Chapter 58: The Schemer
'From a scholarly point of view, the influence that Lady Ruby and her friends exerted on Essos was, therefore, of a strictly indirect manner, through those members of the Order, and the faithful heeding their teachings, who later ventured to Essos. Yet, despite the clear records - the chronicles of the Order detail their campaigns quite succinctly - many places in Essos claim to have been visited by some or all of the Four Maidens. And in a disgraceful example of gross injustice, many brave deeds done by members of the Orders were, in myth and folktales, attributed to the Four Maidens instead, something the Four Maidens would have condemned strongly if they had known about it. In addition, this disgusting practice also significantly impedes any attempt by a diligent scholar to separate fact from fiction.'
A Treatise On The Ruby Order, by Maester Kennet Bracken
*****
Fregar Manor, Purple Harbor, Braavos, 299 AC
Albero Prestayn was used to smiling at his worst enemies - no man could hope to rise to any position of importance in Braavos who could not put on a polite, friendly mask in public. Not that any man of importance would actually be fooled by such a facade, of course. Lord Tormo was well aware that House Prestayn opposed his blatantly clear attempt to position himself as the current Sealord's successor. But to openly show your contempt for your opponent simply was not done - not until they were already doomed and posed no threat any more, and even then, gloating too much would reduce your standing in the eyes of your peers.
But Albero knew Lord Tormo and Braavos. Verbally fencing with a despised rival, barbs barely hidden beneath the thinnest veneer of manners, while being surrounded by the other men of importance in the City was one thing. Facing the Ruby Order was another.
Those girls were not born and raised in Braavos, but foreigners visiting the City. They were not even from Westeros, which, while not as sophisticated as the City, was a known quantity itself, its culture, if not familiar, then at least not alien. Albero might not be able to sweep through the Court at King's Landing as if he were born to a Westerosi noble house, but he knew which lines couldn't be crossed and which were more flexible. And, of course, any visitor from Westeros would be aware that this wasn't their home, and that neither their customs nor their power were regarded as superior in the City - quite the contrary.
But those girls had visited the Sealord on the day of their arrival - Albero's sources had confirmed the timing of the meeting - and then had visited the House of Black and White. Albero hadn't been able to find out what had taken place in there, but the fact that their visit had taken so long, yet none of them had received the temple's 'gift', left no doubt that they had come to an arrangement with the Faceless Men.
Either visit would have hinted at the girls possessing power and influence in the City beyond anyone else from Westeros. Both taken together? Only a fool would not exercise as much caution as possible when approaching them, even more so given the expertly portrayed mask of naive honesty that their leader wore. Whether they truly had formed an alliance with the House of Black and White, as some of Albero's peers claimed, or whether they were powerful enough to force the Faceless Men to stop attacking them, they posed a lethal danger either way.
And Albero had to face said danger because after the girls had visited the Sealord and the Faceless Men, they had chosen to visit Lord Tormo's soirée. Should they ally with the greatest rival of his own House, Albero and his family's fate would surely take a turn for the worse. Whether that meant their own ambitions would be wrecked or that the Faceless Men would strike from the shadows didn't matter; Albero was an experienced player in the game and knew that either fate would result in his ruin.
At least, he had managed to throw some doubt on Lord Tormo's appeal as an ally. It would have been better if the boy knight had been hurt or killed - that would have made Lord Tormo lose so much face, no one would have joined with him in any venture, both mercantile and political, without excessive concessions on his part - but having bravos accost and duel his honoured guests would damage his reputation and standing already. No bravo would dare to offend him if they didn't think he was too weak to retaliate for the slight. Not unless they were both too proud and too greedy for their own good, as Ketro had proven to be. So, if someone did, the conclusion was evident - Lord Tormo was too weak to retaliate.
Money well spent, in Albero's opinion. Especially since Ketro had been courteous enough to die in the duel, so Albero wouldn't have to ensure his silence.
But damaging Lord Tormo's reputation wasn't enough. If Albero wanted to advance his own fortune and not merely sabotage his rival's plans, he would have to woo those girls. And he only knew that they had the power to destroy him but not what would set them on such a course, nor what would sway them to his side. It was worse than trying to make a deal with a Dothraki warrior without a trusted interpreter; at least with those savages, money would always be enough.
It was a testament to Albero's experience, talent and self-control that his smile didn't slip as he approached Lady Yang, the boy knight and the huge wolf - a dire wolf, or so he had heard. If that beast went out of control, Albero doubted his retainers could stall it long enough for him to escape.
He pushed such disturbing thoughts away. He was here for the girl. As the half-sister of their leader, older yet lesser in status, she would be looking for ways to improve her own position, which meant she would be most receptive to offers of alliance such as his family's. But the fact that she was with the boy knight... Were they a couple? He had heard the scandalous rumours about the four girls and the boy, but anyone of importance had such rumours circulate. Of course, those rumours were not nearly as outrageous as the rumours about the girls and the Black Pearl that tonight's soirée would be starting…
The girl had noticed him already despite the distance. Albero made a mental note that she couldn't be too taken with the boy or she would have paid more attention to him; he wouldn't have to pretend to fawn over the boy to earn her good graces, then. Good. The more lies one had to juggle, the greater was the risk of slipping up, as his uncle had taught him. Although he didn't think that the danger of either the girl or the boy catching a lie was very high. The boy was a Westerosi and, as Albero had been able to confirm through personal observation, as unsuited to the game as the tales claimed, and while the girls were not Westerosi, and their rise to power in that realm showed that they were a cut above the boorish nobles of the western continent, they were not nearly as experienced as Albero and his peers and unfamiliar with Braavos's sophisticated society.
