The Queens of Remnant - Chapter 11 (Patreon)
Content
It was only that morning that Blake had crouched in the trees just outside the Badlands. Her legs were cramping, but her heart raced as the sound of horses grew nearer. Thinking about her home...the friends she’d lost...the things she’d done to survive...she knew what she had to do. To stop the war and end the suffering, she would kill the Queen of Atlas. She would commit murder.
She let the Knights spot her. She let them knock her from the trees with a blast of frozen air. She let them capture her so that she could claim to be a thief. The gamble hinged on the assumption that they wouldn’t immediately kill her - that they didn’t have the authority to kill her.
She was right.
They summoned the Queen for a decision, just like she had hoped. The Queen stepped out into the open and presented the perfect opportunity for her to strike. Weiss knelt right in front of her, oblivious or uncaring of the danger. All Blake had to do was summon her spark, and a monarch would be dead.
But Weiss had stopped that Knight from hitting her, so she hesitated. And the more Weiss defended her - the more Weiss seemed to genuinely want to talk - the more conflicted she became. Now, she was left to suffer through the guilt.
What if she went through with it? What if she killed Weiss at the first opportunity? What if she hadn’t given Weiss the chance to speak?
The rest of the world would have been left to deal with the repercussions. Atlas, livid at the death of their Queen, would blame Vale but might be weakened by turmoil or internal power struggles. Vale, emboldened by the shift in fortune, would strike with everything they had left and prevail. But how many more lives would be lost in those final battles? Blake had been willing to make that sacrifice along with her own life. Instead…
“Not sure why we still have these up…” Yang, the Queen of Vale, paused and looked up at the wall before chuckling to herself. “These look like holiday paintings, don’t they?”
That question was directed to the would-be murderer who had no place in Vale’s palace, yet Yang didn’t seem to mind Blake’s presence. In fact, she looked as if she honestly wanted Blake’s opinion on the two large paintings hanging nearby.
“What does a holiday painting look like?” Blake asked, and Yang pursed her lips before smiling.
“Good question. I suppose...something like this?”
When Yang gestured at the paintings, Blake tried to think of a witty yet appropriately intelligent response. But she knew next to nothing about art, and was saved from embarrassing herself by a well-dressed steward rushing over and bowing to Yang.
“Your Majesty, dinner is ready to be served.”
“Perfect. Thank you.” As he nodded and hurried off, Yang turned to Blake. “Guess we’ll cut the tour a little short, but we’ll pick up later?”
“If that’s ok with you.”
“Of course it’s ok with me,” Yang said while motioning Blake back the way they had come. “I’m starving - are you hungry?” Blake shook her head, but her stomach chose that moment to growl. Yang, overhearing the noise, chuckled. “I hope you’ll humor me while I eat then.”
The response sounded like another tease, but Blake snuck a glance at Yang to confirm so. From first impressions, Yang rarely missed the opportunity to lighten the mood. Her vibrant purple eyes sparkled with every joke, her smile lit up the rooms just as much as her entertaining stories, and her laughter...when she laughed and truly meant it, it was impossible not to smile in return.
She was as gorgeous as the rumors claimed - possibly even more so. Between her eyes, her smile, her stunning blonde hair, and her enviable physique, she checked every box for beauty. Her easy-going personality only added to her magnetism, which Blake felt more acutely with each passing moment -
“Like what you see?”
Catching Yang’s wink, Blake averted her gaze and mentally scolded herself for staring. The heat on her cheeks only added to the general confusion and conflicting emotions that had persisted since that morning.
Part of her was still angry and resentful towards the faraway leaders putting so many innocent people through such hardships - they had no idea how many lives they had ruined, and they probably didn’t care. Another part of her struggled with the budding realization that the queens were people, too. They had their own lives and dreams, but on top of those dreams rested the responsibility for entire kingdoms.
As much as Blake wanted to be angry for what they had done, they were making it impossible for her to do so. She didn’t know them, and she shouldn’t trust them, but she couldn’t help hoping that their words and intentions were true. If they ended the war and committed resources to the Badlands...that was a better outcome than she had ever imagined.
“How much you wanna bet Ruby beat us there?”
