A/N: Oh look, this is still a thing! *sobs* I'm so sorry it took this long to update!

Chapter IX: At The Altar of His Narcissism

Albus sent Weiss to bed, ignoring her repeated requests for wine. Ruby watched the scene before her unfold, not trusting herself to speak. Chewing her lip, she recalled the night's events. Watching Weiss fight had been enthralling, but it terrified her as well. Her defiance in the face of defeat was admirable, but Ruby couldn't help but feel the tribune's dedication was… obsessive in nature.

The two auxiliaries stopped by the tent to check on Weiss, but she'd already fallen asleep, exhausted by her bout with Pyrrha. The one named Nora was still smiling, but her arm wrapped tight around her husband's, fingers pulling the cloth of his tunic tight. Ruby bowed to them.

"Thank you again for the wine." She said. Nora waved her words away.

"It's our treat. I would like to speak with you further sometime." Nora said, appraising her. "It's not often one so young as yourself is made a centurion." Ruby could comment how the two auxiliaries were the same age, (and led an entire cohort of auxiliaries!) but she chose to remain silent.

"There were extenuating circumstances," she said, trying to remain humble.

"Such as…?" Nora pried, eager to learn more. Ruby sighed, remembering the event that had catapulted her into the world of tribunes and officers, letters and lessons.

"I rescued Tribune Schnee from rebels during our battle several weeks ago."

"This is a regular occurrence then?" The man – Ren – asked, nodding at the unconscious form of the Schnee scion. His voice was soft and measured, like river water hissing over rocks. It was the first time she'd heard him speak.

"More regular than I'd like." Albus grumbled from the other side of the tent, rinsing his hands in a wooden basin. He looked over the two auxiliaries. "My Lady is very tired, and I'll not have you disturbing her rest." Ren nodded, leading his wife out of the tent.

"Our apologies!" Nora said. "When she wakes, tell her I would like to speak with her," she added before the canvas flap sealed shut. Marble watched them go, his hands wringing together.

"Will she be alright?" He asked Albus, who grunted.

"Of course she will. Her pride will be wounded, but that's for the best." He sighed. "If she keeps acting in such a brash manner, it'll finally kill her."

"Forgive me…" Ruby said, interrupting their conversation. Something about the way Albus spoke set something crawling up her spine. "You make this sound as though this is a regular occurrence." He stopped, his eyes focusing on his charge. Stooping, he brushed a few strands of muddy white hair out of her eyes.

"It is. About Lady Schnee… has she told you of her home? Of her father?" Ruby shook her head. "Of becoming a Daughter?"

"No. Never. Only lessons." She wondered what his aim was. Albus was a strange man, and the only member of Weiss' retinue who dared speak to her with anything less than total obedience. He scratched the grey-snow stubble of his beard, eyes glazing over in thought.

"Perhaps I should, then." Marble shifted in his seat, studying his sandals.

"Weren't you going to bed?" Ruby asked. Albus chuckled, a mirthless sound.

"I find myself worrying after our… indomitable heiress." He shrugged. "Perhaps sharing my burden will help me find the realm of Somnus." He ruffled through his belongings, bringing forth a flagon of an unknown liquid. "But this should help as well. Follow, Centurion." With a last look at Weiss, Ruby did as he said.

The night was clouded and foggy, the weeks of rain sifting through the air in wisps of ghost-breath. A crescent moon hung behind the purpling clouds, its pale edge sharp enough to cut a sweeping gash in the sea of stars. Pyrrha and Jaune had yielded the impromptu training yard, as the impetus behind the spar had been lost in its sheer ferocity. Albus stood outside, surveying the camp laid out before them.

"Ah… Albus?" Ruby asked, confused at his purpose.

"I am sixty-seven years old, Young Rose." She sucked in a gulp of air at the revelation. Few men lived beyond fifty, and none of them looked as spry as Albus. Clearly, the man is blessed by the gods. That, she thought, or he is soon to be on death's door. "My Lady keeps my wrinkled ass near for my knowledge, not my haste." Ruby nodded.

"Weiss… Tribune Schnee…" She corrected herself. Albus ignored her concern.

"Believe me, I don't care what you call her." Ruby pondered this.

"You must know her very well."

