Chapter Text
Ruby Rose shielded her eyes from the morning sun as it cast its orange glow over the Vale skyline.
The metropolis was starting to wake, countless evening lights flickering out. Even from her perch on her balcony a good distance away, she could pick out the shapes of the dawn shift bullheads hovering over the city. In the next hour, more would clutter the skies to prosecute the usual business.
Beyond the high-rise buildings stretched miles of lush forests, green mountains, and the ever endless expanse of deep blue sea. All under a single flag, a single banner, a single authority. All belonging to her, everyone within subservient to her word.
This was her Empire. A gargantuan nation that consumed the entire continent of Sanus from east to west, from commercial colonies on Anima, Solitas, and Menagerie to heavily fortified strongholds in the barren Grimm lands. A colossus she inherited or, in the words of her godparents, 'a world fated to be hers.'
The young sovereign ran her hand across the concrete balustrade surrounding her balcony. She cast her gaze over Vale radiating its magnificent glory as the Imperial capital, the heart of the Imperial heartlands.
The noise of the day echoed up at her and she glanced down below to the courtyard of the Imperial Palace.
Within the high concrete walls and towering columns marched a squadron of the Imperial Guard, the finest soldiers in the whole of the Empire sworn to protect her. Many of these hardy men were distinguished veterans transferred from the Imperial Army with some among them having served as Huntsmen while fewer still were drawn from the prestigious Order of the Guardians. Each man was sharpened to be deadlier than his own weapon and were rewarded for their years of duty with the venerable task of safeguarding an eighteen-year-old girl who could barely keep that oversized fancy golden ring from slipping off her head.
Ruby shook her head at her own thoughts.
Yang was right; Uncle Qrow had too much influence on her. Alas, who can challenge the Guardsman Praefect for his words alone? The man could spew whatever he want. He earned the right through blood, sweat, and tears, copious amounts of alcohol notwithstanding. Most importantly, he was fiercely loyal in contrast to his predecessors.
Speaking of which, Prefect Qrow Branwen emerged out into the courtyard, his hands on his hips in a manner that meant that he was either hungover or in a sour mood over being awake this early in the morning. The contubernia marching about formed up in straight file before him so he could get the daily rituals over with.
Ruby withdrew from the balustrade to plop onto the recliner pressed up against the colonnade surrounding her perch, under the shade of the overhang from which watered vines wrapped around the columns to creep down to the floor. She was feeling particularly lazy today but that nagging voice in her head kept her from drifting off completely.
'This is no way for an empress to behave. Eyes open, Ruby. Get on your feet and get to work.'
Yes, mom.
Always the voice of her mother to recite that mantra in her head. Though robbed of her at the age of three, Ruby could still vividly recall her sing-song voice from memories of her lullabies. Even her father, who had followed after her mother in almost the same way when she was seven, would sometimes chime in to chastise her for going against her conscience.
Ruby groaned as she laid her head back against the cushion. "Fine. I'm getting up."
Her conscience was silent. Her imagination took hold, conjuring illusions of Summer and Taiyang smiling smugly at her from the archway as she pushed herself off the recliner, slipped into her slippers, and shuffled to her dresser to make herself presentable for the day.
No doubt, her godparents would have been saying the same thing if they walked in on her in such a state. Uncle Qrow, too. That was not to say she was not fond of Ozma and Salem; on the contrary, she loved them as dearly as she would have her own parents. Of course, being raised under their tutelage for fifteen years, they were practically her foster parents.
Though Lord Protector Ozma and Grand Magister Salem were far from her own lineage, Ruby and Yang were undoubtedly brought up as though they were their own kin. The two elders were as glaringly different as night and day yet both endeavored diligently to teach the two princesses the best, often putting aside their disagreements for their sakes. While Yang was two years her senior, it was clear that her 'unorthodox behavior' (Salem's words, not hers) and 'impulsive irresponsibility' (Ozma himself said it) were unbefitting of the role she now had.
Another widely circulated, widely unconfirmed, and widely believable rumor was that Yang was simply passed over because she did not possess the extremely rare stamp of their dynasty: the hereditary silver eyes.
Yang's were lilac. Her sister had no complaints, however. Rather, she was very much relieved. The blonde Grand Duchess had taken after their father; she lived in the moment and sitting around in a palace giving orders and constantly watching soldiers march in brightly colored uniforms bored her to tears before she reached puberty. She was perfectly content with remaining a princess. A wild one, at that. No army to command, no stately responsibilities, no annoying formalities, only the liberty of being her crazy self wherever whenever.
Contrary to their godparents' worries, her antics made her quite popular. Especially among the youth.
Granted there was that one time she burned down the biggest nightclub in Vale. How fortunate that the ensuing investigation revealed the place to have been the heart of an entire criminal syndicate operating under the nose of the authorities. Such revelations were more than enough to assuage public outrage at the carelessness of a royal; Ozma did not even have to do anything that time to contain the damage.
Oh, Yang. Why couldn't the elder sibling just be the empress and the younger sibling be the princess?
Ruby sat down behind her vanity set to glare at her reflection. She wished her irises were lilac instead of silver. As to why they were silver, she had a few vague ideas. She rubbed her eyes, smirking at how much she looked like Qrow on any given day: either hungover or sleep-deprived. Such a deceptive facade for the formidable commander of the Imperial Guard and the only one around willing to train Ruby and Yang as Huntresses...sort of. Hey, at least they forged their own weapons, and learned how to harness their Auras and use their Semblances effectively.
