A/N: Here we are! You guys showed a lot of interest in this (seriously 61 follows on one chapter? Like holy fuck) I had about half of this chapter written when chapter one went up so I don't know if I'll be able to keep up this place but I'm going to attempt to update Bi-weekly, I stress attempt. But I won't keep you here, enjoy!

Chapter 2: Blood, bribes, and breakfast

Yang was going to kill her.

Ruby walked back towards her home through the moonlit streets of Vale, the Schnee castle looming from the mountainside behind her. She knew Yang would be angry with her for getting a job, especially a job at the castle. Yang had never liked the vampires, they had something to do with why her mother left, or at least Yang thought they did. Not to mention the fact the vampires were often seen as monsters anyway, drinking blood and wielding powerful magic. Vale was somewhat more tolerant of vampirism, due to how well the Schnee house has governed Vale, but despite their benevolence hatred still remained in the righteous and superstitious.

Ruby nervously ran her hands along the edge of her cloak, she had left a message for Yang saying she was searching for a job and might be home late, the same message she had left out and recovered before Yang returned every time she had failed to find work. But she knew that wouldn't stop her from worrying.

She arrived at her front door to their little shack, it really wasn't too bad, it didn't rain a lot in Vale and it wasn't cold yet so the draft wasn't bad, it was home. Steeling herself with a deep breath she opened the door and stepped in.

The single room home was filled with the sisters meager possessions, the ground floor had a small kitchen area next to a small pantry with a little cast iron stove. A round wooden table and chairs served as both an eating area and a work space, it was currently cluttered with bits of metalwork, leather, and fabric from Yang's blacksmith work and Ruby's sewing. The floor was wear worn grey stone with a few threadbare rugs covering some places, a simple wooden ladder lead up to the loft where their straw filled mattresses were. Yang had knocked her chair over backwards as she stood from sitting at the table.

"Ruby!" Yang nearly knocked her over with the force of her hug, but not a moment later Yang was holding her at arm's length. "What in the dust damned hell were you thinking?!"

"Yang, we need-" Yang cut her off.

"No, I told you no! We're fine, what am I going to have to do to get you out of this mess?" Yang paced throwing her arms up and walking back towards the table.

Ruby clenched her fists, Yang was treating her like a child. "You can't I signed a contract."

Yang whipped around to face her, her eyes narrowing. "Where did you get hired?"

"The keep, I'm the lady Weiss' personal attendant." Ruby replied crossing her arms over her chest defiantly.

"Oh dust the keep?! Ruby you can't go back there, the vampires." She stopped dead staring at Ruby.

She walked over and yanked the collar of her shirt over moving her head to the side looking at her neck where a set of little red puncture marks shown against her pale skin. "Ruby."

"Yes, Weiss bit me, I'm fine, and I'm going back tomorrow morning." Ruby grit out slapping Yang's hands away from her.

"Like hell you are! Just dust Ruby what were you thinking!" Yang shouted .

Ruby lost it. "You want to know what I was thinking?! I was thinking that I couldn't take watching my sister starve herself anymore!" Yang's eyes widened slightly. "Yeah I noticed, I noticed you're eating less, I noticed you're working later and sleeping less, I couldn't just sit here and watch you work yourself to death!"

The color had drained from Yang's face her hands hanging limply at her sides. "Ruby."

"No! Shut up! I'm doing this for both of us, just like you are, and I got lucky being hired by Weiss!" She threw a sack of coins at yang, the payment Glynda had given her for her first day of work. "How many days of your work is that?"

Yang opened the sack and her eyes widened; she looked off to the side not making eye contact. "A week maybe…" She said with a pained expression.

"Exactly, I'm not a child anymore! I can make my own decisions." Tears started forming in the corners of her eyes. "I was worried you might do something drastic." The look she gave Yang told her she knew exactly what that implied. With that she climbed up the ladder and crawled into her bed.

Yang sat down heavily placing the sack of money on the table; she ran a hand through her hair. She had almost resorted to… selling herself. The blacksmith she worked for was a greasy scumbag but he was the only one who would hire her, she did more of the work at the smithy than he did now. He had offered her money to take her, she had refused, but they were starting to get real lean on money, dust she had almost given in. Ruby had saved her from that, but at what price to her?

Weiss pressed her against one of the massive book cases of her private study, one hand rested on her side the other gently brushing a strand of hair from her face. Ruby's heart pounded in her chest. Weiss' lips ghosted over Ruby's cheek before the vampire tilted her head to the side and sunk her fangs in.

