Author's Notes

DESPITE CONTRARY BELIEF, THIS STORY AND ITS AUTHOR ARE NOT DEAD. #KURIBAYASHI LIVES 2K16

I know that I already used this tagline in the last chapter, but I thought I'd bring it back because the last chapter I posted for this story was on February 27th (Ouch). Just so you know what's been going on in my life, I recently graduated from college earlier this year in May. The months after I posted chapter Twenty-One and before I graduated, I was busy working on my senior thesis film, which consumed all of my time. When summer hit, I really wanted to focus on this story, but unfortunately got sucked up into seasonal work. Before I knew it, it was September and TWRoV's birthday was just around the corner.

September 15th was The White Rose of Vermilion's third-year-anniversary. Another day that I dedicate to remembering Monty and Nancy. Rest in Peace.

When I initially started writing this story, I planned on writing an arc a year, completing the entire story in five to six years. But now three years after the story's inception and only a third of Arc II complete, I genuinely realize how far behind schedule I am. However, now that I have graduated from college and my work season is over, I have both the time and motivation to deliver the best chapters I can write in the shortest amount of time (quality will always take precedence over quantity). I'll lastly say that this chapter is incredibly rough. A hiatus of almost seven months will do that to you. As with every chapter, that can change if given proper feedback and constructive criticism.

Please leave a review. Your feedback is both greatly appreciated and crucial; anything and everything can help!



Don't know what to write other than "good chapter," "are you dead," or "update soon?" Pick a line that you liked, and tell me why you liked it. Was it written well? Did it elicit a certain emotion? Did it make you laugh, smile, sigh, want to cry? Seriously, detailed and constructive reviews really help motivate me so please help a writer out?

Now without further ado, please sit back, relax, and enjoy your reading of The White Rose of Vermilion Arc II, Chapter Twenty-Two.

Coronation

Maybe it was too windy. Maybe she was too tired. Maybe she thought she was safe. Whichever excuse it was, she didn't realize until it was too late.

Cornered, she drew her bow to defend herself. The dogs shielded their master, naturally. Flashing their steel at her like bared fangs, she watched in crippling fear as a pair of glowing blue eyes stared past them and straight at her. Through her. Their scarred eyes locked, and soon a horrible burning sensation arose from deep within her—

—Ruby awakened with a jolt and a quick gasp. Several blinks later, the feeling of a bed beneath her served as a barely comforting reminder that it was just another nightmare. Slowly, she pulled herself up and observed her surroundings as she steadied her breathing. Sitting on a bed large enough to fit two, her eyes drifted from a fully furnished set of furniture to a simple painting of the Valkyrie family. After nearly being caught sneaking into her own home and very afraid of the consequences if she were caught, the painful decision was made that it was perhaps for the best to leave Celica Ironworks.

Nora, gracious as ever, took the opportunity to allow her to stay in her parents' vacant bedroom. Not exactly wealthy, the Valkyries still did well, having the largest home and highest standard of living among their small group of friends only second to the Arc family. Never really part of the close-knit circle that was her, Yang, Ren, Nora, and Cardin, the rift between them and Jaune only deepened in recent weeks. Whereas Blake, who was also once seen more as an outsider, had grown closer to the group over their mutual suffering, the distance only grew between them and the military class that was responsible for such suffering. From time to time, they heard whispers that Jaune had long since made a full recovery from his wounds and returned to

For as long as she could remember, she yearned for a better future. To eat better, to be happier, to do something helpful for those around her. Now fate had ripped her from her humble roots as a huntress and cast her into the role of conscript. And now here she was, one, almost two months into her metamorphosis.

Shaking her head, refusing to start the day with such heavy brooding, she then just realized that her hand had been covering her left eye the entire time. Gently moving her fingers over to her right eye, she traced them across the scar that Weiss left her. Strange.

For weeks, her nights consisted nothing but Yang's execution over and over again. Now all of a sudden, she dreamt of something different.

Swiftly donning her armor and weapons, Ruby made her way downstairs where she heard her host already hard at work. As winter arrived, the bakery was left almost entirely in the dark, save for the oven's glow that slipped through the door where Nora worked. Following where the light shone to, she found her way to a small candle. Placed on the main table in the front of the store, it cast a welcoming light onto a small loaf of bread and a faintly steaming mug.

With a smile, she gently laid her war-scythe down against the counter and looked down on her breakfast: freshly prepared rye tea and potato bread. Taking hold of the mug with one hand and the bread with the other, Ruby took a sip and listened to the baker as she hummed softly.