"I do. Better than any other person alive," he huffed. "My relationship with the House of Schnee is long and unpleasant, but I should start at the beginning. Here," he said, passing her the strange drink. Ruby took it, unsure of what was happening.

"What is it?" It didn't look like wine or water. It was brown and brackish.

"A barbarian habit I picked up." Shrugging, she took a sip. She almost vomited when a sour taste washed over her tongue. She hacked and coughed, eyes spilling tears.

"What in the name of Jupiter?!" Ruby managed, fist pumping over her chest. "What is this?" Albus laughed. He didn't rush to help her, so she assumed she would live. Instead, he said something in a foreign language, sing-song and full of phlegm.

"Oh, I still remember that first sip!" He said, laughing again before taking the flagon for himself. Pausing, he gazed at the tent for a second before taking another drink.

"What is this?" Ruby asked, holding the flagon as one would hold the head of a serpent.

"Beer. A habit from the East." He began. "It's related to how I met Weiss' grandfather, and how I began my sordid relationship with the Schnees. You know of Crassus?"

"The rich old senator? Isn't he the one that got a whole legion killed in Syria?

"Not the whole legion," he murmured.

"I-I'm sorry." He waved his hand at her.

"Your platitudes mean nothing to me. It was a very long time ago." Not knowing what else to do, Ruby took another drink of this… beer concoction. It was sour, but it was so different, she couldn't help but sip at it. "I was trapped in the east for almost five years, but eventually, I returned to Rome. And they called me a coward for returning with my life. Pruinus Schnee, Weiss' grandfather, was the only one to see my talents as a medic. An upstart tribune, with more cunning and ambition than common sense," he said, sneering.

"You speak ill of him, when he saved you from an ignoble fate," Ruby protested. "Forgive me, but that seems disrespectful."

"You're too precocious for your own good," he said, snatching the beer away from her.

"I'm a Centurion," she said. "I don't have much of a choice." He huffed at that, a small smile on his lips. Watching the twinkling lights of Lugdunum, he resumed.

"He attached me to his Ludus as a medicae for a time. Stitching up gladiators, mending their bones." He took a deep breath. "Poisoning his rivals." Ruby shuddered at the sudden chill in his voice, and the bitter, cowardly words they contained.

"He forced you to poison people?" A mirthless chuckle.

"I was happy to. The Schnee House fed me, housed me. Like you said, he'd saved me from an ignoble fate. But when the civil wars tore the city asunder, I saw their true nature. They a pit of vipers."

"Vipers?" Ruby asked. "What's a viper?"

"I forgot you were a peasant." Albus said, eyes rolling. Ruby 'hmphed', but ignored the jibe. He was correct, after all. "A type of serpent. Pruinus Schnee was a vicious, conniving man. He ordered me to kill his older son, since he favored the younger." Ruby paled, the color draining from her face. Such an affront against the gods was unmentionable, horrific. It was within his rights as Pater Familias, but a reviled act nonetheless.

"You… didn't do it, right?" She managed, fearful of the response. He shook his head, and she let loose a long sigh of relief.

"I should have." The words were a slow knife of horror that edged its way into her heart. He spat a wad of phlegm and beer at the ground, his lined face creasing in anger. "That bastard was Nixus Schnee, and proved to be a viler man than his twisted father. He thrived on the chaos of the civil wars, feeding upon the people's misery, snapping up power in greedy fistfuls."

"And Weiss?"

"Weiss was his first child. I helped deliver her, despite the midwifes' protests." Only midwives were trusted with the birthing process… as far as she knew. He must be a skilled physic, or Weiss was born in extenuating circumstances. "Right from the start, I fought for her life. He demanded the child be left in the woods. Only sons would do." He shuddered. "I convinced him to keep her, but he never stopped resenting her. Every day she pushed herself to please him, recite his disgusting creeds and worship at the altar of his narcissism. It was never enough." He took a deep breath. Then along came Winter."

"Ah… winter?" Albus shook his head.

"Winter is Weiss' sister." He took a long swallow of beer before extending the drink to Ruby, who took it readily. "She was born healthy, but the gods in their infinite cruelty took her health from her when she was three. Now, she is frail and weak-willed." He lowered his voice, and she strained to hear his words. "Weiss loves her sister dearly, but knows what would become of her if she had not been born. She does not want her sister to suffer the same fate as herself. To be the scion of the House of Schnee is a terrible curse." He took another long sip of his foreign drink before handing the flagon to Ruby.

