Nameless (ch5)

Blake's POV.

WARNINGS for mental/physical/psychological abuse.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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						Chapter 5. The Open Window

In the following days, Blake was certain not to disrupt the witch in any way.

The second she opened her eyes every morning, the Faunus girl was face-to-face with what Cinder was capable of, the horrible red mark always in the corner of Blake's vision.

Weiss only wore dresses that would cover it now. Whenever she'd change clothes, her eyes would naturally travel downward to her collar, in some vain hope that perhaps the mark would have vanished.

But it never did, not even weeks later.

The white-haired girl soon came to accept the fact that it would likely be with her for the rest of her life.

Some nights, after she'd held true to her promise and read a story to Blake, Weiss would curl up on her side and cry. Blake quickly learned that nearly every time that happened, it was because Weiss was upset about the mark on her chest.

"It's so ugly..." she mumbled once. "I mean... I know it was from Mother, but... I hate it..."

Those words had given Blake an ounce of hope; if it was possible that Weiss could hate something her beloved Mother gave to her... that was a good thing.

Blake always hugged her tightly and reassured her.

"I think that mark is a good reminder," she murmured into the girl's ear. "It's a reminder that you made it through everything. You survived this long..."

But her words hadn't been spoken with enough delicacy or thought. Weiss had merely given her a confused look.

"Of course I've survived. Even if Mother gets angry with me, she loves me very much. I'll keep living with her for my entire life. She's said as much."

And Blake bit her lip and pulled Weiss in.

/Not if I have anything to say about it./

But for the next several weeks, Blake behaved in accordance to all of the mansion rules once again. Her biggest form of rebellion was to train herself when Cinder wasn't around and when Weiss was busy meditating. She simply couldn't stand the awful scent that filled the air in the living room area.

Therefore, one day after she'd finished her little exercise routine, Blake decided to do a bit of exploring on her own.

Weiss was still meditating where she normally sat, and the witch had gone out.

With nothing more to do, Blake took action.

She followed the hallways she knew very well by now, heading toward Cinder's quarters. She'd never gone inside the room, merely stayed in the doorway to watch Weiss say goodnight to the witch every evening.

This part of the mansion smelled just as awful, and Blake continued onward.

Her goal was to seek out the source of that sharply bitter scent.

She knew it wasn't simply the default smell of the mansion, because the kitchen, bathroom, and Weiss' room didn't smell like that.

Blake followed her nose down the dark hallways, until she realized she'd found herself in the forbidden section of the mansion. She paused there, eyes cutting through the shadows as she attempted to discern what was beyond where she stood.

She'd only ever passed by this way a small handful of times, the first of which having been her first day here when Weiss had shown her around. Blake vaguely remembered that she'd seen an odd purplish glow coming from beneath one of the doors that day.

Presently, she looked for such a thing, and wasn't all that surprised when she found it.

With the utmost caution, she padded forward, bound for that door in particular.

It was deathly quiet.

Her merely walking across the floorboards sounded terribly loud, and she wouldn't have been surprised if the witch revealed herself to Blake right now.

She could only pray that Cinder wouldn't come back anytime soon.

Simply passing by these doors was making Blake's skin crawl, shudders traveling through her body almost nonstop. Her stomach was doing flips, and every fiber of her being was leaning toward the instinct that was screaming at her to turn around and run.

She didn't know what might've been down here.

For all she knew, there was a spell of sorts cast on this hallway, and Cinder already knew Blake was somewhere she wasn't supposed to be.

But Blake needed answers, or at the very least, evidence to start putting her own theories into play.

She paused when she reached the third door on the right, her eyes traveling downward. Sure enough, there was a purple glow coming from underneath.

She crouched down to confirm her fears.

It was that sharp, bitter tang, filling the air more strongly here than anywhere else in the mansion.

With a snort of disgust, Blake recoiled, glaring at the door and cursing whatever was behind it. She wasn't foolish enough to let her curiosity get the better of her, or open any of these doors, not even to so much as peer inside.

