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“I dunno, Yang. I’m just a ball of anxiety right now.”
Yang laughs at her little sister and ruffles her hair. “Come on, Ruby, you’ve been training your whole life for this. Trust me, I’ve been doing this for years.”
“Two years,” Ruby corrects. She fiddles with the longsword on her hip. “Besides, Princess Belladonna’s so nice to you, and she can handle herself. I don’t even know the name of Mantle’s princess, and I’m supposed to guard her with my life?”
Yang dismisses Ruby with a wave of her hand. “You’ll be fine . You’re a strong woman.”
“I’m not worried about my strength, Yang. Any Grimm that comes after the princess - gone!” Ruby demonstrates by throwing her hands out. “But what if I embarrass myself in front of the princess? Then it’ll be awkward, and it’s not like I can quit- ”
Yang pushes a finger to Ruby’s lips. “Hush. Whining is unbecoming of you. We’re knights, now act like it.” Yang’s face softens for a moment, and she pulls Ruby in for a hug, their armor clanking together. “You’ll make me proud.”
Ruby returns the hug, burying her face in Yang’s shoulder. “I’ll do my best.”
Yang pats her on the back and pulls away. “Now’s not the time for pre-stage jitters, Ruby. Just trust your training and your instincts.”
Ruby chuckles. “My instincts are what’s got me like this.” She turns around and grabs her horse’s saddle, pushing off the ground and pulling herself up onto her horse. She gives Yang a sorrowful smile as the blonde gets astride her own horse. “Well...see ya.”
“Bye, Ruby. Good luck.”
Ruby puffs her cheeks out. “Mantle should be just over this hill.” Her horse slowly saunters down the path, the cold winds of Solitas nipping at them both. They crest the hill, and Ruby finally sees the kingdom in front of her.
Mantle, the veritable father of industry. True to its title, “birthplace of the future”, Mantle looks rather modern compared to the villages of Vale or Mistral - blocky stone buildings, factories churning out goods and smoke, gears and grime galore. But despite the palace just barely visible from the hilltop, Ruby knows Mantle’s not exactly the sleekest place - the Kingdom of Atlas towers on a mountain not far, the shining city of gems and marble and whatever other luxurious materials they could get their hands on. Mantle is only a shadow of its former self. Ruby was almost assigned to guard the current princess of Atlas, Weiss Schnee, but the princess of Mantle specifically requested Ruby to be her knight. And who is Ruby to refuse a princess? Ruby kicks her heels into her horse. “Come on girl. Just a bit farther.”
Ruby takes a deep breath and walks up the steps to the manor. Two guards outside the main door block her path with lances. “State your business, knight.” One of the men eyes Ruby - crimson and black metal armor, a red hooded cloak, and an elaborate sword at your side. “Ah.”
Ruby nods and holds out a letter. “I’m Ruby Rose. The new royal knight of Mantle.”
The other man scans the paper and nods, seemingly satisfied. “Polendina’s waiting inside to speak with you.” They move aside, gesturing in. Ruby nods and heads through the huge double doors, which slide down their tracks with a loud clack. Inside the spacious main hall - dull, tarnished metal, visible gears turning up above, and a large statue of a Huntsman slaying a Sabyr. Sitting next to a fireplace - fake, of course, wood is too rare, which is why Mantle’s citizens burn Dust for heating - is a man. Dark skinned with dark gray hair and brown eyes. He’s wearing a green cap, round spectacles, a cream-colored button-up and a deep red vest, a pink bowtie, mustard colored trousers, and leather boots. Not exactly the royal regalia she was expecting,
The man turns, his chair turning with him - mechanical, like the rest of this city, but the white covering on it disguises its true nature rather well. “Ah, welcome! To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Ruby kneels and bows her head. “My name is Ruby Rose, sir. I’m the Princess’s new royal guard.”
Pietro motions for Ruby to stand up. “None of that stuffy stuff they instill into you,” he says. “I’m Pietro Polendina, as I’m sure you know. Hmm…” He looks Ruby over.
“What?” Ruby asks.
