Chapter Text
While I breathe, I hope…
“It’s…unfair.” Weiss protested, her gaze stuck on the floorboards. How could she meet his eyes? The eyes of the man who had just casually gifted her daughter, her, to solidify an alliance with another kingdom? “You married inside of Atlas, father. Mother was afforded the dignity of choosing who she would spend her life with. Why am I denied the same?”
“Your mother’s preferences were suitable, Weiss. Yours, we have learned, cannot be trusted.” His tone was flat, devoid of any warmth.
Each word was a shard of ice piercing through her, the iron of the armor covering Weiss’ chest couldn’t neutralize the wound that had just struck her heart.
A sudden chill spread through her, making it hard to breathe. To be dismissed so coldly, to have her judgement condemned… her home. Tomorrow. She had been given a single night to pack up her life and be handed over to a stranger, a man she had never seen before. A choked sound, half-sob half-gasp caught in her throat.
It was her fault, her own stupid, runaway mouth. If she hadn’t let it slip – the terrible confession of her disinterest in any male suitor, be they knight or noble– perhaps she might have clung to her freedom for a few more years.
“Father. If you would only—“ She began, but the king cut her off.
King. The title felt hollow on her tongue. This man, her father, was neither wise nor mighty as a true king should be. Weiss had seen him take bribes on multiple occasions, witnessed the casual cruelty in his policies against faunus citizens, the slow decay of justice. What right did he have to dictate her future, to decide what was “best”?
Sometimes, Weiss was glad her grandfather was no longer alive . He would never have to witness the magnificent kingdom he’d poured his life into crumbling, piece by piece, under the reign of such a worthless successor.
Jacques looked down at everyone from his throne, even his daughter. “Not another word, Weiss. The decision is made. This marriage, this alliance is vital. Vale’s resources are essential for Atlas. You claim to care for your kingdom? Then ensure their future. A kingdom is nothing without strength, and strength is bought with resources.”
“Just because you married for power doesn’t mean I will.” Weiss muttered, the words escaping before she could leash them.
The sound of a sharp slap echoed across the room, followed by a dead silence. Weiss’ head snapped to the side, a hint of red staining the white of her cheek in a single second. It wasn’t the first time this happened. A familiar, dull pain began, a surface numbness she had barely registered.It wasn’t anything horrible. Weiss had grown accustomed to it, it was definitely nothing compared to the emotional turmoil growing within her.
She would endure a thousand blows, a thousand indignities, if it meant the freedom to wield her own weapon as a knight, or even the simple luxury of choosing the hand that would one day join hers.
The man on the throne, (King, not father, never a father when he was like this.) raised his voice. “Listen to me. I have indulged in your little ‘knight’ game for far too long! The deal is already sealed. This alliance is happening. Or would you rather drag Atlas into another war? All for your own childish selfishness?!”
Weiss’ gaze remained fixed to the floor. Her lower lip quivering. Her fingers found the familiar hilt of Myrtenaster at her hip. The cold, fine metal was a grounding presence in the storm of his anger.
She focused on her weapon’s weight, the memory of the perfect counter-riposte she’d mastered not so long ago. I can defend myself, the thought was a shield. I am not weak. I can take care of myself. It was this knowledge that had carried her through so many moments like this one.
“Are you listening to me, young lady?!” He once again shouted.
The shout shattered her fragile peace. It took every ounce of her training, every bit of her self-composure to lift her head and meet his father’s eyes. “Yes, Father.” She said, her voice barely a whisper.
“Good. You will make this alliance work.” The King’s voice dripped with arrogance. “You claimed you wanted to be a better ruler than me? Fine. A ruler needs to make sacrifices for their kingdom. This marriage is your sacrifice.”
“This isn’t sacrifice; it’s punishment! What single sacrifice have you made for this kingdom? Tell me one!”
“Be glad I am letting you wear your precious armour and carry your weapon for the last time. Your future husband will not approve of such… childishness That behavior is hardly ladylike. He will expect you to throw away such foolishness.” The king sought to carry on the conversation, but he didn’t manage to do so for longer.
Weiss simply stood up, leaving the room in a grunt.
How dare he call her training— Her weapon, childish?! Knights are the ones who protect this kingdom! The ones who protect him , why would her future husband want to make her ditch her training as a knight? If he thought that way… he surely would be some jerk who didn’t care for his people at all.
Weiss dreaded that kind of people, senseless rulers like his father. If Weiss had a single nightmare, it would be to spend the rest of her life with someone just as awful as her father is.
More than ten years of her life spent training, sweating and bleeding with Myrtenaster. For what? To be traded like property for a stranger? The injustice of it was simply bitter.
