Hello again! Long time no see, yeah? Updates on others are coming soon, don't worry.
But back to the topic. A brand new story! - three guesses what this is inspired from, and the first two don't count.
Nevertheless, Enjoy!

Marriage!

A life-bonding experience that everyone in Remnant must go through. It was a tradition passed down by their ancestors since the very beginning of their civilization, continuing to today by the enforcement of the Kingdoms – whether its citizens liked it or not.

And what a tradition it was. While all its citizens dreamed of marrying the one they loved, that wasn't always the case. Because everyone knew the true reason it was enforced with such strictness; The ever-increasing amount of Grimm that encroached on their walls year after year, generation after generation.

Being the arch-nemesis of humanity, the Grimm – vicious black monsters attracted by negativity that only barely resembled wild animals – only have one objective in mind – to break down the walls of the Kingdoms and kill every single Human and Faunus. They had been there since time immemorial and just like civilization, continue to exist until today.

Civilization, however, had been reduced little by little across its history – slowly losing against the Grimm, leading to the only inhabitable places today being the Kingdoms.

It wasn't like they didn't fight back. Huntsmen and Huntresses littered Remnant, loyal to the spirit of Humanity and defending them against the darkness that crept their history. But they were only a portion of the population, and a portion was still just a portion.

In this current age of Huntsmen and Huntresses, they managed to drag it into a stalemate. But predictions aren't bright – a stalemate wouldn't last forever, and Civilization needed to seize this chance before the Grimm seized it for themselves.

They were all on turning point, a precipice; of victory or of being wiped out. The solution?

The Kingdoms wanted kids, and they wanted them yesterday.

The more the better, the higher chances they had at getting a prodigy which could one day prove to be instrumental in staving the demise of humanity. Of course, they knew they couldn't force the population too much or they'd cause too much negativity; ending their efforts prematurely.

So the solution was their marriage policy – especially to Huntsmen and Huntresses, the strongest of the population! Everyone above the age of 24 was expected to get married soon, and if it wasn't with ones of their choice then they'd be chosen for them. And then, the government hoped that families would then be formed, leading to the ensurement of the next generation.

Of course, it wasn't like people didn't get married to the one they loved. Plenty do, in fact! So common that it was still common practice. And loving families were still the most common of families, in fact now more common than ever.

However, to those who unfortunately couldn't find someone appropriate in time? Those who would've had their choices chosen for either way, all due to their status and their importance?

They only had two choices – find love in what they get!

…Or live in bitterness forevermore.

And no one man or woman can fight against the will of the world.

Pyrrha Nikos considered herself to have been very lucky in her life.

First off, she had the privilege to train to become a Huntress since she was nine years old. And it didn't stop there! – At the young age of 14, she had won her first tournament; that being the biggest one in her Kingdom of Mistral, the Mistral Regional Tournament, even against fully-fledged adult opponents.

Her accolades continued – she won three more times consecutively in no contest, before she even joined a Huntsman Academy. And when she did finish her education at the Mistral's Huntsmen Academy Haven, she did so the top of her year, with record-breaking scores and awe-inspiring strength.

She became a fully-fledged Huntress at age 21, three years ago. She took jobs that no one else would have taken, pulled off feats without even a scratch on her armour, and reached fame that rivalled the greatest of celebrities.

And to top it all off, she knew that she was also drop-dead gorgeous, her years of athleticism and facial care giving an aura of strength but also charming and elegant beauty. She was plastered in more posters and advertisements than she could count and had gained a large following in various forms of media.

That was what she represented - victory for the people of Mistral; a rising pride of their Kingdom.

Many suitors had come to her from all directions. From company heirs, to politicians' kids, to even fellow Huntsmen. But no matter how many came she'd always decline them with a polite smile and a quick excuse, making sure to stay cordial but keeping her denial clear.

After all, if there was one thing Pyrrha knew well from all her life in the limelight, it was this;

That they all wanted her for her fame – her accolades, her strength, her beauty, everything that had her name on it.

And if she'd said yes, then she just knew that they'd never look at what she was. They wanted the four-time Champion, Mistral's darling, the Red-haired Wondergirl. They didn't want Pyrrha Nikos, the girl that dreamed of saving people and wanted normality.

