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To say that she hated some things in her life would be putting it mildly, as well as an understatement. She hated when there was commotion in the hallway, right outside of her bedroom door, causing her to snap out of her focus to read. She hated when her father, the rare times he would deign speak to her, took this falsely soft, condescending tone with her. But most of all, she hated being underestimated. Treated like a porcelain doll that couldn’t move from her spot in any way.
It wasn’t because Weiss Schnee was blind that she was suddenly incapable of doing anything around the castle, anymore.
Still, it seemed that all the maids her father kept sending her had this one instruction imprinted on their minds, and just hearing them flutter around her bedroom to make sure she never had to get up was aggravating. Although, she was sure her father knew, and was just rubbing it in her face.
Insult to injury.
Her mother complained sometimes that she couldn’t keep a personal maid more than a few days, sometimes a brave soul lasting weeks, before they asked to work elsewhere. But Weiss couldn’t care less about her mother’s disapproval. Even if she didn’t have her sight anymore, she still had her pride.
She had been without a personal maid for days now, and was satisfied when she thought that maybe, her father got the message. That she was able to move through the castle without aid, that she could get anything she wanted on her own.
It was a little downside when she found out she was starting to feel lonely, on her own like this. With no one to talk to, besides the occasional visits of her father’s butler.
Klein was nice, always had been with her. She liked the way he still treated her the same as before, was grateful for it. Weiss just found it disappointing that now she only caught glimpses of him every now and then.
Sighing as she tried to focus her attention back on the book open in her lap, her fingers once again starting at the same line for the fourth time now, Weiss was rudely interrupted when the door behind her swung open, making her jump in her seat in surprise, and Weiss turned a bit more towards the door when she could hear someone walking inside, very clearly out of breath.
“Excuse-me,” she started, her words clipped and cold as she tried to stay polite. “Firstly, don’t you know how to knock? Secondly, you’re being loud.”
A sheepish chuckle reached her ears, the voice feminine, and she felt her heart sinking when she realised what this person was doing in her room.
“I’m sorry, I just… Didn’t want to be late,” a woman said, and she could hear the small, embarrassed smile in her voice. “I, uh, I’m your new maid, your Highness. If you need anything, just tell me.”
Fighting against an eyeroll and failing miserably, Weiss returned to her open book on her lap with a sigh, all feelings of serenity now swiftly thrown out the window. She tried to ignore the labored breaths behind her, or the slowing, controlled deep breaths as the woman was trying to catch it back, but it didn’t take long for her to wrinkle her nose, closing her book on her finger with an irritated puff of air.
“Did you run all the way from the farmer’s market?” Weiss couldn’t help but press her fingers against her nose, trying to keep her senses from being assaulted by the strong smell the woman carried with her. “Don’t you know what a bath is for?”
“Yeah, I did,” the woman answered after a beat, her voice quieter, now. “And… I didn’t have the time. Like I said, I didn’t want to be late.”
“What do you mean, you did?” Weiss couldn’t help but turn further in her seat, turning her head in the voice’s direction. “You really ran all the way from the farmer’s market?”
“Well, yeah,” she heard the woman shift uncomfortably. “I was supposed to arrive earlier today, but the carriage I took broke a wheel right when we went on the road. I didn’t have the time to look for another one, so I ran. I thought I knew a shortcut, but I found myself in a stable, and I spooked the horses, and I must have stepped on manure on my way out, and I think I lost my luggage too but it’s fine, it wasn’t much to start with, and… Here I am.”
She couldn’t help but raise her brows at the story. The woman sounded sincere, and yet she couldn’t believe it to be true. Who in their right minds would be so determined to run all the way to the castle and hope to make it in time?
Still, the smell still clinging to the woman’s clothes was starting to give her a headache, so she set her book on the low table at her side and stood, taking a step closer to her new maid. She might not like the idea of having someone do everything for her, but she was not cruel. Clearly, this woman had had quite a day already.
“How about you go take a bath?” Weiss proposed, trying to cough when she breathed in a big whiff of the manure the woman spoke of earlier.
A beat of silence followed, and she wondered why it caused a hitch in the woman’s breath. She was simply being kind, and the woman was afraid?
“Please don’t send me back,” came the woman’s voice, small and soft, almost pleading. “My sister is really sick, I… I really need the money. Please, I will make it up to you, but don’t send me-”
“I never said I would,” she interrupted flatly. “I only spoke of you getting cleaned up. You already had an eventful day, and this smell on you is giving me a headache. We will discuss how you can make it up to me at a later time.”
Another pause filled the air as she waited patiently, attentive to any shift of the figure in front of her, and a smile touched her lips when she heard the small, grateful sigh she was hoping for.
“Thank you. I promise, I will do anything to make it up to you.”
“So you keep saying,” Weiss simply waved her away, crinkling her nose again. “Now go, before I get a migraine.”
A soft ‘okay’ was heard before the woman shifted, and the door opened, but before the woman left completely, she remembered something crucial, and she perked up.
“Wait!” Apparently freezing in place, there were no sound coming from her new maid, and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes again when she realised the woman was holding her breath, too. “What’s your name? I can’t just call you ‘you’.”
“Oh, I’m Yang!”
Weiss could hear the warm smile in the maid’s voice, and it was such a nice change from the others who had been in different states of fear that she let a smile touch her lips again, glad against all odds that this woman was going to hang around a bit more.
“Nice to meet you, Yang. I am Weiss, but you knew that already…”
“No I didn’t,” the new maid chuckled sheepishly again, and Weiss was entirely surprised by it. “It is nice to meet you, your Highness.”
Before Weiss could add something, a whisper of fabric rushed away, and the door closed a bit louder than usual, but she could blame it on the maid’s hasty exit. Releasing a breath once she was alone again, Weiss turned towards the window, reaching over, and it took four paces for the back of her hand to bump against the windowsill. Once there, she let habit take over, and opened the window, if only in the hopes it would chase the scent from her room.
“Did you bow again?” Weiss sighed not for the first time. “You do realise that it is utterly unnecessary, as I can’t see you.”
A silent rustling of fabric indicated that her new maid had straightened her back, and she could guess the sheepish smile on Yang’s lips. Shaking her head as the quiet, nervous chuckle reached her ears, Weiss already knew what Yang would say even before she did.
“I know, but… I just wanted to be sure, your Highness,” the maid said, and she nearly rolled her eyes at that. “I meant no disrespect.”
“I thought I told you to stop with the honorific, too,” Weiss couldn’t help but add, laying her book back to the low table beside the chair she was sitting on, trying to reign in her irritation. “There is no need to be so formal.”
“But…”
“Would you just do as I say?” Weiss snapped, speaking over her shoulder as she bristled. “There is literally no need for formalities. I’m not even a real princess, anymore, so I don’t see why you should act as if I am.”
Standing from her chair and moving to the vanity not far from her, Weiss tried to occupy herself with the trinkets there as a lengthy silence only answered her. It had slipped past her lips in her irritation, but she simply wished the maid would understand, and hopefully not ask any questions.
After an eternity, movement was heard behind her, probably the maid shaking some senses into her, Weiss hoped.
“Would you like some tea, your- I mean, Weiss?” Yang finally said, her voice steady.
“Yes,” Weiss nodded, quietly glad for the not-so-subtle save. “That would be nice.”
“Good. Then I will be right back.”
“Remember to not let it soak too long-”
“I know,” Yang interrupted, although Weiss could hear the small smile in her voice, sounding devoid of reproach. “Don’t worry. I know how you like your tea. And if there’s scones out, I will bring you some.”
“Oh. Thank you.”
Weiss could guess the slight bow of the maid, and was about to snap at her again when she heard the quiet mumble of the maid, probably chastising herself, then listened carefully as the maid was going to the door. Waiting until the last second without knowing why, it was only when she heard the door opening that Weiss turned in its direction, slightly.
“Would you have some tea with me?” She asked, ignoring how hope swelled in her chest.
Even though Weiss had to constantly repeat the same things to the new maid, she was surprised that she… tolerated her company. And she always thought that drinking such good tea alone was a waste, so…
“Sure!” Yang answered, and a smile touched her lips when she could hear the large smile in the maid’s voice.
“Bring some scones for yourself, then.”
“Duly noted,” the warm chuckle only stoked the hope swelling in her chest, and before Weiss could add anything else, the door’s hinges creaked quietly. “I’ll be right back.”
The door closed quietly a second after, and she was left alone, in the silence of her room.
Most days, she loved the silence. It was a wonderful companion when she wanted to focus on her readings, when she wanted to be undisturbed from her thoughts, when she slept… It meant that she was safe, away from everyone.
…It meant that she was away from everyone. Left alone, in this part of the castle that only Weiss resided in.
Other days, the silence was oppressing. Reminded her that she was all alone in the entire universe, in this darkness that she could never get rid of. That she was being abandoned. That she was being forgotten.
Of course, this train of thoughts never bode well, and she preferred to avoid it altogether. But sometimes, after a very lonely day, or spending time with her father, or brother, for that matter…
Now, though the silence only made her long for something to fill it. She had grown used to always hearing Yang in the background, always occupying herself and not always on her command, but she was simply always… There.
