Chapter Text
“Who put this here?” Hurrying across the entryway of the palace, Weiss pointed at a glass of water sitting on one of the tables that had just been cleared. “Whose is this?” she repeated when none of the nearby staff members dared claim the affront on her efforts to clean the palace.
“I...think it belongs to Princess Rose...” one of them finally replied and, just like that, her annoyance disappeared.
“Ruby?” she asked, and he nodded. “Where is she?”
“I’m right here.”
Spinning around, she sighed in relief just seeing Ruby, but that didn’t fix the glass of water condensating all over the table.
“Your glass -” was all she got out before Ruby pulled her into a hug, which was even better than just seeing each other again.
“You’re stressed,” Ruby whispered before pressing a tender kiss to Weiss’ forehead. “Why are you so stressed?
“I’m not stressed.” When Ruby raised one brow, Weiss sighed and intertwined her fingers with Ruby’s. “It’s just...they’re important...”
“So are you.”
“And I’ve never met them before,” she added undeterred. “I want to make a good first impression.”
“Which means everything has to be spotless?”
“That would be a good start, yes...”
After studying Weiss for a long time, Ruby smiled. “Then let me clean up my mess,” she added before picking up the glass, draining it in several large gulps, and handing it to the nearest housekeeper. One of the butlers immediately wiped away the ring of water left behind, and all was suddenly right in the world.
“Try not to worry so much…” Ruby whispered while squeezing Weiss’ hands. “They’ll love you.”
Though Weiss attempted a smile, the reassurance did little to ease her nerves. Before meeting Ruby, she hadn’t exactly been known as the friendliest, most outgoing person. She still wasn’t known as friendly or outgoing...but she’d done her best to come out of her shell now that Ruby was around.
“I’ve told them all about you,” Ruby carried on, casually lifting Weiss’ hands and pressing kisses to her fingers as if today wasn’t a huge deal. “How nice you were when we first met...how you helped me feel at home here...how amazing of a kisser you are…”
“What?” When Weiss’ gaze snapped back to Ruby’s, Ruby laughed.
“So you are listening to me.”
“That last part, at least…” Weiss mumbled, though all it took was Ruby’s light tickle of her side to get her to smile.
“They’ll love you, I promise,” Ruby assured her before kissing her cheek. “If they don’t, I’m sending them back to Vale.”
Even though the comment was meant to be comforting, it was Weiss’ worst nightmare. After all they went through...after the trials they passed just to be together...the last thing she wanted was for Ruby’s family to hate her so much that they couldn’t even be in the same kingdom at the same time. Knowing how much Ruby loved her family...that would tear her apart.
“You’re still stressed.”
This time, Weiss sighed and wrapped her arms around Ruby’s neck while Ruby nuzzled closer.
“I don’t think I’ll stop stressing until I meet them...”
“Maybe I can help you...relax?”
The moment Ruby’s lips touched Weiss’ neck, she closed her eyes and hummed at the pleasure tingling down her spine.
“Here in the entryway?” she asked, gently running her fingers through Ruby’s hair while Ruby kissed along her jaw before finally reaching her ear.
“If that will make you feel better,” Ruby whispered before lightly nibbling the bottom of Weiss’ ear, making her squirm with budding excitement in the process. She had no idea how she still wanted Ruby so much, and so often, but she couldn’t deny that she did. Especially now, when a few simple kisses replaced her worries with a much more obtainable desire.
“Maybe it would.”
As soon as Ruby heard the response, she pulled away and looked at Weiss in surprise.
“Are you serious?”
“Are you not?” Now that they’d fallen back into their usual teasing, Weiss’ sense of normalcy returned. Well, normalcy mixed with a great deal of pent-up desires and hopeless anticipation. That anticipation only rose when Ruby smiled and pulled their hips together.
They were still standing in the entryway, where palace staff rushed to and fro in preparation for their prestigious guests, but that hardly mattered when Ruby smiled at her like that. In these moments, all that mattered was Ruby, which was why she willingly tilted her head back and accepted Ruby’s kiss.
