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Ruby sighed in relief and spun in a circle on the palace steps, basking in the busy atmosphere.  The sights, sounds, and smells were all familiar.  Even the air felt familiar - a balmy warm she missed whenever she spent extended time away.

“So nice to be home.”  Glancing over and finding James with a content look on his face, she grinned and gently elbowed his side.  “Bet you’re extra happy to be back.”

“If I was shorter, you wouldn’t be able to find me in a crowd.”

The dry joke, which contained an element of truth, had Ruby laughing in no time.

“I’m just saying,” she added while they walked up the last few steps and approached the plaza leading into the palace.  “If you were shorter, you wouldn’t be so grumpy!”

“I’m fairly certain I would be grumpy regardless of my height.”

Even though he replied with a straight face, a hint of a smile lifted his lips.  He was happy to be home - he knew it and she knew it.  He would never admit it, of course, but that was part of his charm.

“At least you’ll get a good night’s sleep tonight,” she mused before her attention drifted to the activity surrounding them.  “Uh, is this new?” she asked, pointing at two of the plaza’s outer columns, whose red paint looked more vibrant than the others.  James frowned.

“It is, My Queen.”

“Didn’t realize we were painting…”

After giving the fresh paint another glance, Ruby made a mental note to ask about it later and continued into the plaza.  As usual, the palace bustled with activity.  Citizens spoke with advisors, staff issued instructions or rushed off on unspoken tasks, and guards patrolled the space ensuring that nothing got out of hand.

Having grown up in the palace, Ruby was at ease surrounded by the commotion.  The line of citizens made her want to rush over and solve all of their problems.  The quick pace of her fellow windwalkers made her want to hop in step beside them for a brisk walk wherever they were headed.  The amount of work to do sometimes teetered on ‘too much,’ but she willingly accepted it for the good of everyone in this room, and everyone in Vale.  It was her responsibility - as a Queen but also as a person - to use her spark and skills to help in any way possible.

“Queen Rose?”

The speaker uttered her name quietly, more in disbelief than in an attempt to gain her attention, but she smiled and walked over to the people waiting to speak with an advisor.

“Good evening,” she greeted the awestruck young man with a slight bow.  “How’s your day?”

“I - it’s - good.  My day is good.”

“That’s great to hear.”  He was nervous, but Ruby hoped to ease his nerves with another friendly smile.  “Have you been waiting long?” she asked, gesturing to the line.  Attention drifted their way as the conversation continued, which he noticed when he glanced at the people standing in front of him.  When they smiled and motioned for him to respond, he shook his head.

“Not long!  And it’s moving pretty quick.  Plus, there’s lots to look at, you know?”

His gaze flitted to the nearest group of Elites, and Ruby hardly needed to glance that way to know what captured his fascination.  With their striking gold-and-red armor and ornately carved swords, they struck an intimidating presence.

“Maybe you can become an Elite one day,” she offered, knowing he had imagined just that.  When the thought was spoken aloud, however, he backed away and waved his hands.

“I’m nowhere near strong enough for that.”

“Becoming a royal guard has little to do with power.  We value loyalty, courage, and determination more than the strength of someone’s spark.  Would any of those describe you?”

For several seconds, the boy just stared at her.  Then excitement lit in his eyes, a smile appeared on his lips, and he began to nod.

“I think so.  Or I hope so!”

“Then you can become a royal guard,” Ruby said before leaning a little closer and lowering her voice.  “Don’t close doors on yourself without first trying to open them.”

Only when he nodded enthusiastically did she pat his shoulder and continue through the plaza.  “Good evening,” she greeted the next few people in line, who bowed or curtsied as she passed.  “Welcome to the palace,” she added to the next group.  “Thank you for being so patient.  The advisors will be with you shortly.”

By the time she reached the front of the line, one of those advisors had appeared to speak with the next waiting group.

“Your Majesty!” he greeted her first.  “Welcome home.”

“Thank you.”  Before moving on, Ruby motioned for a second of his time.  “There’s a young man at the end of the line who might be interested in becoming a royal guard.  Maybe you can pass along some inspiration?”

The man’s gaze hardly flitted to the line before he nodded and said, “Of course, Your Majesty.  I’ll offer whatever guidance I can.”

“Thank you.”

