"A fox," Weiss whispered while focusing on the image in her mind and calling upon her spark. The icy creature formed on the floor in front of her. Big ears. Sleek body. Large, bushy tail.
"A...cup."
Releasing the fox, she conjured a cup instead. At first, a plain one - nothing more than a concave shell of ice that would hold water. From there, she concentrated on the finer details - a thin, intricate handle that might break if someone set it down too hard, a petite base, swirling patterns of ice etched into the side.
The purpose of practicing wasn't to take the easiest route, Winter reminded her so many times. She practiced to build control, to harness the spark in her heart that begged to burst out. Once she had control, she could challenge her mind and her spark to do her bidding. Together, what could they create? What could they accomplish?
"A flower," she said next, catching the cup by the handle as it fell toward the floor. The handle straightened within her grasp while the rest of the cup shifted up, folded in on itself, and billowed out with petals.
Smiling at the newly formed rose, she twirled the cold stem between her fingers and added the finer details. Making petals appear soft when made of ice was difficult, but she had gotten the hang of it over time. The icy-blue hue had also grown on her, though she still wished for more color - green for the stem and leaves; vibrant red for the petals.
Two rapid knocks jarred her away from that thought, and the rose disappeared in a wisp of fog as she turned toward the small, open window of the carriage. One of the Knights, a captain based on the medals adorning his silver armor, rode on his steed just outside.
"Doing alright, Your Highness?"
She nodded and offered a soft, "Yes, thank you," to his seemingly genuine concern. The response concluded what had been a regular interaction between them over the past couple of days, but this time he paused before riding away.
"We should arrive before nightfall."
Weiss' nerves came alive at the news, but he disappeared before noticing. Left alone in the extravagant carriage serving as her living quarters for the trip to Vale, she clasped her hands in her lap and took a long, deep breath. Slowly exhaling, she reminded herself that this was what she wanted. She said that she wanted to stop the war. She said that she would go to Vale. So...here she was. On her way to Vale, accompanied by a legion of Knights numbering in the hundreds, loyal men and women clad in extravagant silver armor.
The royal guard was an understandable precaution considering relations with Vale soured long ago, thanks in no small part to her father's demands of fealty. Entering the Firestorm Kingdom meant stepping into enemy territory. Even if the Vale Queens offered assurances of protection or civility, they couldn't be trusted. The kingdoms were still very much at war - their armies could be fighting at this very instant - and this meeting felt one-sided at best.
Weiss still believed in her goal. The war had done nothing but harm, and why should Atlas continue if her father's death presented an opportunity for change? What if they could come to an agreement? It didn't have to be an admission of defeat or weakness; everyone could agree that they were simply tired of fighting and ready to move on. Unfortunately, her confidence in her probability of success had disappeared before leaving the palace.
Maybe it was foolish to expect one of the Councilors, or several of them, to accompany her. Instead, Councilor Ironwood had met her at the front steps to wish her luck and explain why they would remain behind.
The Council had to ensure Atlas ran smoothly in her absence. There were many matters to attend to - the populace, the troops, the economy. One arm of their government needed to keep operating at full capacity. Besides, as he pointed out, sending Councilors would make the meeting too political.
Even Councilor Hill, who had pulled Weiss aside immediately prior to the convoy departing, had expressed similar concern for Atlas' government in her absence and warned that they had no way of knowing how the Vale Queens would respond.
Traveling to Vale alone made Weiss nervous beyond belief. Not wanting either of them to know that, however, she agreed with their reasoning despite it not matching her vision. She imagined being accompanied by someone who knew Atlas' political system better than she did, or someone who knew more about the war than she did, or anyone with more knowledge than her. With their experience, they could provide facts and evidence supporting her desire to cease fighting.
But politics and Vale clearly didn't mix. Whether or not that was entirely her father's fault, she didn't know. The only thing she knew was that if she wanted a different result than before, the circumstances had to be different than before.
So she traveled alone, though she wished for some measure of support or even just some company. Vale had two queens; she had only herself. That was an unequal way to negotiate, but she would make do. She had to. Atlas had already fallen far behind and turning back now would be an admission of failure.
