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Weiss didn’t mind silence.  She enjoyed it, actually.  Unless the silence was uncomfortable, like it was right now.

Ruby seemed nice enough, although a tad...difficult to understand.  She was capable of smiling and holding a conversation - with other people.  When speaking to the palace staff, she was full of energy and laughter.  With them, she looked at ease and comfortable.  As soon as she and Weiss were alone, however, she had very little to say.  Which led them to this moment - another arranged ‘date’ where they were supposed to get to know each other, but they walked in silence instead.

If there was any consolation, Ruby was equally reserved around Whitley, despite his best efforts to glue himself to her side.  The fact that she hadn’t warmed up to him yet seemed like good news, but how long would that last?  He would do anything in his power to convince the Vale princess that he was more worthy to marry, and his inherent charm would eventually win.

It felt like Weiss’ only hope was for Ruby to see him for who he truly was, but his true colors had already slipped through on several occasions with no impact.  Maybe Ruby already knew what he was like and didn’t care.  Or maybe she didn’t grasp just how manipulative he could be.

Unfortunately, Weiss couldn’t say that she’d provided many reasons for Ruby to choose her instead.  Winter asked her to try, but how was she supposed to try when Ruby hardly spoke to her?  Should she mindlessly babble on while Ruby hardly replied?  That wouldn’t make her look egotistical at all...

It didn’t help that this wasn’t Ruby’s choice.  She was, essentially, a resource given to Atlas to settle a debt from the distant past.  But Weiss was also in this against her free will, so they at least had that in common.  Of course, she could never say that...

“Have you enjoyed your stay in Atlas so far?” she forced out, trying to start any semblance of conversation.  

“It’s been nice.”  After glancing Weiss’ way with a small smile, Ruby again fell silent.  Weiss nearly motioned with her hands to suggest that Ruby say something else - elaborate, maybe? - but gave up and sighed instead.

How was Whitley dealing with this?  He was far from a patient person - they shared that trait - and the silence was aggravating, to say the least.  If Ruby was nervous, why didn’t she say so?  Why was she just fiddling with her gloves and looking anywhere but at Weiss?  Maybe...she’d already decided on Whitley?

Glancing at Ruby out of the corner of her eye, Weiss frowned.  

That didn’t seem possible when Ruby had spoken an equivalent amount of words to Whitley since her arrival.  But what if she was already leaning that way and didn’t want to spend an unnecessary amount of time with Weiss?  

While Weiss would admit that could be a possibility, she would also argue that it was an unfair decision to make.  She’d been nothing but kind and hospitable to Ruby in all of their interactions.

But maybe she hadn’t been...forward enough?  That could also be true.  She’d been kind and hospitable, but this was, theoretically, the person she was supposed to marry.  Hospitable was far from romantic, and what if that swayed Ruby’s decision?

If she were in Ruby’s shoes, wouldn’t that make a difference?  If she had to marry, wouldn’t she feel better if she liked the person and felt wanted by them in return?  Wouldn’t that take some of the sting out of being forced to decide between two strangers?

But again, Ruby refused to engage in a meaningful conversation.  How could Weiss pretend to want someone she hardly knew?  Wouldn’t that look incredibly shallow?

“Every spring when the snow melts, we hold a party out in the gardens,” she said solely to have something to say.  As they passed by one of the towering windows at the outer edge of the palace, she gestured towards the snow-covered grounds where roses and flowers would eventually bloom.  

“That sounds fun.” 

“I don’t know about fun, but at least it’s pretty.” 

When Weiss resumed walking, leading them on a meandering path through the palace, Ruby glanced at her.

“Do you not like the parties?” 

“They’re...”  Trailing off, Weiss tried to find the perfect word to describe the royal engagements she was forced to attend.  “Taxing,” she concluded.  That felt like the appropriate word - something that took a lot out of her. 

“Definitely taxing,” Ruby agreed as they turned the corner and headed towards the front of the castle.  “My dad came up with games for us to play so we wouldn’t get bored.  Counting the number of people wearing red, figuring out who was only there to drink - that type of thing.” 

That was the most forthcoming answer Weiss had ever heard from Ruby, which made her smile.  Maybe bringing up random topics was the way to go.

“You have a younger sister, don’t you?” she asked, hoping to keep this trickle of discourse going.  Ruby paused for a second, possibly reconsidering her participation in the conversation, before nodding.  

“Yes, I do.”

Noticing Ruby’s suddenly downcast aura, Weiss realized that was just about the worst question she could have asked.  Great job.  Remind the poor girl of the family she left behind - that was sure to get her talking.   

“I’m sorry...” Weiss sighed and shook her head at her stupidity while they walked into the entryway.  

