A commission for ggungabyfish, who asked for a bit of an add-on Ruby/Weiss story to my Dragon's Curse AU! This should be read AFTER Eternal, though the events of this story take place before the events of that one. It'd just be much easier to understand if you read that first.

I'd also like to say thanks to dasaethewulf for all their support! I really appreciate it!

**AUTHOR'S NOTE**: Please remember I wrote and posted Eternal over a year earlier than I've created this story. There were a LOT of details we didn't know about the canon at the time I wrote Eternal, for example Taiyang's name and appearance, and Winter's existence. There is little to no mention of some things in Eternal due to how early on it was written. But now that we know more content from the canon, I've added in more accurate details in this story, without taking away too much from the main fic.

In Eternal, I briefly mentioned how Weiss got her scar defending Ruby from dangerous people when they were both younger. This fic explores that story, and they are several years younger. Ruby is 12 and Weiss is 14.

If you like my writing, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

The Bond

Ruby woke in the early-morning hours, long before the kingdom outside her window had gotten a chance to stir.

Only a faint scintilla of pale light managed to slip in through the thick red curtains, telling her that dawn was yet an hour or so away.

Slowly, she shifted in the bed that was still too big for her, rolling over onto her side to face the nearest window, where the light was peeking through. She wiggled beneath the blankets, clutching them in anticipation, eager for the new day to begin.

There wasn't anything particularly special about today – her birthday had passed a few months ago. She was just always ready to start a new day in her beloved kingdom, the kingdom her late mother had ruled for many peaceful years, the kingdom her father now ruled just as strongly-

-the kingdom that would one day be hers to rule.

She never woke feeling anything but energetic, unless she'd caught a cold like she had a few weeks back. It had only been a minor case of the sniffles and a slight sore throat, and her guards and father had insisted she stay indoors and see the healers until she was better.

Ruby had complied to their wishes as much as she'd been able to, but she was enthusiastic and curious by nature. To her guards' concern, Ruby had insisted on going out on her daily rounds every day nonetheless. She believed that breathing the fresh spring air into her lungs, feeling Crescent's energy as she rode, and being able to observe and greet her people all factored into helping her feel better more quickly.

Of course, she never did anything outside of the castle alone. In fact, she never did most things inside the castle alone either, except sleep, change, and bathe.

Thinking as much, she realized she only had a few more minutes left to herself this morning. She could already hear the distant sounds of the citizens outside, beginning the new day. Doors were opening up, horses were starting to whinny, and hearty calls of "good morning!" were being exchanged between neighbors and friends.

Smirking, Ruby devised a little plan to start the day off with some fun. She knew her personal guard had already arrived at her post outside of Ruby's door.

No matter how early Ruby had woken in any of these hundreds and hundreds of days of her life thus far, Weiss was always up and dressed even before Ruby was out of bed.

The uptight young girl was sometimes referred to as an attendant to the princess, considering she was only fourteen years old. But Ruby knew Weiss was always pushing herself harder and harder each day, until she could fully earn the official title of being Ruby's knight.

Ruby only ever heard tidbits about Weiss' personal life through the whispers of the Faunus maids in the castle. Evidently, Weiss always woke long before dawn, when the crickets were still filling the air with their song of night. She would never leave castle grounds, but she had found many ways to train herself even when only the night watchmen and guards were awake.

She always ran a few laps around the royal courtyard and gardens, staying on the paths and never putting so much as a blade of grass out of place. She would practice her rapier skills, often doing several dozen sets' worth of techniques ranging from stabs to blocks to parries.

Being one of the few people permitted to use the rare Dust within the kingdom, Weiss had to be mindful of her supplies and how she used them. She only practiced with her Dust a few mornings per month, so as not to waste it.

Ruby knew her attendant hoped she'd never have to use it in a real situation.

Once Weiss had completed her routine every morning, it was believed she retreated back to her personal quarters to shower, and then adorn her armor and take her place outside of Ruby's door.

After she'd heard the maids whispers about all the things Weiss did before Ruby herself had even gotten out of bed, the princess had felt almost guilty about it.

But she's a member of the royal guard, and I'm a princess. I guess it makes sense, right? And since she's always beside me every second from dawn until dusk, I guess before I wake up is the only time she really has to train and hone her skills.

Despite Weiss' position to be Ruby's guard, Ruby had always thought of her as a close friend. The relationship of princess and guard was too formal, too professional, and it made them stiff around one another.

The only reason Weiss had been assigned her position was because her parents were repaying a debt to the King. They had vowed to give the royal princess their youngest daughter in exchange for King Taiyang's generosity during the Schnees' time of need. Weiss had been assigned to her when she was only eight years old, and Ruby merely six.

But Ruby didn't like the nature of their relationship being solely for the sake of repaying a debt. She wanted it to be more than a guard's duty to her princess.