The kiss was soft and tender - saying in a simple touch that Ruby had no intention of doing that in front of so many onlookers, but that she would still be here for Weiss in whatever way Weiss needed.
Right now, however, Weiss needed more from that kiss than Ruby was offering, so she tightened her arms around Ruby’s neck and pulled the girl closer. The kiss deepened organically from there, with their lips seamlessly parting and their tongues tasting each other once more.
At one point, Weiss might have been embarrassed to be caught kissing someone so passionately in public. Over time, and after suffering enough embarrassment already, she stopped caring about what other people thought. What were they going to do...judge her for loving her soon-to-be-wife too much?
That was a judgment she would gladly accept, as she ran her fingers through Ruby’s soft hair and reveled in their closeness. With Ruby’s lips on hers, and Ruby’s hands on her, she felt more treasured with each passing second. In these moments, she knew that Ruby loved her. She knew that Ruby wanted her. And she knew, without a doubt, that their feelings were true.
Their kiss only ended because Ruby pulled away first, and Ruby only pulled away because someone had cleared their throat nearby. Turning towards the interruption and finding Winter standing a few feet away, Weiss sighed and pressed one last kiss to Ruby’s cheek before acknowledging her sister.
“What is it?” she asked, knowing that Winter wouldn’t have bothered them without a reason.
“Sorry to...interrupt.” When Winter’s gaze flitted between them, Ruby blushed and removed her hand from Weiss’ hip. “But our guests have arrived.”
Just like that, Weiss’ nerves returned. Ruby, however, grabbed her by the hands and beamed down at her.
“No matter what happens, I’m still marrying you.”
Ruby’s eyes willed Weiss to believe her, while the mere mention of their impending wedding made Weiss’ heart flutter. She managed a nod in response before Ruby surprised her with another kiss - a long, deep, passionate kiss that begged to be continued when they had the time.
Unfortunately, they didn’t have the time right now. So Weiss’ eyes had hardly closed before Ruby backed away and grinned at her before rushing through the front door to greet Atlas’ newest arrivals.
“I thought you two would get over that by now,” Winter commented from beside Weiss while the two of them waited for Ruby to bring her family inside.
“Get over what?”
“You know.” When Winter gestured towards where Weiss and Ruby had just stood, Weiss glanced that way and smiled.
“Each other?” she asked, only for her smile to grow when Winter shrugged. “Sorry, but I don’t think that’ll happen anytime soon.”
It must have been her imagination that Winter smiled at the response, but she didn’t have time to think about that subject any longer. The palace door had opened again, Ruby’s excited voice drifted through, and the next moment...Vale’s royal family had arrived.
Holding the hand of a tall, blonde man who must be her father - the King of Vale, whose smile and laugh were shockingly familiar - Ruby led her family into the entryway and gestured around the space that had been decorated in red and gold just for them. A man with dark hair and bags under his eyes, who must be Ruby’s uncle, made a comment that Weiss couldn’t pick up from the distance, but the people who could laughed in response.
Rounding out the party of four were two girls nearly the same age as Weiss - one with dark hair and piercing eyes, the other with long blonde hair, a bright smile, and even brighter eyes. Identifying the blonde as Ruby’s older sister, Weiss took a deep breath and subtly wiped her palms on her thighs.
“Here goes nothing…” she whispered to Winter before the two of them walked over to greet Ruby’s family.
As soon as Ruby caught Weiss’ gaze, she tugged on her father’s arm and nodded in Weiss’ direction. The small gesture brought everyone’s attention Weiss’ way, and her mouth dried with nerves over the conversation to come.
She and Ruby were already engaged. The wedding plans were already well underway. The agreement between Vale and Atlas had been formalized. But what if Ruby’s family really didn’t like her?
“Welcome to Atlas,” she began - the simple introduction she wrote down and memorized precisely for this moment. “We’re honored that you traveled all this way to visit, and hope that you have a wonderful stay.”
When Ruby’s father and sister exchanged glances, Weiss worried that she somehow messed up already. That worry turned into confusion, however, when they both chuckled and turned back to her with smiles.
