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As soon as Ruby made it outside, she freed her spark and tore away from the palace like a gust of wind.  She didn’t know where she was going, but ‘away’ sounded good.  Away from the palace.  Away from the prying eyes.  Away from the stuffy politicians only concerned about themselves.

They dragged their feet and didn’t care that the longer they hemmed and hawed and refused to accept a fair solution, they kept everyone from moving forward.  And they kept Ruby from returning to Vale - to Yang - where she needed to be.

She reached that dreadful chapel in no time, but she just kept going.  Spurred on by a spark that had been constrained for too long, she blazed through Atlas’ streets without a direction or desire to be there any longer.  The unforgivable cold.  The miserable, scared populace.  The horrifying secrets.

She should just leave.  Screw the peace treaty.  Screw the war.  With her spark, she could be back in Vale in no time.  She could see Yang and…

And...

Confronted by that terrible reality, she slid to a stop just outside Atlas’ towering gates.  The race down here left her breathing deeply, casting large clouds of frozen air from her lips while she stared at the mountainous, snow-covered wilderness in front of her.  At the bottom of this mountain, separated from her by miles upon miles of treacherous switchbacks and snowdrifts taller than trees, lay the Badlands.  Beyond the Badlands, Vale...and Yang.

As much as she wanted to leave now, she couldn’t return empty-handed.  She’d already failed to find Atlas’ ‘cure.’  She couldn’t fail to finish the treaty, too.

Yang deserved some good news more than anyone.  She deserved a win.  And, as selfless as she was, she would rest easy knowing that peace between Atlas and Vale had been restored.

Ruby had to get that treaty done, but she couldn’t give away the Badlands.  They’d made a promise to Blake, and they kept their promises.  Yang always said that being a leader meant following through on their promises no matter how difficult it might be.  That was how they earned trust, and that trust was essential in leading the kingdom through trying times, as the past few years had shown.

Yang would rather end the peace talks than break a promise - Ruby knew that.  But right now, standing out here in the cold, she wished that her sister wasn’t always so damn noble.

She didn’t truly mean that - she loved how seriously Yang took her role as a leader.  What Ruby actually wished was that Atlas stopped playing games so she could go home and see her kind, selfless sister again.

With some time to cool off - literally, as the temperature dropped by the second - she also wished that she hadn’t run before Weiss said anything.  But after reading that proposed treaty...learning that Atlas wanted a concession that she neither wanted nor could give…made her feel so…betrayed.

Weiss agreed that splitting the costs in half was fair, so how could she not be angry about what the Council tried to sneak in without her notice?  How could she be so level-headed about it?  The Councilors meant to sabotage and control her, yet she approached them as if she didn’t want to hurt their feelings.

That was where Ruby and Weiss both failed.  They’d foolishly waited for the Council instead of insisting on doing this their way.  They were queens - they should have written their own treaty and forced it down the Council’s throat.  That would have taken less time and probably worked just as well.

“Until they found another way to screw her over…” Ruby muttered, kicking a rock across the ground.  After it disappeared into a pile of snow, she sighed and looked up at the palace in the distance.  As much as she wanted to stand out here and stew over her frustration, Atlas was as frigid as usual, especially without the wonderful coat that Weiss gave her.

She couldn’t go home yet, but she didn’t have to return to the palace right away either.  Instead, she sighed one more time before letting her spark carry her back into Atlas.  The Knights beside the gates didn’t notice her leaving or entering, thinking she was nothing more than a gust of wind.  The Atlesians out and about thought the same - sometimes glancing after her in surprise, sometimes not looking up at all.

Determined to wear out as much of her spark as possible, she raced through Atlas’ streets with no particular goal in mind.  She tried to keep Weiss out of her thoughts, but that was a doomed endeavor from the start.

Up until the Councilors arrived, her day had been better than expected.  Even though she was still utterly heartbroken about Yang, spending time with Weiss was a wonderful distraction.  And kissing Weiss was...well, nothing wiped nearly every thought from her mind like kissing Weiss did.  Then everything got thrown in the gutter.