Ruby awoke and sucked in a gasping breath.

It was just a dream.

The bite mark on her neck throbbed, not painfully, but almost pleasantly like the memory of sun on your skin. A shiver ran through her and she held herself feeling suddenly alone as the throbbing faded.

The clatter of pots and pans drifted up to the loft from bellow and the smell of cooking food came with it. Climbing down the ladder Ruby found Yang cooking a rather large breakfast.

"Yang?" She asked curiously.

Yang turned looking to her before quickly looking back to her cooking. "I'm using up what we had left, I'm not working todays so I'll go and buy us fresh food and some other things with the money you brought home."

Ruby just hummed sitting down at the table as Yang handed her a plate, fried bread and potatoes with some vegetables, simple but filling and inexpensive. She made sure Yang had taken a good portion for herself before she began eating her own. After finishing she gathered the few things she would need for her day at the keep before heading for the door.

"Ruby, wait." Yang called coming over to her at the doorway.

Ruby gave her a bit of glare, yang raised her hands defensively. "I know, I know." She sighed. "Dust I know we need this, and I'm sorry for how I was treating you, I just… I thought I could handle this on my own."

Ruby's face softened into a smile. "You don't have to make sacrifices for me Yang, I can stand up on my own."

"Just… promise me you'll be careful up there okay? I don't like that you're working for those vampires." Yang replied glaring out of the doorway at the keep.

"I'll be fine Yang, I think you're making a big deal out of nothing."

Yang just sighed setting her face into a thin frown, Ruby shook her head and headed off towards the keep.

Weiss was just getting out of bed, she stretched languidly as morning light peeked in through the curtains. She took a deep breath as she stretched exhaling loudly as she finished, she felt a pleasant energy about her, a vigor she hadn't felt in quite some time.

Getting up she began preparing for the day, washing her face in a basin of water, most of the family chose rosewater or some other flower to give them a heady scent, but Weiss chose mint the sharp scent helped keep her focused, and the almost stinging cold feeling it gave the water woke her up quickly. After that she put her hair up into its usual off kilter ponytail, and began dressing placing her dirty clothes away in a basket, just as she was finishing a light knock came at her door.

"Yes?" She called.

"It's me, Ruby Miss." Came the muffled reply.

"Come in." She called back returning to the last few buttons of her shirt.

Ruby stepped into the room quietly closing the door behind her. Weiss leaned back on her dresser looking over the slightly smaller girl, she glimpsed the small red puncture marks on her pale skin and a sudden urge to drink from her again swelled up within her.

Weiss beckoned her over and Ruby obeyed stepping up to the vampire but keeping her eyes averted. Weiss cupped her chin gently in her hand tilting her head up until their eyes met, and again Ruby looked into those crystal clear sapphires tinged with hints of the purest ruby, she gulped.

Weiss just looked at her, her thumb tracing the lower edge of Ruby's bottom lip. "Did you dream of me last night?"

Ruby's eyes widened slightly. "Y-yes, how did you know?"

"It's an effect of the bite." Weiss replied staring distractedly at Ruby, thoughts of whiling away the day in bed sinking her fangs into the red girl over and over again filled her mind. "You will probably dream of me every night if I continue to drink from you."

Ruby mulled that over for a moment, the dream certainly hadn't been bad but she wasn't sure how it felt to know she would dream of that every night.

Weiss' head sank towards her neck. "Maybe… maybe just a quick sip before breakfast?" She asked as her lips ghosted over a pulsing vein.

Weiss' fangs sank into her again, hot pinpricks in her neck spreading warmth throughout her body as blood flowed into Weiss' hungry mouth. After only a moment Weiss pulled away licking her lips greedily. "Mmm thank you Ruby."

Ruby just noded in reply trying to settle her pounding heart.

Weiss returned to dressing herself a little more awake and alert after her drink. "I'll be working in my study today, go to the kitchen and get some biscuits and coffee please." Weiss said as she finished donning her garments buttoning up the last few buttons on her jacket even as the flush of blood cooled from her face.

"Right away Miss." Ruby replied bowing slightly before ducking out of the room and heading in the direction she thought was the kitchen, her heart still thuttering in her chest.

She definitely remembered this hallway from yesterday, the two halberds mounted on the wall she remembered, the next intersection was where she needed to turn, one led to the courtyard the other to the kitchens but which way was which? She was so distracted by the twisting corridors of the castle she was attempting to re-create in her mind that she nearly walked right into the figure coming around the corner.

