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(Rosé PoV)

"You brought the huntsman," my mother, the queen, observed with a raised eyebrow.

"I did. Is that a problem?" I put some challenge in my voice. If they had a problem with Cloud I wanted it out and in the open.

"He's a mysterious figure. I put out feelers for the man and can't be quite sure where he came from? One day he just popped out of thin air. I can't corroborate even that he went to Beacon when he was your age except by Glynda's word on the matter that he did. Of course she says he went by a different name back then," my dad said.

"Really?" My mind was muddled and not just by my father's words. The alcohol was taking its toll on me.

"Quite so. But she wouldn't give up his old name. And I pressed her for it. Quite curious."

"Don't you agree? Darling?" My mother chimed in.

"I think if Cloud changed his name, he had a good reason to do it," I decided.

"Like he was running from past crimes?" My father continued.

"Maybe," I hedged. Cloud had told me he did stuff he wasn't proud of. "But when?"

"Well I had a chat with General Ironwood by letter and I got a warning back. Turns out that he and Cloud are, well, who's on a first name basis with General Ironwood? But they worked closely together while he was in the Atlas Special Forces then he went AWOL."

"I sort of already knew all of that…" I murmured.

"I asked the General for his power ratings and the General gave them up to me," my father continued. "The reason that the General didn't send anyone after Strife when he went AWOL was because-"

"There wasn't anybody up for the job," I finished. "He couldn't divert that much manpower to it if Cloud didn't want to come in. He was afraid of the casualties. General Ironwood had to let him go."

My father stared at me. I knew he didn't like being interrupted.

"Darling… we're worried about you…" my mother cut in.

"I feel safe with Cloud," I fired back. "But if you're about to tell me that Cloud's ratings make him the most powerful man on the planet, then I knew that already. Cloud told me. If you're about to tell me he's dangerous I know that, too."

"He ran away from us when he saw us coming," my mom continued.

"He's coming right back," I waved off. "He just went to the bar. But this was a good chat."

"Don't think we're finished, young lady," my father pointed his finger in my face. "Why'd you bring him as your escort?"

"We're good friends," I leveraged.

"Don't give me that."

"Honey," My mom forestalled my father. "Don't make a scene. We just wanted you to know. If you didn't already. But you do. Isn't that right?" She asked my father and he sighed.

"I don't trust him. He came out of nowhere and an army couldn't stop him."

"He's on our side. He killed Raven Branwen."

"Why though?" My mom shook her head and asked. "The reason why he killed her matters."

"We could ask him. Here he comes."

"Give us a moment longer," my dad demanded.

Cloud walked up to us with another drink in his hand. He stared between us and probably immediately noticed the tension. He was standing closer to me than he was to my parents. "Your graces…" he started. "No, that doesn't sound right…" he trailed absently.

"Cloud?" I asked. I held out my empty glass with one hand. "Would you get me another screwdriver, please?"

He took the glass from my hand and gave me a gentle nod. He turned and walked down the path without saying a word.

"Drinking?" My mom sighed.

"What of it? Cloud took me drinking for the first time on my way from Winhill. He said if I could handle monsters I could handle alcohol. And so what? I'm of age."

"Does Cloud drink?" My mom continued.

"Never heavily."

"Darling… did you and he… I have to know…" My mom couldn't finish the thought.

I pulled my hair back. "No. He never tried anything."

"Would you have let him?" My mom pressed.

"Probably," I ran a hand through my hair and watched Cloud arrive at the bar.

"Darling…" my mother trailed.

"What?" I demanded. I flicked my gaze back over to her.

"You've just changed so much and we worry about you."

"Do you worry about me or do you worry about the family line?" I fired back. "I wonder, if I asked, would Cloud whisk me away from here?"

"You don't know what he's really like. The things he has done," my dad accused. "Do you know why he killed Raven Branwen? If you know so much about him already?" he challenged. I took him up.

"He said he ran into her before in Anima. He said that they were evenly matched. But then he said he really came into his power in Atlas. He said he had to take her down because he was one of the few people with the power to do it. But it was probably also a little personal. He would say so at least. He would make it clear that he didn't do it for purely altruistic reasons. Why don't we ask him?" I wondered.

"He's too much of an unknown and too much of a threat. The fleet couldn't stop him," my dad said. "He hunts the most dangerous hunters. Ironwood said he can pull airships out of the sky like plucking feathers off a bird. And the only team around who could maybe stop him wouldn't because he's personally involved with them."

