Nameless (ch2)

Again, please keep in mind that I'm writing from a more childish perspective here. This chapter and many future ones will be told mainly from Blake's POV.

WARNINGS for mental/physical/psychological abuse.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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							Chapter 2. Living A Lie

Blake had been eleven years old when she'd been forced to start her new life living in Cinder's mansion.

As she had stood there in the doorway for the first time, being brought face-to-face with the white-haired girl, it had been all Blake could do not to scream out and accuse Cinder of her horrid crimes and filthy lies.

She hadn't found Blake abandoned in an alleyway.

Taking Blake in hadn't been an act of mercy as she'd made it sound to be.

In fact, Cinder had snatched her from the arms of a sick mother, laughing wickedly and promising she'd take better care of Blake.

They might've lived in the slums, but it wasn't a bad life. Blake's family had gotten by one way or another.

But as her captor and kidnapper had dragged her away from her loving mother's arms that day, Blake didn't know if her parents would survive without her.

Her father had valiantly tried to fight, but Cinder had threatened to kill Blake if he opposed her.

So Blake could do nothing but thrash weakly, casting one last terrified glance at her parents before the dark cloak had swept over her eyes.

On the journey to the mansion, Blake couldn't see a thing - Cinder had made sure of that.

But she could hear just fine, and Cinder had made certain she heard a lot of terrible things.

She had told her that Blake would be coming to live with her now, in her home.

She had said that if Blake resisted or ever tried to escape, that Cinder would punish her by going back to the slums and killing her parents.

She had told of her "other" daughter, and how Blake was to never speak a word of any of this to her, how she was to go along with Cinder's story of what had transpired that day - finding Blake abandoned.

And she had told Blake what her new duty would be – to be a pet for Cinder's other daughter, to do whatever was commanded of her.

To be a slave.

It was different from being poverty-stricken and living in the slums with her family. At least that had been a genuinely loving environment.

But now... she was to be a pet.

An animal.

Nothing more.

And despite her racing pulse and choking sobs at the time, Blake knew there were no other options left for her. She would have to obey, or else Cinder would kill her parents, and there was nothing Blake could ever dread more than that.

So she'd remained quiet in front of the white-haired girl as Cinder had proclaimed that she had more or less "rescued" Blake from a life of hardship and abandonment.

And Blake could instantly see that the other girl pitied her.

Blake hated her already.

Or at least... she felt she should've.

But as those small, cold hands clasped around hers and led her down the capacious hallway, Blake found that the tears weren't flowing anymore.

. . .

Presently, Blake followed the girl before her like a lost kitten.

She was glad to be getting away from the wretched woman who had kidnapped her, and when Blake turned back around, she'd vanished altogether.

For the moment, all she could do was bury her chin into the purple bandana around her neck, the one her mother had given to her when she was very young. Blake had never removed it, and now - finding herself in this terrifying environment after going through such a traumatic experience - it was the only source of comfort she had left.

She used her shoulder to dry her face off a bit, sniffling as she listened to the girl before her speak.

"There are only a few rooms we're allowed to go in," she was saying. "First, there's the kitchen. Mother will make us meals here every morning and evening. She's very good at cooking. Oh!" The girl turned back to Blake and then lowered her voice a bit. "Her name is Cinder. I'm not sure if you knew. Perhaps you should call her Mother Cinder? I just call her Mother, but I felt you should know."

Blake flinched at the name of her kidnapper, and an unavoidable whimper escaped her throat as she took a step back, her hand tugging at the other girl's. Blake saw worry and pity in those blue eyes again, and only then did she notice the scar there, too.

The white-haired girl stepped closer, voice soft.

"It's alright," she murmured. "I know it must've been hard for you, to be abandoned in a dirty alley like that. Your parents must not have loved you."

Her words had Blake's ears going flat, her teeth bared and a growl in her throat as she threatened to scream.

But the reminder of Cinder's threats kept Blake's teeth clamped shut on her bottom lip. Whatever this girl believed had happened, Blake needed to play along.

The white-haired girl was silent for a moment, then stepped forward and opened her arms, pulling Blake close.

Blake froze, snorting in confusion, trying to wrestle herself free. She didn't want anything to do with this girl or her wretched, so-called "Mother." She just wanted to go home...

But as the white-haired girl whispered softly into her ear, Blake stopped struggling to listen.