“I’m just trying to figure out what makes you so special. No offense, of course, but my dear Penny specifically picked you from the line-up of available knights. I was intrigued enough when she asked to choose instead of randomly being assigned a protector, but I still don’t know why she picked you.”
"Princess Penny Polendina," Ruby whispers under her breath. "Very alliterative." She clears her throat. "Did her Grace not give a reason?"
"No, no. She just told me she wanted Ruby Rose, trained under Ozpin at Beacon. But that's not why, of course, there were other knights from that school."
Ruby nods. Her class had a lot of well-trained knights - Nikos, who was selected to protect the sole Arc prince, or Nora, who now guards the Orphaned Prince of Kuroyuri. Weiss hadn't been selected by the time Ruby left, but she definitely rivaled Ruby. And yet Ruby has been selected out of every school, every trained warrior.
"Well, I'm sure that question will be answered in time. Let's introduce you to Penny, shall we?"
"Dad? Is she here?"
Right on cue, a young woman makes her presence known at the top of the stairs. Ruby looks up at her - skin just a shade darker than Pietro’s, with barely discernible freckles. Orange curly hair that spills down her back. The brightest, most vivid green eyes to ever grace Remnant. She's dressed in a comfortable-looking light gray and olive green pinafore over a white blouse, coupled with black leggings and shoes. Ruby stares for a little longer than socially acceptable before snapping to her senses and kneeling. "Your grace," she says, fumbling over the words. "I'm Ruby Rose. Order of the Beacon."
Penny's eyes widen, and she smiles open-mouthed. "Salutations! I am so excited to meet you!" She skips down the stairs and runs up, stopping in front of Ruby. They make eye contact; Penny's staring expectantly downward.
Ruby coughs awkwardly. "Your grace?" she hesitantly asks.
Penny takes a second. "Oh, right! You may rise, Knight Rose."
"My thanks." Ruby stands up. "Thank you for your kindness, in choosing me as your protector."
"You are very welcome!" Penny holds out her hand. Ruby stares at it, then pulls off her gauntlet and shakes Penny's hand. Her touch is surprisingly warm.
Ruby shakes off the thought and slides her gauntlet back on. "Forgive me, but there was a...mishap at Beacon I should mention. The information I was supposed to receive regarding you, your Highness, never arrived. We assumed the courier died on the road, but...I know no more about you than the public does, milady."
"Oh, that will not be an issue! That simply means I get to tell you all about myself!"
So far, Ruby knows three things about Penny: she's energetic, she's friendly, and she's beau-
No, knights aren't supposed to think like that. Yang might, but Ruby wasn't her sister.
"Of course." Ruby turns to Pietro. "I assume I have quarters here?"
"Yes, yes, across from Penny's room. Your bags?"
"I travel light." Ruby presents the backpack slung over her shoulders, hidden by her cloak. "My personal possessions are all in here. I planned on getting anything else on arrival."
"Of course." Pietro squints at his watch. "Why don't you drop your things off, then hang out with Penny until dinner?"
"With all due respect, Polendina, I'm supposed to protect the princess, not 'hang out' with her."
"That is true," Penny says, "but you are also required to fulfill my reasonable requests. And I request you hang out with me."
Ruby gives a resigned smile. "As you wish, your grace."
"-and that is how lightning bugs are able to create the light they are known for!"
Ruby's enraptured by this conversation. She's changed into more appropriate clothes - an outfit comprised of a corset over a white blouse, a ruffled, pleated red-and-black skirt, dark red shorts, and black leggings and combat boots. The similarities between Penny's outfit and her own are not lost on her.
"Sadly," Penny continues, "the only species of lightning bug in Solitas do not have the anatomy to illuminate themselves. Outside of a book, I have only seen them once, during a trip to the kingdom of Vale."
Ruby nods. "If I may voice one complaint about Solitas..."
Penny nods eagerly. "Please do."
"...it's empty. The only things out in the tundra are Grimm."
"You would not find wild animals so close to the twin cities. The mining drove them away from us and the Grimm."
“That would explain why the diet here is so plant-heavy.”