Her father always called her a failure, but she was determined to prove him wrong. If that meant traveling to Vale alone and trying to negotiate a truce with two people she had never met, without any of the knowledge she needed to succeed...she would do her best. If Vale wanted to keep fighting, at least she tried.
If only Winter were here...she would know what to do. She could hold her ground against the Queens of Vale. She could broker peace between their kingdoms.
But Winter was nowhere to be found, leaving Weiss to attempt this by herself. If the people of Atlas knew what disservice had befallen them, losing Winter's capability for Weiss' incompetence, they would be disappointed. Maybe they were already disappointed.
Taking another deep, shaky breath and exhaling slowly, Weiss shook the thought from her mind. If nothing else, she should try to enjoy the temporary freedom from the palace and the white-cloaked Councilors demanding attention. Besides, this trip was momentous for more than the possible outcome. For the first time in her life, she had left Atlas.
To many, that wouldn't seem like such a feat. But to her, who hardly ventured outside the palace, passing through Atlas' enormous gates had been a surreal, indescribable moment. Her world had always felt so small, making life beyond the walls an incredible sight to behold.
The first full day of travel had been slow, but that bothered her little as she marveled at everything. The tall mountains and snowy corridors hemming in the kingdom served as protection from invaders but were treacherous for travel, especially traveling in such a large group. In some places, the snow piled so high that it looked like it would never melt. Towering evergreen trees filled the forests with brown and dark green, and sporadic wildlife freely roamed amongst them - all kinds of animals calling Atlas' harsh climate home.
The second day had brought even more remarkable change as they descended the mountains and crossed terrain she had never seen before. The snow disappeared - and she had never lived a day of her life without snow on the streets or visible on the mountains above Atlas. In its place grew bountiful grass, shrubs, and different types of trees. Patches of wildflowers sprouted along the path, providing frequent splashes of color and signs of life only seen during Atlas' springs and summers.
The lively wilderness and peaceful meadows lifted her spirit, but the momentary levity was dashed when she spotted settlements in the distance. Compared to Atlas, each was tiny - nothing more than a small cluster of buildings in the middle of the greenery. The grassy plains suggested farming would be a staple, as well as fishing the variety of streams that her escort navigated with ease. It was quaint and beautiful - the perfect antithesis to Atlas' frozen, busy streets.
During her first glimpses of the Badlands, they didn't appear all that 'bad.' Then the caravan drew closer, and the illusion disappeared. The land was charred and broken. What she thought to be a thin haze burning off under the early morning sun turned out to be smoke - she couldn't see where it originated from, for which she was grateful.
Winter said that the Badlands had been devastated by the war but seeing the evidence firsthand made it real and...heartbreaking. Even if Weiss played no part in the decisions leading to such devastation, she felt complicit. Her father had never granted her any real power, but couldn't she have said something? Voiced her concerns? He wouldn't have cared about her opinion, but she could have tried.
Hopefully, now was better than never, as the importance of her impending meeting grew.
Knowing that they would reach Vale by the day's end, she leaned back against the cloud-like sofa and closed her eyes. After spending the past couple of days imagining what she would say and what responses she might receive, now was the time to solidify her arguments.
The war had caused more harm than good - the Badlands made that clearer than ever. Too many lives had been lost. Countless homes had been destroyed. Atlas' once-strong economy had been significantly impaired, and Vale must have suffered, too. No one had been spared the effects of this never-ending battle.
She hoped the Queens of Vale felt the same, but she knew very little about them. The Sister Queens, as they were called, had a bad name around the palace. Viewed as propagators of battle, they were villains intent on destroying Atlas' way of life. They were greedy, power-hungry, vindictive, and wouldn't rest until Atlas ceased to exist.
Besides their shocking similarities to Weiss' father, the Queens represented fire and wind - elements not seen in Atlas for quite some time. Their very sparks marked them as Weiss' opposites, but she hoped those differences could be eased through communication.
