Fated (ch2)

This chapter is Weiss' fairytale, and it's loosely based off Snow White and various other princess tales.

This is the "winter" chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

-----------------

								Chapter 2.

							The Princess And The Knight

She lived in a castle of white.

Large marble pillars and walls rose up on all sides, to keep her trapped.

Her father reigned over every aspect of her life, as well as her sister's.

Weiss and Winter often saw one another, but were forbidden to converse. Their father had ordered as much.

Every time Weiss saw her younger sister, she only worried for her.

Winter's hair had once been as pure white as her own. But in recent months, it had started to turn grey, her lilac dress had grown too loose for her, and the color had begun to drain from her eyes.

She was tiring of their father's ruthless ruling, keeping them like slaves to clean every inch of the castle on a daily basis.

She couldn't say as much, but Weiss worried for her sister very deeply.

It was after one day when Winter had collapsed during her work that Weiss had rushed to her, forced to swallow words of comfort, lest the sisters have to face their father's wrath. Weiss could only look down at her, smiling faintly past the tears, trying to convey her determination to get them both out of here someday, somehow.

Weiss had never been so driven to escape before, but now her younger sister truly needed her.

She brought Winter to bed and had her rest for the remainder of the day. She kissed her sister's feverish forehead, a silent promise that she would take care of everything.

After leaving her sister's room, Weiss set to work on finishing her chores. She now needed to complete Winter's share as well, because if the castle wasn't immaculate by the end of each day, both of them would be punished and denied supper.

Weiss treaded lightly as she moved through the halls, alert for telltale sounds of her father being nearby. He tended to spend most of his time in his quarters, counting and recounting his hoard of money, like an old dragon.

Seeing no sign of him now, Weiss pulled the wash rag from the pocket of her tattered brown apron, an article that was an ugly contrast to the pretty blue dress underneath.

But she had been forced to wear the apron every day of her life ever since her mother had passed away two years ago. Ever since she had died, her husband's character had changed - drastically.

He had become obsessed with money and vanity, and cared more for such things rather than his own children. He had made his daughters slaves, neglecting them of warmth or compassion. And now he'd gone so far as to cause his youngest to fall ill.

Weiss realized she was biting her lip in frustration, clutching her rag in her hand so tightly her nails dug through it and into her own palm.

She quickly shook her head and loosened her grip. Now was no time to display her anger. If she let such negative emotions get the better of her, she'd only be consumed by them, and her sister needed her help right now.

Instead, Weiss set to humming softly as she started to clean, dusting off shelves and whatever statues her father had purchased with his wealth.

Weiss had started in the spot where Winter had left off; if her father came by to inspect their work, she wanted her sister's section to be finished, lest he seek Winter out, find her bedridden, and punish her for laziness.

Weiss didn't want to think about what could happen to them if he got angry again.

The last time it had happened, he had broken a mirror with his own fist and come at the two girls in a fit of rage. Weiss had shielded her sister with her own body, and her father had struck her across her left eye with a shard of glass.

At the time, it had bled deep scarlet, and her father had disgustedly told them both to leave his quarters after cleaning up the blood.

Winter had tended to her sister in sobs that night, frantically pressing clothes to her eye to stop the bleeding. By some miracle, Weiss hadn't lost the vision in her left eye, but now a disconcerting pink scar ran over the soft white skin of her cheek.

As she cleaned the marble pillars now, Weiss could see its reflection in them, and she cut off her song abruptly as she looked away. Weiss rubbed the back of her hand over the scar, wishing it would simply wipe off, but it never did.

But again, she remembered that her little sister was depending on her; this was no time for self-pity.

Weiss worked efficiently and painstakingly, making sure she cleaned Winter's section of the white marble castle thoroughly; once they had each finished cleaning for the day, they were allowed to go back to their room and do whatever they pleased until nightfall.

Therefore, if Winter's section of the castle was cleaned properly, her father wouldn't ask questions as to why she had retired to bed early.

Luckily, Weiss didn't get caught cleaning Winter's part – if she had been, he would have demanded answers from her.

About two hours after she had brought Winter to bed, Weiss finally got back to cleaning her own section of the castle. She had done a lot of it before Winter's collapse, and now only had the foyer and courtyard remaining.

But the courtyard was large and being it was outside, it always collected much dirt and dust, and would take a while for one girl to clean.

Weiss had just been finishing the foyer, circling her rag over a small glass table when she heard heavy footsteps. She quickly ceased her humming and straightened up, though she didn't stop cleaning until he addressed her. His voice was low, like a wolf's growl, but she had more or less gotten used to it by now.

"Where's the other one?" he snapped.

That was what made Weiss flinch.

Not the tone of his voice, but the words he chose to speak, how he never called his daughters by name, or even acknowledged they were human beings.

But Weiss couldn't allow her discomfort to show.

She continued cleaning as she addressed him, not look directly at him; he had ordered her never to do so since she had gotten that scar.

"She's in her room," Weiss answered. "She's finished her cleaning for the day."

"And why haven't you?" he growled.

Weiss made sure to keep her voice level despite the growing fear in her chest, spreading like numerous vines of twisted thorns.

"I discovered a nest of mice in the west wing. It took a while to get rid of them," she lied.

She heard her father's snort of disgust.

"Save the courtyard for tomorrow then. Make sure you clean the west wing again."

"Yes, Father."

With that, he turned away and headed off.

Weiss listened to the sounds of his boots as he ascended the staircase that led to his quarters.

Winter was safe for today.

But Weiss wasn't sure about tomorrow.

She intended to nurse her sister back to health to the best of her abilities tonight, but if Winter wasn't better by tomorrow, they would both be in potential danger.

Again, Weiss needed to perish the thoughts for the moment.

She focused on the favorable news instead, that she'd been relieved of cleaning the courtyard today. Instead, she was sure to scurry back to the west wing and clean it again; though she hadn't truly found any mice there, she needed to make sure she followed her father's orders.

After that, she headed to the kitchen on the lower floor.

The only other person who lived in the mansion was a woman with dark, ashen hair. She wore a red dress and always prepared the family meals.

Her name was Cinder, and Weiss suspected she was her father's mistress, and had been for some time. Cinder hardly cared for Weiss and her sister, but she at least gave them food at the designated times of day.

Upon entering the kitchen, Weiss was more than relieved to discover tonight's meal was hot soup. She dipped her head to Cinder who scowled in return, nodding to two small bowls she had prepared, indicating for Weiss to take them.

Weiss did as much, leaving Cinder without a word; the woman was still preparing her father's meal, likely one they would share later tonight in his quarters.

Weiss hurried out of the kitchen and went back to the foyer, making certain not to spare a single drop of the soup. Each bowl was measly, filled less than halfway up, but at least there were chopped vegetables sprinkled in.

Weiss went to the staircase that would take her to the second floor; her father was on the third floor, and he rarely ventured downstairs unless it was to check their cleaning. He'd done that for today, so Weiss was certain she could relax for the rest of the evening.

She hurried to Winter's room, finding her sister just as she'd left her earlier, in a restless slumber. Weiss placed the bowls of soup on a little table nearby and sat on the edge of her sister's bed, shaking her shoulder gently to rouse her.

Now that she knew her father wouldn't hear, Weiss spoke softly to her sister for the first time in days.

"Winter... I've brought you soup." Weiss found her sister was shivering, and she gently helped her sit up, keeping one arm around her.

Winter moaned tiredly, her dark azure eyes fluttering open.

"Weiss... I'm cold..."

"Let me help."

Weiss took the spoon from one of the bowls of soup and blew on it a little before offering it to her sister. Winer sipped it slowly, shivering a bit more, and Weiss kept her close.

She continued to feed her sister until one of the bowls was empty. Weiss even gave Winter half of her own soup, making sure she got the majority of the nutrients from the vegetables.

Winter then sighed and looked up at Weiss.

"Thank you, Weiss. Have you eaten already?"

"Yes," Weiss said with a smile. "Now you should rest. I'll stay with you until you fall asleep, alright?"

Nodding, Winter closed her eyes, and Weiss laid her back down in bed.

Weiss tucked her in beneath the only blanket she had, and then stood and went to the windows, making sure they were all sealed as to not let any drafts slip in.

By the time she returned to the bed, Winter was asleep. Weiss bent down to kiss her forehead, running a hand through her soft grey hair that just passed her shoulders.

"I'll make sure this doesn't happen again," she vowed. "I promise I'll keep you safe."