With that impromptu task complete, Ruby left the plaza and its activity behind.  The palace beyond was still busy, but a different type of busy.  Most visiting citizens would never make it past the plaza.  The few who did, whether due to wealth, influence, or a pressing need, might be fortunate enough to visit the throne room, maybe even the office or the ballrooms they used to host special events.  Beyond those limited areas, however, most of the grand palace was reserved for Yang, Ruby, and the staff and advisors who kept the kingdom running.

“That was a very kind thing for you to do.”

Pulled from her thoughts, Ruby looked up and caught James’ near smile.

“We all need a goal, don’t we?  Something we can work towards.”

“What is your goal, My Queen?”

Pausing in the middle of the hall, Ruby turned toward him and pondered the question.  What was her goal?  What drove her to be a better person?  What did she put her energy toward in hopes of one day seeing it come true?

“To help everyone.”

The response didn’t surprise him.  Rather, he nodded and let the subject pass.

“Do you need me for anything at the moment?”

“Besides for your gregarious and upbeat energy?” she teased, nearly getting him to smile while laughing on her own.  “Don’t think so.  I’m going to find Yang!”

“As expected.  You know where to find me if necessary.”

Once she nodded, he bowed and headed to his permanent quarters in the castle.  Even though he hadn’t said what he was going to do, Ruby knew that he would drop off his belongings and immediately start the task she had given him: collecting basic necessities from the palace and delivering them to the settlements they had visited.  Knowing him, he wouldn’t even take a day to rest; he would leave as soon as everything was ready.

Grateful for his never-ending help, Ruby felt free to return to her palace duties.  But first, she had to find Yang.  Seeing as how it was too late for dinner but too early for bed, the dining hall and Yang’s personal quarters were likely empty.

Ruby flew to the dining hall anyway just to make sure.  Using her spark inside probably wasn’t proper manners, but this was also her home - wasn’t she allowed to use her spark in her own home?  She thought so, and no one ever argued otherwise.

“Your Majesty,” one of the guards outside the dining hall said when she slowed down in front of him, the gust of wind accompanying her rustling the red plumes on his armor.  “Welcome back.”

“Thank you!  Is Yang in there?”

“Not at the moment, Your Majesty.”

“Ah, well...thanks anyway!”

With a smile and wave, she flew to the throne room next.  Using her element was like a breath of relief, as she finally allowed the air flowing through her veins to slip out.  The walls flashed by and her feet hardly touched the floor, but that sense of levity lifted her mood just as much as her speed.  One of these days she needed to let her spark completely free for an hour or so, but first...she really needed to find Yang.

Reaching the throne room in the blink of an eye, she slid to a stop and poked her head through the doorway rather than blast inside.  As soon as she spotted Yang standing beside the hardly used thrones while talking with their education advisor, her heart did a happy little jump and she ducked out of view.

Rather than interrupt, she peeked around the doorframe and watched from a distance.  Whatever the woman was saying, Yang responded to with a slight smile and nod.  She looked well, and in good spirits, which made Ruby even happier.

Curious about the conversation, Ruby backed away from the main entrance and headed to a narrow maintenance staircase that remained permanently locked to everyone but Ruby, Yang, and the cleaning staff.  The stairwell led to a small balcony running along the upper perimeter of the throne room, which was cleverly concealed by the ceiling’s architecture.

The staff used the balcony to clean spider webs and dust from atop the giant paintings, sconces, and chandeliers, but Ruby routinely used it to…observe from a distance.  Without realizing it, visitors to the palace gave away more than just words - their gestures and postures told entire stories about their motivations and desires.

Yang said that Ruby was just good at reading people.  Maybe that was true, but she still liked climbing up to one of her favorite alcoves and watching the interactions in the throne room below.  While Yang did the talking, Ruby did the watching - that was the deal they struck when they started taking on responsibilities from their parents and it had stuck with them to this day.

Finding the perfect hideout, Ruby knelt down so that she could watch and hear the conversation below.

“- positive so far.  The children enjoy having a break during the day.”

From that partial sentence alone, Ruby knew what they were talking about.  Several months ago, she and Yang decided that, even though the war was draining their money and manpower, extraneous efforts should be made to keep the kids in school.  Children were the future of Vale, and they needed the opportunity to keep growing.  After speaking to advisors and polling the public, the palace marked education as a critical need, assuring funding for as long as possible.