No, this would…
"Hey, Blake!"
What was the girl doing? Was she…?
"Yang. Jon."
Albero jerked. How had the other girl - the quiet girl - sneaked up on him? Had his retinue gone blind and deaf?
"And hello….?" Lady Yang smiled at him, exposing perfect, white teeth as she asked after his name in a crude fashion. Definitely uncultured.
"Lord. Lord Albero Prestayn," he answered, bowing his head lower than he liked, but while the girls weren't royalty, they had never claimed a throne, they wielded power he lacked - which was the reason he was approaching them in the first place. So it paid to be as polite as possible without appearing servile. "Lady Yang, Lady Blake, Ser Jon."
"Yeah, that's us," Lady Yang said with a chuckle. "Though I guess everyone knows that, right?"
Crude. Then again, that should only help him forge an alliance with her. But with Lady Blake here, who must have been sent to keep an eye on Lady Yang, likely under the pretext of serving as a chaperone, that would be more difficult than Albero had hoped. Unless she could be turned as well. Though Lady Ruby wouldn't have two such weaknesses in her retinue and still hold her position, not so far from their home. No, Albero would have to change tacks and use Lady Yang to reach Lady Ruby.
He smiled and started the dance. "I hope you won't let that boorish man who accosted your friend ruin your impression of Bravos, my lady. I can assure you that he is not a good example of our city. It's quite regrettable that he was allowed to challenge you, ser."
"Nobody is perfect, and every city has some idiots," Lady Yang replied. "Beacon has its share of fools as well."
Lady Blake snorted at that but otherwise kept silent.
Was she the lowest-ranked of the group? Albero wondered while he nodded. "Would that be your home?"
"Our home away from home. It's the combat academy we study at," Lady Yang replied.
"Ah." What was a 'combat academy'?
She snorted like her friend. "It's a school for learning how to hunt Grimm. Covers both practical lessons and theory. Grimm are monsters that prey on humans."
Albero didn't want a lesson about things he couldn't care less about, but as long as it made him appear interested, he would play along. "I see. Your world must be very different from our own."
"Definitely." She smiled again, though it looked a little… longing.
If this was a facade, then she was a talented actress - Albero knew quite a few, so he could tell. If this was genuine… "So, the rumours are true. You were stranded here."
"Yeah." And the smile was gone for a moment, before it returned with more shiny teeth showing. "But we will return home."
"Of course. Is that the reason for your visit to our City?" That would be a good way to approach the subject that he really cared about.
"No." She was grinning again. It was getting annoying, not that he would show that. "We were here to deal with a personal problem."
Lady Blake snorted softly once more, yet, again, didn't speak. Neither did the boy knight, but it was obvious that he was a mere retainer for the girls. A favourite one, given he was the only one with them and handled the massive wolf Albero tried his best to ignore, but not a person of actual importance. Lady Blake, though, remained a factor Albero couldn't really place. There was a tension between the two girls, the way they glanced at each other and then broke eye contact said enough, but what was behind it? An old rivalry? He had to find out, but first… "The Faceless Men." A rumour, but it sounded convincing, and he could always blame an unnamed friend to tell him the story if he was proven wrong.
"Yep. But we settled with them. We should be fine now. We better be," she added with a smile that would have done a Dothraki justice. Or so Albero assumed - he had, fortunately, never met one of the savages.
He nodded in response and changed the topic; only a fool would dig further without knowing more about how the girls had settled things with the House of Black and White - the Faceless Men had, no doubt, their eyes on them. "That business aside, how are you enjoying the City?"
Lady Yang shrugged. "It's kind of nice. Very different from our home, but so's Westeros." She smiled, showing her teeth. "Though the whole duelling stuff is putting a damper on things. Can't really enjoy a tour through the city if you have to deal with idiots looking for a fight at every corner."
He suppressed his anger at foreigners disparaging the City with the ease of long practice. It wouldn't help if he claimed that the bravos didn't roam the city; that was more a custom than a rule, and he had just exploited that to embarrass Lord Tormo. So he smiled in apparent sympathy. "It can be a bother, though, if you don't wear a sword, you are safe from them." He pointedly glanced at his own belt, where only a dagger hung in a scabbard.
Lady Yang scoffed and looked at Lady Blake, who was wearing a sword, although not in a scabbard at her hip but strapped to her back in a manner Albero had only seen a few sellswords from the east use before. "Two of my friends have swords, and back home, it's considered very rude to tell a Huntress to put her weapon away."
He chuckled with the right amount of self-deprecation. "Well, I doubt any bravo worthy of the name will challenge a lady to a duel."