“Well, we do have animals on farms both here and in Atlas. Primarily caribou and hares.”
“Ah.” Ruby glances out the floor-to-ceiling window that dominates Penny’s personal chambers. “So what are your relations with the other royals?”
Penny taps her chin. “I am on friendly terms with Princess Hill and Knight-Paladin Schnee, along with Robyn’s...partners.”
“Her three wives,” Ruby corrects.
Penny blushes. “Four. Wint...Knight-Paladin Schnee, is, um…”
Ruby chuckles. “Another knight breaking their oath, huh? I suppose it’s not just my sister.”
“Your sister?” Penny racks her brain. “Ah! Xiao-Long.” She blushes. “So your sister and Princess Belladonna…”
Ruby nods.
“For romance being prohibited by your oaths, it seems Knights end up in relationships with their partners a lot.”
“It happens,” Ruby admits. “It’s not really, uh, enforced.”
“Clearly. But we were discussing my relations in Mantle and Atlas. Prince Whitley is...grating, I think. I was rather disappointed when Weiss Schnee left to pursue knighthood.”
"I trained with Weiss. She's a good knight." Ruby fiddles with the hem of her skirt, longingly glancing at her sword in the corner. "But...nothing to be done about the Schnee royalty. Not now, at least."
"Unfortunately. But my dear knight, let us discuss less sorrowful matters."
"As you wish, milady."
"Tell me about yourself."
Ruby blinks. "Um...I attended Beacon like the rest of my family, I fight with a sword-scythe hybrid-"
Penny stops her. "No, Ruby. Tell me about you. What is your favorite food? What do you do when not training?"
"Oh. If that is what you wish. My favorite food is strawberries, and I enjoy reading in my spare time."
Penny stretches and falls back on her bed, closing her eyes. "Are you reading anything right now?"
"I actually was planning on starting a new book."
"What's it called?"
Ruby bites her lip. "Princess, I'm not sure if the title should be spoken aloud."
"It's not a magical curse," Penny lambasts. "Tell me, Ruby."
Ruby blushes and groans a bit. "It's called... Slave to the Sword ."
"What's it about?"
"For the sake of my honor and dignity as a knight, Princess, I must refuse to answer."
"It's fine. I've already read it anyway," Penny notes with a grin. "You will enjoy it."
Ruby blushes harder. "Ah...you continue to surprise me, your Grace."
"Can you just call me Penny?"
"I can," Ruby affirms. "But wouldn't you prefer to be addressed as your position demands?"
"I get tired of incessantly being referred to by fancy titles. I will call you just Ruby, and you will call me just Penny."
"Alright, then, Penny. Are there any other requests you have?"
Penny sits up and starts listing on her fingers. "You speak too formally, there is no emotion when you speak, you sit stiffly like you are scared, your gaze keeps drifting to your sword, and you won't look me in the eye. Change all of that and I will be happy. Just relax."
"Penny, I am a knight. Everything you just told me not to do is a result of that."
"You may be a knight," Penny says, “but you’re supposed to be much closer to me than a common guard. It is more than your training and oath that set you apart from the men and women walking the grounds.”
“I suppose. What would you ask of me, then?”
“Be my friend,” Penny posits. “That would make us much closer and also give you more motivation to guard my life with your own.”
“I need no more than my oath for that,” Ruby says with a grin. “But if you insist.”
Three months. For three months Ruby has been serving as a knight. Well, maybe not exactly that. She’s been more than just a staunch guardian for the Princess. Not the Princess. Penny.
Once she got over herself, she found that she enjoyed calling Penny by her first name. Sure, it might be improper, but it sounded wonderful. Penny.
Penny looks down at Ruby inquisitively. “Did you need something?”
Well that wasn’t in her head. Ruby shakes her head. “Nothing.”
“Alright then.” Penny buries her nose back in her book.
Ruby studies Penny’s face. Her green eyes scan the pages of her book intensely (a historical account of the Great War, written by a Vacuan soldier), her mouth drawn in a tight purse. Ruby amuses herself by mentally tracing imaginary constellations on Penny, her many freckles like so many stars.