"Don't worry," the smaller girl said. "I don't know what it's like not to be loved by a parent. Mother has always loved me very dearly. But I know it must've been hard for you. Don't worry. We'll take good care of you here. I'll make sure you feel loved."

Blake went still, her stiff shoulders slumping in the other girl's arms. Any resistance, grief, or anger drained from her body in that moment as she felt the gentle, needy warmth coming from the other child.

This girl was truly happy here in this place, and judging by what she knew of Blake's supposedly-horrible life of neglect and abandonment, the girl was being very tender with Blake, very caring.

Blake had to remind herself that this girl didn't know the truth.

And she could never find it out, or else Blake's parents would be murdered.

At least if she lived like this in this mansion as she was now supposed to, there was the possibility of some day getting out, either voluntarily, or by escape, and she could go back to her parents.

But if she tried to resist or acted out in any manner whatsoever... she'd never get to see them alive again.

So this was all she could do. Stay silent and accepting, ensuring her speech and behavior reinforced the story the white-haired girl knew.

Therefore, Blake sighed, sniffling again just before the girl let her go.

"Oh, I haven't asked yet. What is your name?" she wondered politely.

Blake wiped her arm over her eyes and swallowed, checking over her shoulder, nervous Cinder might be lurking. Blake feared she was forbidden from talking at all.

But the two of them were alone in the kitchen, so the Faunus girl did her best to speak, her voice cracked and rasping after all the screaming and crying she'd done.

"Blake..." she murmured.

The other girl repeated it back to her.

"Blake. I like it very much," she said. "My name is Weiss."

"W... Weiss...?"

"That's right." Weiss reached down and took Blake's hand once more. "Come along. I'll show you the rest of the rooms we're allowed to go in."

She led Blake to a bathroom, and a small, dark living area that consisted only of a few shelves and a few cushioned chairs. The Faunus girl's nose scrunched at the strange, bitter scent that clogged her lungs with every step.

Blake had never had a home of her own to live in, at least not one like this, but she was aware of how the interior of a house should look.

There wasn't much furniture here at all, only the bare minimum of chairs. There was no television, no radio, no source of noise whatsoever.

And there was no light, not coming from the ceiling or the lamps, nor from the windows.

When Blake ventured over to one of the windows, Weiss gasped sharply and put herself in front of Blake, spreading her arms wide to block her advancement.

"No!" she cried. "Mother says we mustn't open the curtains – ever! She'll... she'll get very upset if we do..."

The lapse in Weiss' speech just then said more to Blake than the words had. Clearly, Weiss had done something to upset Cinder in the past, and clearly that wasn't something she ever wanted to repeat.

Taking a willing step back from the window, Blake flicked an ear.

"Weiss... you're... a good girl," she mumbled.

It was an experiment of sorts, and she waited to see the girl's reaction.

Weiss dropped her arms now that Blake had moved away from the window, her expression relieved.

"That's all I want," she murmured. "All I want is to be a good girl for Mother. I want to make her happy. Making her mad isn't good. I don't... I don't like it when she's mad-"

Her voice suddenly hitched, and a hand went to her chest, as though she were experiencing some kind of pain, or remembering it.

"S-So if I'm a good girl, she'll only be happy. So I want... I need to be good."

Blake's ears flattened even more against her scalp.

"What does she do when she's mad?" she wondered.

It was soft-spoken question.

But Weiss' reaction was violent.

She gasped, hands flying up to press roughly against her ears as she suddenly collapsed to her knees. Her knuckles drained of blood as she pressed hard against her skull, as though trying to hold it together and keep it from shattering.

"No!" she gasped. "N-No, no, sh-she's not mad- sh-she can't be mad! I've been a good girl, I've been good! She's not mad, is she? I don't..."

Blake was taken aback. The girl's response to simply considering the possibility of Cinder being angry was startling to say the least.

There was much more here than what met the eye.

But Blake would have plenty of time to think about that later.

Right now, she was terrified that Cinder would hear the girl's distressed screams and come find them, and Blake would be the one punished. She dropped to her knees, pulling Weiss in by the shoulders and holding her tightly.

"No, I'm sorry," she whispered. "Cinder's not mad. I was just asking. I-I'm sorry for making you think about it, but she's not mad. I promise."