Over the years, Ruby liked to believe she'd succeeded in turning their relationship into a friendship, though Weiss was still very hesitant and unlikely to show any kind of ease or informality around her princess. Such conduct could be considered inappropriate, and could very well result in a permanent termination of her position. She didn't even call Ruby by name without her title or honorifics of some sort.

Therefore, Ruby had learned to only act friendly and give Weiss an opportunity to do the same when they were alone together. And the best time of day for that was-

Presently, Ruby burrowed beneath her blankets as she heard an unmistakable knock on her door. A reassuring and familiar voice soon followed.

"Princess? Have you awoken this morning?"

Ruby almost gave in to her natural desire to jump out of bed and reply, "Yes! Please enter!" But today she decided to surprise her knight-to-be.

She said nothing by means of a reply, and made no sounds.

After a moment had passed, Weiss called out again.

"Princess?"

Ruby knew this was unusual for her not to be up after the first call, and she knew Weiss was permitted to enter her room without a verbal cue if Ruby didn't answer after the third time. She waited, and heard the click of a hand bracing on a hilt.

"Princess Rose?"

Ruby held her tongue. She'd never done this before, and she was excited for it now.

The doors rattled, and a second later burst open. She heard Weiss rush in, scouring the room as she called for her again.

"Princess!"

Ruby could hear her approaching the bed now, drawn by the curve of her concealed form. Ruby counted in her mind.

One... two...three!

"Surprise!"

She sat up, tossed the blankets off of herself, and threw her arms around Weiss all at once, more or less dragging her guard forward, causing her to gasp and lose her balance. Ruby was giggling from her little prank as she hugged Weiss.

But it was only a second later when she realized something was wrong. Weiss' rapier was in her left hand, already drawn, but that now clattered to the floor. Ruby felt firm, gloved hands on her shoulders, pushing the girls apart from one another.

"Princess!" Weiss cried. "You were here? You were awake all this time? Why didn't you respond to my calls?" Her stern blue eyes wavered with more fear than relief.

Ruby sat back on her bed.

"I wanted to surprise you, Weiss!"

The girl two years her senior seemed to have forgotten how to breathe, and now Ruby could feel that the hands resting on her shoulders were trembling.

"Princess..."

Weiss' voice was choked. Not a second later, her knees gave out, and she collapsed to the floor at the bedside.

"Weiss!" Ruby's smile disappeared as she scrambled to the edge, placing her hands on her attendant's shoulders to support her. "What's wrong?"

Weiss was breathing hard, and she lifted a hand to her chest, clutching over her armor just above her slamming pulse.

"I'd thought- ...that you'd fallen victim to the illness again. That someone had come in the night and stolen you away. That'd you been hurt, or worse-"

Ruby's stomach gnarled into a knot. She hadn't thought of any of that.

She'd never considered how her harmless prank might've looked to a guard, to someone like Weiss, who had been trained to have her entire life revolve around Ruby's.

Plus, there had been several times in the past when people had snuck into the castle in an effort to claim her life. Weiss' vigilance and quick thinking had saved her every time, bringing Ruby to safety as the guards and other adults apprehended the suspects who'd been wounded by Weiss' blade.

Ruby hadn't thought about how her antics this morning might've seemed similar to what would happen if she'd been kidnapped, or bound and taken hostage. It was clear Weiss' violent reaction now proved just how frightened she'd been when Ruby hadn't responded to her.

"Weiss..." Ruby slipped between the bed and her attendant, also falling to her knees. "I'm- ...I'm so sorry. I didn't realize..." Slowly, gently, she wrapped her arms around Weiss once more and whispered softly to her. "I'm okay, Weiss. I'm here. Everything's okay. I'm so sorry..."

She could still feel Weiss quivering, gasping for breath in her panic.

But even though Ruby knew this was all her own fault, Weiss could never blame her beloved princess for anything.

"No... it's fine. As you said, you didn't realize. I overreacted."

"No you didn't, Weiss! You reacted normally! I'm the one who should've thought through my actions more carefully! I never considered how it would make you feel!" She squeezed her tighter, until the hardness of Weiss' armor started pressing uncomfortably against her. "If I can't even... consider my own guard's feelings... then h-how am I supposed to be the next Queen?"

She couldn't help but start to cry now. She wished she hadn't though, because she knew what her tears did to Weiss. Any guard who had allowed their charge to shed tears like this always considered themselves a failure, or unfit for their position.

Weiss shuddered against her, very clearly trying not to let her own tears fall. Ruby could count on one hand how many times she'd ever seen Weiss cry in the seven years they'd been together thus far. She didn't like it when Weiss cried any more than Weiss liked it when she cried.

But sometimes, Ruby wished Weiss would shed the tears instead of bottling them up inside. Even now, Weiss was suppressing everything she could, while Ruby was able to feel the relief of crying.