She'd witnessed Cinder's ire far too many times within the past several months, and Blake wasn't about to risk her own life after coming this far.

She truly believed she might've been the only person who could get Weiss out of here one day.

The memory of her vow kept her in check, and she didn't spare a second glance at any of those doors as she turned away and scurried back down the hallway.

She'd confirmed that stench was the witch's doing, not a natural part of the mansion. Blake would even go so far as to believe it was part of a spell of sorts, likely dark magic – Cinder didn't seem to practice anything else.

Blake found herself back in the living area, cloaked in the usual darkness with just muffled sunlight trying to shine in past the curtains. Weiss was still on her chair, quietly meditating, and Blake did her best not to disturb her.

She kept as silent as possible as she moved around the room, seeking something in particular, though she wasn't entirely certain what it was.

She was naturally inclined to look at the shelves, few as they were, which were mostly bare.

But there actually were a few things on display here and there.

Blake had never really considered them to be of much importance before, as they'd merely been so commonplace she'd simply overlooked them.

But now she could see the stones for what they truly were.

Moving close to the shelves, Blake found her theory was correct; that awful smell was coming from the tiny decorative rocks placed there. When she peered closely enough, she noticed there was something unnatural about them.

There seemed to be... motion inside of them, almost as though they were eggs with life inside.

Small, glowing lines traveled throughout the rocks like veins, and Blake wasn't all that surprised to discover they were golden.

Just like the embroidery on all of Weiss' clothes.

Those golden lines could only be seen if she looked closely enough, and they were covered by the purple sheen of the rocks themselves. She never would've noticed these things if she'd never thought to look.

And then it hit her – what this golden stuff was – and she was shocked the thought hadn't come to her before.

Dust.

The witch used Dust in her craft, probably stolen or illegally obtained.

Or perhaps she even created it herself. She did often toil hours upon hours away behind those forbidden doors, after all.

And this Dust was just another way of ensuring she kept her first kidnap victim – her prize.

It was cursed stuff, and it was embroidered into every piece of clothing Weiss had in her drawers, leading Blake to believe that Cinder sewed and created every last piece. It made a lot of sense when she thought about it now; Weiss only had dresses and nightgowns to wear, so she could assume those were what was easiest for Cinder to construct, never bothering with pants or long sleeves.

She made all of Weiss' clothes herself, and made sure to infuse them all with enough Dust to keep her under Cinder's awful spells.

And those purple rocks lined the living area, where she demanded Weiss meditate every day.

There was no doubt in Blake's mind that the repugnant scent they emitted also had an affect on the girl. Hence why Cinder only allowed Weiss to meditate in this room, Blake realized. She wanted Weiss to breathe that smell in for as long as possible every day.

Judging by how Weiss had never seemed to be affected by the scent for as long as Blake had been here, she could discern Weiss had been here for much, much longer. Long enough to get used the vile smell and consider it normal.

The witch was trapping Weiss here in every way possible.

Not only was it in stolen memories, physical scars, and emotional abuse, but now Blake realized it was in the clothes that she wore every second of every day and night.

It was in the very air she breathed.

As soon as it all clicked for Blake, she whipped around and hurried over to the chair where Weiss was sitting. With a firm grip, she placed both hands on Weiss' shoulders and shook her once.

"Weiss!" she hissed.

The white-haired girl was startled out of her trance, eyes going wide as she gasped.

"Blake? What is it? I was in the middle of-"

"I just remembered," she said, thinking quickly. "Remembered... something the wi-... Cinder said," she corrected herself.

Weiss tilted her head curiously, her eyes briefly filling with an ounce of fear.

"What was it? What did Mother say? Is she upset?"

"No, no!" Blake quickly soothed her before the panic could take hold on Weiss. She sat down on the cushion beside her, dropping her hands into Weiss' lap to cover the other girl's knuckles. "She's not upset. I just remembered she... told me something..."

Blake was thinking on a whim here, and it was a rather big risk. But it was all she could think to do.