Her words seemed to have an effect on Weiss. The girl panted meekly in Blake's arms, and her entire body was trembling in spasms.

But when she realized Cinder wasn't present or angry at her, she started to quiet down a bit.

Blake kept her ears perked for any other sounds, but Cinder didn't seem to have heard the commotion. With a sigh, Blake hugged Weiss to her chest.

"I'm sorry. Cinder's not mad. Don't... don't cry, okay?"

Weiss nodded and sucked in another unsteady breath.

A moment later, she could sit up once again, and Blake looked into her petrified blue eyes.

This... all of this was just from the thought of Cinder being mad.

It spoke volumes to Blake about past memories Weiss must have experienced, and at that moment, Blake knew she couldn't afford to make Cinder angry.

Neither of them could.

Should that happen, Blake might lose her parents.

And Weiss...

Weiss' body would probably shut down entirely, panic until her heart gave out.

This... wasn't how a mother and daughter should behave.

Blake growled softly as she started to think about all of this, the fear of being kidnapped finally fading away.

That was over and done with. Now, she had new horrors to face.

Blake pulled Weiss back into her arms to stifle the last of her sobs, feeling the girl's heartbeat as it hammered away.

Cinder had referred to Weiss as her daughter, but the instant Blake had seen the girl, she'd been confused. The snow-white hair on the girl didn't match up with Cinder's dark ashen curls at all. Their faces looked different, too.

Unlike Blake and her parents, Cinder and Weiss looked nothing alike.

And adoption didn't seem like Cinder's preferred method of getting her hands on children, as Blake now knew firsthand.

There wasn't a doubt in Blake's mind that Weiss was merely another kidnap victim, one who'd been raised to believe Cinder was her real mother.

But what of her real family? What of her memories?

Blake assumed the scar over Weiss' left eye had something to do with that.

It all fell into place for Blake right then and there, as she held the smaller girl in her arms.

But she dare not address anything - not now. She didn't know if Cinder was listening, and she didn't know how Weiss might react to it.

That revelation would be for another time, Blake decided.

But for now, Weiss' pulse was starting to calm down.

Blake pulled away from her once again, her eyes burning with a new compassion for Weiss, a new determination. She wanted to get them both out of here, someday, somehow.

But that would take time. She'd need to grow accustomed to this lifestyle first. She'd have to live this lie as well.

So after a few more apologies and gentle embraces, she helped Weiss to her feet, dried the girl's tears for her, and asked to continue their tour around the mansion.

Weiss walked a little more slowly and spoke a little more softly after her scare, showing Blake all of the forbidden doors and hallways.

"We mustn't ever go there," she murmured. "We're not allowed. Those are Mother's rooms."

Blake cast a glance at those doors as they passed them. It was clear Weiss was uncomfortable around this part of the mansion; if Cinder told her not to go near those doors, it was hammered into Weiss' mind that she should feel sick if she so much as got too close.

But Blake could see beneath the crack of one door as they passed it.

There was a very faint purplish light emitting from behind it, and for whatever reason, it made Blake's stomach churn just in seeing it.

There were definitely bad things being practiced there, dark magics.

And suddenly, Weiss' scar and missing memories made sense.

Blake shuddered and hurried after the girl.

Weiss was leading her back to the living area now as they left the feeling of apprehension behind them.

"I forgot to show you one place," Weiss mumbled.

She led Blake to a bookshelf in the corner of the room, then came to a halt. Blake flicked her ear curiously as Weiss let go of her hand.

"What is it?"

Weiss met her eyes, then slipped behind the bookshelf, beckoning Blake forward as well. Weiss pushed against a particular spot on the wall, and Blake watched in surprise as the wall moved with her palm.

It was a secret door, one that would easily go unnoticed by someone who didn't already know it was there.

Blake could see effortlessly in the darkness beyond.

There was a staircase leading downward into a small, underground room, with only a faint shaft of light to see by, likely coming from a lone window.

Weiss didn't go down though, and after a few seconds, she stepped back and closed the door.

"This is the safe room," she told Blake. "If Mother rings the bell only once, we're to hide here until she comes to get us, even if we have to wait a whole week."

Blake's ears went flat all over again.

"Has she... has she ever made you stay down there for that long?" she whispered.

Weiss was silent for a moment, and her breathing became a bit harsher again. Blake put a hand on her shoulder by means of comfort and encouragement.