"He mentioned the team," I countered. "He says they could probably beat him. Especially if they had some help."

"But they won't. Ironwood doesn't know what to do about him."

"So what are you going to do, dad?" I hammered. "Kill him? Why? How?" I demanded. "How are you going to kill him? What reason has he given you to kill him besides the fact that I want to sleep with him?"

That rocked my father.

"He assaulted your brother," my mom pointed out.

"My brother started that fight. Cloud finished it. He didn't hurt anything other than Chrome's pride. So what are you gonna do?" I raised an eyebrow. "What are you gonna do? And how are you gonna do it?"

My father floundered. He couldn't touch me. What was he going to do? In the middle of this party with Cloud fifty yards away? I was stronger than my father anyways.

"Darling… see reason…" my mom tried.

"Let's ask Cloud. He's never once lied to me or shied away from uncomfortable truths. Can you two say the same?" I wondered.

"You don't know of any time he's lied to you," my father suggested.

"Maybe. But I trust him."

"Enough to sleep with the man?" My mom questioned.

"Yeah. We were alone together for months. If he were a monster I would know about it by now. He's not. He's a good man. He has honor and decency. He knows that he has responsibilities to the world. Here he comes now. Should I ask him for more time? He'd give it to us if we asked. He doesn't care about the politics of your world. Or do you want to talk to him? Maybe get some answers?" I asked.

Cloud sauntered up to me. He held out my glass for me to take and stood next to me. I breathed in his aura. It brought me steady comfort. He turned to my parents.

"Your highnesses," he made his second attempt. "Rosé. Need me to take a hike around the garden?" He offered.

"That's 'Princess' to you," my father murmured.

"Dad, shut up," I muttered tiredly. "It's 'Rosé,' Cloud."

"Okay. So listen…" Cloud began. "I can't help but feel that I'm the source of some tension. I can easily leave."

"No," my mom decided. "We just have questions about you. That's all. You seem like a good man."

"Well… shoot. There's… some stuff that's classified. Above top secret I can't share."

"Your real name. What is it?" My dad demanded.

"It's 'Cloud.' 'Jaune Arc' was the name I entered Beacon with. That was the fake name."

"'Jaune Arc'…" I repeated. "'Cloud' is prettier."

"Why'd you change your name?" My mom asked.

"That's complicated," he sighed.

"Uncomplicate it," my dad tried to hammer him. But he may as well have actually taken a hammer to Cloud with all the strength of a mortal man.

"Let's get one thing straight," Cloud whispered. "I don't take orders from anyone. No one here can touch me in any way that matters. My sisters and mother are enemies of the Atlas state. I defected from my family. Joined Atlas's Special Forces."

"Who are your sisters?" I asked.

"Violet, Juniper, Kolumbine, Saphron, Iris, Lily, and Lavender Arc," he said. "They've got some real power behind them and, besides team RWBY or the Aceops, they're the only ones with the power to get in my way."

"And your mother?" My mom continued.

"Classified," he spoke softly. He took a pull on his drink.

"Why is your mom hush-hush?" I wondered.

"Everything about her is classified. It's a state secret."

"You don't serve the Atlas state," my father pointed out.

"So what?" Cloud fired back. "I still do what I can. And part of that is keeping these things secret."

"Why did you kill Raven Branwen?" My mother asked.

"Because I wanted to," Cloud murmured. "Yeah, I mean, you could put forth the argument that I had the power to stop her so I was supposed to stop her. But it was personal and I wanted to kill her."

"That's what I said," I cut across.

"Is that right?" Cloud asked me with a smile on his face. "Maybe, just maybe, you know me a little too well."

I flushed a little under his soft praise. It wasn't spoken like praise but I took it as such. I liked it. He took a drink and the ice clinked around in the vodka.

"Well…" my mom trailed.

"Well?" I fired back at her when I was finished glowing. "No further points you feel the need to bring up about Cloud's past?"

"Have you ever committed any crimes?" My father wondered.

"For sure. Yeah. Murder. Arson. Assault. All the nasty ones before I joined the Special Forces."

"But then rather than serve your time you went AWOL?" My mom asked.

"I served plenty. If General Ironwood has a problem with me he should bring it up himself or send someone after me."