When Weiss was reassured that Cinder wasn't angry with her, she started to calm down a bit.

"What did she say?"

Blake bit her lip, but tried to sound confident when she spoke.

"Actually, she said she wants you to meditate in your room from now on. But only when she isn't here. When she's in the mansion, you can meditate in this spot, but otherwise she told me you were to meditate in your room instead."

Weiss blinked.

"But then why hasn't Mother just told me all of this herself? I should talk to her first to confirm-"

"No!" Blake blurted out. "I-I mean, she told me as she was leaving this morning. And she said not to ask questions or bring it up. She seemed a little angry, and I think if you asked her about it, she might not be happy."

Weiss' countenance immediately changed.

"She'll... be angry? Then I won't ask her."

Blake nodded, relieved.

But she did feel a horrible crawling sensation in her stomach.

She'd just lied to Weiss, and even manipulated her by threatening her with Cinder's rage so that Blake could get what she wanted. It felt horrible, and when Weiss' trusting blue eyes met hers, Blake had to look away.

Blake reminded herself this was all for Weiss' best interest, and she didn't intend to ever do it again.

She took the girl's hand softly, and Blake got to her feet, lightly pulling Weiss along with her.

"Come on. Let's go to your room," she murmured.

"Right. If it's what Mother said, then I've got to."

Weiss followed her down the hallways, away from the awful stench. Blake opened the door to the bedroom, which was much brighter than all the other rooms in the house combined, simply because of its uncovered window.

Blake took Weiss to the bed and had her sit there, encouraging her to meditate in the comfort of her own room now.

Weiss leaned herself back against the pillow and closed her eyes.

Blake watched her for a few minutes, noticing how Weiss' usually-erect posture was now much more relaxed, her tight-knit eyebrows now un-furrowed.

This room was truly their safe haven in this twisted mansion of mazes and dark magic.

Not wanting to disturb Weiss, Blake took a seat on the floor, sitting in a swath of sunlight. She took out one of the books she'd read with Weiss on previous nights, scanning the words and doing her best to sound them out in her head. Weiss needed to relax in this majorly-untainted room, and Blake didn't want to disrupt her, so she didn't say any of the words out loud.

It was the most peaceful day Blake had ever had in this mansion thus far.

. . .

About two hours later, she closed the book and rolled over on the floor, letting the sunlight soak into her skin.

Once she'd sat up, she peeked into the bed to find Weiss slumped against the pillows, breathing deeply, but not in concentration – in slumber.

With a small smile, Blake climbed up beside her and sat down. She wrapped Weiss in her arms and held her for a moment.

Her eyes naturally wandered to the mark on the girl's chest, the very tips of the X just visible at her dress' collar. Blake slowly reached out to adjust the dress, fixing it until the mark was out of sight.

Weiss stirred in her arms just half an hour later, and Blake released her quietly, though the girl was still leaning against her shoulder.

"Blake...?" she mumbled. "I... fell asleep? I've never fallen asleep while meditating before."

"It must've been the change in scenery," Blake shrugged. "It's okay if you fell asleep. It just means you were tired."

Weiss simply nodded.

Not a minute later, the front door of the mansion creaked open, and Weiss hopped out of bed, rushing out to greet Cinder. Blake followed, hoping to catch a breath of fresh, outside air.

Once she entered, Cinder place a bag on the floor, likely filled with groceries or clothing. Blake skidded to a halt a few feet away, peering around the dark crimson cloak to get a view of the outside world without glass in front of it.

It was the same image she always saw past the front door – a few bushes, some grass, another house in the distance...

And then it slammed shut in her face.

Her ears were filled with the usual words.

"Welcome home, Mother!" Weiss ran to Cinder and hugged her waist.

The witch patted her back.

"Did you meditate today?"

"Yes, Mother," Weiss replied. But she didn't mention that she'd done so in her own room, clearly remembering that Blake had said not to bring up that topic or ask questions about it.

Cinder gave a smile, and she was none the wiser.

"Very good."

It was Blake's third victory against the witch.