"Albus…. You said earlier that pushing herself like this is a regular occurrence. Does Weiss take her father's approval so obsessively?"

He huffed. "She fought tooth and nail to earn her titles and skills," he said, words heavy and ponderous. "Charging headlong into an army of slaves and challenging one of the most renowned warriors of our time are only her latest endeavors. She's been beaten down, broken, and re-forged more times than I care to recall. The pressure to advance her family's name is a crushing weight, one not easily shrugged off." He paused, his tired eyes raking over the camp once more. "I've done what I can. I've mended her wounds, and sat by her bedside through many difficult recoveries. I've tried my best to repair the damage Nixus has done, but only time will tell if my words take." Albus' words had shocked her, but she realized their truth in how Weiss carried herself. Ruby sipped at the beer again, finding now that she almost enjoyed the bitter beverage. Almost.

"Thank you, Albus. I can't say your words bring me comfort, but they were enlightening. You love our Lady well." She said. He snorted with laughter, a small grin pulling his lips tight.

"She is the daughter I've never had." He accepted his drink. "And don't tell her I said that. The shrew will never let me hear the end of it." He smiled again. "You bring her great joy. She enjoys having a pupil. Take care you do not misplace that trust."

Ruby thought about his words. Recalled the weeks spent agonizing over her letters, listening attentively to Weiss while she lectured her on the finer points of literature. The smiles and discussions they'd shared.

"I won't."

"Pyrrha, what in the name of the gods happened back there?" Jaune asked. They had returned to his tent, mere minutes after the spar. She flinched at his words, shoulders hunched and weary. He'd never seen her act like that. Even when they routed the slaves, she had remained collected and confident.

"I-I'm sorry, Jaune," she said. He sighed, running his hands through his hair. Removing his Tribune's cape, he set it around her shivering shoulders. The tent was cool and damp, the candles that spilled an orange glow upon the canvas sputtering and weak. Clutching at the cape's edges, Pyrrha huddled herself within the garment. Her skin was cool to the touch, grimy and slick with sweat. "Thank you," she muttered.

"Of course. Now, what came over you? If we weren't there to stop you, you would have killed her!" Jaune sat down on a folding stool, huffing out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "There's only so much I can do to protect you."

"Did it look like I needed protection?" Pyrrha asked, emerald eyes focused on the dirt between his feet. He shook his head and reached for a skin of water.

"Drink this," he said. She did so listlessly. "And I have no doubts to your prowess. I never did, and that spar was proof enough. Unfortunately, if you had killed Weiss, there's nothing I could have done to keep the entire Legion for stringing you up by your guts." Pyrrha's mouth parted with unformed words, but Jaune held up his hand. "And there's nothing you could have done to stop them. You're a skilled warrior. By Jupiter, I'd say you're the best one in the Legion. But there's only one of you." He put a hand on her shoulder. She was his friend. His best friend. The tortured look she wore sat ill on his shoulders. "I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you with me."

She looked close to tears, closer than she had ever been. Instead of weeping, she took his hand in her own, squeezing it tight.

"Thank you, Jaune." She pulled him close, wrapping her arms around his neck. She stank of sweat of exertion, but he returned the embrace. "I'm sorry." She said, retreating. "I swear to you it won't happen again."

"Thank you. I will say, however, that you put on quite the spar." He laughed. "A duel worthy of Homer." Pyrrha reddened. Good to see she's warming up. "I fear the day we meet on opposite sides of the battlefield."

"A few more years of work, and it might be the other way around," she said. Jaune chuckled.

"I doubt it, but it is a goal worth striving for." He shifted in his seat as she took another swallow of water. "Enlighten me… what happened back there? What warranted strangling her?" Pyrrha was silent for a time before locking eyes with Jaune. His throat worked. The intensity of her gaze sent a chilling rush of ice-melt down his spine. When she looked at him like that, everything else in the world seemed dull and lifeless, swallowed up in haze of green, green, green.

"She would not yield."

"So?"

"It is bravery to the point of foolishness. Her resolve is indomitable." She said.