If only she could be like Winter. Who had refused the line of succession without a second thought, and for it, she had won her freedom. She was a full, true knight, serving Atlas on the battlefield as she’d always dreamed. Yet Weiss couldn’t bring herself to follow that path. She just couldn’t abandon her claim to the throne.
To do this, would be to surrender Atlas to a future of corruption. She loved Whitley, it was her dear baby brother after all. But she saw her father’s shadow molding him day by day. If she stepped aside, the kingdom she loved would be doomed for yet another generation. An honest ruler like her grandfather, who had fought for justice and the well-being of their people, would remain as a distant dream.
And, insisting on rejecting this alliance would be nothing but an act of selfishness that would just cause her people more problems.
In the end, the ones who would pay the price for her rebellion wouldn’t be her father, but the commoners. Could she risk a war for the price of her own happiness? Especially now? Taking into account the fact that Salem was out there, with an army, attacking nearby kingdoms; Atlas can’t afford to stand alone.
Yes. This deal, this marriage was a cruel, loveless sentence. But it would help her people. She would have to accept it, not as a sacrifice but as the punishment it was.
It would be agony to abandon her sword, her identity as a knight. A faint spark of hope crossed Weiss’ thoughts. Perhaps my future husband won’t mind…
The thought of it left her with a vile taste inside tongue. A terrible one. Did her destiny, her lifelong passion really depended on the whim of some unknown man from now on? Her ambition reduced to a permission he might grant?
Was this really going to be her life from now on?
No.
The word was a silent echo in her mind. No. She would not allow it.
Weiss needed to fight for her freedom. Even if it meant leaving her kingdom, her people behind. Not everyone in Vale would recognize her, maybe she could form an escape plan while in the castle? Run away to another nation, fight against Salem’s evil from afar. A plan began to form, even if it were frantic and desperate; she could even make it look like a kidnapping—
—Yes, that was it! If the princess of Atlas were taken, there would not be a broken alliance, and therefore no war or whatever consequences Vale might put on Atlas over a broken deal.
It really didn’t seem like a terrible idea, if the princess of Atlas were suddenly kidnapped, there wouldn’t be any unnecessary tension or war between kingdoms.
She could run away to Vacuo, or maybe even Mistral. Life would be hard. It would be harsh to pass from the luxuries and privileges of royalty to become a foreigner, an outcast in a strange kingdom. Earning a place as a knight would also be a struggle.
But Weiss would try. She didn’t spend a decade training just to let that experience rust, She didn’t master the sword just to hang it on a wall. She didn’t swear a Knight’s code just to break it by becoming someone’s property.
Weiss just needed to figure out how, when and where to escape. But the decision had been made. Here in Atlas, she was a prisoner in a golden cage, in Vale she would find her escape.
Weiss lay atop the covers of her bed, curled up. Doing her best to cry out her anger, as she wouldn’t be allowed to do so tomorrow. When would be the next time she lay here, in her own room, alone? Soon, she would be forced into the bed of a complete stranger. The thought of sleeping besides him , of this presence in the dark, made her stomach clench with a cold dread, nausea, even.
She might have drowned in that misery all night, but the quiet click of her bedroom door broke the silence, her mother entering.
Weiss did not bother to turn. She kept her eyes closed shut in anger, her jaw tight. She did nothing.
Of all people, her mother knew what it was like to be chained into a loveless marriage. Willow knew the suffocating loneliness, the sadness and the slowly-dissappearing hope that came with it; And yet, she had stood by and watched as her own daughter was condemned to the very same fate. The silence in the room was heavier than any argument, it was filled with the weight of betrayal.
Willow sat on the edge of the bed, the matress dipping with her weight. Weiss felt, more than heard, her mother draw a deep breath before she spoke. “We’re sailing to Vale tomorrow morning,” That scent of wine… She’s been drinking again . Weiss couldn’t even blame her; she wished she could drown her own sorrows just as easily. “I am so sorry, Weiss.”
“Were you happy?” Weiss asked, refusing to grant her mother a single look.
A pause. “Excuse me?“
“With him. Were you ever happy? Did you ever…love him?” The question was nothing but a desperate plea, if her escape failed, if this was truly what her future was going to be, she needed some solace to cling to.
Weiss couldn’t see her mother’s expression, but she could just tell she wasn’t exactly smiling or anything similar. The silence was enough. “There were times I thought I could,” Willow said finally, her voice thin. “Then things became…difficult.” Weiss flinched as a hand gently stroked her hair, a sudden comfort that she hadn’t felt for a long time.
