Lunchtime with the Island Black Queen
"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh! I can't we're going to have lunch with Queen Salem herself!" Ruby excited hoping around her friends and Jaune as they are walking through a long path to Salem's castle.
"Will you please calm down; we have to be on our best behavior when we arrive at her castle." Weiss scolded.
"You need to chill, Ice Queen, everyone knows Queen Salem doesn't mind most things that wouldn't get under her skin, she's more humble than your mom drinking most of the day." Yang pointed out.
"Well, you're not entirely wrong, but I'm also saying this because we'll also be seeing her Second-Command there too." Weiss reminded.
"Yeah, we should definitely be careful around her, mostly you." Blake said to Jaune.
"Is she like a strict person?" Jaune asked nervous.
"That, and she also has this scary look that would make you feel all frozen and stuff." Nora added.
Now Jaune is already feeling frozen in fear from just hearing that it reminds him of his mom and two of his older sisters having scary looks whenever they get angry, he didn't think it was impossible to find another with the same kind of scary look like them though he hopes it won't be as bad as back home.
"Don't worry, Jaune, we know you're a good person and I'm sure she'll know it too." Pyrrha comforted Jaune placing her hand on his shoulder.
"I hope so." Jaune said a little scared, then he starts to calm down with a question on his mind.
"Come to think of it, I was wondering how Salem destroyed that giant black bird and if she has anything to do with Yang's mom having the ability to turn into a bird?" Jaune wondered.
"Hmm, I was wondering when you would ask that." Yang grinned. "Don't worry, you'll learn about that soon enough."
They walk for another minute until they reach a large building that resembles like a shopping mall that is five stories high with four towers facing different directions from the North to the South, and the front gate is a grand design black color with white roses wrap from the top to bottom. Jaune has visited a castle or two when he and his family went on a vacation trip to another country going sightseeing like the castles and they were fun to learn and imagine themselves like they're a royal family.
"Wow, this is a little more than I was expecting." Jaune commented.
"Thank you, though I think it's too big for my taste, but it still feels like home none the less." Salem said as she walks to her visitors and the gate opens.
"I hope we're not late, your highness." Weiss said bowing.
"No, you guys are just a little earlier." Salem chuckled.
"Mother, is that the male I heard so much about?" A young woman asked walking next to Salem.
"Indeed, Jaune, this is my daughter, Cinder Fall the Princess of Remnant Island." Salem introduced her daughter to the young blonde boy.
Cinder is a fair-skinned woman with ashen-black hair that covers her left eye, bright amber eyes. She wears a left eyepatch that has straps that run both above and below her right eye. She sports a black tank top and shorts that are mostly covered with a black cloak worn over her left arm, all of them having gold trimmings. Her blue feather accessory is over the right side of her chest. She also has a black and gold band over white bandages, a black band on her right wrist, a glove over her left arm, black knee-high laced heeled boots and she also retains her two earrings from her previous attire. She appears to have put blush on her cheeks Breasts sizes: H-cup.
"It's an honor to meet you, I did not think a male would actually wash up on the shore of this island though now you can't go back to the outside world." Cinder said, feeling sad for Jaune.
"It's not that bad, I'm getting use to the island like almost getting eaten yesterday." Jaune joked a little. Plus, he is determine to find a way to break the island's curse to not just get himself free, but also for everyone so they can see the outside world for themselves.
"Then it's a good thing mother was out on her usual walking even though she's been avoiding most of her royal duties." Cinder glared at Salem who looks away with a small whistling sound.
"Hehe, she was really likes to think of herself as a free spirit, doesn't she?" Jaune asked chuckles.
"You have no idea." Cinder sighed.
"Anyway, let's all go inside for lunch. The chief should have our food ready by now." Cinder gestured everyone to come inside and they follow her and Salem.
Inside the castle is a little grand with some cool and fancy stuff around like big pictures on the walls, chandeliers on the ceiling and some of the color themes are red and black which is a nice touch.
"Wow, the inside actually looks a bit normal than fancy." Jaune complimented looking around even seeing some statues as well.
"Thank you, I try to think hard on filling in some of the open spaces here. It's quite the bothersome when there are still open spaces somewhere and you don't have any idea of what to do with it." Salem explained.
"Everyone been through similar things like that, Queeny." Yang stated.
"You know, I was actually worry about being invited to have lunch with the ruler of the island, but I can why you see don't let it bother you much seeing how nice Salem is." Jaune whispered to Ruby as she nods.