And yet, as Weiss picked up the empty soup bowls and retreated to her own room, she hadn't the slightest idea as to how she would keep that promise.

-----------------

After she'd let the girl take the bowls of soup, Cinder returned to cooking the meat she'd been preparing.

Her lover was a gluttonous man, both for food and for money, and Cinder had to admit she rather favored those qualities.

Once the food was finished, she placed it on a platter and lined it with vegetables, covering it with a lid to keep it warm as she carried it up the stairs to his quarters. She found him there gazing into the glass of a large mirror.

Cinder recalled how he'd broken the previous one; but this one was new, a special order – it was enchanted with magics.

Cinder placed the food down on his desk and glided across the room to him, ensnaring him in an embrace, breathing a greeting into his ear.

He grinned and told her to wait for him a moment.

Obediently, Cinder stepped back and watched him in front of the mirror as he spoke to it.

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the richest of them all?" he asked.

Cinder purred; she loved his vanity, too. Of course the mirror would respond with his name – after all, he had all the riches in the land.

And yet, the voice that responded gave a horrifying answer.

"Weiss Schnee..." it said. "She is the richest of them all."

Cinder's eyes widened with interest.

But the man before her only bellowed in rage.

"WHAT?! That little wretch? How is it possible?" With a snarl, he turned away from the mirror and instead looked to Cinder. "Get rid of her," he commanded. "You can do it, can't you?"

Cinder felt her red lips curling into a smirk.

"Consider it done, m'lord."

She left him for the moment to return to the kitchen downstairs.

There, she pulled forth two apples – one red and one green. She slipped the green one into place on the windowsill untouched, but lifted the red one into her palm.

He had asked her to perform this task because he knew she was well-versed in dark magics.

Cinder muttered a wicked spell, one that poisoned the juices of the apple in her palm. She watched as a small black haze encompassed the fruit. Once the spell was completed, she left it on the window sill beside the other apple, and returned to her lover's quarters.

There, she explained her tactics to him.

"Can the spell be broken?" he asked of her.

Cinder tilted her chin to one side.

"Every spell can be broken," she drawled. "But the thing to break this one shan't ever happen."

The greedy man turned to look back at his mirror and laughed harshly.

"Good."

The next morning, Weiss woke early, changed into her blue dress, tied on her apron, and ventured to Winter's room.

Her sister woke at her entry, and Weiss urged her to keep quiet.

"How are you feeling?" Weiss whispered. "You still look ill."

"I'll be fine."

But Winter's reassuring words were shattered almost instantly by a pained bout of coughs.

Weiss hushed her gently and pulled her into an embrace.

"You just rest for today. I'll clean up everything, alright?"

Winter moaned feebly in protest.

"It's too much..."

"I'll get started early. Don't worry. I'll finish your part first and tell father you've done your work and gone to your room." She kissed Winter's forehead again, and slipped out of the room before her sister could stop her.

Weiss had sipped down the last of the soup last night, but she couldn't bother wasting time for breakfast this morning; she needed to set to work right away.

And yet, she hadn't even been near the kitchen when she ran into Cinder.

Weiss instantly feared she'd been discovered, and she racked her brain for some kind of explanation.

But the woman only smiled kindly and reached into a pocket of her dress, revealing two apples to her.

"Dear girl," she husked. "You mustn't skip breakfast."

She offered Weiss the apples.

Slowly, cautiously, Weiss reached out her hand.

Cinder placed both apples into her palm.

"The green one is better suited to your sister's tastes. The red one is for you, my dear."

And with that, she turned away, and headed off in the direction of the kitchen.

Weiss watched her go before glancing to the fruit in her palm. The apples were clearly fresh and certainly smelled enticing.

But she couldn't waste the time to eat now or bring them to Winter.

So for now, Weiss simply rolled one into each of her apron's pockets before she set to work once more.

She cleaned what Winter was supposed to clean first, making sure to get in between and around every nook and cranny. She worked with unflagging determination, never slowing her pace, intent to finish before her father found her cleaning the wrong parts of the castle.

Hours passed, and every second Weiss was terrified she'd be discovered.

But eventually, she got to cleaning her own parts of the castle, having finished Winter's share.

That was when she encountered her father, and she told him exactly what she'd told him yesterday, that Winter had already finished.

He snorted as he glared down at her.

"That one's a keeper. She works quickly. However, you seem to be becoming quite useless as of late," he noted before turning away.

Weiss remembered to breathe once he'd gone, though her stomach was growling and she felt dizzy.

She recalled the apples in her pocket – she planned to give Winter the green one once Weiss herself had finished cleaning the courtyard.

It was a daunting task - one that would take a great deal of effort - and Weiss held off taking a bite of her own apple until later.

For now, she made her way toward the doors, sliding them open and stepping out into the crisp winter air. It soothed her lungs that ached from overuse, and that moment was the first break she'd taken in several hours.

She stood atop a small balcony of white marble, and Weiss quickly cleaned off the railing before making her way down a small flight of stairs. She turned around every few steps to clean them all before reaching the ground.

White castle walls rose up around her on all sides, and in between them lay a stretch of the one-acre courtyard. The ground was flat and mostly covered in white stones, save for a few small patches of grass and garden.

That was why the courtyard took so much time and effort to clean.

Weiss knelt down and set to work, running her rag over the stones and clearing them of dust.

As she worked, she pushed and gathered the dirt and dust to the righthand side of the courtyard where a steep incline led down to a chain-link fence. That was where she needed to deposit the dust, and the winds would then carry it through the holes in the fence and to the forest beyond.

Her father had riches beyond compare, and yet he never hired other servants to clean for him, never purchased his daughters brooms to clean with. His greed had all but consumed him, and he kept every coin for himself.

Weiss tried to distract herself from the backbreaking nature of the work at had.

At least out here, she didn't have to resort to humming, but rather she could let out her voice.

She sang soft words, her voice gliding along the air smoothly, although at times she was interrupted by a grunt of effort or two.

Whenever she sang, the birds started to sing a little as well, and the whole world seemed to be at peace for just a few moments.

However, with the combination of the cold, dry winter air and the physical exertion of already having cleaned most of the castle by herself, it was only moments before Weiss was sweating, struggling to push the dirt across the white stones without losing too much of it along the way.

She panted as she looked back on what she had cleaned, and then to what she had yet to touch. The latter was substantially larger.

The only blessings she ever got were the few times per year when it snowed, because then she was not required to clean the courtyard until after it had melted.

But though the air was frigid today, she received no such blessing.

At least, not in the form of snow.

-----------------

The young knight watched her breath puff up in front of her, a tiny cloud of white in comparison to the steam her chestnut-colored horse was producing.

It was certainly cold out today, and the girl pulled her red cloak tighter over her shoulders and back to preserve what little warmth it offered her.

Her name was Ruby Rose, and she was no greenhorn of a knight, but this was her first time being dispatched on a mock journey to a neighboring kingdom.

It was only a test to see how quickly she could get there.

Keeping her horse at a trot, she should arrive by sunset, and if she went at a gallop, she could make it in half the time.

But this was her first journey alone, and she hardly remembered the way, so she kept her horse at a leisurely pace; if she felt she wouldn't make it in time, she was to go back to the training grounds and try again tomorrow.

But Ruby was nothing if not a determined girl who was eager to prove herself. Even though she knew she had strayed from the path and was now undoubtedly lost in a foreign forest, she didn't falter in her course.

"All I have to do is keep going forward," she reminded herself. "I'll just get out of these woods and then I can assess where I am and what to do from there!"

Her mishap hadn't disheartened her in the slightest, though the cold was getting to her a little bit. The forest was thick with trees, and that fortunately broke up the wind and kept it from assaulting her too much.

Ruby pulled up the hood of her cloak as she continued to ride, eyes alert for any indication of where she might be, but she saw no familiar landmarks. Her mare snorted and tossed her head. Ruby patted her shoulder.

"C'mon, just a little further. If we can't find something in the next five minutes, we'll turn around and head back, okay?"

They continued onward through the silent forest, the only sound being the consistent clomp of the horse's hooves.

But before very much longer, Ruby could decipher the sound of lively birdsong.

And then there was... something else.

A voice was singing somewhere up ahead, echoing out on the air. She was still too far away to make out the words, but Ruby knew it wasn't a figment of her imagination.

She coaxed her mare into a trot, following the sound hastily lest it should disappear.