Penny sets her book aside, meeting Ruby’s gaze. “Are you sure you are feeling alright? You have been staring at me with enraptured eyes and a wide grin for the last hour.”
Ruby glances at the elaborate clock mounted on the wall. Penny wasn’t wrong. Not that she ever is. “It’s nothing, your Grace.”
“Ruby, I would rather not have to resort to filling out an official decree just to get a straight answer.”
Ruby sighs. “Honest, Penny. Nothing’s wrong.”
Penny runs her hands through Ruby’s hair, the short spiky hair parting at her touch. “Ruby.”
“Penny.”
“Why is this topic so difficult to broach?”
“What topic?”
“This one. The nature of our relationship.”
Ruby averts her eyes, focusing on a particularly interesting point on the wall. “We are knight and charge, but also friends. Sounds simple to me.”
“Yes, but friends do not lay with their heads in each others’ laps. They do not sneak into each others’ bedchambers to sleep beside the other. Nor do they spend every waking moment together, sneaking glances at the other.”
“I’m a knight.” Ruby holds up her hand and counts on her fingers. “Laying with my head in your lap affords me a better view of you. Nobody will look for you in my room, and they won’t expect to find me in yours. And for your final point, I need to make sure you’re okay.”
Penny simply shakes her head. “Very well. Come then, oh valiant knight. I wish to make a trip into the town proper.”
Ruby sits up. “What for?”
“Shopping. A new shipment of books arrived yesterday, and since it is Friday afternoon, the traveling merchants should have set up their stalls for the weekend. And my favorite bakery only makes their cinnamon buns on Fridays.”
“Then I’ll get ready.” Ruby hops off of Penny’s bed. “Meet me in the main hall.” Ruby slips out of the room before she says anything and slips into her own room, immediately stripping out of her clothes and pulling on her arming gear. The padded clothes were a gift from the Brothers in the freezing Solitas weather; she was glad Penny didn’t live in Vacuo. True, Vacuan armor was lighter for that purpose, but Ruby liked having some extra protection under her Aura. Ruby spends a few more minutes buckling on her polished plate armor, ensures her sword is strapped tightly to her side, then heads to the main lobby.
Penny’s waiting by the door, bouncing on her heels. All she did was throw on a heavy fur coat and lace up some weather-appropriate boots. No point in fixing what isn’t broken.
“And where are you two off to? Pietro asks, his chair hissing as he slowly moves down the stairs.
“Out.” Penny replies succinctly. “I’ll be fine, Dad.”
“I know you will.” He grins. “Take care of her, Ruby. You two have fun.”
“Nobody - Grimm or man - will hurt a hair on Penny’s head.”
Penny shakes her head, smiling. “We will. See you in a bit.”
“Don’t rush on my account, darling.”
Ruby opens the door and guides Penny out, offering Pietro a curt nod as she follows the princess. The guards outside the door watch silently as Penny runs off, Ruby hot on her heels. They make their way through the streets of Mantle, dodging horse-drawn carts and miners returning to town, dashing past bars and factories on their way to the center of town. The marketplace. Roughly square, shops in the square buildings offer the usual services, such as a general goods store, a tailor, and, of interest to Penny, a bookshop. She looks between the bookshop, the various mercantile carts lined up across the way, and a friendly-looking bakery before continuing forward, entering the store.
The shopkeeper looks up as the two girls walk in, knocking snow off their boots at the small room they have to walk through before getting to the actual store. He smiles widely as he sees them. “Right on time, your Highness. Was there anything you were hoping to find today?”
Penny taps her chin. “Bound by Destiny ?”
“I think I might’ve gotten a copy of that today. What about you, knight Rose?”
“I have admittedly been looking for a copy of Hidden Remnant . One the few historical books I did like reading.”
“Don’t know about that one, but you’re welcome to look.”
Ruby nods and follows Penny to the new arrivals, carefully inspecting the shelves. Ruby immediately grabs a book. “Here. Bound by Destiny .”
“Ah!” Penny seems immensely happy. “So it is. I was considering buying this too.”