And now, Weiss was alone. For maybe ten minutes, she had to reason with herself, and she loathed that she had to even remind herself.
Maybe she was growing tired of feeling so lonely all the time, after all.
Time passed without her being aware of it, and before she knew it Yang was back, the door swinging open bringing her attention back to present as she could hear the soft clinking of the tea set. With a soft sigh, Yang set it in front of her on the low table, and before Yang seated herself, the maid took her left hand.
“Alright, so,” gently guiding Weiss’ hand forward until her fingers brushed against something cool, Yang continued. “Midnight is the cream. Three’s the milk, six honey, and nine is sugar. And here,” letting go of Weiss’ left hand, Yang moved behind her to grasp her right hand, guiding it until it was pressed against something that was still warm. “Here’s the good stuff.”
“Thank you,” Weiss let out in a breath as Yang left her side to sit in front of her, on the other side of the table.
Waiting for Yang to pour the tea in her cup, she patted with her right hand until she could snatch one piece of what Yang had brought; not scones, but definitely something sweet.
“Are those… sweet rolls?”
“Yeah!” The maid audibly smiled. “Right out of the oven, too!”
After a silent ‘here you go’, they both fell silent as they tended to their cups. She took hers with just a bit of honey, just to sooth the bitterness of the black tea she loved, but knew that Yang took hers with sugar and milk, cutting the bitterness entirely. Somehow, it didn’t even surprise Weiss; she knew Yang was a sweet person. Or as sweet as her tooth, she thought, hiding her smile in her cup.
Holding her cup with both hands, Weiss let the cup’s warmth chase away the chill in them as she sighed contentedly, sitting back in her chair as she breathed in the sweet smell of the rolls along with the strong, stubborn scent of the tea between her hands. Weiss could hear Yang lightly humming to herself, a song that she did not recognise.
“This is nice,” Weiss couldn’t help but comment, sipping from her cup.
“Yeah, but do you know what’s really nice?”
Arching an eyebrow in response, she heard Yang scoot closer in her chair.
“Listen to this, listen,” the maid murmured, the brief clinking signaling that Yang had returned her cup in its saucer. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be,” she couldn’t help the flat tone she used, wondering what had gotten her maid so excited suddenly.
“Listen…”
As she leaned closer to better listen, she soon realised a very quiet, but still present crackling sound was heard, meaning a nice, thin but crisp crust, then soft ripping of the fluffy middle as she realised the sweet roll in Yang’s hands was being torn in half, and she smiled, grateful.
“Goodness me,” Weiss couldn’t help but play along, a smile touching her lips. Then, a whiff of the roll caught her nose, and she perked up. “Cinnamon?”
“Sure is!” The maid giggled, apparently happy that Weiss noticed. “Want one?”
“Yes please.”
“Alrighty.”
Another silence hovered over them, comfortable, as they both enjoyed the sweet treats and the tea, and Weiss was at her second cup when she heard Yang’s discreet sigh. Even after clearly displaying joy and contentment earlier, the maid sounded sad, and Weiss straightened her back, alarmed.
“What’s wrong?”
It seemed to catch her off guard as Yang hummed quietly, mid-sip apparently, but it didn’t take long for her to answer.
“Oh, it’s… It’s not important, I was just thinking that it’s such a nice day out today…”
“Oh,” Relaxing as Weiss sat back in her chair, she took the time to sip from her cup, enjoying the tea’s warmth. “Can you describe it for me?”
“What?”
“Uh, n-nothing,” Weiss backpedaled quickly, turning her head away as she set her cup back in its saucer. “Never mind.”
“You want me to describe today? Like, how it looks?”
“You really don’t have to-”
“No, I don’t have to, but I’d love to!” The excitement was back in Yang’s voice again, and Weiss relaxed at this. “I… don’t really know where to begin, though.”
“Wherever you want,” Weiss murmured, clutching her hands together over her lap and trying not to appear too eager. It had been a while since she had seen the courtyard.
“Okay… Well…” Yang scooted her chair to the side, closer to the window, and a handful of seconds fluttered away, with Weiss waiting anxiously for Yang’s next words. “Autumn has already started, you know? The leaves in the trees are this nice shade of orange and red, like your scarf over there!”
Evidently, Weiss couldn’t see where Yang pointed but remembered the color of the scarf her grandfather had given her, when she had been just a child. It made her smile softly, and she nodded for Yang to continue.
“Most of the leaves fell, though, so the trees look kinda naked with their handful of leaves still on,” the maid chuckled lightly. “The grass underneath the leaves is still green, but not as rich as it gets in the middle of summer, you know? It’s just a shade darker. And, uh… The pathway is covered in red and yellow leaves, the fountain is full of them, too.” A beat passed. “I think I’m not very good at this.”
“You’re fine, please, go on,” Weiss chuckled lightly, waving for Yang to continue.
“And… The sky is nice. Cloudless. So blue, but not quite the same color as the middle of summer. It’s… rich, and deep, and I feel I could get lost in it if I stare for too long… Just like your eyes.”
A heartbeat passed before the words registered in her mind, and her brows instantly jumped high on her forehead, but before she could say anything, Yang beat her to it.
“I-I meant the color,” the maid was clearly flustered, shifting so much in her chair that it creaked endlessly. “The color of the sky is kinda like your eyes, I didn’t mean- It wasn’t the part of me getting lost- Look, do me a solid and just forget this part, okay?”
Blinking, Weiss didn’t know if she had to laugh or remind the maid about proper behavior, but as she was having a great time, she let it slide, simply dipping her head solemnly.
“As you wish,” was the only thing Weiss said, gesturing for the maid to continue.
“Uh… The horses are out,” Yang started hesitantly, and Weiss could almost see how the maid was wringing her hands. “Five of them. One of them stays on the side, though, looks dapple grey. I wonder why,” the maid finished quietly, sounding genuinely saddened by what she was seeing.
“It must be Myrtenaster,” Weiss answered softly, sadly. “He used to be my horse. I… don’t know if anyone takes him for a ride from time to time.”
“Oh… You don’t ride him anymore?”
“I’m blind,” Weiss retorted flatly, sitting back in her chair. “I need to see to guide the horse.”
“Yeah, but… If someone rides with you, you’ll just have to let the horse follow, right?”
Huffing bitterly, Weiss sighed as she turned her head to the side, regretting the earlier mishap already.
“Even if I found someone who was willing to go on a ride with me, Father would never allow it. He’ll forbid the stable hands from helping me.”
“Then… Hear me out, but how about… We don’t tell your father...?”
Snapping her head up at the insinuation, she refused to let her hopes get up, refused to listen to her first instinct and accept, instead focusing on the second one that rose up; suspicion.
“‘We’?” Weiss repeated, slowly.
“Yeah!” Yang seemed oblivious, only beyond happy that she was, maybe, considering it.
“Why would you take the chance of losing your place in the castle for a simple ride? Because if Father gets wind of this, you will get fired.”
‘And I will be alone again’, Weiss added, internally.
“Look,” the maid started, sounding a lot more serious now. “Ever since I started here, you’ve never left this room. How long has it been since you went outside? Took a walk? Get some sun, breathe fresh air?” Then, after a second, “Went to see your horse?”
As she stayed stubbornly silent, it seemed to give all the answers Yang needed to continue, her voice lower, quieter, now.
“I’m worried about you,” the maid admitted. “This can’t be healthy for you, and you look so… melancholic all the time. Wistful.”
“Of course I am, Yang, I am blind!” Weiss all but snarled, bristling.
“So?”
“‘So’?” Weiss couldn’t help but scoff, wondering why the maid was suddenly so insensitive. “I lost the ability to see! Don’t you realise what that entail?”
“What I mean to say, is that it shouldn’t stop you from living your life,” Yang slowly let out after a pause, her voice softer, now. “There’s still so many things that you can do. Of course, it’ll be a bit more difficult than when you had your sight, and maybe you’ll experience it differently, but isn’t it still worth trying?”
Of course, she knew Yang was right. Weiss knew it all along, but she just… Lost her way. With everything that happened after the accident, she simply didn’t think about it, preferring to be secured inside the castle, where it was safe, where it was familiar, while everything was so new to her. Then she had focused on learning how to read again, and then… Her father’s poison had worked through her system, paralysing her from ever leaving her room, with the assurance that she couldn’t manage on her own, and the threat of if she ever dared.
For five years, Weiss let her life hang in mid-air, still, every day the same while knowing they were supposed to be different. Could she really say she had lived? Could she even remember a day, ever since losing her sight, that she had felt contentment more than five minutes? Joy, even?
The answer stood as plainly in front of Weiss as Yang did in this moment, catching her attention and effectively bringing her back to present as Weiss felt Yang’s hand lightly resting on her shoulder, gently squeezing.
“So what do you say?” The maid spoke again, softly, quietly, as if knowing that she was overwhelmed. “Shall we get changed?”
