggle at her.

"I'd like to tell you how but... frankly I don't know much about that side of Rubys life. If you do manage, you'd be her first girlfriend." Yang smirked.

"Girlfriend or fiancée? Weiss is a princess after all, she can't exaclty just go running around with anyone." Blake giggled as she finished her little interjection and Weiss blushed brightly.

"Ooooh, Weiss you wouldnt mind that at all would you?" Yang's teasing was quite rude but...

"N-no... I guess I wouldn't..."

"What?" Weiss blinked as she looked up at Yang, the suprise plastered over her face.

"Did you... not think I hadn't already thought about what my position meant for if I was to pursue a relationship with Ruby?" Weiss folded her arms. "How low is your opinion of me?"

"That's not a question you want answered princess. But... your serious? You'd want to actually... marry Ruby?" Yang was leaning forward and Blake had left to go get more tea and coffee for Yang.

"We are skipping past a lot of 'ifs' here..."

"But...?"

"But... eventually...? Yes..." Weiss looked down at her hands and Yang mulled over her options for a moment.

"That's... quite a lot to tell me... I mean... I would've expected to be helping Ruby with her love life but... her love life came to me." Yang laughed awkwardly but after Weiss didn't join in she stopped. "In terms of team Penny or team Weiss, just want you to know that we're team Weiss." The Weiss in question looked up and blinked at that.

"Really...? After all Penny has done for her...? I..."

"Penny's done a lot for her because you put her there. Ruby's sleeping in a bed now because you gave her one, she's eating meals cause you don't let her buy only junk, and... thanks to you my baby sister is spending her birthday here next week... she's inviting me into her life again... all because of you. Call me selfish but...-" She smiled at Blake as she re-entered.

"You can bet your pretty white ass that we're both rooting for the princess here."

Weiss felt a small tear move down her cheek and nodded.

"You... really know how to ruin a speech Xiao Long." Yang laughed and nodded, moving over and wrapping Weiss In a hug.

"Yeah. But you loved it anyway." Weiss tightened her hold around Yang.

"Your not wrong..."