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Chapter Text

The night air was crisp, not yet autumn, but not quite summer anymore either. Two figures hastened across the crunchy grass, stealthily using the shadows to their advantage in order to make it to the hideout without too much notice from bystanders. Unwanted attention never boded well for them.

Finally making it to the correct warehouse, the woman was the first to enter, the package in her arms too precious to risk being sighted by some innocent pedestrian with a big nose. The male followed shortly after and shut the hideaway door so that the inside of the warehouse was shut off to any outsiders.

There were already two others in the large room filled with merchandise. One had on a long white coat and a hat to cover swooped orange hair as he tapped a cane against his leg while the other was a brunette woman with a red dress on, nothing covering her bright flame-yellow eyes from surveying the pair curiously.

"You're late." the red-haired man stated, attention swiveling to the two people that had just entered.

"And we had very good reason to be." the silver-haired male responded.

"And why is that, Mercury?" the brunette woman inquired.

A bundle was placed on the table between the four of them and the red-haired man scowled slightly. "What's this?" he demanded, poking the bundle experimentally.

"Hey, careful!" the silver-haired man called Mercury snarled. "You'd think you were born in Menagerie or something, jeez."

"Well, I'm growing impatient." the first man huffed.

"Perhaps if you give us time to explain, you'll know what a valuable package you possess, Roman." the emerald-haired woman sneered, placing a careful hand on said package.

"Do tell, Emerald." the brunette woman motioned for them to open the bundle. Instead of untying the entire thing, the woman appropriately named Emerald simply removed the top-half gingerly. Revealed inside was a tuft of black hair atop a porcelain head with two violet ears poking through the top.

Now the man called Roman seemed interested. "What's so valuable about this little Faunus?" he asked slowly, black-lined eyes surveying the approximate three-year-old.

"This Faunus," Mercury began, puffing out his chest proudly. "is the prince of White Fang."

"That kingdom with Faunus equality laws?" the brunette woman inquired.

"That's right, Cinder." Emerald grinned, red eyes narrowed in mirth. "Little prince here is going to be conditioned to take the throne. His training begins next year when he turns six."

"You mean was, Emerald." Roman chuckled. "Some would pay a hefty fine for this little guy."

"Don't be stupid, Roman." Mercury snapped. "You can't tell anyone he's the prince!"

"What are you spouting about, Mercury?" the redhead snarled.

"If you tell anyone he's the prince, the White Fang guards will be all over you. Not only that, but you'll become everyone's target; people would kill to get a hold of this precious cargo. Blabbing to someone about this boy's heritage is like going on a suicide mission."

"So what?" Roman huffed. "I'm just supposed to pitch him for a huge price and not tell anyone why he's so valuable?"

"The best things come when you lie in wait, Roman." Cinder told him cheekily.

"I quite agree, madame." a voice said from the doorway. All four of the criminals inside the hideout whirled around with their weapons drawn, aimed for the direction the intruder had spoken from. Eight figures stepped into the light and all weapons lowered immediately. Even criminals weren't stupid enough to raise weapons to the king of Schnee Kingdom.

"Now what do we have here?" King Rot hummed as he stared around at all of the merchandise lining the walls. "Quite the hideout you al have. Very interesting indeed. And what is that package on the table there?"

"Merchandise." Roman snarled, just barely remembering to add, "Your Highness."

"Let me see it then." the monarch ordered. "Perhaps it is worth buying from you."

All four stepped aside to let their king examine the little Faunus on the table. "Girl or boy?" he asked smoothly, eyes roaming over the tiny purple ears.

"Boy, Your Majesty." Cinder replied calmly, her tone even despite Roman's seething beside her.

"And his value?"

"Two million lien." Mercury stated in the same smooth tone as Cinder as Emerald was having the same reaction as Roman.

"Done." King Rot agreed, nodding to his guards.

"What?" Roman demanded. "You're going to be taking him?"

"Oh yes." the ruler grinned. "You see, my daughter needs a new servant, a Faunus one of course so that she may know what scum they are."

"But I was planning to sell him at the market." the redhead grumbled.

"Then let me put this more simply for your much less educated brain. Either I buy this Faunus boy from you, or you get arrested for stealing dust from my mine cars."

"How could I refuse the king?" Roman grinned, understanding the deal perfectly.

"Wonderful. The lien will be dropped off here at nine o clock sharp tomorrow morning. My guards will leave at ten to make certain no bystanders take the money as well as to set the charges. Have all of your belongings and merchandise out of this building by eleven thirty tomorrow morning or the remainder will be caught in the explosion. Good night."

With that, the king picked up the little Faunus in his arms and passed it to one of his guards, leaving the four criminals to their empty warehouse once more. After a few moments of silence, Roman shrugged and turned to the rest of them. "Now we wait?" he inquired of Cinder.

"Correct, Roman." she chuckled darkly. "Now, we wait."

Across the kingdom in the castle...

A baby lay in her crib, snoozing gently as the moonlight shone on her pure white hair. A woman with the same white hair sat next to the crib, watching her child sleep with a small smile upon her lips. Her husband was out patrolling for the criminals that had been stealing from the Schnee Cories again.

A soft knock at the door made the woman turn her attention to the entrance to the nursery and she smiled when she spotted her husband, Rot, standing in the doorway holding a bundle of some sort.

"Hello, Darling." she murmured gently, standing to receive him. "I take it all went well?"

"Indeed." Rot agreed. "And I got the perfect servant for our dear Weiss."

"Oh?" his wife inquired.

"He's a Faunus, Schimmer, so she will be able to see what filthy creatures the animals really are."

"Ah, and he seems to have his trait completely visible as well." the queen, Schimmer, hummed. "He will make a fine servant for our little Weiss."

"Indeed." Rot repeated, setting the bundle down in the chair Schimmer had vacated. "Come, let us get to bed." he ordered, his wife trailing toward the door after him. Just before shutting the door, the queen glanced back at the two children lying near each other. My dear husband. she thought to herself with a small smile. You should have gotten a different Faunus. Weiss is quite fond of cats.

Chuckling softly, the monarch shut the door and followed after her husband, looking forward to the years to come.

Chapter Text

The next morning, a soft screech could be heard as a pair of mist-blue eyes opened to find an unfamiliar face gazing at them curiously. "Where did you come from?" the white-haired girl demanded, clutching at her stuffed blue rabbit and looking around for her parents.

"I woke up here." The little boy shrugged. "The door was locked." He cocked his head for a moment before asking, "Who are you?"

"You don't know who I am?" the girl gasped.

"No."

"Hmph." the girl crossed her arms and stuck her nose in the air. "I am Weiss Schnee, princess of my daddy's kingdom."

"Oh." the boy murmured. "Well, I'm Blake."

"Where did you come from?"

"I dunno." Blake shrugged again, ears twitching slightly. "I can't remember."

It was about then that Weiss actually took notice of the tiny purple protrusions amidst the black tresses and let out a louder screech than before. A maid rushed into the room, tail swinging behind her as she gazed around, assessing the room for a threat. Spotting the cat-Faunus in the princess' bed, she growled, brown eyes narrowing. Blake began to tremble as she stalked closer, natural instinct kicking in and sending fear coursing through his body.

"How dare you sneak into the princess' bedroom, you disgusting cat!" she snarled, picking Blake up by the collar of his shirt and carrying him from the room.

"Hey!" Blake shouted, wriggling in the tight grip. "I'm not a cat! I'm a Finus!"

"A Faunus that is not supposed to be here." the dog-Faunus retorted, descending a grand staircase toward two large ornate oak doors.

"Put me down!" Blake ordered, still struggling to get free."

"I'll put you down where you belong, you filthy, mangy-."

"Stay." The command, though soft, was still firm and it brought the maid to an immediate halt, Blake swinging in her grip. "Kyla, please release the princess' new personal servant." Blake was dropped unceremoniously to the ground, bouncing with a slight squeak. Both Faunus turned to the staircase to find an exact replica of Weiss standing at the peak of the stairs wearing a long flowing white gown.

"Your Highness." Kyla curtsied. "My apologies. I was not informed that the princess had been assigned a new servant, especially not one so..." She wrinkled her nose at Blake. "...feline."

"The king brought him here last night." The queen explained. "He was placed in the princess' room to get accustomed to her scent. I suppose his nose is filled with yours now."

"I'm sorry my queen. When I heard the princess scream, my first thought was to protect her. I was acting out of instinct."

"As all you animals tend to do." A deeper voice drawled from further behind the queen. A man with shockingly red hair stepped up next to the queen and sneered down at the two Faunus below them, the maid curtsying once more.

"My deepest apologies, King Rot."

"Daddy!" a shrill voice shouted and Weiss sped into sight, running with a few maids right on her tail. "There was a boy in my room! And he was a Faunus, Daddy."

"I know sweetheart." Rot's expression softened as he knelt beside his daughter.

"You do?" Weiss asked in confusion. "Is he gone now?"

"No, Darling, he's going to be your new personal servant."

"Servant?" Weiss blinked cutely, wide eyes confused. "But I already have servants. See?" She pointed to the trio of maids standing behind her.

"Yes, but this one will do only what you tell him to. He'll clean only your room and bring only you food. Understood."

"Yes, Daddy." the white-haired toddler nodded.

"Good. Now, then, try giving him an order."

Weiss nodded and turned to the pair still at the bottom of the stairs, watching the conversation in bemusement. "Blake?" she called. "Come here."

