Chapter Text
King Taiyang’s face was set in a scowl as the Atlesians entered the throne room. There was little love lost and much blood spilled between Atlas and the lands which had once been part of its empire. Taiyang and his father before him had done what they could to staunch the bloodshed, but progress was slow.
So when one of the cutters patrolling the skies and seas off Vale’s coast had spotted an airship without escorts and flying the imperial pennant approaching, they’d been a bit surprised. Their surprise had transformed into slack-jawed shock when they’d come alongside to learn that not only was the emperor aboard, the crown princess was with him and that they were requesting an immediate audience with King Taiyang ‘on a matter vital to the survival of Atlas.’
Taiyang had granted the audience, simply for the pleasure of seeing the look on the emperor’s face when he told him to crawl back to the frozen hell he called home.
Now Taiyang sat on his throne, looking over the Atlesian party as they approached him. In the lead strode Emperor Jacques Schnee. Instead of the full imperial regalia, he wore only his imperial crown and an exquisitely tailored suit, most likely a compromise between the need to appear presentable and the rigors of travel. It had been more than a decade since they’d last met, to negotiate a treaty ending the latest war between Vale and Atlas. Taiyang had told the emperor that the next time they met, the emperor had better be ready to draw steel.
Apparently, the emperor hadn’t listened.
Two young women stood behind him. The older one was maybe in her mid-twenties, and wore an Atlesian officer's uniform with a saber at her hip. That was Crown Princess Winter. He’d met her a few times, normally as her father’s ambassador or to negotiate the return of a ship and crew that had ‘gotten lost’ in Vale waters. Sometimes they had been returned. Sometimes not.
The other one wore a deceptively simple-looking court dress and had the white hair characteristic of the Schnee family, but Taiyang had never seen her before. She kept her eyes downcast and walked a half-step behind Winter. A maid, perhaps? Some by-blow of Jacques’s given a position at court out of mercy? He put her out of his mind and focused on Jacques.
The emperor of Atlas stopped a respectful distance from King Taiyang’s throne, waiting. Normally at this point protocol called for Taiyang to stand and say some words of welcome to a fellow monarch, but protocol be damned. He felt no welcome for Jacques Schnee, and it was on the emperor to explain himself first.
The moment stretched out, and finally, slowly, reluctantly, Emperor Jacques knelt in front of Taiyang’s throne. “Forgive my coming announced, your highness,” the emperor began, his voice pitched to carry to every corner of the throne room, “but I come on a matter most grave. The very future of Atlas hangs in the balance.”
Taiyang heard two of the people standing nearby scoff. He didn’t have to look to know who they were. “Continue,” he said in a level tone, his face an iron mask.
“The Dark Goddess, Salem, had laid a curse upon Atlas.”
At this pronouncement, a murmur broke out across the throne room. While not truly a god per se, Salem was close enough to one for most people’s purposes. Cursed by the gods, she was the immortal enemy of all mankind. “And what,” Taiyang leaned forward, “did Atlas do to draw her ire, and what has she done in revenge?”
“I know not what Atlas has done, but,” Atlas’s emperor looked up, made as if to rise, then thought better of it, “she has laid a curse most potent on us all the same. The Dark Goddess appeared as an apparition over the palace not two weeks ago. The curse states that a child of the royal family of Atlas must marry a child of the royal family of Vale within the year, or Atlas will fall from the skies.”
“No great loss,” muttered someone behind Taiyang. The voice was one of those he thought had scoffed earlier. He’d deal with that later.
Instead, Taiyang settled back in his chair. “I see. Some would argue that I would do Vale, much less the world, no favors by saving Atlas.”
Jacques looked up in shock. “But my people-!”
“Your people,” Taiyang said over his interjection, “largely live in poverty outside the floating city of Atlas, while the nobility gets richer and richer.”
“The ones that aren’t outright slaves.”
This came from the other person that had scoffed earlier. A Faunus woman with cat ears peeking out from her raven-black hair stepped toward Jacques. “Atlas has inflicted untold suffering on the Faunus over the centuries. I speak with my father’s voice when I say that we would question the wisdom of saving Atlas.”