Yang’s question drew Blake out of her thoughts, where she found playful lilac eyes watching her.
“Do you actually want me to bet something?”
The answer delighted Yang, but she laughed rather than elaborate. Had Blake missed something obvious or did Yang just enjoy her willingness to play along?
Either way, Yang wasn’t living up to the rumors spread throughout the Badlands. The so-called Queen of Fire supposedly had a temper that would have made Adam jealous. After spending an hour touring the palace together, however, Yang wanted to have fun more than anything else. Laughing, joking, enjoying life - those seemed high on her list of priorities.
“Considering her element is wind,” Blake added. “I’d say her chances of beating us are pretty good.”
“So you won’t take a sucker’s bet. That’s good - because she’s already here.”
Blake nearly asked how Yang knew, but then they turned through a wide doorway leading into the dining room. And again, she couldn’t help but stare.
Every piece of Vale’s palace was beyond beautiful, and this well-used room was no different. The ceiling rose far above them, supported by exquisite, arched beams. A giant chandelier hung from one of those beams, its crystals reflecting the light in intricate patterns. More pieces of art, these ones depicting what looked like historical events, hung on the walls. And in the center of the room was a massive wooden table that could easily seat twenty guests.
Sure enough, Ruby and Weiss already sat along one side of the table, talking. At least, Ruby talked and gestured with her hands while Weiss listened and nodded every few seconds. Their sharp contrasts in appearance and personality highlighted the different worlds they came from and the different kingdoms they were tasked to lead, yet...they seemed to get along well enough.
Atlas and Vale...getting along. Blake wouldn’t believe it if she wasn’t witnessing it with her own eyes.
“Hey,” Yang gently interrupted as she and Blake joined the pair. “Ready to eat?”
“I’m starving!” Ruby answered, her enthusiasm making Yang chuckle while Weiss offered a polite smile and nod.
“Pretty sure they just whipped up a feast,” Yang added before pulling out Blake’s chair for her.
Surprised by the gesture, which seemed exceptionally unexpected to the waiter who had rushed over to pull out the seat first, Blake stared at the chair long enough that Yang motioned for her to sit. Not wanting to make a bigger deal out of it than she already had, Blake quickly did as instructed and mumbled, “Thank you,” while Yang sat beside her.
They were going out of their way to treat her kindly, but she didn’t understand why. She didn’t belong here - her modest outfit alone made that clear as day - yet they didn’t seem to notice or care. Their stunning beauty and elegance, however, served as a reminder of how out of place she was.
She grew up in a little town where everyone knew each other's names - now, she sat at a table with the leaders of two giant kingdoms. She led a group of former farmers and fishermen fighting for their homes and lives; Yang, Ruby, and Weiss made decisions that shaped this corner of Remnant. They belonged to the royal bloodlines, descendants of the original sparks. Their powers burned brighter, their voices held more weight, their actions gained notice. They seemed larger than life but, at the same time, were remarkably...normal.
“How far did you get?” Yang asked while unfolding a napkin and laying it across her lap.
“You mean through the palace?”
“No, I mean in your relationship,” Yang teased, winking at Weiss before raising her hands. “Of course I mean through the palace!”
Weiss blushed, either at the insinuation or the wink, but Ruby took the joke in stride.
“We got through everything except the big wing out by the gardens, but that’s not finished yet anyway.”
“Seriously?” Yang asked, her brow now raised. “How’d you make it through so much??”
“We went fast!”
Ruby shrugged off what sounded like an incredible feat, so Yang turned to Weiss and asked, “How fast?”
“It was...quite fast.”
When Yang laughed at the diplomatic answer, another smile threatened to appear on Blake’s lips.
The pace Yang set for their tour had been almost too slow, but it gave Blake plenty of opportunity to study each room and hallway. The paintings, the architecture, the little details carved into every nook and cranny…the magnificent building went beyond her wildest dreams in both size and splendor without being gaudy or excessive. But Vale held a great deal of pride and love for their royal family, and it showed.
When four servers appeared through a doorway that must lead to the kitchen, Blake watched them approach the table with swift, confident steps. Each carried a gold platter with a single cup placed upon it, which she initially guessed held tea. She was wrong.
