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We've reached the 1/4th mark of this story!

***

The next morning arrived too soon.  At least, that was how Yang felt when she tried to roll out of bed.  The mid-morning sun filtered through the curtains covering her bedroom windows, but its rays weren’t light or gentle.  No, the beginning of a new day arrived like a fire roaring through dry kindling, making her curl into a ball and squeeze her eyes shut while hoping for it to pass.

It all started in her heart, yet the foolish organ kept beating.  Every breath of life sent a fresh wave of torment coursing through her veins.  Her blood hardly cooled before returning to her heart, where it received another boost of heat before starting the process over again.

“It’s just...the Phage…” she mumbled through clenched teeth before groaning when the next round of agony began.  The last few days had started the same way, so she knew she could overcome it.  She would overcome it.  She just needed to convince her mind to ignore the pain...convince herself that it wasn’t as bad as it felt...that her spark wasn’t burning her from the inside out…

That delusion became harder to believe as several minutes and many jagged breaths passed before clarity began to return.  Voices reached her ears, drifting up from the courtyard beyond her windows.  Her skin cooled, letting her feel the covers once more.  Her fists unclenched.  Her breathing slowed.  And, as the fire retreated to her heart, she felt...more like herself.

More like herself…as if she normally woke up out of breath and so sore that she could hardly move.  These days, that described her perfectly.

Five minutes into the day and she was already beaten.  Unfortunately, she had to get up.  What other choice did she have?  She could lay here wallowing in self-pity, but that sounded worse than accepting the misery.  So, even though every inch of her protested, she forced herself out of bed.

As she gingerly shuffled to the washroom, memories of yesterday crowded her mind.  Meeting the new Queen of Atlas.  Their conversation.  The leader of the Resistance.  Coming to an agreement - finding unity - with ease and certainty she never could have imagined.

The war was coming to an end.

That thought alone provided more relief than she’d felt in a long time, but the good news hadn’t stopped there.  The Badlands would be jointly restored, which benefited both kingdoms more than either would admit.  And maybe, just maybe, their relations with Atlas had turned a corner.

The worst outcome from yesterday?  Ruby was leaving Vale yet again, bound for Atlas to negotiate the treaty and sign it as soon as possible.  Her role in expeditiously ending the war couldn’t be understated, but her absence put pressure on Yang to prove that Vale was in capable hands.

Her hands might be shaky, and she might need the counter for support, but she could take care of everything while Ruby was away.  Even though taking care of herself had become an arduous task as of late, she could do both.  She would do both.  Besides, this wouldn’t last forever.

The thought echoed through her mind as she washed her face, the refreshingly cold water erasing the lingering heat from her skin.  This wouldn’t last forever.  The pain and exhaustion would one day be gone.  Knowing that the end was within sight, she could keep fighting for as long as she had left, even if that meant another long day of pretending she wasn’t exhausted.

In the privacy of her chambers, she could be as weak as she felt.  Dressing took ages as she moved at the glacial pace her limbs demanded.  Trudging around the gigantic room meant hobbling - her right leg in particular hated activity these days.

Moving so slowly made her late, but she couldn’t force herself any faster.  As soon as she left her room, she wouldn’t be afforded the luxury of her own pace.  Everyone in the palace - the guards, the staff, the advisors, Ruby - expected her to be the strong, immovable leader she pretended to be.  She couldn’t let them down.  She had to meet those expectations.

Once she was finally dressed, she paused in front of the mirror by the door and smiled.  It came across more grimace-y than she would like, so she tried again - perfecting an effortless grin before leaving her room.

A good smile fixed more than anyone realized.  It put people at ease, made them believe, and washed away concern or suspicion.  As long as she smiled, there was nothing to worry about.  As long as she smiled, she must be feeling upbeat and healthy, even though the opposite was true as she closed her bedroom door and set off for the guests’ wing.

In her desire to be a good host, she wondered if she was going a little overboard.  Was it appropriate to personally check in on their guest first thing in the morning or was that something best handled by a member of the staff?  Proper royal protocol probably dictated the latter, but that wouldn’t stop her from following her intuition.

She had never met someone like Blake before, and that newness led to a fair amount of interest.  For being the leader of the Resistance and a so-called assassin, Blake was nothing like expected.  Where was the hard, grizzled, cut-throat rogue?  Who was the driven, passionate, confident girl in her place?

Yang wanted to find out, which led her to the hallway where they bid their farewells last night.  Keeping her pace measured and steady - and again, smiling - she approached the guard standing across from Blake’s door.

“Is she still here?” she asked, but he shook his head.

“No, Your Majesty.  Queen Rose stopped by earlier to escort your guest to breakfast.”

Of course, Ruby was already up.  Even when Yang wasn’t hampered by the Phage, Ruby usually beat her up by a couple hours, especially on significant days like today.  She must be excited about her upcoming journey or for the chance to talk more with their new ‘friends.’