"I'm sorry..." she whispered. "I'm sorry, Weiss..."

Weiss had more or less composed herself by now, the panic ebbing away as her pulse began to settle.

"Don't apologize, Princess. All that matters is that you are safe."

Ruby sniffled and buried her face into Weiss' shoulder.

But at what cost? I hurt you...

She cried for several minutes, and Weiss never left her side.

Only when Ruby had stopped whimpering did Weiss pick her up and help her sit on her bed once more. Weiss crossed the room to fetch Ruby her cloak and dress, then helped her princess to the bathroom and waited as she showered.

By the time Ruby had gotten dressed, both girls were feeling better.

Still, Ruby felt the need to pull Weiss into one more hug within the privacy of her room, before they were to step out into the public. Weiss allowed herself the reward of putting one of her arms around the small of her princess' back, just for a moment.

Once they'd both gotten their bearings, Weiss offered her elbow. The young princess put on a smile again as she looped her arm around Weiss' and was guided down to breakfast.

Despite the events of the early morning, Ruby was soon back to her happy, hyper self.

She hugged and kissed her father and her sister at breakfast, and gave an adorable smile and wave to Blake, Yang's Faunus attendant.

As soon as she'd finished eating, she was ready to head to the stables and start her daily rounds around Vale with Weiss at her side.

Blake and Yang often accompanied them, but today they had decided to do a bit of training with the army, where Weiss' elder sister was stationed. That left Ruby and her guard alone for the day to do as they pleased.

Once they'd stepped outside into the lovely spring sunshine, Weiss stayed by Ruby's side as the princess requested one of the other guards to fetch their horses.

It still felt a bit odd for a young girl such as herself to be giving orders to grown men and women, but they always complied dutifully and within a timely manner.

Weiss kept herself vigilant even when they were still within the castle courtyard. She could feel some of the older guards eyeing her, but she was used to this by now.

Ruby noticed the looks they were giving her attendant as well, and frowned at those who were looking down on Weiss.

She knew what people said about her future knight. That Weiss was far too young to have the majorly important position she'd been assigned. Many people resented her for her job, muttering about how well she must get paid to be the princess' aid, mumbling of the special privileges she must benefit from.

But only those who lived inside the castle walls knew the truth.

Weiss didn't get paid a single lien for her services. Even though the King had offered money to her on multiple occasions, Weiss had politely refused each time.

She may have had her own room within the royal castle, but she only used it to sleep in, and nothing more. She never indulged in the meals offered to her, in fact she often only ate a fraction of them. Ruby herself had rarely ever seen Weiss eat, as that was something a guard was supposed to do on their own time.

Weiss spent every waking hour at Ruby's side, or training herself so others would one day accept her being by Ruby's side.

Weiss would never relinquish her position for anything if she could help it. Her bond with Ruby had, in fact, gone beyond that of just a guard and a princess, even though Weiss would never admit it.

Not so soon, anyway.

Her love for her princess was hardly romantic, as they were far too young for that, by Weiss' judgement.

But she did love Ruby with all her heart and soul. She'd do anything for her, even die.

Therefore, Weiss was always doing her best to combat the people who said she was unfit or undeserving of her role. She wouldn't ever be satisfied until she'd proven to every last person in Vale that no one else was better suited to stay by the princess' side than herself.

Ruby knew Weiss was under a constant pressure, not only to prove herself to the citizens, but also to the King, to Yang, to Weiss' own father, and to herself.

Hence why Ruby liked going out for rides together with Weiss whenever she could. It let them both get away form the stresses of the castle for a while each day.

Both girls mounted their respective young horses – Ruby's chestnut-red mare and Weiss' pure-white stallion. Weiss helped her mount first, waiting until Ruby had settled comfortably with both boots in the stirrups before she climbed up onto her own stallion's back.

The lines of guards wished them well as they opened the gates to let the horses out onto the main street of the town.

As per usual, their horses were quickly surrounded by admiring citizens, all of whom praised their young princess' beauty and charisma. Young children rushed forward to pet her horse or touch her dress, boys and girls alike squealing about their dreams to one day be just like her.

Weiss received a bit of admiration as well. Some of the adults praised her work and dedication, and a lot of the young children declared how they all wanted to be knights to a future prince or princess.

But of course, most of the adults gave Weiss uninterested or unamused looks.

She tried not to listen to their disapproving comments about her age and assumed lack of skill, even though she herself knew she could easily take down just about every person gathered here, should need ever be.

Of all the times in the past she'd saved Ruby's life, still there were people who doubted Weiss' abilities. Although keeping her princess safe was her top priority in life, Weiss was also determined to one day prove her own worth as Ruby's guard to every citizen within the town.