Maybe she should write down what she wanted to say. Then she could memorize the words and fall back on them when given the opportunity to present her case.
Before she took that idea any further, however, the carriage abruptly stopped. Curious about the unexpected pause, she leaned forward to see what was happening only for every window to be shuttered and locked from the outside.
"Your Highness, stay inside!" someone shouted as a commotion erupted around her.
She had no choice but to do just that, locked into the small space while fear and confusion flooded through her. They hadn't reached Vale yet. They were still traveling through woodlands, yet the members of her escort, who had been quiet for the majority of the trip, were suddenly alive with barked orders and frenzied movement.
After spending several minutes waiting on pins and needles, her spark sending a chill through her veins, she sensed the commotion dying down. Relative quiet returned, and soon after that the door was unlocked and the windows opened.
"Your Highness -"
"What's going on?" she interrupted. The Knight glanced to the side before meeting her gaze through the window.
"Someone was hiding in the trees." When her eyes widened, he rushed on. "We captured her before any harm was done. She claims to be a thief -"
"You 'captured' her?"
"Subdued her, Your Highness. She claims to be a thief, intending to steal from our supplies. What should we do with her?"
"You...want me to decide?" Weiss asked before realizing how ill-prepared that sounded. Fortunately, he didn't hesitate to nod.
"Yes, Your Highness. Her life is now yours to deal with as you see fit."
The idea of someone's life being in her hands - someone she had never even seen or met - sent an icy chill down her spine. What did he expect her to do...make a decision based on no detail other than 'she's a thief?' Was that how her father handled these matters? Did he decide the lives of strangers without ever seeing them? Without looking into their eyes and determining what type of person they were?
"I need to meet her."
Before the Captain responded, she opened the door and stepped outside. After letting her eyes adjust to the bright, midday sun, she turned around and found a line of Knights forming a protective barrier around the carriage. Most of them gave her a curious look while the Captain rushed to her side.
"Your Highness, you should stay inside where it's safe."
"I can't make a decision from there," she explained while searching the trees surrounding the rudimentary path cut through the woods. Spotting the supposed thief didn't take long, as they were surrounded by an entire battalion of battle-ready Knights. But Weiss couldn't see through the crowd of armor; she would have to get closer.
"Your Highness." The Captain stepped in front of her as soon as she moved, careful not to touch her but determined to block her path. "I strongly advise you not to approach. This is extremely dangerous."
For a split second, she nearly listened to him. He was in charge of her well-being, after all. It was his duty to be well-informed of dangers and do whatever was necessary to ensure her safety. But, following that same line of reasoning, he should understand that what he was asking of her involved someone else's wellbeing. Wasn't it her duty to make an informed decision?
"I can't answer your question without speaking to them."
Even though he didn't agree, he sensed her adamance and relented. After nodding to the Knights by the carriage, who moved to her side as protection, he turned around and led the way. Weiss' heart sped up with every step, unsure of what she just got herself into, but it stopped entirely as soon as the crowd stepped aside to allow a clear view of their captive.
Kneeling on the ground, surrounded by far more soldiers than necessary, was a girl who couldn't be any older than Weiss. Her long, raven-colored hair was the blackest Weiss had ever seen, and her piercing amber eyes were a stark contrast to the blues of Atlas. The Knights had immobilized her by binding her wrists and ankles with thick cuffs of ice, but that didn't stop her from holding her head high and glaring at them.
She didn't look like a thief. She looked like a young woman being intimidated by soldiers.
"Captain…" Weiss quietly addressed the man, but her voice instantly drew the girl's gaze - and ire. Her amber eyes burned with fury, suggesting Weiss had somehow wronged her even though they had never met.
"Address her if you wish, Your Highness."
Glued to Weiss' side, the Captain motioned that this was her opportunity to speak. Now that the moment was upon her, however, she wished that she had stayed in the carriage. Everyone's attention fixated on her, waiting for the words she would say, and the thief's steeled gaze made her want to run away.
Winter would know what to do, but Weiss would try her best. This girl's life depended on it.