Before exhausting her spark, she decided it was too cold and miserable to stay outside any longer.  The unfriendly weather made her miss Vale even more, especially as it forced her back to the palace just as the sun began to set.  If not for the bitter cold, she would have stayed out long into the night, looking at the stars and sorting through her thoughts. Instead, she flew back to the palace and leaped over the fence in one of the less-patrolled areas she’d found.  Once safely on the other side, she hurried to one of the side entrances.  As much as she loved having her every movement noted by the guards at the front door, she preferred a bit of anonymity sometimes.  The side entrances offered precisely that.

As fortune had it, the door opened right when she got there.  One of the housekeepers walked into the cold seconds later and, as soon as she saw Ruby, held the door.

“What’re you doing out in this weather, Queen Rose?” she asked while Ruby slipped inside.  “It’s too cold to be out here without a jacket!”

“Agreed.  Just learned that the hard way.”

Rubbing her hands up and down her arms, Ruby smiled while the woman chuckled and slowly closed the door to keep out the cold.

“If you ever need a coat, please ask.  Any of us would be happy to find you one.”

“Thank you!  I’ll do that next time.”

The woman smiled and bowed before shutting the door, leaving Ruby alone in the small, silent, blissfully warm hallway.  Her frozen limbs took longer to defrost but, once they did, she set off through the labyrinth of cramped hallways that she’d already learned how to navigate.

The halls were hardly wide enough for two people to pass without one of them tilting their shoulders.  There were no silver etchings to be found, nor artwork, nor decorative suits of armor.  If Ruby didn’t know any better, she would think that she’d entered a different building entirely.  Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case.

Small, dark, dirty...someone went out of their way to ensure this area paled in comparison to the grandeur upstairs.  The money that could have made this place halfway decent had been spent elsewhere - most likely padding the Mad King’s ego. Each subsequent room she passed only added to her disappointment.  Logically, she knew this wasn’t Weiss’ fault, but it was still an issue.  The staff might be the lowest paid employees with the smallest sparks, but they didn’t deserve this treatment.

If the war ever ended, she would recommend that Weiss devote some time and effort to upgrading these dingy rooms and hallways.  She would also, as soon as she got home, personally inspect Vale’s staff quarters and make sure they looked nothing like this.  If they were anywhere close, updates were moving higher up her to-do list.

Glancing into another room with cracked paint and suspicious dark spots near the floors, she shook her head but continued her mindless journey.  If the cold forced her inside, she would avoid the overly opulent portion of the palace.  At least down here she didn’t have to worry about running into the two-faced councilors...or Weiss.

Voices caught her attention then, and she quickly focused on them rather than on the Atlesian queen.  If they had been whispers, she might not have noticed.  Unfortunately, the raised tone suggested someone in the midst of issuing a stern reprimand.

If Ruby had any inkling of how Atlas worked, reprimands in this section of the palace didn’t end well.  The thought alone was enough to raise her hackles, but she didn’t want to barge in and stick her nose where it didn’t belong.  Instead, she slowed her pace and listened to the conversation filtering from one of the smaller kitchens.

“- completely unacceptable,” someone snapped.  “Do something like that again and you’ll be fired.”

Any notion Ruby had about letting Atlas handle its own business disappeared when she recognized the voice.  He had never been one of her favorite people, but hearing him berate someone like that only renewed her anger.

“But Sir -” someone responded while Ruby turned into the kitchen and found Councilor Ironwood with his back to her.  A young man cowered in front of him, looking miserable and scared while two of the cooks prepared a meal at the stove, clearly trying to mind their own business.

“Don’t ‘but Sir’ me,” Councilor Ironwood retorted before jabbing a finger into the young man’s chest.  “You were given explicit instructions on how to handle this, and you failed.  Next time you wonder why you’re stuck down here cleaning dishes, remember this is where the idiots are, and you are clearly one of them.”

The boy’s shoulders slouched under the insult, and he muttered a resigned, “Yes, Councilor...” before his eyes flitted to Ruby.

“Pay attention when I’m speaking, you fool.”

The instant Councilor Ironwood raised his hand, Ruby sprang into action.

“Councilor!”

Dashing forward, she placed herself between the Councilor and his intended victim.  His eyes briefly widened at her sudden appearance, but he quickly forced a smile and lowered his hand.

“Queen Rose...what are you doing down here?  This area is unfit for someone of your status.”

When he reached for her arm as if he would lead her back to the main level of the palace, she pulled away.