Ruby squints at the spine of the book Penny’s pointing at. “Howling at the Moon ? Even I think that’s a cliché title.”
“True, but my knight errant, we have a distinct lack of werewolves in our library. And this seems to be a more tragic romance than we usually read.”
"Fair enough, but I do prefer happy endings. If I wanted to see tragedy I'd read about the Great War."
Penny shrugs. "Hmm...no Hidden Remnant here. Unfortunate. Do you see anything else?"
"Hmm...no, nothing catches my eye."
"Well, we can come back next week." She tugs on Ruby's arm. "Let's go!"
Ruby gets dragged off, briefly stopping to pay for the books. Penny leads her over to the traders' carts. "Look, Ruby! Wood Carvings, Valian jams, even flowers?"
"You're so excitable." Ruby drums her fingers on her sword. "Plants here?" She looks over and sees a variety of flowers adoring one cart. "How do they do that? Ice dust?"
Penny nods. "They have a storage system that uses powdered Ice and Plant dust to keep their flowers alive for longer." She detaches herself from Ruby and hurries over, exchanging words and coin, before returning with a single red rose in her hands. "For you," she says with a smile.
Were it not for the cold air, Ruby's blush would've been like a roaring fire to anyone in the square. But her cheeks are already pink from the wind and thus hide her response. "Oh...thank you, Penny."
Penny tucks the (thornless) rose behind Ruby’s ear. “Perfect. You look very pretty.”
“Thank you,” Ruby mutters again, pointedly staring at the snow-covered ground.
Penny laughs and takes Ruby’s hand. “Come on, let’s go get some food.”
Ruby doesn’t get a chance to respond to answer.
Ding! Dong! Ding! Dong!
Ruby immediately draws her sword and moves Penny behind her. Shopkeeps hastily board their doors, the traveling merchants flee into the closest building, and anyone with a weapon readies it - the city guards train their crossbows and rifles on the openings to the square, some brave citizens pull out worn daggers or scratched revolvers and look around nervously.
“The warning bells?” Penny asks, stunned.
“Stay behind me, Penny.” Ruby grips her longsword with both hands, testing the weight of her Crescent Rose. Penny pulls a knife out of her coat and looks around nervously; Ruby glances back at her. “Don’t worry, Princess.” Ruby winks. “It’ll be alright.”
The woman who was selling wood carvings earlier side-eyes Ruby, two hatchets in her hands. "You have a lot of faith in yourself, knight.”
“She knows what she’s doing.” Penny nods at Ruby. “Ruby’s one of the best knights in all of Remnant.”
The woodcarver opens her mouth but is interrupted by the sound of roaring.
“Sabyrs!” one of the guardsmen calls. “Take them down!”
Arrows whiz and bullets fire, cutting into the hoard of approaching Grimm. The guards stagger their shots, firing in separate intervals to keep up a constant hail of projectiles. But there are more Grimm than guards, and the line quickly breaks, Sabyrs leaping above the guards and charging through them, their black, viscous forms quickly becoming stained with bright red blood as they break Auras through sheer numbers.
Ruby crouches down, channels her Aura, and darts forward in a flutter of rose petals. She rematerializes above a Sabyr charging at Penny and drops, impaling her sword through the beast with little effort. Even as her feet hit the ground, she’s already bringing her sword up in a swing, lopping the foreleg of another Sabyr. The woodcarver runs forward with a mighty shout, bringing one of her hatchets down on the stunned Sabyr’s head. Turning, she throws her other hatchet at a Grimm across the square, nailing it in the back and killing it.
Sabyrs continue to flood into the square; the guards are unable to resume their positions and now reduced to blindly firing and slashing at the mass of wriggling black around them. The air is filled with war cries, gunshots, and screams of pain.
Ruby moves like a dancer, dissipating Grimm with a few effortless strokes of her sword. The woodcarver beside her fights much more viciously, the stance of someone who’s always fought tooth-and-nail. While less effective, the other citizens fight rather efficiently, if defensively.
“Ruby!”