They soon sat down for dinner, and Blake was sure to eat everything presented to her, whereas Weiss often failed to finish. Cinder never got mad at her for that, though.

The two girls were soon sent along to bed, and after reading through another book together, they curled up side by side.

. . .

From that day onward, Blake truly began her subtle counterattack against Cinder.

Years of Weiss breathing in that Dust-infused spell had desensitized her to it. But Blake was going to get her away from that smell as often as possible, in hopes it might not maintain such a restricting hold on her.

It would take time – as all of this would – but Blake hoped that one day, Weiss would realize just how differently the living room smelled from the rest of the mansion.

Bit by bit, she wanted Weiss to see that this place was a prison, not a home.

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For the next few weeks, Blake would be alert and aware of where Cinder went during the day.

If she went to one of her secret rooms to engage in her personal activities, Blake would follow Weiss to the living room and be forced to stay there with her as she meditated.

Blake would exercise as best she could from the other chair where she sat, stretching at the very least to keep herself flexible and nimble. She refused to become weak because of this mansion.

She suspected the rancid air Weiss breathed in was part of what made her seem so frail. Weiss rarely finished a meal entirely anymore, and her heart was somewhat weak due to the immense stress she'd occasionally suffer. Her days typically consisted of sitting still, bathing, and then lying down for bed.

And unless she wanted to upset the witch, Weiss couldn't do anything to stray from that routine.

But Blake wasn't as limited as Weiss was. She was going to get stronger, so that one day when she was bigger, she might stand a fighting chance against the witch.

On days when Cinder stayed in the mansion, Blake would exercise quietly, cautiously, going over the things Adam had shown her in the past.

But on days Cinder went out, Blake would eagerly lead Weiss back into their bedroom. Weiss would relax on the bed and focus on her breathing, and Blake would retreat to the books and that patch of sunshine.

Blake was sure to be smart about their timing, keeping her keen ears alert for sounds of Cinder, so they were never found out.

They couldn't ever be found out.

. . .

It was on a particularly sunny day when Cinder had just gone out that Blake decided to pose an idea to Weiss.

They were in their bedroom, Weiss just settling onto the mattress to start meditating, but Blake spoke up before she could close her eyes.

"Weiss? Do you think we could open the window?" she ventured.

Blue eyes went wide with shock.

"Blake, we mustn't! Mother said-"

"We're not going to go outside," Blake reassured her. "I just want to open it, that's all."

Weiss fell silent for a moment, her eyes nervously flashing toward the closed door. When her gaze met Blake's once more, she sighed.

"I've... actually always wanted to open it," she said. "I even tried it once. But I couldn't. I unhinged the lock and everything, but I couldn't open it."

"...Really?" Blake flicked an ear. "Could you show me?"

Weiss was a bit perplexed by the request, but she got off the bed nonetheless and went to the window. She reached up to unlock the hinge, then gripped the sill with one hand and the frame with the other.

With a surge of strength, she made an effort to push it upward.

But just as had been the case the first time she'd tried several years ago, the window felt as though it weighed a dozen tons, and it didn't budge.

Weiss tried again, huffing with effort as she pushed with all her might.

Blake watched her, and it didn't take long for her eyes to catch sight of what they'd been seeking.

The little golden patterns all along Weiss' dress started to glow faintly the second she touched the window. They stayed that way until Weiss stumbled away, panting and unsuccessful; only then did the Dust-infused fabrics cease their glowing.

Weiss turned to Blake with a hopeless sigh.

"You see? It's always been like this."

The scene confirmed Blake's assumptions; that the clothes Cinder made for Weiss were also doused in black magics. There was a spell – or perhaps more accurately described as a curse – on this mansion, keeping Weiss in at all costs.

But Blake's clothes hadn't been forged by the witch. She wanted to know what would happen if she were to let Weiss wear her clothes instead, and then asked the girl to try the window.

But Blake felt if she did that now, Weiss would pose far too many questions the Faunus girl couldn't provide satisfying answers to.