"The gods have given her an iron will, then," he replied. It was Pyrrha's turn to shift in her seat. Her eyes sank, and the spell was broken. "You cannot fault her for that."

"Yes, but it bordered on suicidal… it…" She sighed. "I apologize. I'd rather not speak of the matter any further." Jaune was taken aback by the sadness that tinged her words, but he nodded, allowing his friend and confidant a well-deserved respite. Women. I fear they will remain a mystery for my whole life.

A guard called from outside the tent.

"My Lord, the Auxiliary Captains wish to speak with you." Jaune looked Pyrrha. She smiled a weak smile.

"You hardly need my permission," she said. Jaune shrugged.

"Let them in, Decius." With a flash of canvas, his two newest subordinates entered. Nora held her husband's arm, holding him close. She fidgeted with excitement, wearing a sunny smile that lit the tent more warmly than all the candles combined.

"Salve, Sir," Ren said, his head bowed in deference.

"Salve," Jaune replied, grinning. In the weeks' marching, he had grown to enjoy the Auxiliaries' company. Ren stayed quiet for the most part, but never failed to deliver an insight or astute observation. And whatever gaps opened in conversation, Nora (or, as Jaune's men have taken to calling her, The Laughing Gaul) was eager to fill. One would mistake her childish enthusiasm and boundless energy for weakness… if one was a fool. She was the best rider in the Legio Pharus, and wicked with her weighted hasta.

"Salve!" Nora boomed, saluting. Pyrrha chuckled at the display. Jaune smiled too, happy to see a change in her mood, however slight.

"What brings you two around?"

"We wanted to check on Pyrrha!" Nora said. "It was a truly astounding display of arms." She pulled her hand free of Ren's, fists pumping with excitement. "We have to spar sometime, Pyrrha! I can't wait to test my mettle against you!" Pyrrha laughed, her hand coming up to hide away her smile.

"I will be sure to do so!"

"Nora, love, do be more careful with her." Ren suggested, pink eyes darting over to his Decurio. "The last time we let you spar, you broke your partner's arm." He said.

Nora sniffed, running a hand through her short braided hair. "He was weak, though," she said. Jaune laughed again, his hand returning to Pyrrha's shoulder.

"I think you'll find our local Greek to be made of sterner stuff," he said. She grinned, flushing with color.

"Outside of Lady Schnee, you Romans make poor sport," she said. "Perhaps a Gaul will prove to be a greater challenge." Ren and Jaune rolled their eyes, but Nora lit up with excitement.

"Lugdunum awaits." Ren said. "Perhaps the matter is best left until we arrive. I am sure Lady Nikos is tired from earlier. Please, accept our apologies for intruding." Jaune waved his concern away.

"You are always welcome in my tent, Ren. Your right to an audience stands ad infinitum." The man's head bowed again, the pink slash of hair falling in front of his face.

"That means thank you," Nora said, once again taking hold of her husband. "Not every spoilt lordling's son would allow such rights to colonists and their barbarian wives." She winked at Jaune. "We'll be off now. You two have fun." Decius swung the tent flap open, and the Auxiliaries left, as swift and sudden as they had arrived.

"Did she… I… I believe she just called me spoiled," Jaune said.

"Well, you were awfully flabby when I first met you." Pyrrha said, grinning, appraising him from the side of her eyes.

"You are a cruel woman."

"I am not in the habit of lying, Jaune, despite the reputation my people have among your kind." She prodded his stomach with a finger, finding nothing but muscle. "So believe me when I say you have improved considerably since then." Jaune groaned in shame, going red in the face.

"Are you done torturing me?" Pyrrha yawned.

"I am. I will head to bed after a quick wash. Tomorrow, Lugdunum awaits." She stood, removing his cloak from her shoulders, handing it to him with a small smile. "Thank you Jaune. For everything."

Nora sighed once they were clear of their commander's tent, her head resting upon Ren's chest.

"Is there something amiss?" He asked. She looked up at him with a wide grin.

"Not at all."

"Nora, that smile has not fooled me once. It shall not start tonight." She laughed, lips pressing against his cheek.

"She fancies him," she said. Ren looked at her.

"Truly?"

"Oh yes," she replied, grinning. Gods but she wears a gorgeous smile, Ren thought "As sure as the rising sun."