"Who are you?"
The question was quieter than Weiss intended, but the girl still heard. Rather than respond, however, she clenched her jaw and kept glaring.
"Answer her," the nearest Knight demanded. When the girl still said nothing, he lifted his foot and aimed a heavy boot her way.
"Stop!"
The order slipped out, but he froze and quickly set his foot back down.
"She doesn't have to respond," Weiss explained, fidgeting with her hands while everyone stared at her. Had that been the wrong thing to do? But he was about to kick a defenseless person… "There's no reason to resort to violence…" she added.
"Yes, Your Highness."
He bowed and backed away, but she hoped he didn't feel too admonished. She understood that he was doing his job, possibly the way he had been taught to do it. That didn't mean she wanted those practices to continue under her watch.
Without a name or cooperation though, she didn't know what to do next. If the girl wouldn't respond, how could Weiss decide what should be done?
Discovering that confusion had replaced some of the hatred in the girl's eyes, Weiss took a deep breath and crept closer. The dwindling distance between them made every Knight anxious, causing the nearest to inch forward, but Weiss never turned away from the amber eyes in front of her. At any hint of motion, she would back away, but the girl didn't move. She just stared.
Once close enough to have a private conversation, Weiss knelt on the ground so that their gazes were level. Her heart hammered in her ears, reflecting the tense atmosphere surrounding her, but she did her best to force a calm expression.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I hope you understand their caution, but please don't be afraid. If you mean no harm to us, we mean no harm to you."
The words, intended to reassure, only sowed more conflict in those amber eyes. Whatever the girl had expected from this moment, or from Weiss, didn't seem to have happened, which could be either a good or bad thing.
"If you won't tell us your name, will you tell us what you're doing out here?" When the girl closed her mouth and shook her head, Weiss tried a different approach. "Are you from around here? The Badlands?"
That question got a reaction, as the girl ground her teeth together before answering with a terse, "Yes."
The response, no matter how small, had an out-sized impact on Weiss' heart - a weight that only grew heavier when she bit her lip and glanced toward the nearby village. Now nothing more than a dilapidated shell of its former self, it wasn't somewhere one would want to live. Survival in such a harsh environment probably depended on thievery, among other unsavory actions.
As much as her heart ached just thinking about it, Weiss needed to see this. All of it, as horrible as it was. While she 'suffered' through shortages in her favorite tea, others lost their homes, their livelihoods - their very lives. Those who remained scratched and clawed for each day, all while forced into more and more drastic means of survival.
The palace walls had insulated her from the destruction. Maybe the same had happened to the Queens of Vale. Maybe they also needed to see and hear the toll the war had taken on innocent lives.
When the girl shifted between her knees, the nearest Knights sprang forward and dragged her back by her shoulders. Weiss leapt to her feet at the sudden movement, her heart instantly sending shards of ice through her limbs, before even understanding what was happening: a moment of discomfort perceived as an attempted attack.
"Let her go," Weiss quickly said, but the Knights glanced at the Captain before doing as instructed.
Their reluctance was clear, and the rest of her guardians were equally restless and poised to attack. They stood in crisp, straight lines with their weapons in hand, while those on horseback sat rigid in their saddles. Plumes of icy breath billowed from their lips - the mark of Atlas and its frigid warriors - as they prepared their sparks to protect her.
Such a show of force...for one person. Were they trained to treat unarmed civilians like this? Or was this only for her benefit?
"Your Highness," the Captain finally spoke. "Her explanation doesn't hold up. If she's a thief, why is she out here in the woods by herself? Why wouldn't she be closer to civilization?"
"Maybe a coincidence -"
"No, Your Highness. She knew we would be here and planned accordingly. She was waiting for us to arrive."
With that knowledge, Weiss gave the girl a more thoughtful look. If true, that implied nefarious motives, but how could she judge those when they never came to pass?
"What do you suggest we do?" she finally asked.
"Kill her."
The blunt suggestion shocked her so much that she stared at him for several seconds before shaking her head.
"Why would we do that?"