While her sudden return marked the slow return to a sense of normalcy they once had, there were just so many pieces to pick up: Blake's emotional shutdown; Jaune and Pyrrha's shift in demeanor; the fallout between Ren and Cardin; Ren's transformation into something thought impossible for him, and Nora's deathly fear of him.

Still to this day she never said exactly happened between them two.

Change did not come easy—but it was happening. Despite pouring her soul into training, fighting with all her might to become the model soldier she needed to be in order to gain the warden's trust, Ruby still came home every night as early as she could in order to spend some much needed time with her friends.

And it was working. Blake opened the doors to her shop again, working tirelessly to make up for lost business and tackling the massive queue that accumulated in her absence. With careful supervision, Ren and Cardin eventually reconciled, but only after a mutual agreement that the latter only return to work for the former when he was completely sober. Finding temporary work as a miner, Cardin abstained from alcohol as simple water understandably became all he craved in the hot and suffocating mines. As for Ren, the butcher shortened his hours, spending much of his evenings on much needed meditation and reflection. And Nora? Ruby took a bite out of the potato bread and felt her eyes flutter as the perfectly baked loaf easily gave way to her bite, the fluffy interior melting in her mouth like butter. No more burns, no more imbalances, no more tears. Like the rest, she was making progress, and Ruby was so proud of them.

Finishing her tea and tucking the rest of the loaf into her pocket to save for later, the seeker picked up her war-scythe and left, humming on her way out.

The trek to the barracks was an easier one than most. With the sun rising later in the day, the seeker found herself able to move more freely through Vermilion without having to cling to the shadows or looking over her shoulder as much. Most, if not all, street and shop lamps were running on their last drops of oil by the morning, and even if they managed to shine enough light on her, the gentle snowfall made it near impossible to tell.

Ruby couldn't help but smile when she noticed that there was a skip in her step; to begin the day with a brisk walk as she took in her home city's beauty without having to worry so much about being recognized was so refreshing! As she also now had a new line of work, she found herself exploring parts of the city that she'd never traveled to. For so long she took the same three or four routes to get from between her home, the city's northern gate, her friends' homes, and the bazaar. Now she now found herself taking completely different routes as she made the daily trek to and from the city barracks.

When they were younger, Yang had always told her that it was important to count their blessings, no matter how simple or small. For years, she lived by those words, and now after all she'd been through, it only made her treasure them even more.

Now approaching the front gate to the barracks, Ruby lowered her hood and rested her polearm against her left shoulder as she retrieved her documents from her other pocket. Stationed at the gate stood two guardsmen at attention.

"Good morning," she said curtly as she handed her papers over to the first one who extended his hand out to her.

"Good morning," he replied while the other stifled a yawn.

She stood at attention as she patiently waited. And waited. Taking longer than usual, she blinked, noticing the guardsman who took her papers looking back and forth between her and her documents. Was something wrong? Her posture? Her uniform? Did she look unpresentable? Or was it because she was a g—

"Ruby Rose," said the man as he looked at her with awe. The other guardsman looked at his partner, and then at her. He too, changed his expression.

"Sir?" she asked nervously.

"We meet again." When she didn't respond, the man smiled. "About a month ago? The Screaming Eagle tavern? Your friend the Winchester boy was nearly arrested by us that night."

Ruby blinked. The two guardsmen she saved Cardin from! "Oh—"

"Relax, you're not in any trouble." He folded her papers and handed them back to her. Grabbing the hilt to his sword with his other hand, he performed a formal nod. "I'm Reiner Faust and this is my partner Wilhelm Hertz. We are of the 6th Guardsmen Company." The other man nodded.

"I wish we met under better circumstances," she managed to say together without tripping over her own words. Learning to speak bigger words and in general more 'eloquently' had proven itself to be quite difficult in the past few weeks.

"Interestingly enough, I disagree," said Reiner, "Cardin, was it? Wilhelm and I were about to throw him in jail for good that time. The boy had racked up quite the record by the time we were called to deal with him. How many times was it again?"

"Six times if I recall correctly," said Wilhelm. Ruby looked over to him to see him with the same flanged mace he had from that night. Although not as bad as before, it still made her wince. "Five counts of public disturbance and six counts of aggravated assault on Vermilian guards. In one month. He was on his way to the pillory for sure." Ruby felt her body shrink within her cuirass and cloak.

"Yes sir," she conceded.

"But after the night you showed up," said Reiner as he gestured towards her," we haven't heard of him since. The poor lad hasn't drunk himself to death has he?"

Ruby felt her posture loosen immensely. "N-No sir, he's alright now."