It wasn't long before Ruby caught sight of a small castle, the lower half of it blocked off and shielded behind tall white walls. Her mentors had never told her of such a castle, and Ruby briefly pondered why that was, until she reached the wall.

She could decipher the words of the other person's song now, and determined that the one singing was likely female.

Perhaps Ruby could inquire for directions?

She brought her horse around, keeping close to the wall and seeking some entryway of sorts, but she could find none. She headed back toward where the voice seemed to be coming from, and Ruby dismounted promptly. She tied her horse's reins to a tree branch and let the mare graze.

Ruby went to the white wall constructed of painted bricks. She reached up to find a place to slide her fingers into, then sought out footholds that would support her weight.

In her younger years, she had climbed many trees and mountains with her sister, so scaling this wall wasn't much of a challenge.

She paused once her hands grazed the top of the wall, and Ruby cautiously lifted her chin up over it to assess what was beyond.

There was a large enclosed area consisting mainly of open space and white stone with a bit of grass here and there.

The source of the lovely voice was a girl in a light blue dress. Her back was to Ruby, allowing the knight to see the cascade of loose alabaster hair all down her back, a purer white than any of the polished stones here.

A dusty old apron was tied around her stomach, and she was slaving away with a single rag to clean the stone floor.

Ruby had to wonder if she was a servant; she certainly didn't look like one in that dress.

Cautiously, she lifted herself up over the fence and dropped down onto the stone floor below with a light thud. She cleared her throat and called out softly.

"Greetings, m'lady!"

. . .

Weiss knew she should have been saving her breath for the task at hand, and was about to stop singing to preserve precious energy.

But rather than a pleasing decrease in volume as she ended the song, she cut off abruptly when she heard a loud sound coming from behind her.

At first she'd thought it was her father, and Weiss was frightened as to why he might be here at such an hour.

But when she scrambled to turn around, Weiss looked up to find an unfamiliar face grinning back at her.

It was a young girl, perhaps only a few years shy of Weiss' own age. She was dressed in a knight's uniform, but not the heavily-armored kind. Rather, the kind that was more akin to a suit - the vest, shirt, and pants of an envoy rather than a warrior. A small sword sat in a belt on her hip, and a bright red cloak sat on her shoulders and fluttered behind her on the breeze.

Startled, Weiss pushed herself to her feet. She couldn't recall the last time she'd seen an outsider. And yet the first words out of her mouth weren't nervous, but outraged.

"You dolt!" she barked. "I just cleaned there! Now I've got to do it all over again!"

The knight jumped a bit in surprise and instantly bowed her head in shame.

"I-I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking! I just wanted to get over this wall to talk to someone and I wasn't thinking about where I'd be landing." The girl put a hand behind her head and smiled sheepishly.

Weiss groaned, but quickly realized the imminent danger at hand.

"Never mind that! Who are you? What brings you here? Actually, never mind any of that either! Get out of here this instant! If my father catches you-"

"Whoa, whoa, hold on a second!" The knight held up her hands to slow her down.

Weiss' hands went to her hips, a scowl covering her face.

The other girl swiftly straightened her posture to stand at attention, and she dipped her upper body into a formal bow.

"My deepest apologies for trespassing! But I've lost my way and I heard you singing and I just..." But the girl trailed off as she looked Weiss over a little bit better. She seemed to have lost her initial train of thought as she lifted herself back up. "You... does your father make you wear that icky apron and clean all the time?"

Weiss huffed impatiently.

"That doesn't matter. Just tell me what you came here for so you can get-"

But she cut herself off before she could finish, an idea hatching in her mind.

This could be her chance...

Weiss glared across the space separating herself from the other girl.

"You... what is your name?"

The knight perked up.

"Me? My name's Ruby Rose! Envoy-in-training for the kingdom of Vale! I'm supposed to be-"

"Do you have a horse with you?" Weiss demanded.

"Huh? Uh yeah. I left her on the other side of the wall."

"...Do you know how to get back to your kingdom?"

"Yeah! All I'd have to do would be to go back the way I came! I'm having trouble going forward but not back!"

Weiss pondered for a moment before making her decision, hasty as it might've been. She strode forward toward Ruby, halting only a foot or so away from her now.

"Please hear me out," she said in a low voice. "My father has been keeping my sister and I as slaves for years now. She fell ill the other night and I fear for her life. If this continues, we'll both end up dead before another year is up. I'm desperate enough to beg you to take her to safety."

Overwhelmed, Ruby blinked and took a step back.

"Wh-What? Your dad's keeping you as slaves? He's got this huge castle but he won't even hire a doctor for you?"

"No. He's obsessed with his money. He no longer cares for us or anyone else. Only himself." Weiss met Ruby's strange silver eyes. "Which is why I'm begging you, Ruby Rose. Please help us."

"O-Of course I will!" she gasped. "B-But my horse can only carry two at a time."

"That's fine," Weiss said. "Just take my sister."

"But what about you?" Ruby protested.

"It doesn't matter what becomes of me."

"Yes it does!" Ruby realized she'd raised her voice and quickly covered her mouth.

Weiss flinched, and her eyes instantly went to the castle, fearing her father might have heard. She looked back to Ruby sharply. Weiss took a deep breath.

"Alright then. I'll bring you my sister now and you take her somewhere safe. Preferably back to your kingdom. She's ill and needs warmth and shelter. Only if you have the time and energy should you come back for me."

Ruby's eyes were intense as she nodded.

"Of course I will. I'll take my sister's horse the second time around so we'll be faster."

Weiss was about to ask Ruby to wait for her as she went to fetch Winter, but then something stopped her.

This all seemed far too easy.

She turned stern blue eyes back to Ruby's eager silver ones.

"But... how can I trust you won't hurt her?" she mumbled. "How can I trust you'll truly do as I ask and take her somewhere safe? I want to have faith in you more than anything else. But I've never even met you before..."

Ruby paused, her expression becoming one of seriousness as she tried to think of a way to prove herself.

"I'm a sister, too," she said softly. "I understand how tough it must be for you. But I really do fully intend to help the both of you escape this place. I swear it on my own life, and my sister's life as well. That's how serious I am." Ruby put a hand to her breast and bowed deeply before Weiss.

The white-haired girl nearly took a step back; the knight's honesty was palpable in the air, and to make such a vow on the life of her own sister...

She was about to grunt and inform Ruby she had gained Weiss' trust, but the brunette wanted to make absolutely certain.

Straightening up, Ruby reached up to her throat and began untying her red cloak. Once it was free, she folded it neatly and placed it onto the ground in front of her.

Next, she started to unbutton her vest and remove that as well, leaving her in only a long-sleeved white undershirt. She folded that too and laid it down over her cloak.

Weiss was about to shout at her and demand to know what she was doing.

But then she felt she knew what this was. She'd read it in an old book before.

For a knight of any kind to shed their vest or armor and lay it on the ground before them was a sign of the utmost trust in another party. It was a sign that they were defenseless and lying down their profession for the sake of another person.

Ruby had never performed this act before, but she knew she wanted to do it for Weiss.

The final step was literally that – a step.

She stepped over the pile of shed clothes, moving closer to Weiss in the process. This conveyed that she had put her precious job as a knight behind her, left it as an option and put Weiss as a priority.

Weiss was speechless, her jaw hanging down as Ruby bowed to her again.

"I swear to you, Weiss. I'll do everything within my power to help both you and your sister. I swear on my honor as a knight of the Kingdom of Vale, on my own life, and on my sister's. I'll help you."

There was nothing more Weiss could question or doubt about this girl now. She closed her mouth and dipped her head to Ruby.

"Then... you have my trust, Ruby," she murmured.

But she couldn't help but remember what else she'd read about a knight performing such an act to another.

"Ruby... you do realize... what you've just done is..."

Ruby flashed her eyes back up at Weiss, down to her discarded clothes, and then back again.

"Oh yeah! Usually when a knight removes their armor and puts it on the ground and steps over it they're only doing it to propose to someone-" Her voice cut off immediately as her eyes went wide. It was Ruby's turn to drop her jaw, and her face went redder than it had due to any chilled breeze. "O-Oh gosh, um-!"

But Weiss spared her the trouble.

Instead, the white-haired girl leaned forward and pressed a light kiss to her cheek.

Ruby's blush only spread and deepened.

"I-I u-um..."

"Alright then," Weiss said, clearing her throat. "As I said before, you've got my utmost trust, Ruby. I'll fetch my sister now so please wait here if you would. And put your clothes back on before you freeze to death."