“What about their parents?” Yang asked when the same question ran through Ruby’s mind.

“Overwhelmingly relieved.  Having a place to send the little ones during the day is a big help to them.  More than a few have told me that they get more done without worrying about what their kids are up to.”

“Good,” Yang replied with a breath of relief.  “That’s what we hoped for - that this would ultimately help everyone.”

“It’s working.  Although funding is stretched a bit thin...”

“Unfortunately, it will have to be for the time being…we hardly have enough to keep things running as is.  If everyone deals with a little less, we can keep things as they are for as long as possible.  The last thing we want to do is start cutting to the bone.”

“I agree.  But...if things change, can I create a list of needs for you to look over?  I understand there’s no probability of receiving additional support now -”

“Of course,” Yang replied before the woman explained further.  “I’ll look over it, and we’ll both cross our fingers that something changes soon.  I’d love nothing more than to pour money into educating Vale’s future leaders, and I’m sure Ruby feels the same.”

Even though Ruby wasn’t included in the conversation, she nodded.  She did feel the same.  Ending the war...having money to fix Vale’s problems...it all sounded too good to be true.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” the woman replied with a bow.  “I’ll get that list to you.”

Once Yang nodded, the woman left the throne room to begin that important task.  Standing in the giant room by herself, Yang tapped a finger against the side of her leg while mulling over the news she just received.  If Ruby had to guess, Yang wished that they could fully fund Vale’s education goals now rather than wait for a future that may never come.  But they couldn’t let uncertainty get in the way of progress; they had to plan as if they would win the war and prosperity was imminent.

Possibly coming to that same conclusion, Yang clenched her fists and headed toward the exit of the room.  She hardly made it two steps, however, before she stiffened - and then smiled.

“I can feel that, you know.”

Playfully groaning, Ruby leapt down from her hiding spot and used a soft bubble of air to lower her gently to the floor.

“How do you always know?” she whined while Yang wrapped her up in a strong, warm hug.

“Not sure.  I can just feel your presence somehow.”

“Makes sneaking up on you difficult...” Ruby grumbled, but she couldn’t pretend to be grumpy for long when Yang laughed.  The sound had become rarer these days, what with all the stress they’d been under from the war, the uprisings in the Badlands, and…

“How’s it going out there?”

Even though Yang smiled and looked strong, Ruby knew better than to trust the veneer of strength.

“Uh, good!  Can we sit down though?  Feeling kind of tired.”

The nearest places to sit were the two jeweled thrones, which were really just for decoration, but Yang didn’t complain.  Instead, she sat on ‘her’ throne with a small sigh.  She walked fine, and sat down fine, but that sigh gave Ruby reason to pause.  To someone not paying attention, it might go unnoticed.  To Ruby…

“How are you feeling?” she asked, sitting on the arm of ‘her’ throne and lightly swinging her feet.

“Pretty good.  What about you?”

“Drained,” Ruby admitted with a sigh of her own.

“You can say that again.  Who knew fighting a war would be so exhausting?”

The war offered a convenient excuse, but the Phage was more of an enemy than Atlas.  Invisible...untraceable...it snuck through Vale’s walls without pause.  It crept silently from house to house, preying on whoever it sank its merciless claws into.  At least they could see Atlesian Knights.  At least they had a chance of fighting back.

“Good news about the kids though, right?” Ruby asked, trying to distract herself while motioning in the direction their advisor just went.

“Definitely.  At least there’s a tiny amount of good happening.”

“There’s a lot more than you think.  The fighting might’ve brought out the worst in some people, but it’s brought out the best in others.”

Ruby’s thoughts went to all of the good she had seen during her travels.  People like Dr. Samuel and Dr. Raslin working tirelessly to find a cure.  The men and women working long hours without complaint so Vale could fight another day.  The soldiers volunteering to leave their friends and family for a greater goal.  Sure, there were some deviants but for the most part...people were good.

“How’re the settlements feeling then?  About...everything.”

Yang waved a hand to encompass all of the issues Vale faced, and Ruby sighed.

“They’re as good as expected.  Supplies are running low and morale is sinking, but they’re still supportive.  Unfortunately, without sending them cartloads of food, I don’t think we can help them much right now.”