Ruby turns around just in time to see a Sabyr leap at her; she brings her sword up in a guard but is tackled to the ground. She struggles, pushing the on the back of the sword to keep the snapping jaws of the Grimm feline away from her. Suddenly the weight dissipates, the Grimm dissolves, and Ruby sees Penny’s hand reaching for her. The glint of the knife in her other hand explains the situation rather well. Ruby takes her hand and is pulled up. “You know,” Ruby says, “I’m supposed to protect you.”
“Consider that a favor,” Penny says. Ruby’s eyes widen and she quickly raises her sword, gears clicking inside. The blade rotates ninety degrees, a smaller blade pops out from what used to be the bottom of the sword, and the hilt lengthens to about three feet. Ruby grabs her scythe in two hands and swings up, just above Penny’s head, and slices a Sabyr clean in two. “Favor repaid.”
Penny nods and grips her knife tightly, barely hiding the slight shakiness. She jumps back from the fight, and Ruby moves forward, scythe at her side. She dives headfirst into the Sabyr horde, a blue of red and black and silver, the air around her thick with fading black smoke and rose petals. In less than a minute, she eradicates the Grimm; Ruby pauses, leaning on her scythe and sucking in deep breaths.
No, not all the Grimm. A Teryx screeches and swoops down, aiming for a bloodied but breathing guard. Ruby jolts to alertness and bursts forward, jumping off the ground and using her Semblance to leap up and hook the Teryx with her scythe. The momentum stops the Teryx mid-air and sends it crashing down, momentarily unresponsive as it slams into the stone ground. Ruby spins, switches Crescent Rose back into its sword form, and dives down, slamming into the snow with one final slash. The Teryx's head bounches for a bit before disappearing; the rose behind Ruby's ear follows it, gliding to the ground.
The bells ring again. All clear.
"Oh, darling!" Pietro cries, rushing forward as his daughter steps back into the manor. "When I heard the bells ring..."
"They did not toll for me," Penny replies calmly, leaning down to hug Pietro. He returns her hug but looks at Ruby with concern.
"What happened?"
"Apparently one of the gates was in desperate need of repair and no one mentioned it. A few bad feelings and it came crashing down." Ruby sighs. "A few guards died, but that was it for casualties. There's a temporary barrier set up at the gate, and extra guards stationed there."
Pietro shakes his head sadly. "I see. That's unfortunate, but...well, at least you two are safe. Go wash up and I'll see about dinner."
"Of course, sir." Ruby nods to Penny and they head up the stairs. "Are you alright, Penny?"
"I'm fine." She lets out a breath. "I...tried not to look at it."
Ruby glances at the dried blood on her armor. "Yeah. Thank you for getting that Sabyr."
"A simple favor."
"Yeah. A favor." Ruby coughs. "Give me a moment to doff my armor and then I can draw you a bath."
"I can do it myself." Penny smiles. "In fact, I'll take care of yours as well."
"I...thanks, Penny."
"Come in."
Penny opens the door and steps into Ruby's room. Ruby sits on the floor, polishing her armor, and glances up at Penny. Seeing that she's only dressed in a nightgown and long socks, Ruby focuses on her armor and tries to hide her flushed cheeks. "Did you need something, Penny?"
“No, not particularly.” Penny rubs her arm. “Would you mind staying in my room tonight?
Ruby inspects the dirty cloth she’s been using and tosses it aside. “Sure. I imagine you’re unsettled.”
“Yes, that’s it.” Penny watches as Ruby begins to strap her plate armor onto the stand in the corner of the room. “I’ll wait.”
Ruby shrugs and continues her work. “Fine by me.”
Penny hovers in the doorway; Ruby turns one of her boots over, eyeing the bottom, then sets it down. “Alright, let me just change into bedclothes.”
“Oh! Yes.” Penny quickly turns around, staring at the wall. “Go ahead.”
Ruby swiftly and methodically unclothes, kicking the dirty, oil-and-blood covered clothes into a corner; with an equal amount of speed she slides on her pants and buttons her top. “Done.”
