Rose stands in front of a mirror, wearing a rather elegant ice blue dress that seems to shine in the light. She's also got a pair of ice dust earrings on, and some red lipstick. And purple eyeshadow, the same color a certain cat wears. She's got some makeup on to hide her scars.

  She does a small twirl and looks herself over. Her mother steps up behind her and gives a soft smile.

  "I was wearing this dress the first time I met your father." Gold puts her hands on Rose's shoulders. "And it looks just perfect on you."

  "It's a little tight in the chest..." Rose mutters.

  Gold gives a soft ugh. "Dear, are you trying to make your mother jealous?"

  "Sorry."

  Golds rubs Rose's head, before she starts styling her hair. "Don't worry, sweetheart. You have a body many women wish they had. Never let anyone tell you how you should look, act or feel. You're a Bell, we listen to no one."

  Rose chuckles and smiles. "Thanks, mom."

  Gold finishes putting Rose's hair in a braided pony tail, then she turns her daughter around. "You look absolutely stunning, you could get any man or women you wanted."

  Rose blushes in embarrassment. "Moooom."

  Gold lets out another chuckle. "Sorry, sorry. But now remember, you're heading up to Ats, where all the stuck up nobles are. They're gonna see you as an embarrassment to the Schnee name, but don't let that stop you. Keep your chin help high and your gaze forward. They don't know the hardships we've been through, nor will they ever." She grabs a blue ticket from a desk and hands it to Rose. "Now, go and enjoy yourself."

  Rose nods and grabs the ticket. "I will, see you in a few hours." Rose exits the room and heads out.

  Gold stares at the doorway for a few moments, before letting out a sigh. "Where did the scared little Rose I used to know go?" She looks at a photo on the wall, one of a young Rose and Ambré. "They grow up so fast."

  A couple hours ter Rose is sitting in the farthest row back in a rge room. Weiss is singing on the stage, putting her feelings into song.

  "I'm not your pet, not another thing you own.I was not born guilty of your crimes.Your riches and your influence can't hold me anymore.I won't be possessed,burdened by your royal test.I will not surrender.This life is mine."

  The songs ends with that and everyone starts cpping, but Rose stares at Weiss.

  'I've never seen her so... unhappy this way before. She put so much feeling into that song.'

  Rose watches as Weiss heads backstage.

  'Are you suffering with the rest of us?'

  A little while ter Rose enters a ballroom where people mill about to soft piano notes. She notices a rge painting on the other side of the room, and she heads towards it, hearing some passing conversation.

  "Is she a Schnee?"

  "No, she's from one of the two branch families. Not the good one, she's from down there."

  "Ugh, and they let her in here?"

  Rose bites her lip. 'Follow what mom said.' She keeps her chin held high and her gaze forward.

  She keeps moving and she looks to the side and spots Weiss, standing beside her father who's talking to several other people. Weiss and Rose's gaze meets, and Weiss grows a happy smile and they nod to each other.

  Rose reaches the paining, and her heart drops slightly. It's depicting Beacon Academy with its Cross Continental Transmit tower still standing. Fshes of that night appear in her head, but she takes several deep breaths and clenches her fists. She holds them to her side, to hide the shaking.

  'Stop being a wuss!' Thorn shouts in her head. 'You also shake when we think about that night.' 'Ugh, shut up!'

  She feels a hand on her shoulder and she looks over, seeing Weiss. Rose smiles brioghtly.

  "Weiss!"

  The two cousins hug.

  "Oh, it's so good to see you!"

  Weiss smiles as the two let go of the hug. "It's so good to see you as well. How are you?"

  "I'm... surviving I guess." Rose responds honestly. "Just trying to get to the next day."

  Weiss then grows a little sad. "Sorry I haven't been able to talk to you much, my father, refused to let me go down to Mantle."

  Rose nods in understanding. "It's fine Weiss, I'm just gd to be here."

  "I'm gd you're here as well."

  The two look over to the painting.

  "I still get nightmares about that night." Rose mutters.