It had been years since her mother had offered her such a gesture. She was a grown woman now, a knight, yet she still craved that warmth with the desperation of a hurt little kid. “But something good came from it,” Willow whispered. “I have you and your siblings.”
That nauseating, cold feeling inside of Weiss’ guts just intensified. Her mother’s words were of no comfort, those words being as hollow as the countless empty bottles lining the castle’s pantries.
“The thought of having children only for them to suffer my fate brings me no comfort, Mother.” She added, more to herself, “Or having them at all.”
This. This was her greatest fear.
Would this… be her destiny from now on? The thought of ending up like her mother, defenseless in her own throne, seeking refuge in bottles and sorrow. The image was a premonition, a ghost of her own future. It was all the fuel she needed, a spark that ignited her determination. She would escape once they set foot on Vale.
Willow sighed, a sound of utter defeat. When Weiss finally turned to look, she noticed that the sorrow in her mother’s eyes was a mirror of her own. “I’m so sorry,” Willow repeated, her voice cracking. “I had no say in this, I fear it was for the best.”
Weiss bit her tongue until she tasted blood, a single tear running down her cheek.
“If it’s of any consolation,” Willow weakly offered, “I’ve heard the Rose family is well-known for it’s kindness.”
“I don’t want a kind fiancé.” Weiss choked out. “I don’t want one at all .”
“I know, my girl,” Willow murmured, pulling her hand back. “But there’s nothing we can do.”
Weiss didn't quite notice when her mother left the room, nor did she care.
She was only praying for this nightmare to end, desperate to put a face and a name to the man who would steal her freedom.
Weiss barely even noticed when she was being led into the ship, accompanied by the hand of her mother and a couple guards from the castle. The deafening cheering from the crowd being what snapped her out from her trance. Her crown felt as heavy as her burdens, and she knew that the furious frown painted on her face was visible to the entirety of the crowd. Not that she cared about looking happy while walking to her doom.
The last words her father had spoken to her before she sailed away with Willow, would echo inside her mind for the remainder of the trip. A grim reminder of what was to come, about what was going to be her future once she arrived in Vale.
“Remember to smile for your future husband. He won’t want to see you upset. You better make it work.”
Make it work. How could she make a loveless prison work?, Even if she wanted to; It was simply impossible to give her life, her heart, her ambition to a complete stranger.
If the prince awaiting for her was as egocentric or anything like her father, she was doomed. Or at least doomed until she figured out a way to escape.
For two days, the ship cut through the waves, carrying her towards that fate. Weiss didn’t do much during their trip to Vale, during a great part of the voyage, Weiss limited herself to look to the sea from the deck. It was the only place where she could find comfort.
There was not much else to do. She actively avoided the crew, aware that the sailors would surely talk to her about how good it was for her to get married off to another kingdom. How fortunate she was to be sold to the Rose house. The little things she overheard about what would be her “family” from now on, was that they usually treated their workers and merchants very well.
She heard about little acts of kindness that had forever stuck with the captains and sailors around the ship; it was noticeable they couldn’t really say the same about Atlesians.
In their silence towards her, Weiss felt their judgement. They surely saw her as a reflection of her father, and a small, honest part of her couldn’t entirely disagree. Perhaps she was just as arrogant , only better at hiding it (Sometimes.)
Out there, with the seemingly endless blue sea blending into the sky; The weight on Weiss’ shoulders eased for a moment.
There were no duties, no titles, no expectations. It felt refreshing. While she was at the sea, there was technically nothing she was expected to do. There were no duties, no title behind her name.
She was able to let her mind go blank, and it was exactly what she needed, not wanting to think about what could come next for her.
It soothed her a little whenever she was able to see the faint shadow of some sea animals, a couple of dolphins crossed their paths at the sea. They moved in a swift of freedom that made her chest ache. They were free, everything she was not.
Sleep was a new enemy. Weiss couldn’t tell if it evaded her because of the constant, gentle rocking of the ship, or because waking meant she was one day closer to her cage of a marriage.
Sleeping meant a fast forward to her future imprisonment, to the goodbye of her duties as a knight. If insomnia meant that she could enjoy her freedom for a little more, she would gladly embrace it. If exhaustion was the price for a few more moments of being herself, she would gladly pay it.
Weiss surrendered to it on the second night. Her routine unchanged: observing the beauty of the sea and listening to the crew’s praises of the family that was about to own her along with other rumors. As for her mother? They moved around each other in a heavy silence.
There was nothing left to say; everything had been already told, and silence was enough for them. Weiss didn’t want to hear her mother’s pity for her, she could already see it. And she decided she wanted none of it.