“You realize you don’t have to guard the room when she’s not here,” Yang pointed out, but the guard blinked at her as if that thought never occurred to him.  “You can go do other things during the day,” she elaborated when he didn’t immediately catch on.  “I was only worried about her sneaking out while we were sleeping.  But we’re awake now, so…”

“Right.”  Finally, he nodded.  “Of course, Your Majesty.  I’ll...do that.”

While he headed off to find something else to do, Yang chuckled and made her way to the dining hall.  The day was well underway by this point, as evidenced by the sounds of life in the halls.  There was always plenty to be done around here, but today had a different feel to it - a direct result of the two strangers who showed up yesterday and changed the course of their lives.

One day, at war.  The next day, not.  One day, hating Atlas with a burning passion.  The next day - well, she still wasn’t fond of Atlas, but the new Queen had drastically increased her patience for the Frozen Kingdom.  If Weiss got her feet under her, Vale possibly had an ally in the North.  If not an ally, then at least not an enemy waiting to pounce at the first sign of weakness.

“Good morning, Your Majesty,” one of the advisors greeted her once she reached the foyer.

“Good morning.”

After giving him a nod and smile, she headed into the dining room.  From the lack of plates on the table, breakfast had already ended, but Ruby, Weiss, and Blake were still there - the latter two listening while Ruby spoke.  It took only a glance to confirm that Blake was wearing the outfit Yang sent last night, and that small measure of acceptance went a long way in lifting Yang’s spirits.  She had been positive the gesture would be rebuffed but was glad she could do something to help Blake feel more comfortable.

“Good morning,” Yang greeted them as she approached the table, smiling when they turned her way.

“Morning!” Ruby replied while Blake and Weiss murmured ‘good morning’s in return.

“You’re up early,” Yang added while dropping into the seat beside Ruby, but any gratitude for being off her feet disappeared when she noticed the dark circles under Blake’s eyes.  After showing Blake to her quarters last night, Yang left with the distinct feeling that the massive and lush environment might be so comfortable that it was actually uncomfortable.  Now she felt guilty, but she didn’t know how to fix this unexpected problem.  Maybe Lola would have some suggestions...

“I was telling them about how Mom and Dad met,” Ruby explained.

“Oh, that’s a great story.”  When one of the servers approached the table, Yang shook her head and waved him away.  “‘Who do you think you are, a prince?’” she mimicked in what she guessed their mom sounded like.

“So he falls head over heels in love - happily ever after!”

Weiss and Blake must have already heard the rest of the story because they smiled at the abbreviated version.  Yang always considered ‘happily ever after’ a misnomer though - if true, Vale would still have its fabled King and Queen.  She and Ruby would still have their parents.

“Ready for today?”

Yang’s question was primarily for Ruby, but Weiss offered a reserved nod to go along with Ruby’s enthusiastic one.

“Yup!  Only took a few minutes to pack.  Now, we’re just waiting for Weiss’ people to get ready.”

“It shouldn’t take much longer...”

Weiss’ tone was apologetic, but Ruby waved off the wait.

“Don’t worry about it.  We know it’s -”

When Ruby cut off mid-sentence and stared at the dining room’s entrance, Yang spun around and felt her heart crash against her ribs.  The feeling was fleeting, thankfully, but it was still quite a shock to see two Atlesian Knights stride into their dining room.

“Did you just have a mini heart attack?” she whispered to Ruby as the two men approached.  Even though they were escorted by twice as many Elites, their silver armor and stark-white hair struck fear in her heart.

“Yes,” Ruby whispered back, watching the Knights bow to Weiss before lowering their voices to deliver their message.

After shaking off the shock, Yang noticed that Blake was staring at one spot on the table while hardly breathing or moving.  Before asking what was wrong, Yang took another glance at the situation and discovered the problem.  Since Blake was sitting beside Weiss, the Knights stood right over top of her.  The Elites were right behind them, surrounding her and clearly making her uncomfortable.

“Hey Blake.”  Amber eyes locked onto Yang immediately, and she offered what was hopefully a reassuring smile.  “You going to throw down in our dining room or what?”

The joke worked, and Blake relaxed - slightly.

“Thinking about it.”  Her gaze flitted to the soldiers only to leave when Yang laughed.

“I’d put my money on you.”

“You’ve never seen me fight.”

“Don’t have to,” Yang replied with a shrug.  “You don’t become the leader of a rebel group without having some serious skill.”

As soon as the comment left Yang’s lips, she knew it was the wrong thing to say.  Blake only confirmed it when her gaze fell to the table.

“I guess you’re right...” she mumbled while Weiss stood up.

“If you’ll excuse me, I’ll head out to make sure everything’s adequately prepared.”  Weiss clasped her hands in front of her and turned to Ruby.  “I’ll meet you outside when you’re ready?”

“Sure!  Won’t take long to grab my bag.”

“Please take your time.”  Even though the Knights shifted behind her, clearly anxious to leave, Weiss turned back to Blake rather than give in to the subtle urging.  “If I don’t see you again, I just wanted to say…”

With so much attention upon her, Weiss trailed off and struggled with her next words.