“That’s what I was afraid of…”

After blowing a breath through her lips, Yang shook her head and stared at her hands.  Her downcast aura was only for Ruby to see, as they both understood the helplessness of the situation.  As much as they would love to create food from thin air, that wasn’t one of their talents.  Watching people suffer, however, wasn’t something either of them enjoyed.

“Oh, did we paint?”  When Yang’s brow furrowed, Ruby motioned to the front of the palace.  “The columns,” she added, and Yang’s expression fell even further.

“Oh.  Yes, there was an...incident.  Don’t worry, no one - no bystanders were hurt.  We just...had to paint afterward.”

Sensing Yang’s reluctance to explain further, Ruby didn’t pry.  Later, she would ask one of the advisors or palace staff what happened.  Right now, her focus was on reconnecting with her older sister, who she had missed greatly in the short time she was away.  As she opened her mouth to say as much, however, someone rushed into the throne room.

“Your Majesties,” the young man said while breezing over on a breath of wind.  As soon as he was within a few paces of them, he stopped and gave a deep bow.  “I’m sorry for the intrusion, but I bring an important message from Atlas.”

From the way Yang glanced at Ruby, they both had the same thought - this was a joke.  Seeing the young man’s anxiousness to deliver his message, however, prevented them from laughing.

“From Atlas?” Yang asked instead.  “As in...you went to Atlas and received this message?”

“No, Your Majesty.  One of Atlas’ messengers sought me out near the boundary to pass along a message.”

Ruby and Yang shared matching looks of disbelief at the news.  Only Atlesians were allowed in and out of Atlas now, making it exceptionally difficult for someone like Ruby to stop by and ask about a cure, but why would Atlas want to talk to them at all?

“What’s the message?” Yang finally asked, and the young man clasped his hands together in an effort to temper his jumpy spark.

“Your Majesties - the King of Atlas has passed, and the new Queen requests a meeting with you - in Vale.”

The message contained so much unexpected information that Ruby just stared at the man while trying to process it.

“The King is dead?” Yang asked.

“And their Queen wants to meet with us?” Ruby added.  “Here??”

The messenger nodded vigorously to their questions.

“Yes, Your Majesties.  The new Queen was just crowned and wants to meet with you.  She wishes to discuss the war.”

“‘Discuss the war?’” Yang repeated before scoffing.  “What could we possibly discuss?  How many of our soldiers they’ve killed?  How much property has been needlessly destroyed?”

When the messenger raised his hands, Yang shook her head and sat back.  No sooner did her back touch the throne, however, did she lean forward.

“Wait - which princess is queen?  The older one?  What’s her name…?”

“Winter,” Ruby offered.

“Is it Princess Winter?” Yang asked, but the young man shook his head.

“No, Your Majesty.  It’s the younger - Queen Weiss.”

Ruby shared another look with Yang.  Both of them were wondering the same thing - what happened to Princess Winter?  The eldest princess was far more notorious.  Why hadn’t she become queen?

“Do you wish to respond?” he prodded them.

“Like hell we do,” Yang scoffed.  “Why would we ever entertain her?”

Yang clearly disapproved of the idea, but Ruby held up a hand for the messenger to stay put and turned toward her sister.

“Why wouldn’t we meet with her?”

Yang huffed again, but Ruby’s interest had been piqued.  If the Queen of Atlas traveled to Vale...and Atlas did have a cure for the Phage...maybe Ruby could find out what it was.

“What if she wants to discuss a truce?”

“What if she wants to spit in our faces?” Yang countered.

“What possible reason could she have to do that?”

Without an answer, Yang shrugged and scowled.  Ruby understood her sister’s hesitation - she also remembered how the war started and what happened as it progressed - but this opportunity was too good to pass up.

“Atlas is under new leadership,” she continued calmly.  “Don’t we owe it to ourselves to see what this change means?  Don’t we owe it to Vale to explore every possibility we have?  If she’s willing to meet here, what do we have to lose?  She’s putting herself in danger just traveling through the Badlands.  If she’s willing to take that risk, shouldn’t we take the risk of listening to what she has to say?”

When Yang didn’t immediately argue, Ruby knew that her points were valid.  And when Yang sighed, Ruby knew that her sister had caved.

“Guess we’re hosting…” Yang grumbled before blowing another big breath through her lips.  “You sure about this?”