"R-Right," Ruby stuttered, her fingers lifting to her cheek where those cool lips had made contact. "Ah, Weiss? M-May I... do the same for you? To return the action and confirm our trust?"

She was asking both as a knight and as a girl.

Weiss offered a faint smile.

"Later," she promised. "After all of this has ended."

Ruby smiled and nodded swiftly.

With that, Weiss turned and rushed back to the castle, across the stone of the courtyard that was already cleaned. She hurried inside and then up the staircase to the second floor, but still made sure to be cautious and listen for sounds of Cinder or her father.

Weiss wasn't intercepted, and she reached Winter's room without a hitch. Slipping inside, she went to her sister's bed to find her in an uneasy sleep. Weiss shook her shoulder gently.

"Winter?" Weiss waited until the girl moaned and opened her dark blue eyes before continuing. "I'm getting you out of here. Right now."

Without another word, Weiss scooped her weak sister up into her arms, albeit with some effort. Winter whimpered in surprise.

"What? But how?" she asked, clinging to Weiss' neck.

Weiss tried to keep things short and simple as she headed out of the room.

"A traveling knight has come along. I've determined that I can trust her, and she agrees to take you to safety."

Weiss paused when she reached the top of the stairs. She peered over Winter's head and took the first step down, her balance wavering as she slumped against the wall.

Her sister's weight was making her arms tremble. Weiss briefly recalled that fact that she'd been working the entire day, had barely slept a wink last night, and hadn't eaten a proper meal since yesterday morning.

But she persevered, huffing with effort as she descended the next step, then the next.

Winter swallowed and clung tighter to her sister's neck, confused and scared in her arms.

"You're coming too, right?"

Weiss paused again for breath.

"With any luck, yes," she murmured.

She needed to move with painstaking slowness down the stairs, her priority being Winter's safety above all else.

But she couldn't shake the sense of dread that was swirling about the atmosphere now. It was in every breath she swallowed, and every second that passed was another one close to their being apprehended.

Every click of her shoes on the marbled floors echoed around the castle, and Weiss struggled desperately to keep her labored breaths as quiet as possible. She kept herself alert for any sounds that might suggest someone else's approach; if such a thing were to happen, she'd be forced to make Winter stand on her own, and teetering in the middle of the staircase while ill didn't seem like a good endeavor for her.

Weiss pressed onward, leaning herself heavily against the wall for support. She could sense Winter's worry for her even before she spoke.

"Weiss..."

"Hush." Weiss pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before continuing to move down the stairs.

They only had several steps to go now, and in hear eagerness to hurry over them, Weiss very nearly fell. One foot twisted slightly, and she needed to bite her lip to stifle a cry of pain as her nails dug into Winter's dress.

The younger sister started to sob softly at Weiss' pain, but the eldest of the two ignored it.

At last, they reached level ground once more, and Weiss paused to catch her breath. She tested her right foot, but pain shot through it whenever she made it bear weight.

But even so she didn't stop, hurrying to the balcony and shoving the door open with her shoulder.

Once outside, she pulled Winter closer to her to conserve any warmth between them. She turned to the dozen steps that led from the balcony platform down to the stone ground of the courtyard.

But after only the first step, she yelped aloud as the pain in her foot increased tenfold. Eyes closed in agony, Weiss slumped against the castle's wall, making sure not to lose grip on Winter.

Evidently, Ruby had noticed her plight and quickly hurried over to them.

Weiss reopened her eyes to find the knight had redressed herself and was presently rushing up the steps to them.

"Let me take her," Ruby insisted.

Weiss hesitated a moment, searching the girl's silver eyes.

Then, she transferred Winter into Ruby's sturdier arms.

But she didn't miss her sister's little whimper of fear.

"It's alright," Weiss reassured her. "This... is the knight I told you about. Her name's Ruby and she's... promised to help us." Weiss fought for breath and wiped a hand over her brow.

Ruby knew instantly something was amiss.

"Weiss, what's wrong?"

The girl in Ruby's arms answered for her.

"She hurt herself carrying me..."

Weiss flinched when Ruby's concerned gaze went back to her.

"I'm fine... just... take her, please..."

Conflicted, Ruby paused another moment before she turned around and hurried down the steps.

Weiss followed much more slowly after her, leaning against the castle all the while. She was forced to limp without its support after she'd reached level ground.

She followed Ruby across the white stone ground and over to the far wall where the knight had first jumped down. There, Ruby let Winter down, and her eyes met those of both sisters.

"Now comes the hard part," the knight said. "I can't carry you while climbing. You'll have to climb up yourself." She looked pointedly at Winter. "Can you do that?"

The grey-haired girl looked to her sister first, then back to the knight.

"I... think so..."

Ruby offered a kind smile.

"Okay. I'll help you."

Winter nodded, but before they could begin, Weiss beckoned her closer. She kissed the crown of her sister's head and sighed.

"You're going to make it out of here. No matter what happens, just remember I love you."

Winter bit her lip and threw her arms around Weiss in a tight hug.

"Thank you for all you've done for me, Weiss. I'll wait for you to join me in a world where we are free."

They parted, and Weiss felt as though a great warmth had left her.

Ruby began instructing Winter how to grip the wall. She knew all the perfect places to be stepping into or holding onto, and Weiss was incredulous that she could tell so easily.

The eldest sister kept watching the castle, but there were no sounds of movement or flashes of motion from within that she could decipher.

With Ruby's guidance, Winter had soon managed to get a few feet off the ground, and the knight climbed up beside her. More often than not, the brunette kept grip with just one hand and used the other to point out the spots Winter should hold onto.

Weiss got beneath her sister and pressed a hand to her back to keep her steady, and she did so until Winter was too high up for her to touch any longer.

She waited tensely until Ruby had guided her sister to the top of the wall, and only when Winter had finally scrambled up to the top did Weiss remember to breathe again.

Ruby pulled herself up as well before slipping her legs over the other side.

"I'll jump down first, and then I'll catch you when you come down, alright?"

Winter nodded.

"O-Okay."

"Wait."

Before either of them could move, Weiss gained their attention once more, and both of them looked down to her. She slipped a hand into the right pocket of her apron and pulled out the green apple she'd been carrying all day. Her eyes met Winter's.

"You haven't eaten all day. Take it."

She tossed the fruit up, and Winter caught it carefully.

"Thank you, Weiss. I'll be waiting for you."

Then, Winter untied the ever-present apron from around her waist. She released it, and let it drop down to the courtyard ground, revealing her lovely lilac dress in full.

She was free of this life.

Weiss smiled.

Ruby was smiling as well as she watched the exchange between the two of them. She then met Weiss' mist-blue gaze.

"Weiss, you should go back inside. It's getting dark."

But Weiss shook her head.

"I can't. I don't want to risk the stairs again. Besides, if my father discovered me inside again, he'd assume I was finished cleaning the courtyard. If he came to check and found it unfinished-"

"I get it," Ruby stopped her, frowning as she ran a hand through her hair. "It's safest for you to stay out here until I return for you, huh?"

Weiss nodded.

Ruby uttered a quick murmur for Winter to stay put as the knight moved her legs back to the courtyard side. Weiss watched her as Ruby jumped back down and landed before her.

"Ruby, what are you-"

She stopped when the knight removed her red cloak once again. But Ruby didn't fold it this time nor lie it on the ground.

Instead, she draped it around Weiss' shoulders and secured the ties at her collar.

"Wait for my return," she said. "Until then, this should help you keep warm."

Weiss couldn't find words. Instead, she kissed Ruby's cheek again.

Ruby smiled softly. "I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise."

With that, she climbed back up the wall and jumped down on the other side without looking back.

Weiss heard the sound of her landing and then her voice.

"Alright! Jump down! I'll catch you!" she called up to Winter.

The grey-haired girl glanced back down at her sister, clutching the apple nervously between her hands. Weiss simply nodded to her.

"It's alright. I'll be with you soon."

Winter bit her lip and nodded back. She turned back to Ruby and slid off the wall.

Weiss heard her sister's squeak as Ruby triumphantly announced, "Got'cha!"

Then, there was silence for a moment, until Weiss could decipher the soft whinny of a horse. She could picture Ruby mounting and helping Winter up into her lap.

And then, the clutter of hooves rang out on the other side of the wall and soon started to fade into the distance.

When all was quiet, Weiss realized she was alone.

She had never been without her sister before, and now she was here with no one else but Cinder and her father.

She didn't know how long Ruby would take to return to her, and it was quite possible Weiss would be discovered first.