Weiss released a small sigh and swallowed.

"Once, I... had to stay down there for three days and nights. I th-thought she'd forgotten about me. I was so hungry and it was cold... I got sick..." Her eyes glazed over, her voice trailing off for a moment. "But then, Mother came for me. She carried me back upstairs and helped me get better again. She's very kind."

Blake was appalled at what she'd just heard. But again, she tried to be mindful of her words.

"Why... did she make you stay down there for three days?"

Weiss shrugged.

"She said it was practice. She said it would make me stronger once I got better. She was very proud of me for staying quiet all three days and never complaining. And it really did make me stronger! I was hungry at first, but after a while, I didn't even need food anymore. I didn't even want it. It was hard to not be thirsty, but I did that too. Mother was very proud of me and helped me get better afterward."

Blake felt nauseous.

She couldn't believe what she'd just been told.

Weiss was truly blinded by her affections for Cinder, enough so that she wouldn't even recognize the signs of abuse.

Then again, Blake assumed that was also Cinder's doing.

This life was all Weiss had ever known. She didn't see it as abuse; she simply saw it as life.

Cinder had locked her away and starved her for three days just because she could.

Weiss would never question her. Cinder was her mother.

She'd kept Weiss in that cold, dark basement for three days and nights, telling her it was necessary.

But Cinder had been the one to carry her out of the basement. Cinder had been the one to help Weiss get better again.

That was all Weiss could see; Cinder rescuing her.

She couldn't comprehend that it had been Cinder who had put her in that awful situation in the first place, that it had been Cinder who had made her get sick.

With the way she'd been raised and manipulated, Weiss couldn't see the bad side of Cinder.

But Blake could.

She could see everything.

And it disgusted her.

It made her want to get out of here as soon as possible.

In that moment, she boldly vowed she'd never leave this place unless Weiss was with her.

One day, she was going to save this girl.

But that would mean she'd have to ensure Weiss could be saved.

Somehow, Blake would need to make her see the darkness in Cinder's soul. She'd need Weiss to understand that her relationship with her "Mother" wasn't right, wasn't healthy.

In fact, with the things Blake had seen today in just a few hours of being in this place, she was certain of one thing.

She knew Weiss' relationship with Cinder would surely kill the girl one day.

Blake would need to devise a way to save her before that happened.

But again, this was only her first day here. She'd need to gain Cinder's trust first before she could even think about forging plans of escape.

Presently, Blake pulled herself from her thoughts when she realized Weiss had begun to shiver again, reminded of the time she'd been locked in the basement.

Blake hugged her once more, then took Weiss' hands and led her away from the bookshelf.

"Is this all?" she wondered. "Where do you sleep, Weiss? Is it... with her?"

She hadn't considered the thought until now. If Weiss shared a room and bed with Cinder, it would make this nightmare even worse.

But thankfully, Weiss shook her head.

"No. Only on the stormy nights. But for all the other times, I have my own room. Let me show you."

She took Blake's hand once more, and started to lead her through the hallways.

But before they could reach the designated door, a strange sound reached Blake's ears.

It rang twice, and she quickly realized it was bell.

Weiss halted abruptly in her tracks when she heard it, and all other thoughts flew from her mind as she turned around.

"Mother's calling! Come, we mustn't keep her waiting!"

Weiss started running, and Blake had no choice but to follow.

She assumed making Cinder wait a second longer than necessary was another sin that wouldn't go unpunished.

But she wasn't willing to risk finding out, so she took off at top speed after Weiss, following the tug on her wrist as the girl rounded a few corners and brought them to the kitchen.

Cinder was there in her long, dark-crimson cloak, her hood removed to reveal her pale face, smoky hair, and burning eyes. Blake noticed that her red lips curved up into a smile as soon as she saw Weiss.

"Hello, darling," she hummed. "Did you show your new pet around the house as I asked?"

"Yes, Mother!" Weiss reported. "But we only went to the rooms you permit us to go to."

"Very good."

Blake watched as Cinder reached down and petted Weiss on the head, as though she were a dog. Weiss soaked up the silent praise for all it was worth, and Blake felt bile rise up in her throat at the sight of it.

This girl... she had no idea what her relationship with Cinder was truly like.

Blake froze when Cinder's amber eyes turned on hers, though her voice kept addressing Weiss.