Ruby then smirks moving herself back a little looking down at Jaune's lower behind and latch her hand grabbing one butt cheek causing Jaune jump in shock as he gasps.
"Ruby, why did you grab my butt like that?" Jaune asked while guarding his butt with his hand and Ruby giggles.
"Huh, but I didn't?" Ruby defended from the other side of his view.
Jaune became confuse as he looks from right to left, back and forth shocking realizing that there are two Ruby's in front of him.
"You have a twin sister?!" Jaune gasped.
"I do?!" Ruby gasped too.
"You don't know?!" Jaune confused even more.
"Neo, stopping messing with our guest." Cinder laughed a little.
The Ruby who grabbed Jaune's butt nodded and twirls around with the cape changing into a new appearance in an instant revealing her true self as the girl Cinder called Neo.
Neo's hair color is typically half pink and half brown, with white streaks on the pink side. Her eye colors are heterochromia iridum: the right eye being pink, and the left eye being brown, she also has green eyeshadows too. She wears a black bowler hat with a small feather tucked into its red band, a brown jacket that ends just below her shoulders and above her chest and has pink trimmings on top and is pink on the inside, two brown belt shoulder straps, a gray scarf similar to Roman's, and a vest, gloves, a belt, pants and heeled shoes of a matching white color. Breasts sizes: D-cup.
"I kinda expected seeing "Neo the Thousand Pretty Face" here." Blake said.
"Her full name is Neopolitan, but we call her Neo for short." Cinder explained the nickname.
"Okay, huh, nice to meet you, Neo." Jaune greeted nervously extending his hand to her.
Neo took the hand shaking it a bit and wink at Jaune, taking out her hand-size device showing words on it.
"Nice to meet you, hope we get along very well." Neo smirked and walk a little ahead of everybody.
"Uh, she doesn't much, does she?" Jaune asked.
"Neo is actually mute, born that way, but we can still understand her even without that tapping device on her." Salem explained.
Everyone soon made their way through the end of the hallway and arrive at the dining room showing a long dark-purple crystal table about ten feet long and five candles apart from each other, big windows on both sides of the room and chairs around the table enough for at least twenty people.
"You're five seconds later." A woman said, tapping her watch.
"Are we? I think time is moving a bit faster today." Salem joked.
"Queen Salem, you must remember that as ruler of Remnant Island you must take your duties seriously and lead everyone with a good example otherwise some will take advantage of your wandering nature of freedom and could lead to our downfall one day." The woman scolded.
"So, is this the strict woman you warned me about?" Jaune asked.
"Yep, this is Glynda Goodwitch, the Royal Advisor and Second-in-Command of the island." Weiss introduced.
Glynda appears to be a middle-aged woman that has very light-blonde hair tied back in a bun with a curl hanging down the right side of her face. Her eyes are bright green and she wears thin ovular glasses. She has dangling teal earrings that match the hanging pendant on her collar. She wears a white long-sleeved, pleated top that has a wide keyhole neckline and gauntlet cuffs that flare in pleats at the wrist. Her lower body is covered by a black high-waisted pencil skirt with bronze buttons and black-brown stockings. She wears black boots with bronze heels and a cape that is purple inside and black on the outside. The cut of the cape is stylized to end in flames and arrows, with a row of diamond-shaped bronze beads on the back. Above this line of beads appears an emblem of a tiara that is her personal symbol. Breasts sizes: I-cup.
"It would seem you're the first man of the island I've been hearing about." Glynda glanced at Jaune making him nervous like he's sweating bullets.
"H-Hello, my name is Jaune Arc and I hope we can get along peaceful!" Jaune greeted with a little panicking voice and bow a little.
Glynda just stare at Jaune for about ten seconds before speaking.
"It would seem you have some manners, that's good to know because I heard that men can be brutes more than we women and I would've thrown you into the black pit without a second thought." Glynda said causing Jaune to go pale.
"She's kidding, she won't do that… but just be sure to stay on her good side from now on." Salem advised and Jaune gulps.
"Come now, it's time for lunch." Glynda clapped her hands signaling everyone to take their seats as Jaune sit next to Salem on one side with Cinder on the other.
Then the chief women come out of the kitchen bringing the silver trays of food to be black inked pasta with green sauce and medium cooked steak.
Jaune took his first bite of the dish and his expression became amazes of the food.
"Wow, this is really good!" Jaune complimented.