Alcranz Schnee.

"M-Master Schnee!" Ruby stammered in surprise quickly folding herself nearly in half at the waist as she bowed to him.

Alcranz merely quirked a corner of his mouth upwards slightly in amusement. He had a slim but strong fencer's build and sharp drawn features. His coal black hair was pulled back into a small bob at the back of his head tied with a thin satin blue strip of silk, and his goatee was trimmed immaculately. The long white dress shirt partially covered by a black pinstriped vest and silken slacks gave him a very businesslike appearance while also maintaining an heir of regality, all of which added up to scare the living daylights out of poor Ruby.

"Please, just call me 'Sir' the Wife doesn't like pretty young servant girls calling me 'Master'." He said with a chuckle.

Ruby blushed furiously. "Yes,.. Sir."

He straightened up a little his small smile fading. "It's Ruby, is it not?"

"Y-yes sir, Ruby Rose." Ruby replied still bent at a 90 degree angle staring fixedly at the plush red carpeting.

The most powerful man in Vale sighed rolling his eyes. "You can stop bowing now, it's really not necessary." He said with the heir of a man who is bowed to far too often, at least in his opinion.

Ruby straightened up twisting her hands nervously, and keeping her head slightly down.

"Now I want you to listen to me." He said crossing one arm across his chest and gesturing with the other.

Ruby finally looked to him, seeing the shockingly clear blue eyes that Weiss had inherited from him, if not his coal black hair. "Sir?"

"You are the first person Weiss has bitten in…" He paused a moment in thought. "Far too long," He continued." We vampires drink blood liqueur to extend the time between drinking from live humans, or at least most of us do anyway, but in any case it is not meant to sustain us for so long without real fresh blood." Ruby cocked her head slightly as he talked. "I don't know why you have finally broken her out of her fasting but you have and that's what's important to me, I want her to be happy and healthy and for far too long she has not been." He sighed slightly before fixing the slight red girl with a steely look. "If that means taking some… extra ordinary measures to keep you content in your position here, then so be it." He said with a conspiratorial shrug.

Ruby had to take a second to think over what he just said before it sank in, he was offering to bribe her for her blood.

"T-that's not necessary Sir." She stammered out quickly after the long silence of her thinking. "Really sir this job pays well enough to keep me and my sister afloat Sir, we don't need much."

The Schnee head was a little surprised that this poor peasant girl had declined his offer. "Too much time spent with those damnable merchants." He thought to himself deciding that this girl had a good heart and might do some real good for his daughter's stone one. "Very good." He nodded realizing he didn't know what to say now that his bribe had actually been refused. "I'll let you get on your way then, and the offer still stands if it becomes necessary."

She nodded bowing, although only modestly this time. "Thank you sir." She said slipping around him towards what she hoped was the kitchen.

Alcranz nodded to himself pleased with that fatherly act even if n the end it had only cost him a moment of his time, exceptionally cheap for long lived vampires, when something the young girl had said caught his attention, quickly he called over his shoulder. "What did you say your name was again?"

Ruby turned back just as she was about to round the next corner seeing the entrance to the kitchen just down the hall, bouncing on her feet eager to finish her errand quickly. "Ruby Rose sir."

He nodded to her and she disappeared around the corner quickly. "Ruby Rose, related to Summer Rose? She must be, why didn't I recognize those grey eyes immediately?" He walked quickly through the corridors hands clasped behind his back as he thought. "I'll need to have a chat with Qrow."

Ruby pushed open the door to the kitchen with a purposeful tick to her stride, as soon as the heavy wooden door opened she was assaulted with a wave of heat and the smell of baked goods and cooking meat. The kitchen was a fairly large space, but cluttered with wooden countertops covered in any number of cooking devices many of which Ruby could not identify. The walls were covered with white plaster, or what could be seen of them were, most of the wall space was covered with racks of hanging utensils or bundles of herbs or shelves containing… utensils or jars of herbs. The ceiling was low and made of the heavy wooden beams of the floor above it divided by a series of red brick arches supporting the weight of castle above it. At the far end of the room was large brick oven being used by a rather short woman with bright orange hair holding a large baking board in a manner that implied violence.