Rising her head towards Yang’s voice even though she was shaking from fear, from excitement, Weiss nodded firmly, swallowing thickly.
“Let’s.”
“You’re doing great!” Yang was saying, a smile obvious in her voice. “Nice pivot, Mister. Very nice.”
Smiling so much that she knew her cheeks would hurt if she kept it on, Weiss turned her head towards Yang, the maid observing her for the moment while she was getting her bearings with Myrtenaster again. It was… definitely different, but at the same time an entirely new experience. She was a lot more attentive to her horse now, feeling every tension, every coiling muscle, even noticed how the saddle felt when the horse turned.
Weiss nearly cried when she had felt the soft nose of the horse brush her face, or when the horse puffed a loud, long breath that pushed her hair back, but he still lipped her side for treats like he always did, or leaned into her when she scratched that spot under his jaw.
For the first time in a long time, Weiss was… happy.
She didn’t know if she knew enough words to properly thank Yang, all of her vocabulary suddenly devoid of just the right words that could best express just how grateful she was for this moment.
“Are you comfortable for a little trot?” Weiss heard Yang ask.
Instantly tightening the hold of her reins, she barely had to squeeze her knees for Myrtenaster to quicken his pace and she focused on the sound, falling into a familiar patten.
“Wow, you are doing it like a champ! So elegant, so effortless!”
Wondering if Yang was still talking to her or the horse, Weiss decided to let it be as she squeezed her knees again, pressing the barest with her heels, and Myrtenaster went into a small galop, comfortable, and she knew he would stop dead in his tracks at the slightest pull of the reins. Weiss remembered her horse being her best friend for as long as she had him, both of them so in tune with each other that they almost had a single mind.
But it was years ago, and Weiss wondered if this bond was still there, buried maybe, but knew that it wouldn’t take a single ride to dig it out. Slowing the horse to a trot, then a walk, Weiss leaned over the horse’s shoulders, burying her face in the soft mane with a giggle while she scratched the strong neck of the animal.
“I missed you, my friend,” Weiss whispered to Myrtenaster, breathing in the strong scent of the animal.
The horse stopped slowly with a snort, and she heard Yang stepping closer as the maid was cooing sweet nothings to Myrtenaster, and after clicking her tongue quietly, the horse moved again, at a slow walk still, and Weiss straightened her back at that, sighing contentedly.
“This is a really nice horse,” Yang commented, quietly, and she realised that it was her that was leading Myrtenaster for the moment, walking at a leisure pace. “Big, strong, incredibly well-behaved… Did you train him yourself?”
“Not at first,” Weiss patted the strong shoulder of the horse, who puffed a breath in response. “Father brought the best horse trainer when Myrtenaster was just a colt. I learned a lot by observing him work with Myrtenaster, I even asked what I could do after he left, and he was so happy to show me… I forgot his name, though.”
A quiet chuckle filled the space between them, and it made Weiss tilt her head to the side, furrowing her brows curiously.
“You met my dad,” Yang reported, a smile in her voice. “He’s the best I know. Trained horses myself for a couple years, until…” As if cutting herself off, Yang mumbled under her breath before sighing, her tone a lot less cheerful than a moment ago. “Until two years ago. My dad, uh… Wasn’t up for it, anymore.”
A silence fell on them for a moment, disturbed by the quiet creaking of the saddle and the nickering of the horse, and all Weiss wanted to do was ask why Yang’s father wasn’t up for it anymore. She remembered the man as being so passionate about his work, of his bright blue eyes sparkling in the mid-summer sun, his smile bright…
“Your father, huh?” Weiss couldn’t help but muse, remembering the man fondly. “He was kind. My sister thought him handsome.”
It earned a chocked laughter from Yang, the maid bringing the horse to a stop.
“Really? And what did you think?”
“It was about ten years ago, Yang. I was just a teenager.”
“So?”
“The only thing I cared about was my horse,” rolling her eyes with a huff, Weiss squeezed her knees, making Myrtenaster start walking again. “The only thing I thought of your father was that he was a wonderful mentor.”
“Yeah, well,” the maid mumbled, but did not stop the animal. “He is a teacher. Or rather, was one… Wait, you have a sister?”
“Yes,” it made Weiss furrow her brows again, this time confused. “Didn’t you know? My older sister, first-born and original heir to the crown, Winter?”
“Oh yeah! Guess I forgot, hah,” Yang chuckled, sheepishly. “I never saw her around, so…”
“I also have a brother, but I wish you never have to cross his path. Ever,” Weiss added dreadfully.
“Yeah, I met him,” Weiss could hear the grimace just in the maid’s tone. “Ugh, he even tried to bribe me.”
“Bribe you?” Weiss couldn’t help her raised voice, but she forced herself to reign in her anger, taking a deep, steadying breath. “What did he ask for?”
“That I leave,” the maid all but snorted, then sighed. “Apparently, me still being your personal maid after two weeks is a sign that you like me or something like that, and he tried to bribe me to leave you. To go work somewhere else in the castle, or even go back home. What’s his deal, anyway? He was really weird, like he actually wanted to hurt you, and…”
Typical. After all she went through, after all he took from her, Whitley never had enough, and she was sure he would never stop for as long as either of them lived. Weiss still wasn’t sure, was utterly oblivious as to why she had earned such hatred from her little brother. Once upon a time, they played together, were inseparable, even, and yet… Now, Whitley made it his mission to see her miserable, by every means necessary.
Even by plotting a terrible accident for her. All of this, for something that she didn’t even want in the first place.
She still didn’t know what went wrong. Maybe it was something Weiss did, something she’d said. But Whitley made things so personal that she wasn’t even sure it was something she had done. Maybe it wasn’t Weiss that went wrong. Maybe it was Whitley. Surely, all this time alone with their father didn’t do him any good.
A warm hand resting on her thigh surprised her, bringing her back to present in a heartbeat and made her realised that she had tuned out while Yang had been talking.
“Hey,” Yang’s voice was low, serious. “You alright? What happened?”
Taking another deep breath to try and settle the unbridled rage festering in the pit of her stomach, she had to remember to relax her shoulders, feeling her jaw clenched tight and forcing it to relax.
“I’m fine.”
Although she hoped it sounded sincere, it failed miserably when it came out in a hiss, and the warm hand on her thigh left, only to wrap around one of her hands, that she realised in that moment was clenched tight around the reins, surely in a knuckle-white grip.
“You sure?”
A warm thumb smoothly ran over her tense knuckles, and Weiss sucked another deep breath in, focusing on this soft warmth instead of the searing rage she could feel burning inside her chest.
“It is of no concern for you,” Weiss simply said, feeling Yang’s thumb making its way across her knuckles again, slowly, endlessly.
It was… soothing.
Her hands ached by how tightly she had clenched them. Weiss was sure the crescent of her nails would be blossoming on her palms, too, so lost in her anger that she hadn’t even noticed the pain. But the warmth from Yang seeped into her skin, smoothing her pain and aches, like a balm on a sore muscle.
Before she knew it, this warmth had seeped all the way to her bones, and Weiss felt… exhausted. Like she had aged a decade in the space of mere seconds, and it left her slightly hunched over in her seat, her head bent down, while she could still feel Yang’s hand wrapped around hers, the maid’s thumb still running along her knuckles without fail…
“How about we call it a day?” Yang murmured, softly, only for her to hear despite the fact they were alone in the riding hall.
Slowly, with the impression that it took everything from her just to perform such a simple task, Weiss nodded. All she wanted right now was to climb in bed and fall asleep, and maybe never wake up.
“Alright.”
With one last squeeze, Yang’s hand left hers, and for a moment panic seized her. Like she had lost a sense again, like this link had been vital for her, and now that it was gone… But the maid’s voice reached her ears as the horse turned around, and Weiss was simply content to listen to Yang, having a one-sided conversation with Myrtenaster it seemed, as the maid guided the horse back to the stables.
Weiss had let Yang untack and brush Myrtenaster before they led him to the paddock again, standing in some kind of exhausted haze while Yang finished, and only when she felt her hand being pressed against the crook of Yang’s elbow did she stumble back on track, sparking to life again.
“I’m fine,” Weiss pre-emptively said, knowing the question was coming.
A pause answered her.
“If you say so.”
Letting herself be guided by the maid, Weiss understood why Yang sounded so uneasy. Maybe the maid felt guilty for bringing Whitley up in the conversation, but she shouldn’t. Yang didn’t know. Couldn’t have, since Weiss never talked about it.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” the words left her lips even before she could think of holding them back, and she didn’t miss the way Yang sighed, discreet but disappointed.
“As you wish.”
The sound of their footsteps on the stone floor was the only sound to greet their ears for a long moment as Weiss tried to find something to say, about the matter at hand, or about anything at all. But her mind was so scrambled, that she didn’t know at all where to begin.
They turned in a hallway, and the cold, stone floor was traded by soft carpet, the sound of their footsteps muted now, and it made her realise how silent it was.
“Thank you.”
Their pace slowed for the space of a heartbeat, and Weiss could guess how Yang was staring at her, the arm under her hand tensing for a moment.