"Is that so?" Reiner crossed his arms. "Now how did you manage that, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I've known Cardin for almost all my life. He's one of my closest friends." Ruby paused, unsure of how to further explain herself. As she searched for an answer, a voice came to mind.

Now that you're here, your presence and your actions will determine which opinion of you will prevail over the other.

She knew how to answer his question, but it involved the retelling of her criminal past. Would that make them think any better of her if she did that? Honesty? Transparency? Full awareness of the severity of her crimes? She didn't know. But maybe it was time to find out. Ruby pressed her hands together nervously. "I take it that you know who I am?" she finally asked. "What I've done?"

"Yes," said Reiner, "I don't think there's a soul in all of Weischandel who doesn't at least know your name."

Eyes on Reiner, Wilhelm then shifted his attention to her. "Attacking our warden and his only heiress will do that to you." The statement lacked anger, but was delivered adamantly nonetheless.

Ruby felt her head droop, and watched a tuft of snow fall off of her hood and to the ground. "After the incident, the warden secretly ordered me to his manor where I was to be taken care of. His intention being that when I recovered he could offer me an ultimatum—exile or conscription." As she spoke that line, Wilhelm's eyes narrowed and Reiner took a moment to look away. "To Cardin, and to the rest of my friends, I was dead—a victim of my failed crusade. For a month they all thought I was dead." Readjusting her grip on her war-scythe, Ruby looked up at the men, fighting to look them in the eyes. "That night the four of us met, it was the day I had come back."

After a long pause, Wilhelm finally broke the silence. "I'm sorry to hear that. Truly, I am."

The seeker simply sighed, unsure of how to verbally accept his condolences. "Now please excuse me, I really should be going now," Ruby said as she gestured past them.

Daring not to wait for their permission, she took a step forward and nearly bumped into Reiner as he reached out a hand to block her.

"Wait," he said suddenly, "Please." Stopping in her tracks, she looked up to see a pair of sorrowful eyes. "I have a little girl back at home about your age." A small smile. "Her name is Greta. And she is my everything. Now what you've done, the crimes you committed. They were grave. But if it was my Greta up there with a noose around her neck? I-I believe I would have done the same thing." The man then gave a quick exhale and cleared his throat before recomposing himself. "I just wanted to let you know."

The words hit her like a ton of bricks. Taking a step back as she felt her balance waver, Ruby struggled to digest his sudden declaration. She understood the level of her crimes more than anybody, and had been reminded of it every day for the past month and a half from the sight of her own armor and the unfiltered opinions of those around her. But to hear someone neutrally address her past and even go on to sympathize with her reason for resorting to such drastic measures for the one she loved most… it touched her. The man was a father. He understood her love.

Truly grateful, she straightened her posture, placed her right fist over her chest and gave a curt bow—a full blown formal salute. Wilhelm, who was watching the whole time, synchronized his movements with Reiner, and the two guardsmen saluted back.

"Redemption awaits." Their voices were firm with gravity, yet warm with encouragement.

"Redemption awaits," the seeker replied, now finally beginning to believe in the Weischandelian Army's motto.

Delayed by the chance encounter but not bothered by it in the slightest, Ruby arrived to her unit's officers' quarters where she was relieved to hear that she was assigned the morning shift for their watch tower. In fact, most of the entire company had been assigned to maintenance, security, or resupply duty on the sole basis that both Captain Arturas and both his lieutenants were unavailable to run proper drills. When she asked the sergeant where they were, she was told that they, along with all garrisoned Capital Army commissioned officers had been summoned by the warden. Realizing it to be very unusual, she nonetheless readily accepted her assignment. \A rather boring job, she still preferred it over stockade or resupply duty. Or worse, actual training and the verbal abuse that came with it.

A boy by the name of Jacob, another first-class seeker from her company, was assigned the morning shift with her. For the most part, they kept to themselves. Not that they were on bad terms, but she could tell that he too had things on his mind and looked forward to a few hours of peace and quiet. Nonetheless, she kept a watchful eye on her fellow brothers-in-arms below as they hurried back and forth. Even with almost the entire company working diligently on weapon and armor repairs, stockade inventory, animal care, and even the pre-stocking of military caravans, it all seemed never-ending.

"What are we doing," she heard one man on fletching duty say jokingly to his assistant, "preparing for war?"

Ruby shuddered at the thought.

As noon and the end of her shift approached, she felt her stomach begin to grumble. Remembering her unfinished breakfast, she fished out the loaf of bread and frowned when she bit into it only to find that it had turned hard from the cold. Sheepishly holding it close to the watchtower's oil lamp to heat up, she rested her elbow on the railing and propped her chin onto her free hand. By now, the snow was falling harder, and the grounds had to be salted. Weischandelian winters had a reputation for being exceptionally brutal as they were the northernmost province in the kingdom. It wouldn't be long until they needed their deep winter uniforms.

