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Princess and The Dragons	By : RWBYRemnants Category: +M through R > RWBY Views: 1054 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: RWBY is not mine and I make no money from this fic

Chapter List
- 28
- 29
- 30
Warning: tiny gore, mostly implied

=Chapter 29
Weiss's stay in the hospital felt like it took an eternity. Nearly two weeks had passed since the incident before they were confident enough to release her into her mother’s care - and even then, she was to return for regular check-ups and would not be allowed to participate in any vigorous physical activity for another two. That was fine, except for…
“UGH!” Yang burst out as they rode home in the back of Kali’s car. Her mother was in the front, alongside her new best friend. “You know what that means, right?”
“Don’t remind me,” Weiss sighed, rubbing over her stomach through her blouse. She had been doing that on a regular basis ever since they took the bandages off; she was so used to having something blocking her there that now it was fascinating to feel her tummy directly again.
“How are we gonna…” Glancing at the front seat, she then cleared her throat and attempted, “How will we play tennis anymore?”
Trying not to laugh, she answered, “Oh, you’re right. Between your shoulder and this wound, playing tennis would be a little unwise. Maybe we shouldn’t play tennis for a while until we’re all healed up.”
Kali called behind her without even turning around, “You two aren’t fooling anyone in this car.”
“About what?” Mrs. Schnee asked. “Tennis? I didn’t even know Miss Yang played.”
“I stand corrected,” she laughed, and Yang and Weiss laughed along with her. Though she felt a little guilty that her mother was left out of the conversation, perhaps it was best that way.
Still, after a minute or two, Yang seemed to feel differently. She scratched the back of her head before commenting, “Hey… Mrs. Schnee, um… I gotta say, it's been really great that you've been so… accepting.”
“What do you mean, dear?”
“Well, with me and Weiss. Kind of expected you to flip your lid.”
The woman fell silent for a moment as she thought about that. Then she shrugged her shoulders. “I can't pretend to understand what my daughter is going through, what she feels. We've both understood all our lives that people like you are sinners. And yet… it's my own husband who's done the most harm to my daughter. You make her happy while the man I used to trust more than anyone else hurts her. Seems to me like… all the rules have changed, I suppose. Something like that.”
Though Yang had no response for those words, apparently Kali did. “I won't try to pretend I've ever been religious. But isn't your god supposed to be one of love and acceptance? If he can't accept the love in this backseat, then he isn't much of a god to me.”
“That's…” It almost sounded like Willow was about to argue. Then she simply sighed and slumped down in her seat. “Maybe so. I don't know.”
The rest of the ride home was a little bit uncomfortable, but Weiss felt some satisfaction that at least her mother seemed to be doing some deep thinking on the subject. Everything would be fine in due time.
Once Willow was safe and sound in Atlas Heights, the other three returned to the Belladonna home. Without having selected another fallback location, that was still to serve as their headquarters for the immediate future, and they had much to discuss.
“I'm trying not to lose my cool,” Yang confessed as she rubbed her sweaty palms on her jeans. “What if she wants to kick you out because your dad's been making threats and stuff? I'm going to have to argue with her, and I'd rather not do that if I don't have to…”
“Then don't,” Weiss told her simply, as if that settled the matter.
“But I'll have to. I mean, you're my girl, right? I'd throw myself from a train for you. If I can't even stand up to Salem, then I don't deserve the title of ‘Weiss's girlfriend’ at all.”
The paper-shaker reached over to squeeze her hand as they pulled onto Blake and Kali's street. “You deserve it if I say you do. And that's that.”
“Oh boy,” Kali sighed onto the steering wheel. “Look at all this…”
She was referring to the dozen motorcycles parked in her driveway, partly spilling into the backyard. It was bad enough that she had no room for her own vehicle and had to park on the street, which probably rankled. Of course, the Duchess took it all in stride.
“Chins up,” she whispered as they walked up toward the front door. “This is our first big meeting since the fire, but it's not our first meeting ever. We'll be fine.”