"She's a threat to your well-being and should be neutralized. If we release her, she might follow us."
But to kill someone for that? No harm had been done. Nothing had been stolen, no one injured - how could the punishment be death?
"We're not doing that," Weiss decided.
"Your Highness, she might intend to kill you."
Looking at the girl, who watched her every movement like a hawk, Weiss tried to figure out what to do. Based on what the Captain said, she should fear for her life. Yet she wasn't afraid.
The energy radiating from the girl might be cold and calculated like an assassin, but her anger had disappeared the longer the conversation dragged on. As Weiss knew from dealing with her father, anger couldn't be reasoned with. But calculation implied logic, and logic implied reasoning.
"We could leave her here," another Knight suggested. "Once the ice melts, she can return to wherever she came from."
"What if someone else comes along while she's stuck here?" Weiss asked.
"Then she hopes they grant her the same mercy."
The girl frowned at the statement, reflecting Weiss' feelings. What were the chances that someone stumbled across a beautiful young woman alone in the woods and showed any type of mercy? That fate could be worse than killing her now.
The Knights didn't understand Weiss' concern. They viewed this as a minor problem with an established solution. But this was the first person whose life had really and truly rested in her hands. Maybe this girl intended harm, but she had done nothing. From every action so far, she was just a self-proclaimed thief who had the misfortune of being caught.
"No," Weiss answered and thought she saw relief flash through the girl's eyes. "No, we won't do that either."
"Then...what, Your Highness?"
Every gaze fell upon her, and her pulse increased from the added pressure. She didn't want to leave the girl here. She didn't want to kill someone who never did anything wrong to her. She wanted to release the girl and let everyone go their separate ways. But maybe there was another option, something she hadn't thought of until right now.
This girl was from the Badlands. She knew what it was like to live here. She knew firsthand what the war had done and how it had affected her.
"We'll take her with us."
"Your Highness?"
"We'll take her with us," Weiss repeated. The Knights exchanged looks, but she knew it was the right decision. At least, she thought it was the right decision. But forcing someone to Vale without their permission was akin to kidnapping, so she moved closer to the girl and again knelt so they could speak.
"I think you can help me with something," she said softly, watching as sharp amber eyes searched hers. "Please come with us."
When Weiss got to her feet and extended a hand, the Knights reluctantly released the ice binding the girl's arms and legs. Rather than accept Weiss' hand, however, she stood on her own.
"What could you possibly need my help with?" she asked, her tone dismissive yet vaguely curious.
"I can explain on the way there if you'd like."
Weiss motioned to the caravan leading the way into Vale, but the girl's eyes narrowed.
"You want them to tie me up and throw me over a horse then?"
"No! Of course not." That hadn't been Weiss' thought at all, and she shook her head to say as much. "You can join me in my carriage. We can...talk."
This time, Weiss clearly pointed at her personal carriage and even stepped in that direction. The invitation took everyone by surprise, but the girl considered her options long and hard before hesitantly nodding.
"Your Highness." The Captain of the Knights actually reached out and stopped Weiss before she followed the girl to the carriage. His eyes were fearful, approaching panic, as the girl paused with one foot on the lower step and watched the interaction. "I strongly advise you not to do this."
"I'll leave the windows open," Weiss replied in an attempt to alleviate his fears. "If I need your help, you'll know."
He wanted so badly to disagree. He thought she didn't have a spark, and therefore no means of protection. Ultimately, she was his queen, and he acquiesced.
"I'll be right outside."
After giving the girl one last look, he rallied the Knights back in order so they could resume their journey and stationed himself right outside the door. The girl looked up at him before turning to Weiss for instruction. When Weiss gestured to the carriage, the girl finally stepped inside.
She took the seat on the far wall of the cabin, in plain view, and Weiss wasted no time following. The door shut behind her, and anxious Knights remained stationed right outside each window. Thankfully, the weather wasn't nearly as frigid as in Atlas and provided a nice, cool breeze that swept across them once the carriage spurred into motion.