The servers set the cups down in practiced unison, and Blake leaned forward to discover a glass filled with some sort of clear beverage…topped with fire.
“It’s a tradition,” Yang explained, rubbing her hands together before picking up her cup and holding it up in front of her. “It symbolizes new beginnings - setting fire to the past, drinking to the future.”
“We drink it while it’s on fire?” Weiss asked, giving the flames a dubious look.
“No, because that would be unsafe.” Yang’s tone was teasing, but Weiss didn’t catch on to that before Yang continued. “If you’re a firespitter, then yes. Everyone else, just blow it out right before you drink it.”
Curious, Blake picked up the drink and watched flames dance across the surface of the liquid inside. When she rolled the cup in her hand, the flickers jumped overtop of one another while subtle heat rose toward her. Feeling someone watching her, she turned and once again found herself caught in an amused lilac gaze.
“Not scared of a little fire, are you?” Yang asked, winking for good measure.
“I’ve been burned before,” Blake replied, moving the flames closer to her lips to prove the words. What she hadn’t expected, however, was for the answer to strike a chord in Yang, whose eyes briefly dimmed with sadness and loss.
“Haven’t we all...” she whispered before re-finding her upbeat energy and looking across the table. “Ok, now we toast!”
When Yang raised her cup over the center of the table, Blake followed. Ruby quickly joined in, and Weiss’ cup was last to join theirs.
“We’re setting fire to the past,” Yang said, grinning at each of them. “The war and everything that came with it. Everything we suffered through and that others suffered through. Now, we drink to a new future - one where we aren’t trying to kill each other, where we work together and restore prosperity for all of our people.”
Yang met Blake’s gaze with that last comment before lifting her cup and downing the drink, fire and all. A breath of fresh air extinguished Ruby’s as she moved the cup to her lips, and Weiss physically blew out the fire before doing the same. Blake, however, knew a subtle challenge when she saw one - and it was the look Yang gave her right now.
Yang wanted her to blow out the fire as close to her mouth as possible, thereby proving that it didn’t scare her, but she would do one better. Lifting the cup to her lips and calling upon her spark for protection, her skin hardened against the thin licks of flame as she swallowed the fire whole. The heat quickly snuffed out in her mouth, followed by a sweet, delightfully fresh drink right behind.
A thin wisp of smoke escaped Yang’s lips as she laughed, her eyes sparkling at Blake’s response to her challenge. Across the table, Ruby giggled, seemingly aware of her sister’s antics, and Blake held back a smile. She understood now why the firespitters drank it that way - the burst of heat followed by the cold drink was quite an experience.
“What’d you think?” Yang asked while the servers whisked the empty cups away. “Weiss? You like it?”
“It was...interesting.”
“At least that’s not bad.” Chuckling at the demure response, Yang turned to Blake. “What’d you think? Interesting?”
“I wouldn’t mind doing it again.”
When amusement returned to lilac eyes, Blake tried to ignore the pride flickering in her chest. But it was hard not to feel some measure of pride when Yang, the Queen of Vale, clearly enjoyed the banter. And if Blake could offer nothing else to this group of powerful young women, she could at least hold her end of a conversation.
“Hopefully, you won’t do it again for ending another war,” Ruby pointed out before she caught sight of the servers returning from the kitchen. Her eyes widened at the trays in their hands, and Blake learned why when a plate piled high with food was set in front of her.
“Wow…they went all out,” Ruby commented while picking up her fork.
“And apparently expect everyone to eat as much as you do,” Yang teased. Ruby stuck out her tongue before taking her first bite. The interaction, no matter how small, prompted a strange feeling in Blake’s chest - a feeling Weiss seemed to share from the way she looked between Ruby and Yang.
The Queens of Vale were supposed to be powerful, righteous, and detached from the rest of the kingdom. But they were also sisters who clearly loved each other and loved to tease one another.
Having uncovered that adorable realization, Blake spared the pair another glance before turning her attention to the meal in front of her. After spending so long subsisting on whatever food she managed to scrounge up, the plate looked too good to be true. And it definitely smelled too good to be true.
“We don’t usually eat like this.”