“It's my first big meeting!” Weiss insisted. “I'm a baby Dragon, remember?”
Yang slid her arm around Weiss's back, squeezing probably a little bit harder than was strictly necessary. “Don't sweat it. I'm going to be right there the whole time, okay? Just… stick to the truth. That your dad has lost his marbles and you have nothing to do with it. Easy peasy.”
“I hope you're right…”
They had never seen the Belladonna living room quite so full. In fact, several Dragons had to sit in the dining room, craning their necks to see everyone else. Salem laid claim to what had probably been Mr. Belladonna's easy chair as if it were a throne; Weiss expected nothing less. Sienna was nearby, ready and willing to assist in any way needed. Blake seemed to be flitting around and helping Vernal freshen drinks - something not quite in character, but probably expected of her as interim host until her mother returned.
“About time,” Salem grunted from under the hem of her hood. “Thought they might have changed their minds about discharging the girl.”
Weiss swallowed, eyes sweeping the room to look at all the faces gazing back at her. Vernal, Blake, and Coco were there, and Velvet was perched at Coco's side. She was the only one who smiled and waved at Weiss, which she appreciated more than she could say in that moment - both because she was nervous, and because she knew pleasantries would have to wait until after business had been taken care of.
“She's going to be fine,” Kali told her, hand still lingering on Weiss's shoulder. “And now that your Warlord and Duchess are here, shall we get started?”
Salem gestured with one pale hand to the rickety looking folding chairs off to one side. Where they had come up with so many folding chairs, Weiss couldn't say, but it looked like someone had raided a church basement. Kali took the one closest to the High Dragon, and Weiss and Yang took the other two.
“This meeting of the Vale Dragons has come to order,” Sienna announced with a few claps of her hands. “Please join us in the credo!”
Weiss felt the tingling a fear in her stomach - what credo?! Before she had a chance to ask any questions, everyone else in the room was saying in one strong voice, “Strength! Loyalty! Unity! Sorority!” Even Velvet. It felt awful to be the least informed member of their ragtag family, but she knew it was going to take time for her to get caught up.
Then it was Salem's turn to talk. She didn't stand or otherwise call attention to herself; she didn't need to.
“Sisters, we have a problem.” A few of them nodded, and there was a sharp bark of laughter from somewhere that Weiss couldn't quite pinpoint. “One of our own has betrayed us.”
“Oh no,” Weiss couldn't help breathing. The whisper didn't go unnoticed.
“It isn't little Princess Schnee. No… another is our turncoat. Selling inside information to the highest bidder. Someone none of us would have expected in the slightest.” Her inflection scarcely changed as she called out, “Neo, come forward.”
It took a great effort of will for Weiss to suppress the urge to ask who in the Sam Hill she meant. Not that it was necessary; the instant Salem finished speaking, a few of the Dragons stepped aside to reveal a smallish girl with two-tone hair that matched her eyes - one brown, one pink. She had never seen anyone with eyes like those before. The girl's eyebrows hiked up at being addressed, but an instant later, she stepped forward as she had been commanded.
“You cannot answer for your crimes directly; I understand this. Most of the questions will be simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’.” The girl nodded. “Did you set the fire?” She shook her head vigorously, leaning forward very slightly as she did so. “Did you drug Sustrai?” Another shake. “Did you help someone else do either of those things?”
This time, the girl didn't look quite so confident. Such a long hesitation set off a ripple of gasps around the room. Weiss found herself completely shocked; how did Salem know all this? How could anyone have figured out the culprit was this tiny slip of a girl that she had failed to notice at all?
“I'll need a name,” the High Dragon pressed, ignoring the way the target of her interrogation began to tremble. “You may write it down and we'll take it from there. If you do, the consequences for you will be far less dire than if you withhold that information.”