“I’ll decide where I feel comfortable with my ‘status,’ Councilor,” she retorted.  “But I’m concerned about what I just saw.  Surely a kingdom as forward-thinking as Atlas doesn’t resort to such means of punishment?   Vale outlawed those vile actions decades ago.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the chefs glance at her, but she didn’t look away from Councilor Ironwood.  He squared his shoulders and stood taller, towering over her now, and the wave of frosty air rolling off of him suggested a strong spark he wished to unleash.  Unfortunately for him, it would take much more than that to intimidate her.

“Vale and Atlas are vastly different,” he responded in a clipped tone.  “I’m sure you’ve realized that by now.”

“Regardless of the kingdom, all people deserve to be treated with respect.”

He stared her down for the next few seconds, but she refused to budge.  Eventually, he gave up and put on another fake smile.

“I wonder how you lead without becoming hypocritical...” he mused before giving the young man behind Ruby a stern glare.  “But I suppose that’s none of my business - just like this is none of yours.”

As far as she was concerned, anyone deciding to hit one of their workers was absolutely her business.  Once he realized that she wouldn’t back down, he huffed and subtly rolled his eyes while waving toward the door.

“I’ll head back now.”  Just when Ruby thought she could sigh in relief, he paused and turned back to her.  “Though I’ve been wondering...how’s your sister?”

Her blood ran cold at the flippant comment and near-smirk on his lips.  Suddenly, she very, very much wanted to hit him instead.

“She’s never been better,” she replied through clenched teeth as a breeze kicked up the dust near her feet.  “And I’ll warn you, she’s not the type you want to mess with.  She has power unlike anything you’ve seen.”

“But I’d never dream of harming the Queen of Vale...either of them.”

Pleased at having finally provoked her, he smirked and walked away.  Ruby, meanwhile, scolded herself for falling into that trap but made a mental note to ask James to find more information on the reverent Councilor.  If he was hiding something, she wanted to know what it was.  If he was just an ass who happened to know the right thing to ask, she wanted to know that too.

Once Councilor Ironwood’s footsteps faded away, silence descended on the kitchen.  Uncomfortable with the sudden quiet, she threw on a smile, turned toward the people staring at her, and said the first thing that popped into her mind.

“He’s pleasant, isn’t he?”

The chefs chuckled, and the young man sighed in relief as the atmosphere relaxed.

“Can we make you something to eat, Queen Rose?” one of the chefs asked while pulling several bowls from under the countertop.

“No, thanks.  Not hungry right now.”  When the cooks exchanged surprised glances, she laughed.  “Believe it or not, I’m not hungry all the time.  Just...most of the time.”

When they chuckled again, her sense of calm returned.  Unlike Councilor Ironwood, she enjoyed keeping company with the staff - they were easier to talk to than the ‘social elite’ who cared more about their prestige than the kingdom.  The workers cared about each other, about their families, and finding happiness regardless of their circumstances.  Ruby respected that mentality far more than anything else.

While the chefs filled several bowls with different ingredients, the young man who’d survived Councilor Ironwood’s ire whispered something to them.  One of the men smiled at whatever it was, and the other nodded while leaving the stove behind.

“Queen Rose, today’s Deacon’s birthday.”  The chef nodded to the young man, who shyly waved.  “We’re throwing a little celebration in the break room with cake and food - would you like to come?”

“Oh, I don’t want to impose -”

“You wouldn’t be, Queen Rose,” Deacon quickly added.  “I’d be honored if you came, even just for a little while.”

Considering she had nowhere else to be - or nowhere else she wanted to be - she didn’t mind joining them.  Before accepting the invitation, however, she searched their expressions for any indication that they were only being kind.  Finding genuine welcome in their eyes, she smiled and nodded.

“Then of course.  I’d love to celebrate your birthday.”

Deacon beamed and motioned her out of the kitchen.  The chefs hung up their aprons and followed them through more narrow corridors and poorly lit hallways.  Before long, voices reached her ears.  These voices, fortunately, were filled with good cheer.

“It’s in here,” Deacon said before practically skipping into the room.  A chorus of cheers and congratulations filled the air, but the revelers fell silent the moment Ruby walked into the room.  Before they leapt to their feet to bow, however, she held both hands in front of her.