But she was just glad Winter was safe now.

With a sigh, she leaned her back against the wall and slid down it, slumping to the ground as another pang shot up her injured ankle. She positioned it awkwardly to one side to keep it from hurting so badly, and her eyes drifted skyward.

As Ruby had said earlier, it was indeed growing darker by the moment, and it wouldn't be long before her father would be seeking her out to see if she'd completed her chores.

Every passing minute found Weiss in a colder, darker world.

She pulled Ruby's cloak tightly around her shoulders, clutching the strings to her chest.

A flurry of snow began to pepper the world in a thin layer of powdered white. Weiss shuddered, partially because of the cold, and partially due to the knowledge that she didn't have much longer to stay hidden.

She enjoyed the silence while she still could.

Weiss closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling a shivering breath and letting it out with a cough. She shook herself a bit to dislodge the snow that had gathered atop her head and on her dress, but it wasn't long before the flakes started falling faster and had covered her again.

Weiss curled in on herself as much as she could without risking more pain in her foot, using Ruby's cloak to preserve all the warmth she possibly could. She didn't know how much time had passed...

Her entire body was shuddering violently now, her breath short and clipped in between wheezing coughs. She couldn't keep her eyes open, and her stomach was pitifully hollow.

A numbness soon began creeping over her, like ice trapping a swan, until she could no longer recognize the touch of her own skin or the fabrics of her clothes. She slumped back against the wall with a plea rising from her pale lips.

"R-Ruby..."

Silence.

Darkness.

Cold.

She released another withering breath.

And then, she heard noises, very distant ones.

They were coming from both sides of her, each drawing steadily nearer, and she wondered which would reach her first.

They were both the loud sounds of things crashing and thumping.

Then, one came to a halt, and she heard a clearer sound – the whinny of a horse.

Just as she'd forced her frozen eyelids to open, Weiss looked up in the darkening twilight to see a familiar figure leap down over the wall.

"Weiss!" Ruby called out softly.

A mixture of relief and worry was clear on the knight's face, a bit of snow in her hair and on her shoulders.

Weiss offered a weak smile and a thin breath.

"Y-You came back..."

"Of course I did! I promised, didn't I?" Ruby knelt down before Weiss and put a hand to the other girl's cheek, finding her skin ice cold. "Your sister is safe. I left her with my own sister and she's being given food and a place to spend the night. I took my sister's horse here; he's energized and very fast. We'll be back in Vale in half the time it took my horse." Ruby found Weiss' tired eyes and smiled softly. "Come on. I'll get you out of here so you can be with your sister again."

Ruby combed a few fingers through Weiss' stiffened hair to free it of snowflakes. Weiss made a small sound, one of exhaustion and pain.

"Ruby..." she rasped. "I... I think my father's found out... I can hear him crashing about through the castle. He's found me out..."

Ruby felt her heart clench.

"No he hasn't," she grunted. "Not yet. I'm going to get you out of here no matter what. I promise."

Ruby slipped her hands beneath Weiss' forearms to brace her. Slowly, the knight got to her feet, and Weiss made an effort to do the same.

But she couldn't feel her legs, not until a stinging pain shot up from her injured ankle. With a yelp, Weiss felt herself falling forward, but Ruby was there to catch her gently.

"It's okay," she murmured into Weiss' ear. "I'm gonna get you out of here no matter what," she repeated, as though to convince them both.

She steadied Weiss as best she could. They could both feel it now, how drastic the situation had become now that Weiss was being hunted for.

Ruby had Weiss face the great white wall.

Weiss clutched the red cloak tighter to herself; this was the wall that had kept her trapped for so many years, and now she was to suddenly conquer it?

It seemed impossible.

But Ruby was growing just as desperate as she was.

"Here." Ruby lifted Weiss' left hand and placed it on a crease between two of the bricks. She then bent down and pointed to a foothold. "And put your shoe here."

Ruby stayed on the ground for now, keeping a firm hand on Weiss' back, just as Weiss had done for Winter previously.

But the knight could tell just how badly Weiss' ankle was hindering her; the girl moved with harrowing slowness despite the urgency of the situation.

Ruby couldn't blame her. This girl had risked everything for her sister's sake, gotten herself injured, and waited many hours in the biting cold.

Every time Weiss moved her right foot, she cried out in pain.

Ruby glanced continuously over her should at the castle; she could hear muffled voices from within, clearly angered.

She swiftly directed her attention back to Weiss who had managed to get halfway up the wall, high enough that Ruby couldn't hold her back any longer.

"You're doing great! Now move your right hand up and a little to the left! A bit more... good, there!"

Weiss was almost to the top now.

They could do this. They could-

Ruby jumped at the sudden, unpleasant sound of scraping against rock.

Weiss' ankle had failed her.

She tried to keep hold of the wall with her fingers, but to no avail. Several of her nails chipped and broke off as she slid down, streaks of blood left behind on the white stone. Weiss cried out in pain, and Ruby shouted her name as she quickly held out her arms and braced herself.

Weiss landed in her arms, but her weight barely made Ruby flinch. The white-haired girl was shivering violently, her fingers now bleeding as tears ran down her cheeks and gasps of pain left her lips.

"It's okay, it's okay," Ruby murmured. "I've got you." She pulled Weiss close and swallowed a curse.

This was bad. Weiss had already lost most of the use of her right foot, and now both of her hands were bleeding. She was numb and shivering, and when Ruby pulled her closer, she could clearly feel Weiss' heart thumping rapidly in terror at the thought of being caught.

But the sounds of shouting and shattering glass from within the castle were growing steadily closer to them, and they only got more furious by the second.

Ruby took a deep breath and carefully helped Weiss to her feet again, letting the girl lean on her.

"Weiss, you've gotta try again. Just-"

"R-Ruby..." Weiss gasped, shaking her head, curling her stiff, bloodied fingers into her palms. "I-I can't... just leave me. Please..."

"No way!" Ruby slipped in front of Weiss and looked up into her eyes. "I promised I'd get you out of here no matter what! Don't let me become a liar, Weiss. Don't you want to see your sister again? Don't you want to live life – a real life, and not the one of a slave kept by her own father?"

Weiss exhaled, watching her breath become white. She wiped a hand over her tears and sniffed once.

"Yes..." she whimpered. "Of course I do..."

"Then let's get out of here."

Ruby smiled, and after a few heartbeats, Weiss managed to reflect it.

Once more, Ruby instructed her how to position her hands and feet, encouraging her all the while.

Weiss could hear her father's booming voice clearly now:

"Where are they? Find them at once!"

In between his curses and shouts were the sounds of things being toppled over and broken, and she knew Cinder must be looking for her, too.

Weiss panted as she scaled the wall under Ruby's instructions. The blood under her remaining nails hand already dried in the frigid cold, and she was more or less desensitized to the pain in her ankle by now.

Every passing second was a fraction of her last chance at freedom slipping away.

Weiss pushed onward, biting her lip until it bled.

And then, her hands met not a rigid surface, but a flat, clean-cut one.

She'd reached the top.

Desperately, Weiss hauled herself up, dragging her legs behind her until she could balance her weight on top of the wall.

Ruby cheered her from below.

"You did it, Weiss! You made it!"

Quickly, the knight began climbing the wall as well.

Weiss kept her eyes trained on the castle.

Just as Ruby hauled herself up beside her, Weiss heard the glass door of the balcony shatter open violently. Ruby gasped, wasting not another second as she jumped down into the grass of the forest below, sending up a powdering of snow as she landed.

She turned back and cried out:

"Weiss!"

But Weiss' eyes were trained on her father.

He stood on the balcony a dozen or so yards away, and even from this distance, Weiss could see the black fury in his eyes. Her heart seized and she couldn't breathe.

Panic overtook her as Cinder appeared at his side.

Weiss could hear her father's threatening, decisive command to the woman.

"Kill her."

The white-haired girl watched as Cinder raised her arm, two fingers pointed directly at Weiss as she chanted incantations of dark magics – a witch's magics.

Weiss was frozen with fear.

But then-

"WEISS!"

She looked back down on the forest side.

Ruby was screaming her name with her arms outstretched.

Her desperate silver eyes said the rest.

"You've come this far. You're free. Just jump. Trust me."

A crackle of black lightning shot forth from Cinder's fingertips and sped toward Weiss. With a short scream, she pushed herself off the wall just as the bricks shattered beneath her.

