Chapter 9: Compromise; A Royal Audience
The throne room of the visiting dark elven royalty, temporarily established within Beacon's grand hall, held an atmosphere caught between formal ceremony and barely contained amusement. High Queen Hyuuan and High King Berethon sat upon their ornate seats, maintaining regal composure despite the twinkle of mirth in their eyes.
Before them stood an unusual pair: Princess Lailah, her lavender and silver hair immaculately arranged, wearing her formal court attire with practiced grace; and beside her, Qrow Branwen, who had made a valiant attempt at looking presentable. His typically disheveled hair had been somewhat tamed, and he wore what appeared to be a borrowed formal jacket (the slight pulling at the shoulders suggested Taiyang's involvement).
Behind them, at a respectful distance, stood their observers. Taiyang was practically vibrating with suppressed laughter, while Raven maintained her stoic expression, though her eyes betrayed her entertainment. Summer Rose had both hands clasped over her mouth, barely containing her excited squeals.
Professor Ozpin sipped from his ever-present mug, hiding what suspiciously looked like a smile. Glynda Goodwitch stood beside him, her stern expression softening ever so slightly at the scene before them.
"Your Majesties," Lailah began, her voice clear and formal, though a slight tremor betrayed her nerves. "We come before you today—"
"Because we couldn't figure out who won the bet," Qrow interjected, earning him a sharp elbow from Lailah and a poorly disguised snort from Taiyang.
Hyuuan raised an elegant eyebrow. "Indeed? And what, pray tell, were the terms of this wager?"
Lailah's dark skin took on a deeper hue as she blushed. "If I won, Qrow would have to attend three formal court functions..."
"And if I won," Qrow continued, standing straighter despite his obvious discomfort with formal settings, "the princess here would have to come camping with Team STRQ. No royal guards, no fancy tents, just stars overhead and burnt marshmallows."
High King Berethon stroked his chin thoughtfully, though his eyes danced with amusement. "A difficult impasse indeed. And since the match ended in a draw..."
"We thought perhaps..." Lailah glanced at Qrow, who gave her an encouraging nod. "Perhaps we could request your blessing to pursue a different arrangement altogether."
"Oh?" Hyuuan leaned forward slightly, her expression one of exaggerated surprise that fooled absolutely no one. "Do elaborate."
Qrow cleared his throat. "Your Majesties, I'd like your permission to court your sister." He paused, then added with his characteristic dry humor, "Properly this time, not just through random sparring matches and arguments about combat techniques."
"I see," Hyuuan exchanged a knowing look with her husband. "And Lailah? What are your thoughts on this... compromise?"
Lailah lifted her chin, orange eyes bright with determination. "I find myself increasingly convinced that some of our best diplomatic relations could benefit from... closer ties with certain members of Beacon Academy."
From the background, Summer's muffled squeal finally escaped, quickly followed by Taiyang's "Ow!" as Raven elbowed him to maintain silence.
Berethon's deep laugh finally broke the formal atmosphere. "My dear," he addressed his wife, "shall we put them out of their misery? They look rather like students awaiting exam results."
Hyuuan's composure finally cracked into a warm smile. "I suppose we must, though I admit watching Qrow attempt to maintain formal court etiquette has been thoroughly entertaining." She stood, Berethon rising beside her. "Sister, when you first came to Beacon as my guard, I hoped you would find something of your own here. Though I must admit," she added with a teasing glint in her eye, "I didn't expect it to be the same young man who once called your combat style 'fancy twirling with extra steps.'"
"To be fair," Qrow defended himself, relaxing slightly, "it was fancy twirling. It just... turned out to be really effective fancy twirling."
"You have our blessing," Berethon announced, his deep voice warm with affection. "Though I suggest a compromise on your original wager as well – perhaps camping with proper tents, and court functions with slightly relaxed protocols?"
The gathered audience finally broke into cheers and laughter. Summer rushed forward to hug both Lailah and Qrow, while Taiyang whooped loudly. Even Raven allowed herself a small smile.
"However," Hyuuan added, her voice cutting through the celebration with just enough authority to draw attention, "I do have one condition." She fixed Qrow with a stern look that quickly melted into mischief. "You must tell us what exactly possessed you to think climbing the palace walls was a better option than using the door."
As laughter filled the hall once more, Lailah squeezed Qrow's hand, their fingers intertwining naturally. Their failed wager had led to something far better than either had initially wagered for – though Qrow would later insist that facing a panel of grimm might have been less nerve-wracking than formally requesting permission to court a princess while his entire team watched.
The sight of Ozpin quietly passing what appeared to be betting winnings to Glynda suggested that perhaps Hyuuan and Berethon weren't the only ones who had seen this coming all along.
To be continued in Chapter 10: The Announcement- A Royal Engagement?