Penny spins on her heel and peeks through barely-opened fingers. “Alright.” She lowers her hand and opens the door; Ruby follows her through and across the hall. Once in Penny’s room, Ruby locks the door and leans Crescent Rose against the doorframe.
Penny eagerly jumps into her bed, a book already sitting on one of the pillows. She nestles herself up underneath the warm, fluffy quilt and begins to read. Ruby studies her - the precise movements her hands make when she turns the pages, the way her eyes flicker as she absorbs the words on the page, the barely-noticable changes in her expression. The clock on the wall chimes ten times and breaks her concentration. Ruby calmly sits on the bed next to Penny and folds her hands in her lap. “Penny?”
Penny immediately marks her place in the book and sets it aside. “Yes, Ruby?”
“About...what we talked about earlier. Or, failed to talk about.”
Penny reaches over and rests her hand on Ruby’s. “You wish to tell me something?”
Ruby groans quietly. “I...just close your eyes, okay.”
Penny leans her head back against the pillow and her eyes flutter shut. “As you wish, my knight.”
Ruby hesitates. Slowly, her hand brushes against Penny’s cheek, moving her orange curls out of the way. The knight bows her head forward, so close that Penny can feel her warm, shallow breaths. With the same precision and speed she showed slaying Sabyrs, Ruby attacks - a single, brief kiss planted on Penny’s cheek. Ruby immediately recoils out of fear; Penny just sits there for a moment, unmoving.
“Again,” Penny commands.
Ruby’s breath hitches. “Are you sure?”
“Are you doubting me now of all times?” Penny asks, her smirk almost audible. “Again, Ruby.”
Ruby stares at her and leans in. “I suppose that is an order,” she whispers, planting another kiss on Penny’s cheek. This time, however, she doesn’t pull back after.
“Ruby,” Penny croons, her voice like a songbird, “I must tell you something.”
Ruby props her head up on an arm, taking Penny’s hand in her other. “I’m listening.”
“I’m afraid I’ve fallen in love with you.” Penny turns her head and opens her eyes. “You once asked why I chose you over anyone else, such as Weiss. I must admit, while I did choose you for your combat prowess and earnest heart...I also just thought you were cute.”
Ruby snickers. “Well, if you have to look at your knight constantly, might as well pick a cute one. Luckily I got assigned to a beautiful princess.”
Penny smiles wryly. “Your wit, too, is unmatched.”
Ruby squeezes Penny’s hand. “For you, Penny...well, this part of the Oath gets broken constantly; it’s an archaic practice anyway.” Ruby looks away shyly, hiding her nervous grin. “I love you, Penny Polendina.”
"I-I love you too, Ruby." Penny squeezes back. "At first sight I think I knew."
"Like a storybook," Ruby jokes. "The princess sees her knight and falls in love."
"I know I have a few books about that, actually."
Ruby chuckles. "And how many of those are bodice rippers?"
"Do not take this metaphorical ship off course."
"Don't deflect my question."
Penny stares with innocent eyes and giggles. "Oh, my dearest Rose. The answer is three. Now I get to ask a question. Do you have any objections to being kissed by me?"
"None at all, milady."
Penny jumps lighting-fast, locking lips with Ruby. Ruby's eyes widen and shock, but she places a hand on the back of Penny's head and draws her in closer.
Penny lets out a shaky breath, her eyes not two inches away from Ruby's. "I have been dreaming of this."
Ruby smiles. "This isn't a dream, though." She moves her hand down and traps Penny in a hug.
"No. This is most certainly reality." Penny returns the hug, burying her face in Ruby's shoulder. "In the dreams I cannot smell the strawberry sweetness of your hair."
Ruby blushes. "You are definitely worth breaking my Oath for.'
"Of course I am. Let us fall asleep in each other's arms, Ruby; let the gentle touch of a lover be our blanket."
"I would love to. But I still want the blanket."
"Assuredly. Goodnight, Ruby."
"Goodnight, Penny. I can't wait to wake up in your arms."
"Sensational, Ruby. I shall expect you in my dreams. My knight in shining armor."
Ruby kisses Penny on the forehead. "Forever."