There was a moment of free-fall, freezing air whipping past her face, the forest below conjuring ways to break every bone in her body.

But soft arms found her instead, and she heard Ruby's voice as the knight caught Weiss in her arms.

"Weiss!" she gasped. "Are you okay? Did it hit you? Can you breathe?"

Ruby took a pace back, away from the wall. The spot where Weiss had just been seconds ago now had a chunk missing, the surrounding stone dyed a deathly black.

She looked back down to Weiss who was shaking and coughing in her arms.

"N-No..." the injured girl panted. "I-I think she missed me..."

"Oh thank god."

Relief wash over Ruby in a thick wave, and she pulled Weiss up to her as she dipped her head and pressed a kiss to the other girl's temple.

A second later, the knight sputtered.

"Oh gods, I-I'm so sorry! I was just so relieved a-and I-"

"Ruby..." Weiss' voice was thin, but she was smiling. "It's alright." She strained up to kiss the knight's cheek for a third time. "Thank you."

Ruby couldn't help but hug her again.

The snow was still falling down around them, and the moon had overtaken the sky by now, casting a silver light onto the shimmering blankets of white below.

Ruby kept Weiss in her arms as she carried her to the treeline of the forest. A sturdy golden stallion was tied to a branch, waiting for them, and Weiss realized this was the first time in years she had seen a real horse.

Ruby helped her up onto the saddle, instructing Weiss to hold onto it for a moment. Tentatively, Weiss reached out to pet the horse's neck, running her sore finger through the soft, course fur.

In the meantime, Ruby walked to the side of the stallion and opened up a pouch on the side of the saddle. From within, she extracted a folded blanket she had purposefully brought along for this journey and handed it up to Weiss.

"This'll keep you warm for the ride back."

Weiss nodded her gratitude and placed the blanket in her lap for the moment.

Ruby untied the horse before slipping her boot into the stirrup. She was careful not to jostle Weiss as she mounted and got into position in front of the girl. She glanced over her shoulder at Weiss.

"You ready?"

"Just a moment."

Weiss quickly untied the cloak from around her neck and slipped it off her shoulders. She draped it over Ruby's back instead, putting it back into its rightful place.

"Thank you for lending it to me. But it looks best on you."

Ruby chuckled and fastened her cloak into place.

Weiss pulled the blanket up over her shoulders, relishing the warmth of it even in the falling snow.

Finally, she untied her apron, just as Winter had done.

Weiss removed the red apple from its pocket, keeping it in one hand before letting the old, tattered apron fall away and settle in the snow below.

Ruby grinned back at her, and Weiss nodded.

"I'm ready."

"Okay," Ruby said. "It's gonna be a bumpy ride, so hold onto me."

Weiss hesitated a moment before slowly slipping her arms around Ruby's waist. Her free fingers grasped the wrist of the hand that held the apple, and Weiss pressed herself close to Ruby's back, shivering in a more pleasant way as she adjusted to the other girl's warmth.

When Ruby knew Weiss wouldn't fall off, she turned her heel into the stallion's flank, and with a snort, he started off through the trees.

Weiss was indeed taken aback by the movement involved with riding a horse. She gasped softly and clung to Ruby tightly.

"It's alright!" Ruby reassured her. "You won't fall off."

She didn't think they were being pursued, but she didn't want to slow the horse's pace, not when night was already upon them and the snow was falling faster.

She weaved the horse through the trees, keeping alert for sounds of wolves or other predators, but nothing seemed amiss.

Ruby focused on leading the stallion out of the forest; once they were free of it, there was just a several-minute gallop along a path that would take them back to Vale.

She was certain to check on Weiss every moment or so as well. The girl had rested her head against Ruby's shoulders, but her grip hadn't slackened, so Ruby knew she wasn't in danger of falling off.

They rode for a while through the woods, the only sound being the horse's hooves and grunts. The snow was falling silently, and with the moonlight shining down on it, the darkness was only half of what it should have been.

Weiss made sure to keep her eyes open; she could sleep once she had seen Winter again.

Instead, she marveled at the world around her, the world she'd been denied seeing for years.

Before long, she could see lights and buildings in the distance. This must be where Ruby hailed from, the Kingdom of Vale.

Ruby confirmed her thoughts.

"We'll be there soon, Weiss. We're almost out of the forest."

Weiss merely hummed to show she'd heard.

It was then her stomach growled again, reminding her it had been nearly two days since she'd had anything more than a sip of cold soup.

Weiss kept her free hand at Ruby's hip, holding onto her belt as she brought the apple before her own lips. Even in the night, she could tell it was the same color as Ruby's cloak, a bright, inviting red.

Weiss inhaled the scents of fruit and roses.

Her pink lips kissed the skin of the apple.

Then, her white teeth sunk through the fruit, and she took off a bite. It was a good flavor, with crunch and juice. She swallowed-

Ruby had just been steering the horse out of the last patch of trees, and now only an open stretch of snowy fields lay before them.

"Alright!" she called out. "I'm gonna put him into a gallop so-"

Her words stopped abruptly as an awful sensation crept up her spine.

She felt Weiss' arms go slack around her, and her warmth left Ruby's back.

"Weiss!"

Ruby wrestled her boots from the stirrups as Weiss fell sideways off the side of the horse. The knight kicked off the horse's flank and jumped, just barely managing to catch Weiss before they both hit the ground.

Luckily, the landing was softened by snow, but Ruby's head rang for a moment. The blanket had fallen from Weiss' shoulders and laid in the snow beneath her now.

Ruby scrambled to her knees to find that the stallion had stopped and circled back to wait nearby. Her eyes quickly went back to Weiss.

"Weiss? Are you okay?"

At first she thought the girl had simply fallen asleep, but not even after Ruby had called to her a few more times did she wake.

"Weiss? Can you hear me?" She slipped an arm beneath the girl's shoulders, but Weiss' head rolled limply to one side.

That was when Ruby started to fear something was horribly wrong.

"Weiss...? D-Did you actually get hit by that lightning before? Weiss?" Ruby pulled her closer, into her lap, and pressed a hand to the side of Weiss' neck. The pulse she found was unnaturally feeble - terrifyingly so.

"Weiss?!" She shrieked again, panic weighing down her voice.

Ruby hunched forward and pressed an ear to Weiss' chest. Her fragile heartbeat was fading by the second, each beat more faint than the last.

Th-thmp, th-thmp...

Th-thmp... th-thmp...

Thmp... thmp...

And then it stopped.

"Oh gods..." Ruby whispered. "Oh my god. Weiss...? Weiss, no..." She straightened herself up again, feeling her nose and eyes stinging, her vision blurring around the edges. "Weiss...? Weiss?"

Ruby tried again, dipping her head to the girl's chest and listening, but there was nothing to hear.

Nothing at all.

Ruby jerked herself up again, swallowing hiccups.

"Weiss no, w-what happened to you?" She held a hand to the girl's chest, but Weiss' ribs didn't expand with breath, nor did any puffs of white rise up from her lips.

Ruby was frantic, unable to discern what had gone awry.

Had Weiss succumbed to the cold? Had she already been harboring some kind of long-term illness that had taken her at last?

As her watering eyes flashed over Weiss' person, Ruby caught sight of something in the snow a few feet away. When she squinted, she found it was an apple with a bite missing.

But the inside wasn't a healthy whitish color – instead it was black.

But not from rot.

Poison.

"Oh no..." Ruby crumpled, clutching Weiss tighter in her lap. "Weiss... we were so close... you're free now, you-you gotta go see your sister, remember? What... am I supposed to tell her? You can't die, Weiss. You're so close..."

But no matter what Ruby said, Weiss never opened her eyes, nor did the thrum of her heartbeat return.

Ruby could only weep into the girl's blue dress.

Weiss' skin was so cold and pale, as white as her hair, as white as the pure snow that continued to fall all around them now.

But Ruby didn't want to see that white unless she could see the beautiful blue of Weiss' eyes along with it.

"Weiss..."

Why did it hurt so badly? Ruby had only just met her today. Had she really fallen for Weiss within the course of only a few hours?

When she looked down at the girl's unmoving form, the crippling sorrow that came over Ruby told her the answer.

The grieving tears didn't stop, and her hands only missed Weiss' warmth more and more every second, and her eyes missed that pretty blue color.

Keeping Weiss in her lap, Ruby lifted one hand, bringing it to the girl's face. All the while, her own tears kept dripping down to land on Weiss' chest. Her fingers brushed lightly through frozen white bangs, then down a scarred cheek and over breathless lips.