From fall to winter; five, almost six weeks had passed since she came back. Nearing the ending of her basic training as an official Seeker of the Weischandelian Capital Army, the first chapter of her new life seemed to be finally drawing to an end.

BONG. BONG. BONG.

A loud wave of high-pitched sounds suddenly rang through the air, nearly causing her to drop her bread. Quickly shoving it back into her pocket, she reached for her bow, but stopped when she saw Jacob only looking off into the distance. Joining him by the railing, they spotted the far off Vermilian Cathedral ringing a massive row of smaller bells within the taller central tower.

"What's going on?" Ruby asked, "There shouldn't be any service today. Is there?"

"No. It's not a holiday, either." Jacob tilted his head sideways, pointing his left ear toward the cathedral. "I don't recognize this pattern. Do you?"

She shook her head, desperately thinking back on her training of general bell signals. As she thought, members of her company began to stop and look up from their duties.

"What's going on up there?" one asked.

"We don't know yet," said Jacob.

A wave of whispers spread through a the quickly growing crowd of seekers as they abandoned their posts to listen closer to the bells. Among them was an older one who pushed his way through to the front. Cupping his hands over his mouth, he called up to them. "Just the cathedral? Which towers are in use?

"It's just the central tower. The others aren't being rung."

"That can't be," Ruby heard him say before his voice was drowned out by the others. There was a perplexed look in his eyes.

Jacob clicked his tongue. "It's not the signal for mass, or the left and right towers would be ringing in unison. Not for mourning, or each tower would ring their bells ten seconds apart. And it's not an emergency call to arms, as the same towers would be ringing their bells a half-beat apart." Swearing under his breath, Jacob leaned over the railing. "Someone get the sergeant! Maybe he knows!"

This was bad. Being propped up in the watchtower, she felt herself beginning to buckle under the pressure as she was looked up to for answers. She didn't know. Just a better shot with a bow than most, but still a rookie. Why did she not remember the cathedral ever ringing the bells in its central tower before now? Was there any actual significance to it?

Beneath the commotion, a strange low rumbling sound suddenly caught her attention. Covering her other ear, she focused in and listened to it as it grew louder. From the pitter-patter rhythm, it sounded like galloping horses—a lot of them.

Bursting into view, Ruby watched in awe as dozens upon dozens of officers on horseback appeared from around the corner of a distant main street intersection. With everything from full-blown regalia to a colorful assortment of banners that bore the Schnee family crest and coat of arms, they rode quickly and with power. Interwoven into their ranks also rode individuals who appeared to be heralds and messengers; one recognizable from the long grey robes they wore, and the other with feathered triangular hats and large messenger bags.

Judging from the direction they came from, it seemed as if they had come from the warden's manor. The seeker put a hand over her forehead as she made the connection. Of course! Had the warden summoned the officers for an assembly of some sorts, and it only concluded now?

As the line got closer to the barracks, the heralds and messengers began to break away and filter into the neighboring streets. With the messengers following closely behind, tossing handfuls of fliers from their bags into the streets, the herald would shout something over and over that she couldn't hear properly. Her attention was soon diverted to an officer who rode towards the barracks' wall closest to her watchtower and waved to get her attention. Waving back, she and Jacob then watched as the officer made a circling motion with his right hand, followed by a closed fist—the hand signal to 'rally up.' Signaling 'understood,' back to him, the two then watched as he rejoined the line as they headed towards the barracks' main gate. They were coming in.

With this information, she pulled herself from the spectacle and rushed to the other side of the railing and waved at her company. "The officers are on their way back! Orders are to rally up!"

For a split second, nothing happened. The men just looked up at her, as if hesitant to believe if she were telling the truth. Just as she thought about rolling her eyes, Jacob joined her side and waved angrily at them. "You heard her, get moving! Relay the news to the others!"

Much to her disdain, the men quickly scrambled into action. Sighing exasperatedly, Ruby turned to face Jacob. "Thank you."

The boy simply smiled. "Of course, you're one of us. Now after you," he said as he gestured to the ladder beneath them. Without allowing any time in between, she gave an exaggerated curtsey before quickly descending down the ladder. She was only two steps down when she looked up to see Jacob laughing. Smiling as she thought about her joke, she laughed as well.

The sound of the horses nearing, Ruby hurried down the last steps of the ladder and helped Jacob down. Together, they quickly slipped into formation just in time to see a column of officers from different companies ride past to get back to their respective camps. It wasn't long until their very own showed up.