In a relationship, she didn't want to be famous. To be special, to be adored, to be held up to a pedestal of one of Mistral's greatest Huntresses ever.

She wanted to be herself – and no one ever saw normality within her. They always thought she was so special, Mistral's future and a Huntress to shine above them all.

So for all the things she had been lucky with, choice wasn't something she had in spades. She had been sat with expectations after expectations, and it wasn't like coldly rejecting people who looked to her for safety was something she'd stand for either. No matter who it was, she always believed in saving them and a second chance. She enjoyed saving people, enjoyed being a helpful hand to Humanity and Faunuskind.

But if she had her choice, then she'd give up all the fame and fortune in her life to be able to live like a normal girl. To have normal friends, normal routines, and normal love.

So she bided her time – just maybe, just maybe, someone would come that would look at her. Maybe just before the deadline of 24! Someone that would see her for who she was, sweep her off her feet and show her what she needed to see!

But alas, to her immense heartbreak, no one came.

And just like everyone else, Pyrrha was chosen a partner for the rest of her life.

And the reward for her fame? Her marriage was arranged with someone outside of her own Kingdom, as a show of 'solidarity' between the Kingdoms of Mistral and Vale, it was said.

After that, everything was a blur. The crowd support, the PR mess, the procession, the ceremony, the wedding – it went by much too quickly. And then, just before she knew it, she moved in with her husband in his Kingdom of Vale.

Had she heard of him before this 'marriage'? Of course she had. He was quite well known as a capable Huntsman, coming from a long lineage of knights and then Huntsmen. But she knew he held none of the pizzaz she did – whereas she won tournaments when she was just a girl, where she graduated the top of her class and became adored by an entire Kingdom…

He didn't.

He graduated middle of his class. He didn't make it to the semifinals of any tournaments. He was known to be competent, but he never took anything work that was too high brow.

And more than that – she didn't know him at all, and yet all of a sudden she was his spouse and her his. And in less than a week they were forced to move in, as was the laws of the Kingdoms.

And so now, three months married to a man she still didn't know, Pyrrha sat in the sofa of a living room in a house that wasn't her home, alone in a Kingdom she didn't know.

"Ah…" She rubbed her temples as she laid her hand on the table across from her.

On one hand, this was exactly what she wanted, wasn't it? Something normal. Her husband didn't rival her in power or fame, she knew that. Case in point, this house was just a simple, small house for a new couple – nothing like the extravagancies she was given (not bought!) back in Mistral…

But on the other hand… she didn't like not being given a choice!

She was lost – what was she supposed to do…?

But then the sound of the home's door opening broke her thoughts. Her husband had come home.

Creak!

"I'm back!" He greeted, putting his sword and shield by the door and closing the door behind him. Pyrrha turned her head from where she was, her emerald eyes meeting his own sky blue.

She could see him clearly just like he could see her. His blond hair, blue eyes, and average build… complete with the Pumpkin Pete's hoodie worn beneath the armour of his family, strapped over his chest.

Pyrrha gave a noncommittal nod and gave him a polite smile – but still strained. "Welcome back, Jaune."

Her husband – Jaune – gave her a small smile and a nervous laugh as he walked in the living room. "Heheh, sorry I came back so late… mission turned a bit sour."

Pyrrha gave the slightest of grunts, and Jaune moved on through the living room and into the kitchen. He began to pour himself a cup of hot water, "Ah, but I'm all right though! Since I'm still here after all…"

"Mhm…" Pyrrha's mind wandered away once more as her husband walked past her. Her gaze was till fixed on the table before her – not really thinking of anything at all…

Clink!

"H-Huh?" Pyrrha was knocked out of her stupor when something was put on the table – right in the middle of her gaze. A steaming hot cup of green Mistralian tea, freshly prepared.

Sip!

Pyrrha swiftly turned her gaze and saw her husband sitting across her, sipping the very same type of tea.

"You were looking kinda stressed." He said with a shrug, "I figured this might help you calm down a little…"

Pyrrha looked back down and lifted the cup of tea. She looked inside it and saw the swirling leaves – authentic, not the cheap knockoff ones you'd find in a street-side Vale shop. But that still left the taste…

Keeping her eyes trained on the tea, she took a careful sip. Her eyes widened as she downed it. It was just like back home!

