Chapter 2:Observations and Royal Revelations
Professor Ozpin's office provided an excellent vantage point for observing the training grounds below, where students paired off for their daily combat exercises. High Queen Hyuuan stood at the window, her husband Berethon at her side, both watching with poorly concealed amusement as their younger sister faced off against Qrow Branwen for what had to be the fifth time that week.
"They're at it again," Berethon noted, his deep voice carrying a hint of mirth as he sipped from a cup of tea. His silver eyes - so similar to Qrow's, though few would dare mention it - tracked the fluid movements below. "Your sister has excellent form."
"Naturally," Hyuuan replied, her own orange eyes sparkling with mischief. "Though I dare say her opponent isn't solely focused on her combat form."
Below, Lailah executed a perfect backward flip to avoid Qrow's scythe, her lavender and silver hair catching the sunlight. Even from this distance, they could see Qrow's characteristic smirk as he called out something that made Lailah's pointed ears twitch in what those who knew her would recognize as suppressed amusement.
"Fascinating, isn't it?" Professor Ozpin joined them at the window, his ever-present mug of hot chocolate in hand. "In all my years at Beacon, I've never seen Qrow Branwen so... dedicated to sparring practice."
"Is that what we're calling it now?" Professor Goodwitch's dry voice carried from her position near Ozpin's desk. "Yesterday, I found them 'sparring' in the library. With words, thankfully, though the tension was thick enough to cut with a blade."
"Ah yes," Berethon chuckled, "the great debate over proper weapon maintenance. I heard about that one. Apparently, Qrow suggested that Lailah's meticulous cleaning routine was, and I quote, 'compensating for something.'"
"And how did our dear sister respond to that?" Hyuuan asked, though her expression suggested she already knew.
"She challenged him to a blind-folded precision contest," Goodwitch supplied, adjusting her glasses. "Which, surprisingly, ended in a draw and what I believe was their first civil conversation about combat techniques."
Below, the sparring match had evolved into something that looked more like a dance. Lailah's curved blade met Qrow's scythe in a series of strikes that seemed choreographed, each anticipating the other's moves with uncanny accuracy.
"You don't seem concerned," Ozpin observed, glancing at the royal couple.
"About Lailah's heart?" Hyuuan's smile softened. "My sister has spent her entire life bound by duty and protocol. Watching her now..." She gestured to where Lailah had just disarmed Qrow, only to have him sweep her feet out from under her, sending them both tumbling to the ground in a tangle of limbs and surprised laughter. "This is the first time I've seen her truly alive."
"Besides," Berethon added, "young Branwen, for all his rebellious nature, has a good heart. Even if he does his best to hide it."
"Speaking of hiding," Goodwitch interjected, "they seem to think they're being quite subtle about their midnight training sessions in the eastern courtyard."
"Ah yes," Ozpin's eyes twinkled. "The ones that consistently coincide with the lunar phase most sacred to dark elven meditation practices?"
Hyuuan laughed softly. "Lailah has always been most diligent about her spiritual observations. Though I don't recall traditional meditation involving quite so much bantering."
Their attention was drawn back to the training ground where Lailah had pinned Qrow, their faces inches apart. For a moment, time seemed to suspend itself. Then Qrow said something that made Lailah jump back as if burned, her dark skin flushing noticeably even from this distance.
"Ten lien says she challenges him to another match within the hour," Berethon wagered.
"My love," Hyuuan chided gently, "a High King shouldn't gamble." She paused, watching as Lailah stalked away, though not before glancing back at Qrow when she thought no one was looking. "But if one were to bet, I'd say within the next fifteen minutes."
"If I may," Ozpin added, "I believe Mr. Xiao Long is starting a betting pool on when they'll finally acknowledge the obvious. Though Ms. Rose has strictly forbidden any interference."
"Wise girl, that Summer," Berethon nodded. "Some flowers need time to bloom."
Below, Qrow had begun practicing solo forms, though his eyes kept drifting to where Lailah was methodically cleaning her blade at the edge of the training ground, similarly distracted.
"Indeed," Hyuuan agreed, linking her arm through her husband's. "Though I do believe our little sister has met her match in more ways than one."
"Speaking of matches," Goodwitch sighed, "they're at it again."
Sure enough, Lailah had returned to the center of the training ground, her stance challenging. Qrow's genuine smile, quickly masked by his usual smirk, was visible even from their elevated position.
"Twelve minutes," Hyuuan noted with satisfaction. "I believe you owe me ten lien, my dear."
As the royal couple shared a knowing look, and Ozpin hid his smile behind his mug, the sound of clashing weapons and competitive banter drifted up from below, a melody of steel and suppressed affection that even the most proper of dark elven princesses couldn't quite disguise.
In the growing twilight, two souls circled each other in an intricate dance of denial and attraction, watched over by those who could see what they themselves weren't yet ready to admit. The balance between duty and desire, tradition and transformation, hung in the air like unspoken poetry, waiting for the right moment to be voiced.
To be continued in Chapter 3: What Others See