The silence persisted even as her mother prepared her for the arrival awaiting them in Vale’s shore. Weiss stood impassive as Willow adjusted the heavy cloak in her shoulders and smoothed the folds of a dress that was nothing compared to the armor Weiss loved to wear. At last, she was glad the gown was long and flowing, big enough to serve her purpose. Beneath the silk, cool and familiar steel against her leg, Myrtenaster was hidden and with her at all times. Her secret promise of rebellion nobody had noticed.
When they walked down the gangplank of the ship, she was received by four people, who had been waiting for her arrival on the docks.
There were the royals of Vale, Queen Summer Rose, whose warm smile seemed genuine, and her prince consort, Taiyang Xiao Long, his posture a little more relaxed.
Behind stood an intimidating knight in armor, whose helmet resembled a mask more than any other familiar design expected for a helmet. It resembled a grimm. Their sword was broad and long, it looked heavy to Weiss’ trained eye. And, having been used to Myrtenaster’s lightness, it felt odd to see it. But it was the fourth person who had stolen her attention. In front of the royals stood a young lady, perhaps a year or two younger than herself, with bright, beautiful silver eyes that resembled the Queen’s and a beautiful red cloack.
As Weiss met her gaze, something within her shifted. The tension in her eyes that she hadn’t even realized she was holding simply… released. The frown she had worn began to melt away. This girl was surely the sister of her intended husband, but, her only presence had brought her a strange sense of peace.
She could hear some of the crew whispering around . “Ha! I told you, she was all sad-looking during the whole trip because she’s not used to traveling! Look how happy she looks to be in front of her fiancée!”
Speaking of whom— His future husband was nowhere to be seen. The only man present among the royals in the reception was the king. Was her fiancé irresponsible enough to not greet his own bride? How hopeful for her people, if he wasn’t responsible enough to show up to meet the one he would marry, he surely wouldn’t be responsible enough to take care of a whole kingdom.
Or… Even better, he wouldn’t be responsible enough to notice it when she was gone.
Willow and Weiss offered formal bows, which the Queen of Vale returned with a warm smile as she led them towards the waiting carriage. “It is a pleasure to welcome you to our home, Your majesty, Your highness. We are so glad to have this chance to make both of our kingdoms stronger through this alliance.”
As the queen spoke, Weiss became aware of the princess in the red cloak walking almost too close besides her. The girl kept glancing at her, her silver eyes wide and expecting, as if she were waiting for a cue Weiss did not know how to give, or what it was.
Weiss didn’t quite participate in the conversation more than was necessary, trying to maintain the lowest possible profile for an heir to the crown. One question consumed her thoughts over all else. Where in the world is this guy? She stole glances at her mother, waiting for any kind of answer, but Willow’s own carefully neutral expression couldn’t hide a similar hint of confusion.
The tension became almost unbearable once they were all seated in the carriage— The princess, for some reason, took the seat that was directly besides Weiss.
Once they were away from the cheering crowds, Willow finally found the strength to address the issue. “Your majesty,” she began, her voice a soft model of diplomacy. “I hope you forgive my indiscretion but…Where is the prince?”
Summer’s smile faded slightly, her head tilted in genuine confusion. “The prince?” She repeated, looking to Taiyang, then to her knight, both of them simply shrugged. “Don’t you mean, the princess?” When Willow shook her head no, Summer’s expression cleared, a hint of realization on her face. “Ah. We have no sons,” she explained gently. “Just our two daughters. One of whom is right here. Ruby, dear, you haven’t introduced yourself.”
Ruby. So that was her name.
The girl in question startled, fumbling her words in a rush of awkwardness and energy. “Oh right! My manners! I’m Ruby, Ruby Rose.” She offered a handshake to Willow and Weiss, Ruby’s own hand trembling slightly. Weiss simply watched her, perplexed. Why was she the nervous one? She wasn’t the one being married off to a stranger!
Wait. If there were no sons, how could she marry the prince of Vale? Had he been adopted? Was he from another branch of the family?
Willow cleared her throat, navigating through the diplomatic minefield with precise care. “Ruby is a charming young lady, but we have come for a specific reason. The agreement states that Weiss is going to marry the Prince of Vale.” Her voice remained calm, but a thread of confusion between her firmness was unmistakable. From a pocket, she pulled out the letter that had sealed her daughter’s fate and began to read it aloud.
“Dearest Queen and King Schnee of the land of Atlas,
It is our pleasure to accept this invitation to unite our kingdoms, an alliance to be consummated by the marriage of our two heirs.
We have but one condition: a considerable period of time before any ceremony, for our heirs to meet and grow accustomed to one another. Love, after all, needs time to bloom.