Eagerly, she took another sip and felt her mind ease somewhat. "This is… really nice." She managed out, putting it back down and staring at her husband again.

Jaune closed his eyes and managed a brief smile. "I'm glad. I asked for some help from a Mistralian friend of mine… I'm glad he pulled through."

"Ah. That would explain the taste…" Pyrrha looked past him and to the small kitchen they have. There, she could see a box of tea leaves that Jaune must've taken from; and indeed, it was a straight Mistral import, the kind that not any outsider could just get.

Her head was much better now; but Pyrrha still figured that some rest would make it even better.

Pyrrha supressed a sigh and got up. "I'll be going to bed now," she said to her husband. "It's getting quite late. If you'll excuse me." Without waiting for another word, Pyrrha briskly turned around and went to her room, her steps quick but firm.

As she went to her room, her mind went into overdrive thinking of her current situation. Their household was cold, unbelievably so. But she still recognized what Jaune did; that tea wasn't cheap, and getting it as an import must've cost even more so. And she also remembered the various little things he did for her in these three months, things which he might or might not have realized.

'But still…' Pyrrha thought as she stopped walking and turned the handle on her door. 'I didn't choose him.' And that was the biggest crux of all, wasn't it? Once again she was robbed of her choice.

Pyrrha opened the door. So no matter how good it might be… 'I'll never love him.' She thought with determination, her eyes sharp and her grip firm.

But there was also a little worm in her mind, a worm that made her normally kind and graceful demeanour her smirk like a sly fox. The worm that pushed her to become a champion, the one that constantly reminded her of her standing and her pride, the one that made sure she knew exactly who she was at any point in time.

'But if he confessed to me…' Pyrrha supressed a sly giggle. If he were to be the one that went up to her and confessed his undying love to her, to dedicate this life they'd spend together to her and to her alone…

The smirk on her lips grew into a cunning and tricky smile. Well, he had been nice to her ever since they moved in, she couldn't deny that…

Maybe, just maybe, she could repay him just a little.

And well, that would be an entirely different story, wouldn't it?

And so Pyrrha knew, if Jaune wanted this marriage to work… there was only one option. An option she was happy to oblige.

And so Pyrrha set out on one thing, her new sly nature hidden beneath her kind demeanour.

'I'll make you confess to me!'

Click!

As soon as he heard Pyrrha's room close, Jaune put his cup down with a sigh. He stared at two the steaming cups of tea before him and shook his head.

Jaune let out a breath and leaned deep into his sofa. He tilted his head to the box of tea on the kitchen, then back to the two cups of tea. With a grunt, he took both cups and brought them to the sink.

He dumped the contents down the drain and began cleaning the cups. He grimaced as the contents of the tea went down the drain, "Sorry for all the trouble, Ren…"

As soon as he finished cleaning the cups, Jaune went back to the sofa and slumped.

He ran a hand through his hair as he thought back on the interaction with his wife.

He let out a nervous chuckle – sure that she couldn't hear him, all the running another hand down the side of his face. "Well, she liked it at least…"

That import had costed him a lot of money – a few missions' worth at that. He had first searched it up after hours of late-night web searching, and to top it all off he found out that no mere outsider could get it. He had to ask his two teammates Nora and Ren and to find the specific blend, and even they as Mistralians knew that it didn't come easy nor cheap.

But seeing her relax ever so slightly from that sip; it was well worth the month-long wait.

Jaune let a bittersweet smile grace his face as he stared up to the light above, eyes lost in memory.

It wasn't like he planned this whole marriage thing, you know? His sisters (all 7 of them!) and his parents were the one who set this up. They all knew that he wasn't particularly looking for romantic relationships, but the age deadline was coming up soon and so they forced his hand.

Well, saying 'forced' was misleading – it was more like they kept it a secret from him right until the day before the wedding. At the time he was deeply immersed in some upcoming missions and his training, as well as doing drills with Nora and Ren. He hadn't even noticed that he was approaching 24, or even remembered the law that was in effect.

His family would call him dense, he would deny to the end of time, but nothing could change the fact – by the time his family had told him, everything had already been set up. The wedding was to be done the next day and there was nothing he could do about it.