"Thank you, I wanted the chiefs to try something new and this is what came into my mind." Salem mentioned.
"Wait, you made this dish yourself?" Jaune shocked.
"That just how my mother is, she always come up some new ideas to help better the island whether making new tools or new way of cooking, it's one of the reason why she always like to get out of the castle and walking around the island to find those inspirations." Cinder explained.
"Salem is the kind of woman who doesn't sit around on her throne all day, she rather goes see firsthand if there's a problem she can help with." Ruby added.
"Not to mention she's also a powerful badass fighter that no one would match her strength and power on the battlefield!" Yang smirked and Salem laughs softly.
"I hope you don't mind me asking this, but do you have some superpower of something?" Jaune asked curious.
"Yes, I have a talented gift with magic." Salem said showing her magic power of red-black aura emitting around her hand.
"I am able to do many things with my magic like flying, controlling the elements, lifting things like mind power, I even have super strength and speed as well." Salem explained.
"Guessing giving others their own abilities is another one of your magical powers, like with Raven being able to turn into a bird." Jaune pieced all together.
"My, you're quite the smart one." Salem complimented.
"I wouldn't say I'm smart, I'm just calling it as I see it." Jaune stated.
"And modest too." Cinder giggled and Neo as well.
"Queen Salem is by far the coolest and caring ruler Remnant Island has ever have after she took the throne from her predecessor, old ruler of the island!" Nora cheered with some food still in her mouth.
"Nora Valkyrie! What have I told you about eating with your mouth full!" Glynda glared.
"S-Sorry, Madam Goodwitch." Nora scared after she quickly swallowed the pasta and a piece of steak.
"(Wow, this feels like having dinner with my family back home.)" Jaune thought, looking around seeing everyone enjoying themselves with each other and the food.
But his sadness soon take over when remembering his family and worry of how sad they must be feeling knowing he's been missing since he got thrown off the ship by that storm, hoping they're doing okay back home though are probably trying to search for him right now even though it may be possible since this island isn't on any map of the world and he may never be reunited with them. Knowing his seven sisters and mom, they're probably crying and growing furious that the search parties aren't doing anything in their power to find him, and his dad is trying to calm everyone down so that they don't do anything crazy.
"Don't worry, Jaune, I'm sure your family are thinking about you right now." Salem comforted with a hand on top of his, snapping Jaune out of his thoughts.
"How'd you know that?" Jaune asked surprise that she knew what she was thinking.
"I don't need to be a mind reader to see what your eyes are telling. As the old saying goes, the eyes are like the open windows to the human souls." Salem bragged.
"Right, I know they're doing alright." Jaune chuckled, feeling a bit better.
"So, can you give anyone magic powers?" Jaune asked.
"As Queen, I can only use my magic on select few to give them powers like with Raven. Glynda and Cinder are also one of them." Salem gestured to her daughter and advisor.
"I can do fire magic." Cinder said bursting a small flame on her hand.
"And I can move things with my mind." Glynda pointed her riding crop at Jaune, making him float in the air much to his shock before being put back down.
"Wow, I guess your magic gave you white skin. That's pretty cool!" Jaune commented, but notice Salem went silent like she was stab in the heart by a dagger confusing while the girls are shock and gasp.
"You fool, how dare you speak about Queen Salem's body like that!" Glynda snapped.
"Wait, what did I do!" Jaune confused scare.
"It's okay, Glynda, Jaune doesn't know so we can't blame him for simply complimenting my appearance." Salem pointed out, stopping Glynda from hurting Jaune.
"Jaune, there are things you will no doubt learn about the island including why I look like this. While I can't tell about it, I will say that I went through a "big" change after I ascended to the throne." Salem said.
"Okay, I can respect that. The things an Arc never does is making others cry and forcing them to tell their secrets." Jaune said proudly.
"I'm glad to see that." Salem nodded.
"(Maybe, just maybe… he is the one who can free this island.)" Salem thought hoped.
KO a new chapter is done and hope you all enjoy it!
Jaune and everyone got to enjoy to a nice lunch with Salem and the chance for the blonde Arc boy to meet Cinder, the Princess of Remnant and Glynda, the Royal Advisor though she's a bit on the rough side to Jaune, but I'm sure she'll grow fond of him soon. As for Neo's role in the kingdom, you'll find that out soon while there are other things Jaune will soon discover like Salem's Grimm appearance.
KO comment, favorite, and follow through of how this story will go!