Riding into their camp with his first and second behind him, Captain Arturas reeled his horse to a grinding halt, a look of hurry on his face. Breaking rank, the squires and sergeant went to receive them and steadied their horses so they could unsaddle. When the horses were swiftly put away and the entire company all accounted for, the captain made his way to the front of the 6th Seeker Company.

When he spoke, he did so with a volume that closely rivaled that of the warden. "Brothers! As you may know by now, all garrisoned officers of the Capital Army were unexpectedly summoned by the warden this morning. The reason we were summoned… was to discuss the next step of our province's future." Taking a moment to surely scan the expressions of his troops, Ruby found her eyes meeting his for a split second before he moved on. "Men!" he boomed, "Our Lord, Lutolf of the House Schnee, Eleventh Warden of Weischandel, The White Wolf, has named his Heiress!"

Although barely audible, there were hushed gasps among the men.

Arturas continued. "Born from ancient blood and noble cloth, his second-born daughter with the late Lady Marina Schnee, has been chosen to begin her journey to becoming the next Warden of Weischandel. And her name is none other than Weiss Schnee!"

Without warning, the entire company suddenly erupted into thunderous cries of jubilee. Men drew their bows and thrust them high up into the air, others hugged, and some even wept openly. All while this happened, Ruby stood motionless in the back, stunned at what she was seeing. As if completely forgetting about formation etiquette and basic discipline, the basic core of what they dedicated the last six weeks of their life to, no one seemed to give a damn about it all except for her. The news may be celebratory, but surely that still wasn't an excuse? She looked to Arturas, hoping to show to him that she remembered her training. That she took her line of work seriously.

Like she thought, her collected composure stood out starkly against those around her. But what surprised her is that when the captain inevitably saw her in the back of the formation, he scrunched the corner of his mouth and nose in disgust.

"What?" said Ruby, her voice no louder than a choked whisper. Quickly averting her gaze as a reaction to such embarrassment, she looked out of the corner of her eyes to see him raise up a hand. Immediately, the company settled. As he spoke, an uncomfortable pressure formed deep in her gut.

"Our Lord the Warden has decided to bestow his next of kin the official title of Heiress. The coronation of Lady Weiss will be today, three hours from now, at the Grand Hall!" Once again, men around her began to whisper whereas she continued her silence. "Unknown is the reasoning behind choosing today of all days to announce this, but it isn't important." Pointing to himself and his lieutenants, Arturas said "We, officers of the Capital Army, have been asked to attend this historic event and, as requested by the warden, were tasked with selecting an extra individual to accompany us. There at the coronation, this individual will serve as our standard-bearer. For every other company, this privilege would go to our very own standard-bearer. But unfortunately, that duty must go to someone else."

Still deeply hurt from the warden's expression, Ruby looked up solely out of curiosity as she looked to the front of the formation. The standard-bearer, a young man with neatly trimmed auburn hair, tilted his head ever so slightly downwards. Poor fellow. Even if Weiss didn't mean anything to her, the seeker still understood and acknowledged the loyalty and love the average Weischandelian had for the noble family. It must be crippling to be told that he was unable to attend the coronation of his future leader.

"Rose!" Ruby looked up to see the captain glaring disdainfully at her. "You will be the standard-bearer for the 6th Seeker Company at Lady Weiss Schnee's coronation."

In that moment, all pain dissipated from her chest, all nausea from her gut, all pressure from the backs of her eyes. All of it gone in an instant as they were replaced with absolute shock.

"Me?"

Weiss Schnee stared at her reflection. Clothed in a flowing white and blue silk dress, it was beautifully accompanied by a lavish starry-blue surcoat that attached at the neck and draped down her back to the floor. An exposed diamond area within the surcoat revealed her bare back, which was complimented by a vermilion ribbon that started at her bosom and flowed downwards where it circled around her waist, ending in a neat, symmetrical tie—dead center in the diamond opening.

Located in one of the manor's two private rooms that were conjoined to the hallway that led to the Great Hall, she allowed her body's pose to be changed and altered as Vermilion's most talented tailors and dressmakers made the last touches to her coronation dress. The very same dress that was made for Winter at the time she was to be coronated, Weiss felt a mixed sense of melancholy and pride as she fit into the dress rather well, and only needed slight adjustments near the bust and shoulders. For several years, the dress remained locked away behind a tightly sealed glass display in Winter's old room where it served as a memorial. Now at her elder sister's age when she passed away, it was being worn again.