Yang’s unprompted comment suggested she knew exactly where Blake’s thoughts were headed - disbelief that everyone else scrapped by while the palace served such decadent meals.
“Although we have more than most,” Yang continued, only to stop and look embarrassed that she even brought it up. When she glanced at Ruby, who gave a small smile, and Weiss, who picked at her food, Blake realized they were all embarrassed. Ashamed, even, that they were privileged when so many others were not.
But two kingdoms depended upon them. If they gave up food and wasted away, everyone else would be even worse off.
“It looks delicious,” she offered before taking her first bite, which was extraordinary. Fortunately, they accepted her unspoken blessing and began eating, too.
For the next several moments, no words were spoken. Whether because they didn’t know what to say or because they were just that hungry, Blake wasn’t sure. Personally, words failed her as she savored every bite and wished that she wasn’t getting full so soon. She had never eaten such amazing food before, and she would finish the entire plate if she could.
“So Weiss,” Yang eventually said, ending the silence with what seemed to be her signature grin. “What happened to your dad?”
“I’d rather not talk about it…” Weiss mumbled, staring at her hands while Ruby caught Yang’s gaze and shook her head. Surprisingly, Yang immediately backed away from the sensitive topic.
“Never thought we’d get to meet you,” she added, still in a light tone. “What’s your spark though? From what I’ve seen of your Knights, I’m guessing you’ve got some crazy ice going on.”
“That is the element of Atlas…”
“Why don’t you show us?”
When Yang looked around the table for approval of the idea, Weiss’ hesitance was readable in her expression.
“I don’t think that’s necessary…”
“Aw come on - it’ll be fun! Why don’t you go against Ruby?”
After glancing at Ruby, Weiss slowly shook her head.
“I’d prefer not to.”
Yang’s brow furrowed, but again she didn’t overstep her boundaries. Was she really the same person blamed for recklessly starting a war? How could that possibly be when, from just the short time Blake had been here, Yang had proven that she possessed excellent instincts when it came to reading people? Her teasing nature might cause her to overstep sometimes, but she was also remarkably careful, especially with Weiss.
“What about you, Blake?” she asked, bringing Blake into the conversation. “We already know what you’re rocking - want to show Ruby what you’ve got?”
“Why am I the one who has to do this?” Ruby complained.
After glancing at Ruby, who shook her head and waved her hands in front of her, Blake squinted at Yang.
“How come you’re not throwing your hat in the ring?”
“Because you and I already tangoed,” Yang replied with a wink. “We know how that worked out.”
“With her easily deflecting your flames?” Weiss remarked. A smile snuck onto her lips when Ruby started giggling.
“She’s right, Yang. No way you were getting through that wall.”
Jaw-dropped that no one sided with her, Yang gaped around the table before meeting Blake’s gaze. When Blake simply shrugged, Yang broke into a smile and laughed.
“Alright, you win that one, but I’ll prevail in the end!”
“We’ll see about that.”
Hiding a smile behind her next bite to eat, Blake tried not to dwell on the look Yang gave her after that response. Equal parts miffed, impressed, and...captivated?
“Yang,” Ruby said moments later, somehow already done with her meal. “Since we’re all here, maybe we should discuss some ‘end of war’ stuff? Like what needs to be done.”
“You mean work.”
When Ruby nodded, Yang heaved a big sigh that was negated by her smile.
“Guess we might as well…” she added before turning to Blake. “I doubt you’ll give us details on the size of your forces or where they’re at, but do you think they can supervise delivery and distribution of supplies? And can you give us an idea of how many people have been displaced?”
“That would give us a better idea of how much needs to be sent…” Weiss mused from across the table. “It might take a while to gather everything…”
“But we can do it,” Ruby concluded with a grin for the Atlesian Queen, who nearly smiled in return before turning to Blake.
With their attention upon her, waiting for her answers, she couldn’t find words. Their genuine interest in the Badlands left her dumbstruck, especially when she once considered taking their lives like chess pieces. And they knew that. Instead of throwing her out of Vale or worse, they invited her to dinner. They genuinely requested her opinion.
How had she been so wrong about them? Had Adam corrupted her that much?