“It’s nothing you have to be sorry for.” 

Maybe it wasn’t, but that didn’t erase the remorse she felt.  This situation might not be of her doing, but it was Atlas’ - and she represented Atlas.

Looking around the foyer, which bustled with activity at this time of day, she sighed again - both relieved and disappointed that this was where they would part.  They didn’t have to part ways, of course, but she already knew Ruby wanted to.  Why wouldn’t she?  

But Weiss hated that they would end on such a somber note.

“If there’s anything I can do,” she began, only to falter when Ruby met her gaze.  Maybe Ruby wouldn’t believe her, but she did feel bad, so she had to say something.  “To make this easier,” she added before turning away.  “Please let me know.” 

“...why would you do that?” Ruby asked, and Weiss closed her eyes when she realized she had to explain further.  Diving too deep into her emotions was never a pretty thing, but she owed Ruby at least that much for having brought up her family.

“Because...I don’t want you to feel alone.” 

Only Winter’s presence kept Weiss from feeling alone in this cold castle filled with people.  Even then, there were moments when it felt like no one heard her, no one saw her, and no one wanted to.  She still remembered how terrified she was when her father stripped Winter of her titles.  She thought Winter would leave the palace - that she would lose her only supporter in the world.

She didn’t want Ruby to feel that way.  Even if they never spoke, even if they had nothing in common, she wanted Ruby to know that there was at least one person on her side.

Before Ruby could respond, however, Weiss heard footsteps and sighed when she found Whitley walking towards them.

“Princess,” he greeted Ruby with a smile.  “I was hoping to find you here.”  When his gaze slid to Weiss, his smile became a smirk.  “I hope my dear sister didn’t bore you to tears.”

“Oh.”  When Ruby glanced over, Weiss did her best not to scowl at her idiot brother.  “Uh, no, actually.  We just had a nice walk.”

It must be a lie, but Weiss was still grateful for it, as it wiped the smirk from Whitley’s lips.

“I’m sure,” he clipped before regaining his confidence.  “But I found the jewelry I was telling you about.  I can show you now.”  The way he offered his elbow left little room to decline, and Ruby seemed to feel as much.  Before taking his arm, however, she gave Weiss a small smile.

“Thank you for the walk,” she said but, before she turned away, Weiss reached out to stop her.

“Wait, Ruby.” 

When Weiss reached out and touched Ruby’s hand, she noticed the way silver eyes moved there before returning her gaze.  And she had no idea what she planned to do next.  All she knew was that she couldn’t let Whitley swoop in and lead Ruby away like some white knight.

So she did the least Weiss-like thing she could think of - she leaned forward, rolled onto the balls of her feet, and lightly kissed Ruby on the forehead.

She didn’t linger.  She quickly moved away and tucked her hair behind her ear while a blush grew on her cheeks.  Ruby’s eyes were wide with surprise, but she could hardly meet them right now due to her growing embarrassment.

“Thank you for spending time with me today…” she mumbled, and noted Ruby’s small smile before she turned away. 

Whitley somehow maintained a cordial expression while Ruby looped her arm through his, but he shot Weiss a glare before leading Ruby away.  Unperturbed by his annoyance, Weiss blew a breath through her lips and tried to get her racing heart under control.

That wasn’t so bad.  Unnatural, maybe.  Awkward, a bit uncomfortable, not something she would normally do, but not bad.  It wasn’t like a real kiss or anything.  It was a gesture of...solidarity, almost...that they both had to deal with this.  That they had to play these roles they hadn’t chosen for themselves.

By now, she was quite adept at pretending to be someone she wasn’t - that was the only way she’d survived her father’s wrath for so long.  Now, she had to sway Ruby’s opinion away from Whitley, which meant she needed to put on her most convincing performance yet.  Hopefully, Ruby would become a more willing participant as time went on.  In the meantime...Weiss would learn all she could about Vale.  

Their customs, likes, dislikes, popular food dishes - anything that might make Ruby feel more at home.  Weiss couldn’t change the weather, and she couldn’t grant Ruby freedom from this arranged marriage, but she could have the kitchen prepare meals that are more to Ruby’s liking.  And maybe bring in a seamstress to craft a more comfortable wardrobe.  The outfits Ruby brought with her wouldn’t withstand the Atlas winter, but...they didn’t have much in red here, and that seemed to be her favorite color.  Weiss could have a better jacket made - something that fit Ruby’s taste.

Regardless of the situation they found themselves in, she meant what she said - that she didn’t want Ruby to feel alone.  She would prove it by making Atlas as comfortable for Ruby as possible.

Comments

Whyarewehere

Watching this tug-of-war game will be interesting. Cheers!