Only a few seconds ticked by as the girl considered her situation, looking around the room at all of the outraged faces. Weiss's was not the only one a mask of complete shock, but several others, including Yang and Blake, were full of pure fury. Then she reached into the pocket of her leather jacket and produced a tiny notebook and a stub of a pencil. The scratching of it upon a scrap of paper barely lasted a second or two before she tore it out and passed it over to her leader.
Salem's eyes were shadowed by her hood, and therefore it was impossible to know her true reaction to reading the name. Her fist curled around the scrap and she straightened to look at the accused.
“I would ask why you have betrayed us, but given your condition, it would require quite a long amount of writing. You may present that to me when next we meet. For the time being, you must choose your punishment. Lashes… the mark of betrayal… or banishment.”
Even though the traitor had looked anxious and frightened up until that point, this was the first time true fear set in. She glanced around as if hoping for help from another Dragon, but found none. She fell to her knees in front of Salem and pressed her forehead to her knee, but one of Sienna's boots raised to shove her away an instant later.
“You are not worthy to touch our leader!” she hissed at her through clenched teeth. But Salem raised a hand to forestall her from further reprimanding the accused.
“That will be all. What is your choice?”
Instead of answering directly, Neo shivered with the force of her silent sobs for a few more seconds. Weiss had been expecting her to write down her decision, or finally speak up, but instead, she merely began to remove her jacket.
“In the backyard,” Salem ordered. “No reason to get blood on Kali's pristine carpet. Who will witness?”
“I will,” Yang volunteered, raising a hand.
“And I,” said another woman Weiss didn't know. She felt like a stranger at an ice cream social with all of the unfamiliar Dragons crammed in there. That would have to change if she were truly going to be part of the organization.
“Very well. See that it is done.”
To her surprise, it was Sienna who got up to escort the girl out. Weiss had been expecting the girl to say something, and she did - but it wasn’t quite what she expected.
“Hnanhu.”
Her brow furrowed at the sound. What was she hearing? Did this girl speak some other language - was that why she had been so quiet? Had she taken a vow of silence as part of her Dragons initiation?
“You’re welcome. Do well to remember this kindness.” Only now, she noticed that Salem was taking great care to look directly at Neo whenever she spoke. “Take her.”
As the four of them left, she looked toward Kali as the wheels continued to turn. “Is she… a deaf-mute?”
“She's hard of hearing, yes.”
“Oh.” Her eyes turned toward the door through which they had disappeared. “Do you think… I mean, shouldn't we have-”
“Whether or not Neo is capable of hearing or speech has nothing to do with the grief she has caused the Dragons,” Salem said in an even tone of voice. “I do not believe it was done with any malicious intent toward us, but rather was motivated by selfishness - or misplaced loyalty to someone else. Either way, she will receive the punishment she deserves, and hopefully that will be the end of that.”
The others nodded their agreement… but Weiss couldn't help feeling sympathy for her. Salem made it sound like she got paid to somehow arrange for Emerald's drugging, which did anger her on a personal level, but she had no idea what her life would be like if she was hard of hearing, unable to interact with the larger portion of the world the same way. Being able to hear was such an integral part of her life! Maybe in exchange for her betrayal, Neo had been paid money that would have helped her cope somehow - not that she knew how. Deafness was an issue she never had to seriously consider before.
Salem clapping her hands brought her attention back around. “To business. There may be Huntsmen ties to the arson, and the stabbing.” A ripple of gasps went through the room, but she pressed on, “Not corroborated. A suspicion and no more. This name is from someone among their number, but as much as I detest Watts… I can't readily believe they're behind this. Neo’s accomplice may have gone rogue.”
“I agree,” Kali put in, inclining her head slightly. “Our current ‘cease fire’ is beneficial to everyone. Why would they risk that in this way - what's the draw?”
“Salem?” Weiss attempted. The woman didn't speak, but did turn to look at her, waiting patiently. “I m-mean, High Dragon. Do you think… my father could be behind it? He pretty much admitted he was behind the fire already. What if he did this, too?”
To her surprise, Salem favored her with a cold little smile. “I'm sure of it. We just need to follow the money.”