“What for?”
“For today,” was the only thing she said.
Preferring to stay vague, Weiss kept her head straight ahead, but did not miss the amused huff the maid let out, apparently understanding that she didn’t want to elaborate.
“You’re welcome.”
The rest of the walk was spent in silence, a strange occurrence from Yang, she couldn’t help but notice with a touch of concern, but it soon faded as she realised what the maid had told her. Her brother had tried to bribe her. With money, no doubt. And when Yang refused, surely, he doubled the amount promised. And yet, she couldn’t help but think, leaning a bit more into the warm, reassuring presence against her; Yang was still here.
“Here you are,” the maid murmured, and Weiss heard the door of her bedroom being opened. “Do you want me to prepare a bath for you?”
“Why didn’t you accept?”
As Yang pulled away from her, Weiss turned a bit more towards Yang, utterly confused. Why, indeed, did Yang refuse?
“What?”
“Why didn’t you accept Whitley’s money?” She asked again. “Surely it would have been quite an envious amount for anyone to have.”
“Ah,” Yang sighed after a moment, shifting away. “It’s quite simple. I prefer an honest job than being bribed.”
The answer only made Weiss tilt her head to the side, feeling her features twisting in confusion.
“But you said you needed money. You would have quite a lot if you accepted.”
“I know. But I didn’t want to have the consequences on my conscience.”
“What consequences?” Weiss pressed, even more confused.
“You thinking I left because of you,” she heard the shrug that accompanied the words. “That I’d leave without saying a word.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time someone did that.”
“I know. That’s one of the reasons why I refused.”
Narrowing her eyes, Weiss stayed silent for a moment, mulling over the answer.
“I don’t understand you,” she finally let out, shaking her head slowly.
Somehow, it made the maid laugh as Weiss sighed, finally turning to go in her room, and she wanted nothing more but to fall in bed right then and there. So, dismissing Yang with a gentle wave, she was about to sit on a chair to take off her boots when she heard the door shut quietly.
After a second of hesitation, Weiss made her way to it, and opened it enough so she could poke her head in the hallway.
“Yang?”
Weiss had hoped that the maid wasn’t too far, because she didn’t want to be yelling down the hallway trying to catch her attention, and was utterly relieved to hear a rustle of fabric nearby.
“Yes?”
Wetting her lips quickly, Weiss swallowed, unsure if it was wise.
“I…” Sucking in a breath, she straightened her back, trying to gain back some of her composure. “I’m glad you refused.”
Even in the silence, she could guess the smile the maid was sending her way, and just knowing it made the corner of her lips curl upward.
“I know,” Yang said softly. “It’s one of the reasons why I did.”
And with this, the maid started away at a brisk pace, her steps soon fading away down the hall.
Time passed. Weiss had to say, she was… surprised by Yang, as a maid. Whereas the others would make themselves scarce in her presence, trying as much as possible to disappear until needed, Yang kept making her presence known, humming to herself when she was arranging her wardrobe for her, or kept talking about this and that. Weiss didn’t always need to listen, though, as the maid seemed simply content to… talk.
“Where did I put my hairbrush?” Weiss muttered to herself, patting the space in front of her. She usually would leave it on the left side of her dresser, remembering like an afterthought the mirror sending back her reflection that she couldn’t see anymore.
“Oh, I cleaned it earlier,” Yang’s voice sounded from her right, behind her. Apparently, she had good ears. “It’s a pace over on your right.”
Reaching over to the designated place, her fingers did bump against the handle of her hairbrush, and when she brought it closer, Weiss could feel that the old strands of hair were gone, rending it completely clean, like Yang had said.
“Thank you,” she didn’t forget to say, slowly undertaking the slow task of brushing her hair.
She still could feel the maid’s presence close to her right, and she wondered if Yang was simply staring at her or if she was occupying herself another way. But before she even finished with the first strand of hair, Yang gently cleared her throat, gaining her attention.
“I know you usually do it yourself, but do you want me to brush your hair for you?”
Bristling, Weiss’ hold tightened on the brush as she turned her head a bit towards her right, towards Yang.
“Do you think me unable of brushing my own hair?” Weiss couldn’t help but hiss, all the other maids she had before haunting her. “I’m blind, not incapable-”
“I didn’t mean that!” Yang interrupted quickly, and she could hear the horror in her voice. “I know you can brush your hair just fine, I know you can do a whole lot of things, I was just trying to be nice, is all… I just sometimes miss the feel of someone brushing my hair, and I thought you might like it, that’s all.”
Instantly relaxing as Yang talked, Weiss could hear the sincerity in the maid’s voice, feel the step she took back and how she was shifting anxiously. And so, she gave it some thought; the other maids never asked her if she wanted to have her hair brushed, but simply did it as if it was expected. It wasn’t nearly as gentle as she’d like, as the other maids wanted to be done with it as soon as possible.
But now she had the choice. And something told her that Yang would be gentle, no matter how long it took.
“Alright,” Weiss only said, offering her brush for Yang to take.
She could almost hear the smile on the maid’s lips as the brush was gently taken from her grasp, and she waited, just a small ball of anxiety in the pit of her stomach. She hoped she wouldn’t jump in surprise whenever the brush touched her, another downside of the other maids.
But she could feel a soft touch just near her hairline, fingers lightly pressing and threading through her hair a heartbeat before the brush did, almost to tell her where the brush would go.
Yang took to brushing her hair slowly, gently, catering to it as if it was the most treasured thing in the whole castle, and Weiss soon relaxed under the soft touch, suddenly glad for the attention. Normally she would fight for a simple task like that, but now she was glad someone was doing it for her.
She realised only now that it was the first time that Yang truly touched her. Of course, a gentle touch to the elbow or shoulder to guide her in the right direction happened, but this was nothing like those small touches.
She could sometimes be overwhelmed when she was touched, probably a result of her father thinking she was incapable simply because she was blind. No matter that she knew the castle by heart and still had two working feet, to him, she had ceased functioning as soon as she lost her sight. Which meant that time spent with him resulted on being grabbed a lot, and more often than not, it wasn’t gentle.
“I remember when my mom brushed my hair, when I was young,” Yang’s voice spoken suddenly and quietly pulled her from her thoughts as she focused on the woman behind her. “She would tell those insane stories about my hair growing wild if I didn’t brush them every night, that it could be a hazard for the house and even the village.” A soft, light chuckle followed. “She was just trying to get me to brush my hair alone, but… I remember complaining that I couldn’t tame my hair alone, just so she could do it for me. She always, always kissed the top of my head when she was finished.”
A soft, sad sigh tickled the top of her head as a short silence hung over them, but the soft brush never stopped, continuing on and gently taking care of the knots and tangles in her hair while Weiss furrowed her brows, tilting her head up curiously.
“You miss her,” was the only thing she found to say.
The brush stopped for half a second before continuing again, in the same soothing rhythm.
“Well, yeah, I miss her,” Yang admitted after a moment. “But she died when I was just a kid, so…” A rustling noise accompanied what she guessed was a shrug. “Then, I brushed my little sister’s hair, telling her the same crazy stories mom told me.”
A warm chuckle came along with that, before another silence took place, hovering over them for a moment. Weiss could tell that Yang’s mind went away, probably all the way to the farmstead where her sister laid in her sickbed, and Weiss couldn’t even imagine how that would be like. She was glad that Winter was as healthy as an ox, never sick from as far as she could remember.
Although, Winter had left the castle with a small army some years ago, with the promise of new lands and new subjects to her father, and she didn’t have any news of her since then… Maybe she should ask her father, although she had hoped her father would tell her if he had news.
“You mentioned your sister was sick?”
A soft hum reached her ears as the brush never stopped, continuing on their gentle work.
“Yeah, started off with a fever, but in a matter of days Ruby just… Couldn’t drink, couldn’t eat. We tried everything we knew, and even paid for a doctor to check on her. He told us the only thing that could save her was medicine, but… That is expensive. And Uncle wouldn’t be able to pay for it alone.”
“So here you are,” Weiss finished for her, quietly.
“Here I am,” Yang repeated. “Although, I received a letter this morning. I arranged that my pay went home, and Uncle Qrow was able to buy some medicine for Ruby. She was strong enough to eat and drink, even wrote me something!” The maid laughed airily, even though her voice sounded tight and anxious. “But she needs more, of course. It’s going to take a while, but… The doctor said that if we give her the medicine, she’ll get through it.”
The last sentence sounded equal part hopeful and like she was still trying to convince herself, and Weiss let the conversation be for a while, thoughtful. Did that mean that Yang would leave as soon as her sister was healed? How long could it take? This was the first maid that she didn’t want to leave in as long as she could remember, and to think Yang might leave in the future…
Near future, nonetheless.
Just the thought was making her morose. She didn’t quite know how friendship worked, didn’t know if they qualified for the term or if it was how this was supposed to go, but… She appreciated the maid’s presence. Liked having her around. Yang seemed to be a never-ending well of conversation, anecdotes, and stories that entertained her more than she liked to admit.