“Our laws against slavery-”
“Are meaningless. They’re used mostly against your political rivals or those you wish to extort money from, and the slaves themselves are never freed.” Now the black-haired woman leaned down so Jacques could see the White Fang tattoos on her face up close. “The White Fang does a better job of enforcing your laws against slavery than your magistrates.”
“You have valid points.” Princess Winter spoke in clipped, precise tones. “Perhaps as part of any… agreement, Atlas could agree to enforce those laws more stringently. I’m sure the White Fang would be more than willing to assist with that.”
“And guarantee us equal rights?” the Faunus woman shot back, hands on the twin swords that hung at her waist.
“I think…” Jacques cleared his throat. “None of that would be easy, but it could be done, with time. And we have a powerful incentive.”
“Very.” Taiyang made the single word drip with bitter irony.
“Now,” Jacques started to rise, winced, then rose the rest of the way. “I would prefer this not involve my older daughter. She is heir to the throne, I hope you understand. But I think that you will consider my younger daughter-”
“Weiss!”
The joyous shout came from one of the entrances to the throne room. The younger of the two women that had followed Emperor Jacques into the throne room had just enough time to spin around before a scarlet-clad missile burst from the crowd and slammed into her. They tumbled to the ground, Weiss somehow ending up on top in the melee. “Ruby, wh-what are you doing here? Why aren’t you back in Mistral?” Weiss asked, her face a mix of bewilderment and joy.
“Uh…” Ruby glanced over at King Taiyang, who was regarding this interruption with bemusement. “I, uh, I’m sort of a princess of Vale. That’s, um, the king’s my dad. And, um, that blonde oaf on his left-”
“Hey!”
“-that’s my half-sister, Crown Princess Yang. Same dad, obviously, because otherwise, I wouldn’t be a princess. I think?” She blinked up at Weiss. “So, um, what are you doing here? When you disappeared on me in Mistral, I tore apart the whole town trying to figure out where you went.”
“Same as you. Well, sort of. My father,” Weiss gestured at Jacques, who was most definitely Not Amused, “is Emperor Jacques Schnee. And the myrmidon standing next to him is my sister, Crown Princess Winter. She’s the one that kidnapped me and took me back to Atlas, whether I liked it or not. I’ve been under house arrest since.”
Ruby laughed. “Yeah, the only reason my dumb brute of a half-sister found me is the fuss I made looking for you. But-”
Weiss flicked the end of Ruby’s nose before disentangling herself from Ruby. “Let’s, let’s catch up later, okay? A princess’s duty is never done.”
“Only sometimes delayed, right. Sheesh, Blake, I don’t need an armed escort,” Ruby muttered as the Faunus woman escorted her toward the throne.
“Just making sure you don’t interrupt things any further,” Blake replied, placing Ruby where she could still see everything but both Blake and Yang could keep an eye on her.
Jacques scowled at his younger daughter for a moment before turning again to face King Taiyang. “As I was saying, I was hoping you might consider my younger daughter, Princess Weiss, a suitable match for one of your sons. I realize it would only be a political marriage, but that would be enough to-”
Taiyang interrupted him. “That won’t be possible.”
“But-”
“I have no sons.” Taiyang’s gesture took in both of his daughters. “I only have two daughters, Crown Princes Yang, and Princess Ruby.”
Jacques snarled as he rounded on a slim middle-aged man at the rear of the Atlesian party, sending the man sprawling to the floor with a backhanded blow. “You said he had sons! You lied to me and you will pay dearly for this, Minister Watts!”
“My reports,” Watts gasped, rising halfway to his feet, “my reports said there was at least one son. Black-haired, the child of a woman Taiyang never married but loved dearly before she died. Obsessed with machinery and normally kept out of the public eye, for reasons I could not uncover.”
“Oh.” Ruby cleared her throat. “Uh, the hair’s not quite right, but it’s true that my father never married my mother. And I’m really good with machinery.”
“This is true,” Weiss said with a smile. “In Mistral, she was supporting us as a mechanic’s apprentice, but he often said she knew more than he did, she just was too young to be taken seriously as a master mechanic.”
“And I wasn’t kept out of the public eye, I was just usually busy with projects,” Ruby finished.