Instantly, Blake scampered up the stairs to stand in front of her. "Yes?" he asked.

Weiss glanced to her father before commanding, "Get me a drink of water."

"A drink?" Blake asked in confusion, all of the adults paying close attention to his reaction. "Why can't you get it?" Then he gasped, amber eyes widening in realization. "Are your hands broken? Here, I'll get it."

"That won't be necessary." King Rot called, stopping the brunette from spinning and rushing away. "Antoinette, if you would get the princess a drink." The white-haired poodle-Faunus nodded and disappeared down the hall. Rot motioned to Blake and the remaining pair of maids flanked the brunette boy. "Take him to be trained." he ordered. "I want him adequately able to serve my daughter in a month. And make sure it isn't a dog training him."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The two dove-Faunus nodded, curtsying and making their exit, taking Blake with them.

Weiss watched them go before turning to her father in puzzlement. "Is a personal servant different than other servants?" she asked.

"Yes and no, dear." Schimmer told her. "You see, a personal servant does all of the things a normal servant does, like cook, clean, read you a story before bed and wake you up in the morning. However, a personal servant only takes orders from you, no one else. They only cook for you, they only clean rooms you frequent, they only read to you and they only wake you. Understand?"

"But he's not trained?"

"No, dear. When the time comes, they'll need your help to train him. Do you think you can do that?"

"Yes, mommy." the little girl nodded.

"Good girl." Rot beamed to her, something reserved only for his wife and daughter. "Come, let's get you some breakfast and then we're off to begin your lessons for the day. Weiss waved to Kyla-who had been awaiting any further orders-before following her parents toward the dining room.

...

"Where are you taking me?" Blake asked.

"To begin your training, dear." one of the maids, the one with soft blue hair, replied.

"Are all of the servants here, Finus?"

"Oh dear, they'll have to work on his etiquette first." the maid with the dark-green hair tutted. "We can't have him attending parties and meetings with the princess when he speaks like that." Blake cocked his head in confusion as they stopped in front of a large mahogany door. The green-haired Faunus gave four sharp raps to the door and a voice inside called, "Enter."

Blake's ears twitched at how pleasant the voice sounded as he was ushered inside. "Kanekomuru?" the blue-haired maid asked.

"Yes, Madison, what do you need?"

"Coomara and I have brought a new servant to be trained. He is to be the princess' personal servant."

"Alright then. Where's the man I'll be training?"

"Well..." the green-haired Coomara coughed. "He's not quite a man yet." Both stepped aside to reveal Blake, ears flattened to his head as he looked up. Sitting behind a large desk was a platinum-blonde-haired man with pitch-black eyes and no discernible Faunus traits, but Blake spotted two black horns poking through his thick hair.

"Ah, I see." Kanekomuru hummed, leaning forward. "How long do I have?"

"A month." Madison responded.

"That will be a piece of cake." he nodded. "Tell me your name, young man."

"Blake." the brunette replied, ears slowly beginning to perk up.

"Well, Blake, I am Kanekomuru, your new training supervisor. Please come with me so we can get you a new trainer."

"O-okay."

Kanekomuru stood, presenting a lean body with long arms and legs as he made his way to a door off to the side of the room. Waving to the two disappearing maids, Blake followed the older Faunus through the door. Inside of the room was a pigeon-Faunus secretary scribbling away at something on her own desk.

"Sara, we've a new recruit." Kanekomuru called.

"I'll get the paperwork." Sara replied, retrieving a packet of two or three sheets of paper and a sheet or two ...of loose leaf. "I will begin whenever you're ready."

"Blake?" Purple ears flicked in the horned-Faunus' direction. "Answer each question as truthfully as you can, understood?"

"Yes."

"Good. You may begin Sara."

"What is your name?"

A flash of irritation crossed the cat-Faunus' face as he replied, "Blake."

"Eye color?"

"Yellow, I think. Or is the really bright one orange?"

"Yellow then. Hair color?"

"Black."

"Where are you from?"

"I can't remember."

"Do you have any family?"

"I dunno."

"How old are you?"

"Five."

"What is your Faunus-heritage?"

Blake blinked. "What?"

"What kind of Faunus are you?"

"I'm a cat." Blake puffed his chest out with a small smile.

The questions continued for half an hour, ranging anywhere between 'what's your favorite color?' to 'what's four plus six?' Some questions like 'what do you like to read?' took longer than questions such as 'favorite food?' The entire time, Kanekomuru observed Blake's reaction to certain questions, especially ones pertaining to royalty.

Once the final question had been asked ("Do you have any other Faunus traits aside from your ears?"), Kanekomuru stood. "I trust that you will take no longer than an hour to get me the results?"

"Of course." Sara replied, beginning to set out other pieces of paper on the desk.

"Wonderful. Have one of the other servants bring them to me. I'm taking Blake on a tour of the castle. Come along, Blake."

The black-haired Faunus waved to the secretary before scampering after his training supervisor. Kanekomuru grinned, beginning to show his new charge around the massive castle. "Tell me, Blake. Where all have you been in the palace?"

"The princess' bedroom and with you." Blake replied.

"Mm." Kanekomuru hummed. "Then, we'll end the tour at the princess' bedroom. For now, I will show you the servants' quarters first."

Kanekomuru led Blake through a series of hallways, pointing out the importance of certain statues and paintings and answering any questions Blake asked pertaining to the kingdom, the castle, the staff and the royal family. Blake was trying to take in all of the beauty at once.

The ceiling wasn't overly high and arching like in the fairytales he vaguely remembered, but they were covered in snowflakes as if telling of an impending snowfall. The walls were a rich reddish color, decorated every now and then with shades of blue, purple or gold. Many of the statues were carved of limestone or marble, but there were a few bronze and silver casts interspersed every few hallways. Many of the doorways had ornate carvings on the frames and painted snowflakes on the wood with brass handles that curved slightly outward. The furniture was an assortment of colors, from the deepest black to the palest white. Chairs, benches and window seats littered the corridors, promising a comfortable place for staff and servants to sit after a particularly hard job.

It was magnificent.

Not only that, but Blake was obviously intrigued by the amount of knowledge her temporary mentor held. After receiving a very brief but informative lecture on one statue in particular, Blake asked, "How do you know so much?"

"I read books." Kanekomuru replied jovially. "History books, biographies, anything else really."

"Do you read fairytales?" the brunette beside him inquired.

"Sometime, I read fiction and fantasy to take my mind off reading other things."

Blake was silent for several moments and when Kanekomuru glanced at him, he noticed a pensive expression on the chubby face, ears flattened to black hair in deep thought. Finally stopping in front of a large plain door, Kanekomuru cleared his throat. "This is the servants' quarters. Every maid, butler and traded slave sleeps here. If ever you need someone to do a job that you can't or the princess throws you from her bedroom at night, you come here. Every bedroom has three servants in it and we usually try putting Faunus that are compatible with each other in the same room."

"What's contabible?" Blake asked, not understanding the word.

"Compatible." Kanekomuru chuckled. "It means they go good together."

Blake nodded and said quietly, "Do you think... if I read... I'll be like you? Really smart?"

Kanekomuru beamed and ruffled the black tresses between the cat ears. "We'll have to see, won't we? Come on then."

Blake smiled and followed along as Kanekomuru led him toward the wing that housed the royal family. Blake continued asking questions throughout the rest of the tour and the older Faunus answered them to the best of his ability. They were just finishing up with the Grand Entrance and were about to head to the princess' room to end the tour when Sara came rushing up, gasping for breath.

"Kanekomuru!" she panted.

"Sara?" the male adult Faunus checked his watch and raised an eyebrow. "You're late. That's unusual of you."

"It took longer than expected to find a trainer with the closest criteria." She handed him a sheet of paper and his face lit up.

"Perfect choice!" Kanekomuru exclaimed, turning the cat-Faunus surveying a picture of the late King Blau. "Blake, let's go meet your new trainer."

Ears perking curiously, Blake trailed behind the two obviously-excited adults. Returning to the wing Kanekomuru and Sara had set their offices up in, the trio stepped inside and Kanekomuru beamed. "It's good to have you back." he chuckled.

Blake peered around his legs and spotted a woman standing beside his desk. She had brown hair and large brown eyes set in her soft round face. She was wearing a long-sleeved white turtleneck and a flowing knee-length brown skirt, black stockings disappearing into brown flats. Two long round brown rabbit ears poked up from the top of her head, twitching at any new sound they catch. Placing a hand on Blake's back, Kanekomuru slid the cat-Faunus forward a little ways.

"Blake, meet your new trainer, Velvet Scarlatina."

Chapter Text

"Hello there." Velvet smiled down at the nervous boy in front of her.

"Hi." Blake replied, ears standing a little bit taller at the warm greeting.

"Sally tells me we only have a month to get you into proper condition to serve the princess." Velvet smiled again. "Shall we begin?"

Blake nodded, following Velvet to one of the rooms surrounding Kanekomuru's office. It was a bare room with a few chairs and a large board covering one wall. Blake glanced around before looking to his new trainer. Velvet gestured to the chairs and the cat-Faunus climbed up as Velvet stood in front of him.

"Alright, we'll start with your speech."

"Speech?" Blake blinked in confusion.

"That's right." Velvet chuckled, turning to the large board and beginning to write on it.

"I like your Finus ears." Blake told her softly, his own falling flat against his head once more.

"Faunus." Velvet corrected.