They made their way slowly through the streets, keeping their horses moving at controlled trots. It always put Weiss on edge a bit, considering how many people there were to be wary of, for as she knew from experience, anyone at all could easily be a murderer in disguise.

But Ruby was always so carefree during these daily outings. She enjoyed being out and about in the nice weather, and one of her greatest pleasures as the princess was to bond with her people. This helped them see that, from a young age, Ruby was a future ruler who cared about the citizens of her kingdom deeply, and helped establish ties between herself and them.

She let Crescent wander wherever she pleased, and Weiss kept close beside them. She'd been out alone like this with Ruby many times before despite their ages, mainly because there was a good deal of highly-trained officers and guards stationed at just about every street. So if something were to go awry that Weiss alone couldn't handle, there would always be more trained people to offer assistance if necessary.

As the morning progressed into afternoon, the crowds of admiring people gradually began to die down. When there was no one left unsatisfied, Ruby turned in her saddle to face her attendant.

"Hey, Weiss! Let's go to the outer gardens!"

Weiss stiffened and stopped her horse.

"Princess. The royal gardens at the castle are the finest in the land. May we not admire the flowers there instead?"

Also too, the farther away they were from the castle, the fewer and fewer people there were who favored the royalty. It was only natural that people who disliked their rulers lived far from the royal establishment, meaning that heading towards the outer parts of the town almost guaranteed they'd run into people who detested the royal bloodline.

But Ruby had clearly set her heart on this.

"Please! I haven't seen them in ages! We won't stay long."

Weiss' grip on the reigns tightened.

She was soon to be a knight. She shouldn't have been nervous about this. She was confident in her abilities to protect her princess.

Therefore, she puffed out her chest and dipped her chin.

"Very well, Princess. Please lead the way."

"And," Ruby sighed. "Don't I keep saying that you can just call me Ruby when we're alone?"

"Of course, Princess."

Ruby groaned dramatically, and Weiss hid a smile.

Ruby took a slight lead as she guided Crescent towards the outer areas of town. Weiss kept her horse close beside, noting the number of guards dwindling as they went farther out.

The sunlight overhead was shifting and beginning to sink behind distant mountains, so Weiss requested they make this journey a swift one.

As soon as they were near their destination, Ruby dismounted and tied the reigns onto the branches of a tree. She could already see the colorful petals of the gardens beyond and urged Weiss to hurry.

Once the horses had been tied, Weiss joined Ruby on foot, keeping one hand braced on her rapier, and the other at her princess' back.

There was a small dirt path that led around the gardens, and the two girls kept to it.

Unlike the royal gardens that had been created by transporting the most diverse and rarest of plants from around the kingdom to one spot, the outer gardens were much more natural. Most were planted and cared for by the people who lived here on the outskirts, mainly Faunus families.

As they sauntered, Ruby gushed about the beauty of the plants, while Weiss kept a hard gaze on the people they passed.

The people here weren't like the ones closer to home. Not one of them smiled at Ruby, and none of the children's eyes sparkled.

One woman with tall, triangular orange ears gathered her three children close and pulled them away from the path. She whispered something to them, and then all three went scampering off.

At that point, Weiss decided it was time to head back.

"We've seen all there is to see, Princess. Dusk is upon us."

"You're right. Let's head back."

Weiss was more than relieved when Ruby agreed to go back. She set a brisk pace and guided her back towards where they'd tied the horses. Weiss was so intent on getting back that she hardly noticed the slight tap on her arm.

"Hey, Weiss?" Ruby leaned into her a bit. "Thanks for taking me here."

The white-haired girl felt a few of her worries fall away.

"Of course, Princess."

By now, she could hear their horses nickering up ahead.

But Weiss wasn't naïve enough to believe they were safe until they were back within castle walls.

She heard the approaching footsteps, slow and casual at first.

Three of them. All older. Likely men.

She didn't need to look behind herself to figure that much out.

Weiss knew it was smartest to avoid confrontation entirely if at all possible. She quickened her pace, tightening her grip on both her weapon and her charge.

But as soon as they were directly addressed, there was no way out of it.

"Hey," called a scratchy male voice. "Lookie here. The princess is in town!"

"Our parta town? What's the occasion?"

"Musta done somethin' right if we're being graced by her presence."

Weiss pushed Ruby behind her as she turned to face the men. Two had a set of lupine ears atop their heads while the other's bushy orange tail swished behind him. The latter snarled as she took a step closer.

"We don't like royalty around here, in case you're too dumb to figure that out."

Weiss ignored the sudden throbbing within her chest and spoke up.

"We were just leaving."

The Faunus man scoffed.

"Shouldn't've been here in the first place."

Weiss narrowed her eyes.

"The law clearly states that there are no boundaries or borderlines within Vale, and that anyone is permitted to travel as they please so long as it does not trespass upon personal property or domestic space."