“Please don’t get up.  I’m only here to celebrate Deacon’s birthday.”  She smiled at the young man, who looked a little embarrassed by the attention, before adding, “Plus, I heard there’d be cake.”

Several guests laughed, and the atmosphere relaxed again.  Some of the housekeepers wished Deacon a happy birthday while one of the chefs waved Ruby over to the only table in the room.

“Have you ever had a Frozen Ingot, Queen Rose?” he asked while setting down the bowl he’d carried from the kitchen.

“A frozen ingot…?  No, can’t say that I have.”  Curious, Ruby watched as the rest of the bowls were neatly aligned near the center of the table.  “Isn’t that...metal?”

A few of the attendees chuckled at her guess while the chefs rolled up their sleeves.

“We call it that because of its shape.”

“And the royal family dusts it with silver or gold to make it look like metal,” someone added.

Nodding at the explanation, Ruby watched in fascination as the chefs dumped most of the ingredients onto a wide strip of paper on the table.  A cloud of flour puffed into the air but quickly disappeared as the room grew colder.

Using their sparks, the chefs summoned swirls upon swirls of ice.  The ice swept through the ingredients, combining everything in a smooth, clockwise motion that quickened as the seconds ticked past.  Once the mixture had reached a consistency only they understood, one of the chefs picked up another bowl and poured a large amount of cream on top. Rather than run all over the table, the cream thickened as it met the frozen dessert.  The chefs then folded layers over and over again, masterfully working the batter while injecting more ice to the mix.

The performance was mesmerizing.  Ruby had seen firespitters set more than a few plates of food on fire, but this was different.  This was technical and...graceful.  Like a dance the two chefs had perfected, being in tune with each other, their sparks, and the ingredients in front of them. Their work resulted in a small, white, rectangular loaf of cake that cast off frozen wisps of air.  The onlookers applauded their efforts, and Ruby quickly joined in.  They accepted the appreciation with smiles and exaggerated bows before motioning for people to start eating.

One of the women who often served Ruby’s dinner cut the cake into slices and set them on plates.  One of the other servers offered the first plate to Ruby, but she motioned to Deacon instead.

“The birthday boy gets the first piece!”

Fortunately, no one argued.  Deacon accepted the plate with a smile before grabbing a fork and taking a bite.  He hummed in delight and gave a thumbs up, which was good enough for everyone to chuckle and pass out the rest of the slices. Ruby waited until everyone had a piece before trying some of the mysterious dessert.  Everyone’s attention returned to her, waiting for her reaction, but she looked down at her plate as soon as the delicacy hit her tongue.

The cake was sweet, cold, creamy, and melted like a dream.  She took another bite before smiling around the room and saying, “This is the best cake I’ve ever had.”

She wasn’t exaggerating, but the chefs chuckled while everyone else enjoyed their dessert.  She quickly snuck several more bites - just as magical as the first - before one of the butlers caught her attention.

“Is it true Vale’s surrounded by a ring of fire?” he asked.  She laughed and shook her head at the common myth.

“Fortunately, no.  Can you imagine how hot that would be?  Not to mention the ash.”

Several of the guests nodded at the explanation while others looked even more intrigued.

“Being somewhere warm might be nice...”

“Well, if you ever decide to do some traveling, you’re more than welcome to visit Vale.”  When everyone just stared at her, she nodded.  “Really.  We’d be more than happy to show you around!  Especially if you bring one or two of these cakes along?”

She lifted her nearly empty plate to show just how much she liked it, prompting a few more laughs.

“I can’t even imagine leaving Atlas,” Deacon said.

While everyone else hummed or nodded, Ruby looked around in surprise.

“You’ve never left Atlas?”

“I visited a farm with a friend once, but the King didn’t like it when we went outside for no good reason.”

“He didn’t want us getting any ideas,” someone else offered.  “Didn’t want us thinking there was someplace better.”

While everyone nodded, knowing or at least feeling that the statement was true, Ruby frowned.

“But that’s just...sad.  You should be allowed to go wherever you want.  Then, if you decide to stay in Atlas, it’s because you love it here.”

“Good thing he’s not around to hear you say that,” one of the butlers scoffed.  “You’d be tossed off the roof in no time.”

“As far as I’m concerned, the only good thing that man ever did was have two daughters.”

The man standing beside the speaker of that comment nodded.