To think that maybe, it will be all gone soon…
Reaching her left hand up as she felt the brush starting there, Weiss gently grasped the maid’s wrist, pausing the movement of the brush and catching Yang’s attention.
The skin under her fingers was warm and soft, and she released her hold as soon as she knew she had Yang’s attention, feeling the warmth still linger on her fingers.
“How about I brush your hair, too?” Weiss heard herself ask, and she couldn’t believe how eager she sounded.
A pause accompanied her request, and she felt Yang shift behind her, uncomfortable, or maybe simply surprised.
“Really?”
“Well, yes,” Weiss couldn’t help the roll of her eyes. As if she would joke about this. “You have been taking care of me all this time. You have been kind to me. I simply want to do something for you.”
A soft snort sounded as the soft, reassuring touches that had been constant all until now suddenly left, leaving her sitting ramrod straight in her chair with the growing feeling that she shouldn’t have proposed that.
“I’m paid to be kind to you, to take care of you, you know?” Yang commented, her voice serious.
Nibbling at her lip, Weiss felt like a giant fool when the words came to her ears. She didn’t know what she expected, really. Yang had told her ever since day one that she took the job for the money. So of course Yang had tried her best to be nice and thoughtful. So Weiss wouldn’t send her away.
Still, Weiss couldn’t believe that it was all pretending. Not after Yang insisted for her to go outside, and now this. She knew the maid had been genuine, at least about some things.
“Maybe so,” Weiss said instead, her shoulders drooping slightly. “And I know I can be difficult about some things, but… You’re the only one who did it right. And I simply want to thank you.”
Another silence fell onto them again. She couldn’t help but feel a weight crushing her chest, and she didn’t quite know if it was embarrassment or shame, for ever thinking that someone could genuinely care about her. But of course not. She was a burden, after all. Not even able to see what was in plain sight, what was implied from the very first day.
She wasn’t sure if she wanted for Yang to leave or if she wanted to stay there, in this chair, forever until she was truly forgotten.
“Okay.”
The simple word resonated in the room like a crack of thunder, and she perked up in her chair all the same, the crushing weight on her chest keeping her from breathing properly now forgotten as hope was swelling in her chest.
“Okay?” Weiss repeated, just to be sure.
“Yeah. Sure, you can brush my hair,” Yang’s voice was light, casual. But then, she felt the maid leaning over, felt her presence so close on her right side that she could feel Yang’s warmth even through their clothes. “But don’t ever look so sad again. I don’t think I can handle it.”
Bristling at that, she had half a mind to jerk away, but instead only turned her head away, crossing her arms over her chest tightly.
“Did you only accept because I looked sad?”
“No, I didn’t,” Yang chuckled behind her, apparently enjoying her pouting session. “I mean, it would be nice to have my hair brushed again, so I was already going to accept. But your face only made me accept faster. I didn’t want you to be disappointed.”
Once again rolling her eyes as she scoffed quietly, it earned her another chuckle from Yang as Weiss felt the maid gently taking her right hand, tugging slightly to signal her to stand. As Weiss did, she couldn’t quite understand why Yang would wear… leather gloves? When they were inside. And brushing her hair.
But she didn’t feel a glove when she had grabbed her left wrist, earlier… So maybe Yang was hiding her right hand? Which would be incredibly foolish, in Weiss’ presence. She was already blind. She couldn’t see anything already.
Her thoughts were pushed aside when Yang gently guided her around the chair, and it creaked when the maid took place in it. Before she could even ask for it, she felt the brush being pressed against her left hand.
“Here,” Yang spoke barely above a murmur, knowing that she would hear still.
With the brush in hand, the next step was to familiarise herself with her subject. She didn’t want to make a fool of herself, of course.
So lightly, with the back of her fingers, she searched for the blonde in the chair in front of her. She knew she was close, but she had to know where her head was. Finally, her fingers bumped against the back of the chair, and she let them climb up, tumbling over the back of it, and met with silken hair, warm and soft. Starting from there, her hand went right, searching for the woman’s shoulder.
A soft, surprised hum left her as she sat her hand on Yang’s shoulder, lightly, simply to get her bearings.
“You’re taller than I imagined,” she couldn’t help to comment, quietly, to herself mostly as her brows furrowed. “Broader, too.”
“Yeah, I get that a lot,” Yang still answered with a light shrug. “Dad always wanted sons, but instead he got two strong girls, able to help out around the farm. So I guess it worked anyway. Wait so you… imagined me?”
“Well of course,” she couldn’t help but snort, a smile touching her lips. “What did you think, that you were simply a voice in the dark?”
“…Kinda?”
Raising her eyes to the sky made Yang laugh softly, and she shook her head slightly, letting her fingers slowly travel the maid’s shoulder to climb up her neck.
“I knew you were taller by the length of your strides, and that you had a certain built by the heaviness of your steps, but you carry yourself lighter than I anticipated.”
“Thank you?”
Chuckling, Weiss nodded, a true smile pulling her lips.
“It is a compliment, so you’re welcome.”
She found this moment strangely intimate, when she let her cool fingers ghost the side of Yang’s face, brushing over her ear, until she found the top of her head. Crawling her fingers to the edge of Yang’s head, she finally started the slow and tedious work of brushing someone’s hair. It was weird, though, because it wasn’t her and she couldn’t feel the brush, but she was confident that Yang would tell her if she did something wrong.
She realised too that Yang’s hair was longer than she had guessed, thicker, too. As soft as silk, but it felt like she could lose her hand if she delved too deep.
Although it had greeted her nose multiple times over time, now she was in close proximity to Yang’s scent, that she didn’t quite recognise as perfume but wouldn’t bet it was simply the bar soap that gave off this smell of vanilla and, weirdly, citrus.
“You always smell so nice.”
She felt the slight jump of Yang’s shoulders, and she instantly knew that she had spoken out loud as, mortified, she froze in place. Not knowing what to do nor to say, she kept opening and closing her mouth like a fish out of water, feeling her entire face burning in embarrassment.
“I’m so sorry, it must sound so weird and incredibly out of place, and-”
“It’s okay!” Yang quickly cut short her start of rambling as one warm hand patted her arm gently, and she could guess the smile on the maid’s lips. “It’s really okay, Weiss. I’m glad you think so, though, I thought that after our first meeting you would be scarred for life.”
A bit shocked by the admission, she couldn’t hold back the genuine laughter that poured out of her mouth, unrestraint and free, until she finally got a hold of herself again, shaking her head as she sighed the last of her laughter. Resting a hand on Yang’s shoulder, she could feel how relaxed the maid was, and it eased the anxious knots forming in her stomach at the possibility of making a fool of herself.
“If you only knew,” Weiss couldn’t help the bitter scoff escaping from her lips. “It takes a lot more for me to be scarred for life.”
Sighing again as Weiss returned to work, slowly and carefully, she couldn’t help but notice how silent Yang was being, as if lost in thoughts. Still, Yang didn’t voice her thoughts, and Weiss let it be as she focused on being as gentle as Yang had been with her hair.
It took some time, but Weiss heard each and every tiny sighs Yang let out, and each time it felt strange to her as it sent a muted buzz down her spine, made her heart beat just a little faster, and she found it strange. Nothing had ever made her react in such a way, but then again… nothing she did could make little sounds of satisfaction.
Still, Weiss tried to ignore it as she finally finished, brushing down one last time the long flow of hair in her hands, and Weiss settled both her hands on the blonde’s shoulders, lightly.
“All done,” Weiss reported quietly, taking in the relaxed shoulders under her hands.
Letting out a loud sigh as Yang stretched with her arms over her head, it made Weiss huff with a smile at the groan the maid let out, before falling back in the chair again, clearly satisfied.
“Thanks! It was very nice!”
“You’re welcome,” Weiss chuckled quietly, drawing her hands back to hold the brush against her as an idea struck her. “Yang?”
“Hm?”
As the chair creaked, probably from the maid about to stand, Weiss sat a hand on her shoulder to keep her seated, and she could only imagine how Yang was trying to look behind her at Weiss.
“I, um…” Keeping the brush close to her chest as she felt a flicker of embarrassment warm her cheeks, Weiss swallowed nervously. “I was wondering if… I could see your face?”
Her question was met by silence as Weiss waited anxiously, drawing her hand from Yang’s shoulder again, and she only heard the chair creaking again, heard the rustling of fabric as she could guess Yang had turned in the chair to stare at her.
“What do you mean ‘see’ my face?” Yang asked after an agonising moment, sounding utterly confused.
Chuckling to hide her nervousness, Weiss dipped her head, knowing that this way, her hair fell in her face and could hide her features. The only other person she had been at ease enough to do this was Winter, a few days before the older woman left to maybe never coming back again. Her mother never cared for it, and her father and brother…
“Oh, you mean like, feel my face?” Yang’s voice sounded clearly as it pulled her from her thoughts, a lot more chipper than mere seconds ago. “Of course you can! Here…”
As she felt one of Yang’s hands lightly take the brush from her, Weiss took a nervous gulp of air, wondering if it was wise. What if her hands were clammy, or really cold? What if it was a really awkward moment for Yang?