“I wanted to say thank you,” she eventually blurted out.  “And if you ever want or need to reach out to me for any reason, you...you know where to find me, obviously.”

Looking taken aback by the offer, which sounded very much like a request to keep in touch, Blake eventually nodded.  Satisfied with that response, Weiss nodded in return before leaving the room flanked by her guards.  Watching her go - the Queen of Atlas escorted by her loyal Knights - Yang frowned when she remembered something that had bothered her since yesterday.

“Why didn’t they send any advisors?” she mused to Ruby.

“You mean those guys in white cloaks?”

“Yeah.  Why didn’t they come with her?  She clearly needs the help.”

“Maybe they were busy.”

“Maybe...”

That could be a plausible explanation, but their absence bothered her.  If Yang was in Weiss’ position, she would hope someone with more experience would accompany her on such an important trip.  Maybe they had confidence in Weiss’ ability, but anyone who could read emotions would see how uncomfortable Weiss was.

Surely a seasoned politician would pick up on the insecurity and take steps to mitigate it.  Had they wanted her to travel alone even though she didn’t know what she was doing or had she insisted upon coming alone?  One explanation suggested treachery.  The other, hubris.  Either way, Yang wasn’t thrilled about sending her sister to find out.

“Guess I should get my stuff and find James!”

When Ruby popped out of her seat, Yang sighed and pushed herself to her feet.

“I’ll meet you out front -”  She hardly finished the sentence before Ruby disappeared in a gust of wind, leaving her to shake her head and meet Blake’s gaze.  “In a hurry, isn’t she?” she joked while Blake stood as well.

“She seems to be in a hurry most of the time,” Blake commented, and Yang laughed.

“Damn spark of hers never slows down.”  As a tiny smile eased onto Blake’s lips, Yang motioned to the foyer.  “Want to see what’s going on?”

Once Blake nodded and fell into step by her side, Yang led them to the plaza.  With her feet burning, she chose a slow, meandering pace that was closer to a stroll than a purposeful walk.  “How has your morning been?” she asked, hoping to fill the silence.

“It’s been...interesting.”

“Good interesting or bad interesting?”

“Good interesting,” Blake replied, though it sounded like an admission she didn’t want to make.  “This still feels...surreal.”

Blake motioned around the bustling plaza.  The line of citizens waiting to speak to advisors, the palace guards and staff, plus almost three times as many Elites milling around to monitor the contingent of Atlesians.

“Thank you for the clothes, by the way.”

“No need to thank me,” Yang replied, waving away the gratitude.  “I just...want you to feel comfortable here.”

That was an admission she probably shouldn’t make, so now they were even - though it didn’t feel that way based on Blake’s searching look.  She couldn’t escape the feeling that Blake wanted to believe her but had many reasons not to.  That would also explain why Blake went along with their plans yet still acted as if everything might be taken away from her at any second.  The possible explanations for that behavior made Yang feel even guiltier than before.

“So...what do you want to do first?” she asked.

“I imagine you want to see your sister off.”

“I do.”

“While you do that, I can send a message to Sun.  Let him know there’s a pause in the fighting and ask him to take care of a few things before coming here.”

“Ah - good idea.  I should draft an announcement for Vale, too.  Let them know the war’s been halted.”

“You’ll tell everyone even though the treaty’s not final?”

“Sure, why not?”  Sensing Blake’s surprise, Yang tried to explain her rationale.  “They deserve to know what’s happening - their friends and family are out there on the front.  Even if it’s false hope, they can breathe easier for a few days.  Besides, they’ll hear rumors anyway - I’d rather tell them the truth so they actually know what’s going on.”

Transparency was almost always a good idea.  That was one of the many, many lessons Yang had learned while leading Vale.

“But feel free to use any of the messengers we have around,” she added.  “Like...this guy.”  Spotting one of the palace messengers, Yang waved him over.  “She has an important message to get to the Badlands,” she explained, motioning to Blake.  “You do whatever she asks you to, ok?”

Eyes widening, he nodded and looked at Blake with respect.

“Good.  Oh, but before you leave, show her the library.”  When he nodded again, Yang met Blake’s gaze.  “I’ll meet you there when we’re done?  I don’t think it’ll be long, but you can come find me if you need me.”

“Sure.  Thank you.”

A fleeting smile passed Blake’s lips before her attention turned to crafting instructions for whoever was running the Resistance in her absence.  Giving her privacy to work on that, Yang carried on alone through the plaza.  She doubted Blake would need her for anything - the girl was remarkably self-sufficient considering how far she was outside of her comfort zone - but it never hurt to offer.

In the meantime, Yang made her way to the staircase overlooking the palace drive.  Today, just like yesterday, Atlesian soldiers and silver carriages crawled all over.  Seeing them sent a jolt of worry down her spine, but she pushed that instinct aside.  Instead, she spotted Weiss standing outside one of the carriages, looking unsure of what to do while everyone else made final preparations, and decided to make the arduous trek down the steps.