The man spat.

"Yeah well, since I've been plantin' these gardens my whole life, I think they are my property. D'ya see what I'm sayin', girly? I could report the royal palace for tresspassin', ho-ho! They'd cough up a million lien just to keep me quiet, huh?"

Weiss was gradually pushing Ruby back towards the horses as she kept the conversation going.

"These gardens are open to the public. We never once trespassed, and the courts would agree."

"Yeah, sure," one of the other men scoffed. "They'd side with you cuz she's the damn princess! And what are you supposed to be anyway? A knight?"

All three of them laughed, but Weiss was too fearful for her princess' safety to be hurt at their hateful jab at her personal position.

The horses were still several yards away, and every step back they took, the men advanced as much. Weiss hoped they'd just keep mocking her, just long enough for Ruby to-

"Hey, hey!" one of them grunted. "I think there's an even better way to win us a sum of lien than bringin' 'em to court." He gave a hand signal that Weiss recognized immediately. The other two men fanned out in an effort to surround the girls. The first man smirked wickedly as he stared directly at Weiss. "I hear royal princess' make good hostages."

That was their cue to attack.

All three men pulled hidden weapons from their clothes. Weiss quickly assessed there were two daggers and one crowbar.

She drew her rapier with inhuman speed, lashing out to deflect the first hit. At the same time, she grabbed Ruby with her free arm and pulled her out of range of one of the knives.

"Princess! Stay behind me!"

Ruby had plenty of years of training and self-defense under her belt, but right now she was unarmed and up against three armed men. Weiss knew they were much better off letting her do the fighting herself.

The men charged them again and again, weapons swinging every which way. Weiss' keen eye was able to predict the path of each swing, and allowed her to dodge before any of them could connect.

She moved with precision and speed, blocking the blows with her rapier before they could so much as touch herself, let alone Ruby. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she slashed and jabbed at the men to keep them at bay.

She couldn't afford to make any mistakes. Not here. Not now.

Little gasps and cries from Ruby also helped alert Weiss to the next attack. Ducking down, she pushed Ruby's back to keep her out of range of the taller mens' arms. Weiss righted herself and stood before her princess as a shield.

The men hounded her, ridiculed her as they fought, laughing cruelly.

"Give it up, girly! You'll never beat us!"

"And you'll never be a royal knight!"

"Even if ya were, we don't need knights for a ransom. No one'd pay to get you back."

Weiss could feel the intent to kill now.

Before, they'd just been playing with her, trying to frighten her off to leave Ruby defenseless and at their mercy. A lesser knight would have done just that and fled.

But now that they realized Weiss was serious, the men became more aggressive towards her.

While she was disarming one and sending the knife flying, another man was charging her from behind. Ruby screamed out to warn her, and Weiss dodged nimbly. She struck the man with the heel of her blade's handle as he passed her by.

But Weiss was beginning to realize that her strategies weren't working, that mercy wasn't working.

This wouldn't be the first time she'd protected Ruby against people like this. But this was the first time it seemed she'd have to do more than just draw a little blood.

But Weiss had never killed anyone before, and she wasn't sure if she could start now.

She slashed one man's leg, making him howl in anger. He seized his fallen knife and charged Weiss again. She needed to twist herself to block another blow, but angled her body so that the knife hit her armor and did nothing more than cause a minor ache in her side.

At that point, one of them managed to loop the crowbar across the front of her neck and pulled back.

Hard.

The breath was violently crushed from her throat, and a terrible ache started beating against her chest and head. Boots off the ground, she writhed in place as the man tried to suffocate her, or break her neck.

Another rushed at her with his blade, aiming for her chest.

Weiss swung her legs back with all her might to slam the heels of her boots into the first man's shins, causing his balance to falter. He dropped her, and Weiss picked up her rapier again just in time to fend off the oncoming attacker.

Fiercely she fought to defend her princess, a vicious fire lighting in her eyes.

At the very least, she'd gotten all of their attention on herself...

A cowardly princess would have ran to the horses and left Weiss on her own.

But Ruby never budged. She wasn't foolish enough to make a sound and alert the men to her, as it would only cause more pressure and stress for Weiss.

But it was difficult to keep quiet when she saw how savage these men were being. When they lost their weapons, they started trying to beat Weiss with their fists.

Weiss began aiming for their legs, just to get them off their feet. Blood was spattering the soil, as Weiss had landed blows on all of them by now.

But now the men were fueled less by the prospect of a ransom reward, and more by anger at the fact that a young girl was getting the better of them.

Weiss cut one of them down to his knees, where he spat and cursed wrathfully. Thinking he was out of the picture, Weiss directed her attention to the other two. She dodged a swing of the crowbar and another jab of the knife, then managed to spin around and smash the hilt of her rapier against one man's hand. He yowled and dropped his knife, joining the first one in cursing.