Carefully, she took out a small silver locket she wore around her neck with her left hand, opened it, and smiled. Facing her inside was a miniature portrait of her and Winter, the former giggling while being wrapped in a loving embrace by the latter. A collaboration between a Jenevalan painter and a Weischandelian metalsmith, the locket was given to Weiss as a gift on her twelfth birthday by her mother. Feeling her heartstrings being tugged, Weiss closed the locket and held it to her heart. At long last, the day she had always dreamed about finally arrived. But she wasn't alone. With Winter in her heart, they together would be named Heiress.

"That should do it," said Alejandra, the lead dressmaker. Motioning for the others to take a step back, she gestured to Weiss. "Can you give us a twirl?" Putting the locket away, Weiss gently grabbed her skirt and twirled, watching as it fluttered around her like a dove's wings.

"Beautiful," breathed Javier, a tailor. "How does it feel, my lady?"

Looking at the dress with enchanted eyes, Weiss twirled one more time before the mirror, words unable to come out of her mouth just yet.

Giggling, Alejandra waved at Javier. "I don't think she can hear you. The girl's in love."

"I am," Weiss said as she came to a stop and let her arms fall gently to her sides. Looking at each and every one who assisted her, she gave the biggest smile she could muster and curtseyed. "It's perfect. Thank you all, so very much."

"Shall I go fetch your father?" Alejandra asked as she set down her tailoring kit on a nearby dresser. "He should be done by now as well."

"Yes please."

"As you wish." With a bow, the dressmaker made her way to the side door and knocked.

"Come in," a muffled voice replied.

Weiss watched as she let herself in before turning her attention back to her reflection. Not only did she have the honor to wear Winter's dress, but her jewelry as well: a black-laced choker with a cut ruby at its center, a golden sapphire ring, and a pair of diamond and aquamarine earrings. Altogether, she felt that when she looked at her reflection in the mirror, it was a woman who looked back. Not the foolish, immature, and proud sixteen-year-old she knew she had been, but a grown and wise individual that she needed to become and knew she could become; someone worthy of being the Heiress of Weischandel and her people.

The sound of a door being opened drew her attention away from the mirror, upon which she saw her father at the door. With his beard trimmed and a white wolf fur draped over the back of his full military uniform, Weiss sensed something inherently different. She continued to look at his attire, trying discover what it was as he approached her. It wasn't until he stood right before her and her eyes gazed up at his.

His eyes were brimming with warmth.

With a smile, he reached out his right hand with the palm facing upward. Placing her own right hand his, he then bowed towards her and softly kissed it. Speechless, she shivered as he squeezed her hand. "My beautiful daughter," he said with an almost trembling voice. "How far you've come."

"Because of you."

Lutolf tilted his head sideways, as if half-agreeing with her. "It is truly regrettable of how I've treated you these past few years. I not only failed my duty as Warden, but my responsibility as a father. But. Because of you, Weiss, I was able to look on my own actions and realize the extent of what I had done, and what I had become. We are here today because you brought me back to the light. And I wish to tell you that although you are not my first-born, and that you are not Winter, you are of my blood and the only one truly capable and worthy of ruling when my time is over. It is long overdue that I bring you into the fold."

Pulling her hands back to fan her eyes, Weiss laughed nervously. "Stop it," she said as her eyes reddened. "You're going to make me cry."

He placed his hands behind his back and nodded. "I won't. I'm done making you cry."

"Father…"

"I wish Marina and Winter were here to see this day. They would be so proud of you. I know they would."

Weiss fanned her eyes even more, shooting a glare at him. "You say that you're done making me cry, but here you are, saying these things."

Something then happened that she had not seen in many years. Lutolf laughed. A tame chuckle at first, he was soon unable to silence it as it became a loud, deep laugh. Like him, she began to giggle before laughing heartily along with him. Realizing the same thing as she did, their entourage soon joined in and laughed at the genuinely funny moment. Even the guards who stood at attention by the room's doors let out a heartfelt chuckle. Thinking back on happier times when the fearsome 'White Wolf' was also well-known for his humor and contagious laughter, memories of her playing with him as a child filled her mind. The mock duels they held with wooden swords, the endless rounds of hide-and-seek, the colorful dinners they had together with Marina and Winter. All of it.

It truly seemed like an eternity since they last laughed together. Oh, how she missed it so.

The last ones to completely regain their composure after getting it out of their systems, Lutolf offered his hand once more to Weiss and gestured to the door that led to the Great Hall.

"Are you ready for the next step?"

Nodding, she took his hand and smiled. "Yes, father!"