"And your little kitty didn't give you any trouble, did she? If she did, you must tell me dear, so I may discipline her."

Blake felt her heart stop; if Weiss revealed anything about the incident in the living room...

But the other girl shook her head.

"Not at all. She was very well-behaved. I do think she's a bit tired, though. It must have been a long day for her after being abandoned by her parents..."

Cinder kept her gaze locked on Blake's, her eyes stern and burning, snarling silent threats despite the smile on her lips.

"That's to be expected," Cinder said. "She's had a rough day, that's for certain."

Blake had to swallow a growl and fight back the tears that tried to swell up. She refused to show her anger and emotion to this wretched woman; that would be like admitting Cinder had won.

It was what Cinder wanted.

So when Blake merely returned her gaze levelly - almost defiantly - she was smug to see the irked twitch of the woman's eyebrow.

But the Faunus girl wouldn't act out right now, not in front of Weiss, because that might lead her to believe something was amiss with the story Cinder had told her.

So Cinder merely nodded, breaking her gaze away from Blake's, but not without one last warning flash.

Blake couldn't help but smile; she felt she'd just won her first battle against the witch.

She didn't feel like crying anymore with that victory achieved.

Cinder turned away and headed to the counter where she picked up several plates.

"Dinner is ready, dear."

Blake noticed she was only talking to Weiss.

Part of her was glad for that, because Blake knew if Cinder ever referred to her as such with that feigned affection, she'd vomit.

But the other part of her wished Cinder would include her in the terms of endearment, just so Weiss wouldn't be the only one being targeted with such cruel, false words.

Even so, Blake followed Weiss to the small table where four chairs sat around a single table. Cinder put two plates down on the table, and Weiss seemed to know exactly where to sit. She and Cinder clearly had their own chairs.

But Blake didn't know where to go.

Weiss must've noticed as much as she took her own seat, looking to Cinder, then to Blake, and back again.

"Mother? Where may Blake sit?"

Blake watched the witch; she realized it was the first time Cinder had heard Blake's name or discovered what it was.

Cinder had just picked up a third plate and turned back around.

"She may sit wherever she likes," Cinder said pleasantly.

Blake took a look at the arrangement before her.

Weiss' seat was next to Cinder's, so Blake chose the chair opposite the witch that still allowed her to be next to Weiss.

She sat in that chair, and Cinder placed a plate of bread and vegetables in front of her before taking her own seat.

Blake had to admit she felt horrible being presented with such a full, nutritious meal, when she knew very well that her parents were distraught in the slums right now, probably refusing to eat and still frantic and broken by grief at having lost her.

Blake bit her lip, reminding herself she wouldn't cry – not in front of the witch.

Still, this was a lot more food than she'd ever eaten before at any given mealtime. As she picked up a carrot and bit into it, it was hard not to let her ravenous stomach take control.

Blake ate slowly, both to savor the food and to make sure she stayed by Weiss' side the entire time. She didn't want to leave her alone with Cinder anymore, if at all possible.

It was odd; Blake had just been kidnapped but a few hours ago, torn from her mother's arms and threatened with her parents' lives. She'd been forced into this awful new life, demanded to play along, and Blake didn't know how long this might last.

But she knew one thing. She knew that she'd already come to care for Weiss like a sister.

Blake needed to get her out of here. She made a silent promise to Weiss that she would.

No one deserved this kind of life, a life of emotional abuse and false memories.

Cinder had likely brought Blake here to serve as a companion for Weiss, and Blake was intent to be just that, and much more more.

She was going to save Weiss from this living hell one day.

Supper came and went, and Blake finished eating at much the same time as Weiss did. Weiss hopped off her chair and took her plate with her toward the sink she was a bit too small to reach. She grabbed a rag instead and started cleaning it off.

"Thank you for supper, Mother!" she said with a smile.

Cinder tilted her head back and smiled as well.

"You're very welcome, dear." Then, her smile faded as she turned her gaze onto Blake, who had just slipped off her chair. "Now what about your kitty? Has she no manners?"

Blake's ears went flat as she glared up at the witch.

Cinder's eyes hardened, and her voice came out as a hiss.

"She seems a bit too defiant," she snarled. "Perhaps I should find you another pet, dear? It would be easy to replace her."