"Huh?" Blake's ears perked up again when Velvet knelt down in front of him.

"Repeat after me." the trainer ordered. "Faunus."

"F-Fanus." Blake stammered.

"No, listen carefully. Faunus."

"F-Faunus?"

Velvet beamed proudly. "Good, now say it again." she chirped.

"Faunus." Amber eyes searched for approval and Velvet gave a nod.

"They-we-are not Finus. We are Faunus. Faunus are humans with enhanced animal traits and abilities. For instance, I am a rabbit-Faunus. I have exceptional hearing, the ability to sense danger and I can leap across far distances."

"Do you read too?" Blake asked in awe.

"Pardon?" Velvet cocked her head.

"Mister Kanekomuru said he knew so much because he read books. Do you read too?"

Velvet laughed softly. "Yes, I do read, but I also listen to the people around me."

"So I have to listen and read?" Blake asked, nose scrunching in confusion.

Velvet nodded and stood. "We're going to examine your speaking ability, okay?"

"Yes, Velvet Scarlatina." Blake agreed eagerly.

"Velvet." the older Faunus stated firmly. "First things first, know how to address your superiors. Any adult you see, you say Mister or Miss before their name." Velvet wrote the titles on the board. "You say Mister Smith or Mister John for a person named John Smith. You call a woman named Cherrie Applegate Miss Cherrie or Miss Applegate. Understood?"

"Yes, Miss Velvet." Blake affirmed.

"Good. Let's go practice." Black ears twitched in confusion as the trainer grabbed the cat-Faunus' hand and led him from the room. Blake followed diligently, but was unfamiliar with the route.

"We're heading to the kitchen." Velvet told him, noticing the confusion. "See that portrait of Violet Schnee?"

"Yes." Blake spotted the picture of the violet-eyed woman.

"Just remember that you walk straight to the end of the hall, take a left and that's the kitchen. If ever you get lost, ask an adult passing by which way you should go." Blake nodded, storing the information.

Entering the kitchen, Velvet flagged down an attendant, a pretty grey-haired squirrel-Faunus. "What can I help you with, Velvet?" she asked in a voice deeper than one would expect.

"I'm training the princess' new private servant." the rabbit-Faunus replied, putting a hand on Blake's shoulder.

"Oh, so this is the young man that has Kyla fuming about the place." The attendant knelt down. "Hey there, little guy. What's your name?"

"Blake." the dark brunette replied.

"Ah, ah, ah..." Velvet whispered.

"Oh! Blake, Miss." Blake glanced up and his trainer nodded the affirmative.

"Now, Blake, if you don't know someone's name, you say 'may I inquire your name?' Can you do that?" Blake nodded eagerly.

"May I ink-ire your name?" he asked the amused squirrel-Faunus.

"Ah, ah. In-quire."

"May I inquire your name?" Blake's face twisted in concentration as he tried hard to focus on the pronunciation of the word.

"Sure, sweetie." the attendant giggled. "My name is Cerulean."

"Sara Lean?" Blake asked her in puzzlement.

"No. Cer-u-lee-an." Blake bit his lip for a second and the squirrel-Faunus waited patiently.

"Ceru...lean." The cat-Faunus brightened when Cerulean nodded.

"Now," Velvet stepped in. "You say 'pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Cerulean'."

"Pleasure to make your..."

Amber eyes widened up at Velvet and the trainer sounded the word out for him. "A-quayn-tance."

"Pleasure to make your A-quayn-tance, Miss Cerulean." Blake said slowly.

"Good!" Velvet clapped proudly. "Do the entire exchange all over again."

Cerulean chuckled and the pair slowly walked Blake through the motions one more time before the trainer bid Cerulean goodbye and led her trainee out. "You did well, Blake." Velvet told the cat-Faunus, handing him a plate of meats.

"Thank you, Miss Velvet." Blake replied, munching on the food ravenously.

Velvet watched him curiously and after a few moments, asked, "Have you eaten today?"

"No." Blake responded with a mouthful of food and Velvet made a mental note to go over eating habits as well.

"I will have to talk with Kanekomuru about your eating schedule. Can't have you starving now can we?"

"No, Miss?" Blake asked, glancing up with a mouthful of food. Velvet giggled and they continued walking. Velvet set the plate on a table when Blake was finished eating and headed for the halls housing the royal chambers.

"Do you remember the way to the princess' chambers from here?" Velvet asked.

"Yes." Blake replied.

"Good. Go to her room and rest there. I will come fetch you in the morning when it is time for your next lesson."

"Yes, Miss Velvet." Blake yawned as he made his way down the hall. Coming to the princess' room, the young boy reached for the knob, but stopped when it began to turn. Out stepped Schimmer, who smiled at the Faunus before her.

"Hello, Blake dear." she cooed, lifting him into her arms. "You must be tired. Come, let's get you to bed, shall we? Weiss is already fast asleep in her crib, so you can settle into your chair."

"Thank you, Miss Queen." Blake yawned, curling into the chair Schimmer set him down in.

"Sweet Dreams, Blake." Schimmer whispered, kissing his forehead before leaving the room.

...

King Adam paced his throne room, running a hand through his bright red locks in agitation. Where could His Highness be? the monarch wondered. Surely it wasn't kidnappers. Perhaps he just wandered off, is all. The guards will find him, they must.

Turning as the door opened, Adam cocked his head as his Captain of the Guard strode into the room. The young man-practically still a boy, oddly enough-knelt to the ground and bowed his head.

"Well?" the king demanded.

"We have not yet found the prince, My liege." Yellow hair fell into brown eyes for a moment. "However, Lieutenant Neptune is investigating the case as thoroughly as he can. Lieutenants Scarlet and Sage are scouring the kingdom with their squadrons."

"They need to hurry and find him!" Adam snarled, ears turning red as his horns became more prominent. "Do you realize what could happen if it is discovered the heir to the throne is missing and possibly kidnapped? We will have a national disaster on our hands!"

"I know, sire." the Captain flinched. "I have as many men as I can spare looking into the issue."

"Well they had better look harder, Sun." Adam spat. "Otherwise, White Fang is going to war."

Chapter Text

Blake awoke the next morning and yawned, glancing to the crib beside him. The same little white bundle he had found the day before was there once again and Blake stood to watch the princess. Minutes passed before the princess began to awaken.

“Good morning, pri-.” Blake’s ears flattened as he remembered his teachings from the day before. Taking a breath, he tried again. “Good morning, Miss Princess!”

Weiss stared at him in shock, blue eyes wide. “How do you keep coming to my room?” she huffed, crossing her arms with a pout. She was none too happy to know that there was a boy in her room all the time. He would make everything stinky with his boy smell.

“Um, I dunno.” The brunette replied. “I was told to sleep here. This is my chair.” To emphasize, he pointed to the very large plush chair he was standing on.

“Hmph.” Weiss huffed, standing so that she was looking at Blake over the bar of her crib. “Shouldn’t you be training?”

“I dunno when.” Blake admitted, ears quivered as they remained flat.

The door opened and both turned to see the same maid from the day before come striding in. Kyla had been filled in by the other servants on what had been happening with the filthy cat that was to be the princess’ new servant. Just because she knew why he was there didn’t make her like him any more. If anything, she was hurt that she would be moved aside for a street animal with no prior training.

“Princess, I have your breakfast.” Kyla called, narrowing her eyes at Blake and making his ears flatten.

“G-good morning, Miss Kyla.” He murmured, shaking before her.

The maid rolled her eyes and set a silver platter in front of Weiss. The princess looked it over carefully and nodded her approval. “Scrambled eggs, three chewy strips of bacon and two pancakes for you, princess.” Kyla turned to Blake and sneered, “Tuna and cream for the mangy cat.”

“I’m not a cat!” Blake snapped.

“Yes, yes. You’re a Finus.”

“No!” Blake leaped up and smacked Kyla on the nose, shocking both the maid and the princess. “I’m a Faunus!”

“Why you-!”

“Is something wrong here?” All of them glanced to the door to see Velvet smiling in.

“This mangy, disgusting street cat just hit my nose!” Kyla snarled.

“Kyla, I would advise against speaking out about other Faunus considering you were starving in an alley trashcan when you were found.” Velvet moved forward, ignoring Kyla’s outraged sputtering. “Bring your breakfast, Blake.” She called. “We’re starting your training early today.”

“Yes, Miss Velvet!” Blake chirped, picking up his tuna and cream. He attempted to make it out of the room without spilling anything, but halfway to the door he tripped and dropped both bowls. Ears flattening sadly, Blake stood and looked to the two adults for guidance.

Velvet sighed and turned to the maid. “Kyla, if you could bring the correct cleaning supplies to me?”

Kyla sniffed and turned. “Told you he was a mangy cat.” She hissed as she passed.

Velvet’s eyes narrowed at her before looking to Blake, who looked ready to burst into tears. “Now, none of that.” She stated. “When Kyla gets back, she’s going to teach you how to clean this up.”

“Yes, Miss Velvet.” Blake murmured, his ears raising a little with hopeful eagerness.

Kyla returned moments later and Velvet grinned. “Alright, Blake. Do as Kyla instructs you.” Velvet motioned to the maid, who huffed, “Pick up the mop, the wet one.” Blake held the handle of the mop and glanced at her. “Begin moving the mop back and forth in the cream; try to get as much as you can.” Blake nodded and did as told, watching as the cream was soaked up. Once it was gone, the cat-Faunus grinned, but Kyla wasn’t finished. “Now pick up the tuna and replace it to this can.” The little brunette scooped as much of the tuna as he could and put it in the small can Kyla presented.