“I don’t know where to start...”
“That’s the thing,” Yang said before sharing a look with her sister. “Neither do we.”
“That’s what they don’t tell you about being in charge,” Ruby added. “There aren’t any instructions on how to fight a war, or end a war, or anything really. We can only try our best to make the best decisions. The more information you can give us, the better our decisions should be.”
Ruby’s honesty was so sincere and refreshing that Blake couldn’t help wanting to believe everything she said. She couldn’t help wanting to believe all of them, as inconceivable as that would have sounded just a day ago.
“I can get all of that information for you,” she finally replied, hoping a delay wouldn’t be a dealbreaker. “We can send someone to every settlement and collect as much data as possible. How many people live there, what they need, what’s still working, all of that.”
“Sounds like a good place to start,” Ruby mused. “We already have similar information on the outskirts, so we’ll just combine everything into one big wish list.”
“Then we’ll get started on that right away.” Still in disbelief at this opportunity, Blake looked around the table and received nods in return. “I can send instructions to my second-in-command -”
“Why don’t you call them here?” Ruby offered.
“We can send a messenger in the morning,” Yang added. “Invite them to the palace to go over our plans.”
“Won’t that take several days?” Weiss asked.
“Yeah, but that’s good, right? We’ll have good news to give them, and hopefully more direction. Maybe even some supplies to take back with them.”
Weiss nodded before meeting Blake’s gaze, waiting for Blake to either agree or disagree with that course of action.
“I’m…sure he’d love to come here.”
Knowing Sun, he would be ecstatic about the trip to Vale - to the palace, no less - and Blake would be happy to see him. After accepting that she had already said goodbye to her closest friend, she couldn’t wait to tell him what had happened instead.
“We’ll get that message out first thing tomorrow then.” Again, Yang met Blake’s gaze and smiled, nonplussed by inviting another Resistance fighter into her home. “But super high level,” she continued. “Can you give us an idea of the biggest issues you’re facing? Besides the fighting, obviously, which will stop for now.”
The skirmishes were a huge part of what plagued the Badlands. Without the ever-present fear of Knights or Elites storming through living rooms...what was the biggest task that needed to be tackled?
“The infrastructure needs to be rebuilt.” That was the hardest place to start but would have the largest impact on everyone’s lives. “Things like clean water - things you take for granted are a luxury in many places.”
“We could send engineers and a team of builders -” Yang began, but Blake sat back and shook her head.
“Send a battalion of outsiders to rebuild our most critical needs?”
“Then what do you suggest?” Yang asked, again directly meeting Blake’s gaze. “The way I see it, that’s the quickest solution.”
“But we don’t trust you. Any of you. After everything you’ve put us through, the last thing anyone wants is for you to march in and ‘fix’ things.”
Blake didn’t realize she put the word in air quotes until the three queens shared glances. She hadn’t meant to be so blunt, but she wanted them to understand that they couldn’t just waltz into the Badlands and expect a warm welcome. While their help might be appreciated, their presence was not.
“Then we’ll only send supplies,” Ruby concluded, and Weiss nodded beside her. “Maybe a handful of experts, only if you want them. You’ll rebuild everything yourselves, with a helping hand.”
Again, Ruby’s smile suggested that she truly cared and wanted to help. And again, her solution was in tune with what people outside the palace felt toward the royal governments.
“What do you think, Weiss?” Yang asked while pushing away her mostly full plate. “This will cost a lot, and someone’s got to pay for it. How about we split everything in half?”
Until Yang posed the question, Blake hadn’t considered the price tag associated with their help. To her, it felt as if the kingdoms had all the money in the world to throw around. Apparently, that wasn’t the case. Apparently, Weiss hadn’t considered the cost either, but she thought over the offer for several seconds before nodding.
“That sounds fair.”
“Done,” Yang replied before chuckling. “You know, you’re really agreeable.”
From that single word, Weiss’ brow furrowed and her uncertainty returned.
“It’s a good thing,” Ruby assured her, going so far as to lean over and gently nudge Weiss’ shoulder. “We like being agreeable, too. That means we’ll work well together.”