Her approach made the Knights uneasy, which in turn made the nearby Elites restless, but she ignored them and slowly made her way over to Weiss.  When the girl looked up and caught her gaze, she smiled.

“Ruby should be here soon.  You’ll be happy to get back, right?”

“I suppose...although being away from Atlas was a nice change.  The weather gets old.”

“Same here though, believe me.”  Looking up at the sun, which would be baking the palace in a few hours, Yang sighed.  “I’d love to spend a few days in the snow.”

Wrapping herself in a blanket of snow sounded heavenly.  Maybe that would soothe the burning in her veins.

“You’re more than welcome to visit if you’d like.”

“You actually mean that?” Yang asked, unable to mask her disbelief when she saw the sincerity in Weiss’ eyes.  But her dismay rattled Weiss’ certainty.

“I...do, but please don’t feel obligated.  It’s just an option if you ever feel like it - after the treaty is finished, of course.”

When Weiss clasped her hands in front of her and offered a small smile, Yang stifled a laugh.  A comparison between Weiss and her father couldn’t even be made, that was how different they were.  From angry, malevolent, and volatile to timid, uncertain, yet kind...Atlas was in for quite a change.

“Maybe I’ll take you up on that someday,” Yang said, but that was all she had time for before a breeze brushed across her arms.  Ruby appeared beside her not even a second later.

“Ready!” Ruby proclaimed while setting a small suitcase on the ground.

“Is that all you’re bringing with you?”

“Yup!”

“You might want more than that,” Weiss suggested.  “Atlas is quite cold, especially compared to here.”

“Don’t worry, I packed the thickest jacket I own.  Other than that, I don’t need much.”

While Ruby waved away the worry, Weiss frowned at the suitcase for several seconds longer.

“We can get you more once we’ve arrived,” she finally muttered.  “Don’t want you to get cold…”

With a single sentence, Weiss erased Yang’s hesitations in entrusting her sister to Atlas’ new leader.  While Yang had few worries to begin with, especially with Ruby’s remarkable speed and power, the Queen of Atlas just revealed a side of herself that she likely hadn’t meant to show.

Weiss was thoughtful.  She wouldn’t escort Ruby to Atlas then abandon her to fend for herself.  Weiss planned on looking after Ruby to the best of her ability.  If there was any cause for concern, it was Weiss’ ability.  Yang still wasn’t sure how capable Weiss was as a Queen or any type of leader, but that was why Ruby wasn’t going alone.

“I’ll take your bag, My Queen.”

Before Ruby nodded, James reached down and picked up the suitcase.  It looked especially small in comparison to his tall frame, but he carried it without qualms to the gold-and-red carriage that had joined the back of the caravan.

“Thanks, James!” Ruby called after the man before grinning at Yang.  “Think he’ll like the cold?”

After chuckling at the image of Ruby’s stoic bodyguard trekking through the snow, Yang realized that Weiss wasn’t following the conversation.

“James will be accompanying Ruby,” Yang explained.  “We think he’s from the desert, so him and snow probably don’t go together well.”

“You ‘think’ he’s from the desert?”

“Yeah, just a hunch,” Yang said, sharing a grin with Ruby.  “Other than that, he’s a bit of a mystery.”

“He’s not a mystery,” Ruby retorted.  “I know almost everything about him!”

“Let me rephrase - he’s a mystery to the rest of us.”

When Ruby shrugged off the comment, Yang smiled and shook her head.  If she couldn’t go with Ruby, and she wasn’t in the shape to go anywhere right now, she was glad that James would be there.  He would give his life for Ruby in a heartbeat, so Ruby was in good hands.

“Well…”  After glancing at the Knights, who stood in crisp, straight lines, Weiss turned to Yang.  “I suppose we should take our leave now.  With good weather, we’ll make it back in a few days.”

“Right.  Just...let us say goodbye?”

When Weiss nodded and moved away, Yang set her hands on Ruby’s shoulders and sighed.

“Sure about this?” she whispered, casting a glance at Weiss before turning back to Ruby.  “I mean...she’s in way over her head.  And we don’t know what Atlas is like...”

“But what better way to find out?  We’ll figure out what Atlas is like, finish the treaty, and - I dunno - maybe I can help her a bit.”

The response was such a typical thing for Ruby to say that Yang couldn’t help shaking her head and smiling.

“Of course you want to help…I’m just worried it’ll be more...hostile...than we’re expecting.”

“That’s why James is coming with me.”  Sensing Yang’s reticence, Ruby straightened her shoulders and smiled.  “I’ll be fine, Yang.  I can take care of myself, and if anything seems off, I’ll fly right home.”

As usual, Ruby’s confidence was reassuring.  The fact that she was quite possibly the fastest person alive certainly helped.  Still, Yang had lingering doubts about the situation, especially when their success hinged on an inexperienced queen.  Weiss’ intent seemed genuine, but how effective would she be at seeing it through?  If Yang trusted anyone though, she trusted Ruby.  And Ruby wouldn’t let an unfair treaty happen after what they went through.

“Try to get something good out of them,” Yang said rather than dwell on the worries.