"Just as they wouldn't challenge a guest of Lord Tormo to a duel at this soirée." Lady Blake spoke in a casual tone, but her eyes…
She couldn't know he had bribed Ketro. She couldn't. Albero told himself that while he tried to shift around a bit so he could keep an eye on both girls. Obviously, his retainers couldn't be trusted to do so if they had let Lady Blake sneak up on him.
"Yeah. Like with knights, it isn't the ones who take their honour seriously that we worry about. It's the ones who don't," Lady Yang said. "Not that they would be a threat, of course. Not even if all of them came at us together. But dealing with idiots who don't know when they're totally outclassed is a bother."
She sounded like the typical bravo boasting about his prowess with his blade when he had had a bit too much wine. And yet, what Albero had heard from people who had seen them throw grown men twenty yards or more, and what he had confirmed from sailors who had seen them walk through fire in King's Landing, she might not be boasting at all. But this was an opening he had been waiting for.
"Of course," he agreed with a friendly smile. "Although, I think everyone here should consider themselves fortunate that you won't hold the actions of a few fools against the City. You could easily conquer it, after all."
Lady Yang chuckled, and not like a lady would, delicately, but like a man, loud and from her belly. "Oh, no! The last thing we want is to conquer any place! We want to return home, not get stuck here for even longer."
Albero laughed with her. If he didn't know how absurd her claim was, he'd believe her - she sounded sincere. But this was likely the official stance of Lady Ruby, trying to keep her retinue from taking off and conquering their own realms, should they find themselves unsatisfied with their current positions under her. Or if Lady Ruby turned out to be not as pliable as her young age would indicate. "That fills me with relief, my lady," he said. "The Sealord's health has us worried enough about his succession without foreigners becoming involved."
Lady Yang feigned confusion. "The Sealord's sick?"
"His health has been deteriorating," Albero told her. "His potential successors - our host is the leading candidate according to rumour - have been gathering support for some time now."
Lady Yang blinked. "Ah! And some will think we support Lord Tormo because he invited us to his party!"
Albero once more adjusted his estimate of her. She was more subtle than he had thought, faking surprise at the obvious situation to mock those concerns… But did that mean there was an alliance set already? No. Lord Tormo would have acted differently if that had been the case. He wouldn't have attempted to monopolise the Four Maidens' attention as he had if he already secured their support - and he would have had to achieve that before they arrived, even; he didn't have enough time to make a deal since the girls had set foot in the City. No, the subtle mockery was an invitation to offer a better deal. "None of those with a stake in the succession would assume so, my lady - it's obvious that Lord Tormo is still trying to court your support."
"Better than him trying to court us," Lady Yang replied with a scoff.
Albero knew better than to think the disdain he heard was more than a signal, true or not, of being open to rival bids for their support. He nodded anyway. "Perish the thought!"
It wasn't as if anyone who had paid the slightest attention to the four girls would think they were open to such proposals, anyway; half the nobility of Westeros had attempted to forge marriage alliances, including the royal family, and all had been rebuked.
"But perhaps we should return inside. Wouldn't want to leave Ruby and Weiss to handle Lord Tormo and the Black Pearl by themselves," Lady Yang went on.
They hadn't dismissed him! Albero was too skilled and experienced at those games to miss the opportunity to join them as they started walking back to the ballroom, though, while he made idle chat, his thoughts raced. Was that a warning that Lord Tormo was making headway with his obvious attempts to get the girls' support? Or a sign that Lady Yang was challenging her sister's position by interfering with the negotiations? And what was the Black Pearl's role? Was she more than another feather in Lord Tormo's cap? Was he counting on her to sway the girls? Or was she interfering for reasons of her own? If so, who might have paid her to do so? And why hadn't Albero thought of such a ploy?
But most importantly, was Lady Yang bringing him along to shut down the negotiations, or was she expecting Albero and Lord Tormo to face off as if this were a public auction? That would be absurd; alliances were forged in private, discreetly, not in public - and certainly not in the presence of a rival faction.
And yet, Lady Yang had clearly stressed that in her home, things were done differently… Albero couldn't help shivering slightly at that daunting, yet also exciting, prospect.
*****
"While I do not doubt your claim that bravos rarely duel to the death, the fact remains that they can do so and, demonstrably in our case, did so. That doesn't fill me with confidence that this won't be repeated."
Ruby Rose nodded. Weiss was, as she often (but not always; Ruby's partner was great but not perfect) was, correct. Lord Tormo should just admit that. Instead of trying to deny it.
"If bravos duelled to the death as a norm, the City would have soon run out of them," Tormo still tried. "A bravo usually surrenders when his opponent achieves first blood, as it is called when you wound your opponent before suffering one yourself."
"'Usually'," Weiss repeated with a scoff. "Just as bravos 'usually' don't challenge your guests to a duel in your home."
Lord Tormo scowled at that before smiling again - though even Ruby could tell he didn't mean it. The smile, that was. Not the scowl. That looked honest. "They don't," he said, more sharply than before. Not as sharp as Professor Goodwitch's tone when she scolded you, though. "Had Ketro survived, he would have suffered the consequences for embarrassing me like this."
"And what would those consequences have entailed?" Weiss asked. "As we were given to understand, he broke no law. Would he have ended up ostracised? Or would you have paid a bravo to kill him?"