The sound of hooves and wheels bouncing along the uneven path drifted through the window, but other than that...silence. The girl said nothing, and Weiss said nothing as the caravan traveled through woods that appeared peaceful to outsiders.
Weiss' heart grew cold as she prepared for any attempted attack, but mostly she was...curious. It had been a long time since she interacted with someone her age, as her schooling had been done alone with private teachers. Same with her etiquette courses, dance lessons, and every other skill her father demanded of her. Some of the staff had children her age, but they weren't allowed on the main levels of the palace. Even if they were, she doubted she would have been allowed to speak to them.
She might be the same age as the girl sitting across from her, but their similarities ended there. The most obvious differences were in their appearance - dark hair, light hair. Sun-drenched skin, pale complexion from too much time indoors. Beyond that were stark differences in persona. Whereas Weiss clasped her hands in her lap to keep her fingers from trembling, the girl sat across from her without a hint of fear, calm and unmoving.
Perhaps they shared that feeling of curiosity, both in each other and in the current situation. Weiss sensed it in the gaze leveled her way, the intensity of which made her want to shift in her seat. What did this girl, this stranger, think about her? Had her insecurities already been noticed? Her failures already determined?
"Where are we going?" the girl finally asked, glancing out the window before turning back to Weiss.
"Vale."
"Why would you go to Vale?"
Tapping her fingers on her knee, Weiss attempted a smile even though her nerves increased. So far, the only people who knew of her goal were members of the Council; if she failed, only they would judge her. But she should offer the truth, if only to convince the girl to help.
"To negotiate a truce."
For several long seconds, the girl just stared at her. Laughter seemed imminent - Weiss even prepared herself for it - but disbelief emerged instead.
"You're negotiating a truce?"
The way the girl asked the question made Weiss feel better. It wasn't 'You're negotiating a truce?' The disbelief was reserved for the idea overall.
"I'm going to try," she admitted. "I don't know if Vale will accept, but...I don't want to fight a war no one can even give me a reason for."
"You want to end the war," the girl rephrased, again saving her disbelief for the entirety of that statement.
"Yes, I do."
With that admission out in the open, Weiss watched the girl's demeanor change from pent-up anxiety to confusion and befuddled...relief.
"If Vale agrees, will you call your armies back?"
"That's my hope. They would serve a better purpose at home."
"The armies will leave? Just like that?"
"I'm not sure how long it will take," Weiss replied, realizing she didn't have any expertise in that area. "But they should be able to pack up and leave fairly quickly…"
"And what will you do next?"
"Hopefully...fix what my father destroyed. Rebuild Atlas."
"What about The Badlands?"
The question gave Weiss reason to pause, as she had never considered what should be done with the region serving as Atlas' battlefield. Having seen the destruction, however, she understood that her responsibility didn't begin and end at Atlas' borders. These lands weren't theirs, yet they had treated them as such. Would it be right to leave these people to fix everything on their own?
"If the Badlands would allow it, I'd like to help here, too. That would only be fair after the damage we've caused."
"You'll...help the Badlands?"
"If I can, yes." While the girl seemed at a loss for words, Weiss looked out the window and sighed at how ruined the world had become. "There's so much work to be done…"
Unsurprisingly, her father had left a mess to clean up. A war, a broken economy, a wrongfully abused land...everyone needed help. Despite not knowing how to help, she wanted to, and she would try her best to. That started with Vale and convincing the Sister Queens to end the war.
"But I need your help," she added before the girl asked more questions. "I want to prove to the Queens of Vale that the war has done more harm than it'll ever do good. And while I can speak to the effect on Atlas -" A bit of an untruth, but she didn't want to appear ignorant of her own home. "I can't, and shouldn't, speak to what's happened here."
She waved to the window, where the destroyed land faded in the distance. The girl's gaze moved that way while Weiss continued.
"I'm hoping that together we can present a united front. Appeal to Vale on behalf of Atlas and the Badlands, and hope they see reason. Convince them to end the war, let everyone go home and rebuild."