“Those two were angels when they were little.  You could just feel the goodness in them.”

“The King felt it, too...” one of the older ladies grumbled.  “That’s why he tried to beat it out of them.”

Eyes widening, Ruby looked around the room and prayed someone disagreed.  Instead, they all nodded or whispered assent.

“He...hit them?”

She almost didn’t want the answer, but she also had to know.  Seeing the sadness in the older woman’s eyes, however, her heart broke a little more.

“He did everything he could to make them the perfect slaves, but the Princesses weren’t born to be evil like him.”

“Poor Princess Winter...” someone added.  “Being the eldest was a curse.”

“What do you mean?”

“The King made her do awful things...” the woman responded before softly clicking her tongue.

“I delivered dinner to her room once,” one of the servers added.  “That time she refused to leave for several days, and you could tell she’d been crying the entire time.”

“I’m not surprised she killed him.”

“Yes, but did she have to do it in front of her sister?” someone else pondered while a pit of agony opened in Ruby’s stomach.

“You know it probably wasn’t like that.  He probably went after Queen Schnee.”  The speaker turned toward Ruby to provide an explanation.  “He despised both of them for not becoming what he wanted, but Queen Schnee most of all due to her...difference.”

“You mean...because she’s sparkless?”

“Yes.  He hated her for it.  Did everything he could to make her feel worthless.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me if he went after her.”

“We should be grateful Princess Winter was there then,” someone added while the room murmured their agreement.

“You don’t care that she’s sparkless?” Ruby asked.  When Weiss had admitted to her lack of spark, her entire aura suggested it was the worst thing that could happen to a member of the royal family.  The members of the staff sitting around this room, however, looked around and shrugged.

“What does it matter?  She’s still our Queen.”

Relieved by the answer, Ruby set her empty plate on the table and mustered a small smile.  She was glad to hear that being sparkless wasn’t as horrible as Weiss considered it, but that was just about the only positive news she’d taken from the conversation. Hearing about Weiss’ childhood draped like a heavy blanket over her heart.  She’d always assumed it was bad.  She’d assumed it was possibly horrible.  Somehow, she hadn’t been close.

How could someone be so cruel to a child?  What kind of heartless, spiteful, hateful person could do that?

Regardless of how upset Ruby was about the treaty, she couldn’t hold onto that anger now.  No wonder Weiss was so hesitant.  No wonder she acted like the floor might lash out at her.  No wonder she was scared, lonely, and uncertain.  She hadn’t grown up like Ruby did, and expecting her to behave the same just because of her royal lineage was incredibly unfair.

Ruby wanted to ask more questions - hopefully hearing about more positive times - but she’d hardly opened her mouth before the room fell deathly silent.

“Your Highness,” someone said before everyone rushed to bow.  Spinning around, Ruby felt her heart jump when she discovered Weiss standing in the doorway. For a second, the two of them just stared at each other.  Weiss looked shocked to find Ruby here but quickly shook off the emotion and hurried over.

“What’re you doing down here?”

“Celebrating Deacon’s birthday.”

When Ruby motioned to Deacon, who immediately bowed again, Weiss turned toward him.

“Oh.  Well, happy birthday, Deacon,” she said with a genuine smile that only reminded Ruby of how sweet she was.  “How old are you today?”

“Twenty-three, Your Highness.”

“Twenty-three,” Weiss repeated with a slight nod.  “And you’re working on your birthday?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Why don’t you take tomorrow off?”

“Your Highness?”

“As a birthday gift from me,” Weiss elaborated.  “Take the day off to do whatever you’d like to do.  If anyone asks where you are, we’ll just…say I sent you to find chamomile tea.”

While the people in the room snuck smiles at each other, silently agreeing to this plan, Ruby smiled at Weiss.  She’d always known that Weiss was gentle and kind.  After hearing those stories, however, Ruby couldn’t imagine the strength necessary to stay kind through all these years.

“Why don’t we make it a staff policy?” Weiss continued, her thoughtful expression saying just how much she cared about this ‘trivial’ matter.  “No one works on their birthday unless they want to.  Until it’s an official policy, we’ll just say that you’re fetching me some tea.  You know I drink a lot of tea.”

When the room chuckled, Weiss looked pleasantly surprised by the response.  And again, Ruby couldn’t wait for the day when Weiss realized that she earned the response by being generous, fair, and caring.