The empress pulled open one of her drawers and fished out an old pair of round shades. The nose pads were missing which made wearing it a nuisance as it would always slide down the bridge of her nose. She still put it on and adopted a raised chin against her reflection.
"This will be an interesting year," she recited, mimicking her best Ozma voice.
Ruby then frowned, letting the shades slip, then pulled the reddening strands of her obsidian hair to flow down her shoulders.
"You disappoint me," the empress said, trying to sound as deep as Salem.
Ruby's reflection pouted back at her. With a sigh, she withdrew her spectacles and gracelessly flopped over her dresser. She could barely be as patient as Ozma or as commanding as Salem. Her fighting skills made Qrow laugh while her social skills made Yang cringe.
Ugh. Here slumped the Empress of Sanus: a short-statured, shy, teenage girl silently reeling from her grandiose coronation.
Ruby could never forget the many faces looking up at her as the cardinal laid the bejeweled crown on her head. It was heavy and hard to balance. The scepter, too, had been uncomfortably cold in her grip and her overly bejeweled gown made sitting on her throne extremely awkward. Her jewelry glistened so much that it was blinding and the corset she was forced to wear squeezed her ribs. Painfully flashing lights, loud regal music, the people, pressure...
'Long live the Silver Rose!'
'Glory to the Empire!'
'All hail Ruby Rose, Empress of Sanus!'
'Vivat Imperatrix!'
Ruby blew raspberries over her arm.
What was the saying? 'It's good to be queen.'
No. No, it wasn't.
"Is there something wrong, Your Majesty?"
Ruby flashed a pouting glare at her Lady of the Bedchamber. "Cinder, please."
Lady Cinder Fall simpered over her shoulder while she ran the hairbrush down her liege's reddening tips. "Dear, people are calling you that now. Don't tell me you're going to forbid anyone from invoking custom in your presence."
The empress growled under her breath. Getting used to being addressed as royalty? Hah, far from it. Sure she grew up with it but it got old faster than when she learned how to properly swing a sword. As though the pressures of being the leader of an entire country was suffocating enough, being constantly prefixed by her honorifics only made the burden of her job feel heavier by reminding her that she had the most difficult job in the world.
Things were easier when she was just a princess.
"It's shaping up to be a good day, today," the older woman cooed, setting down the hairbrush to complete the finishing touches on her hair. She rested her chin on the younger girl's shoulder to playfully match her glower at their reflections in the mirror. "Come on. Put a smile on."
Ruby exhaled. "You're right. No use in moping, huh."
Cinder beamed warmly. "That's the spirit."
"Wouldn't want to the world to see the world's youngest monarch looking fifty years older."
"You should really stop thinking like Qrow so much."
Ruby lazily angled her head back up at one of the few childhood friends she ever had. "Why am I empress, Cinder?"
Lady Fall paused, appearing contemplative. "Because you were next in line."
"There's Yang."
Cinder shrugged. "You know she doesn't like taking the reins."
"But she's older. And smarter. And wiser—"
"And she's the Grand Duchess while you're the Empress of Sanus." The noblewoman tipped her chin up to meet her amber gaze. "I'm sure Ozma and Salem have their reasons."
"Do you agree with them?"
Cinder smirked. "You know I would have argued that you be given another decade or two to learn proper statecraft. Or get married and have your husband run the country."
Ruby groaned. Enough with the suitor jokes already. It was bad enough being incapable of being friendly to strangers; how much more when she was supposed to marry a total stranger? "I don't have any suitors."
"Ozma scared away any potential suitors. Or was it Salem? I'm sure she threatened to torch that one duke from Mistral for offering his son as a suitor."
The empress gave a lazy wave. "Not interested in romance before, not interested in romance now."
Cinder tittered. "Not tomorrow?"
"I don't want to get married."
"Yet."
Lady Fall hummed. "We need an heir to the throne~"
"Ugh! Yang'll make one."
Now Cinder laughed. And so did Ruby.
"I keep forgetting how mature you've become," the older woman wheezed.
Ruby smiled warmly. Then quickly enough reverted back to a frown. "You know I didn't really want this."
Lady Fall sighed. "I know, I know. That's why people like us are here to help you guide you through it."
The young sovereign beamed slightly. "Yeah, you're right. Your input really does help. And Yang's. And the others', too. You make fine advisors. Probably better than Ozma and Salem in some aspects." A brief chuckle escaped her lips. "Or at least more bearable."
A playful smirk stretched across Cinder's lips. "Why thank you, Your Majesty."
Ruby frowned. Then simpered while she straightened her back with her chin up. As royals were supposed to do. "Silence. Where is my crown, subject?"
Cinder tittered behind her palm. "Oh, don't be so cruel, Your Majesty. Spare me your whip! I shall find your extremely heavy crown of glistening jewels at once!"
Before any of them could move, the two ladies burst into laughter with Ruby getting up from her cushion and letting Cinder slide into her stool to take her place before her ornate vanity set.
"Find it after I'm done with your mess of a do," the empress mockingly declared while she fluffed the bushy ends of the older woman's obsidian mane.
"Of course, Your Majesty."
ORIGINALLY DRAFTED: May 10, 2019
LAST EDITED: September 28, 2019
INITIALLY UPLOADED: June 10, 2019