“Positive.”

No way was Ruby missing this opportunity, no matter how unorthodox and unexpected it might be.

“Alright.”  With a nod and a deep breath, Yang turned back to their messenger.  “Please send a response to Atlas right away - we’re willing to welcome the new queen.  The sooner the better.”

Armed with those important instructions, the young man nodded and raced out of the throne room carried by another gust of wind.  Left in his wake, Ruby and Yang sat for several seconds in silence - both of them still shocked by the news.

“Well…” Yang eventually said, leaning forward and putting her hands on her knees.  “Can’t say I’m sad to hear the Mad King’s dead.”

Ruby snorted at the comment and shook her head.

“Me neither.  He was so...”

“Evil?  Malicious?  An all-around horrible person?”

“All of those,” Ruby sighed.  She loved finding the good in everyone, but the Mad King...he was on another level of bad.  Every word out of his mouth was either spoken in anger and manipulation.  He could tell the truth only to turn it into a lie on the next breath.

They were young when they were named Queens of Vale, so he loved nothing more than to threaten or intimidate them.  In doing so, he quickly taught them that they needed more than powerful sparks to stand up for their morals and their people.  Empathy, integrity, determination, humility...they needed those traits and more to be better, stronger leaders than he could ever hope to be.

“What do you think she’s like?” Ruby asked, swinging her legs while Yang leaned back on her throne.

“No idea...but if she’s anything like her father, she’s a bitch.  Probably wants to gloat about the war.”

“Why would she travel all this way just to spit in our faces and gloat?”

“Don’t know…the adventure?  I heard he kept his princesses locked up tight.”

“That’s right…”  While Ruby frowned at the idea of having that horrible man as a father, another question popped into her head.  “What do you think happened to Princess Winter?  She’s the oldest; she should have been queen.”

“Maybe the younger one decided she wanted it more, then they got into a huge fight over it and Winter lost.”

The thought of Princess Winter losing that type of battle made Ruby a bit more concerned about the Atlesian they just invited to their home.  Powerful enough to beat Princess Winter, who was fearsome in her own right?  Now, Ruby really hoped this was a peaceful meeting...

“You ever think about doing that?”  When Yang tilted her head, Ruby motioned with her hands.  “Saying that you wanted it more.  Being the only queen.”

“Of course not,” Yang replied without hesitation.  “We’re a team.  If I’m queen, so are you.”

Ruby smiled at the response, which was how she liked to think about it.  Of course, she would still help had Yang become the only queen, but Yang never wanted that.  ‘Both of us or none of us,’ she said.  Now, they made the perfect team; fire and air - an unbeatable combination.

“But what do you say,” Yang said, lightly patting her knees.  “Late dinner?”

“Yes, please.  I’m starving.”

Hearing Yang’s laugh prompted another smile onto Ruby’s lips as she hopped down from the throne and pulled her sister to her feet.  Together, they left the throne room and headed to the dining hall.

“I’ve missed the palace food so much,” Ruby admitted on their way.

“Can’t beat it, huh?”

“Definitely not.  I found some other pretty good stuff, but it’s never the same.”

While Yang chuckled, Ruby smiled and maintained an almost painfully slow pace.  She couldn’t use her spark and walk beside Yang at the same time, but Yang was walking...slow.  Fortunately, the dining hall wasn’t far away, and Ruby soon grew distracted by the wonderful smells drifting from the kitchen.

“Someone must’ve told the chefs you’re home,” Yang teased while they took two seats at the end of a table large enough to seat six times as many.  “Wonder who might’ve done that…”

“Anyone who saw me walk into the palace?” Ruby joked before squealing in delight at the plate of food set in front of her.  Not only had the kitchen been ready for her arrival, but they had prepared her favorite dishes.  She was definitely giving them a big thanks when she saw them later.

“That’s true.  Everyone knows the first thing you do is eat us out of house and home.”

“I run a lot!” she argued before taking her first bite and humming.  Vale had the best chefs on the planet - of that, she was certain.  “So what’ve you been doing while I was away?” she asked after that first bite, knowing she would inhale the entire plate if she didn’t break up her eating with talking.

“Nothing new.  Basically just listened to endless updates about Vale, the Phage, and the war.”  After taking a small bite to eat, Yang chewed thoughtfully and swallowed.  “When did that become my life?”