“Well done, Blake!” Velvet chuckled.

“Thank you, Miss Kyla.” Blake said, looking up at the dog-Faunus. Kyla huffed, but spared the small boy a smile before turning her attention to Princess Weiss. The whitette had paid little mind to them and was chewing heartily at her bacon at the moment.

“Come along, Blake.” Velvet ordered. “Bid the princess goodbye.”

“Bye, Miss Princess!” Blake waved, turning to go.

His trainer stopped him and knelt down. “Blake, you do not call her Miss Princess.” Velvet said seriously. “You call her Princess, Princess Weiss or Your Highness. Am I understood?”

“Yes, Miss Velvet.” The darker brunette agreed. “Good bye, Princess Weiss.”

Weiss made no move to respond as Blake and Velvet headed out. “I’m sorry about my mess, Miss Velvet.” The younger Faunus mumbled, ears flat against his head.

“Not to worry, Blake.” Velvet smiled down at him. “Would you like to practice so that it doesn’t happen again? We can do that before continuing yesterday’s lesson.”

“Yeah!” Velvet chuckled at the reply and had Blake lead her to the kitchens, steering him in the right direction when he was unsure. The pair made it to the kitchens and called out for Cerulean.

“Hello, Velvet!” the squirrel-Faunus chirped, tail twitching. “Mister Blake, you look well.”

“Thank you, Miss Cerulean.” Blake beamed, ears flicking. “You look good too.”

“What can I do for you two?” Cerulean chuckled, ruffling the black locks affectionately.

“We’d like to help Blake practice his balance skills.” Velvet told her, placing a hand on the cat-Faunus’ back.

“A bit early isn’t it?” Cerulean grew concerned. “I know you only have a month, but…”

Velvet shook her head good-naturedly and explained, “He wants to avoid making a mess with his food tomorrow morning.” The kitchen hand nodded and had a bowl of cream brought over. Blake licked his lips, eyes darkening the slightest bit with hunger.

“Alright, Blake.” Velvet began. “Stand straight and tall with both hands down at your sides." Blake did as instructed and Velvet took the cream. “Hold out your right hand.” Slowly, the hand rose and Velvet positioned it properly. “This is how you hold your hand when you’re going to be balancing and walking at the same time.” Blake nodded, concentrating as his mentor slowly placed the cream on his hand. “Now, just close your fingers like this…” Velvet beamed and took a few steps back. “Alright, now begin walking toward me until I tell you to stop.”

Blake took a deep breath and put one shaky foot in front of the other, beginning to follow Velvet further toward the other end of the kitchen. Servants stopped to admire the display, the way the little cub’s steps became surer the more he moved and how he seemed to relax into the role, his focus on Velvet giving over to his own thoughts presumably. Finally, Velvet called, “Stop.”

Blake came to an immediate halt and his ears flattened, wondering if he had done something wrong. “Well done, Blake.” Velvet praised, the other servants nodding in approval. “Now, we’re going to do that a few more times and then you can eat before we pick up from where we left off yesterday, alright?”

“Yes, Velvet.” Blake murmured, turning as his mentor walked to the other end of the kitchen and beckoned him forward. Blake began walking forward once more, trying to hold his focus and keep the cream from spilling. However, one of the servants hurried across his path in order to check something in one of the ovens and Blake tripped over his long pink tail. The cream went flying as the little trainee sprawled on the ground with a hard ‘oof!’

Velvet sighed and turned to Cerulean to find the squirrel-Faunus already organizing cleanup and more cream to be brought. Velvet turned back to her charge to find Blake eyeing the mouse tail almost… hungrily. Amber eyes began turning green as Blake moved into a crouch, licking his lips and preparing to pounce on his new perceived meal. Gasping, Velvet raced forward and scooped up the hungry little Faunus, blocking his view of the servant’s tail.

“Blake, no!” Velvet scolded, flicking the small child’s nose.

“I-I’m hungry!” Blake whimpered, his stomach grumbling in protest.

“But we aren’t animals!” his mentor told him sternly. “Just because he has a tail like a mouse does not mean you act like a cat. We are Faunus, not animals. We don’t eat each other. Understood?”

Blake nodded, his ears flat as his stomach gave another grumble of protest. Cerulean appeared beside them, holding two bowls in her hands. Velvet glanced to her quizzically and the squirrel-Faunus chuckled. “I figured something like this would happen.” She murmured. “Blake’s still young, Velvet. He hasn’t learned as much as the rest of us and we had years to learn it whereas he’s attempting to in the space of a month. Be patient with him. He’ll learn with time.”

Velvet sighed and handed one of the bowls to Blake, watching the small brunette gulp down the contents eagerly and succeeding in giving himself the hiccups. Giggling softly, she set him on his feet and took the other platter. “Remember what I told you?”

Blake straightened up and held up his hand, ready to try again. “Good boy.” The next ten minutes were spent getting Blake comfortable with his balance, Cerulean adding another platter at Velvet’s instruction. Blake’s ears stayed flat to his head the entire time, concentrating on his task with utmost determination.

Faunus are not animals. He told himself. I’m the princess’ servant, but Faunus are not animals. I will not be an animal. I will protect the princess and serve her. I am not an animal.

At last, Blake could effectively make his way back and forth in the kitchen with little struggle and Velvet allowed him to drink up the other bowl of cream as a reward. Once finished, Velvet took the little one out into the halls and began flagging down passing servants. “Remember our lessons from yesterday?” she asked Blake.

“May I i-i-inquire your name and pleasure to make you’re a-ac-acquaintance?” Black eyebrows furrowed in concentration as Blake focused on the proper pronunciation.

“Very good. Let’s begin!”

For the rest of the day, Velvet led Blake all throughout the castle, back and forth along hallways as the little Faunus began learning the names of the servants. It was a small trick Velvet had come up with. The more Blake walked the halls, the more likely he was to remember them. Blake was too focused on keeping everyone’s name straight to understand that, but by the end of the day, Velvet was asking him to lead her places and Blake didn’t need to think about where it was she wanted him to go.

He’s probably going to forget a lot of it by tomorrow. Velvet mused, watching Blake walk ahead of her. But I’ll make sure he gets practice. Tomorrow, I think I’ll work on his eating etiquette. Such a messy style of eating can’t be tolerated.

With that resolve in mind, Velvet cleared her throat. Blake turned to her expectantly, waiting for his next lesson. “Blake, I think it’s fine if you play around the castle for a bit, alright? When it starts getting dark, make your way to the Princess’ chambers and I’ll have someone bring you food.”

“Yes, Velvet!” Blake beamed, scampering off. Velvet giggled at his excitement and called, “Don’t break anything!”

From the shadows, a pair of silver eyes watched Blake head off into the castle as Velvet made her way toward her private rooms. They narrowed ever so slightly before a large smile settled on soft pink lips. Kanekomuru was smart to assign her. Blake will be ready to serve little Weiss in no time at all. And then the real fun begins.

Chapter Text

“Today we are going to be working on your eating, Blake.” Velvet finished writing on the chalkboard and turned to her pupil to find him relaxing under a sunbeam.

“Eating?” Blake asked, cocking his head kittenishly.

“Yes.” Velvet nodded. “You need to learn how to eat properly. Your manners are abysmal.”

“A bees mul?” Blake asked, eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

Velvet shook her head with a small smile. “Repeat after me. A-biz-mal.”

“A-biss-mal.” Blake replied, thankful that this word was easier than the others he had learned his first day.

“Yes, abysmal.” Velvet turned back to the board and wrote the word down. “It means bad, really really bad.”

“I’m sorry.” Violet ears flattened as Blake lowered his head.

“Don’t be sorry.” A tan finger lifted his chin and Blake met the warm brown eyes above him. “That’s what I’m here for, to help you get better. Now, shall we make our way to the kitchen so you can practice?”

“Yes, Velvet!” Blake hopped down from the desk he was sitting on and scampered after Velvet quickly.

“Which way to the kitchen, Blake?” Bunny ears twitched as the smaller Faunus glanced around before making his way down one of the corridors. Following behind, Velvet waited patiently whenever Blake would pause. She could tell he was trying his hardest to remember and would only encourage him if it looked like he was really stumped. However, Blake seemed to have memorized the way to the kitchen, at least, as they arrived only a few minutes later than if Velvet had led them.

“Well done, Blake. You’re getting better.” Velvet patted Blake between his Faunus ears as she turned to the attendants. “Alright, Wednesdays, Cerulean is usually stationed in the dining hall, so we’ll have to get someone else to help us today. For now, let’s get you some food.” Waving down a lion-Faunus, Velvet asked that some food be brought to them. She had not trusted Kyla with feeding Blake that morning as a Faunus could not survive on cream and tuna. A plate of bacon was brought to them quickly, being handed to Blake.

Blake dug into the food as the attendant turned to head back to her duties. Velvet cleared her throat a moment for her to stop and tapped Blake’s shoulder. “What do we say, Blake?” she asked encouragingly.

“Thank you.” Blake said, mouth full of food. Velvet stooped beside him and plucked the base of his ears. “Ow!”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full, Blake.” The rabbit-Faunus told him sternly. “When you say ‘thank you’, say it before you begin eating. Do not talk with your mouth full.”