"But you know no one can bring you in," my mom reminded.

"But he never tried. My family attacked Atlas. That's why I left. I started my trip here to hunt down my father first. The mad scientist Merlot. I'm a petri dish. I came out of a test tube."

"You're not a petri dish, Cloud," I informed him gently.

"You sound like Ruby. Ruby Rose of team RWBY. R-W-B-Y," he spelled out.

"The team you think could beat you?" I asked. It didn't sound like a bad thing, the comparison.

"They have me by the balls even if they don't know it," he groaned. That noise I wanted more of. "And I strongly suspect that they do."

He finished his drink off with that. I took that as my cue to sip a little on mine. My head was fuzzy and I was a little tired from the drink but it was nothing I couldn't handle.

"So that's pretty much it. My life story. I started at Beacon with fake transcripts for my family. I defected and made my way to Mistral. Then Atlas. Then back here. At some point I have to face my family and probably kill them. They're my responsibility. I have some power behind me which makes me one of the only people who are a really threat to my mother. My father's experiments can't be allowed to continue. I have to do something at some point about them."

"And just what are your intentions with my daughter?" My dad asked.

"We're friends. I think so at least. My position as her teacher makes it difficult but I think we are," Cloud murmured. "I'll be much more certain when she graduates."

Me too. I could have purred at that.

The lights dimmed down around the courtyard.

"Time for the show," I said. "Well? Where are we sitting?"

"The top box," my mother pointed above our heads.

"Come on, Cloud." I took his arm in both of mine like I had when we walked into the castle. I let the buzz of it hit me and wash over me. I wasn't sure if it was because of the alcohol or not but it felt even more pleasant. Like I'd been eating meat that wasn't seasoned and I'd just discovered salt. It made me shiver and I felt my heartbeat from between my legs as I dragged Cloud away from my parents.

I took him back inside and up some marble steps to a balcony with chairs set out. I took a seat and held Cloud's hand in my lap and above my groin. I imagined, well, wouldn't it be naughty if he played with me during the play? I'd totally let him too.

"Sorry about your parents. If it was something I did…"

"No, no. They're just over protective and my dad is insecure because you could rip all the armies to pieces. He'll get over it."

Or he wouldn't. Whatever. Let him be mad. If that's what he wanted to be. Let him, then.

My family took their seats around us. My dad sat right behind Cloud. Let him.

The play started with fireworks and lights flickering down onto the stage. You had a clear view of it from up here.

It was a romance between a huntress and a farm hand. I thought it was sweet but a little mushy at times. Cloud looked bored mostly. Oh, don't be like that, Cloud. I sipped on my screwdriver. I'm right here if you want some real entertainment. Please.

The actors did well with only one line really flubbed. And the show finished to applause and more fireworks above the castle.

We stood up once the lights came on around the courtyard and I led Cloud into the castle. We moved to a large and elegant ballroom where dinner would be served.

There was a stage with a small band on it to play for the evening. The room had tables around the outside edges of a large marble floor. The walls were high and led up to a glass ceiling with tapestries and paintings on the stone walls.

I walked up to the bar with Cloud and we both refreshed our drinks. I got another screwdriver. I liked the orange juice and vodka. I didn't like it straight like Cloud was drinking and he must have been on his eighth glass and he was still looking mostly sharp. He wasn't drunk even though he'd had about twelve shots over the course of three hours or so. He must have a crazy tolerance. I didn't know what that said about him but I liked it.

We waited while people gradually filed in and took their seats at the white tables around the edge of the ball room. At the stroke of violin my father led my mother out onto the dance floor in the middle of the room.

We waited and watched while my parents danced first. Then on a musical cue, the second stroke of a violin, I gave Cloud's arm a tug and he pulled me out onto the dance floor with a flourish. He was a really, really smooth dancer. We waltzed close together and I grinned. He spun me around and a high point tossed me into the air like I weighed no more than a feather. I gasped when he easily threw me but then hye caught me gently. He controlled me with one hand on my hips as we moved and I ebbed and flowed close to him. Everyone had to watch us dance. The noble boys who all competed for my hand in previous years. Noble girls who I liked and disliked depending. My friends. My extended family. They watched him whisk me into the air like a raindrop.

