The REDS of war

Volume Four Chapter Four

The broken moon shines brightly to the sound of Weiss Schnee singing, Dusk stands in a booth watching her sing with him is Rai, and Ironwood. James closes his eyes listening to her sing. Rai turns her gaze to Jacques who glares at his own daughter.

She stands alone on a large, empty stage, singing a wordless aria, her arms outstretched. She is perfectly positioned below the center of the painted emblem of Atlas that dominates the stage. The song changes to emphatic lyrics.

"I'm not your pet, not another thing you own.
I was not born guilty of your crimes.
Your riches and your influence can't hold me anymore.
I won't be possessed,
burdened by your royal test.
I will not surrender.
This life is mine."

Weiss concludes her song and bows while the audience applauds. She looks up to the balcony above stage left where her father and brother are watching. Jacques Schnee remains seated, not applauding, while Whitley Schnee is standing giving a slower paced, sarcastic clap. Weiss looks back at the audience, all clapping still in their seats. She turns her gaze to Dusk who claps but nods two her, Rai glares at Jacques and Whitley, and Ironwood still has his eyes closed, he opens them and mouths an apology to Weiss, unheard by anyone over the clapping. She turns and walks backstage, her feigned smile replaced with a frown.

After Weiss' song, Dusk stays at the booth, Ironwood and Rai leave to 'enjoy' the party as best they can. He remains silent staring at the stage he sighs before turning to walk away, he's stopped by the sounds of heels clacking against the stage floor.

"Why'd you stay here?" Dusk turns to Weiss who had asked the question to him from the stage.

"Cause I wanted to think about your song." He answers with a lie. She frowns at him and he chuckles softly. "Come on snowflake let's suffer through a party." Dusk turns away again, she stares at his back as he exits the booth.

"Don't call me snowflake." She mutters pouting.

Later, a waiter carrying martini glasses on a tray opens up a door and enters the ballroom where people mill about to soft piano notes. He holds the tray next to Dusk, who takes a glass before walking off. A blonde woman in a dark green halter dress stops to look at the waiter before moving on. Background conversation is audible.

"Need anything else?" A second waiter asks Rai.

"No." She declines from standing at the outskirts of the party.

A blonde woman walks up to a man. "Hey. Nice dress." He compliments the blonde.

Dusk joins Rai at the fringes of the party.

"You didn't waste time getting drunk." Rai complains seeing the martini in his hand.

"Trust me, it's the best way to deal with these crowds." He downs the drink in a single gulp before handing it to a different waiter. "It means I won't remember their names faces or anything they try to do to me."

"But it makes you vulnerable to bad business arrangements." She gives him a light glare.

"That's why you and Gloss are supposed to be here."

"Please, we both knew Gloss wasn't gonna come to this." Rai says bluntly. Dusk hums leaning against the wall behind him.

His gaze pans the room. It flows over a number of dressed up people as the waiter moves across the room. On the far opposite end of the room is a display area with three large paintings and two abstract statues. To one side Jacques is conversing with a man in glasses and a gray-haired woman in a green dress. They are laughing. Weiss is behind her father, looking at the floor with her hands held primly behind her back. Whitley stands similar further behind their father, only his gaze is directly on him.