“Oh.”
“We already knew Neo’s been seen on Huntsmen turf,” Blake said, arms and legs crossed as she glared into the corner. “But that's not a crime. Well… not really. I've listened to records with Sun and Neptune while checking in on him after… the bike race.”
“But it is suspicious,” her mother added, and Blake nodded her agreement. “We'll have to implement a strategy for monitoring…”
As Weiss tried not to fall into a pit of despair, the others continued to discuss the situation and where they should go from there. She was having trouble focusing. How could her father, her own flesh and blood, sink this low? It was as if instead of a great man with a few flaws, he had always been a terrible man underneath a paper-thin veneer of respectability and moral high ground. All it took was deciding his daughter needed “correction” for that facade to fall away, revealing a true monster.
Beyond that, she also couldn't help worrying that her new life in the Dragons was going to get her killed - or get someone else killed, like Yang. But she mostly agreed with her mother's sentiments. For all the ways that her life had become more frightening, it had also changed for the better. She didn't want to give it all up now - especially not Yang. Not without a fight. She simply hoped that fight wasn't one she would lose.
She didn't snap back to reality until the three returned, the shivering and shaking Neo suspended between Yang and Sienna. Her shirt was in place, but red was seeping through the light pink fabric where it stretched over her back. Weiss wanted to cry. But Neo’s eyes were curiously dry; she looked as if she were crying during the lashing but had stopped before being brought inside.
“Neo Politan, you are hereby pardoned of your sins,” Salem declared without preamble. This time, Weiss could definitely tell she was taking extra care to form each word with her lips, and that Neo was watching them move. “Forgiven, but not forgotten; the High Dragon never forgets when her girls are wronged. Do your best to prove yourself worthy of trust again.”
The girl nodded, shaking so much that it almost looked like a spasm. Sienna glanced at Kali. “Your restroom?”
“Upstairs on the left,” she told her, and she pulled Neo along. To her credit, she didn't put up any fight; she was simply numb from the cruelty of the punishment. Her legs dragged occasionally but she was picking them up most of the time.
The room was only quiet for a moment before Salem asked, “You don't approve of my methods?” Weiss was horrified to realize she was staring at her.
“I… yes, High Dragon. Wh-what I mean is, I do approve! But I'm… she's so small…”
“Not much shorter than you,” Yang pointed out. “And you took the branding like a champ.”
“Cinder always said she could count on Neo to watch her back in a fight,” Coco said in a quiet voice. “I mean… maybe not after this, but yeah, she's a scrappy little thing.”
Salem cleared her throat and folded her hands neatly in her lap, waiting for the understandable rise of chatter to settle again before she spoke. “That takes care of our primary business. What of our hunt for a new sanctuary?”

From there, Weiss lost track of the conversation somewhat. Many potential sites to rebuild Shopkeeper's were proposed, and the pros and cons of each debated. Yang even suggested the abandoned train depot, leaving out that she used it as a hidden make-out spot; it was dismissed as too old and decrepit to renovate. Weiss pretended not to notice how relieved her girlfriend looked.
In the end, it was decided their temporary plan would be to clear the debris from their haunt and see if it was worth restoring to its former glory. The meeting was adjourned with Kali expressing distress at the mess her house was left in, but also obviously resigned to her fate of clearing it away.
“Don't worry, we'll help,” Weiss promised her with a small smile as the dozens of bodies filed out of the tiny home. “Won't we, Yang?”
The blonde looked more resigned than enthusiastic about pitching in, but she still nodded. Velvet was able to pester Coco into staying, as well, and the four girls helped Blake put the living room and dining room right while Kali focused on the kitchen. Most of the efforts needed there were on rinsing out drinking glasses, of course.
“That could have gone worse,” Velvet piped up.
“Really?” Yang snapped at her as she finished wrapping the power cord around the vacuum cleaner. “Like how?”