That was it. That was Weiss' plan, in a nutshell. Countless lives depended on its success, as did the course of two kingdoms and the region between them. Based on the girl's eyes, it wasn't the plan she had expected to hear. Maybe that meant it was horrible or destined for failure. Maybe it was just crazy enough to work.
"Would you mind telling me your name now?" Weiss asked, and the girl studied her before deciding whether or not to answer.
"Blake."
Understanding that she would probably never learn a last name, Weiss smiled and accepted the small bit of information.
"It's nice to meet you, Blake. I'm Weiss."
Learning each other's names seemed like a step in the right direction, but Blake still stared at Weiss as if unsure what to think.
"Are you the older or younger one?"
The reminder of Winter sent a swirl of hurt through Weiss' chest, and she sat back as if she could physically escape it. "Younger…" she whispered when that turned out not to be the case.
Blake looked like she wanted to inquire more into that answer, but Weiss' reaction convinced her not to. Which was fortunate because, for as much as Weiss wanted to be a good host, she couldn't bear talking about Winter right now. Not when Winter should be sitting here instead of her.
"I've never been outside of Atlas before," she admitted, grasping onto the first subject change she could think of. When her gaze drifted out the window, where the terrain had grown steep and dry, Blake scoffed.
"You're not missing much…"
"When you've spent your entire life in one place, anything else is fascinating," Weiss pointed out.
When she finally turned away from the new environment, which seemed to grow hotter by the minute, she noticed that Blake was staring at her as if she was a puzzle or riddle that didn't quite make sense.
"Why didn't you let them kill me?"
"You've done nothing to wrong me," Weiss replied with a small shrug. "Why would I wrong you?"
"What if I intended to?"
The conflicting emotions in Blake's eyes gave away how complicated she was. Guilty, confused, determined, hopeful - all those things and more combined with a history Weiss probably couldn't even fathom.
"Should I judge you based on what you've considered doing, or on what you've actually done?" Weiss asked in return. Her father had claimed to be a lot of things - a great ruler, a great parent, a great leader - but words were hollow. They meant nothing if not backed up by action.
"What if I've done some bad things?"
The question hinted that the Captain was correct - Blake wasn't to be trusted. She was a stranger, and Winter had warned Weiss not to trust anyone. If she couldn't trust anyone, she definitely shouldn't trust someone who entered her life under such inauspicious circumstances. Still...she couldn't help wanting to trust Blake, if only so she could relax and not prepare herself for an attack at any second.
"Well, you've done nothing to me," she replied, trying to absolve Blake of the guilt in her eyes. "At least, not yet."
Blake didn't respond with reassurance, but her expression suggested that she was just as conflicted about Weiss as Weiss was about her. If they met under different circumstances - in different worlds, perhaps - could the two of them have been friends? Weiss had only ever counted Winter as a friend, but that didn't mean she never wanted more. The opportunities just never arose.
Now wasn't the opportunity to make friends, as the sun lowered toward the horizon and Vale grew closer with each passing moment. The woods had fallen behind long ago, replaced by an arid climate and smooth road. The road wasn't nearly as steep as the mountain passes into Atlas, but it was a tedious uphill climb out of the Badlands.
"Can I ask something?"
The question drew Weiss' attention back to Blake, who had actually requested permission rather than just asking. The progress might be small, but Weiss counted it nonetheless.
"Of course," she replied with a nod and encouraging smile.
"Why would you end the war? Atlas could gain a lot by winning."
Understanding what Blake was referring to, Weiss carefully considered her answer. If Atlas won, they could claim Vale and the Badlands. The Atlesian empire would expand further than it ever had. But for her, who could hardly imagine ruling Atlas as it currently was, the idea was far more daunting than enticing.
"Why wouldn't I end the war?" she asked in return, only to sigh and shake her head when Blake's eyes widened. "This is my father's war, and I have no desire to pick up where he left off. He was the one who was power hungry, selfish, vindictive, cruel…"
"And how was he as a father?"
With a rueful smile, Weiss turned away from Blake's searching gaze.
"Even worse," she whispered, though she had no desire to see Blake's reaction.