"I find that hard to believe," he said. He had observed no such attraction in the few short weeks he had known his new superior.

"That's because you do not possess a woman's insight." She countered, wagging her finger at him. He rolled his eyes, and Nora punched his shoulder for his insolence. "It's obvious, Ren! They're such teenagers." She said.

"We are teenagers."

"You and your logic," she said, a playful snap. Ren chuckled. "Do you think everything will be okay between them? With Pyrrha and Weiss?" He thought for a moment, stroking his chin. Three days of stubble made the gesture coarse and abrasive. I need a shave.

"Weiss strikes me as the reasonable type." Nora tried to interrupt, but he held his finger to her lips, silencing her. "Despite the fact she picked a fight with Pyrrha Nikos of all people. She is not one to hold a grudge. And Pyrrha is simply too kind to hold anything resembling hatred in her heart."

"She is rather soft-hearted," Nora added. "She apologizes all the time. She practically bleeds humility and graciousness."

"Yet you worship the ground she walks upon," Ren said. Nora huffed, grinning from ear to ear.

"Do I sense jealousy, husband?" He nipped her ear in retaliation. She shivered, reddening, but shook him off with a wry smile. "Ah, none of that now." She looked at Jaune's tent, smile fading. "It's just that her ways are so different from my own. The garb of the Valkyries would not suit her."

"She is rather different from what I expected." Ren conceded. "The stories about her must be exaggerated." Nora shrugged.

"We both saw what happened back there."

A/N: Sorry for not paying enough attention to this fic. Life has been insanely busy, and it's only really had time to pump out chapters for A World of Bloody Evolution. I found a brief respite in my schedule, so here's the newest chapter for the Shining Legion! I haven't forgotten about it, promise!

Anyways, thoughts on the chapter? Personally, I love Albus line about Nixus so much, I had to make it the chapter title. One of my favorite things I've written.

Please, let me know what you think!

Glossary of Terms:

Ludus: Gladiator school/house, although I'm sure you figured that one out by context.

Pater Familias: Lit; "Father of the Family". The undisputed leader and head of a household. A position of power and respect, and permitted to treat their family however they wished.

Somnus: Roman god of sleep.

Anachronisms, issues to address, and other misc. addendum.

Albus' beer: A little (read: a lot) unrealistic for Albus to have, but I thought it'd be fun. Basically, beer was seen by Romans as a barbaric beverage, and rarely found within the walls of Rome. And yes, its origins stemmed from the east, mostly from Egypt and Syria. No idea how he got it to Gaul though...

Winter being the younger sibling: This chapter was actually written around February, LONG before we knew what Winter looked like... so... oops. XD

REVIEW REPLIES:

L4 of the WEST: Hahaha, this review still makes me smile. Always enjoy responses like that. :)

OBSERVER01: Same here! Too cute not to do!

George Oswald Dannyson: That's a pretty cool analogy, even though I only saw that fight for the first time a few weeks ago.

Okamitaretsu: No word on the ships right now, but I'm so glad you're enjoying my story as much as you are. I'm having a blast writing it!

Ou0: She's a versatile warrior, after all!

Inquisitor Azreal: You're too kind! I just wish I could update it more often for you, then... :(

ocomfv: They got lucky no one was!

Gafgar: *reads wall of text* This is awesome info! Pompeii graffiti is fucking hilarious btw, so outside common expectations of Romans. XD The thing on pankration was fascinating as well. I knew they wrestled and boxed, but wasn't sure exactly how it was done. Thanks again for this awesome review!

Mintskittle: Thanks for the constructive criticism. (And I mean that). Since you left this review all those months ago, I've done my damndest to improve on that front. Glad you're enjoying yourself. :)

Guest: Right?

Via: I agree. A total wipe wouldn't have been as much fun to read though, and I thought I struck a pretty good balance. I hope Albus' tale satisfied (as well as your dose of Nora shenanigans.) :D

Chargone: Fixed, and thanks so much!

GreatWyrmGold: Fair enough. I figured it really shouldn't be though, even if Pyrrha was fated to win no matter what.

T.C.K 2512: Hey, thanks so much! Funnily enough, it made me go back and play it too!

Nemrut: Thanks, dude! Glad to hear you're liking the story! :D

Next Chapter: Emerald and Sun return! Until then, everyone!