“Now, I’d like to steal Queen Rose from you if that’s alright,” Weiss added.  After waiting for their understanding nods, she gently took Ruby by the elbow and pulled her out of the room.

“Thank you for spending time with us!” Deacon called after them.  Ruby made sure to smile and wave at everyone before following Weiss into the hall.

“I know you don’t want to talk,” Weiss said, leading Ruby away from the birthday celebration.  “But I need to talk to you.”

Ruby hadn’t wanted to talk, but that was before she learned about Weiss’ childhood.  Now, she wanted to talk to Weiss more than anything.  She wanted to know how someone so incredible weathered the storm that was the Mad King.  Weiss would credit Winter, but that couldn’t be all.  The adversity she’d faced had made her strong beyond measure.  Once she discovered that strength for herself and learned how to use it, she would be one of the greatest queens Atlas had ever known.

“That was really nice.”  When Weiss looked at her, Ruby gestured behind them.  “What you did for them.”

“Oh.”

For a second, Ruby thought that was all Weiss would say.  Then she sighed.

“I always wished my birthday was special.  The least I can do is make it special for them.  They work so hard to keep the palace running.”  After a sad look around, Weiss let her shoulders slouch.  “Even though their quarters have been reduced to squalor...”

With those few sentences, Weiss managed to make Ruby incredibly sad and happy at the same time.  Sad that Weiss never enjoyed her birthdays, but overjoyed that she also saw that this section of the palace desperately needed repair.  And, without even asking, Ruby knew that Weiss would find a way to make it better.

Ruby couldn’t help but marvel at the young woman beside her, who looked determined as ever while leading her into the palace entryway.  Weiss hardly seemed to notice the sleepy space, which had emptied as the day came to a close.  Before Ruby asked where they were going, Weiss led them up the staircase and to her room.  Once they arrived, she motioned Ruby inside before locking the door behind them.

Now that they were alone, Ruby knew that she should apologize for her earlier reaction.  Even if that treaty had been unexpectedly horrible, she shouldn’t have run off and left Weiss to deal with it alone.

“Weiss, I -”

“Please let me talk first.”

Taken aback, Ruby obediently shut her mouth and waited.  She watched as Weiss opened and closed her mouth several times, wringing her hands before finally clasping them in front of her.

“I wanted to apologize for the Council’s actions,” she finally said.  “You were very clear with your proposal, and I thought I was clear about what I wanted, but...somehow, something must have gotten lost in their arguments.”

“That’s alright -”

“No, it’s not.”

Again, the forceful response stunned Ruby into silence.  She’d never seen Weiss so resolute before.  It was as if, somewhere in the past few hours, she’d discovered a cause to be unflinchingly strong-willed about.

“Someone tried to kill your sister,” Weiss stated calmly, though her blue eyes revealed her tumultuous feelings on that matter.  “Then the Council does that, and I didn’t do anything to help -”

“Yes, you did -”

“I didn’t, Ruby, and I’m really, truly sorry about that.  I just -”  After a brief pause, Weiss sighed and shook her head.  “I can’t make decisions as fast as you.  And I can’t figure out what the right decisions are.  And I’m...I’m just not as good at this as you are.”

Ruby’s chest ached at the words, but Weiss turned away before Ruby could reach for her hand.

“I don’t know what I’m doing half the time,” she admitted, emotions clouding her voice.  “I don’t know what’s right or wrong or who wants me to do what.  I just wish...I wish Winter was here.  She was meant to be Queen.  She’d be better at this than I’ll ever be.”

Ruby had heard enough.  Before Weiss went any further, Ruby pulled her into a hug.  The gesture caught Weiss off guard and, for a split second, she stiffened.  Then she relaxed into the embrace, wrapping her arms around Ruby and sighing in relief.

“I’m sorry…” she whispered into Ruby’s shoulder.  “I know we made a promise, and I intend to keep it.”

“I believe you,” Ruby whispered back.  “And I understand.  It’s hard having so many people pulling you in opposite directions.”

“But I should be able to tell them what I want!”  Tenacious once more, Weiss pulled away and met Ruby’s gaze.  “I have to stand up for my ideals.  I can’t just let them walk over me, hurting the people I - hurting people in the process.”