Ostracised…? Oh, right. Weiss had mentioned that before. It meant 'shunned'.
Lord Tormo gasped. "Bravos aren't paid assassins!"
Weiss sniffed in that way of hers that made you feel as if you had just said the stupidest thing you could think of. Ruby was familiar with that.
Lord Tormo obviously was as well, since he frowned again.
The Black Pearl softly chuckled. "Oh, they aren't supposed to be, but it's an open secret that some of them value money more than they value their honour or integrity. Though few would dare say so lest they risk being challenged to a duel themselves."
"That doesn't sound very honourable at all," Ruby commented. Lord Tormo looked at her as if she had said something weird. "That sounds more like bullies," she went on.
"'Bullies'?" the Black Pearl asked.
"People who use force and threats to make others suffer," Weiss explained before Ruby could. "Often forcing their victims to do things for them, or extorting money from them."
"That sounds like the Dothraki," Lord Tormo said "Surely you can't compare bravos to those barbarians!"
"It seems mostly a difference in scale and scope, not in principle," Weiss told him.
"Yeah!" Ruby nodded firmly. Abusing your power was wrong. Of course, sacking cities was worse than bullying Jaune, much worse, but that didn't mean what Winchester had done was right. And they were talking about murdering people here, she reminded herself. Maybe the others needed that reminder as well? "We're talking about people getting killed here," she told them.
The Black Pearl nodded - she seemed to agree with Ruby. Well, why wouldn't she?
Lord Tormo, on the other hand, was scowling again. "The difference in scope and scale matters quite a lot, I'd say, my ladies. Not that I would condone either behaviour, of course," he added with a smile that didn't seem honest.
"So, that would mean a bravo breaking the rules would still be protected by said rules?" Weiss shook her head. "That seems unfair and prone to abuse."
Ruby frowned a little, then nodded again. "Like the trial by combat in Westeros. If you're strong enough, you can break the law and won't get punished."
The Black Pearl's smile turned a bit… sad, Ruby thought. "I think that is common everywhere. If you are powerful enough, you are above both law and customs."
Ruby was about to say that wasn't true back home, but Weiss nodded emphatically. "Yes, indeed. You might have to be a bit less blatant about it than in Westeros, but that's not really a hindrance for those with the means."
"Surely men of honour wouldn't ignore blatantly dishonourable behaviour!" Lord Tormo protested.
Ruby narrowed her eyes at him. Hadn't he just explained himself that that was how it worked?
"In my experience, they will as long as they have a handy excuse. Such as a convenient counter-claim," Weiss told him. Oh. She must be talking about her father. Who sounded like a worse scumbag the more Ruby heard about him. Not that Weiss was talking a lot about her father, and Ruby surely wasn't going to ask her about him. Though, maybe she should…? "I doubt you are a stranger to how rumours can be generated and spread to hurt others, my lord."
"Ah, who among us hasn't been hurt by such malignant rumours?" Lord Tormo laughed.
"Ah, Ser Jon returns with your friends!" the Black Pearl said, smiling and looking over Ruby's shoulder.
As Ruby turned, she could see Yang, Blake, Jon, Ghost and a man she didn't know entering the ballroom from the garden. People were giving them space, more than before - either because Jon had killed a man, or because Ghost was looking around with his mouth open. Probably hoping to get some treats; Zwei acted the same way back home.
Well, she could help there. She grabbed a plate from one of the waiters with some more of those grilled meat pieces on it, munched one to check if they were good, then held out one to Ghost. "Here, boy!"
Ghost chuffed and sped up, opening his mouth wide, and Ruby let him take the treat from her hand. "Good boy!"
Yang chuckled, Blake had her stony 'I'm not afraid of dogs' face, Jon blinked for some reason, and Weiss was definitely jealous.
"Lord Albero." Lord Tormo didn't sound pleased, and Ruby thought it wasn't because she had just fed Ghost. He nodded at the now-named man with a pretty thin smile. Like Professor Goodwitch's smile when she didn't like what the Headmaster was saying.
"Lord Tormo." Lord Albero returned the smile and nod. "I was just telling Lady Yang and Lady Blake how unfortunate it was that your splendid soirée was ruined by an unfortunate duel."
"I wouldn't say it was ruined," Lord Tormo said. "Master Ketro challenged the wrong opponent and paid the price. Such is life as a bravo. Hardly something that will ruin a soirée, as unpleasant as it was to discover that the late bravo held custom and manners in such low esteem that he abused my hospitality."
Ruby frowned. Lord Tormo had shown more concern before, hadn't he? She fed Ghost another piece of meat while she tried to remember what exactly he had said. It was…
"Ser Jon. I've been missing you." The Black Pearl beamed at Jon, who was still looking at Ruby's plate with a weird expression. Maybe he wanted some as well? She held the plate out to him with one hand and fended off Ghost with the other when he tried to chomp down on it.
"Thank you, my lady," Jon replied. Then he turned to face the Black Pearl and quickly said: "My lady. I might be mistaken, and if I am, I beg your pardon, but you seem to be interested in my, ah, company. I need to tell you that, in light of the potential consequences, I cannot return your interest. The fault is mine." He bowed his head.