But if Jaune knew one thing, it was this;

He was a man, he was a Huntsman, and he was an Arc. A man stuck by his friends and family through thick and thin; a Huntsman helped those in need no matter who they were; and an Arc never went back on his word.

He knew he wasn't much. He wasn't a superstar, he never won any championships, and he was firmly in the middle in terms of skill and prestige in the Huntsmen world. His family might be storied, powerful, and influential, but him?

He knew he was just Jaune. Nothing like the illustrious Champion of Mistral, or the various heroic knights and Huntsmen that decorated his family's history. And he was fine with that.

He had accepted that a long, long time ago. For him, getting into Beacon, getting into a team with Nora and Ren and being made their leader – it was all enough. Anything more was just a gift.

And the date was set, so whether he'd like it or not, it was to be done.

And so Jaune accepted that too.

And on that day, when he saw Pyrrha for the first time and got married hours later, he instantly knew. She didn't get to choose him, just like he didn't get to choose her.

But he was a man, he was a Huntsman, and he was an Arc.

And so they moved in to their own house Vale, newlyweds who didn't even know anything about each other besides what was told in their books. They spent their days in these three months in formal, politeness a frostiness stretching between their distance.

It was clear that she didn't want him, he understood that. After all, she didn't choose him, did she? The law was forced on her too, just as it was on him.

But he was a man, he was a Huntsman, and he was an Arc. He knew what he needed to do, not just out of duty but also out of his own heart.

No matter how hard she'd treat him, no matter how frosty their relationship grew… 'I'll never hate her.'

And if she needed anything… 'I'll always be right here.'

Because how could he? She didn't get to choose, so wasn't the least he could do was make sure she didn't suffer? He knew he wasn't much – but if he could alleviate the burden on her shoulders even for just a little bit then he'd be glad.

A Huntsman's job was to help people, and that was exactly what he set out to do. Nothing more, nothing less, except follow the code his family passed down through generations.

Pyrrha was yet another person. He'd treat her as she always did other people – with kindness and a lending hand, because that was what he swore and that was what his heart told him.

But he there was also new part of him growing now, after these three months.

Because while Pyrrha had been polite and formal with him, her frostiness never seemed freezing to him. He had seen it in their brief interactions – while she was distant, she was never spiteful. She was woefully, painfully polite, but she never sought to snide him in front of others.

A part of him recognized that – it saw that Pyrrha was still kind with him, whether she knew it or not.

That part had expected Pyrrha to be rebellious, to be spiteful and hatred and conspire to destroy everything he was. To smear his name through the mud and strike revenge for what he allegedly represented.

But instead?

She was courteous. She even helped him, on instances he doubted she knew. She did little things that to him weren't so little – taking the tea and greeting him home instead of splashing it on him and cursing him to the end of days was one.

So that part of him grew – it grew and wanted something more.

It wanted this marriage to work, to be a real husband and wife, no matter the circumstances that put them here.

Perhaps he was a fool – he knew it was certainly foolish – but he couldn't help but slightly stoke this desire. For a long time he was content in everything in his life, from his strength to his Team to his achievements – what was wrong with being middle-of-the-road? -but this, this was the only thing he ever felt such a burning desire to achieve.

But alas, he knew the difference between them. From a Mistral's darling superstar and an average Huntsman. And more than that, he still knew she had every reason to hate him.

Again, she didn't choose him.

So for now, he'll still be here. Whatever she needed he'll help her to the best of his soul.

But in the future?

A small smile graced Jaune's lips. 'I know the difference between us… and so there's only one way…

I'll make you confess to me, Pyrrha!'

The smile on Jaune's lips reached his eyes.

'I'll become someone who can stand next to you – and surpass you, and then…

I'll be the one who makes you fall in love!'

You fall in love with someone… You confess that love… And then, the two of you become a couple.

Everyone knows that's a wonderful thing.

But they're wrong!

Even among people who love each other, there exists a distinct power relationship! A side that exploits and a side that is exploited! A side that's devoted and a side that receives devotion! A winner and a loser!

If you're trying to live a successful life then you mustn't become a loser!

Because one thing is for certain.

Love! Is! War!

And the person who falls in love first is the one who loses!

Thoughts, comments? Leave them in the reviews.
See you next time!

Next chapter: February 17