Chapter Text
She wondered what freedom was like. Freedom to do what you want, go where you want, be what you want.
“The preparations for the ball are underway, and I’ve picked out a suitable partner for you. Your dress shall be arriving by noon in a few days, a gown made from the finest silks Atlas has to offer. I expect you to show it off well when you wear it in a week’s time.”
“Yes father.”
“I also expect you to be on your best behavior. No actions, no words no matter how slight that don't befit someone of your stature. Am I clear?”
“Yes father.”
“Good. One last thing: the man who shall be accompanying you, make sure he drinks enough to loosen his lips. Extract what information he knows about the latest trade route his father has set up. If my sources are to be believed, it could potentially threaten one of our own. That would be... unacceptable.”
“Of course father.”
Jacques Schnee leaned back in his chair, waving a hand in the air. “Good. You may return to your room now. I have other matters that require my attention.”
Curtsying, as was proper, Weiss turned and exited the room, emerging out in the castle hallway. A red velvet carpet ran down the length of the corridor, though Weiss was more likely to think it was simply to show off rather than for actual comfort. Despite being a high standing Duke the man still felt the need to show off his wealth in even the slightest of ways. The fanciful lamps that lit the hallway certainly didn’t do much to change her mind.
Almost immediately a pair of guards stepped up to either side of her, the pair garbed in the soldier’s attire that had become standard issue for those in her Father’s employ. It consisted primarily of leather armour, steel plating placed to reinforce vital areas. And she had a feeling she knew exactly why they were here.
Weiss scoffed. “I’m quite capable of returning to my room without an escort.”
The man on the right shrugged. “Bosses orders. We’re to escort you directly to your room with no detours along the way. You’re free to go back in and take it up with him if you want.”
Weiss hesitated for a couple seconds, seriously considering it, before letting out a groan. “Fine. Let’s go then.” Going back in to argue the point with her father wouldn’t get her anywhere. Not that he’d listen in the first place.
With that she set off down the hallway, the two guards quickly moving to walk with her, just staying a few steps behind. So much for slipping back and sneaking off. Regardless, it’s not like they had too far to go. As they walked along, heading for the closest staircase leading the second floor of the castle, they passed a number of servants. Each and every one quickly stepped aside, expressions ranging from cautious to outright fear adorning their faces.
As they reached the staircase and began ascending the stone steps to the next floor, Weiss let out an internal sigh. Whether they feared her father, and thus Weiss by proxy, or it was her own admittedly icy personality they were scared of she wasn’t entirely sure. She tried her best to show any amount of kindness she could when she could, but she supposed that only went so far against your blood.
Sometimes it seemed though that it was just yet another area of her life which she had no control over. She was trying, she really was, but no matter how often she went out of her way to try and show the servants some small kindness… it didn’t matter. Maybe the acts weren’t big enough? No, they were the best she could do, especially considering the last time she tried to do something bigger her Father had found out.
He… hadn’t been happy that day.
She blinked, her mind returning to her as she found herself in front of the door that led to her room. They must have arrived whilst she was deep in thought. The men accompanying her strode forward, taking up positions on either side of the door. Likely planning to stand guard until they were sure she wouldn’t leave.
Weiss let out a sigh as opened the door and walked in, closing the door behind her. She marched over to her bed and flopped onto it, letting out a groan into her pillow. The complete opposite of ladylike, she knew, but she didn’t much care right now.
She hated it here. Absolutely hated it. She had entertained the idea of running away multiple times, but something had always come up that stopped her before she could even try. With another sigh she sat up, curling her legs against her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She could already feel the tears threatening to spill out of her eyes, years of conditioning making her force them back. A Schnee doesn’t cry, a Schnee doesn’t cry…
She hugged her knees tighter.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a yell, a roar, and what sounded like an explosion. Weiss blinked, her tears momentarily forgotten as she raised her head. She cocked her head, hearing shouting in the distance and the stampeding of feet below her. She frowned, moving to the edge of her bed. What was going on?
Another roar and another explosion brought her to her feet. She walked to the doors that led out to her balcony, pushing them open and walking out. She laid her hands upon the wooden oak of the fence. Her eyes widened when she looked across her Father’s estate, towards the storehouse.
It was burning.
She didn’t have much more time to think before a strong gust of wind hit her, forcing her to turn her head and raise her arm to provide even a little bit of cover. When it died down to a manageable level she lowered her arm. She let out a gasp at the sight before her.
A Dragon hovered in the air mere feet away from her, the beating of it’s large wings the source of the sudden surge of wind. It’s shiny black scales glistened in the evening light, the red tips making Weiss have to double check to make sure it wasn’t blood. In its claws the girl thought she could make out a bundle of something, but she couldn’t tell exactly what.
