Graceful Pt. 2

With Pyrrha giving her advice and Ruby running interference with the other nobles, Blake found running the empire much easier. No longer did she fear a massive screw-up. Even if her judgement would lead to some serious damage being done, Pyrrha could step in to prevent such a mistake. Not being on her own was the key. She had someone to ask for help, someone she trusted. It also helped that the Council of Nobles quieted down once Ruby was there to keep them in check. Blake ran the empire for a bit over a month. It was becoming second-nature. Pyrrha's lessons in good governance helped too. At the start she may have been woefully unprepared, but now she could do this.

Blake was in the middle of hearing a dispute when a messenger rushed in. The messenger rushed forward and bowed. "I apologize for the interruption, Your Majesty, but I bring important news." She said.

"Report." Blake said.

"Emperor Weiss has gone into labor." The messenger said. "She requests your immediate presence."

"Thank you." Blake said. "You are dismissed." She turned to Pyrrha. "Should we finish with…"

"No way." Pyrrha cut her off. "I'll get Ruby and we'll meet you at the palace. I'm sure your subjects will understand." Blake agreed and after apologizing for the sudden halt to proceedings, the pair rushed off.

Blake made her way to the palace as quickly as possible. Astride the fastest horse she could find she even outran her bodyguard. Upon arrival she was ushered inside, led to the room where Weiss was to give birth. It was the very chamber where Weiss had been born. Weiss was lying on a bed, her legs propped up and spread with a sheet tastefully covering her privates. She breathed heavily, grunting. At her side Yang held her hand. Before them clerics milled about. There was little they could do for the time being.

"Weiss, I'm here." Blake said. She rushed to her wife's side and grabbed her hand.

"Gods this hurts." Weiss complained.

"How long do they think?" Blake asked.

"Soon." Yang replied. "Hopefully."

"I can't take this!" Weiss yelled. She screamed as a wave of pain overtook her. She squeezed the hands of her lovers, her grip more crushing than either had experienced before.

"Come one Weiss, do your breathing." Yang encouraged.

"Fuck the breathing!" Weiss shouted. "I want this thing out of me now!"

Pyrrha and Ruby arrived. "Oh thank Naga you're here." Blake said. "Weiss is in terrible pain. Is there anything you can do?"

"There is a pain relief spell, but it might…" Pyrrha started.

"Cast the damn spell!" Weiss shrieked.

"Alright." Pyrrha relented. She slid one of the staves off her back, said the spell and laid a hand on Weiss.

Weiss relaxed immediately, letting her hands slide away from those of Blake and Yang. Her face, so recently contorted in rage and pain, became peaceful and smiling. Her eyes fluttered and drifted around. "Uh...Weiss...are you okay?" Yang asked.

"I'm great." Weiss replied. She tilted her head over to look at Yang. "Your boobs are so big!"

"Um...I know Weiss." Yang said. "Keep pushing."

Weiss pawed at Yang's breasts and giggled. "Aw, she's like a kitty!" Ruby squealed.

"Meow!" Weiss laughed.

"This is...disturbing." Blake observed.

"Pyrrha, you should use this spell more often." Yang suggested.

"The magic isn't that powerful." Pyrrha said. "If you're willing to work at it I can teach you."

"I don't think I have any aptitude for magic." Yang said. "But if I could see more of this Weiss I'll give it a shot."

Weiss lazily lolled her head over to look at Blake. "Your eye is the biggest turn-on." Weiss said. "Never stop glaring at me."

"Thank you?" Blake said.

"She's not wrong." Yang said.

"I agree." Pyrrha admitted.

"Even you?" Blake asked.

"Ditto." Ruby added.

Weiss winced. "I feel weird." She said.

A cleric rushed over to check on her. "The baby's coming." She reported.

Blake's view was obscured but, judging by the way Ruby went white as a sheet, that was probably a good thing. In a few seconds the cleric held a crying baby in his arms. Another stepped in, clamped off either side of the umbilical cord and cut it. The first cleric took the baby to be checked and cleaned while others cast healing spells on Weiss. Pyrrha too cast a spell, the reverse of her first.

"Wha...what happened?" Weiss asked. "Is it over?"

"Yeah, it's over." Yang said. "You had yourself a healthy baby girl."

"Oh, thank the gods." Weiss said. "Why can't I remember it?"

"I cast a pain-reduction spell on you." Pyrrha replied. "It may have messed with your brain a tiny bit."

"I hope I didn't say anything embarrassing." Weiss said. No one said anything, but silence was confirmation enough. "I said things, didn't I?"

"Yes, you certainly did." Yang confirmed.

"You and I are having words." Blake said.

"Please don't stop glaring at me." Weiss said with a smile.

The cleric returned. She handed the baby, wrapped in a soft cloth, to Weiss.

"What will you name her?" Ruby asked.

Weiss looked at the baby, so tiny, with it's little wisps of silver hair. She looked at Blake. "Grace." Weiss said.

"It's beautiful." Blake said.

"Yeah, it is." Yang said, crying her eyes out. "It's too beautiful! And she's so cute."