  "I can't imagine what it was like for you, the... horrors you faced against that girl. What she did..." Weiss clenches her fists. "I may not have been best friends with Maize, but she definitely didn't deserve that... And I might've never agreed with Byzan, but... he was a good person. He fought so hard for everyone, who knows where his body is, but maybe... maybe he survived."

  Rose gives a soft smile. "I want to think that he did... but with how he looked, that'd be a fairy tale."

  The two remain silent for a few moments, before Weiss speaks again.

  "Out of everyone, I think you might've suffered the most."

  Rose just shakes her head. "No, there are parents that didn't get to see their children come home, and they're are kids that don't get to wake up to their parents anymore. They've... they've suffered more then me." A few tears swell up in her eyes. "I just... it's hard to think that I'm practically the st member of team AMBR. I... why would someone do that?"

  Weiss shakes her head. "I don't know, we're just kids. We know nothing about the world."

  The two continue to stare at the painting in silence, silently mourning for all they lost. That is until Henry Marigold suddenly appears.

  "It's beautiful." Henry starts, as he looks at the painting, then to Weiss. "You two match."

  Weiss crosses her arms, as her expression turns cold. "Yes, it's a lovely painting."

  "So, that was my attempt at breaking the ice. How am I doing so far?"

  'His voice annoys me.' 'Thorn!' 'What, you think so too, don't forget, I'm in your head!'

  Wiess sighs and responds to Henry. "You are leaving a lot to be desired."

  "Well, I've aways appreciated honesty." Henry offers his hand to her. "Henry. Marigold."

  Weiss gnces at Henry. "Weiss Schnee." She lightly pces her fingers across his in a very loose handshake. "And this is Rose Bell." She motions to Rose.

  Henry winks at Rose, and this makes her uncomfortable for some reason.

  "I know, I saw your performance." Henry cringes as he lowers his hand. "Obviously." He clears his throat. "You were wonderful. And I promise I'm not saying that 'cause you're pretty."

  Weiss turns her attention back to the painting, and there is brief silence amongst the three.

  "Honesty, remember? So, you're thinking about buying it?" Henry begins to rattle the railing that's separates them from the painting.

  "No." Weiss responds. "I don't think so."

  "Yeah, kinda pricey for a painting."

  Weiss grows annoyed. "It's to raise money."

  "Oh really? For what?"

  Rose's eyes turn red as Thorn takes over, but her right hand grabs her left arm, and holds it down.

  "For what?" Weiss gives Henry a disgusted look.

  Henry chuckles. "I'll admit, I only come to these things for the food and drinks." He reaches out and takes a champagne flute as a waiter walks by. "And the extraordinary company. Of course." As he sips his drink, Weiss shifts her stance to face him. "So what, is it another Mantle fundraiser or something?"

  "Get. Out." Weiss orders in an angry tone.

  "What?" Henry asks with a slight ugh.

  "Get out, or I will have security escort you out."

  "But I haven't done any-"

  "Leave!" Weiss orders.

  Weiss takes on a more aggressive stance as she raises her voice. He stares at in disbelief before obeying.

  "Pfft, whatever."

  Weiss watches him walk away, and once he is gone, she turns back to the painting. Thorn raises an eyebrow and chuckles.

  "I would've done a lot worse to him."

  Weiss closes her eyes. "I can't stand people like him."

  Thorn crosses her arms as she looks at the painting. "Neither can I."

  Thorn looks at the sign in front of the painting.

  SHOW THE WORLD WE CARE

  All Proceeds go to the Kingdom of Vale

  Thorn grits her teeth, before she sighs and frowns. She stares at the sign with a solemn look. That is until one voice behind her stands out.

  "But really, does it come as any surprise, what happened to Vale?" A Trophy Wife asks.

  Thorn's eye twitches as she and Weiss peer over their shoulders at the women.

  "It was a long time coming if you ask me."

  "Honey..." The Trophy Wife's husband tries to calm her down, by putting a hand on her shoulder, but she shakes him off.

  "What?" She ughs. "You said the same thing st night. If they're so arrogant to think they can get by without proper kingdom defense, then I say good riddance."

  Weiss shouts angrily at her. "Shut up!"

  The room falls silent, and all the party goers turn to look at her.