Finally raising her gaze to the dragon’s face with a scream already building up in her throat, but it died out as soon as Weiss’s gaze met the Dragon’s.
Two radiant silver pools of mercury stared into Weiss’s eyes. They were so dazzling any fear she might have still had died immediately, a strange sense of… well, nothing replacing it. It was odd, an emotion Weiss couldn’t really put a name too. Serenity maybe? She was calm, almost unnaturally so. Like she was losing herself in the dragon’s eyes.
But there was something else… anger? She was angry… with her Father? And confused… Was that anxiety? A sense of urgency...
She didn’t quite know how long they stayed like this, staring into each other’s eyes, immersing themselves in the other. A minute? An hour? A day?
Eternity?
Weiss didn’t really know, and she didn’t really care.
She was snapped back to reality by a wet feeling on her cheek. She blinked a couple times, noticing that the gusts of wind had subsided, enough that she was now free to raise a hand to her face. What she found surprised her.
Tears. The wetness was tears.
She was crying.
The tears she had spent the last half an hour bottling up had just… silently started pouring out. Twin streams running down her face, across her cheeks. But even this revelation couldn’t draw her eyes away from the Dragon for long, and Weiss could almost swear she saw a wave of emotion pass over the beast’s face, though those radiant silver eyes.
The anger had dulled, curiosity filling the void the other emotion left behind. What… was this?
Quickly ( too quickly ) their gaze was drawn away by distant shouting. “Ready the Ballistas! Bring it down before it flees!”
Seeming to have overstayed its welcome the Dragon let out a mighty roar, a spout of red hued flame jumping from it’s mouth. Screams were heard as the ballista was likely rendered inoperable, smoke rising into the sky as its wooden frame burned.
She could only watch as the dragon looked back to Weiss one more time. With another roar it beat its wings harder, kicking up another surge of wind. Unlike before Weiss was expecting it this time, and that made it somewhat easier to manage.
So Weiss was able to watch unobstructed as the dragon took off, flying away from the castle with whatever it was carrying in hand. In claws? Paws?
Shrugging she quickly raised a hand to wipe away the tears that had stained her cheeks. She needed to compose herself. She heard the thundering of metal against stone long before the door to her room burst open. A pair of guards stormed in, swords raised.
“Princess! Are you unharmed!?”
Weiss huffed, crossing her arms. “I’m quite fine, as you can see.”
She walked back into her room proper, the two guards striding past her to the balcony. The pair glanced around for a bit before turning, sheathing their swords.
Weiss sat on her bed, hands neatly folding on her lap. “Is there anything I can help you with?”
The guard in front hesitated for but a moment. “We just came to check on you Ma’am. That dragon was hovering awfully close to your window, so we wanted to make sure you were okay.”
Weiss might have believed him if she hadn’t known her Father had sent them.
Weiss waved a hand. “I’m quite alright. The beast fled not long after it saw me.”
The guard nodded, turning and whispering to the other about something. Weiss ignored them at first, but an idea formed in her mind.
“I think I saw it carrying something. What was it?”
The guards shared a look before the second shrugged and the first turned back to Weiss. “Supplies. Leather, some preserved foods, bits of iron and steel. Assorted stuff, really.”
Ah, so that’s why the storehouse was ablaze.
The second guard grumbled. “Stole them, wrecked the place and then left. Right coward the bastard is.”
Weiss frowned. “Perhaps it just got what it came for and left?”
The guards stared at her in silence before the first laughed. “Please! I’m certain the beast had come to slay the lot of us, but we drove it back and forced it to run!”
Weiss didn’t want to break the man’s pride, so she withheld her comment about the Dragon clearly having the advantage.
With one last look at each other they gave a nod to Weiss before departing, closing the door behind them. She tried to ignore the very distinct click of the door locking. Her Father seemed to have grown wise to her tendency to sneak out during the night, so he had taken the… liberty… of adding a lock to her door that opened with a very specific key, of which there was only one in the world.
He kept it in his office at all times, of course, save for the few minutes in the morning it takes for him to unlock the door and return it to it’s safe box.
Just another chain he used to keep her in line.
With a sigh she stood back up. Not much else she could do about it now. Might as well just get changed and go to bed, so the day can finally be over.
‘Not like tomorrow will be any different…’
Quickly changing into a nightgown Weiss slipped underneath the soft silk covers of her bed. Her eyes drifted shut, and sleep began to take her. Still, there was a lingering thought, one that had wormed its way into her head and wouldn’t leave.
‘When it left, that roar almost sounded… sad…’