As Velvet recoiled, she went on, “W-well, I… turned out not so awful in the end, right? We have someone to blame, and… and Neo says she won't do it again…”
“I still had to watch her get lashes. With a whip. Don't like watching friends get hurt like that, no matter what by. Even if they brought it on themselves.”
The poor, mousy girl went back to cleaning. After a second or two, Weiss followed Yang as she stowed the vacuum in the hall closet.
“Did you have to come down on her like that? She's just trying to be positive.”
Shaking her head, she leaned against the closet door and stared off toward the living room. “Yeah. Nothing to be positive about as far as I am concerned.” Weiss only stared evenly at her, so she eventually threw up both hands and hissed, “What do you want me to say? That I'm glad I had to watch a girl get her back ripped up all over? I'm not. Makes me sick to my stomach. But I get that there's a reason we had to do it.”
“None of that is Velvet's fault. You know that. She was just trying to look on the bright side of things, and… sure, I guess it's a little naive, but doesn't she have enough stress in her life right now? She might have to leave the country, leave us! And Coco!”
“Well…” Yang squirmed uncomfortably for a second before sighing, her shoulders slumping downward. “I know. Probably wants all her last memories of America to be good ones. But I can't act like a Dragon getting whipped is good, no matter why it happened.”
Weiss wrapped her arms gently around Yang's middle, laying her head on her shoulder. Hands found the center of her own back to return the gesture, and she allowed her eyes to close for a moment, simply drinking in the nearness.
“I understand. But Velvet needs friends right now. Just tell her… tell her you're sorry you were so short with her, because you're upset about having to watch the whipping.”
Squirming a little, Yang said, “I'm, uh, not so good at feelings. You know that. But I'll try.”
“Thank you.”
“What do I get as a reward?” A slight gleam crept into her violet eyes.
“The satisfaction of knowing you did the right thing, you big ape,” she snapped at her, and Yang chuckled aloud. “Come on.”
The apology was met with flustered assurances that it wasn't necessary, which of course made Yang insist, and eventually Velvet thanked her and bowed her head in mild shame. Weiss and Coco shared bemused smiles as the audience of this exchange, both thinking their girlfriends were awkward squares and all the more adorable for it.
“So about you and Velvet,” she asked her as they hauled sacks out to the trash cans on the curb.
“You want another lesson?” When Weiss's face paled by several shades, Coco laughed and slapped her on the shoulder with her free hand. “Okay, okay. What do you want if it's not that?”
Shaking her head out to rid it of strong mental images, she went on, “Someone mentioned that you also have a fella you're going steady with. Does he know…?”
“About Velvet? Of course.”
“And he doesn't mind? No jealousy, nothing like that?”
Shrugging, she took out a cigarette and lit it as they gazed back at the Belladonna home. Weiss tried her best not to be offended by the acrid scent of smoke. “Nope. We have an understanding. Besides, he's… Fox is… we are definitely not like most couples. We’re more like friends who occasionally go to bed together. I’d marry him for the social arrangement, and because we’re comfortable with each other.”
Almost dreading the answer, Weiss asked, “And Velvet?”
“It's different,” she said with an uncharacteristic tenderness in her voice before taking another drag. She didn’t need to hear any more to know exactly how she meant that; the way Weiss felt about Yang.
“Y-yeah. Well, I mean, I guessed that; you two seem really close.” Coco nodded. “Would you… I mean, what if you moved down to Australia with her?”
“Where would I go down there? What would I do? Even though I- a part of me wants to, wants to follow her to the ends of the Earth, the rest of my whole life is here. She would have to take care of me, and that’s not how Coco wants her life to go.”
Hunching her shoulders against the light chill on the breeze, weirded out by how she referred to herself in the third person, she asked, “Then why not just break up with her now? Don't make her wait for it to happen.”
“Because now is all we have, Schnee.”
Something about the pure bitterness in that statement made Weiss think better of continuing the conversation. Coco's eyes were hidden behind her aviators, as usual, but she had to wonder how haunted they would look if she could see them. In absence of knowing what else to say and feeling helpless, she rested a hand on her shoulder to offer her a moment of meager comfort before returning to the house.