But the Faunus man on the ground wasn't about to admit defeat to a young human girl.

When Weiss had turned her back, he lunged forward and grabbed her legs.

With a gasp, Weiss was taken down, crashing into the ground as her rapier slipped away. The men were on top of her in seconds, kicking her savagely, until blood clogged her mouth.

Ruby couldn't stay silent any longer. She pushed herself to her feet and cried out for her.

"Stop it!"

Weiss coughed as she rolled over onto her stomach in an effort to shield her chest and neck. She flashed her eyes to the side and was horrified to discover Ruby had stayed all this time.

"Princess!" she rasped. "Get to the horses! Hurry!"

"Not so fast!"

One of the men left Weiss and charged for Ruby, reaching for her.

Weiss' heart froze in terror, then fury.

She'd be damned if such a person ever laid more than eyes upon her princess.

Something else fueled her now, something immensely more powerful than fear or duty.

It was something she wouldn't quite understand for many years to come.

Weiss surged upward against the men beating her down. She kicked one and punched the other, until she could tear free and make a dive for her rapier. She turned the chambers, took aim at the man nearing Ruby-

-and fired.

A red bullet shot forth and melted at his feet. Instantly, crimson fire began to lick at his shoes, flames catching on the materials of his pants and taking form. He screamed as the torrid heat engulfed him, climbing its way up his body.

"Mercy!" he begged. "Oh gods-!"

The other two men stared in horror.

But what disturbed Weiss most was seeing that shock in Ruby's eyes.

Her princess was too pure for this. Weiss couldn't let her see a person die this way.

Weiss turned the Dust chamber to ice.

But before she could cast it, a concussive blow to her back knocked her to the ground once more. She felt blood oozing throughout the strands of her tied hair.

The two men behind her left her and rushed forward, hoping to grab Ruby and escape with her at their companion's sacrifice.

Weiss wouldn't allow it.

"No-!"

She could barely stand to move forward on her own. Gasping, she tried to steady her hand long enough to cast a glyph trail. It glowed faintly into view, and she wasted no time in stepping onto it.

It brought her directly into the mens' path, putting her right in front of Ruby just as the knife came down upon her.

Weiss felt the cold metal slice down over her face, clouding her vision with blood.

Ruby shrieked her name, but Weiss wasn't deterred, not even by the pain. She readied her weapon and fired the round.

Ice spread instantly all along the ground, freezing both men dead in their tracks, and even going so far as to smother the flames that had captured the other. The knives and crowbar were dropped, all splattered in Weiss' blood.

But her ice was coated in theirs as well.

The Faunus men barked curses at her, demanding to be set free. But soon, the threats died into pleas, promising they'd never speak a word of any of this to anyone.

Weiss paid them no heed. Wincing, and with only one eye to guide her, she used her rapier as a crutch and turned to face her terrified charge.

"Princess... Are you... unharmed...?"

Ruby was in shock. So much had happened here, but it had all transpired so quickly.

So much violence.

So much fear.

So much bravery.

"Oh, Weiss-!" Ruby threw her arms around her once again. "I-I'm o-okay, buh-but you-"

"My condition... is nothing of concern... so long as you are safe..."

Ruby felt tears flood down her cheeks as Weiss swayed in her arms. Blood was dripping all down the left side of her attendant's face, so thickly she couldn't even open her eye. There was red smeared in her pretty white hair, at the corners of her lips, and on various places on her clothes. Had it not been for her armor, Ruby knew there'd be a lot more of it.

"Weiss... Oh, gods..."

She could feel Weiss' clipped, desperate breathing become shallower by the second, and feared there was internal damage, possibly to her lungs.

Ruby couldn't afford to cower and cry here.

Seeing all the blood leaking from Weiss' brow unleashed something within her.

Gently, Ruby pressed her palm to the gruesome wound and felt a strange, yet comforting warmth bubble up inside her chest. A faint glow soon surrounded her hand.

Ruby knew what this was - she'd unlocked her aura.

For Weiss' sake.

But she didn't have the time to be excited or even shocked. She focused on sharing her healing energies with Weiss, until the blood-flow had staunched.

Weiss lapsed in and out of consciousness, her right eye shifting in a haze. Her voice was nothing more than a thin rasp.

"P-Princess... your aura..." A forceful cough ripped through her body. "P-Please... do not waste it... on me..."

"I'm not wasting it," Ruby declared, sniffling a bit. "Don't talk now. That's an order from your princess."

Weiss' eye widened in shock.

Ruby had never given her an order before, though she was more than entitled to do so.

Therefore, Weiss was sure to keep her mouth shut now, unable to protest at all.

Ruby gathered her into her arms and carried her back to the horses, leaving the Faunus men trapped behind them.