The coronation began when word was sent that Weiss and her father were ready. Now with all the ceremony's guests accounted for, they were escorted into the now empty anterior entrance. As she heard an array of horns begin to play through the closed doors, Weiss then noticed that hidden in the room's shadows were more than a dozen sentinels. Despite the event being unannounced, the warden didn't plan on taking any chances and had the entire manor and its surrounding grounds guarded and patrolled by Vermilion's most elite.

There would be no assassination today.

With the fanfare's first verse slowly approaching its end, Weiss took in a deep breath and calmly exhaled. Straightening her posture and positioning her step to be in line with her father's, she took his hand and began walking as soon as the first note of the chorus played. On cue, a team of sentinels pushed the doors open, letting in a bright ray of light as it spilled into the dark hallway.

Entering the Great Hall, Weiss struggled to keep her eyes forward as she was greeted with the most magnificent sight she had ever seen. Shoulder to shoulder on both sides of the red carpet laid out before them stood the officers from every single garrisoned company within the Capital Army. In groups of four, the Captains stood between their lieutenants, and in front of the latter stood each company's standard-bearer. As she and her father passed by them, the standard-bearers would slowly lower their company's flags, creating an visually stunning arch filled with hundreds of years' worth of history and culture.

Beyond the officers and their standard-bearers stood Vermilion's wealthy, powerful, and prominent. Bishops, officials, and nobles occupied the left side of the hall. Ambassadors, high-ranking military officers, and vassals occupied the right side of the hall. Now halfway through the initial procession, Weiss could now see Commander Pyrrha at the end of the hall on a short elevated stone platform, standing in the middle of Sentinels Cassius, Brutus, Leo, and Simon. Making an exception for the rare event, she temporarily parted with her native armor and instead donned a full set of Weischandelian armor, her rank and accolades highlighted by the presence of ribbons and medals.

By now, she had seen everyone she wanted to see. All except one. Surely she didn't miss her at the beginning of the procession? Had the captain read her leader and disregarded it, for he had no legal obligation to fulfill her request? Did he even receive it at all? Feeling her step beginning to lag behind her father's as her mind became muddled with worry, she miraculously spotted what she was looking for. Her heart racing faster than before, Weiss straightened her posture once more and exhaled as softly as she could. There she was.

Ruby Rose.

Standing at attention before her officers, Weiss saw that her bow and war-scythe had been fastened to her back as to allow being able to carry her company's flag with both hands. And by holding it at a downwards angle, her sleeves were pulled up high enough so that fresh bandages could be seen wrapped around her hands. Furthermore, the seeker's hair was properly tied so that it didn't obscure her face, and her posture was impeccable. It was incredible to think that the frightened girl Weiss encountered the previous night was the same disciplined one she now saw at her side. If only things were different, Weiss thought to herself as she noticed the seeker tense up as she walked by.

When those sparse few moments finally came to an end, the 6th Seeker Company flag lowered.

Now at the end of the red carpet, Weiss and her father came to a halt, landing on their marks just in time as the fanfare came to a conclusion. A hushed silence befell the Great Hall, only broken by the sound of him climbing the stone steps and, with Weiss, pivoting at the same moment to face the crowd together. Like a defendant at a trial, she stood on equal ground as her witnesses, and the warden, the judge, presided over her. Poised to determine her fate.

"At ease!" shouted Commander Pyrrha, her voice filling the Great Hall with ease. Still in unison, all officers shifted their left leg to the left, easing themselves into a position of rest. Ruby and her fellow standard-bearers did the same, and rested the flagpoles against their shoulders before diverting their full attention to the warden as he spoke.

Using the same tone and volume he used at Yang's trial and subsequent execution as he spoke, Ruby couldn't help but feel unnerved. It took every fiber of her being to not outright shiver when Weiss walked by her. Now, she had to sit through a ceremony she didn't care about, for an unknown amount of time, essentially protecting two people she hated more than anything else. Rather happy that her day began with such positive thoughts and an enlightening conversation with Reiner, she was bitterly reminded that her day somewhat paralleled the day when she came home to Celica Ironworks and was arrested.

After taking a moment to briefly welcome and thank his honored guests for arriving on such short notice, the warden wasted no time by proceeding to read aloud the final draft of a provincial decree he had just written yesterday. Ruby felt her heart immediately sink as he ordered a provincial-wide 'call to arms.' Despite not offering any solid proof of there being a credible threat to Weischandel, or any specific speculation as to who or what the enemy was, if any, the mentioning of the province's once closest allies being the Barony of Duodon and the March of Bruyenne seemed to suggest that an unnamed province was likely to be the culprit. In the north, the only other provinces were the Viscounty of Renoir and the County of Avarus.