Everything taken care of, Kali was already whipping up something tasty in the kitchen, Blake at her side. Coco and Velvet took their leave, which meant Yang had to set the table all by herself - once Weiss left to help with dinner, feeling it was more pressing.
“There's really not much left to do,” the elder woman assured her with a gentle smile. “It's just a simple stew. Matter of fact, I was thinking about leaving to pick up Willow to join us once it's on to simmer.”
“Oh,” Weiss said with a small, pleased smile. “Okay. I could help stir it until you get back.”
Blake narrowed her eyes at her. “Why do you look so thrilled right now? Like Christmas came early.”
“No reason.”
“She's just happy that her mother isn't languishing in regrets and Merlot,” Kali told her daughter while patting her on the shoulder and leaning over to kiss the side of her head. Blake pushed her away, but there was no real force to the push. “Mind the store for me?”
“Sure, Mom.” The woman took her leave. As Blake turned back to the stove and took up the wooden spoon, she said, “Could you cut that out?”
“What? Cut what out?”
“Trying to set our moms up with each other.”
Weiss blinked in surprise, hand falling away from the silverware drawer. She had been about to get a spoon to test the flavour of the stew before she was extremely distracted.
“Admit it,” Blake went on as she stirred, barely glancing at her out of the corner of her eye. “I definitely haven't been the one pushing them together. And you’re always into everyone’s business, you busybody.”
“Busybody?!” she burst out, fists on her hips. “How can you say that? Sure, I like to know what’s going on with the Dragons and with Pyrrha, and Ruby, but I’m only concerned about my friends; I don’t stick my nose in otherwise!”
Tossing her hair slightly, the cook’s daughter stirred a little more vigorously than was strictly necessary as she snapped, “Yeah, the one who keeps demanding to know what’s wrong between me and Yang, and grilling Coco and Velvet about their relationship - I overheard you,” she offered before Weiss could ask.
“Better a busybody than some, some… eavesdropper!”
“Hey, I can’t help it if I have excellent hearing!”
“Girls, will you keep it down to a dull roar?” Yang said from the doorway, the elbow of her good arm leaning against the frame. Not that her other arm was “bad”, but she tended to favour it slightly while it was still healing. “Seriously, what’s the crisis?”
Fists vibrating at her sides, she told her girlfriend, “This germ is insinuating things, Yang!”
“Things that are true!” Blake protested, having abandoned the stew for the moment.
“Yeah, yeah, I overheard. There’s something I don’t get, though.” When neither of them responded, Yang shrugged and added, “What’s so bad about them spending more time with each other? Maybe they’ll move in together. Then you’d both have a sister. Why’s that such a horrible thing?”
Blake didn’t respond at all, simply breathing hard and staring down at the linoleum. But Weiss thought she knew why. This may have still been related to her issues of jealousy over Yang. Not that she expected her to admit as much, even if confronted. It also probably had a lot to do with Kali focusing more of her attention on the Schnee family lately; she would probably feel the same way if her relationship with her own mother were closer than it had been for the past several years.
“Blake, I'm sorry,” Weiss attempted in a more even tone. “I can honestly tell you that I haven't been encouraging them in any way. But I also haven't been discouraging them; I think it's healthy that they each have a friend now. Don't you? I mean, my mother has been trapped in the house for years, only really leaving to go to church and the Country Club. And my father kept her on such a tight leash that she barely even got to do that!”
“What about my mother, huh? She has the Dragons, and her job - and she has me. So what does she need with a… a replacement family?” The instant Weiss raised a hand as if she were going to pet her consolingly, Blake bristled and turned away. “Save it. I need some air. You can handle stirring the stew, right? Can't you, Weiss Belladonna?”
Before either Yang or Weiss could say a word, Blake fled the room and headed for the driveway. They still hadn't spoken to each other when they heard her motorcycle roar to life and fade into the distance.
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Princess and The Dragons