Blake swallowed the food in his mouth and nodded. “Yes, Velvet.”

“Good. Now let’s get started!”

Velvet guided Blake over to a table setup and began, “We need to first work on how you are supposed to sit when at the table.” Waving over a male servant, Velvet ordered, “Watch what Monty does, Blake.”

Violet ears flicked as amber eyes watched the stag-Faunus purposefully sit at the table. Blake slowly attempted to mimic the butler and Velvet shook her head. “Monty, I’m out of my league with this. Could you help him?”

“Of course.” Monty moved over to Blake with a small smile. “Alright, Mister Blake, stand up.” When Blake was standing, Monty slowly moved his body to help him get a better feel for sitting properly. “Keep your back straight and your head up.” The white stag-Faunus ordered. “Look proud.”

Blake attempted to do as told and Monty smiled, kneeling beside him. “Good. Now, perk up those ears. You are proud to be a butler, proud to be a servant of the esteemed Schnee Kingdom royal family, proud to be a Faunus.”

“We’re Faunus, not animals.” Blake murmured, his ears flicking and perking up as he straightened his back.

“That’s right. Now, I’m going to need you to stay like that for a few moments, alright? Let your body become used to the feeling.” Blake nodded, amber eyes staring at the wall opposite him as he repeated it in his head. Faunus, not animals. The best servant ever for the princess. Faunus, not animals.

“Good, Blake.” Monty interrupted the cat-Faunus’ thoughts. “Now we’ll practice this a few more times.”

Velvet watched as Blake practiced with Monty, working to keep his ears perked and his back straight. She smiled at how well her pupil was progressing, even at this rate. He is determined. She thought fondly. Not something I can say about every servant I’ve taught.

At last, when Blake nailed sitting five times in a row with no mistakes, Monty nodded to Velvet. Kneeling beside Blake one last time, the stag-Faunus grinned at him. “Keep working hard, Blake. You’ve got a lot of determination in you and I can tell you’ll be a great servant to the princess. Simply keep trying and get better; then everything will fall into place. Never lose sight of what you’re doing. And to help you, I have one question.”

“A q-question?” Blake asked curiously.

Monty nodded and inquired, “Why do you want to be the best servant?”

“Because I’m a Faunus, not a animal.” Blake replied, his ears flattening again. “And I want to make Mister King proud of me. He wants me to be the best servant, so I’m gonna be the best servant.”

Both Monty and Velvet looked quite impressed. “He’s really smart for such a young one.” Monty murmured to the rabbit-Faunus.

“Indeed he is.” Velvet giggled.

“Well, Blake.” Monty said, turning back to the child before him. “Always remember that, alright? Always remember why you want to be the best servant and use that to keep going, keep training, keep getting better.”

“Thank you, Mister Monty.” Blake murmured, glancing between the two adults.

“Alright, Blake.” Velvet clapped her hands together. “Let’s work on the actual eating part. Climb up.”

Blake returned to the chair, exercising what Monty had taught him. Once he was seated at the table, Velvet stepped up to take over his training again. “Now then. Blake, eating etiquette is actually very simple. You just have to remember not to spill anything and always keep your napkin in your lap. Usually, you’ll be eating with the other servants and not at gatherings with the royal family, but just in case, all servants are taught the proper way to eat.”

Having a proper way to eat sounded silly to Blake. Did the royal family not eat the same way as everyone else? Did they have a different way that didn’t involve their mouths? Blake’s ears twitched at a giggle and he found Velvet smiling at him.

“Don’t worry, Blake.” She told him. “You’ll learn about all the extra information later. Right now, we’re just going to go over the important things, alright?”

“Okay, Velvet.” Blake responded.

“Good. Now, the first thing we need to go over is how you pick up your fork. You’re still young and don’t have as much control as an adult, but watch me.” Blake watched closely at the way Velvet picked up her fork, twisting her fingers and lifting it in exaggeratedly slow motions for him to follow. “See?” she asked.

“Yes, Velvet.” Blake looked down at his own fork and tried to mimic his trainer. Unfortunately, just as Velvet had predicted, he didn’t have as much control of his fingers as someone older would and ended up dropping it several times, his ears wilting with every mistake. Velvet stood and moved behind him.

“Here, Blake.” She said softly, leaning down and taking his hand. “You pick it up this way until I can teach you how to do it right, okay?” She gently guided his hands into the proper motions of picking up the fork for someone his age and Blake nodded. He began to practice that instead and Velvet beamed down at him as he succeeded after a few attempts.

“That’s very good, Blake!” the rabbit-Faunus praised. “Now, we’re going to show you how to properly eat, okay?” Velvet had one of the kitchen attendants bring over some lunch for Blake, setting it in front of him. “Here’s how this works, Blake.” Velvet began in a serious tone. “You don’t eat this food until either you do it right, or it’s dinnertime. Understood?”

Blake slowly nodded, his ears flattening at this new rule. Was he not allowed lunch? Velvet moved on with the lesson. “Good boy. The exercise is simple. All you have to do is pick the food up with the fork, keep your back straight and bring it to your mouth without spilling.”

That sounded really easy to Blake. Why was this an exercise? All he had to do was eat. To prove it, he leaned forward to pick up his fork. Almost immediately, someone plucked his ears and Blake dropped his fork. Looking up, Blake found Velvet shaking her head. “Do not lean forward, Blake. Scoot closer. Since you are too small to move this chair yourself, I will push you closer, but you do not lean forward. Let’s try it again.”

Blake waited as Velvet pushed him as close as she could to the table. He kept his back straight like Monty taught him and picked up his fork the way Velvet taught him to. Glancing up at his trainer, Blake was rewarded with an approving nod. Taking a deep breath, he reached forward and used the fork to pick up some of the food on the plate. Bringing the fork back, his ears flattened as some of the food spilled on the table right before another pluck struck them. Whimpering, Blake looked up at Velvet. The lighter brunette placed the food back on the plate and returned his fork to where it was and gestured for him to do it again.

Hours passed with the same maneuvers and routines, Blake trying to get everything right so he would be able to eat, Velvet attempting to get all of the necessary skills into her pupil in her allotted time. By the time night fell and dinnertime was upon them, Blake’s ears were flattened to his head, twitching at every movement in fear of getting plucked again. Velvet glanced to the sky outside and sighed.

“Alright, that’s enough for today.” She stated, stopping Blake as he went to try picking up the food again. “Let’s get you some finger food to rest your hands.”

“No!” Blake cried, turning large amber eyes to look up at her. “I can do it!”

“Blake, the lesson is over.” Velvet told him gently, kneeling to look at him. “You don’t have to practice until tomorrow.”

“But I’m supposed to be the princess’ best servant.” Blake sniffed, rubbing his ears. “I’m supposed to! Mr. King said so!”

Velvet sighed softly and nodded, standing and sweeping her hand toward the plate, allowing Blake to try again. The little cat-Faunus took up his fork again and, with shaking hands, slowly began eating his dinner, making certain not to spill a single bit. The other servants around watched in fascination as the process progressed and Velvet felt a small sense of pride at her student’s dedication.

“Tomorrow, we’ll work on your letters.” Velvet told him calmly, watching him practice eating his dinner. “We won’t be leaving our training room, so be prepared to simply sit for a few hours.”

Blake opened his mouth to reply, but remembered getting his ears plucked and swallowed first. “Okay, Velvet. What are letters?”

“I’m going to teach you to read.” Velvet chirped, watching Blake carefully. “Now finish up so you can head back to the princess’ chambers.”

The cat-Faunus nodded and finished up his dinner quickly while paying close attention to what Velvet had taught him throughout the day. Once done, Velvet waved good bye to him and Blake made his way in the direction of the princess’ chambers. He looked around the castle as he went, making sure to memorize everything around him.

Velvet will be proud of me if I can remember the hallways again. He thought to himself determinedly, rounding into the hall that housed the royal chambers. If I can remember them after tomorrow, maybe I’ll get a treat. A vague memory came to Blake of treats being given to him by someone, but he couldn’t make out the person’s face or voice clearly.

Forgetting about the memory as he came to the princess’ rooms, Blake reached up to the ornate handle and opened the door, making his way toward his chair. As he neared, he found two people already in the room. Cocking his head, he watched as the queen laid a sleeping Weiss into the crib and turned to the king.

“She’s sleeping soundly.” Schimmer murmured. “Blake should be finished with his training and on his way here soon.”

“The little lad’s training seems to be coming along quite well.” Rot hummed, hugging his beloved from behind. “I think we may have made a good choice assigning him as Weiss’ personal servant. He’s doing very well. I expect to see wonderful things from that Faunus.”

“As do I.” Schimmer agreed, turning to the doorway. “Ah, hello there Blake.”

“Hello, Your Highness.” Blake responded, looking up at the pair of them.

“Well, go on, Blake.” Rot sighed dismissively. “Go on to bed.”

“Okay, Your Highness.” Blake moved past the pair of them and climbed up onto his chair, curling up and snuggling into the fabric. Schimmer smiled at him and followed Rot out, closing the door behind her.

When the door closed, Blake’s ears perked up and he stood on his chair, turning to face the crib. Looking over the bar, he observed the sleeping princess, cocking his head. Mister King and Miss Queen want me to be a good servant too. He thought, a yawn filtering through his throat. Then if they want me to be the best servant ever, I’ll make the princess proud and be the best servant ever.