“Good question...it kind of feels like it’s always been this way.”

“But I remember the good days so clearly…” Yang sighed while Ruby kept eating.  “Unless those were just dreams, which I guess they could be...”

Ruby giggled at Yang’s disappointed expression.  She just got home, but she was already so happy to be back.  But she had always loved coming home, just like she always loved spending time with Yang.

Before either of them started another conversation - because conversation was never far away with them - the distinct sound of armor drew Ruby’s attention away from her dinner.  Through the entrance of the dining room, a tall soldier wearing exquisite black armor appeared and strode towards them.  Dark green accents made the armor look unnecessarily sinister, but that was probably the point.  If Ruby didn’t recognize the colors, she would be far more concerned as the man walked over to Yang and bowed.

“Queen Xiao Long, I’m sorry to interrupt your dinner.”

“It’s ok.  We were just talking about how I spend my entire day being updated on the war.”  When Yang chuckled at his timing, he frowned as if unsure whether she was upset or not.  Thankfully, she picked up on his confusion and dropped the jokes.  “What news do you have today?”

“We regrouped with the main forces as you requested.  We were forced to fight through one of Atlas’ camps on the way there, but our losses were minimal.  Theirs, however, were not.”

Yang stared at him for the longest time before shaking her head and saying, “I’m sorry, but you cut through one of their camps?”

“Yes,” he replied with a nod.  “To regroup with the main forces, as you directed.”

“I...kind of thought you’d go around…” Yang admitted before exchanging a perplexed look with Ruby.

“That would have taken an extra day.”

“Yeah, but -”  Seeing that he was unperturbed by the needless fighting, Yang shook her head and let it go.  “Well, ok then.  Good job, I guess?”

“Thank you.  What are your orders now?”

When Yang sighed at the question, Ruby ducked her head to hide a smile.  Yang hated being the go-between, but she somehow maintained her patience rather than point out that she wasn’t in charge of Vale’s army.  Well, she ultimately was, but she wasn’t the one deciding where the Elites marched and when.

“Stay with the main group for now.  And ask Cecilia to please work with the generals to determine your next plan of attack.  Make sure to tell her that I said ‘please.’”

“Yes, ma’am.”

With that uncommon sendoff, he strode out of the room.  Unlike most soldiers returning from the frontlines, he seemed eager to go back.  Considering who he worked for, Ruby was unsurprised.

“Where does she find these guys?” she asked before resuming her meal.

“No idea.  Wish we had their help earlier though.  The war would’ve been over by now.”

“Yeah, but Yang…”

“I know, I know.”  Waving away the comment, Yang pulled off a piece of a dinner roll and tossed it into her mouth.  “She’s not cheap.  But, once we win this thing, we’ll pay her a mountain of gold and she’ll go away.”

Yang sounded certain, but Ruby wasn’t so confident.  Cecelia never named her price - she only said that she expected to be handsomely rewarded if she won them the war.  Given her relationship with Yang...Ruby doubted she was after money.

But that was a problem they would deal with if it came to pass.  For now, Cecelia was the only one talented and crazy enough to accept the challenge they gave her: turn the tide of a war.  And she was doing it, somehow.  Without her...unorthodox...group of soldiers, Vale might have lost by now.  Fighting the Phage and Atlas at the same time was a recipe for disaster.  Instead, progress was being made.

“You need a second helping?” Yang asked once Ruby finished everything on her plate.  “Because they’re expecting you to.”

When Yang motioned to the corner of the room, Ruby spotted the server waiting for her to finish.

“I’m good,” she told Yang before turning back to the man.  “I’m good, but thank you!”

He nodded and disappeared into the kitchen to inform the chefs, and Ruby smiled at Yang.

“That was awesome though.  Best meal I’ve had in a long time.”

“Pretty sure they’ve just been waiting for you to come home.  But so have I.”  The love and caring in Yang’s eyes filled Ruby’s heart with joy, but Yang stood up before Ruby could respond.  “What do you think - time to hit the hay?”

After glancing at the time, Ruby tried to hide her surprise.  It was pretty early for anyone to be going to sleep, but it was especially early compared to the late hours Yang used to keep.  But covering all of the palace duties alone must be exhausting.