“You’re right, and you can.  You can stand up to them.”

This time, Weiss believed Ruby’s words more than ever before.  Ruby could see it in her eyes and in the way she bit her bottom lip while thinking through everything that happened.  Ruby’s heart responded to that expression with a loud thump, and her skin tingled when she grasped just how close they were.

“I told them to remove it.”  Making no effort to move away, Weiss calmly held Ruby’s gaze instead.  “I told them to rewrite it because we won’t take the Badlands.  Unless they decide to argue for another week, it should be done soon.”

Ruby smiled and nodded, proud of Weiss for finally putting her foot down, but her worry and heartbreak also returned.  She couldn’t wait a week for the treaty; she needed it done yesterday.

“That’s great, Weiss.  But I...I really need to get back to Vale.”

“Oh.”

When Weiss looked hurt by the comment, Ruby rushed forward.

“Not that I want to leave.  I’ve enjoyed my time with you, but...”

Trailing off, she considered whether or not she should say more.  It was her biggest secret, and it wasn’t even her secret to tell.  But...she trusted Weiss.  At the same time, she was tired of dealing with this on her own.

“Yang has the Phage,” she whispered before watching the information sink in - Weiss’ eyes widening first with surprise, then understanding, before finally filling with sadness.

“She’s had it for a while, and I just feel...like I need to get back.”  Voice trembling, Ruby clutched her hands above her heart, which burned for her sister.  “If there’s no cure, then I just...want to bring her good news before...”

Ruby couldn’t finish the thought, but she didn’t have to.  Weiss reached up and gently cupped her cheek, offering that soft, unwavering support yet again.

“We’ll get that treaty done tomorrow - even if I’m signing away the entire kingdom to do it.”

When Ruby chuckled at the thought, Weiss smiled and rubbed her thumb across Ruby’s cheek.  Her eyes held such determination though that Ruby knew it would happen.  Somehow, some way, Weiss would get that treaty done, and Ruby could return to Yang. Knowing that she would see her sister soon, Ruby felt her hurt fade away.  In its place - overwhelming gratitude for the young woman standing in front of her, whose heart was warm regardless of what her lingering spark suggested.

“Thank you, Weiss.”  Leaning into Weiss’ hand, absorbing as much of that touch as possible, Ruby smiled.  “I’m really glad I came back to Atlas with you.  You’re...amazing.”

Ruby meant the words with all her heart, but she knew that Weiss wouldn’t accept them.  She could see it in Weiss’ eyes - denial and uncertainty instilled by a tumultuous childhood.

“You are,” Ruby repeated, scooting closer and lightly touching Weiss’ pristine white hair.  “You’re smart, driven, and...kind.  Compassionate.  Everything a great leader should be.”

Weiss wanted to disagree, but a part of her wanted to believe.  Ruby could see the hope in her clear blue eyes, and that was the part of Weiss that Ruby was speaking to - the part that needed to hear that her father’s legacy was not her own.

“I’m so happy I met you,” Ruby whispered.  Reaching up, she brushed her fingertips against Weiss’ cheek.  Her heart fluttered when Weiss closed her eyes and leaned into the touch.

The next second, Ruby leaned in for a kiss. She was rewarded with the now-familiar but still-exhilarating blast of coolness from Weiss’ lips.  Just like before, in the office, Weiss returned the kiss with passion and unspoken longing that increased Ruby’s desire in turn.  From the way Weiss pressed against her and the way Weiss’ lips moved against hers, she could feel that Weiss not only wanted her, but trusted her enough to want her.

Longing traveled through Ruby’s veins at the incredible realization, and her skin quickly hungered for more.  That feeling only grew when the kiss seamlessly deepened - their lips parting and their tongues meeting once more.

Without interruptions or distractions, their destination was painfully clear.  If Weiss wasn’t the one pushing them forward, Ruby might stop and make sure this was alright.  But with Weiss’ arms wrapping around her neck, pulling her into an even deeper kiss, she didn’t need to.  She could practically taste the certainty on Weiss’ lips and feel it in her hands.

If Ruby was leaving Atlas soon, she was seizing this moment to assure Weiss that her confidence wasn’t misplaced and that her feelings were wholly returned.  Because Weiss deserved to know that she was incredible.  And Ruby was more than willing to shower her with those praises.

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