Just like that, Weiss’ worries faded, and she managed a flicker of a smile before turning away. During the carriage ride into Vale, Weiss proved to Blake that she wanted to do the right thing, yet her newness led to moments of uncertainty. Ruby and Yang’s competence and knowledge didn’t help matters, as the Queens of Vale were clearly well-versed in what they could and couldn’t do.
“Maybe we should discuss what the Badlands should look like,” Ruby added as their plates were cleared from the table. “You know, when it’s back to where it was before the war.”
“You don’t...plan on taking over, do you?”
The table stilled as Blake looked around, and the silence only increased her worry. The last thing she wanted - or anyone wanted - was for the Badlands to become part of Vale or Atlas.
“Why would we do that?” Yang eventually asked, her confusion suggesting that Blake was foolish for even thinking it was an option. Maybe she was foolish for jumping to the worst conclusion.
“I meant how the Badlands will look and interact with us,” Ruby clarified. “It used to be every settlement for themselves, but maybe they want to join together now? Not necessarily as a strict government, but a loose operating body to discuss common issues? I don’t know - you’ll have to tell us.”
Again, Ruby deferred to Blake, and Blake’s gratitude grew. Having been so mired in battle for so long, she never thought past the end of the war. If they rebuilt...what then? Would the Resistance disband? Would they all go back to their separate lives in their separate settlements, or had this experience brought them closer together?
“If there’s some sort of council or something, it’d be easier to pass information back and forth,” Yang added. “Especially to us here. Then we’d know what’s going on and if help is needed.”
“Maybe there could even be a new advisor,” Ruby suggested. “An advisor from the Badlands who discusses policies with us here in Vale.”
“Atlas could probably use one as well,” Weiss offered. “It’s further than Vale, but it might still be useful to keep communications open. Especially as things get...better.”
“Don’t worry,” Yang assured Blake. “We aren’t going to trample on your independence.”
That was exactly what Blake worried about, but...she believed them. It felt wrong to do so, but she did it anyway.
“Thank you.”
The gratitude slipped out, but she didn’t regret it when the queens shared small smiles. Before any of them responded, however, an older woman walked into the dining room and drew their attention. Even though she seemed content to wait by the door until acknowledged, the Queens of Vale glanced at each other before standing up.
“Will you give us a second?” Yang asked. “We need to speak with her real quick.”
“Of course,” Weiss replied while Blake nodded.
“Thank you.”
“And don’t try to leave!” Ruby added, though she managed a serious expression for only a second before giggling. “We have booby traps everywhere.”
When Ruby giggled some more, Yang chuckled and set a hand on her shoulder.
“Yeah, we do. There’s so many that we don’t even know where they are.”
Ruby’s infectious giggle made it hard not to smile while Yang led her over to the woman waiting for them. Watching the two sisters walk away, Blake noticed the skip in Ruby’s step but a slight limp in Yang’s - from a past injury, maybe? Not wanting to stare, she turned away as their conversation started. Meeting Weiss’ gaze instead, she realized both of them were equally thrown off by the Sister Queens.
“They’re...” she began only to trail off when she couldn’t find the right word.
“Different,” Weiss concluded.
“Yes, different,” Blake agreed before they lapsed into silence.
To someone who grew up far from the walls of the palace, the royal family felt larger than life. They weren’t supposed to belong with the ‘rest’ of them. They were supposed to live in excess, take advantage of everyone around them, bark orders, and expect every whim fulfilled. They were supposed to be spoiled, conceited, and self-righteous.
Yang and Ruby couldn’t be further from what Blake had imagined. Maybe they lived in a palace and ate better than the rest of Vale, but they genuinely cared about the people who depended on them. This wasn’t some big, happy life for them. This was their job. Their responsibility. And they seemed acutely aware of the weight of their positions and the consequences of their actions.
Then there was Weiss…
Weiss diligently arranged and rearranged her utensils. Watching her concentrated, anxious actions made Blake feel even more horrible for her original plan. How did she ever think that was a good idea?
The person sitting across from her might be a Queen, but Weiss was just another young soul trying to figure out her place in the world. She was uncertain sometimes, hesitant others, but unflinchingly sweet and determined to do the right thing. She didn’t choose her family, and she didn’t choose to be forced into this situation, yet Blake had decided to remove her from Remnant.