  "Weiss?" Jacques questions.

  Thorn uses all her strength to hold herself back, as Weiss continues to yell; angrily gestures to the quests while she speaks.

  "You don't have a clue! None of you do!"

  "Excuse me?" The Trophy wife questions.

  "You're all just standing around talking about nothing! Worrying about your hair, your money, your stupid problems that don't mean anything!"

  Her father quickly approaches her while Whitley looks on with a faint smile on his face. "Weiss, that's enough." He grabs her wrist, tightly, and she immediately begins struggling to pull away.

  "Let go of me!"

  Thorn steps forward and separates Weiss and Jacques. "She didn't do anything wrong, Jacques! That bitch was-"

  SLAP!

  Rose's eyes turn back to their blue and gold as she takes back over. A faint red mark adorns the left side of her face as she's now looking to her right. She blinks in confusion, before putting a hand up to her face as the stinging hits.

  "You..." Rose mutters in shock as she looks at Jacques, as he points at her.

  "You don't get a say in any of this. You should be gd I let your filthy shoes step foot in here. Your family is a disgrace to the Schnee name!"

  Suddenly a bright fsh goes off behind Rose, and the two look over to see Weiss, looking very angrily, summon a glyph that manifest a white Boarbatusk.

  "Weiss..." Rose mutters, and Weiss looks at her summon in confusion.

  The Boarbatustk Summon charges toward the Trophy Wife.

  "Please, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, just leave me alone." The Trophy Wife pleads as tears form in her eyes.

  The Summon leaps towards her and her Husband, jaws wide open, but it is shot down by James Ironwood before it can reach her.

  The Trophy Wife points angrily at Weiss as she comes to her senses. "Arrest her! What are you waiting for? She's insane, she should be locked up."

  "She's the only one making sense around here." Ironwood looks over to Jacques. "Thanks for the party, Jacques."

  The General casually makes his exit. Weiss looks over to Rose, who still has a hand on her face.

  "Rose-" Weiss starts, but Jacques grabs her arm and drags her away.

  "That's enough from you!" Jacques drags her out of the room.

  Rose lowers her hand, the hand print on her face more apparent now. She looks to where Weiss and Jacques disappeared to, before putting a hand back on her face. The stinging only hurts more now.

  .

  .

  .

  In the Ats Academy training room and loud boom is heard.

  Suddenly Rua Degram sms into the training wall, spitting up a rge amount of blood. Her long sword ctters onto the ground next to her as she slides down the wall.

  Rua has short sky blue hair, with a few bangs over her right eye. Her golden eyes shake as pain fills her. She's got a leather choker around her neck. She's currently wearing a training outfit that's soaked with swear and a bit of blood.

  She's got a rge scar over her right eye now, and a couple metal fingers on her right hand, her pointer, middle and ringer finger.

  Rua looks up as blood pools out of her mouth, she holds a hand over her stomach. Calico slowly walks towards her, before stopping and pointing her hammer at her.

  Calico points her hammer at Rua. "Get. Up."

  Rua lets out a raspy breath. "I... I..." She spits out some blood to the side, as she tries to get back up, but her legs give out under her. "I can't."

  Calico narrows her eyes at her. "You said you wanted to to learn to fight, so pick up your sword, and fight!"

  Rua grits her teeth and grabs onto her sword next to her, her fingers barely even listening to her. She uses her sword like a cane and pulls herself up, she gres at Calico as she stands up.

  Rua stands at 5'9''.

  Calico smirks. "Good, now hit me."

  Rua takes several deep breaths, before letting out a loud war cry and charging towards Calico.

  Up in an observation deck, Winter watches the training with a look of indifference. Another loud boom echoes, making her flinch a little. Rua is heard coughing, before vomiting.

  "What are you, weak?!" Calico shouts. "I said hit me!"

  Rua lets out another war cry. Winter just shakes her head and heads for the door, as another loud boom echoes. Winter doesn't look back, even when Rua is heard letting out a loud cry of pain.

  Winter lets out a sigh. "We must do, what we need to do."

  With that she exits the room, leaving Calico to her deadly training.

  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  05-07-2025

  2300 words