Before she could back out of it, she felt Yang take her hand, gently squeezing, before tugging lightly, and Weiss let Yang guide her around the chair, a light touch at her waist indicating that she was standing in front of the maid. Once again, Yang took her hand, so warm against her fingers and so effortlessly strong, and guided it up until the back of Weiss’ fingers met with soft, smooth skin.
“There,” Yang murmured, her voice so soft, in this moment.
Feeling her cheeks tingle slightly at the sudden closeness, Weiss swallowed but still brought her hands up, letting her fingers hover over Yang’s skin until she reached the maid’s forehead, and decided to start from there. A silence rested over them as Weiss focused, trying to read what was under her fingers like the words she had learned to read again, feeling everything under her touch and adding new information to her ever-growing list when it concerned Yang.
When her fingers slid to Yang’s eyes, hearing the quiet, silent sigh the maid let out, Weiss felt her cheeks warming a lot more than a moment ago, because she realised only now how this was much more intimate than brushing Yang’s hair. Still, Weiss only took a sharp intake of air and proceeded.
Finally, her fingers gathered lightly at the maid’s chin, and Weiss released a sigh as she was about to pull away, but before she could, Yang chuckled quietly.
“So? What’s the verdict?”
It made Weiss blink as she furrowed her brows.
“What verdict?”
“Yours!” Yang laughed softly, reaching up to press one of Weiss’ hands against her face. “Am I pretty?”
Definitely feeling her cheeks burning this time, Weiss wordlessly opened her mouth only to close it a few times, earning a delighted giggle from the maid as Yang kept Weiss’ hand against her face. But she was glad when she could feel the maid smile, could imagine how it looked like.
“W-well, yes,” Weiss mumbled under her breath, finally darting her hands away from Yang’s face. “I um, I think you are pretty.”
“Aw, thanks!” Yang laughed quietly, which only made Weiss’ entire face burn in embarrassment. “I think you’re pretty too!”
“I-I felt a scar along your cheek,” Weiss blurted out suddenly, crossing her arms over her chest tightly, hoping to change the subject. “And another one over your brow.”
Just thinking back at them settled her mind, her embarrassment vanishing like snow in the sun as concern took its place, and she could guess how the smile on Yang’s face left as Weiss heard her sigh deeply, the chair creaking as the maid shifted in it.
“I was in an accident, a few years ago,” Yang finally let out, her voice somber, even. “I was badly injured, and-”
“I’m sorry, I-I shouldn’t have asked,” Weiss tried to stop her, mortified at how insensitive she might have sounded.
“It’s okay-”
“No it’s not! It’s like… like you asked me why I’m blind!”
A silence settled over them, heavy, and Weiss dipped her head again, feeling bad that the casual and light ambiance from earlier was shattered because of her. So she stepped away from Yang, remorse heavy in her mind as Weiss sat at the edge of her bed, holding her hands together as she rested them on her lap, and Weiss scowled at the painful memory.
“I, uh… I heard it was an accident,” Yang spoke quietly.
Weiss felt the vicious snarl form on her face before she could stop herself, the memory of the ugly smirk on Whitley’s face the last thing she had seen before falling in the basin, the liquid burning her eyes-
Gritting her teeth and firmly pushing the memory in the back of her mind, keeping it locked there, Weiss had to remind herself to relax her hands from their death-grip on her skirt, the sound of the fabric straining reaching her ears.
“It is of no concern for you,” Weiss hissed through gritted teeth.
“I didn’t-”
“It’s getting late, and I would like to go to bed, now.”
With a defeated sigh, the chair creaked as Yang stood, and Weiss remained silent as she listened to the sound of the maid’s footsteps walking to the door, before hesitating.
“I’m… I’m sorry.”
“You have nothing to apologise for,” was Weiss’ stern, immediate reply.
Another sigh sounded, and the door opened with this.
“Goodnight, Weiss.”
The door closed with those words, and Weiss was left alone in the silence of her room… Although this time, it was by her own fault.
After a sleepless night of nightmares that left her in a foul mood when she was woken up by sharp knocks at her door, Weiss was so incredibly displeased to hear from Klein that she was summoned to the king’s throne room first thing in the morning that she nearly screamed in her pillow.
But she still dressed quickly, irritation leaving place to anxiousness as she wondered why her father wanted a word with her, not in his private chambers, but in the royal throne room.
It has been a few weeks since her escapade to the stables with Yang, and she couldn’t see what other thing it could be other than that. Did it finally reach the king? Would he be mad? Would he forsake her from doing it again?
Klein hadn’t waited for her to finish dressing, for the king needed his assistance with another matter, and so Weiss was alone in the hallway, slowly making her way to the throne room. She had remembered the way with Klein’s help, singing the directions.
Forward, right, forward, left and left.
She let her left arm outstretched, the tips of her fingers brushing against the walls to help her navigate the castle, knowing that it could feel like a maze if she wasn’t careful. Mumbling again and again the little song under her breath, always hating that the carpet muffled the sound of her steps, Weiss was glad to be alone, to be trusted enough to be there without escort.
But her little hope was crushed when, far too late to hope escaping it, she caught the sound of footsteps near her, the person not deigning a greeting for her.
“Mother?” Weiss tried to guess, preferring the queen’s presence than the other one it could be.
A quiet hum of amusement sounded as the footsteps stopped, and Weiss did too, recognising the only person she did not want to cross path with.
Whitley.
“Good morning, dear sister,” Weiss’ brother started, his voice suave even though she could almost see the smirk pulling his lips. It made her narrow her eyes as she tried to reign in her anger. “I heard you have been summoned.”
Resisting the urge to spat at his feet, Weiss took in a deep breath, steeling her nerves.
“Yes, I did.”
Decided to ignore her brother, Weiss started walking again, and very nearly hissed in irritation when, deliberately, Whitley stepped in front of her.
“Don’t you need an escort for that?” Her brother asked, in appearance innocently. “Where is that beautiful maid of yours when you truly need her?”
“I don’t need-”
“Hm, that won’t do at all,” Whitley continued in false concern, still not moving from his spot, blocking her way. “Maybe I will talk to father about this new maid that is clearly failing in aiding you. She needs to be replaced if she is not doing her job properly.”
Unable to reign in her anger anymore, Weiss reached out with the speed of a striking snake, firmly grabbing her brother’s collar and pulling him down sharply, making him let out a strangled, surprised noise that satisfied her much more than she was willing to admit.
“I might be blind, but I am far from being helpless, brother,” Weiss hissed in Whitley’s face, feeling her features twisted in anger. “And if you go near her again, if you touch a single strand of her hair, Whitley, I swear to the Gods, I will make you pay just like you did to me.”
Never being known for throwing empty threats, it seemed to catch Whitley off-guard as he stayed silent for a moment, and Weiss quietly enjoyed her victory, keeping her hold as firm as it had been, but when she thought he got the message, a sudden jerk to her wrist made her loose her grip, and she heard Whitley create some distance between them.
“It seems you do care about her,” Weiss’ brother mused, his tone entirely different from earlier. Now, he wasn’t hiding his intentions, his voice plainly vicious as she could guess the smirk on his face. “I would be careful if I were you. This is useful information for me.”
Weiss heard him stepping to the side, trying to circle behind her, but she would never be this naïve again, to leave her back exposed to him without a care in the world.
“What do you mean? This is just a maid that I happen to like. I don’t want her to leave, it would be too much of a bother to train another.”
A slow, humorless chuckle sounded from her brother, and Weiss soon understood that he was circling her slowly, and so she did the same, keeping his voice right in front of her and nowhere else.
Not again.
“Is it really just that, though?”
Before Weiss could think of something to say, she perked up when she heard Whitley’s footsteps briskly walking away, and Weiss released a breath she didn’t know she was holding, relaxing when she found the hallway she stood in devoid of any noise.
Until she realised too late what Whitley did, knowing that she wouldn’t let him get behind her.
Whitley had been waiting for her at a cross in the hallways, where she should have turned left. But now, after Weiss had been focused on her brother and had been circling him for a moment… Weiss didn’t quite know where to go.
If there was one thing the king despised above all else, it was for someone to make him wait. Just the exchange with Whitley would have earned her a dry remark about not being late. But now?
Trying not to let panic spread as she reached over to the wall, Weiss patted around, trying to find something that would help her get her bearings again, but ultimately found none, and deciding to not let Whitley deter her as he always did, and with the last scrapes of confidence she had, turned left without hesitation.
Singing the song of the directions with an incredibly trembling voice as time went on, she felt dread climbing rapidly when, as she should have gotten closer to the throne room, Weiss should have started to hear the hum of the court, the quiet clanking of the armors of the knights, should have heard conversations, but instead… Instead, Weiss was walking fast, letting her hand run along the wall as she was trying to find the next hallway allowing her to turn the last left she should take.