“I’m really sorry,” Blake blurted out, drawing icy blue eyes her way.
“For?”
“For...my intentions.”
She would probably never be able to apologize enough, but Weiss just looked at her for several long moments before saying, “I’ve already forgiven you.”
“But…”
Something about the response felt unsatisfying. Did she want Weiss to yell? Be angry? Berate her as soundly as she was berating herself?
“I’m still sorry,” she finally mumbled.
“Please don’t be. I’m grateful you showed up when you did, and that you agreed to come here with me.”
For a second, Weiss looked like she had more to add, but she just nodded instead.
The forgiveness was unearned, but Blake would do her best to repay the favor. She still couldn’t believe the girl sitting across from her was the Queen of Atlas. Atlas - that wretched place she spent the last couple of years cursing to hell and back. After writing off an entire kingdom as unredeemable, she was humbled to realize that she wouldn’t mind being Weiss’ friend if the Atlesian Queen even had interest in speaking outside of this moment.
“Alright.” Drawn out of those thoughts by a soft clap, Blake turned toward Yang and Ruby as they returned to the table. “Your rooms are ready. We can keep talking if you’d like, but we figured it’s getting pretty late.”
Following Yang’s wave to the nearest clock, Blake discovered that it was late. Just seeing the time let her exhaustion creep in, as she hardly slept the night before while waiting for Weiss’ caravan to arrive. Then the events of today...
“Now seems like a good time to get some rest,” Weiss said before turning to Blake for approval. “We can discuss more in the morning if needed.”
More than willing to agree, Blake nodded and stood from the table.
“Perfect. Ruby, want to show Weiss to her chambers for the night?”
“Of course!” Without missing a beat, Ruby smiled and motioned Weiss over to her. “I hope you’ll find it comfortable.”
“I’m sure I will,” Weiss murmured, offering Yang and Blake a parting nod before following Ruby out of the dining hall.
After watching the pair depart, Blake turned and found Yang watching her - though Yang was quick to smile when their eyes met.
“I’ll show you to your room?”
“Sure.”
Falling into step side-by-side, the two of them returned to the palace entryway. Hardly a soul graced the space besides guards posted at every entrance and patrolling in pairs. The stillness felt almost eerie compared to the liveliness of earlier, but Yang didn’t seem to notice while heading to the magnificent staircase leading to the palace’s upper levels.
“I hope dinner was ok?” Yang asked, softly breaking the silence.
“It was wonderful. Thank you.”
“I didn’t make it,” Yang replied with a light laugh. “But I’ll pass along your compliments to the chefs. They’ll be happy to hear that you liked it.”
Noticing the sparkle in Yang’s eyes, Blake turned away and carried on in silence. Why was it surprising that Yang knew and spoke to the palace chefs? Of course she did. How else would she tell them what she wanted to eat? But that response felt...different. As if she had a real, working relationship with the people making her food.
“Guessing this has been quite the day for you,” Yang continued as they reached the top of the staircase and entered an ornate hall decorated with more paintings, tapestries, and carvings.
“You can say that again.”
Matching Yang’s slow pace, Blake looked around and realized how isolated they were. Seeing as how this was where the living quarters were, it made sense that fewer staff were around. But with just the two of them in this hallway...wasn’t Yang worried? She knew what happened to Adam - everyone seemed to know Blake’s lowest moment by now - what would she do if Blake was an assassin? Why would she put herself in such a precarious situation?
Maybe she wasn’t afraid. Maybe she had no reason to be. Even now, her power radiated from her skin as subtle waves of heat. The sensation reminded Blake of Adam, but he did it intentionally - he did it to intimidate. Yang, however, didn’t appear to be making any effort. Her spark was just...somewhat there while also somewhat not.
“Here we are.”
Upon reaching one of the doors in the hall, Yang opened it and walked inside. As soon as Blake followed and saw her ‘room’ for the night, her eyes widened.
“I hope it’s to your liking,” Yang said, closely watching Blake’s reaction.