Settling down for sleep, Blake snuggled down into the chair, curling himself up and sinking into sleep, ready for tomorrow.

Chapter Text

This would not do at all. Velvet couldn't believe she'd forgotten. One of the most important parts of being a servant was appearance, after all. And yet, she had been so focused on her teachings that she'd neglected to remember where Blake had come from. Sighing as she took her pupil by the hand, the rabbit-eared woman conceded to this mistake and sought to rectify it. Immediately.

"Let's get you fitted for some new clothes," Velvet chirped, guiding Blake along the halls.

"New clothes?" Blake asked.

"Yes," his mentor murmured. "You've been in the same outfit since you got here and you need a bath."

Blake's eyes widened and he instinctively jerked backward at the mention of a bath. Velvet glanced down at her charge and noticed the trembles going through his body. Kneeling beside the darker brunette, Velvet lifted his chin. "Blake," she asked softly. "What's wrong?

"W-water…" Blake squeaked, shaking from head to toe. "I-I don't… like baths… The water is always too hot or too cold and my ears always get wet."

"Would you like me to teach you how to bathe yourself?" the rabbit-Faunus suggested.

"You'll teach me?" Blake whispered.

"If it means you get clean, then I'll teach you how to bathe yourself, okay?" Blake nodded and Velvet stood once more with a smile.

"Then we'll take you to get bathed as soon as the tailor has finished measuring you for clothing. Now come along or we'll be late for our appointment. The tailor is quite a busy man. It was a miracle I got in on such short notice."

Blake hurried behind his mentor as Velvet led him through the last few hallways of the castle, coming to a stop before a large door marked with a name. "Blake?" the smaller brunette glanced up. "I want you to know that the Royal Tailor isn't someone you should be afraid of. He's a kind man, okay?"

Amber eyes alighted on the name on the door and Blake cocked his head in confusion. Why was Velvet telling him this? He had met plenty of servants in the past few days since he arrived and few of them were scary. "Will he not like me?" he asked nervously.

"Of course he'll like you," Velvet chuckled. "Tukson's just a very large man is all. He's one of the main bookkeepers in the kingdom and is also the best tailor the castle has ever seen. Come on."

Velvet led the way into the room to find a large man with long sideburns sitting at a desk. He was looking over a journal of some sort, his grey eyes roving over the page in concentration. When he heard them enter, the man looked up and beamed at them, closing his book and standing.

"Velvet!" he boomed in a gravelly voice. Blake instantly hid behind his mentor, ears flat to his head as he took in the large person coming toward them. "It's so good to see you again. I thought Captain Winchester had finally pushed too far and done something to you. Are you well?"

"Quite," Velvet giggled. "I've come for my newest novice. He needs a new set of clothing as soon as possible. He's been in his current ones since he arrived about a week ago and we can't continue his training when he smells like an animal."

"Ah, alright. Get the little fellow cleaned up and wrap him in a towel," Tukson chuckled, glancing down at Blake. "Then we'll take his measurements. Until we can get him some new clothes, I'll have to give him some of the spare outfits I have in the back."

"Sounds wonderful," Velvet agreed. "Come along, Blake. I'm going to teach you how to take a bath."

Tukson watched the pair go and cocked his head, wondering if such a timid child would actually be able to serve the princess properly. Blake followed Velvet out of the room and watched as she spoke to one of the servants, another rabbit-Faunus named Amiril.

"Do you think you could have it brought to us in the servants' quarters?" Velvet asked. "He enjoys testing the temperature himself."

"Of course, Velvet," Amiril agreed. "What room?"

"The second room in the feline quarters, if you please." Amiril nodded and hurried off as Velvet took Blake by the hand.

As she guided Blake through the halls, Velvet explained that bathing himself was a big responsibility. "Do you think you can do it?" she asked softly. "You'll have to ask one of the older servants to make your bath and bring it to the second room in the feline quarters. And you'll have to dress yourself."

"I can do it if you teach me," Blake replied, his ears standing tall. "I can do it. I'm gonna be the best servant for the princess and servants do my own baths."

Velvet chuckled at her student and stopped at a closet. "This is the linen closet," the rabbit-Faunus explained. "It's for towels and cloths to wash with. You need to get one towel and one wash cloth for each bath, okay?"

"Okay." Blake's ears flopped slightly as he nodded his understanding. He opened the door and gazed up at the fabrics inside. His ears twitched slightly as he hesitantly reached for two towels. Velvet shook her head and Blake tried again, instead getting two washcloths. After his mentor shook her head once more, Blake bit his lip, his ears falling slightly. Taking a few moments, the cat-Faunus grabbed one towel and one washcloth and Velvet nodded in affirmation.

Ears newly perked in triumph, Blake followed Velvet to the correct room and he pushed the door open. The heads within turned in their direction and Velvet smiled in greeting. Blake hid behind her leg as he took note of all the people in there. All of them were a cat-Faunus. Lion-Faunus, tiger-Faunus, cheetah-Faunus… plenty of different ones.

A lynx-Faunus walked over and knelt to get a better look at Blake. "This the little guy?" she asked cheerfully.

"This is Blake," Velvet responded, pushing Blake forward just slightly. "I'm currently training him, but I have yet to teach him how to bathe. I thought the best way for him to learn was from other cat-Faunus."

The lynx-Faunus nodded. "Makes sense. Hi, sweetie. My name is Kira. Are you ready to learn how to take a bath?" Blake swallowed and nodded his head slowly. "Aw, that's not a very brave answer. Ya gotta be brave if ya wanna be the princess' servant."

"I-I wanna learn howta take a bath, Miss Kira," Blake tried. He bit his lip as he forced his ears to perk up a little taller. Kira gave him an encouraging smile.

"Doing better!" she chirped. "Just Kira is fine. And don't worry, we're going to help you be braver in time. For now, let's get you a tub."

"I've got Amiril bringing in one now," Velvet told her.

Right on time, Amiril and a few eagle-Faunus strode in carrying a tub between them. Setting the bath basin down, Amiril grinned at Blake. "Alright, little fella. Test out the water for us."

Blake glanced around at all of the adults before moving to the tub and sticking his hand into the water. It was warm, but it didn't burn him, so he nodded in acceptance. Kira grinned and knelt down beside him.

"We're going to put you in the bath now, okay? We're going to go slow, so it doesn't shock you." Blake nodded again, but Kira shook her head. "Ya gotta use your voice, Blake. Servants of the Schnee monarchs are well-spoken, not soft-voiced."

"O-okay, M-uh, Kira," Blake tried, lifting his ears up.

"Much better!" Kira chirped, instructing Blake to lift his arms. Once he was in the water, one of the eagle-Faunus took his clothes away to be cleaned.

Blake sat in the water, feeling the warmth soak into his skin. He couldn't remember the last time he had a bath. What he did remember involved a lot of yellow. But the water didn't feel as good as it did now.

Kira grabbed up the soap and she and Velvet removed their shirts to avoid splash. While Kira gathered the soap, Velvet turned to Blake. "Now, Blake," she said calmly. "We're going to teach you how to wash yourself, okay? It's very simple."

"Okay, Velvet," Blake responded.

Kira held up a bottle and showed it to her temporary pupil. "This is soap, Blake. It's what we use to get clean." She poured some on a cloth as she continued, "We rub it all over to get the yucky dirt off and be clean for the Royal Family."

"I wanna be clean!" Blake exclaimed, much to the amusement of the other Faunus.

"Good," Velvet giggled as Kira handed the lathered cloth to Blake. "Now, are you ready?" Blake nodded dutifully.

For the next several minutes, Kira and Velvet walked Blake through how to properly clean his body, starting at his neck and working to his torso, arms, privates, and finally, legs and feet. Blake paid close attention to how they told him to do it, wanting to make sure he got all the dirt off. Velvet lifted his arm to sniff for a moment before nodding.

"Well done, Blake!" she praised. "We're going to practice every time you need to take a bath, but this was a very good job for your first time."

Blake sat straighter, proud that he had done so well on his first try. He was going to be a good servant. A good not-smelly servant.

Velvet turned to her partner and asked, "Shall we move on to the next part?"

Kira nodded and lifted a bottle for Blake to see. "Blake, this is shampoo, okay?" Blake shook his head to show he understood. Kira lifted another bottle. "This is conditioner. Got it?"

"Got it, Kira," Blake looked back and forth. "That's sh-shampoo and that's candisher."

The Faunus around laughed softly at the pronunciation and Kira tried again. "Con-dish-on-er."

"Con-dish-on-er," the small servant repeated, taking care to say it just the way his teacher did.

"Good!" Kira picked up the shampoo. "You put shampoo in first, then you rinse it out and put in the conditioner before rinsing it out, too."

"Like before?" Blake asked.

"Exactly like before," Velvet agreed. "Just twice."

Blake gazed up as Kira cleared her throat. "Now, Blake, you don't want water in your ears, right?"

"Right!" Blake affirmed.

"Then you're going to want to put your ears down." Amber eyes blinked up at her in confusion. "Like this." Kira demonstrated by flattening her ears forward against her head. Blake slowly did as instructed and Kira lifted a cup. "I'm going to carefully pour water over your head. Keep your ears down so they don't get wet, okay?"

Blake held his breath as the water dripped over his face and down his back. Kira made sure to be careful of his ears as she covered his whole head. Grabbing up the shampoo, she lathered it in her hands before applying it to the black tresses, digging in to get down to the roots. Blake squeaked when her hands came too close to his ears and Kira moved further away with a small reassurance.