She could feel her throat tightening when her steps resonated in the room, large apparently since it echoed against the walls, and also meant that it wasn’t carpeted anymore. Maybe in a part of the castle she had never been to before. Tears prickled in her eyes, making them burn as she started at a slow jog, hoping she would find the cross soon-
But she stopped dead in her tracks when the sound of her clacking shoes against the stone floor didn’t echo, and gulping a bit of air in her aching lungs, Weiss reached over, in front of her…
And was met by another wall. Weiss was standing in the corner of a large room that sounded devoid of anything, and… and she didn’t remember such a room in the castle.
Trying to regulate her breathing as a painful ache started encircling her lungs much too tightly, Weiss followed the wall in front of her, trying to find a cross or a door or even a window that would help her make sense of where she was.
The thought of shouting for help danced in her mind for a moment, but she pushed it aside firmly. No, she could find her way again. She just… needed to know where she was.
Just as Weiss was about to give up, to shout as loud as she could and hope someone would hear her, she stumbled in a hallway, finally finding an opening in the wall.
And just as Weiss let out a sigh of relief, a door creaked open to her right, and Weiss turned to it immediately, ignoring the startled yelp the person made upon seeing her there.
“Your Highness?” The voice wondered out loud, and Weiss didn’t recognise it. “If you don’t mind me asking, what are you doing here?”
“Where am I?” She asked, internally cursing how hoarse her voice sounded.
Clearly taken by surprise, the person, that was probably one of the staff, stammered wordlessly for a moment before shaking some senses into them, clearing their throat quietly.
“You are in the servants’ quarters, your Highness,” the voice let out shortly.
Goddamn it, Weiss couldn’t help but think, resisting the urge of breaking down sobbing to the floor. The throne room is in the opposite direction!
Releasing a defeated sigh as Weiss hung her head, she shook her head as she blinked the unshed tears from her eyes, she cleared her throat, hoping it would sound steadier than she felt.
“Is Yang nearby?” Weiss asked quietly.
“Uh, if-if you would follow me, or would you prefer I go fetch her?”
“Just lead the way,” she couldn’t help but hiss, her patience already thin to begin with.
After a muttered apology, Weiss followed closely, focusing on the footsteps of the person in front of her, but soon it was hard to hear when so many noises assaulted her hearing. They were not far from the kitchen, a constant flow of people could be heard nearby as the flow of chatter from servants in the next room threw her off.
Slowing her pace as Weiss’ memories slowly resurfaced in the forefront of her mind, she felt her hands trembling, beads of sweat forming at her temples as her breath grew short.
The smell of the dyes filled her nose and fogged her mind as Weiss stopped, suddenly terrified of taking another step. She remembered how terrified she had been, wondering if she would drown, only for it to be eclipsed by the agonizing, searing pain in her eyes-
“Weiss?”
Suddenly slamming back on track, Weiss jumped slightly, startled out of her thoughts by the familiar voice that was so close to her, and she raised her head at the friendly, familiar presence close to her. Opening her mouth to greet Yang, Weiss found herself voiceless as she felt the tears trembling at the corner of her eyes.
An immediate gasp sounded, signaling that Yang, too, had noticed them.
“What’s going on?” The maid quietly inquired, her voice soft as a light touch to her arm let the warmth of Yang’s hand seep through her sleeve, and for a moment, all her focus turned to it.
“I-I need to get to the throne room,” she managed in a hoarse voice.
“Okay,” Yang gently squeezed her arm, and Weiss heard a scandalized gasp nearby, probably from an onlooker that thought scandalous the act Yang just posed. “We can do that.”
Silently hoping that Yang would turn around and guide her back from where she came, Weiss sunk in place when Yang gently tugged her forward, meaning to go through this… This place.
As soon as Yang felt resistance though, the maid stopped, the light touch on her arm slowly sliding down to take her hand and offering a gentle squeeze. As if Yang knew that she felt like a cornered animal that was about to spook at the slightest thing.
“Can we go the other way?”
“But… It’s the only way I know-”
“I can’t go there, Yang, I can’t-”
“It’s alright, snowflake.”
Weiss felt her eyes water instantly when she heard the only male voice that was reassuring to her, turning her head towards him as she felt the touch of a hand at her back, guiding her away from this cursed place.
“Klein…” Weiss let out, her voice wavering and watery.
“It’s alright. We can go the other way.”
Letting out a silent sob as she soaked in the butler’s presence, Weiss let him guide her away, back into that empty room that made their footsteps echo against the walls like an afterthought, and it was only once there, away from prying eyes and ears, that Klein stopped after giving a gentle squeeze around her shoulders.
“Are you feeling better, snowflake?” The butler asked, and Weiss felt him gently brush the tears that had fallen on her cheeks with all the care in the world.
Sniffling quietly, Weiss reached up to pull his hand away, wiping her face herself with the back of her sleeve like she was five again.
“I’m sorry, I’m… I’m having quite a day…”
“It’s still morning, though,” Weiss heard Yang quietly muse near her, and she felt her eyes water again with just that.
So she rubbed them again, letting out a helpless, watery laugh that sounded heartbreaking even to her own ears.
“Then I’m going to have a terrible day, today,” Weiss let out humorlessly, brushing her bangs back.
“Your father sent me to get you,” Klein quietly informed, and just in his voice, she could guess the worried frown twisting his features. “What are you doing here? You know the way to the throne room.”
“I crossed path with Whitley,” Weiss dryly let out, releasing a deep sigh.
“Ah. He did it again, I see.”
“Can we go now?” She tried to change the subject, dipping her head. “Father will be furious with how late I am.”
A tight exhale sounded from Klein, and Weiss knew that Klein was furious at Whitley. But he knew as much as Weiss did that Klein’s voice didn’t hold as much sway on Whitley as it did on Weiss. But before the butler could start to guide her to the throne room, a quiet, awkward clear of throat sounded, catching her attention.
“So, um…” Yang’s voice echoed in the room, effortlessly filling the air around them. “Do I… Return to my room or…”
“Stay.”
Surprising even herself with how fast she blurted the word out, Weiss dipped her head a bit more, trying to hide the light blush she knew colored her cheeks behind her bangs.
“Please,” she continued, her voice silent in the emptiness of the room. “Don’t leave.”
Instantly, Weiss felt Yang’s soft warmth right by her side, the blonde grasping her right hand to settle it in the crook of Yang’s left arm, and to feel the firmness of the maid’s arm under her hand was reassuring, soothing the last of her nerves as much as her soft warmth did.
“Okay,” Yang murmured, patting Weiss’ hand gently. “Then lead the way, Klein.”
“I thought I forbade you from leaving the castle,” the king’s voice sounded in a sigh, irritation coloring it.
“Well, I didn’t, Father,” Weiss tried as she fidgeted with her fingers, hidden behind her back. “We didn’t leave the riding hall.”
She didn’t need eyes to know that the king had narrowed his eyes at her, and even with the distance, Weiss could hear his fingers drumming against the arm of the throne, impatiently.
“Oh, ‘we’, is it?” The king almost snarled. “We, Schnee, do not place the blame on others, child. Why did you think your maid was enough of an authority to authorise such an activity when I expressly ordered against?”
“I simply thought I couldn’t be in better hands, Father,” Weiss frantically let out, remembering the conversation Weiss and Yang had in the riding hall. “My maid is the daughter of the horse trainer you employed to train our horses. Yang has trained horses herself for years, too.”
As the king made a surprised noise, apparently unaware of this information, Weiss heard, distantly, Yang groaning, hidden away just at the doors of the throne room.
“Hm. Well, your maid might have been a horse trainer, but I hardly think it is suited anymore, for someone in her situation.”
Perking up at the strange insinuation, Weiss tilted her head to the side, curiously, but before she could voice her confusion, her father let out a long, weary sigh, as if simply dealing with her was a tiring and exhausting ordeal.
“Very well. I will allow for you to use the stables again, so you can use the riding hall, under the supervision of your maid. I will also allow short rides in the environing plains, too, as long as you stay in the castle’s sight. It shouldn’t be a hard feat for a girl with one arm.”
“A girl with one arm?” Weiss repeated quietly, frowning in confusion.
“Now your mother can’t tell me I never did anything for you,” the king let out dismissively, drowning her quiet musing. “You’re dismissed.”
Before Weiss could say or do anything, she felt the tight hold of the knights flanking her, both grabbing her arms and escorting her out of the throne room like she was a lowly commoner. But as it was always like this, Weiss had found it was over more quickly if she didn’t fight against it, and raised her head high through the humiliation.
Still, when the knights released her arms, Weiss couldn’t help but rub her arms where the cold gauntlets had bitten into her flesh, but it was soon forgotten as she couldn’t help but smile, excitement bubbling in her stomach.
Even if it was done reluctantly, her father, the king, had authorised for her to ride again! Weiss wished shortly that she could have thanked him, but soon shook her head, already knowing that he wouldn’t care.
“We’ll be able to go on a real ride, soon,” Yang’s warm voice found her in her musing, and it made Weiss perk up like an excited puppy, an effortless smile pulling her lips.
“Yes! I can’t wait!”