Ruby glanced at Weiss. That sounded like something she would say, but her partner was as surprised as everyone else, except for Yang and Blake…
"I was merely flirting a little, but your stance is noted." The Black Pearl's smile hadn't changed at all, Ruby noted, so she couldn't tell if Jon had been wrong or not. She'd have to ask the others later what this was about. Right after talking about the duel.
It seemed that this would be a longer talk than she had thought.
*****
Weiss Schnee was slightly torn about how she should feel about Jon telling off the Courtesan. On one hand, it was very satisfying to see him refuse the clearly unwanted advances of the woman so firmly and decidedly, without a hint of his earlier stuttering embarrassment. On the other hand, bereft of her latest target, the courtesan might turn back to bother Ruby.
Alternatively, the publicly scorned woman - 'merely flirting'? No one who had seen her all but throw herself at the boy would believe that claim! - might take her anger out on Jon, but that could be far more easily handled, in her opinion - the potential damage the courtesan could do was already limited because they wouldn't be staying that much longer in Braavos, so any attempt to besmirch Jon's reputation wouldn't last long or affect him significantly. The only realistic danger Weiss could see was setting a bravo on Jon under a pretext, though given the attitudes they had encountered, some of those idiots might do that without any prompting in the hope of earning the courtesan's favour.
She took a closer step to Ruby - masking her intent by grabbing a few pieces of meat to feed the adorable Ghost - and smiled encouragingly at Jon. She was tempted to compliment him, but that might be a bit too blatant; she would hate to appear uncouth. Even though the courtesan's opinion didn't matter in the end, she had a reputation to maintain as a Schnee, and, different world or not, it wouldn't do to commit a fauxpas.
Lord Albero, obviously not a friend of their host, nodded at Jon. "So, you are a knight sworn to chastity, Ser Jon? Like the Kingsguard?"
"No, my lord. Knights of the Ruby Order are not sworn to chastity," Jon replied - and he was blushing a little. And, Weiss noted, the courtesan's eyes narrowed a little. "But I will not risk fathering a bastard." He met the noble's eyes with a firm expression.
Weiss half-expected the courtesan to mention that she was using protection - this world had reliable contraception methods, which had been a bit of a surprise for Weiss when she had discovered this, for purely incidental and academical reasons, of course, given the general state of things - but she didn't; she must know, of course, that such a comment would have made her look desperate.
"A noble intention many more young men should follow." Lord Tormo nodded in such obvious approval, he couldn't make it more blatant that he was trying to flatter Jon in order to get into Team RWBY's good graces if he tried. He had been more subtle about his intentions at the start of the evening, Weiss noted, but since the duel, he had become more… she wouldn't call it desperate, but he came over far too forcefully. Was that because of Ruby not picking up his more subtle hints? Or did he think she was baiting him?
"Not just the young men." Lord Albero smiled a bit too sweetly, making it obvious what he was insinuating about their host.
Lord Tormo, though, nodded and turned to Weiss. "And here's an example of what we were just talking about, my lady."
Weiss didn't like to fan the flames, and she liked being instrumentalised in whatever rivalry those two men had even less, but she couldn't snub their host over that; certainly not without knowing more about this whole affair. "The malignant rumours?"
"Exactly!" Lord Tormo beamed at her, just like Father's sycophants used to do back when she performed at his parties and then had to mingle afterwards, then turned to smirk at Lord Albero as if he had just won a great victory.
Lord Albero smiled with more teeth showing than a hungry beowolf. "Oh, I didn't mean you when I was talking about men who had to avoid fathering bastards. You are the last man in the City I would suspect of such a deed, my lord."
Long experience allowed Weiss to keep her face impassive and act as if she had missed what the man had just insinuated, even though she wanted to wince. Men tended to take insults to their manhood very badly.
Fortunately, the Black Pearl didn't react at all, and Weiss's friends either managed to keep their reactions from showing - although Yang's lips were pursed as if she were silently whistling - or had genuinely not understood the insult, such as in Ruby and Jon's case.
But then Jon gasped and stared at Lord Tormo with a mixture of shock and, worse, pity, and Lord Tormo's face froze for a moment. "You dare to insult me like this? In my own home?"
Lord Albero looked surprised for a moment, then shook his head with a fake smile. "No insult was intended at all. I was merely agreeing with you that any rumours that you fathered a bastard were utterly baseless."
The Black Pearl had taken a step back, Weiss noted. In contrast, the various guests watching them had come closer. Like sharks smelling blood in the water, she thought. Or Braavosi hoping to see another duel - they had certainly demonstrated an unsettling taste for such 'entertainment'.
"I know what you meant, my lord," Lord Tormo spat. "Just as I know who tried to get Ser Jon killed to embarrass me."
Lord Albero gasped while whispers grew louder amongst the watchers. "You accuse me of such a deed? When it was your failure to keep order in your home that allowed such a dishonourable man to enter? Should you become, by some jest of the gods, the next Sealord, will you blame everyone else but yourself for similar mistakes?"
"When I become Sealord, I will ensure that people who abuse our customs and abuse their power to harm the innocents will not escape justice," Lord Tormo retorted.