“It’s…”
A flurry of words wanted to leap from Blake’s tongue, but none adequately encompassed the grand room. Everything was exquisite, from the furniture to the paintings to the chandelier hanging above. And then there were the bookcases - three wide, towering bookcases holding more books than she had ever seen in one place.
Following Blake’s gaze, Yang smiled.
“Feel free to read whatever you want.”
Snapping out of her dismay, Blake cleared her throat and tried not to appear starstruck by her accommodations.
“What’s through the doors?” she asked, gesturing at two doorways on the far side of the room.
“The bedroom’s through here,” Yang explained, walking across the marble floor of the waiting area and opening the door to the largest bedroom Blake had ever seen. The bed itself was the definition of luxury with pillows piled on top of a thick layer of covers.
“And the washroom’s here.”
Walking to the second door, Yang pushed it open to reveal a bathroom with marble floors, marble countertops, and a standing tub nearly large enough to swim in. Leaving the doors open, Yang stepped back and clasped her hands in front of her.
“It doesn’t look like you brought much with you,” she said, glancing at Blake’s small knapsack. “Would you like to borrow some clothes?”
“Oh.” Thinking through the contents of her bag, Blake eventually shook her head. “I’m good, thank you.”
“Are you sure? There’s plenty of extra clothing floating around here.”
“I’ll be fine. I’ve survived with less.”
As soon as she heard how condescending that response sounded, she wished she could take it back. Unfortunately, Yang picked up on the undertone but nodded and let the subject drop.
“I hope you don’t mind, but I’d like to leave a guard in the hall.”
While Yang looked like she regretted that decision, Blake was happy to hear it. If anything, it assured her that precautions were being taken to maintain the queens’ safety. Not that they had anything to fear from her - anymore, at least - but at least they acknowledged who she was and where she came from.
“Please do.”
When the regret faded from Yang’s eyes, Blake felt slightly better about her earlier comment. At least she could put Yang at ease by accepting supervision.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then,” Yang said before backing toward the door. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. And...have a good night.”
“You too.”
With one last smile, Yang walked out of the room and shut the door behind her.
Left alone in a massive space she in no way belonged in, Blake went over to the bookcases and trailed her fingers across the spines. Unlike the books she found in the Badlands, these looked brand new - the spines never even creased. They felt like decoration more than anything else, but that didn’t make them any less enticing.
Reading some of the titles, which seemed to span every genre, she let her mind wander and her exhaustion take hold. If she didn’t know any better, she would think this entire day was a dream. But her imagination was nowhere near good enough to come up with this.
Maybe this was the afterlife? Maybe the Knights killed her in the woods after all, and she had ascended to another plane where the Queen of Vale escorted her around a palace and sat beside her at dinner.
A knock drew her out of those thoughts, and she returned to the door to find one of the palace assistants standing outside.
“Sorry to disturb you, Miss, but the Queen wanted you to have this.”
The woman offered a small package to Blake, who accepted it with a small nod.
“Please let me know if you need anything else,” the woman added before hurrying off. Blake glanced at the guard standing across the hall, who looked right back at her but otherwise seemed unhostile, before retreating into the room.
The package was wrapped in plain brown paper and tied with a piece of string. Removing the string and unfolding the thin paper, she found several folded outfits inside with a small notecard placed on top.
‘Just in case’ was written on the card, which Blake set aside before holding up the first outfit. It wasn’t overly ‘royal’ or flashy, much to her surprise. It actually looked quite comfortable, yet more sophisticated and appropriate than what she wore now. The next outfit turned out to be a set of pajamas made of the softest material she had ever felt, which was cool and light under her fingertips.
Sitting on one of the small sofas near the room’s entrance, she looked at the outfits in one hand and the card in her other. She didn’t understand how her life had taken such an abrupt turn, but she wouldn’t question it. Not tonight, at least. After all the fighting, all the days of barely scraping by, she had the opportunity to make great changes. She had the chance to have her voice heard in a way she had never imagined.
Setting the card down along with the more formal outfit, she took the pajamas to the washroom and got ready to turn in for the night. The bed would probably be too comfortable for her to sleep on, but maybe without any of the covers she could get some rest. Assuming her mind slowed down, of course, which might not happen anytime soon.