Ruby struggled to get Weiss into the saddle of her mare, pushing with all her might and encouraging Weiss to grab on.

Together, they managed to get Weiss up on Crescent's back. From there, she reached down to help Ruby up behind her.

Ruby had Weiss lie sideways in her lap in a bridal position. One arm supported Weiss' back, and the other was secured over her stomach. This was both so Ruby could see clearly ahead and so she would have a better hold on Weiss once they started moving.

"All right," Ruby said quickly. "Now you j-just rest, okay? Lean back against me. I've got you."

She was shaking hard, scared from the attack, but even more worried about Weiss. Ruby's aura had only managed to slow the bleeding on her worst wound, but there were many more on Weiss' body that she couldn't get to right now. Weiss needed professional medical attention, and quickly.

Ruby tightened her grip over her attendant's stomach to keep Weiss in place on the saddle, and grabbed the reigns with the other. She yanked the ropes free of their knot, freeing her horse, then trotted around to free Weiss' stallion. She looped his reigns around her hand to have him follow beside them.

Then, Ruby had the horses take off at a gallop.

It was difficult to control both horses and keep a hold on the reigns while also holding tightly to Weiss. Ruby knew the ride was jostling her and making the pain worse, but she needed to get Weiss back to the castle as quickly as possible.

The fear ebbed away now as a stronger sense of purpose took hold of her.

She was this kingdom's future Queen. It was her duty to look after her people.

And this went double for her own knight. She needed to take care of Weiss and return the favor done unto her for so many years.

As they raced through the town, Weiss cringed and gasped in her arms. Ruby did her best to keep her still, whispering promises to her.

As soon as she caught sight of a pair of guards, Ruby brought the horses to a halt. The man and woman's leisurely expressions switched to horror and shock at the sight before them. Before they could inquire, Ruby told them what had happened as briefly as possible.

"They're back there," she said pointing. "They shouldn't be hard to find. I need one of you to get backup and apprehend them. The other..." She let the white stallion's reigns slip free from her hand. "Needs to ride him back to the castle. They'll know who he belongs to. Go directly to the doctors and tell them what's happened so they're prepared to treat her when we arrive. Go!"

The two guards took off instantly at their princess' command. The woman rushed off to round up reinforcements in order to find the guilty men at the outer gardens, while the man mounted Weiss' horse and took off.

The stallion was much faster than Crescent by nature, and the mare had the weight of two people slowing her down.

Ruby waited only a second longer, glancing back down at Weiss. Her breathing had become ragged and weak, and more blood was leaking from her hair.

Ruby took off after the guard, whose ride cleared a path in the crowds for Ruby to follow behind more easily.

It felt like hours before they reached the castle at last.

Guards were swarming the horses when they arrived. Ruby carefully transferred Weiss into their arms and watched them carry her away to the medical wing.

She spotted Blake, Yang, and even the king himself rushing towards her. Ruby dismounted and rushed to them, sobbing loudly as she collapsed into their arms, relaying the awful story to them.

Yang lifted her little sister up into her arms and hushed her gently.

"It'll be okay, Ruby. Everything's gonna be okay."

Ruby just kept asking if she could see Weiss.

"Wh-Where is she now? Is sh-she okay...? Please... take me to her..."

But before much longer, she felt her consciousness slip away, pulling her into darkness.

She woke in the middle of the night, finding herself on a bed that wasn't her own.

The room was dark, save from a few candles lit around the perimeter. She could hear muffled voices speaking outside the room, even at this hour, and the shadows she saw from beneath the door told her there were guards positioned beyond.

She recognized now that she was in the infirmary, in the best room they had.

She sat up, feeling a little tired and a little hungry, but nothing more. She'd been changed out of her dress and into softer robes now, and her mother's cloak lie folded at the foot of the bed.

She was ready to rush to the doors and demand to be taken to Weiss.

But she soon realized she didn't need to.

When she looked to her side, she found her friend lying there next to her. Her armor had been removed, and she, too, was dressed in robes now. In addition to that, her hair was down from where the nurses had needed to inspect, wash, and stitch her wounds.

Ruby was shocked by Weiss' appearance now. Never in all her life thus far had she ever seen Weiss without her armor or with her hair loose.

Ruby had always known she was pretty, but she'd never expected her to be this pretty.

As the shock faded, relief took its place.

Ruby's eyes went to Weiss' closed ones. The wound over her left brow and cheek had healed as much as it could. But a pink scar had been left behind, a permanent reminder of Weiss' unflagging loyalty to her.

Ruby felt tears rising up, and when she blinked, a few of them slipped free. She looked over her dear friend now, and part of her was amazed to see Weiss actually sleeping. She'd never witnessed that before, either.

And there was one more thing as well.

Until now, Ruby had only ever seen Weiss in her armor, which always gave her a stiff, more refined appearance.