"I've never seen Yang like this." Ruby said.

"It's just…" Yang started.

"We know." Pyrrha said. "Mama Yang is just emotional."

"I love you, Blake." Weiss said. "Thank you, for this."

"Thank me?" Blake balked. "You carried her Weiss. I love you, I love you both."

"Blake, can I have a hug?" Yang asked.

"Sure." Blake said.

Yang rounded the bed and wrapped Blake in a tight embrace. "I just need something to hold onto." Yang said. "Or I'll probably take the baby and run."

There was little time to celebrate the birth, at least for Blake. After spending the rest of the day and the following night with Weiss and Grace, she headed back to the capital. There was still an empire to run, and that was her responsibility until Weiss had recovered enough to do it herself. In the meantime Grace was mostly in the care of Yang, as she would be whenever the royal couple was busy, which would likely be often. Weiss herself had been raised by maids and tutors, but she wanted something different for her child. Yang was a member of the family as far as Weiss was concerned, and more motherly in temperament than either Weiss or Blake. She would be perfect.

Blake ran the government for a few uneventful weeks before Weiss and Grace made the short trip to the capital. On the appointed day a crowd gathered in front of the palace, milling about below the balcony from which the emperor traditionally made proclamations. This time, however, there would be no grand speech, just an introduction. Blake walked out onto the balcony first, followed by Weiss who carried Grace in her arms. The crowd cheered their returning ruler and new heir to the throne. Then, after some waving, the royal family retreated inside and the crowd broke up.

Weiss took over and it was back to business as usual. In a few days Blake would take Grace back to the palace where she had been born, the place where she would grow up, away from the chaos of the capital. Their work done, Ruby and Pyrrha headed back to Rosanne. After months of frantic effort, Blake suddenly had no responsibilities aside from some minor ceremonial duties. She had time on her hands once again. Of course she would spend the time with Grace.

"Grace can be a bit fussy." Yang warned. "Are you sure you don't want me to stick around?"

"No, I just want to spend a day with my daughter." Blake said. "I'll get you if I need anything."

"Well, have fun." Yang said. A high-pitched cry cut through the door beside them. "Sounds like she's awake. Better give her some breakfast." Yang headed off.

Blake pushed into the room and walked over to Grace's bassinet. The baby only seemed to cry more loudly. "You don't smell so I guess you're just hungry." Blake said. She reached into a box beside the bassinet and extracted one of the bottles Yang had already prepared. She set it down on a small table beside the bassinet, then carefully picked up Grace in her left arm. After sitting in a nearby chair, Blake grabbed the bottle and started feeding her daughter. The baby stopped crying and grabbed at the bottle as Blake guided it into her mouth. She sucked it dry with alarming alacrity.

After burping the baby, Blake laid her down carefully in the bassinet, moving the chair over to be closer. "You're just the cutest." Blake said. While looking at Blake, Grace started to cry. "What's wrong?" Blake checked the baby's diaper, but it was clean. She could think of nothing else. "Yang did say you were fussy…" Blake sighed. She tried handing Grace her rattle but the baby ignored it. "Maybe a game?" Blake covered her face with her hands before quickly drawing them away. "Peek-a-boo!" Still Grace cried. She covered her face again and this time the baby quieted down. Good start. "Peek-a-boo!" Blake cheered as she pulled her hands away.

Again Grace cried. Blake covered her face and Grace stopped crying. She uncovered it and she cried. Blake did it a few more times and the pattern repeated. A terrible thought entered Blake's mind. She partially covered her face, just the right half, her scar and dead eye. Grace smiled and cooed at her. She drew her hand away and the baby wailed again. "Oh...so that's it." Blake sighed.

The next morning Weiss awoke to find Blake already up and dressing. She held a leather strap attached to a piece of cloth in her hand, seemingly agonizing over it. It took a moment but Weiss recognized it, the face patch Blake had been made to wear at their wedding and coronation. "Blake, you haven't worn that in ages." Weiss said. "You hate that thing. What's going on?"

"...it scares Grace…" Blake mumbled.

"What?" Weiss asked.

"My eye." Blake replied with a heavy sigh. "Grace keep crying when I...when I look at my baby girl she j-just...I don't want her to be scared of me Weiss. I knew the scar and the eye would scare people, and I used it to my advantage. I loved it. But Grace? Not Grace. No daughter should fear her own mother Weiss."

"Blake we should…" Weiss started.

"No, you have an empire to run." Blake cut her off. "And I just want to be alone." With the face patch in hand, Blake walked out.

Weiss attended to the business of the day with a heavy heart. As soon as she could she set off in search of Blake. That search came up empty, so she went to her room and sat there worrying. After some time Yang arrived with Grace. "I thought our little princess would want to spend some time with her mother." Yang said in a sing-songey voice. She looked up at Weiss and could see the panic in her face. "What's wrong?"

"Blake...it's Blake." Weiss replied, doing her best not to show just how worried she really was. "She told me...Grace is afraid of her scar. She said she wanted to be alone and now I can't find her. None of the servants have seen her either. I'm just…"

"It's alright." Yang said. "You take Grace and I'll track down Blake."