Weiss did wince that; such a blatant claim to have secured the Sealord's office already would have been a terrible faux pas in Atlas. Even when the election was a formality, a candidate was still expected to show some humility. And it seemed that things were not so different here, if she correctly interpreted the new whispers around them.
"'When'? You overestimate your chances, I think," Lord Albero said. "Or overstate them; why, if not to shore up your shrinking support, would you curry the favour of the Four Maidens in such an embarrassingly crude manner? Are you planning to have them conquer the City for you?"
"We're not conquering anything for anyone!" Ruby glared at him, and Weiss noted with no small amount of satisfaction that he shrank back with a grimace. "We're not here to play your stupid games!" She looked around with a scowl. "Or fight your stupid duels. Is that so hard to understand?"
"Stupid games?" Lord Albero looked surprised at his own outburst.
"Stupid games," Ruby repeated, once more glaring at him, then at Lord Tormo. "Support this, support that, blah blah - we're not going to… to meddle in your politics! Whoever you elect as the new Sealord is your business, not ours! We're just visiting because we had a problem with the House of Black and White, and we solved that!"
"We're Huntresses, not goons for hire," Yang added with a grin.
"Yes!" Ruby nodded emphatically. "We came here because we were invited to a party - to dance, eat good food and have fun. Not to… talk about coups and stuff or duel people! And since that's all you seem to want to do, we're now leaving!" She nodded sharply with a scoff, then blinked. "The food was good, and the music was nice, though. Good night, my lord. And everyone else."
"Our compliments to the chef and musicians," Weiss added, beaming as she slipped her arm into Ruby's. Her partner was so great when she took a stand! "But we'll take our leave now before we have to deal with another incident."
The crowd between them and the exit quickly parted, and they strode out.
*****
Purple Harbor, Braavos, 299 AC
Sitting on the roof of the inn, Blake took a deep breath. The outside air was slightly chilly - not particularly cold, certainly not like the lands beyond the Wall, but cool. If not for the smell from the harbour and the smoke from the chimneys nearby, it would be very pleasant. Even so, it was much better than King's Landing's ever-present stench. In some ways, it reminded her of Menagerie. Still, she didn't regret their impending return to Westeros. For all the beauty of Braavos and its exotic appeal, its ruling caste wasn't any better than the court in the Red Keep. More concerned with their own power and wealth than the good of the realm - or the city, in this case - and playing games with people's lives. Such as Jon's.
She clenched her teeth. Jon had had to fight for his life just because someone wanted to embarrass a noble. If this were a book, she would probably appreciate the twisted irony - they had come to Braavos to stop the Faceless Men so no one else, especially not their friends, would get hurt in the crossfire, and had ended up endangering Jon as a result.
She leaned back and closed her eyes. She was so sick of all the politics and plots. Was that what her parents had to deal with every day? Menagerie was supposed to be different. Meant as an exile, a prison in all but name, turned into a haven for all Faunus, ruled not by bigotry and greed, but solidarity. As a child, she had believed it. As an adult - or nearly so - she knew better. Menagerie had politics like every other country. Perhaps, with the strong presence of the White Fang, as deadly as in Westeros or Braavos.
And her parents were at the heart of it. Unless something had happened to them since they had arrived in this world. If they had died before Team RWBY could return, thinking Blake was lost… She pressed her lips together. No! Her parents had ruled Menagerie for years. They were fine. They had to be fine. But if they were looking for her, reaching out to her old associates in the hope that they knew something… She drew a sharp breath. If they reached out to Adam…
That would be a catastrophe. If Adam told them about what Blake had done, without Blake being able to explain why she had done what she had done… Not that she could, anyway. She had been wrong about everything.
Damn, even now, she cringed at the thought of facing her own mistakes. She was such a fake. She felt some tears squeeze out of her closed eyes as she ground her teeth in frustration at her failures. Instead of keeping an eye out for Jon and everyone else, she had been dancing with Yang. Leading her partner on while failing her duties.
If her parents knew the truth, they would condemn her for her deeds. If her friends knew how bad she was, if Yang knew… She felt her stomach drop at the thought of their reactions. Of her reaction.
She should just… Her ears twitched at the sound of leather scraping over bricks. Someone was climbing the wall!
She flipped to her feet, drawing Gambol Shroud in the process. She had been so focused on her own failures, she had almost missed someone sneaking up on her!
Blake berated herself as she moved to the edge of the roof, her sword ready. If this was a Faceless Man trying to still fulfil their contract…
The hand gripping the edge of the roof wore a familiar glove, and Blake froze, relief filling her only to be replaced almost immediately with worry and tension.
Yang. Her partner. Who had a crush on her that was based on false pretences. Another thing she needed to set straight but was afraid to.
"There you are!" Yang's smiling face appeared as she pulled herself up. "Wondered where you snuck off to." She climbed on the roof and stretched, and Blake drew a deep breath when the moonlight caught her partner just right to make her long hair shine like gold and outline her body.
She clamped down on that. She didn't deserve Yang's lo... Yang's crush.
"So…" Yang cocked her head as she stepped up to Blake. "Whatcha doing here? Don't tell me you're standing guard," she added before Blake could claim the obvious excuse.