This proposal arrives at an opportune moment, as we have been seeking a suitable bride for our prince for a long time.”
The letter was longer, but Willow decided to stop reading right there, her voice emphasizing on the word prince.
Summer’s brow furrowed. After a moment of charged silence, she spoke. “May I see the letter?”
Willow passed the letter across, As she read, Summer’s expression shifted from confusion to disbelief, then to mortification. “This letter was translated into the Atlesian language…”
“It was,” Willow clarified, her posture stiffening. “We have no problem understanding your language, nonetheless, It is protocol. All official correspondence must be translated to ensure it contains no threats.”
“You should find a new translator,” Summer said flatly, pinching the bridge of her nose. The frustration in the gesture was sharp. “We never wrote the word prince , the original text reads princess . We were looking for a bride for Ruby .” She paused, letting the weight of her next words settle. “Your translator must have assumed it was a mistake.”
Oh.
Suddenly, everything clicked into place. Well. That explains the prince’s absence. And Ruby’s nervous, expectant glances.
It all made a horrifying kind of sense. Weiss wasn’t sure if that information made her feel any better. Yes, she wouldn’t be bound to a man but, she would still be bound to a stranger. She risked a glance at her mother, Willow looked paler than she’d ever seen her, her eyes wide with a familiar look of shame.
Weiss knew this wasn’t about her mother’s view on such things. The shock was from the colossal mistake. And said mistake brought the single, terrifying question that now lingered in both their minds. How do we tell Jacques? He was the one who insisted on Weiss marrying a man
The silence on the carriage became suffocating. It was Summer who finally broke it with a delicate cough, her voice regaining it’s calm, yet now underlined with steel. “I trust this…inconvenient doesn’t alter the arrangement? Your kingdom insisted on its urgency after all.” She left the statement hanging in the air. “Breaking such a deal, which you began and insisted on so much in the first place, could cause significant… issues.”
Ruby seemed to shrink into her seat, refusing to meet anyone’s eyes.
“Oh, no! No, Of course not,” Willow stammered, her hands twisting in her lap. The desperate wish to be anywhere else was written all over her face. “We simply need a moment to… process this.”
“Good,” Summer said, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. “Excellent. We can discuss the finer details over dinner. That should give you both plenty of time to think.”
Her mother simply nodded, a silent surrender to a situation spiraling out of control. But beneath the chaos of this monumental kind of mistake, Weiss saw an opportunity, the perfect chance.
Her father wanted to punish her with a prince he had cherry-picked? To sell her for political gain? Fine. She would play his game and win.
Weiss would embrace this farce with open arms, marry the sweet, naive-looking princess, and fake every ounce of joy required for the marriage to happen. Faking love for a woman wouldn’t be difficult; her preference for them was the very reason she was into this mess. She could do this. She could twist her punishment into her own triumph, earn her freedom, and live the life of a knight she was owed. And she had been given just the right tools.
Make it work, Her father had ordered. Oh, she would gladly make it work, just not in the way he ever imagined.
As the carriage halted and the doors opened, the thought had solidified into action. They had arrived. The castle was immense, though its architecture felt older, less ruthlessly modern than the palace of Atlas. It’s not like Weiss cared about it but it was one of the little details she could notice.
As everyone else stepped out, Weiss sank gracefully to one knee on the ground. Directly in front of Ruby.
A collective sharp intake of breath came from the people around them. The girl herself looked utterly dazzled, her silver eyes wide with shock.
Weiss gently took the princess’ hand, the gesture as natural to her as breathing. Her years of training, the ingrained chivalry of a knight, took over. “I believe I have forgotten to give myself a proper introduction,” she said, her smile practiced and charming. “My name is Weiss Schnee, Miss Rose. It is my deepest hope that this arrangement brings us both great happiness.”
Ruby’s face seemed to say a lot of things only using her eyes. She stared for a second, the surprise of such a gesture was followed with a delighted chuckle. “There’s no need to kneel, Weiss! But… I’m glad, I hope this goes well for us as well.” Her smile was radiant, and as Weiss rose, she found herself returning it.
But this smile was different. It wasn’t the calculated mask she had prepared. A genuine warmth bloomed in her chest, so unexpected it almost made her feel dizzy.
Across the courtyard, she could see her mother with an expression of what was pretty much polite horror. In contrast, the Rose family seemed to be blooming with joy. The difference was so pronounced it was almost comical.
Weiss offered Ruby her arm. With a hint of hesitation, yet a faint smile of excitement touching her lips, the princess took it, and together they walked arm-to-arm into the castle.
Well, this arrangement would be certainly entertaining.