“Then Atlas is doomed,” Jacques said, closing his eyes.
“Not necessarily,” Weiss began.
“Wait.” Jacques spun back to Taiyang. “Perhaps not one of your sons, but a close relative’s? Perhaps a brother or cousin? That might serve to stop the curse.”
Taiyang shook his head. “I’m the first of the house of Xiao Long since we took the throne four generations ago to have more than one child.” His suspicion of why that was, he kept to himself.
“But-” Weiss tried to interject.
Jacques scowled. “I left my son, Whitley, at home in Atlas because I was told you had a son. I’ll send my ship back for him at once, so you can meet him. I think he’s about the same age as you, Princess Ruby, so I hope you will find him suitable.”
Splat.
The emperor of Atlas wiped the snow off his face and turned to look at his younger daughter, who had another sizable snowball hovering over her left hand. “I think I can make that unnecessary.” The snowball vanished and she stepped around her father to look at Ruby. “Ruby before I was… abducted back to Atlas, I was about to tell you, well, everything. Where I’d come from, who my father was, that I was a princess, and… that I love you.
“Princess Ruby Rose of Vale, will you do me the honor of marrying me?”
The room held its breath. Winter regarded her sister curiously, as if she’d just had some prophetic revelation. Jacques said, “I see,” softly under his breath. Ruby glanced at her father who simply opened his hand in her direction as if to say It’s your choice.
Watts finally found his feet. “Sire, you cannot permit this, it’s against the law-”
Another blow sent him sprawling to the ground again. The emperor of Atlas stood over him, his face a mask of cold rage. “It seems you forget yourself today, Mister Watts, if you think it your place to tell me what I can and cannot permit. If our laws must change in more ways than one to save Atlas, then they must do so.”
“But-”
“Winter,” Jacques said offhandedly as he turned to await Ruby’s response, “if he interrupts again, relieve him of his tongue.”
Ruby took a deep breath and looked at Weiss. It was true, they’d meant a lot to each other, back in Mistral, but this-! Then she saw what was in Weiss’s eyes, and it took her breath away.
First, fear.
Fear of rejection, not that this would fail to save Atlas, but simply that Ruby would say no.
And second, love.
Some they’d known in that sleepy little town in Mistral had called Weiss cold, but there was a surprising warmth under that cool reserve. And right now Weiss was directing all that warmth at Ruby, begging, pleading her to feel what Weiss felt for her.
That settled it. “Yes,” Ruby answered, to resounding applause, “Yes, Princess Weiss Schnee of Atlas I will marry you. On one condition.”
“Name it,” Weiss said, breathlessly.
Ruby ran toward Weiss and whispered in her ear. “That’s it?” Weiss asked, surprised. Ruby nodded, and there were a few moments of whispered discussion. Then Ruby stepped aside and Weiss conjured a snowball the size of a man’s chest.
“And what are you going to-” Tiayang asked, only to jerk aside as it went sailing past him. “Oh.”
Yang sat up from the smallish snowbank she suddenly found herself sitting in. “In my best court clothes? I am going to get you for this.”
“Not if we get you first,” Ruby chortled. Weiss couldn’t help but giggle too.
“Brothers, she’s got reinforcements now.” Blake just laughed, helped Yang to her feet, and brushed the snow off.
Taiyang just chuckled as he stood in front of the throne. “There is still much to discuss. No royal wedding can be undertaken in haste, no matter how those involved feel. And We will want to see those new laws in place before any wedding.”
Weiss had just dismissed the palace maids sent to help her settle into her rooms in what was their guide had called ‘the Gardener’s Tower.’ She’d overheard one of the guards at the tower door call it a curious choice for housing the Atlesian party. Unfortunately, the other guard had shushed him before Weiss could overhear any more than that. She also hadn’t missed that the tower had only one entrance. To make it easier to keep them in, or for them to guard? No matter. Weiss intended to test whether they were prisoners or not soon enough. She and Ruby had barely managed a few words to each other before the Atlesians had been hustled off oh-so-politely by the palace seneschal, won’t you please come this way, your majesty, your highness, and wasn’t this all so exciting?