"I'm going to pour the water over your head again, Blake," Kira told him. "But after I put the conditioner in, you're going to do it yourself, okay?"

"Okay," Blake bubbled, spitting out the water that fell into his mouth.

Kira lathered the conditioner in her hands and rubbed it into Blake's hair, once again being careful of his ears. Technically, it was better to keep their ears perked when washing their hair, but Blake was too young to be able to control the water properly. He would end up accidentally pouring it in his ears and no cat-Faunus wanted that. It was better to teach him the safe way before the right way.

"Don't open your eyes, Blake," Kira instructed, accepting the cup from Velvet. "We don't want you getting soap in your eyes. I'm going to put the cup in your hand so you can pour it over your head."

Blake waited until he had the cup in hand before lifting it over his head. The first splash startled him and he ended up dropping the cup into the tub. His eyes snapped open almost immediately and the two adults instantly went into damage control.

"Close your eyes, Blake," Velvet told him softly, placing a hand on his shoulder to reassure him. "It's alright, you just surprised yourself, that's all. We'll try again, slower this time, right?"

"You have to be very careful when washing your hair, Blake," Kira added, once again placing the cup into Blake's hand and guiding him on how to properly hold it. "You don't want water in your ears, right?"

"Right!" Blake responded, slowly pouring water over his head. The other servants watched him to be sure he didn't accidentally swallow any of the water or get soap in his eyes. When Blake paused, he tilted his head up. "Did I get it all?"

"Yes, you did," Velvet told him. "You were very thorough. Would you like us to check for you?"

Blake squeezed his eyes shut tight and nodded. "Yes, please!"

Velvet noticed a patch in the back of Blake's head that still looked white against his black tresses and looked to Kira. The lynx-Faunus gave her a smile and quickly scooped up some water to pour over the back of the tiny servant's head. Blake kept his ears pressed forward so that none of the water dripped into them.

"There you go, Blake!" Kira chirped, finishing up with his hair. "Now, your hair's all clean. From now on, until you're a bit bigger, make sure to ask one of the servants to check your hair, alright? We don't want you to accidentally miss a spot."

"Okay, Kira!" Blake agreed, finally opening his eyes and blinking.

Kira gave him a mischievous smile before reaching her hand into the water and splashing at Blake. The little servant-in-training gasped and giggled, splashing back at her. Kira shook her wet bangs and smirked. "Oh, it's on now!"

Blake let out a squeal of laughter as Kira started splashing him harder. He slapped his hands against the water, trying to combat the larger cat-Faunus' waves with his own. He had flattened his ears to his head in order to protect them from the spray, just as Kira had taught him.

Velvet grinned as she watched Blake having fun with Kira. She sometimes forgot that he was so young. Certainly, she had a task to fulfill and knew she needed to do her job, however… The rabbit-Faunus watched the way Blake shook his head slightly at the lynx-Faunus. He was still a child. He had plenty of time to learn everything properly. Even children deserved a bit of fun in their lives, even if they were to be servants.

Nodding to herself, Velvet vowed to make sure Blake had small moments like these, little moments of silliness between his lessons. Just because he had to be a servant didn't mean he should be miserable. As his mentor, it was her duty to ensure he did his job properly, and happy servants were good servants. His determination and the smile on his face were proof enough of that.

Chapter Text

Velvet decided to hold off on teaching Blake how to read just yet. It was a long process that took years to master properly. She only had a month to make him presentable for the princess. Instead of working on letters, Velvet began a new training regimen with easier to learn things. Every day, she quizzed him on his knowledge of the castle corridors and reminded him of proper standing, walking, and eating form.

Tukson had created a nice set of suits for Blake to wear and Velvet made sure he knew how to get into them. Knowing how young Blake was, Tukson refrained from adding all of the usual furnishings to the suit. Instead, he simplified the design so that Blake only had to use a few buttons for each piece of clothing. Within a few hours of practicing how to put it on, Blake could do it himself no problem.

The month drew on and Velvet honored her promise to herself. Occasionally, she would let Blake play with some of the other young servants. None of them were as young as he, but they were nice enough to let him play along. This only happened once his duties were finished, but he didn’t seem to mind so much.

As the final week descended upon them, it was time to bring in the more difficult training. Blake glanced about as Velvet led him through the castle. They were heading toward Kanekomuru’s office from the looks of the hallways, but why? Did Kanekomuru ask Velvet to teach Blake something with him? Did Velvet need Kanekomuru’s help? Blake perked up slightly as Velvet knocked at the door to the goat-Faunus’ office.

“Enter,” Kanekomuru’s familiar voice called.

Velvet stepped into the office and the horned man glanced up. “Ah, Velvet! What brings you and young Blake here?”

“I believe it’s time for Blake to begin his practice with the princess,” Velvet explained calmly, placing a hand on Blake’s shoulder.

“Good to hear,” Kanekomuru murmured. “Well then, we had best go find Her Majesty so that Blake can get used to her.”

“I’m used to her,” Blake piped up. “I sleep in her room. In my chair.”

The two adults chuckled. “That’s not quite what I meant, Blake. We need to get you used to taking orders from the princess. As her servant, you have to do what she wants before you can do what you want.”

“Oh,” Blake’s ears fell. “So, I can’t play anymore?”

Velvet knelt beside Blake. “I know you like playing, but none of us are going anywhere, Blake. We’re here to talk and help you. And if you want, I’m sure some of the older kids wouldn’t mind playing with you at night. It’s just, while the princess needs you, you have to be there for her.”

Blake stared at the floor for a while. “Okay, Velvet.”

Kanekomuru sighed, looking at the young boy. He must not have really understood what it meant to be the princess’ servant. Poor boy. Unfortunately, they had no time to dwell on that for now. There was training to be done.

“Alright, so we have about a week to get young Blake familiar with the princess’ pattern and begin waiting on her.” Kanekomuru smiled down at the small servant. “Are you ready to put all that training to use, Blake?”

As if a switch had flipped, Blake’s ears perked up and he nodded eagerly. “Yes, Mister Kanekomuru,” he replied.

“Let’s go find her then, shall we?” Kanekomuru led the way out of the room and strode along the halls. “Now, Blake, I know the schedule of each member of the Royal Family and almost every member of the staff here in the castle. If ever you have a question about where to find someone, just come to my office, understood?”

“Yes.”

“The princess should be in the middle of her singing lesson right now, so we’ll just go and listen for a bit until she’s finished, alright?” Blake gave a nod in understanding.

Kanekomuru led them down a long corridor and he looked to Velvet. “Have you taught him the secret passages yet?”

“Not yet,” Velvet explained. “I didn’t want him getting lost in the walls. He’s only been here a month, after all. I thought a few years to familiarize himself with the halls and then around age ten, I could teach him about the passageways.”

“Good thinking,” Kanekomuru nodded, looking back at Blake. “He is still quite young. Ah, here we are.”

He opened a door and a soft melody filtered out. Blake’s ears stood at attention when he realized someone was singing along. He moved closer to get a peek and spotted the princess standing beside some large black and white furniture. The music came from the furniture, and the princess was singing along. Blake watched her curiously. Every time he had seen her before, she looked grumpy and pouty. Now, the princess looked… nice. She didn’t look grumpy and she wasn’t pouting. She looked like she was having fun.

Without realizing, Blake crept further into the room, wanting to be closer. Velvet and Kanekomuru watched him carefully. They didn’t want him getting in trouble for interrupting the princess’ lesson. Blake stopped a little way away from the strange music furniture and just observed the relaxed way the princess was standing. Did that mean she liked singing? Maybe she could sing for him some time, so she wasn’t grumpy at him all the time.

At last, the song ended and Princess Weiss took a breath. “Good job, Princess!” Blake jumped. He hadn’t realized there was a person behind the strange machine. “Your vocals are progressing nicely. Every note was exact.”

Weiss gave a soft huff before spotting the mass of black in the corner of her eye. “What are you doing here?” she demanded, drawing away from Blake slightly.

Instantly, Blake’s ears fell. “I came to watch you sing,” he responded. “You sound pretty.”

“Thank you,” Weiss said as Velvet and Kanekomuru walked in.

“Good morning, Princess,” Kanekomuru greeted the young royal, bowing. “We have come to begin young Blake’s training as your personal servant.”

Sharp blue eyes blinked up at them before switching to Blake. He gave a wave, his ears perking up slightly. Weiss huffed. “Okay. But he can’t get in the way.”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” Velvet agreed, taking Blake by the hand. She guided him off to the side and knelt to begin his lesson. “Alright, Blake. Tending to the princess is going to be a difficult job. You’ve got to be a good listener and pay attention to her. Are you ready to learn?”

“Yes, Velvet,” Blake replied, his ears perked up attentively. “I wanna be a good servant.”

“Good. From now on, Kanekomuru will be accompanying our lessons. He’s going to teach you the princess’ schedule and how best to serve her.”

Blake looked to Kanekomuru and nodded. “Okay. What do I do?”

“We’re going to have to get you into shape, Blake,” Kanekomuru explained. “You’re going to have to learn how to stand for a long time. And you can’t get distracted. Understood?”

“U-under stood.” Blake tripped over the word a little, but managed.

The servant manager smiled and knelt down. “Alright. First things first, a good servant stands straight and tall. We are proud to serve the Schnee Kingdom royal family, right?”