“Like what?”

“I don’t know...I’ve heard they have some great bakers though.  Maybe you can steal one.”

“Yang!”

“What?  That’s what I’ve heard!”

With Ruby rolling her eyes, Yang laughed and motioned for a hug.  Immediately dropping the act, Ruby flew into Yang’s arms like a cool breeze, and Yang held her close.

“I’ll miss you,” Yang sighed, clutching Ruby tightly as their impending separation weighed upon her heart.

“I’ll miss you, too.”  Once Yang reluctantly let go, Ruby stepped back and smiled.  “Don’t worry.  I won’t be gone long.”

“I know, but…”  Briefly touching her heart, where a steady fire burned, Yang sighed again.  “But I’ll still miss you,” she admitted before pulling Ruby in for one last hug.  She couldn’t tell Ruby that she didn’t know how long she had left - no one ever knew how long they had left.  She knew she was getting worse, but did she have months?  Weeks?  Only days?

“You’ve got a lot to work through with Blake,” Ruby pointed out after letting go and slowly backing away.  “And I’ll be back before you know it!”

When Ruby took another step away, widening the distance between them, Yang attempted a small smile that quickly wavered.  Clearing her throat and fighting through the emotions, she sought out James - the tall man in plain clothes looking distinctly out of place beside the heavily armored troops - and pointed at him.

“You take care of her.”

She tried to make it sound like a joke, but he took it seriously and gave a curt nod.

“I’ll protect her with my life.”

The solemn promise reassured her.  Maybe he knew it would, or maybe he just said what he truly felt.  Either way, the vice around her heart loosened, and she managed a better smile as Ruby hopped into the carriage with Weiss, already chatting away about something.  The Knights stirred into motion soon after, and the procession lurched forward in unison.

Yang almost told them to stop - her heart wanted her to - but then one of the carriage windows slid open and Ruby poked her head outside.

“Love you, Yang!”

“Love you, too,” Yang called back, forcing a smile and wave as the carriage pulled around the drive and passed through the palace gates.  Standing at the foot of the stairs, she watched until the rows of white disappeared from view, then crossed her arms across her chest and squeezed her eyes shut.

Ruby always took a piece of Yang’s heart with her when she left, but this time...Yang didn’t know if they would ever see each other again.  What if that was the last moment they ever shared?  What if she never saw Ruby’s smile again?  What if that was their last hug?  She should have held on longer.  She should have told Ruby just how much she loved her.  She shouldn’t have let Ruby go.

But she couldn’t make Ruby stay.  Not for her.  Not when they had so much more to do.

Turning around, she sighed at the staircase between her and the palace and slowly made her way back up.  Each step took effort and mental persuasion, but she eventually made it to the top.  Wiping the perspiration from her brow, she took a deep breath and attempted to walk normally through the plaza.

Her heart ached.  Her legs ached.  Everything ached, but she had more work to do.

“Your Majesty.”

Forcing a neutral expression - happiness was out of the question right now - she found Lola hurrying to her.

“Is it true?” Lola asked after a hasty bow.  “The war’s over?”

“Word travels fast around here, doesn’t it?” Yang asked in return, and the woman nodded.

“Of course.  But the war -”

“Yes.”  Lola’s eyes widened, and Yang managed a small smile.  “Atlas agreed to a truce; Ruby’s on her way there to sign the treaty.  Once that’s done, the war is officially over.”

It was all anyone had dreamed about for years, but she could tell from Lola’s eyes that it was still difficult to believe.  Even she still couldn’t believe it, and she was the one who had the conversation with Weiss.

“That’s...that’s amazing news!”

“Isn’t it?”  Yang smiled at Lola’s dismay and lightly patted her shoulder.  “Why don’t you spread the word amongst the advisors?  Have them get started on post-war preparations right away.”

“Absolutely.  I’ll do that right now.”

“Oh - Lola?”  Before the woman rushed off, Yang motioned for her to wait.  “What do you know about the Badlands?”  When Lola frowned, Yang explained further.  “Our guest.  She’s from there and...if there’s anything we can do to make her more comfortable, in terms of the furniture or food or something, I’d like to do so.”

“Understood, Your Majesty.  I’ll figure out what we can do.”

“Thank you, Lola.”

When Lola bowed and rushed off to start her new tasks, Yang breathed a small sigh of relief.  If anything could be done to make Blake more comfortable, Lola would figure it out and see it through to perfection.

With that lingering worry on its way to a resolution, Yang headed to the office.  She needed a distraction, which meant she needed to work.  Before finding Blake in the library, she could pick up some of Vale’s recent ledgers for them to go over together.  That should be a good starting point to draft ideas on how to best help the Badlands.

“Your Majesty,” the guard beside the door greeted her, and she nodded to him before entering the room.

She paused once the door closed, gently leaning against it and taking a deep breath.  The office always smelled like paper and roses, a strange combination she’d grown to love over time.  It reminded her of late nights working with Ruby, the two of them talking over whatever the current ‘most pressing’ issue might be.