She was tempted to lie anyway. But… Her partner deserved better. "I was thinking."
"Yeah, kinda figured." Yang nodded. "Been a day, huh?"
"Yes." Blake nodded, more sharply than she had intended, tense as she was.
For a moment, she hoped Yang hadn't noticed. But her partner chuckled. "Ah. Am I… I mean, I don't want to push about, you know. I just wanted to say, if you want to talk - about whatever, not about, well, you know - then I'm listening."
Blake snorted against her will. Yang was great - loyal, passionate, strong, honest to the point of bluntness, smart, much smarter than most thought - but patience wasn't one of her many virtues.
Yang blushed a little and shrugged. "Busted, huh? Yeah, sorry, I really don't want to push, I just hoped…" She trailed off with a slight wince. "So… should I head down again?"
Her partner suddenly looked so vulnerable, Blake couldn't bring herself to tell her to leave. Even though it would have been the obvious way out of… whatever this would end up as. "No, stay," she said, and felt guilt fill her when Yang perked up with a beaming smile before she schooled her features and nodded.
Blake pressed her lips together for a moment, then sat down. Procrastinating, she knew, even if it was but for a few moments.
Yang sat down next to her - close, but not touching - and looked around. "So…" She trailed off again, smiling at Blake.
Which made her feel even more guilty. She had to tell Yang that she was fake and a failure. That Yang would be better off with someone else. No matter how much it hurt Blake.
She sighed. Best get it over with. Rip the band-aid away. Or lance the boil, in this case. "You know I was in the White Fang."
"Yeah. I doubt I'll ever forget that revelation in Vale." Yang chuckled. "Weiss was going spare until we sorted things out."
Once more, Blake snorted without wanting to. She could imagine that. But she was stalling again. "I told you about my parents. I was practically born into the White Fang. My parents were founding members. Back when it was a pacifist movement trying to achieve equal rights for Faunus through nonviolent protests and campaigns."
"Yeah."
"Yes. I told you that I was at the protests as a kid, doing my part. But as I grew older, things started to change. If you keep getting hit, you want to strike back at some point." She had told the others that, but in much detail.
"Yeah, I get that." Yang nodded, grinning. "Getting hit and hitting back is kinda my thing."
Blake chuckled, but not for long. She didn't look at Yang as she continued, staring out at the sea. "I told you about the mentor I had. He knew my parents. He had saved Dad's life once. He taught me how to fight. Led our branch of the White Fang." She took another deep breath. Thinking about how Adam had been, and how he had changed, what he had done, hurt. But Yang deserved the truth. "Along the way, we became a couple. And…"
"Wait! You said he knew your dad? How old was he?" Yang interrupted her.
Blake blinked, then frowned. "Just a few years older than me." That didn't matter, anyway. Soldiers grew up quickly in a war, and they had been fighting a war. She glanced at Yang, who was frowning but nodded at Blake to continue. "Anyway, as we struck at SDC labour camps, liberated their prison slaves, stole weapons from the Atlas military and hit the worst bigots discriminating against Faunus, Adam started to change."
Her ears picked up Yang mouthing "Adam…" under her breath. Well, she had named him, so whatever.
"He grew more violent. Less concerned with… with everything and everyone we fought for. I tried to… In the end, I just couldn't take it any more and left." She looked at the roof between her legs, remembering that moment in Forever Fall.
"Him and the White Fang," Yang said.
She nodded without looking at her. "Just as I left my parents, I left him. Ran away instead of confronting him." Instead of changing him. Like she always did. And now Yang knew it.
"So… is that supposed to scare me off?"
What? Blake looked up, staring at Yang's… smiling face. She opened her mouth to tell her partner that she deserved better, but Yang cut her off.
"Because if that was the point, it failed. I'm not scared off." Yang leaned over, and Blake felt her hand on her shoulder. "I'm not this… Adam. You won't have to run away from me. And I don't think you want to run, right?"
"That's not… I didn't have to run away - I could have stayed and tried harder to…" She trailed off.
"To fight him?" Yang sounded dubious.
"To fight for the others." Adam had manipulated her. She had finally seen through his lies. But the others in their branch hadn't.
"Do you think they would have listened?"
"I don't know." The White Fang at the docks in Vale hadn't listened. Even though Torchwick had insulted them as animals to their faces, they had worked and fought with him. On Adam's orders. "Probably not."
She felt Yang gently squeeze her shoulder. "Then you did what you could before you left."
Blake bit her lower lip. She was a coward at heart. Unlike Yang, who would rather get beaten down than run. And would get up again, anyway. "I still ran away. Twice."
"Third time's the charm!"
Once more, Blake couldn't help snorting. It was corny and silly, and she should feel offended at the attempt to make light of what she had just told, but… It was Yang. She was trying to cheer Blake up, not make fun of her. One of the many reasons Blake loved her.
Still… "I don't deserve you," she muttered. There, she said it.
"Well, I disagree with that!"
Couldn't she see that Blake was not worth it? That she would run away again? No matter how much Blake didn't want to run and wanted to stay, but… Blake raised her head to glare at her partner.