Next to keeping both Weiss and herself alive, escape was Blake's top priority. But she reminded herself that it wasn't something that even crossed Weiss' mind.

Presently, she had Weiss take a step back, away from the window. Blake herself had never attempted to open it before, as to not make Weiss upset.

But right now, the white-haired girl wasn't stopping her.

So Blake placed her hands on the sill, ensuring the lock was undone, and then she pushed.

The window opened easily.

She hadn't even used much force – just a bit of a shove, and it had opened.

Fresh, warm air filled the room on a breeze, battling the cold, stagnant air inside.

Blake was temporarily lost in the refreshing sensation that wreathed around her, and she recalled it had been nearly half a year now since she'd last been outside or breathed the fresh air like this.

A few feet behind her, Weiss was astounded. She couldn't remember ever breathing fresh air outside the mansion, so to have it accessible to her so easily now...

She was drawn forward, as if by some mystical trance, until she'd come to a stop beside Blake.

The sunlight reached their skin without glass in the way now, the warm air carrying a plethora of different scents.

Blake closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.

There was a scent of flowers, soil, and a bit of rust. She could tell it was summertime now, probably nearing autumn.

The last time she'd seen her parents had been the beginning of spring.

Blake pushed the memories away, knowing she couldn't afford to dwell on them now. The pain still lingered – it always would – but she'd grown more or less accustomed to this secretive life by now.

Or at least, as accustomed as she could be, all things considered.

She wondered how many seasons had passed since Weiss had last seen and remembered her real family.

She felt the girl press against her side, and Blake blinked her eyes back open to glance down at her.

Weiss was awestruck, her gaze fixated on the window and the world beyond, just out of reach. There was even a sparkle flickering in her eyes, something Blake had never seen there before.

A long moment of silence passed between them as they simply marveled in wake of the clean, untainted air.

It was a few minutes before Weiss managed to find her voice and put it to use.

"Blake... how did you...?"

The Faunus girl was careful with her response.

"I just opened it," she said simply.

"But it didn't take you much effort," Weiss mumbled. "I used all of my strength. Why couldn't I do it?"

It was true. Weiss had clearly poured more than enough strength into trying to open that window.

It wasn't that she'd failed to open the window – Weiss wasn't allowed to.

She could have done it, had the mansion not been constructed specifically to prevent her from doing so.

The Dust – around the mansion, in the air, in her clothes – it made sure Weiss couldn't leave, no matter what.

"I'm not sure," Blake mumbled falsely.

But in truth, she knew full-well. Weiss wasn't allowed to leave here – the Dust and dark magics made sure of that.

But Blake hadn't been breathing that rank air for so long.

Blake's clothes weren't infused with Dust.

Blake had opened the window with ease.

She could leave.

Blake could've left here any time she'd wanted to.

Had it not been for Cinder's threats to track down and kill her family, she might've left already.

But she couldn't now, not unless Weiss could come with her.

Still, she wanted to know if it might be possible one day.

Taking a step forward, Blake pushed the rim of the window up as far as it could go. Bracing her palms on the sill, she slowly leaned forward, until her head and shoulders were outside entirely. Her ears perked tall, and she took in a deep, deep breath.

She could get out anytime she wanted to. If she could just run fast enough to find her parents and warn them, they all might've been able to move quickly enough before Cinder caught them.

The thought was immensely tempting...

But a small tug on her shirt brought her back to the present.

Weiss was begging her to come back inside, so Blake pulled away from the window sill.

"I think we should close it now," Weiss mumbled. "If Mother found out it was open, I fear she'd get mad."

Blake cast a longing glance back at the window. She'd already grown addicted to the fresh air, and she didn't want to shut it out just yet. Besides, there was one final thing she wanted to try.

"We will," she said. "We'll close it before she gets back. But... just try to do what I did. Lean out the window for a minute and just breathe."

Weiss gave her a puzzled, dubious look.

Blake returned it with an encouraging nod and a smile.