Her lady-in-waiting she’d brought with her from Atlas was looking through the wardrobe, as if checking to make sure none of the palace maids had made off with any of Weiss’s things. “Neo, pull me out one of my simpler dresses, please. I’d like to explore a little, learn the lay of the land.” Neo turned and smiled at her, making a heart shape with her hands. Weiss laughed. “And yes, find Ruby, or at least her chambers. Though she might have tried to escape to the palace workshop instead, as much as she loves machinery.”
Neo nodded and started searching. Her father had pushed the mute woman on Weiss as a maid years ago, long before Weiss had run away and met Ruby. Weiss had in turn won Neo’s loyalty away from her father by the simple expedient of paying Neo more and with actual kindness. Loyalty begets loyalty, after all. Neo was just pulling out a dress for Weiss to approve when a knock came at the door. “Enter,” Weiss called, annoyed at the interruption.
Ah. She should have seen this coming. Her father stepped through the door, dismissing Neo with a wave of his hand. “And what was this for?” he asked, fingering the dress Neo had left hanging on the open wardrobe door.
“I thought I might explore the palace grounds, start learning the layout. I have the feeling we’ll be here for some time, after all.”
“Yes.” Her father’s face was grim. “King Taiyang is likely to push as hard as he can. And I assume that finding out where Princess Ruby’s chambers are would be one of the first things you’d want to learn.”
“Of course.”Weiss lifted her chin defiantly, looking her father in the eye.
He snorted. “And if Winter had caught up with you a little later, we might have had leverage over Vale.”
“Not while I drew breath. I would never permit Ruby to be used that way.”
“And instead, they use her to gain power over you.”
Weiss kept her expression neutral, not wanting to show the seething rage her father’s off-hand words had roused in her. The only way he knew to see the world was in terms of advantage, power. “I’m sure we will be able to turn this situation to our advantage. For example, I believe Vale has some very interesting innovations in airship engines.”
Jacques’s eyes narrowed. “And you know this how?”
“From listening to you and General Ironwood discuss how much faster Vale’s airships are than ours. Your consensus was that Vale must have developed a new engine.” And from the fact that when they were living together in Mistral, Ruby had seemed to know more about engines than the ‘master mechanic’ she’d been apprenticed to. Not that Weiss was about to tell her father that, of course. Let him think her loyalties were still to Atlas.
“Eventually, I suppose. Right now the balance of power lies with Vale. King Taiyang can undo this whole thing with a word.” Her father looked out the window, disgust on his face. “If I had known of this… perversion of yours sooner-”
“You would have what? Shipped me off to a temple? Married me off to, to, some brute who would have ‘cured me? This is why I ran away!” Weiss spun around, not wanting to face her father. “Thinking like that is why Atlas is the most backward of all the kingdoms. Times have changed, and unless Atlas changes with them, we’ll keep getting left further and further behind.”
“Is that what you think?”
Her father’s tone was… quiet, thoughtful as if she’d just delivered some profound insight. “Is what what I think?”
“That Atlas is the most backward kingdom. That if we don’t adapt, we’ll be left behind.”
Weiss reluctantly turned to face her father, counting off points on her fingers. “We’re the only kingdom that still practices slavery. Vale and Mistral both have written constitutions that guarantee the rights of all citizens and limit the powers of the nobility. Yes, even King Taiyang. And for an example from the sciences, our airships still rely on Dust-infused sails to push them.”
“But-”
“Vale and Mistral-and, I assume, Menagerie,” Weiss continued, ignoring her father’s interruption, “use their sails mostly to steer. For pushing the ship, their word is ‘propulsion,’ they use engines that rely on a combination of arcane and mechanical sciences. That’s why they’re so much faster than ours. If Atlas spent half the money moving forward that it spends trying to hang onto past glory-”
Jacques’s mouth snapped shut. “Mechanical? Like, like a pump? Or winch? You’ve seen one?”
“A small one,” Weiss allowed. “Not large enough for a merchant vessel or a warship, just a little cutter that ferried cargo, mail, and passengers between towns. It had a malfunction and had to make repairs in the town we were in.”
“They can spare such a vessel for so mundane a task,” Jacques muttered in wonder. “Do you suppose they might sell us one?”