“Your Majesty,” Ruby’s father greeted her with a nod that his daughter mimicked. “Thank you for welcoming us to your home. It’s an honor to finally meet you. Ruby’s told us a lot about you.”
Even if Weiss tried not to blush, that would be a hopeless endeavor. Having been so caught up in this first meeting, she’d forgotten that they probably knew far more about her than she would expect - the likely result of the trips Ruby had taken back to Vale recently.
She loved that Ruby talked about her so much, but she always wondered what Ruby said. And right now, she wondered what Ruby was thinking, as she looked between Weiss and her family with a giant smile plastered in place.
“Oh, let me introduce you!” she said when she realized that the conversation might stall without her intervention. Returning to Weiss’ side, she looped their arms together and gently led Weiss over to the man with dark hair and dark circles under his eyes.
“Weiss, this is my Uncle Qrow.” When he extended his hand, Weiss politely shook it and gave him a soft, “Nice to meet you.”
“And this is my dad,” Ruby added while leading Weiss over to the King of Vale, who looked far more friendly than the rumors or stories suggested. With his kind smile and patient eyes, he seemed exactly like the type of man who could have raised such a wonderful daughter.
“It’s an honor to finally meet you,” Weiss said as she shook his hand, and felt a small measure of relief when he smiled and clasped his hands around hers.
“I’ve been looking forward to it,” he replied before letting go and turning towards his other daughter.
“This is my sister, Yang!” Just being near Yang seemed to increase Ruby’s energy, as she practically hopped up and down while waiting for Yang’s response. The eldest Princess of Vale, however, studied Weiss intently before a small smile picked up the corner of her mouth.
“So you’re the girl I was supposed to marry?”
When Weiss’ brow rose at the response, Yang broke into a full smile and pulled her into an even more surprising hug.
“Thank you for taking care of her,” Yang whispered before pulling away and giving Weiss a look of genuine gratitude. While the positive reception was more than she’d dared dream about, she still managed a nod - because of course she did her best to take care of Ruby. She loved Ruby too much to do otherwise.
Responding to Weiss’ nod with one of her own, Yang grinned and moved closer to the girl standing beside her. “And this is the love of my life - the most beautiful, amazing girl in the world - Blake.”
With a smile and roll of her eyes, Blake stepped forward and offered Weiss her hand.
“It’s nice to meet you, Your Majesty.”
“Please call me Weiss,” Weiss replied while shaking Blake’s hand. “All of you,” she added to the rest of Ruby’s family. “Please feel free to call me Weiss.”
It wasn’t customary for a royal to forgo their titles, but now didn’t feel like the time for formalities. Not with Ruby’s family, of all people. Even though they were royals, even though they led a kingdom of their own, they were...special.
“Weiss, this is my family.” After gently squeezing Weiss’ hand and beaming at her, Ruby motioned towards her family. “Family, this is the girl I’m going to marry.”
The introduction made Weiss blush in no time, but she didn’t shy away from the gazes directed her way. Nor did she fail to notice the smiles that went along with the looks she received.
This was Ruby’s family, and they were just as genuine and friendly as Ruby was.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Weiss replied. “All of you,” she added with a smile that grew when she looked over and saw how happy Ruby was. She’d always known how important Ruby’s family was to her, but seeing them here in person brought so much more meaning to their influence on who Ruby had become.
Weiss’ family might have been just as impactful on her, but no one was more important than the person standing beside her.
“This is my sister, Winter,” she said while smiling at Winter, who straightened her posture and gave Ruby’s family a polite nod. “She’s in charge of everything that goes on around here,” Weiss added. “And we wouldn’t be here without her.”
When Winter looked surprised by the praise, Weiss nodded to emphasize that her words were true. Without Winter’s help, Ruby might have never come to Atlas. Weiss might not have stepped outside of her shell to make Ruby feel welcome. Whitley might have successfully stolen Ruby away. The two of them might not be where they were right now - happy, engaged, and hopelessly in love.
“It’s nice to see you again,” the King of Vale greeted Winter with a kind smile. “Especially under far more...favorable...circumstances.”
