Queen Ruby

Chapter 33

My alarm wakes me up at six this morning. I get out of bed and wake Weiss up.

"Why are you waking me up?"

"You promised you'd come with me."

"Where?" She murmurs as she rolls onto her stomach and looks at the time on her Scroll.

"I'm meeting with your dad today, remember." Weiss shoots up.

"Wait, you were serious about that?" I nod.

"But if I come with you as one of your guys, my dad will freak. I'm the heir of the Schnee dust company, if I take your side, he will make Whitley the next hair!"

"Well then at least come with me for moral support?"

"Ok..."

We both grab our stiff and get ready. I explain to Weiss that I wanted to make it clear to her father what my intentions are and negotiate about his workforce on the way to the airships. I made my way directly to Atlases ships and found the soldier guarding them. When I showed him my ID his Eyes went wide.

"Your Highness, your ship is ready. Please follow me. Will your friend be accompanying you today?" He stutters nervously. I nod and follow him with Weiss as he leads us to one of the smaller but faster airships. We enter the small craft. Another man enters and introduces himself as our pilot. I sit down one of the seats and make myself comfortable. Right then two figures enter the aircraft.

"Good morning your Highness, I hope you don't mind us accompanying you. I saw it as fit, to personally secure your safety for today." James Ironwood says after a moment of silence. I recognize the figure next to him as Weiss older sister. She seems stiff as always but bows in respect before getting a better look at me. Again I see that spark of surprise. She wasn't expecting me, that was for sure.

"Of course not, please join us," I say with a shorthand movement towards the other seats. As soon as the two sit down, the ship takes off. Weiss and Winter are attempting small talk, so I turn to the General. He is sitting like a statue in his seat. For a while, we talk about my meeting today, but the conversation dies out. It's in times like this that I wish I was better at socializing. When Weiss notices my discomfort, she barely hesitates before getting into a conversation with the general. I breathe up when all looks are on Weiss, she is much better at handling the attention than I am. Another while passes before we finally arrive in front of the Schnee residence. I am all too happy to get out, but Weiss stops me before I can jump out.

"Before you go, maybe... you know, you should not go in your combat skirt?" She nervously smiles. I nod and change into a longer more... fancy... looking black dress with silver embroidery and turn my headband into my little tiara.

"Like this?" I ask her.

"And please, be careful." She adds to her advice before I step out and leave her to wait for me in the ship with her sister, who looks like she saw a ghost. Ironwood followed me out and gives me one last head nod before leaving on to his own meeting. I enter the Schnee residence and go to my own meeting.

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"We can leave now," I order the pilot once I'm back in my ship. The meeting almost lasted an hour. Weiss and Winter were waiting for me patiently and informed me that Ironwood would not be returning with us. Both sisters seemed worried about the meeting but hid it well. I think I know now, why they are so afraid of their dad. He is a cold man. He doesn't care about his workers or children. I had to 'convince' him to agree to my proposal. If he didn't like me before, he sure didn't like me now.

"How did it go?" Weiss asks me. I shrug my shoulders and change back into something more comfortable.

"Well, I think he doesn't like me very much. As long as he can go through with his end of the deal, it doesn't matter whether we like each other." I start kicking my feet in the air. This was a quite fun morning.

I stop when I notice that Winter is staring at me. When I tilt my head and ask her what's wrong, she looks away and apologizes.

"You know you don't have to act like that. Speak your mind. As Weiss sister, I'm sure you must have something interesting to say." I say with a soft smile.

"Who are you? Why can you do... that? What is going on?"

"You didn't fill her in?" I ask Weiss surprised. "You spent an hour with your sis and you didn't tell her? You really are such a loyal friend." I jump to hug her, but she dodges and I fall to the floor.

"Well, you said it was classified and no one should know who you really are." She lightly blushes as she says these words.

"Winter, you are one of Ironwoods men, aren't you? Do you think, he would tell you if you asked him?"

"Probably not."

"Then I'll trust his judgment. All I'll tell you is that Ironwood doesn't have to protect me, I can protect myself. He doesn't have to do as I say, but he does, because he feels the need to. He knows that when the time comes, he wants to be on the right side. He knows that I am an important ally in this war we are fighting."