And found herself far closer to Yang than she had expected. Close enough to feel Yang's breath on her face when her partner exhaled. Close enough to…
Yang leaned in, and their lips met. And Blake forgot how to think for a moment.
*****
Yang Xiao Long smiled as she broke the kiss and drew back. Blake was great - smart, graceful, far braver than she claimed, so damn beautiful and would do anything for her friends - but sometimes, she was just stupid. Usually, when it was about herself. Then she needed a nudge, or a kick in the rear, to straighten herself out. Or a kiss. And Yang was good at all three.
"Ah…" Blake blinked.
Yang grinned. Her partner was too cute when she was confused. "Told you," she said, then gently cupped Blake's face with her hands, lifting it up slightly. "I disagree." And she wouldn't rest until Blake realised that Yang was right.
Blake blinked, and in the moonlight, Yang could see the hint of tears in her eyes. "But…"
None of that! Yang leaned in again and kissed her again.
Both were breathing heavily when they broke the kiss, and Yang couldn't help smirking at Blake's expression. "Do I have to keep kissing you until you admit I'm right? Not that I'm planning to stop anytime soon, you know."
Blake managed to both blush and - weakly - glare at her in return. "This is a mistake."
She wasn't pulling out of Yang's reach, though. And her protests lacked sincerity - Yang knew her partner very well and could tell. So she just smiled back. "Never let that stop me before."
Blake sighed, but she still hadn't pulled away, Yang noted with no small amount of satisfaction. And her partner had enthusiastically returned both kisses. "Do you really think this is a mistake?" she asked.
"It's…" Blake sighed once again and closed her eyes. "I don't want to see you hurt because of me."
"And I don't want to see you hurting yourself." And Yang bet that she could keep this up longer than Blake could - she could be very stubborn if she wanted, and right now, she really did. She wanted Blake to be happy, and she'd do what she had to to make it happen. And, Hell, she wanted Blake, period.
And she wanted to kiss Blake again. But that would be too pushy. Like some of the boys she knew. And, so her gut said, at least, that Adam, with whom she would have a few words once they were back home. But that could wait. This was about Blake.
Yang turned a little, until she was sitting next to Blake, and wrapped her arm around her friend's shoulders, then pulled her in, just a bit, until Blake's head rested against her face.
And then remained like that for a while. Just the two of them, under the moon, looking at the sea. Well, the harbour, but it counted - she could see part of the sea, anyway, through the entrance under the Titan.
"So…" Yang said later.
She heard and felt Blake sigh. "Yes."
"Yes!" Yang smiled so widely, she almost hurt herself.
*****
"You're back!" Ruby jumped up from the bed she had been sitting on - next to Weiss, who was reading her notes or something - and smiled at them when Yang, followed by Blake, entered their room at the inn through the window. "What were you doing outside for so long? We need to talk!"
Yang couldn't resist that setup. With a grin, she said: "Us."
Ruby blinked. "What?"
Weiss looked as confused.
And Blake groaned. Of course, Yang's girlfriend would get her joke at once!
"You asked what we were doing," Yang went on. "We were doing us. Each other."
Ruby blinked again, then her eyes widened and her mouth opened without a sound.
Weiss gasped and blushed.
And Blake, who was looking flushed as well, elbowed Yang in the side. "We were kissing. We weren't having sex on the roof."
"Oh!" Ruby also blushed. "You… You are…"
"We're together, yes," Yang said, sneaking her arm around Blake's waist and pulling her against her.
"And yes, I told her that this was a mistake," Blake added with one of her sardonic grins.
"Oh!" Ruby, of course, beamed at them - and then vanished in a cloud of rose petals, to reappear with her arms wrapped around them in a tight hug. "I'm so happy for you!"
Weiss slowly nodded. "Likewise." She glanced at the closed door leading to Jon's room. He must have already gone to bed. "Though as much as I am happy that you found each other, I think this added another topic that we need to discuss. And it's already late."
"Huh?" Ruby turned her head without releasing Yang or Blake from her grip. She had grown stronger, Yang found. "What do you mean?"
Weiss sighed apologetically. "We need to discuss how you want to handle this new development. Westeros is not quite as tolerant of such relationships as our home is."
"Oh." Ruby released them and frowned. "But…"
"The Faith of the Seven disapproves of such relationships," Weiss explained. "The exact legal consequences are somewhat murky and vary, but such relationships are usually kept secret. Or, at least, people pretend it's a secret." She looked at Yang and Blake. "Given our reputation and position, especially with regard to the locals' faith, this could be an issue."
Yang knew that. And as much as she wanted to tell everyone who 'disapproved' of her new relationship to fuck off, she understood the potential issues. Still… She looked at Blake. Her girlfriend. Who had been hiding her true nature for a year now, under her bow. And had done so back at Beacon as well. If she could do that, Yang could hide as well. But that wasn't just Yang's decision. "Yeah, we need to talk about that."
"But not right now - it's past midnight, and we're all tired. And, well… probably other things," Ruby said, blushing like a tomato. "So, let's do that, ah, tomorrow. OK?"
Yang nodded. And grinned when Blake blushed as well, and Weiss started muttering something while looking away.
Yeah, that talk could wait. The important thing was that Blake returned Yang's feelings!
Her partner was now her girlfriend!