She didn't want pity or sympathy. She understood that even while suffering her father's wrath, her life was more privileged than most. But, as a child, enduring his constant torment had been a challenge. The yelling, the abuse, the insults...Winter promised it would make them stronger, but Weiss wasn't so sure. After being broken so many times, she didn't trust that she put herself back together properly each and every time. She might have missed pieces along the way, and she might need those pieces in the future.
Unfortunately, Blake quieted after the revelation, leaving Weiss to ruminate on her childhood as the caravan hurried on to Vale. She couldn't ruminate too deeply, however, as part of her attention lingered on Blake. The threat of attack seemed to fade the longer they sat there, but she was still ready to defend herself at a moment's notice.
Two knocks on the wall of the carriage made both of them jump, and the Captain of the Knights appeared at the window.
"Your Highness, we'll arrive shortly."
He pointed up ahead before spurring his horse to the front of the caravan, and Weiss leaned toward the window to take her first real glimpse of Vale. What she found in front of them was…incredible.
Towering sandstone walls, glowing red from the sunset, hemmed in a sprawling metropolis unlike anything she could have imagined. The buildings all seemed to be made of sandstone as well, with rooftops in vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows. Red-and-gold flags waved from the tops of the walls. And the palace was easily viewable in the distance, rising above the city and glittering in opulence.
"Have you been to Vale before?" Weiss asked, her heart fluttering as her nerves returned.
"Not in a long time."
Staring out the window, Weiss watched the caravan come to a stop at the city gates. Vale's guards - their fabled Elites in golden armor - waited outside. Some stood in regimented lines, some sat on armored horseback, and some perched atop giant, lizard-like creatures with elongated snouts, shimmering red scales, and long tails.
The size and alertness of the welcoming party made Weiss worry that they would meet resistance before even making it inside. Instead, one of the Elites stepped forward and motioned for the Captain of Knights to speak. After they conversed for several seconds, postures tense and untrusting, the Elite nodded and returned to his men, and the gates opened.
Vale's forces escorted them inside, but they were admitted through. They weren't turned away. They weren't attacked.
She was in Vale. She was being taken to the palace, where she would meet the Sister Queens, and where she would hopefully stop a war.
Their entrance garnered the attention of everyone they passed - the citizens of Vale curious and concerned about Atlesian Knights marching within their walls. But Weiss' attention was reserved solely for the palace, watching it grow larger and larger in her view. It wouldn't be long before they reached it, and then...
Her racing heart demanded her attention as the meeting rapidly approached. She had no idea what to expect inside the palace. Would they welcome her? Would they sneer at her? Were they exactly who her father painted them to be?
Her hands trembled from the uncertainty while her spark sent shivers through her veins. Had she been alone, she would have released some of that energy to prevent it from building up. But she wasn't alone, and a deep breath did nothing to calm those nerves as the carriage pulled through a second set of walls surrounding the palace. From there, it wasn't far to a circular drive bordering an enormous set of stone stairs leading to the royal residence.
There, the carriage stopped - their destination reached, and her time up.
"I'd like you to come with me." Turning away from the window, she nodded in response to Blake's disbelief. "I'd like you to participate in our discussions as my advisor."
"You're... serious? You want me to discuss a truce between you and the Queens of Vale?"
"Yes, because only you can speak for the Badlands," Weiss said, reminding Blake that she had valuable information to provide. "You don't have to be on my side," Weiss added when Blake didn't immediately agree. "You don't even have to speak to me after this. All I ask is for your help with them, because I want to make sure they understand the war's impact."
Even though Blake still looked stunned, she hesitantly nodded. Grateful for the pseudo-ally, Weiss took a deep breath and turned toward the carriage door. It opened moments later, signaling the end of her relative safety as she stepped outside.
Regardless of the warm air, a nervous chill lingered in her veins. Her only consolation was that she wasn't walking into the palace alone, but that consolation felt smaller than small as she stared up at the massive building in front of her.
The time had arrived for her to do what she set out to do. She had no idea how to do it, or if she even could, but she would try her best.