The woman noticed her and raised the board above her head. "HELLO!" She yelled at the top of her apparently impressive lungs. Her face was smudged with flour and her grin was wide and full of energy. She wore a white apron over a long sleeved black shirt rolled up to her elbows, her apron was patched in several places with varying colors and types of fabric patches of mostly silver and pink.

"Uhm… hello?" Ruby mumbled as she approached the woman.

"You must be Weiss' new girl, I'm Nora the head chef here." She said posing heroically with the bakers' board.

"Ruby, uh yes I'm here to get biscuits and coffee for Weiss?" She asked cocking a curious eyebrow at the oddly energetic woman.

"Oh sure, there's a pot of coffee over there, just fill up a carafe and get the milk and sugar and stuff from the cabinets right there." She said pointing over to an area next to a large pot hung over a fire. "I'll have some fresh biscuits for ya in just a sec here." She finished looking into the blazing mouth of the brick oven.

Ruby nodded scurrying over to the large pot full of dark slightly bubbling coffee, she wasn't usually one for the drink herself but she had to admit that the smell was very comforting in that odd sort of way that coffee is in the morning. Opening the nearby cupboards and cabinets she found a serving tray, a cup of sugar, a small pot of cream from a cool clay hollow sunk into the ground, a mug and saucer and finally a silver carafe that she filled from a spigot attached to the bubbling pot. By the time she gathered all of that together on the tray Nora walked over with five fresh steaming rolls on a plate with a small clay pot of butter and a blunt edged knife. Ruby took the plate putting it on the tray.

"Thank you." Ruby said with a smile and a nod.

"Any time, and if you're ever hungry just drop in." Nora leaned in conspiratorially. "I've always got a little extra for the serving girls." And with a wink Nora sent her off back towards Weiss waiting in her study.

Ruby somewhat awkwardly manipulated the door handle to Weiss' study while balancing the tray of gently steaming goods in her other hand. Weiss was seated at her large desk busily flicking her eyes over a small stack of papers in her right hand while her other hand deftly handled a long slim sword, every few moments her eyes would flick from the blade to the papers and then back.

Ruby approached the desk coughing lightly when she neared and Weiss had shown no sign of noticing her. Weiss' head whirled quickly her eyes narrowed but she relaxed as soon as she saw Ruby.

"Ah very good just put it here on the desk." Weiss said indicating one of the very few spots on her desk that was not occupied by something.

"How would you like it Miss'?" She asked placing the tray down and picking up the carafe to pour. Weiss glanced back to her seeing that Ruby was going to pour it for her, she grabbed the plate of biscuits herself before she replied.

"Cream and just a little sugar." She said tearing open a steaming biscuit before picking up the knife.

Ruby poured the coffee and doctored it to Weiss' instructions before placing it at her elbow. Weiss' eyes never left the page she was reading as she reached for the cup and took a sip. "Ah, thank you Ruby, you make take a seat I doubt I will need you for anything immediately I just have these blacksmith reports to read."

Ruby walked towards one of the comfortable looking armchairs set behind Weiss' desk next to a small end table holding a few books and a dust lamp of wrought silver, its glowing crystal currently dimmed as the large window provided plenty of light.

"Yes, I'm in charge of finding a new master smith to replace Tormund, our retired smith, so I've requisitioned every blacksmith of note in Vale to make one sword of their best quality for my appraisal." Weiss replied almost absentmindedly as she shuffled through more reports. "Oh, you may read any of the books here; I imagine you'll have plenty of time waiting on me."

Ruby nodded changing her course from the chair to the bookshelves. "Thanks you Miss'."

Weiss just grunted slightly as she took another sip of coffee.

The massive bookshelves seemed almost daunting to approach but Ruby's innate curiosity overcame it and she began to examine the contents of the shelves, hundreds of tomes of various conditions, colors, sizes, and binding. Some in leather, some in cloth, others merely held together by rings of metal, books weren't the only things on the shelves though, trinkets and knick-knacks of various descriptions hid amongst the tomes, small jewelry boxes, an hourglass of dark mahogany inlaid with gold, a carven ivory statue depicting a strange figure in foreign looking robes, a highly detailed miniature ship, and numerous other objects kept Ruby's attention for some time before a book piqued her interest.

With that in hand she went to the large plush armchair and sat down, it may have been the most comfortable thing she had ever sat on.

A/N: Well thank you for reading and I hope to see you all again next time!

P.S. The best way to keep me updating is to follow or review or even just PM me, the more you all badger me the guiltier I feel for not updating, but seriously hearing your guys support is great inspiration to keep writing.