Ruby was at a loss for what more she could do than weep.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry..."

The only feasible option she had now was to take Weiss' body back to Vale and give her a proper burial.

Ruby couldn't imagine the grief Weiss' sister would have to suffer through. Weiss had just helped her escape their tyrannical father against all odds; she'd more or less saved Winter's life.

But at the cost of her own.

Winter was expecting to be with Weiss once more, to start new lives together as free girls.

Ruby had promised Winter she would bring her sister back to her.

And now... she would be bringing back a silent body.

Ruby merely whimpered a few moments longer, her sobs rising softly on wisps of air, climbing toward the silent moon before dissipating.

But Ruby was starting to lose feeling in her extremities, and she knew she needed to get back to her horse and continue the journey home.

But first, she curled herself over Weiss' unmoving form, pulling her into a soft embrace as she murmured more apologies to the girl.

She recalled what Weiss had told her earlier that day, when she had been alive and eager upon first encountering Ruby. She'd kissed Ruby's cheek, and when the knight requested if she may take similar action...

Weiss hadn't denied her, but merely asked her to wait until all of this was over.

And it was clearly over now.

Selfishly, Ruby pressed her lips against Weiss' frozen cheek, feeling the dire contrast between their body temperatures. She poured every ounce of the affection that had never gotten the chance to blossom into that kiss.

When she pulled away, her miserable eyes returned to the poisoned apple several feet away, now mostly covered in snow.

Ruby kissed Weiss' other cheek and then hugged the girl to her chest one final time.

At that point, Ruby fully believed the cold had gotten to her head, and was now playing cruel tricks on her.

Because she could've sworn she'd felt Weiss' chest rise with a breath.

Ruby refused to allow herself to be taken by the illusion. She curled over Weiss once more, hunching forward and sighing into the girl's chest, her tears seeping into Weiss' dress.

She'd been about to pull away from Weiss when she froze upon catching a sound beneath her ear. It was an extremely faint thumping, and when she concentrated, she could detect a rhythm to it.

It started out weak, but as the seconds passed, it gradually increased in both strength and speed.

Ruby pulled away just as a gasp of air heaved through Weiss' body and flew from her lips, out into the cold night air.

Ruby cried out in disbelief.

"Weiss?!"

Frantically, she scooped Weiss into her arms, trying not to let her touch the surrounding snow too much.

"Weiss? Weiss, c-can you hear me?" Ruby pressed a hand to the girls' chest, and numb as it was, she could faintly feel Weiss breathing.

The knight held her own breath as Weiss stirred.

The little crystals that had formed on her eye lashes broke as she lifted them, revealing familiar pools of blue like daytime skies even so late in this shadowed night.

Weiss blinked several times, breathing in the crisp, frigid air awkwardly, almost as though she had forgotten how to.

Judging by Ruby's distraught expression, though... perhaps she had.

A whimper escaped her lips as her eyes found Ruby's, silver pools like stardust that had fallen from the sky to bless the planet below. She was about to try out her voice, but Ruby beat her to it.

"Weiss!" she cried.

The white-haired girl felt herself being lifted slightly before a gentle warmth and weight pressed to her chest. It felt heavenly after so long of being so terribly cold.

Ruby continued to cry out her name.

"Weiss, Weiss, Weiss!"

But the knight said nothing more as she wailed into Weiss' stomach.

With a little huff, the older girl finally found her voice.

"Ruby... what's going on? Why... are you crying?"

Ruby sat back a little, wiping her sleeve over her face multiple times before reaching over Weiss, scrambling to collect the blanket that had fallen into the snow with them. She tucked it around Weiss as best she could in this position, and Weiss felt herself shiver instantly. But the chill faded before long and melted into a subtle warmth.

By then, Ruby had finally found her voice.

"I-I was t-taking you back to Vale like I promised, a-and you suddenly-" She paused, sniffled, and tried again. "You suddenly fell off and I caught you, but you-you weren't breathing anymore, and I could hear your heart stopping and it was so scary. Th-That apple you ate was poisoned."

Weiss' eyes widened in surprise.

Had she really just... been dead a moment ago?

But it didn't surprise her with what Ruby had told her just now.

"I see..." she sighed. "Cinder – the woman who tried to strike me with lightning – was the one who gave me that apple." Then, a beat of terror passed over her heart, and she jolted. "W-Winter!" she gasped. "I- she... she gave me an apple to give to Winter, too! My sister's in danger!"

"Calm down!" Ruby soothed her with a gentle hand to her forehead. "Your sister is fine, Weiss. She ate the apple as I was bringing her back to Vale, but nothing ever happened to her. You fainted the second you took a bite, but I can assure you your sister's apple wasn't poisoned."

Weiss saw only honesty in Ruby's eyes – it'd never left them since the second they'd met, she realized. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank the gods..." An exhale shuddered from her lungs as two tiny tears ran down her cheeks. "So then... I was poisoned. I should be dead. What happened?"

"Well..." Ruby fumbled for words. "I think it was more of a curse that put you into... an apparent state of being dead. You heart stopped and you couldn't breathe or move, but you were still alive.

"But I... I just remembered what you'd said before... h-how it would be okay for me to... k-kiss your cheek in return some time... a-and so I did it just now... I-I'm sorry!" she squeaked, bowing her head.

Weiss chuckled softly.

"Don't apologize. I'd given you permission in advance," she said, feeling a rush of blood come to her face. "You saved my life, Ruby. If you hadn't woken me now, everyone would have assumed I was dead. Of course, without any ability to eat or drink, my body truly would have perished in a few days' time. So thank you for returning that kiss."

Weiss reached her arms up to Ruby's neck and pulled her down gently so she may kiss her cheek in a display of gratitude.

Ruby blushed despite the cold and carefully took Weiss' hands in hers. Three of her nails had been lost during her slip off the white wall, and there was dried, frozen blood beneath a few of the others.

Ruby kissed each of Weiss' fingers in turn, warming them a bit in the process.

Weiss felt her heart swell.

"Thank you, Ruby."

The knight kissed her knuckles and then turned Weiss' palms over. She then held small kisses to the underside of each wrist, where Weiss' pulse fluttered beneath.

"It is my greatest honor," she murmured.

Then, she scooped Weiss into one last embrace, one the other girl returned unto her with fervor.

At last, Ruby found the strength to move her legs again. She held Weiss securely in her arms, squeezing the blanket to the girl's shivering form as she whistled for her horse.

When he reached them, Ruby sat Weiss onto the saddle before climbing up herself.

Weiss yawned a little, but as soon as Ruby was ready, she wrapped her arms around the knight's waist and pressed close to her back. The soft fabrics of the red cloak pillowed her cheek as Ruby had the horse take off.

The knight kept one hand on the reins and the other squeezed at the spot where Weiss' fingers interlocked around her stomach. Ruby checked continuously on her passenger as they galloped, asking if she was alright, encouraging her to hold on, stay awake, reminding Weiss they were almost there...

It was a struggle, but somehow Weiss managed.

They reached a bridge of earth with a white river frozen on either side beneath them. Just beyond it were hundreds of buildings, homes now quiet under the cover of night.

Once they'd crossed the bridge, Weiss heard Ruby's proud voice.

"Welcome to the Kingdom of Vale."

Weiss sighed, and mumbled a response.

"Glad to be here."

Ruby brought the stallion along a few snow-covered streets, and Weiss fought to keep her eyes open. She observed the peaceful foreign homes to distract herself, focused on Ruby's warm hand over her own, and reminded herself what the result of all her toiling exhaustion was.

Freedom and safety, for both Winter and herself.

She caught sight of stables ahead, and the house connected to them was the only one with a yellow candle lit and flickering in one of the windows.

Ruby brought the stallion to a halt just as Weiss heard sounds from within the building. She tensed, but Ruby squeezed her hands reassuringly.

"It's okay."

Weiss' gaze traveled up the half dozen steps leading to the door of the house just as it opened.

A tall girl dressed in a similar suit to Ruby's appeared, though instead of a red cloak down her back, she sported a mane of flowing golden hair. Her lavender eyes met Weiss', and the other girl smiled before giving her attention to Ruby.

"Hey, lil' sis!" she called softly. "I was startin' to get worried cause you were taking so long."

"Yang!" Ruby grinned and sighed, and it was only then Weiss realized how tired the knight was, too.

Yang hurried down the steps and reached her horse.