“Better. They just might teach us to make our own, if we play our cards right. Probably not as good as their navy has, but right now we have nothing.”
“I see. I will have to consider this most carefully.” Her father turned to go, then stopped. “Oh, I almost forgot why I came.”
“Other to lose an argument with me?”
“Other than that, yes. King Taiyang apologizes, but given that we arrived unannounced and so late in the day, there isn’t time to prepare a proper banquet in your and Ruby’s honor. Instead, he asks if tomorrow evening will be acceptable and if we would please join him and his daughters for an informal private dinner tonight.”
Dinner with Ruby? “Absolutely! I mean, both of those sound reasonable. What time are we should I be ready for dinner?”
“They will send someone for us at six.”
Weiss glanced at one of the clocks that seemed to be in every room of the palace and groaned. Little more than an hour and a half. No time to sneak out and find Ruby beforehand, not if she expected to be anywhere near what her father would consider presentable. She shooed him out and called for Neo. There was no time to waste.
Dinner was… more and less excruciating than Ruby had expected. On the one hand, dad had said it was informal, which meant that she didn’t have to wear her full princess getup. And she got to sit next to Weiss, which was awesome. And nobody other than Weiss’s dad seemed to mind if she and Weiss spent the whole time catching up with each other and chattering about all the things they’d been keeping from each other during their time together in Mistral. Even Weiss’s dad didn’t do much more than wince when Ruby kissed the back of Weiss’s hand.
But. Yeah, she got to sit next to Weiss, but they ended up with Yang on the other side of Weiss and Weiss’s sister. Winter, that was her name, Ruby needed to remember that, on Ruby’s right. Winter seemed more bemused by the situation than anything, even talking to Ruby a little, but Yang spent most of the time scowling at Ruby and Weiss or glumly staring off into space.
“-so Weiss says to the man, “Thank you, but I’m engaged, and rather busy.” He grabs her arm and growls at her, “Not married yet; make the time and I’ll make it worth your while.’”
“And how did you respond to that?” This came from Weiss’s father. Ruby had nearly forgotten he was there; he and Ruby’s dad had been having a low conversation of their own all during dinner.
Weiss rolled her eyes. “I lost my temper, After all, I’d already turned him down, what, six times at that point-”
“Seven,” chirped Ruby.
Weiss accepted the correction and continued. “We were near enough to the waterfront, I decided he needed a nice dip. I blasted him out over the water with a wind blast. ”
Silence reigned for a moment, then Jacques surprised everyone by bursting out laughing. “You’ve always had your mother’s temper. I’m glad that this time you put it to good use. Now,” he cleared his throat, “I hope you’ll forgive me for bringing up affairs of state at what was supposed to be an informal dinner, but I’ve come to a decision, and I hope that King Taiyang will do me a favor.”
“Oh?” Taiyang was surprised and annoyed, but he was damned if he was going to let either show on his face.
“Since my wife is acting as my regent, I feel the need to let her know what has happened today, especially the fact that Vale is asking that we bring a true end to slavery in Atlas.”
“Reasonable,” Taiyang said. “But where does this favor you’re asking of me come into this?”
“Because I want you to lend me a fast ship and a trustworthy captain to carry the message.”
“And risk handing one of my ships over to Atlas? Besides, what makes you think anyone in Atlas would trust a message carried by one of my ships?”
“Because of who I will be sending as a courier to vouch for the message. That is, if you’re willing, Winter,” Jacques added offhandedly, picking up his wine and swirling it for a moment before drinking.
Winter blinked in surprise. “Of course, Father, if we can work out the details with King Taiyang.”
“Hm.” Taiyang popped a piece of fruit in his mouth, chewing slowly as he thought. “I want to consider this carefully. But if I do agree, I think I know just the captain for the job.”
Blake sat at her desk, concentrating as she wrote carefully. She stood, stretched, and went to look out the window she’d left open to let the evening breeze in, her eyes focusing on the distant shape of the Atlesian airships docked at the palace mooring tower. With a sigh Blake turned away from the window and sat back down at her desk, dipping her pen in the inkwell and continuing to write.