“Sounds like a plan!”  Ruby hopped to her feet and trailed Yang out of the room.  “Maybe tomorrow we can catch up on what I’ve missed?  I want to take some stuff off your plate!”

“You don’t have to do that.  I can handle everything just fine.”

“I know, but I want to help.”  Throwing in a smile for sincerity, Ruby felt a small wave of relief when Yang relented.

“There are a few things I could use your help with then,” Yang admitted while they headed upstairs.  The palace quieted as night fell, offering a tranquil walk to Yang’s chambers.  The royal guards still patrolled in pairs, but fewer staff rushed about for their work.  The advisors had also retreated home or to their offices as another day ended.

Selfishly, Ruby didn’t want to part ways with Yang so soon.  She wanted to stay up late talking like they used to.  She could tell all of her stories from her most recent trip while Yang filled her in on what had happened here.  But Yang looked more exhausted with each step, and Ruby felt too guilty to keep her sister up any longer.

“Want to get breakfast tomorrow?” she offered as they neared Yang’s room.

“Depends.  Are you still waking up ridiculously early?”

“Of course!  How would that change in a week?”

“Can’t blame me for hoping,” Yang replied with a soft chuckle before stopping outside her door.  “But yes, of course.  We’ll get breakfast tomorrow and catch up on everything.”

If they couldn’t catch up right now, tomorrow morning was the next best thing.  But even better?  When Yang pulled Ruby into another hug.

“So glad you’re back,” Yang whispered, squeezing Ruby close before backing away and tousling her hair.  “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Deal.  Goodnight, Yang.  Love you!”

“Love you too.”

With one last smile and pat of Ruby’s shoulder, Yang retreated into her room.  As soon as the door closed, however, Ruby’s smile fell.

Her heart ached, but she only let herself stand there for a second before sighing and hurrying to her own room.  The heat from Yang’s too-warm hug lingered on her skin, a subtle reminder of everything she struggled for.

She loved coming home.  She loved spending time with Yang.  But Yang was also the reason she traveled so much.

She saw the pain in Yang’s eyes and in her posture when they were alone.  She felt the spikes of heat happening more frequently than before.  She noticed the weakness and exhaustion that used to be youth and strength.  If there was another explanation, she would gladly accept it, but she had seen that same pain reflected in the eyes of too many throughout Vale.

Yang had the Phage.

The longer she went without leaving the palace, the longer she went without going on her traditional hunting trips, the more she struggled with what were once easy tasks, the clearer it became.  Her spark - the source of her once-endless power - had turned against her.  Even if she hadn’t said anything, Ruby knew it was true.  And Ruby understood why she kept it a secret - any weakness on their part could hurt morale in unexpected ways.

But to hide it from everyone?  Even Ruby?

Ruby wouldn’t say anything.  She would let Yang keep the secret.  In the meantime, she scoured the kingdom in search of a cure for Yang’s sake.  As much as she pretended her mission was for the greater good, she was selfish.  She wanted to save her sister’s life.

She had to find a cure.  Otherwise…

As Yang so often said, something could always be done.  There had to be another option.  Neither of them went down without a fight, and Ruby was fighting this to the end.

Being so drawn into those thoughts, she was surprised when she turned into the next hallway and found two guards stationed outside her door.

“Where’s James?” she asked after walking up to them.

“Running an errand,” one of them replied.  “He said he’ll return later.”

Ruby smiled at the answer.  Even though it was nighttime, James was delivering aid to the people they had visited.  Waiting a day would have been reasonable, but she was grateful that he treated the matter as urgently as she did.  If they could ease someone’s suffering, even for a little while, their efforts were worthwhile.

However, she also knew that he would never leave her in the palace alone without giving these men instructions.  So she gave them a sly smile and asked, “What else did he tell you?”

From the glance they shared and the way they shuffled their feet, she had a good idea of what it was.

“He said...if anything happens to you, we’ll be held accountable.”

The diplomatic answer had Ruby laughing in no time, which relaxed the stiff Elites in front of her.

“And he told you several possible ways in which you’ll be held accountable?” she prodded, knowing that James could be quite...creative...when he wanted to be.

“Several,” one said while the other nodded.  “We already would’ve died for you, Your Majesty, but now...”  The two of them looked at each other and chuckled.  “Now that’s our preferred way to go.”