After regaining some of her strength, she pushed away from the door and headed to her desk.  She only made it halfway across the room before stiffening when the door quietly opened behind her.  Spark roaring to life, sending liquid power scorching through her veins, she spun around only to immediately sigh in relief when she saw who it was.

“Holy shit, Cecelia,” she breathed out, smoke unfurling from her lips as she shook her head at the young woman in form-fitting black armor, a black skirt, with far too many blades to count.

“Easy there, smokey,” Cecelia replied, all charm and swagger as she sauntered into the room.  “Wouldn’t want the whole palace to go up in flames.”

Yang was more concerned about herself going up in flames as she clenched her jaw and forced her spark back into its place.  Her skin burned from the unexpected call to action, but she shook her head again and focused on the woman in front of her.

“How’d you get in here?”

“Would you be mad if I killed your guard?”

“Yes,” Yang replied, scowling at the suggestion.

“Then I didn’t do that,” Cecelia replied with an easy smile.  “I was…persuasive…though.”

“I’m guessing your version of ‘persuasion’ will hurt when he wakes up.”

“Perhaps.”  Unconcerned about the guard’s well-being, Cecelia shrugged and followed Yang across the room.  “You should be concerned by how distracted they get by a pretty face.”

“Maybe I should have you test our security while you’re here.”

“Maybe you should,” Cecelia replied with a smirk.  “Bet I could find my way into your bedroom without a scratch.”

“You wouldn’t find your way out without a scratch,” Yang growled, but Cecelia just laughed.

“I do like it rough,” she teased, her dark green eyes flashing with mischief.

Admittedly, Yang had wondered just how rough several times in the past.  But beneath Cecelia’s slender, muscle-bound stature and long, wavy, dark-brown hair lurked something too sinister for her to consider touching.  “What can I help you with?” she asked instead, though she already knew what Cecelia had come to see her for.

“I was going to win you a war!” Cecelia complained.  “I was going to bring you the Mad King’s head on a platter.”

“You mean the Queen.”

“Queen?  What happened to the King?”

“He’s dead.”  Seeing the disbelief and disappointment in Cecelia’s eyes, Yang smiled.  “I’m surprised someone beat you to him.”

“Who was it?”

“According to rumor, his eldest daughter.”

For a second, Cecelia just stared.  Then she scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Well, she had an advantage on starting position.”

The insinuation that Cecelia would have been successful if given more time made Yang laugh, but she didn’t doubt the confidence.  Cecelia was a terror on the battlefield.  Eventually, she would have made her way to Atlas and killed the King or died trying.

“I’m surprised the Princess eluded you for so long,” Yang playfully goaded her.  “I thought you could kill anyone.”

“She retreats every time I see her,” Cecelia spit out, scowling at the memories.  “She’s not some big, bad butcher.  She’s just a coward issuing orders from afar.”

Yang flinched at the description before shaking her head and saying, “I suppose I’m glad you didn’t get to her.  She saved us a lot of heartache.”

“Well, good for you.  But who’re we supposed to fight now that the war’s ‘over?’”

Putting the word in quotes and rolling her eyes, Cecelia sat on the edge of the desk and crossed her legs.  The position all but demanded that Yang’s gaze follow those long, toned legs as far as Cecelia’s short, black skirt allowed.  And she wasn’t perfect - she looked, but she made sure not to get caught.

“The war is over,” she added while shuffling through some papers, mostly turning everything over so Cecelia wouldn’t get nosy.  “And I don’t have anyone else for you to fight at the moment.”

“That’s too bad…” Cecelia sighed, one of her knives flitting from its sheath to slowly spin above the palm of her hand.  “I already miss it.  All those Atlesian Knights...”  Her gaze unfocused while remembering those battles before refocusing on Yang.  “They say ice runs through their veins, but it’s not true - I checked.  Just regular old blood, a little colder than usual though.”

“You’re disturbing.”

“That’s why you like me.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Yang replied, but Cecelia waved off the honesty and glanced around the room.

“Where’s the chipmunk?  Haven’t seen her flying around.”

“Ruby’s heading to Atlas to work on details of the treaty.”

“There’s hope then.  The war’s not over yet.”

“Pretty sure you’re the only one hoping that,” Yang replied with a shake of her head.  She couldn’t say she was surprised though - Cecelia and violence went together like fire and dry kindling.  No matter how many times Yang tried to get her to refocus that motivation elsewhere, like as a productive member of society, something always drew her back to the flames.  By this point, Yang had given up.  Cecelia was who she was, and she would never change.

“What’s with the new girl?”

Yang sat back in her chair and nearly asked how Cecelia knew about Blake already.  Ultimately, she didn’t bother.  Cecelia made it her business to know Yang’s business.

“She’s here as part of the peace treaty.  Helping calm down the Badlands.”

Cecelia wrinkled her nose at the answer.

“Where I come from, ‘peace’ is a dirty word.”

“Where do you come from?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know.”

“Yes, so I can never go there.”