In any case, Ruby listened closely as the warden discussed the future of the military that she was now a part of. In addition to the entire province's armies to be put on high alert and the necessity that reserve forces be able to fully mobilize within fourteen days if called upon, he set aside the duty for himself to reach out to Duodon and Bruyenne diplomatically in the hopes of clearing any possible remaining animosity. Last of all, a delegate of his choosing was to lead a thorough inspection of their province's borders to ensure that they were properly reinforced and protected. Thus leading him to explain why the decision was made to name Weiss Heiress now, of all times.

He was confident that war was coming. And with it, the possibility of his death.

The news was not taken well by the ceremony's guests, and understandably so. In response, the warden reassured them that it was in the province's best interests to stay one step ahead of any possible enemies by coronating Weiss in an unannounced fashion. News of her ascent would spread inevitably no matter how much they tried to hide it. But by doing it the way they did, he argued, they remained one step ahead.

With the stark truth revealed, the warden proceeded into the last chapter of Weiss' coronation. Motioning to Pyrrha with a tilt of his head, the commander made her way to a wooden box that sat on a table behind him. Producing a key, she opened it and carefully withdrew a sheathed ceremony sword. Slowly, she walked over to him, took a knee, and slowly offered the sword's hilt up to him. Grabbing hold of the sword's hilt while she held on to the sheath, he quickly drew it out, causing a rich and sharp sound to reverberate through the Great Hall. Taking the sword, he approached Weiss and set the sword so that the tip of the blade touched at his feet.

"Turn." Obeying, Weiss turned around and looked up at him. "Weiss of the House Schnee. Daughter of Warden Lutolf Schnee and Lady Marina Schnee. Do you accept your Warden's endowment of the title 'Heiress of Weischandel?'"

"Yes. I accept the title 'Heiress of Weischandel.'"

"Do you swear fealty to Weischandel? To promise to do all in your power, prestige, and authority to lead your province to victorious summers and bountiful autumns? To rule honorably and righteously?"

As Weiss spoke, the seeker listened closely, surprised to hear a different tone of voice than what she so clearly remembered. The former answered proudly, but humbly. Eager, yet patient. Perhaps she too, found herself molded by her past actions.

"Yes. I swear fealty to Weischandel. I promise to do all in my power, prestige, and authority to lead my province to victorious summers and bountiful autumns. To rule honorably and righteously."

Raising the sword up into the air, the warden centered it with Weiss. "I Lutolf of the House Schnee, Eleventh Warden of Weischandel, hear your pledge, and judge your words to be true." Weiss bowed as he lowered the blade down onto her right shoulder and tapped it gently. "Weiss of the House Schnee, I hereby declare you Heiress of Weischandel!" Raising the sword over her head, he then tapped her other shoulder. "Let this day be known as the day that Weiss Schnee remembered all that came before her, and started her path to redemption!"

Continuing to bow, Weiss only looked up and straightened her posture when the ceremony sword was returned to the box it came from. Returning to face his daughter, Warden Lutolf Schnee drew out his sword and raised it into the air. "The North Remembers!" he roared.

A beat later, Commander Pyrrha Nikos and Weiss' sentinels drew out their swords and waved them high into the air. "The North Remembers!" they cried in unison.

The last to go, officers and standard-bearers snapped to attention, raising their swords and flags into the air. "The North Remembers!" Ruby shouted, struggling immensely to match the fervor of those around her.

Now no longer bound to keeping her gaze in a single direction, Weiss pivoted and looked on all those before her, her eyes shining with joy and pride. It was in those eyes that Ruby could tell that this was all she ever dreamed of. A life of responsibility and the chance to prove her mettle.

What a joke.

Redemption awaits? Ruby found herself thinking with extreme bitterness as her mind drifted between the Schnee Family Motto and the Weischandelian Military Motto, Not possible for someone like you. In some sick display of power, Weiss had written a personal letter to Captain Arturas, requesting that she replace the true standard-bearer who deserved to be there and actually gave a shit about the Schnees. After hearing members of the crowd that gathered around Yang's execution cheer on Weiss as she bloodied Ruby to near death, the latter never wished to feel such humiliation and pain ever again. Yet she was forced to endure it once more when the majority of the company erupted into outcry and anger that she be sent to the coronation instead. Just when she felt as if her presence as a female seeker slowly began to be forgotten about, she was suddenly ousted.

If Weiss had the power to ruin her life before being bestowed with legitimate power, what could she do now? The question shook Ruby to her very core.

Grabbing hold of her flag tightly with more fear than anger, she powerlessly joined in with the rest of the witnesses of Heiress Weiss Schnee's coronation and concluded the event with one final declaration.

"Long Live the Warden! Long Live the Heiress! Long Live Weischandel!"