Chuckling warmly, Yang placed her hand in the crook of her arm like she always did before slowly escorting Weiss back to her quarters, and all the while, Weiss couldn’t help but babble about the sights around the castle, describing them entirely from memory, and she couldn’t help but think that her day didn’t turn out so bad, after all.
It was only when they arrived at Weiss’ room that she was left to wonder about her father’s words.
“What did he mean, ‘a girl with one arm’?” Weiss mused again, sighing in relief when she slipped out of her shoes as soon as she sat on the edge of her bed. “I’m blind, not missing an arm.”
“He wasn’t talking about you.”
“What?”
With a sigh and the sound of a chair scraping closer to her, Weiss figure Yang sat in front of her, and for a moment, a silence hovered over them, and Weiss could almost see the anxious fidgeting Yang was surely prone to doing.
“You… really didn’t notice?” Yang asked slowly, hesitantly, and Weiss could hear how uneasy it sounded. Which made her feel… Sad.
“Notice what? Do I have to remind you that I’m blind?” Weiss spoke softly, quietly, but still tried a little joke in the hopes it cheered her maid up.
It effectively made Yang chuckle, but it was short lived and tight, and Weiss felt the small smile on her lips falter, wondering what could cheer up her maid better, but before she could come up with something, Weiss straightened her back when she felt something nudging her hands on her lap, and she recognised Yang’s right, gloved hand.
“Remember the accident I told you about?” Yang spoke softly, letting Weiss grasp her hand gently.
“You said you were badly injured,” Weiss remembered, turning Yang’s hand in hers so her palm was up, and she let her fingers wander across it.
“Yeah… It was a runaway cart, you see. I didn’t see it until it was too late, and, um…”
In their blind travels, Weiss’ fingers bumped on the cuff of Yang’s sleeve, and she paused there, unsure of what Yang was trying to say.
“I don’t know how, but when the cart slammed into me, my arm… Got stuck in the wheel, and, uh…”
“Oh…”
“It happened so quickly I barely felt a thing,” Yang continued, and with the quiet rustling, Weiss could guess the shrug that accompanied it. “One second I had two arms and then I… didn’t. Honestly I was just glad to be alive and that nobody else was injured.”
“But then…” Weiss furrowed her brows in slight confusion, squeezing the gloved hand in both of hers shortly. “What’s…”
“You can thank my sister Ruby for this,” Yang continued before she could voice her thoughts completely, the sound of her voice now warm as Weiss could imagine the smile on her lips. “She basically built an arm for me from scraps. It’s, um… as you can imagine, not quite like the real thing, but it’s… It gets the job done, most of the time.”
“Then… why did you stop training horses?” Weiss asked quietly, hoping she wouldn’t offend Yang with her question.
Instead, it made Yang chuckle, not quite comfortable but it was better than earlier.
“This arm lacks finesse, as you can imagine,” the maid informed, but didn’t pull her hand away from Weiss’. “I can still toss hay bales all day with no problem, but I need both my hands to train horses.”
Letting out a hum of acknowledgment, Weiss let her hands wander again, this time noticing how the hand was hard under the glove, with no giving like flesh would do.
“I wouldn’t have known if you hadn’t told me,” Weiss softly said, squeezing Yang’s hand again. “I just thought you were left-handed, like me.”
A soft huff emanated from Yang at that, and Weiss felt Yang’s left hand rest on top of one of hers, and she turned her attention on it instantly, grasping it the same way she had with Yang’s right hand. Once again, Yang let her.
So Weiss did the same, let her fingers wander across Yang’s hand, marveling at its warmth quietly and making Yang chuckle in response, before turning it over, her fingers following each lines across Yang’s palm, reading them like one of her favorite books. She could feel the callouses, the small scars that covered the maid’s hand.
But suddenly, following the edge of Yang’s hand, Weiss realised something that made her frown, pouting slightly.
“Is it me or your hand is much bigger than mine?”
It effectively made Yang laugh softly, and she shifted, Weiss allowing it as she felt Yang pressing their hands together, palm against palm. Even if she couldn’t see, Weiss could guess how Yang’s hand could swallow hers effortlessly.
“Nah,” Yang let out, a smile evident in her voice. “You just have teeny, tiny hands.”
Rolling her eyes as it made Yang laugh, this time sounding right in her ears, Weiss smiled nonetheless, fondness making her curl her fingers between Yang’s lightly as the maid did the same, giving a soft squeeze as she did.
“I know it won’t change anything, but… I think it’s unfair. How could anything bad ever happen to you?”
A scoff answered her.
“Why wouldn’t it happen to me? Accidents can happen to anyone.”
“I know, it’s just… You don’t deserve it.”
“Who does?” Yang bit back, irritation starting to color her voice. “You’re trying to make me believe you do?”
“No,” Weiss retorted dryly, the same irritation starting to appear on her voice, but she chased it away in a sigh, dipping her head. “Well… I’m not sure. And it wasn’t an accident.”
It took a second for it to register on Yang’s side, and Weiss only hung her head as time went on, still holding Yang’s hand even though it wasn’t as tightly as before.
“What do you mean, it wasn’t an accident?” Yang asked slowly, carefully.
Of course, Weiss couldn’t help but feel ashamed of Yang’s wary tone, remembering how she had shut Yang out last time the conversation broached the subject of the reason she was blind. The king preferred if it was known as an accident, and only a handful of staff knew what truly happened, Klein being one of them.
“When Winter left, she relinquished her place as heir to the crown to me,” Weiss started slowly, lowering their joined hands down on her lap, and Yang let her, even pulling her chair closer. “I never really wanted it, you know,” she smiled sadly, turning her head away. “I would probably leave like Winter did, or… I would have waited until Whitley was old enough to be crowned king. But…”
Swallowing thickly, Weiss took a deep breath in to steel her nerves. It would be the first time she would tell someone. But she trusted Yang with this information, just as Yang trusted her with hers. So, Weiss continued.
“I guess… I overlooked some things when we were young, ignored how Whitley could be for the sake of him being younger than me. For him being just a child. And I should have known, should have realised that greed and jealousy were prevailing.”
“What did he do?”
Yang’s voice was low, seemingly straining to be even, but Weiss could guess it was only a façade as the hand against her was hard, Yang’s hand curling around hers protectively.
“The dyeing room, near the servants’ quarters,” Weiss could hear how trembling her own voice was, and she focused on the warmth of Yang’s hand, finding reassuring how the maid pulled her chair even closer, felt their knees touching firmly. “The-the fabric needs to be plunged in a liquid that will clean them before they can be dyed. It smells really strong, can be harmful if touched for too long with your bare hands. The staff use long poles to avoid being harmed, and covers their mouths and noses when they work in this room for a long time.”
“We used to play there, when we were children,” Weiss remembered with a smile, the echo of their laughter ringing in her ears. “The three of us. When the staff would hang the dyed fabrics, it would make the perfect hiding place. And when we climbed the pillars, the cloths freshly washed would break our fall when we jumped off. So I didn’t think any of it when Whitley asked me to meet him there. Like a fool, I followed him to the pool of chemicals. Like a fool, I turned my back to him, and… he pushed me in.”
“It was hard to swim with all the fabric already in it,” Weiss continued valiantly, stuck in the memory. “I thought I was drowning. I had chemicals in my eyes and mouth, because I was so surprised, and… When I was finally pulled out, it felt like I was being burned alive. I was bedridden for weeks, just trying to fight a severe fever, and at first, my vision was blurry, I couldn’t see anything still, but… And then, suddenly, I wake up one morning and I… can’t see.”
“Father deemed me unworthy of the crown, making Whitley his heir,” she spoke again after a lengthy pause. “Then he moved me to this wing, where nobody else lives. Because I am nothing more than an accessory, now. A useless, blind accessory,” Weiss chuckled humorlessly, squeezing Yang’s hand shortly. “I’m not even allowed to attend any kind of event, not even the family table for meals. Whatever Whitley wanted before, he has it now.”
“What the hell is his deal?” Yang exploded angrily, and Weiss tried to hide the grimace from the tight hold the maid had on her hand, now. “Why did he try to bribe me, then?”
Wordlessly shrugging, Weiss kept her head low, remembering all the taunting her brother had thrown her way ever since this… incident. All the belittlement, the outright maliciousness of Whitley at times, as if he truly made it his mission to bring pain and misery in the rest of her life. Something truly went wrong with Whitley.
Yes, he might have been a little selfish when he was younger, but now he was simply… Mean and hurtful on purpose.
To think that one day, this will be King, and will rule over their lands…
“Whatever his deal is, just know that you won’t be alone, anymore.”
Straightening her head at the resolute tone of Yang, Weiss blinked, feeling the maid squeezing her hand again, but this time mindful of the force of it.
“I will do everything in my power to make you happy,” Yang continued, determined. “I promise.”
The promise made her huff with a smile, the thought that Yang being just a maid, and could be let go anytime floating in the back of her mind, but Weiss straightened her head, holding it high and in plain view as she felt Yang’s intense stare on her.
“You already do,” Weiss informed, softly.