Blake's eyes went wide then; she hadn't considered that possibility, that Cinder could dispose of her and steal away another companion for Weiss. Of course, if she were to do that, she'd kill Blake first without a doubt.

Her life was quite literally in Weiss' hands in that instance.

But Weiss scurried over to where Cinder was seated and shook her head.

"No, Mother. I want to keep Blake. I'm sure she's just tired tonight, that's all. She'll get better."

Blake watched as Cinder looked into Weiss' eyes, then back to hers. Perhaps the witch didn't want to make Weiss upset right now by taking away her "pet" on the very first day.

Or perhaps the witch simply couldn't risk going out to snatch another child right now.

Whatever the reason, Cinder sighed, smiling as she patted Weiss' head once more.

"Alright then. Make sure you train her well, dear."

"I will, Mother."

With that, Cinder stood, taking all of their plates to the sink.

"Get along to bed now," she said. "But first, get her washed and out of those filthy clothes. I've left some fresh ones on your bed."

"Yes, Mother!"

Weiss quickly took Blake's hand and hurried off with her, back down the hallways, bound for the room they'd yet to reach. Weiss paused to open the door, then coaxed Blake inside.

The Faunus girl immediately decided that this was her favorite room of the house.

Unlike the rest of the mansion, the walls weren't dark and sickening, but rather they were blue, just like Weiss' eyes.

And there was no sharp, bitter scent here like there was in the rest of the house. This room just smelled like Weiss.

There was a shelf with a few books on it, a dresser, and one bed.

But Blake's eyes were drawn to the single window. It was the only one in the mansion without curtains drawn over it.

Weiss must've noticed her staring, because she took Blake inside.

"This is my room. That's the only window we're allowed to look out through, because it faces the woods."

That made sense to Blake as well. The other windows were off-limits because there was a high possibility of someone seeing Weiss if she were to look outside. That only confirmed Blake's theory that Weiss was another kidnap victim Cinder was trying to hide.

But she said nothing, biting her lip instead, casting her eyes around the only room that had so much sunlight coming in.

On the bed was a pair of loose pants and a sweater, and Weiss went to collect them.

"These must be the clothes Mother got for you. She'll probably get you more or just let you borrow some of mine in the future. But for now, these are yours!"

Weiss handed Blake the clothes, and the Faunus girl looked down at them. They didn't look as nice as Weiss' dress, but there weren't any holes, at least.

When Blake looked a bit closer in the better lighting now, she noticed the intricate embroidery decorating Weiss' dress, little golden swirls and patterns running all along the sleeves, the hem, the collar, and all over her chest.

Somehow... those golden lines didn't seem right.

Weiss saw her looking, and spoke up proudly.

"Mother sews all of my dresses herself! She loves me very much, so she makes all of my clothes by hand! But she probably bought yours in town, simply because she didn't have enough time to make you anything. She probably didn't expect to find you today, after all."

Blake knew that wasn't the case and that Cinder had very much intended to find some poor child today and snatch them away. It just so happened that had been Blake's fate.

But perhaps that was for the better. Perhaps another child wouldn't have been smart enough to keep their mouth shut around Cinder and figure out what was going on in this mansion. Perhaps any other child might've cried too loudly and been killed on the spot.

Or worse, perhaps they might've told Weiss everything about Cinder blatantly and ended up hurting her very badly, or even endangering her life.

When Blake thought of things that way... she was almost glad Cinder had chosen her.

She knew she was smart enough to cope with this horrendous situation. She knew she could get out alive and take Weiss with her. It was just a matter of missing her parents and praying they wouldn't give up on her.

As Blake's mind led her through such thoughts, Weiss led her to the bathroom again. She filled the bath for Blake, showed her where the soap was, and then left her alone.

Blake couldn't remember the last time she'd had a full meal and a warm bath. It was certainly strange how she'd found both of those things here in a witch's house of all places.

But she wasn't about to take them for granted. She'd only eat enough meals and take as many baths as she needed to until she could get Weiss out of here.

Ten minutes later, Blake had dried herself off and changed into the new clothes. She wrapped her purple bandana around her neck again and paused a moment to breathe it in.

It smelled like home...

Shaking her head, she then drained the bathtub and wandered back to Weiss' room. The door was closed, so she knocked softly.

Weiss let her in, now dressed in a white nightgown that had similar golden patterns marking it. Blake assumed the witch had made that as well.