"O-okay." Weiss agreed. Yang handed the baby over to Weiss before going to look for Blake.

There were not too many places Blake could have gone. If she had left the palace, someone would have noticed. If she were in one of the places anyone normally went, the servants would have informed Weiss. That only left a few possibilities. There was the basement, but there was no reason to go there. The only other option was the roof. Yang climbed the stairs to the top of the palace's highest tower. From there she would be able to see all the roofs and walkways where Blake might be. There was no need to search.

Yang found Blake lying on the wooden look-out platform that topped the tower. She was just gazing up at the starry night sky. "Evening Blakey." Yang said.

"Good evening." Blake said without moving.

Yang sat beside Blake, lying down to join her in gazing at the stars. "It's a lovely night." Yang observed.

"Mhm." Blake agreed.

Yang reached for Blake's hand and found it tightly clenched around something. Prying her fingers open revealed her face patch. "Oh Blakey…" Yang sighed.

"I know Yang, I know." Blake groaned. "I...we...worked hard to get past this...but Grace...I can't Yang. I can't stand it. I won't let my daughter look at me like that. Even if it means I have to wear this damn thing."

Yang pulled Blake over and she rolled into Yang's arms, burying her head in Yang's shoulder and sobbing. Blake cried and cried while Yang just held her, rubbing her back. After what seemed a long time, Blake fell silent, dozing in Yang's embrace. "Blakey?" Yang said.

"Mhm?" Blake grumbled.

"Weiss is worried." Yang said.

"I know." Blake sighed.

"Let's go down, get you in a nice warm bath, and we can talk about this together, like a family." Yang suggested.

"Okay." Blake said. "That's...that's probably what I should have done from the start anyway."

Blake relaxed in the warm, soapy water of the bath, surrounded by scented candles, as Yang washed her hair. Weiss too sat on a stool nearby. Blake felt like she could almost relax. Almost. Then Yang blew up any chance of that. "So Gracy is afraid of your sexy eye." Yang said.

"Yang!" Weiss admonished.

"Yes Yang." Blake scoffed. "My daughter is afraid of my sexy eye. The elephant in the room says hello."

"But why?" Yang asked.

"What do you mean why?" Blake asked. "Scars are weird and scary."

"But she's a newborn." Yang said. "Her brain is mush. She shouldn't be able to differentiate."

"Maybe she's exceptionally intelligent for a newborn." Weiss suggested. "It would make sense, give her parentage."

"Or maybe she's just not sure what it is." Yang suggested. "She was frightened by my hair for a little bit. At least until I let her play with it."

"So what, we just let her play with my scar?" Blake asked.

"It's worth a shot." Weiss said.

"If it doesn't work we can always try something else." Yang shrugged. "It's not like it's a last resort sort of deal."

"But what if we can't?" Blake sighed. "What if nothing…ah!" Yang dunked Blake's head underwater to rinse the soap out of her hair. Blake thrashed about before gripping the sides of the tub and forcing herself up, splashing water all over the place in the process.

"That's quitter talk Belladonna!" Yang declared. "I won't tolerate it. Am I clear?"

"I have many knives Yang." Blake threatened. "I will cut you."

"Don't Blake." Weiss warned. "She might be into that."

Yang chuckled. "I wouldn't know until I tried."

Blake slowly approached Grace, careful to keep the right side of her face turned away, hidden from view. Grace grasped at the air in Blake's direction. Blake sat down and pulled the chair as close to the bassinet as she could. Yang and Weiss watched from the doorway. Blake turned around to face them. Yang gave a big thumbs-up and Weiss just smiled. Blake took a deep breath and closed her eyes, turning to face Grace. The baby started to whine, then cry as Blake opened her eyes.

"Come on Grace, it's still just me...your mom." Blake said softly. She leaned forward and Grace pulled back as best she could. "Please, just...give me a chance." Blake took her daughter's tiny hand, leaned in, and pressed the hand against her scar. Grace's crying died down, but still she whimpered. Blake leaned in even closer. "Go ahead, do some exploring." Grace ran her hand across the scar, her fear turning to increasing curiosity.

Soon, the crying and whining stopped, replaced by a series of goos and gaas. Grace reached up and poked Blake's dead eye. Blake recoiled. "Why you little..." Blake grumbled. Grace laughed and squirmed. "Oh, you like hurting me. Is that it?" Blake laughed and leaned back in. Grace ran her hand across the scar and eye some more, showing not the slightest hint of fear. "Let's give it one more shot." Blake covered her face with her hands, eliciting a surprised gasp from Grace. "Peek-a-boo!" Blake cheered, pulling her hands down. Grace giggled and smiled. "Oh thank the gods."

"Looks like my plan worked." Yang said with tears in her eyes. "Blake and her baby girl, laughing together, it's so...so…"

"Beautiful?" Weiss asked.

"Yeah, beautiful." Yang said with a smile and a contented sigh. "I...I want one of my own."