The Faunus girl knew she could fit out the window if she tried, and there was no doubt in her mind that Weiss – with her smaller, slimmer stature – could slip out with even less effort.

She just wanted Weiss to feel the sunlight directly, to breathe in that fresh air scented with flowers. If she could let Weiss do this every day - or at least as often as possible - she hoped to get Weiss curious about the outside world, and maybe even eager to leave one day.

But for now, she simply coaxed Weiss to the window.

"Just take a breath," she insisted.

Weiss held her golden gaze for a moment, then turned to the window. It was certainly a pleasant warmth in contrast to the perpetually-cold air of the mansion.

Slowly, she advanced toward the window, until she'd rested her hands on the sill.

Blake watched her with a smile, wanting Weiss to remember what it was like to be free...

But that smile instantly faded when she caught sight of Weiss' dress.

The Dust was starting to glow faintly again.

Blake had assumed the spell only stopped Weiss from opening the window, so she didn't think the Dust would activate again. Something knotted in her gut, and Blake swallowed.

"Weiss, wait-!"

But she was too late.

Blake reached out in an effort to pull Weiss away from the window, but the girl had already leaned forward.

Or at least tried to.

The second Weiss' skin passed through the open window, an instantaneous screen of golden steam was produced. The steam highlighted something for a split second – a seemingly invisible barrier of sorts that had been placed outside the window, and likely around the entire mansion.

It hadn't affected Blake at all.

But Weiss was thrown back several feet, an agonized scream filling the air as a shock like lightning shot through her body. Blake lunged forward, falling to her knees and managing to catch the girl just in time before her head could collide with the floor.

"Weiss!" she cried. "Are you-"

But another tortured scream cut off her question.

"Blake!" Weiss gasped. "I-It hurts!" Her eyes were squeezed shut in agony, and Weiss' body jolted as she curled in on herself. Blake noticed that the golden steam had dissipated by the window, but there was still some surrounding Weiss.

Frantically, Blake turned the girl over onto her back, pushing the collar of her dress down a bit.

The source of the steam was as she'd expected - the X-shaped scar on Weiss' chest. Its color had seemed to fade over the weeks since Cinder had inflicted it, but now it was a garish crimson once again.

The color seemed to pulse in time with Weiss' heartbeat, which Blake could clearly feel was hammering far too quickly.

She could only think to pull Weiss into her arms as the girl screamed again.

Blake laid a hand across Weiss' chest, hoping the coolness of her fingers could provide a bit of relief. The girl's skin was hot to the touch, and the pulse beneath was erratic and thick.

"Weiss!" she whispered. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't know this would-"

Another pained scream cut her off again. Blake merely bit her tongue and cradled Weiss in her arms, murmuring apology after apology.

It was several minutes later when Weiss' heart rate started to slow, and the heat in her chest ebbed away. The white-haired girl gasped painfully, her cheeks stained with tears.

The scene was all-too familiar to Blake.

This meant that Weiss physically could not leave the mansion. The spell was too strong on her, especially now that Cinder had carved that mark over her heart.

The Faunus girl knew now that even if Weiss were to wear Blake's clothes rather than the dresses the witch sewed for her, Weiss still wouldn't be able to leave this place. The cursed clothes helped keep her where she should be – inside – but even without them, it would be impossible for her to leave. The curse had too tight of a hold on her now - congesting her mind, covering her skin, filling her lungs, and now even stretching as far as her heart.

It was the biggest, most detrimental setback Blake had encountered within the past six months of being trapped here.

But that didn't mean she'd give up on trying to get Weiss out of here.

It just meant she'd have to be even more careful in the future.

"I'm sorry," she murmured again.

Weiss panted for breath, burying her face into the Faunus girl's shoulder and sobbing softly.

Blake knew now that bringing Weiss outside was out of the question. It wasn't about getting out any longer.

She'd need to break this curse somehow. Only then could Weiss truly be free of Cinder's grasp.

But Blake had no idea how to go about doing that.

She didn't have the time or patience to think about all of that now, though.