The thought of James scaring these well-trained soldiers made Ruby smile and shake her head.  To her, James was about as fearsome as a tinder ant in the rain.  To others...well, he could be an intimidating presence.

“I appreciate your loyalty,” she teased before patting each of them on the shoulder.  “But please don’t unnecessarily put yourself in harm’s way.”

While they stared at her, she gave them one last smile before walking into her room.

A class divide might exist between ‘royalty’ and ‘commoners,’ but she didn’t believe in it.  What made her better than anyone else in Vale, or in Remnant?  Her spark was powerful, but she had done nothing to earn that power or select the family she was born into.  All of that was determined before she had a single iota of thought.

But she believed that she was put in this position for a reason, so she gave everything she had to being the best queen that she could be.  If people followed her, she wanted it to be because they wanted to, not because that’s what they were taught to do, told to do, or forced to do.  Yang shared the same philosophy, following a sense of values instilled by their parents.

Standing in the main chamber of her quarters, Ruby looked around the familiar space and sighed.  As nice as it was to be home, she felt restless whenever she was here.  Being here meant she wasn’t out there searching for a cure.

Yang was the only family she had left...and if she could trade her life for her sister’s, she would.  She would do anything to save her, meaning she couldn’t stay here long.  As comfortable as this was, every second here was one less second of getting closer to answers.  And she needed answers.

Her thoughts raced too fast for sleep, so she wouldn’t even try.  Instead, in the interest of occupying her mind until she grew tired, she did something she had done ever since she was a little girl - a little snooping.

A large bookcase filled with books from around the world stood along one wall of the spacious room.  Admittedly, she had read only a fraction of them, but the rest were on her ‘to read’ list if she ever found time.  There were, however, a few in particular that were far more utilized than the others.  Those three books drew her attention, and she pulled each in turn.  With each pull, a soft clank sound issued from behind the wall.  On the third one, the bookcase unlocked.

Who wouldn’t want secret passageways in a palace?  Fortunately, her ancestors had wholeheartedly agreed.

Slipping into the dark hollow, she shut the bookcase and waited for her eyes to adjust.  It wasn’t pitch black, but it was pretty close.  Light filtered through cleverly disguised grates and vents in the walls, but those were few and far between in some areas.  That didn’t bother her in the slightest as she set out on a path she knew by heart.

Her first stop was the advisory council, where a tiny slit in the wall let her peek inside.  At this time of night, she expected an empty room.  Instead, she found Bartholomew hard at work.  Using his spark to flip through stacks of documents, he created a snowstorm of paper while mumbling words or numbers that she couldn’t make out.  He must be calculating something, but it probably wasn’t good news if he was working this late.

Ruby shook her head and quietly moved on to check the state of the rest of the palace.  The war was physically, mentally, and economically draining, but what choice did they have except to keep fighting?  Atlas threatened to extinguish their way of life, and she had no doubt the Mad King would follow through with that threat if victorious.

But now, everything had changed.  The Mad King was dead.  A new leader emerged in Atlas.  Without having met this queen, however, Ruby didn’t know if this change was for better or worse.  What if Yang was right and the Queen was just like her father - or worse than her father?  What if they just traded one evil for another?

Ruby couldn’t imagine someone as bad as the Mad King, who was unworldly levels of cruel.  What if his daughter was less so?  Even just moderately.  Even just a half step more reasonable.  If that was the case...maybe they could come to some type of agreement.  Maybe the war could end.

And Atlas supposedly had the cure for the Phage...if that was true, Ruby had to know.

Heading toward the kitchen next to check the staff’s morale, she ducked under exposed beams and skirted around sharp corners on autopilot.  So many thoughts flew through her mind that she didn’t know when she would ever be able to sleep.

The Queen of Atlas...coming to Vale.  So many scenarios could happen.  So many words could be said.  So many outcomes at stake, with entire kingdoms and countless lives hanging in the balance.

Whatever happened, Ruby wouldn’t give up.  She couldn't give up.  Yang’s life depended on it.

Comments

Ben Lockwood

What a wonderful story this has been so far! Can’t believe we’re getting another 42 chapters! Don’t worry Ruby, meeting the Queen of Atlas will be the best thing that ever happened to you! Current conspiracy theory. Cecilia is responsible for the Phage and has the cure! Keep up the great work Miko and get that rest!