"Tell me everything. But inside. I've got a fire going," she said.

Ruby nodded swiftly before giving a pat to Weiss' hands. She looked over her shoulder and met her blue eyes kindly.

"Weiss, this is my sister, Yang. Go inside with her, okay? I'm just gonna put the horse away and I'll be right in. And Yang, she's injured, so carry her please."

"Got it."

Weiss couldn't deny she was a bit nervous; she'd gotten so accustomed to Ruby's presence in just the short amount of time she'd known her.

But she reminded herself once more what awaited her.

"Alright."

Weiss relinquished her grip on Ruby, just as Yang reached up to her. Weiss extended her arms and held onto the girl's shoulders. Yang slipped her arms beneath Weiss and carefully lifted her off the saddle, lowering her into her arms.

Weiss discovered this girl was surprisingly warm, much more so than the snow-covered blanket that clung to her own shoulders was.

Yang turned and headed for the house, but Weiss' eyes couldn't help but stay trained on Ruby for as long as possible. She watched her dismount and begin leading the stallion to the stables, until Yang had brought her inside the house and Ruby was cut from her sight.

There was a living area with a fireplace at the far end of the room. Flames crackled softly, and a warmth like no other enveloped Weiss. She had never felt the warmth of a fire before, nor seen its alluring colors.

Two couches were positioned on either side of the room, small tables beside each and a dimly-lit lamp atop one of those.

But Weiss' eyes passed over the furniture only briefly; her eyes were drawn to a familiar figure curled on one of the couches.

She wore the same lilac dress as when Weiss had left her, though she had blankets draped around her now, and a cup of warm tea in her hands. Her grey hair had been brushed, and when she turned her head, her azure eyes were bright and joyous.

Weiss very nearly choked on her name.

"Winter..."

The sound of her sister's voice was almost too good to be true.

"Weiss..."

The youngest jumped up and put her teacup down before rushing across the room, throwing her arms around Weiss, even while she was still in Yang's arms.

"Easy there," the blonde said softly. "She's hurt."

Yet she couldn't help but smile at the sisters' tearful reunion.

Yang carried Weiss over to the couch and set her down with care. Weiss kept her injured ankle elevated a bit, and Yang informed the two girls that she was going to fetch more blankets before hurrying out of the room.

Winter sat down beside her sister and hugged her again, and Weiss finally returned the gesture.

"We made it," she murmured. "We're free."

"It's all thanks to you," Winter sobbed into her shoulder.

They held one another for a moment, pulling apart only when the door opened again, and Ruby stepped inside.

Yang returned as well with more blankets on her arm, and spared a second to hug her own sister tightly, ruffling Ruby's hair and telling her what a wonderful thing she had done tonight. She removed Ruby's cloak for her and put it on one of the couches, draping a warm blanket over the girl instead.

Yang gave the other quilt to Weiss, exchanging it for the cold, wet blanket she had ridden here with. The blonde then brought them all fresh cups of tea before sitting down beside Ruby on the couch opposite Weiss and Winter.

Each pair seemed inseparable now that they had been reunited, huddled up together and warming themselves with tea and contact.

Yang was the first to speak up again, looking pointedly at Ruby beside her.

"So... what took you guys so long in getting back?"

Weiss looked up, and Ruby met her eyes. There was misery there, as though she were reliving the moments when she'd thought Weiss had died.

But Weiss smiled kindly at her, reminding the young knight of reality.

Ruby smiled back, and began the story.

Yang listened quietly all the while, and Winter clung to Weiss when she heard of her poisoning.

But they all knew of the happy ending, and once Ruby was finished speaking, they were all wiping away tears of relief.

"Wow..." Yang murmured. "That's some strong stuff. But..." She smirked a little then as her eyes flicked from Ruby to Weiss and back again. "You do realize that curses like that aren't just broken by accident or luck, right?"

All three of the other girls tilted their heads - puzzled - and spoke in unison.

"What do you mean?"

Yang laughed out loud before calming herself.

"Those kind of curses can only be broken by the kiss of true love. I guess it doesn't specify that it has to be the lips though, haha."

At her words, Weiss' face went red, and when she looked to Ruby, she saw similar results.

"W-What?" Weiss squeaked. "Y-You- dolt, you-"

"Ahhh, w-well, I um-!" Ruby nearly spilled her tea in her lap. "I-I mean, I know it's weird cause I only just met you, b-but I just- aahh I don't know! I can't control it!" she cried.

"And you..." Weiss put a hand to her mouth. "Back in the courtyard... wh-when you laid down your vest-"

"Aaaaaahhhh!" Ruby flailed her free arm and kicked her legs. "Weiss no, don't tell-"

"You what?!" Yang guffawed. "Ruby, you do realize that's basically a proposal, right?"

"Shut up! I was just-"

"W-Weiss?" Winter interjected, wide-eyed as she looked to her sister. "You and Miss Ruby are... engaged to be married?"

"Of course not!" Weiss shrieked.

"Really?" Yang hummed. "Cause that's what it sounds like to me~ I mean, you wouldn't have woken up if anyone other than your true love had kissed you, so you know it's gotta be her, am I right?"

Weiss' mouth fell open speechlessly, and Ruby's gabbed like a fish out of water.

But neither could deny Yang's words.

The blonde leaned back against the couch and sighed.

"Well, whatever. You guys work on that on your own time. We can sort things out tomorrow and I'll make us a big breakfast. But for now, I think we could all use some bedtime."

She put her teacup aside and flopped down onto the couch, curling the blankets around herself; she was snoring within minutes.

Ruby muttered several things under her breath, lightly kicking away her sister's legs as she pouted, her face still bright red before she turned back to her guests.

"Sh-She's right. Let's all go to sleep now." Her eyes softened naturally when they met Weiss'. "You're safe here. I promise."

Weiss hid her face due to its blush, but she nodded.

Winter and her sister put their empty teacups onto the little table. Weiss kissed her sister's forehead, murmuring reassurances and calming words to her as Winter curled up on one end of the couch; she too, was dozing within minutes.

That left only two sisters remaining.

Weiss was having trouble lying herself down without aggravating her ankle. Ruby rose silently and crossed the room; though both their faces were still pink against the firelight, they couldn't help but smile at one another.

Sheepishly, Ruby put a hand behind her head in a familiar fashion before kneeling down in front of the other.

"Sorry about my sister. She's a big-mouth who doesn't always think first."

"It's fine..."

Weiss felt familiar, gentle arms slip behind her knees and shoulders as Ruby laid her down on the other end of the couch.

It was only then Weiss realized how much she'd missed Ruby's touch.

Ruby was careful in moving the other girl's legs onto the couch, but the pain Weiss had been expecting never came with the knight's gentle movements.

"How does that feel?" Ruby wondered.

"Perfect..." Weiss murmured, her eyelids growing heavier now. "Just perfect. Thank you so much, Ruby. Might you... come closer so I may thank you once again?"

She watched Ruby's face get redder again as the girl slid closer to the couch, her face just inches from Weiss'.

Weiss lifted her head and kissed the girl's cheek, smiling when Ruby did the same for her. She felt fingers trailing through her hair for a moment, and relished Ruby's touch.

The knight sighed fondly as she felt Weiss breathe ever so softly, and she couldn't help but kiss her again, over her brow.

How lucky was she to have fallen for a girl with such a rich, caring, beautiful soul?

Weiss opened her eyes just one last time to offer a small whisper.

"As your sister said... we'll take our time with this. But I already know in my heart that we are destined for one another. If... you believe the same...?"

She was still a bit uncertain about what the reaction to her confession might be, but Ruby dashed those fears with one final kiss to her cheek.

"There's not a doubt in my mind," she murmured, her voice threatening to bubble over from sheer joy and excitement. But she contained it for now; there would be plenty of time in the future to convey her emotions. "Rest well, Weiss."

Weiss made sure the last thing she saw before she closed her eyes were those shimmering silver pools.

She listened as Ruby stood and went back to the far couch to lay down and sleep.

Weiss didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but she knew it would lead to a brighter, warmer future, and be wonderful beyond compare to anything she had ever known before.

-----------------

A/N: I hope you enjoyed this tale! I tried to keep some things similar to Snow White's story, as you can tell. I just hope you caught the tidbit about changing the chant from "who's the fairest of them all?" to "who's the richest?" I wanted to use richness for Weiss' father, and then convey the fact that Weiss wasn't physically wealthy, but rather had a loving soul instead. That is her "richness."

Next is Blake's story!