Instead, she gathered Weiss into her arms and lifted her up, carrying her over to the bed. Blake laid her down, passing her gaze over the mark once again. It was still red and fluctuating in color a bit. Blake kept her palm over it until she felt Weiss' heart calm down.

"I'll be right back," she promised.

Blake dashed out of the room, bolting for the bathroom to grab a rag and wet it with cold water. She was back at Weiss' side within a matter of seconds, holding the cloth to her heaving chest.

Weiss closed her eyes for a long while, until the tears stopped and the salty trails on her cheeks had dried. When she next reopened her eyes, she turned a tormented gaze on Blake.

"Why..." she rasped. "Why did that happen...? Why can't I... go outside...?"

Blake swallowed, unsure of if she should reveal the truth.

But Weiss was in so much pain, and she was begging her.

Blake sighed and spoke softly.

"Cinder... she won't let you," she explained. "It's a spell. Or a curse."

"A... curse...?" Weiss mumbled. "But why would Mother do that? Why would she... curse me?"

Blake couldn't think of an answer that wouldn't violate her intangible contract with the witch. She wasn't supposed to let Weiss question Cinder's methods, or else Blake would be jeopardizing her parents' lives.

So the Faunus girl merely shook her head.

"I don't know..." she sighed.

Weiss blinked at her slowly.

"I'm sure... it's just because she loves me..." she decided. "The outside world must be terrible... so terrible... that Mother would go through such lengths to keep me s-safe inside this place..."

The tears had started to fall again.

Blake's ears drooped as she listened to the girl.

Weiss' mind could only think highly of Cinder, as it had been conditioned to.

But her body was reacting as though it knew of the deceit, of how wrong this was. Her heart knew, and her body knew, but Weiss' mind couldn't comprehend that.

Blake said nothing, merely continuing to hold the cloth in place on Weiss' collar. She could only let a few tears of her own fall before she curled up beside Weiss and laid down.

"I'm sorry," she said, and it was all she could hear herself saying. "I'm sorry..."

. . .

By the time the witch had returned, Weiss could walk again, and she went to greet her mother as required.

She didn't eat even half of her dinner, though, and even Blake left a bit of leftovers. She wasn't sure if she saw suspicion in Cinder's amber eyes, but after Weiss had said goodnight to her, the witch didn't bother them.

Before long, Blake found herself back in Weiss' room.

They'd both bathed and changed into sleep clothes, then gone through the usual routine of reading quietly together in the lamplight.

Blake realized they'd never closed the window earlier, but Weiss never requested to have it shut. The fresh air was liberating in this dungeon of a place, and their bodies were pining for it.

Blake was intent to leave it open as often as possible for as long as possible, only closing it when it got too cold or when she knew Cinder would be coming in to put new clothes into their drawers or to change bed sheets.

But that night, the window remained open all the way through.

Blake wrapped Weiss in her arms as she always did, emitting a very faint purr to help her sleep. Weiss clung to her back as she started slipping away.

"Goodnight, Blake..." she whispered. "I'm glad you could... open the window today..."

"Me, too," she said. "I'm sorry you got hurt, though. I never meant for that to happen."

"I know you didn't," Weiss breathed. "It doesn't hurt anymore."

Blake bit back a sob and squeezed her tighter.

"Weiss... I promise that... one day, it won't hurt anymore. One day... there won't be any pain. You won't have to be scared..."

She wasn't sure if the girl had heard her or not.

Weiss merely released a long, withering sigh, and fell silently into slumber.

Before Blake could fall asleep too, she shed a few more tears, blinking them away like regrets that never ended.

But she wasn't helpless anymore.

She knew many things about this mansion, about the Dust, about Cinder, and about Weiss.

She knew it would take time.

She knew it would take emotional and physical strength on both of their parts.

She knew it would take earning Weiss' trust and her love.

But Blake would hold true to her promise if it was the last thing she ever did.

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A/N: Now that a lot of information about Weiss' curse has been revealed, you can start preparing for some bigger events to come.