When Cecelia laughed at the banter, Yang smiled and shook her head.  For as dangerous as Cecelia could be, Yang wasn’t afraid of her - usually.

“If you wanted to end the Resistance, I could’ve ended the Resistance,” Cecelia said, snatching the blade from the air and setting the tip on one finger.  “That would’ve been easy.”

“There was no need.  Besides, wouldn’t it be beneath you to fend off a group of rag-tag farmers trying to protect their homes?”

“That’s a day project,” Cecelia scoffed just like Yang knew she would.

“Exactly, which is why I sent you after Atlas.”

Cecelia’s pride accepted that answer even though it wasn’t at all why Ruby and Yang made the decision.  Vale had no issue with the Badlands and never had.  Why would they send an army to fight those people when it was Atlas who wanted to destroy them?

“Well, let me know when you have someone we can get rid of,” Cecelia eventually said.  “Until then...I guess we’ll hang around Vale and try not to get bored.  I don’t think you’ll like me when I’m bored.”

When green eyes flashed with humor and something a bit more...menacing...Yang realized that Cecelia was right - she didn’t want a bored Cecelia on her hands along with everything else.

“I might have something you can work on,” she said without thinking.

“Oh?”  Another knife flitted out of its sheath, twirling menacingly in the air as Cecelia leaned closer.  “Do tell.”

“Some of the troops will return from the Badlands soon.  Hopefully, we won’t need them much longer, but maybe you could look them over.  See where we could improve.”

“You want me to grade your army?”

“I’m sure we could benefit from having someone with your...prowess...look at how we’re doing.”

“That sounds so tedious,” Cecelia sighed while her blades returned to her armor.

“Then it shouldn’t take long, right?  Especially for someone as talented as you.  You should be able to tell in one glance, I imagine.”

From the way Cecelia clenched and unclenched her jaw, she knew Yang was just stroking her ego.  But, even though she knew, she wanted to believe the words.

“That’s easy,” she finally snapped.  “But what else am I supposed to do?  I could go through your entire army in two days.”

“There’s some great hunting just outside the city,” Yang suggested.  “Try to catch a bigger trophy than me.”

“I guess that’s an option...”  After mulling over those choices, Cecelia shook her head and stood up.  “But I have my eye on a different trophy these days,” she added, winking at Yang before sauntering out of the room.

Watching Cecelia open the door and step over the unconscious guard laying outside, Yang scoffed and shook her head.  She didn’t appreciate being called a ‘trophy,’ but that was Cecelia.  As cocky as she was conniving, she kept Vale from losing the war months ago.  She turned the battles in their favor, against all odds.  Now, they needed to figure out a way to pay her and get her to leave.  Yang knew the price - she’d known the price before they even reached out - but hopefully a pile of money would persuade Cecelia to give up on her ultimate goal.

Another problem for the future.  They needed the war to officially end first so that they could start a recovery and start making money.  To do that, Yang grabbed the recent notes and ledgers she’d been looking for and left the office.

“Can you get him some help, please?” she asked the nearest guard she found, gesturing to the man still slumped in the hall outside the office.  Once the guard rushed over to help, she headed to the library.

The library was, in her opinion, the most underutilized room in the palace.  She and Ruby spent plenty of time there when they were kids - their schooling had taken place primarily in the library - but that felt ages ago now.  These days, she often swore to spend more time reading only to let other things get in the way.

The guard stationed outside the door nodded to her when she arrived, and she nodded back before walking into the majestic room filled with books.  The bookshelves ran from the floor to the ceiling multiple stories above their heads, with plenty of ladders to use for assistance.  Yang had no idea how many books there were, besides a lot, but more were added all the time.  Every genre, every topic imaginable, all gathered for what must be the largest collection in Vale.

Blake wasn’t hard to find - she sat in one of the comfortable chairs in the middle of the room with a book in hand.  Seeing her like that confirmed she was a reader, as if Yang needed any confirmation after seeing the way she looked at the bookshelves in her room last night.

“Hey,” Yang said, gently interrupting while sitting across from Blake.  “How’re things going?”

Using one finger to mark the page, Blake folded the book closed and lowered it to her lap.  The action was so casual, yet she held herself with more poise and grace than Yang would expect from someone calling the Badlands home.  A misconception on her part, to be sure - and she intended to rewrite that misconception.

“Besides having no idea where to start, pretty good.”  Blake’s eyes flitted around the opulent room before returning to Yang.  “It’s...quite the space.”

“Bigger than you’re used to?”  As soon as the question slipped out, Yang could have kicked herself.  It sounded like a valid question in her head, but aloud it sounded so...demeaning.  “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean it like that.  I meant…I mean, they kind of built this place with excess in mind.”

“It’s fine.”  Blake’s small smile assured Yang that she hadn’t committed an egregious error.  “But yes, this is the largest library I’ve ever seen.”

For a few seconds, the two of them just looked at each other - Blake with a small smile while Yang nodded and tried to decide what to say next.  Usually, it wasn’t hard to find things to talk about, but with someone who came from such a different background…she didn’t want to accidentally offend Blake, especially when Blake’s approval was integral in helping the Badlands recover.