I wish that I could really move my body against his. See if I could get his blood pumping the way he did mine. But he controlled the pace and the distance we were set at throughout the entire step. I wanted him to control me more. I wanted him to put his hands on my hips and move me where he wanted me to be. And I wanted it to be close to him. Was that so wrong? I grinned up at him with a flushed face from the alcohol and from just our proximity. He was setting my every nerve ablaze with his aura. It was driving me insane and made my girlhood tremble. I wanted him to divide me and split me open.

Instead the music stopped and Cloud stepped back and kissed my hand with a bow. He gave me a soft smirk and you know what? We take those. The dance was met by applause and after the royal family the floor was open. But food was served at the same time in a rush of waitstaff and at the tables around the room. Cloud and I took a seat and ate together. The other noble girls had to just sit back and watch.

I worked my way down my fifth screwdriver and instead of feeling tired I was feeling a pleasant buzz not completely unlike what the touch of another person's aura was like.

"You, know… I'm sorry about the questions my parents asked you," I apologized.

"It's really no problem. Maybe it… it could be for the best if more powerful people know about me and what I'm capable of."

"More checks on your power?" I asked.

"Make everybody a little bit safer that way," he agreed. "I'm like… a walking thunderbolt. I'm hazardous."

"Oh so you know it?" I teased a little.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"When someone gets close to you it sets off their danger sense," I explained. "It feels like an electric current. Plus there's your taste." I was maybe a little loose lipped but in for a penny…

"My taste? You mean the texture of my aura?"

"Yeah. It's ozone."

"Huh. I always meant to ask but it always slipped my mind… that bit about me activating your danger sense is worrying."

"Why? Isn't it just because you're a badass." I laughed.

"Maybe… or it may have to do with my creation. You know what I mean? If I was no threat to you it shouldn't set that off. The fact it does is concerning."

"It's good," I disagreed.

"If you say so," he didn't agree right back at me. I knew what he thought about his own power. That it was in the wrong hands. I knew that he worried about his strength but I thought that was a good thing. I mean… it showed temperance and good judgment and that he was cautious about the fact the world was fragile around him. I thought it showed that he cared. If he were a merciless demigod it would quite different from the frightened empath I saw. Still sorta kinda a demigod, though.

The evening finished and Cloud and I walked back out of the castle the way we entered. He had to wait for the valet to come around with his bike but I liked standing next to him and I liked wrapping my arms around him when his bike came around.

He drove us back to the garage and we took the airship across.

"Hey, Cloud?" I started.

"What's up?"

"I had fun tonight. More fun than I remember I used to have at the festival party. And it's all thanks to you." I moved his hand over my lap so his fingers rested against the inside of my thigh. It was a bolt of lighting to my core as I leaned in at him. "And it's all thanks to you…" I whispered again.

He looked away and laughed. "Even the bit with your parents?"

No. Look back at me. I don't want to think about my parents. I want you to invite me back to your dorm. I want you to do things to me. I want you to make me a woman.

"Well… they don't know you. They don't know how great you are. They don't know how sweet you are to me."

"Well…" he breathed back. "I confess I had some fun too. We danced well together."

"So you'd do it again?"

"If you asked… probably. Yeah."

He pulled his hand away from me as the ship stopped. He got up and helped me to my feet. I was more drunk than I thought because I wobbled even with his support.

"It's getting late…" I managed.

"How much did you drink? Let's put you to bed," he gave me a smile that dazzled me as he led me out and to the academy. He didn't take me back to his dorms. He led me to mine. The asshole. He teased me all night and he wouldn't even finish the job? That's not fair. Separate me. Divide me. You prick.

At the entrance to my room I hesitated. I looked up at him. "Wait… Cloud?"

"Hm?" He leaned in close. It was now or never…

"Thanks again," I finished. I couldn't work up the courage.

He laughed. "Go to bed Rosé. Sleep tight."

I walked into my room. My teammates were lounging around and Cloud shut the door behind me.

"Well?" Peach demanded. "How did it go?" I plopped down on my bed.

"He's a fucking asshole. All night long he set me on fire and then he's just like 'go to bed.'" I did the deepest voice I could and slurred slightly. "Gods above. Take me back to your room. I'd let you fuck me. And I had the chance to kiss him and I just missed it. I blew it." I let my head fall into my hands.

Peach laughed. She got up and patted me on the back. I rubbed my face with my hands hard.

"I'm… I'm taking a cold shower," I managed. I got up.

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-WG