“Right!” Blake agreed, ears flopping slightly as he nodded. Kanekomuru gently helped him straighten his back and stand properly.

“Since you’re still so young, it will be difficult for you to stand like the older servants for so long. You will be relegated to breaks, so you can rest. Also, you need to spread your feet to help your balance. I don’t want you falling, trying to be like the older servants.”

“B-but I wanna be a good servant, too,” Blake protested.

Velvet placed a hand atop his head soothingly. “Blake, we know you want to be the best servant, but we have time to teach you all that, okay? For now, we just want you to be good at the basics. I’ll help you as you grow.”

“Promise?” the little Faunus sniffed.

“I promise.”

Kanekomuru finished and stood. “How’s that feel, Blake?”

Blake tested his muscles. “Okay.” His hands were at his sides and his feet were a little apart. His back didn’t feel good, but he was standing like Mister Kanekomuru, so he must have been doing it right.

“Good,” Kanekomuru said with slight relief. “Now, Velvet and I are going to teach you how to watch for when the princess needs something. This will take time to get right, so you need to be patient, understood?”

“Yes, Mister Kanekomuru,” Blake replied. He could watch the princess. He didn’t mind. She was pretty. And she had gone back to singing, so he got to hear her sing while watching her.

For the rest of the practice, Velvet helped Blake look for any signs that Princess Weiss wanted something. Blake couldn’t tell how Velvet knew, but he guessed that she had been doing this for a long time. Whenever the princess’ voice got hoarse, Blake saw Velvet’s ears twitch and he knew something was going on.

“She needs water, Blake,” his mentor told him quietly. Kanekomuru handed him a goblet and Blake made his way over to the princess. Weiss blinked at him in shock, but took the goblet, watching him with squinted eyes.

The first time he needed to do this, Blake’s ears immediately fell. Had he done it wrong? Maybe she didn’t like water? He liked apple juice, so maybe she wanted that. Without a word, the princess had handed the goblet back and Blake walked back to his mentors.

“You did very well, Blake,” Kanekomuru told him. “But remember to keep those ears perked, alright?”

“I think she’s mad at me,” the little Faunus mumbled.

Velvet chuckled. “She’s not mad at you, Blake,” she said. “The princess just doesn’t know you yet. When she’s familiar with you, she won’t glare at you so much.”

Blake nodded, not really convinced. He turned back to watch the princess and the session continued on. His ears flicked when he heard the princess sneeze and remembered he had a thing in his pocket. He pulled it out and walked over to Weiss, much to Velvet and Kanekomuru’s surprise.

“Here you go,” he said quietly, handing the handkerchief to the princess.

“Thank you,” Weiss sniffed, blowing her nose. When she was finished, neither of them knew what to do with it and Kanekomuru hurriedly intervened.

“Young Majesty, I can take that for you,” he said gently. Weiss handed over the handkerchief and the goat-Faunus led Blake back to where Velvet waited.

Kanekomuru stored the handkerchief into one of his pockets and smiled down at Blake. “That was very good instinct, Blake,” he praised the small boy. “We didn’t even need to tell you what to do.”

Blake’s ears perked higher at that and he squirmed happily. “I’m gonna try and get better!” he grinned. “So I can do it all on my own!”

“That’s the spirit,” Velvet laughed. “Come on, the princess is heading to lunch in a few moments. This is a good time to learn how to walk with her.”

“I have to walk different?” Blake asked, his eyebrows pulling together in confusion.

“Not quite,” the rabbit-Faunus explained. “I’ll show you.”

She took his hand and Blake wondered just how much he really had to learn. Everything about being a servant was different than what he was used to. But he could do it. He was gonna be the best servant, and that meant knowing everything.

Chapter Text

As Weiss made her way from the room, the three servants followed and Velvet instructed Blake quietly. "As servants, we walk slightly behind the Royal Family." Blake nodded, keeping behind Weiss. "However, since you're her personal servant, you walk off to her side, so that if she turns she can see you."

To emphasize, Kanekomuru moved Blake to where he should be as the princess walked. This wasn't so bad. He just had to walk a little behind her, so it wasn't that different. And he could smell a nice scent while she walked, so he didn't have to hold his nose.

"You sing pretty," Blake said after a few moments, making his teachers tense slightly. "Do you practice every day?"

"Yes," Weiss responded, not looking at him. "I've been practicing for a year."

Blake blinked. "A year? Is that long?"

"Not really." Blue eyes found him briefly. "Mother practiced for a lot more years than that."

"Miss Queen sings too?" That was nice. Did they sound the same when they sang? Maybe Blake could listen to Miss Queen when she sang, too."

"Yes," Weiss told him. "And she's even better at it than me."

"Wow…" Blake whispered. "That's really cool. I wish I could sing…"

Weiss sniffed. "If you can't sing, maybe you should do an instrument like the other servants."

"I-inz-chra-mint?" Blake's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to concentrate on the word. "Like that machine playing the music?"

"That is right," the princess affirmed. "That was a piano."

Blake's nose wrinkled, but before he could say anything about the weird name, Velvet stepped in. "Blake, why don't we see if you like any instruments once your training for the day is finished?" Kanekomuru released a quiet sigh of relief. The last thing they needed was Blake offending the princess.

"Okay," Blake agreed. "Do you play any inz-chra-mints, Princess?"

"Mother says I will learn violin and harp when I'm older," Weiss replied. Velvet noticed the more relaxed set of her shoulders. She was beginning to warm up to Blake, if only a little. It would take time before she was comfortable around him.

"Can I listen when you're older?" the cat-Faunus asked as they arrived at the dining hall.

"I suppose," the princess shrugged, heading for her chair on her father's right.

Blake followed along, but Velvet stopped him from sitting down. "Servants don't sit with the Royal Family, Blake," she whispered to him. "We stand until the Royal Family is finished eating."

"They eat before us?" Blake asked in confusion.

"So that we don't get in the way," Velvet explained. It wasn't the reason, but she didn't want Blake to think it was for nothing. That might trip him up.

Amber eyes watched her and Blake stayed by the princess' side instead. While she ate, he practiced standing the way Kanekomuru had taught him. Said mentor watched the small boy carefully through the meal. Had it been just the princess, there would be room for error, but with the king and queen here, there was no way they could make even a single mistake.

Queen Schimmer also eyed Blake curiously, and she turned her attention to Velvet. "How are young Blake's lessons coming along, Velvet?"

Velvet straightened immediately, not expecting to be addressed during the meal. "Very well, Your Highness. Blake is showing excellent progress for only his first month in training. It will take a little while to refine his skills because he is so young, but he is doing much better than anticipated."

"That's wonderful news," Schimmer chuckled. "I suspect he may even be ready for his first big assignment next week."

"A-assignment, Your Majesty?" Velvet didn't like the sound of that. While Queen Schimmer was benevolent, there was a sparkle in her silver orbs that made the rabbit-Faunus' hair stand on end.

"Yes," the queen explained. "The small gala next week. All of Weiss' playmates will be there, as will the nobles. It will be the perfect time to put Blake's training to the test."

Kanekomuru and Velvet shared uneasy glances before looking to the young boy who was currently eying the fish platter hungrily. "O-of course it will, My Liege," Kanekomuru agreed nervously. "We will make certain young Blake is ready to serve the princess to his fullest by the gala."

"Wonderful!" Schimmer beamed. "I look forward to seeing his progress. Ah, speaking of…" The queen reached for the fish platter and, with practiced strokes, sliced a portion off and put it on a plate. "Please eat, Blake. You need to keep your health up if you're going to be Princess Weiss' servant."

"Thank you, Mi- u-uh… Your Highness," Blake's ears fell momentarily at his slip up as he accepted the platter and fork. Holding it just the way Monty and Velvet taught him, Blake began to eat, chowing into the meal.

"I understand that you want to teach him when he is actually allowed to eat," Schimmer sighed, noting the worry on the two teachers' faces. "However, you must take into account how young he is. Try shaping your training around that. I see you've already started, but he can learn as he grows." She gave them a gentle smile. "There's no need to rush it. He will know everything with time."

Velvet bowed gratefully. "Yes, Your Majesty. I'll try to keep that in mind from now on."

Her ruler nodded and turned her attention back to the food. Blake was careful not to spill as he ate while standing. He knew he should be sitting down, but he saw some of the other servants standing and eating, so he could do it, too. He couldn't let anyone be a better servant than him when he grew up.

The Royal Family finished lunch fairly quickly, especially since King Rot didn't have anything of importance to report on. Schimmer and Rot made their way toward the throne room while one of the servants stepped up beside Weiss. Blake's ears perked up curiously as the servant bowed.

"Princess, we need to get changed for your fencing lessons," the servant, Mister Pascal, stated as he bowed.

Weiss nodded and slipped from her seat, following Mister Pascal out of the hall. Kanekomuru and Velvet shared a glance, both wondering if they should follow. Blake was still young and possibly going to reach his 'girls are icky' stage soon, if he hadn't already. They weren't sure he was ready to stand idly by while the princess changed.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Blake took the decision from them by scampering after Princess Weiss, ears standing tall and attentive as they both disappeared. Kanekomuru sighed as Velvet's ears fell.

"I'll make sure he doesn't say anything to offend her," the rabbit-Faunus groaned. "Meet you in the fencing room?"

Kanekomuru nodded, hoping the young servant didn't get beheaded before he'd even fully begun work. "Agreed."