Behind her, the curtains rustled in the breeze, and a redheaded man stepped out of the shadows. Carefully the man took one step after another, stretching a strangling wire between his hands. Stopping behind Blake, the intruder smiled a wicked smile before dropping the wire around her neck.
Only to have it pass completely through her, the woman sitting at the desk disappearing like smoke. He didn’t even have time to curse before an arm was wrapped around his neck, something hitting the back of his knees and forcing him to the ground. He fought back, but whoever it was used their advantage mercilessly, slamming his face into the hardwood desk one, two, three times. “Yield,” he gasped, “I yield.”
“How many ways,” Blake purred, “do I have to take your life within arm’s reach?”
“Six in plain sight,” Adam panted, “I don’t know what’s in your desk drawers.”
“You acted hastily. I have at least nine on the surface of the desk alone.” Blake pushed Adam to one side in annoyance, then sat down at the desk again. “If you’ve smudged this letter… Why can’t you just knock on my door when I summon you like a normal person?”
Adam took a moment to massage his throat before answering. “I like to keep you on your toes, my love.”
Blake’s pen stopped moving. “What have I told you about that?”
“I’m sorry, it was a mistake.”
“Mm, one you keep making. I grow tired of reminding you that I’m not ‘your’ anything.” She resumed writing. “Next time you make either of the mistakes you’ve made tonight, I’ll give you another scar for a reminder. So, what do you make of today’s events?” Blake added in a conversational tone.
“The Atlesians are desperate. We should let their precious city fall.”
“And that,” Blake turned to face him, her fingers drumming on the desk, “is why I’m head of the White Fang now. You let your anger and your rage do your thinking. Be glad my father spared your life for presuming to take me as your wife.”
“By the right of-”
“Stop.” The single word rang out like a gunshot in the quiet of the evening. “That ‘right’ you’re trying to use to claim me hasn’t been used since before the kingdoms broke away from Atlas.”
“If you’d stop mooning over that human girl-”
Half a second too later, Adam Taurus knew he’d made yet another mistake. He barely had time to register’ Blake’s movement before the pen she’d been using to write with was half an inch from his eye. “That is my business. And besides, my father knows how things stand between Yang and me. He has already cautioned me about getting too close before he has a chance to judge her. And I owe allegiance to him, not you.”
“O-of course, my captain.” Adam let himself breathe a quiet sigh of relief as Blake sat down at her desk again. She must have been very pleased by today’s events. He was still conscious after all.
Finally, she finished and slipped the pages into a leather folio. “I believe Shrike is available?”
“It should be Goshawk. Just before you returned to your room, I received a report from the Shrike’s captain. Her engineer has made progress with what’s behind the problem with her number three engine. One of the core crystals is throwing a bad harmonic. He’s asking permission to tear down the engine to get to the bottom of things.”
Blake was genuinely surprised. “A core crystal? Those are supposed to be almost indestructible. Tell him to proceed, but keep me appraised of his progress. And take the message to Goshawk’s captain immediately. I want it on its way tonight if possible.”
Arthur Watts sighed as he stood up from the desk in his room. Still furious about what had happened that afternoon, Emperor Jacques had paid him another visit after having dinner with King Taiyang. He’d made it clear in no uncertain terms that Watts was not to involve himself in the negotiations until told otherwise. And if Watts didn’t watch his step, he was likely to find himself in prison upon their return to Atlas. Or worse.
But that wasn’t the worst of it. No, that was yet to come.
Watts pulled out the keys to his traveling chests and slid the wrong key into the lock of the largest chest. He then pulled on first the left handle then the right. Finally, with great reluctance, he opened the lid.
The Seer that had been concealed in the chest’s false bottom floated upward, reaching with one of its barbed tentacles to caress Watt’s face. Despite its lack of eyes, he could feel its attention turning toward him. The smoky surface of the Seer’s body cleared, and Watts could see Salem’s face within. “So tell me, Arthur, how wonderful was it when our proud, proud emperor learned that Vale had no sons to marry his daughter? I must hear everything. Oh, I see you’ve got a bruise. He must have been furious indeed to strike you.”
Watts took a deep breath. “My Lady,” he began, “we have a problem.”