“You got your message sent alright?” she eventually asked.

“Yes, and your messenger was very helpful.”

“That’s good to hear.”  When Blake’s gaze drifted to the papers in Yang’s hands, she seized the subject change.  “I brought these for you,” she explained while spreading the pages out on the table between them.  “Copies of Vale’s general supplies and delivery schedules.  I figured this would be a good place to start figuring out what to peel off for the Badlands.”

When Blake leaned forward to look at the ledgers, Yang’s rumbling stomach reminded her that she hadn’t eaten breakfast.  Thankfully, Blake was too engrossed in the numbers to hear - a rumbling stomach wasn’t very queenly.

“But I think I owe you the rest of that tour first,” Yang added before they got into the pages.  “How about we wrap up the tour then work through this stuff over some food?”

When a hint of a smile appeared on Blake’s lips, Yang felt like she accomplished something remarkable.

“That sounds great.”

“Awesome.”

When Yang patted her legs and stood up, a sudden burst of pain shot through her limbs.  The unexpected intensity of it made her stagger, but she caught herself on the arm of the chair before taking a tumble.

“Are you ok?”

Blake was already reaching for Yang as if about to steady her, but she forced a smile and shook her head.

“Stood up too fast,” she said through slightly gritted teeth as the fire continued.

“Maybe you should sit down for a bit…”

More than willing to accept the offer, she sat down, straightened her posture, and smiled.

“How about we go over this stuff here first, then go on that tour?”

“That’s...fine.”

Blake slowly returned to her seat, which she had nearly jumped out of to come to Yang’s aid, but the concern and confusion in her eyes remained.  Hoping to erase that expression, Yang leaned forward and reorganized the papers on the table.  Doing so only made the burning worse, but she clenched her jaw and pushed through it.

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

“I’m fine,” she breathed out.  “It’s just...been a busy morning.”

“Are you worried about your sister?”

“Not at all,” she replied, risking a glance at Blake and finding that some of the concern had faded already.  “Even if they tried to do something, she’s impossible to catch.  Plus, James is with her.”

“Is James her...bodyguard?”

“More like...a highly protective, faithful companion.”

“That sounds an awful lot like a bodyguard…” Blake mused, but Yang smiled at the thought of calling James a bodyguard.  He would probably hate it, but what would he call himself?  Ruby’s protector?  Ruby’s intimidation factor?

“Except we don’t pay him,” Yang pointed out, grateful for the topic drawing her focus away from the heat in her legs.  “And he wouldn’t leave even if I told him to; he only listens to Ruby.  Do you know anyone like that?”

“A loyal companion?” Blake rephrased, and thought about it when Yang nodded.  “Yeah, I guess.  Something like that.”

“Good.  We all need someone we can trust.”

“What about you?”

Surprised by the follow-up question, Yang tilted her head.

“Do you have someone you trust?” Blake elaborated.

Trying to think beyond the obvious answer, Yang came up empty.  She trusted many of their advisors, but in a way that she knew they could do their jobs correctly.  She trusted James because she knew he would die protecting Ruby.  Other than that...

“I have Ruby,” she answered with a small smile, meeting Blake’s gaze for only a second before turning away.  Thinking about what Ruby meant to her made her realize how much she would miss Ruby in the coming weeks.  Ruby was the only person she trusted without fail and without question, who had her back no matter what.  Being without that support for any amount of time was...difficult.

“Anyway, I can explain these and you can see how it meshes with your plans.”  Determined to leave that topic behind, Yang picked up the first document and handed it to Blake.  “If you want to dive deeper into anything, we’ll grab the right advisor and have them explain everything.”

“Should I make notes somewhere else?” Blake asked with a motion to the paper.

“You can keep these copies, so write whatever you want.”

“Will the guards give me a hard time if they find me with these?” Blake joked while setting the paper on top of her book, but Yang frowned.

“They better not.  You’re our guest - that means you can move around the palace as you wish.  If you’re hungry, stop by the dining hall and get something to eat.  If you have questions, ask one of the advisors for answers.  If anyone says something, let me know and I’ll set them straight.”

For several seconds, Blake looked like she didn’t know what to say.  Eventually, a smile pulled at her lips, and she dipped her chin.

“Thank you, Yang.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Ducking Blake’s grateful gaze, Yang stared at one of the pages as if she needed a second to make sense of it.  In actuality, she needed a second to compose herself and figure out where to go from there.  That was the first time Blake called her by her first name, and it reminded her that she hadn’t always been Queen.  That she was a person other than ‘Your Majesty.’  At least, she was before all of this.

There wouldn’t be an ‘after this’ for her...but if she and Blake worked together well, they could put Vale and the Badlands in the best position to move forward.  That kept her focused on working even as her spark burned hotter than before.

If there was any solace to be found, Blake served as a good distraction.  Maybe having the Resistance fighter stay at the palace wasn’t such a crazy idea after all.

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