Weiss brought Blake over to the bed before stopping.

"Wait here," she said, and then scurried off. Blake didn't move, merely cast her eyes about the room for a moment until she heard Weiss' footsteps again. "Sorry! I was just saying goodnight to Mother. I told her you'd already fallen asleep and she said it was fine if you sleep in my bed!"

Blake finally cracked the tiniest of smiles.

"I'd like that. I thought she'd make me sleep on the floor."

"What? Mother would never do that!"

"...She thinks I'm an animal..."

That left Weiss speechless for a moment. Certainly, she must've realized how Cinder always referred to Blake as her pet?

But Weiss shook her head, simply unable to recognize a fault of Cinder's.

"Mother merely misspoke. That's all."

Blake's shoulders slumped. It was very bad how Weiss kept defending Cinder, kept accepting her abusive tendencies as a proper parent-child relationship. She really couldn't see anything amiss in this life.

One day, Blake would make her see.

But for now, it seemed best to try and sleep.

Blake wasn't sure she'd be able to. She missed her parents, and she knew they were dying without her now, drowning in sorrow.

At the very least, Cinder didn't seem to come into this room very often, perhaps because of the undisclosed window.

Blake knew she must have looked awfully scared though, because Weiss touched her hand lightly.

"Blake...? What's wrong?"

The Faunus girl sighed.

"I just... don't think I'll be able to sleep too well tonight... For a lot of reasons..."

And then, Weiss said something that actually made Blake feel a little bit better.

"Let me read you a bedtime story!"

Weiss hurried over to the bookshelf and pulled out a book, then rushed back to the bed. She took off her little white shoes, pulled down the blankets, and crawled up onto the mattress, slipping her legs underneath before patting the space beside her.

"Come here! This will be your spot from now on!"

Blake hesitated, flashing a glance to the door. But it was closed, and something told her Cinder wouldn't be coming in.

So she cautiously made her way toward the bed, removed her shoes, then crawled up beside Weiss.

The white-haired girl waited for Blake to settle down, sitting up and leaning her back against the pillow. Then, Weiss snuggled close to her side, opened the book in her lap, and began to read.

"Once upon a time..."

Blake's ears lifted, swiveling with interest as Weiss' voice read smoothly over all the words on the pages.

Blake tried to follow along, but she couldn't manage. She didn't want to interrupt, so she waited a few minutes until Weiss had finished and placed the book aside.

"Wow..." Blake mumbled. "You read so well."

"Thank you! Mother lets me from time to time."

Blake flinched a bit at the word "lets", but it wasn't all that surprising after everything she'd witnessed today.

"I can't read," Blake admitted. "I never had many books, but even if I could get one, I didn't know how to make sense of the words."

"Well then, how about I teach you?" Weiss offered excitedly.

Blake's eyes went wide with innocent hope.

"R...Really?"

"Of course! Before bed every night, I'll read to you, and I'll help you follow along. How does that sound?"

Blake met her pretty blue eyes and nodded eagerly.

"Yes... I'd really... like that."

"Then that's what we'll do! It's a promise."

Blake nodded.

If she was going to willingly be a prisoner here at this hellish mansion, she might as well make the most of it until she was certain she could get Weiss out.

They decided to start Blake's reading lessons tomorrow night, as for now, the sun had already gone down, leaving the room in darkness aside from a single beam of moonlight coming in through the window.

Weiss laid the pillow down on the mattress, then curled up on her side. Slowly, Blake laid down beside her, burying her nose in her bandana.

She'd never slept in a bed like this before, and never beside anyone but her parents. It was strange, all things considered, but she somehow felt drawn to Weiss.

She moved in a little closer, until she had wrapped the girl in her arms.

Weiss had been shivering in the coolness of the room, but in only minutes of being pressed close to Blake, the tremors died away.

"Blake..." she murmured. "You're so warm. Thank you."

Her words told Blake that Weiss had gone to bed cold many nights before, as had Blake herself.

"You're warm too, Weiss. It's nice..."

Despite everything, the two girls drifted off before long.

And no matter what the future held in store for them – whatever trials and terrors Cinder could throw at them – at least tonight they could fall asleep warm.

The arduous challenge would be to maintain that warmth, and to keep that flame alive at any and all costs.

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A/N: I hope everything was easy to follow. If you have questions, feel free to ask!