“But it worked out,” Yang added before nudging her dad’s side and walking over to rustle Ruby’s hair. “Did you use those pointers I gave you?” she whispered only to laugh when her sister immediately turned beet red.
“What pointers?” Weiss couldn’t help but ask, only for her curiosity to grow when Ruby’s blush deepened.
“Ruby asked for advice on how to -”
“Yang!” When Ruby lunged forward and covered her sister’s mouth with one hand, Weiss gave her an amused look.
“What kind of help?” Weiss asked even though she had a fairly good idea about what the two were talking about.
“The relationship kind...” Ruby mumbled before clapping her hands together and forcing a big smile. “But I think dinner’s almost ready! Let’s head to the dining room? Yeah? Dining room? We have a ton of food, so I hope you’re all hungry.”
While Ruby motioned her family towards the dining room, Weiss gave her a look that said she wouldn’t forget to bring the subject up again later. Ruby, of course, smiled before dragging Yang away and whispering quickly in her sister’s ear. Yang just laughed at whatever was said, which made Blake smile in turn.
With Ruby leading her family away from the foyer, Weiss and Winter hung behind to watch their guests from a distance.
“That went...well,” Winter surmised in just a few words. Her thoughtful expression made it clear that she was still determining how she felt about Vale’s royal family, but Weiss had already reached a conclusion.
They were just as warm and friendly as Ruby. What had she been so worried about?
“I think so,” she replied, feeling infinitely better with the introductions out of the way. Now that she wasn’t terrified of them instantly hating her, she saw their visit as an opportunity - an opportunity to learn more about Ruby. And, if she had to guess, Yang was going to be her best source of the most embarrassing stories possible…
“I think this will be fun,” she added as her mood improved. Just the thought of learning more about Ruby was enough to make her smile, as anything related to Ruby seemed to do.
Part of her still couldn’t believe that this was really her life. That there was no longer a battle for the throne. That Atlas’ future looked brighter than ever. And, most importantly, that she could love a beautiful, wonderful person...who loved her in return.
In her mind, there was only one person - besides Ruby - who deserved gratitude for how things had changed for the better.
“Thank you, Winter.” Even though she knew Winter wouldn’t accept the gratitude, she was determined to express it anyway. “For helping me. For helping us. If there’s anything I can do for you...even if it’s handing you the crown -”
Before she could even finish the offer, Winter scoffed.
“I’ve never wanted to be Queen,” she added with a shake of her head.
“Then...anything I can do to make you happy...”
“We’re Schnees, Weiss. We weren’t raised to be happy.”
“That doesn’t mean we can’t be.” Spotting Ruby racing back from the dining room, Weiss looked up at Winter and smiled. “Things are changing around here - I know you can feel it. So, if there’s anything we can do for you...”
Honestly, she had no idea what Winter might want, and Winter didn’t seem to have an answer either. But then she glanced at Ruby, smiled, and gently patted Weiss’ shoulder.
“Let’s get the two of you married first,” she said before moving away. “Then we’ll talk.”
That was a good enough answer for Weiss, who smiled as her sister went to entertain their guests. Her smile only grew when Ruby raced right up to her, kissed her on the lips, and wrapped her in a warm hug.
“I love you,” she whispered in Weiss’ ear before peppering her cheek with kisses. “And I told you they’d love you!” After a few more loving nuzzles, Ruby grabbed Weiss’ hands and gently pulled her towards the dining room.
“Come on - they want to get to know you better!”
“I want to get to know them better too,” Weiss admitted while letting Ruby lead her through the halls of the palace. The smile Ruby responded with was more than worth the stress and nerves of the past few days, and Weiss realized that her heart had never felt fuller than at this moment.
If Ruby’s family left Atlas having learned nothing else about her, she wanted them to know that she wasn’t marrying Ruby because she had to - and Ruby wasn’t marrying Weiss because she was forced to. They were getting married because they loved each other and wanted to spend the rest of their lives by each other’s side.
It might seem improbable, unlikely, or borderline impossible, but that didn’t make it any less true.