But now, without the harder obstructions and outerwear, Ruby could actually see Weiss breathe. It was strange to think she'd never seen that before in seven years, but it was true.

Now, Ruby could see faint the rise and fall of Weiss' chest, leading down to the dip of her stomach beneath the sheets.

Gingerly, Ruby slid her hand through Weiss' soft hair, cradling the back of her neck. She moved her other hand to balance on Weiss' stomach, where she felt the girl's body move beneath her palm. She could feel her breathing now, too, just as well as she could see and hear it.

Ruby leaned over her, gently resting her forehead against Weiss' collar. When she turned her face to the side, she heard Weiss' heartbeat for the first time.

Ruby wept softly there, for the fear of almost losing her, and for the relief of not.

She curled herself around Weiss that night and slept more soundly than ever.

. . .

. .

.

The very next morning, Weiss was on her feet again.

The nurses kept insisting she stay in bed, but Weiss insisted just as strongly that she had duties to perform.

She'd woken a bit later than usual, though still before dawn, and found her princess slumbering beside her. Weiss couldn't begin to describe the joy and relief that scene had brought her.

She'd never seen Ruby's sleeping face before in her life, so she'd been sure to engrave the image into her heart.

That was the first morning ever since she'd taken up this position when she didn't head out to train herself. The guards were under strict orders not to allow her to leave the room, and the nurses hurried in to give her medicine and check her wounds.

At the very least, Weiss got out of bed and adorned her armor as per usual. When she tied up her hair, she shifted her ponytail to one side to avoid aggravating her healing head wound.

She moved about and got used to the slight pains in her body whenever she walked. She only paced the room, stretching herself out a bit as she kept watch over Ruby.

As soon as her princess stirred, Weiss was at her side. She knelt next to the bed as Ruby rubbed her eyes and pushed herself up.

"Weiss..."

Even before she'd seen her, Ruby was asking for her.

As soon as she met her gaze, joy flooded her silver eyes. She pulled Weiss into another embrace and cried into her shoulder.

Weiss held her princess, thanking her for all she had done for her in her time of need.

"You could have left me," she murmured. "You could have escaped... Perhaps you should have-"

"Never!" Ruby snapped. "Weiss, I could never leave you! You'd never do that to me, so I won't do it to you, either!"

Just those words alone warmed Weiss' heart.

They'd both suffered scars from this incident, some physical and some emotional.

But it had also drawn them closer together, strengthening the precious bond between a princess and her knight-to-be.

Weiss eased back from the embrace, then took Ruby's hand in hers. She kissed her there in an act of fealty.

"Thank you, Princess. I could not have asked for a more righteous and wonderful soul to be bound to."

Ruby wiped a tear from each eye.

"I feel the same way."

At Ruby's request, and the King's approval, Weiss was knighted the very next day.

They held the official ceremony in the royal plaza for all of Vale to witness.

Weiss knelt before her King, with Ruby and Yang at either of his sides. He drew his own noble sword and touched it to Weiss' shoulders in turn, speaking sacred, ceremonious words to officially welcome her as a full-fledged knight of his kingdom. He praised her for being the youngest ever to achieve such a title, but when he recounted her numerous valiant deeds over the years, it was clear to everyone that Weiss had more than earned her title.

Once the king had finished speaking, Weiss remained on one knee before the royal family as Ruby stepped forward. She had her own sword in-hand, and now used it to tap Weiss' shoulders one by one as she addressed the people gathered.

"Weiss Schnee," she said proudly. "I can fathom no greater act than to have you welcomed and recognized as my personal knight. In addition to being an excellent, powerful, and intelligent fighter, you are also my best friend. And I find no higher honor than to have you at my side."

Ruby then dropped to one knee and reflected Weiss' stance. The young princess reached out and laid both hands over her knight's.

"I could not have asked for a more righteous and wonderful soul to be bound to."

She noticed Weiss' smile, and couldn't help but do the same.

Then, she squeezed her knight's hands and guided Weiss to her feet.

The act of the royal princess bowing down to meet the knight's subservient level was a powerful one.

But even more moving than that was the princess lifting her knight up to stand at her side as an equal.

Her people were astounded to have witnessed such acts. Ruby faced them and raised her voice proudly.

"The kingdom of Vale welcomes Weiss Schnee as my knight, from this day forward!"

With her words, the ceremony was complete.

The crowds erupted in cheers as flowers and hats were thrown high into the air.

Yang hurried forward to hug Ruby and then Weiss, while Blake congratulated them both. The King rested one hand on either of the girls' shoulders, and nodded approvingly.

At last, Ruby stepped into place beside her knight. She took Weiss' hands yet again as they faced the admiring crowds together.

Ruby heard a small gasp, and discovered Weiss was crying. Weiss never cried.

Before she knew it, Ruby was as well.

The princess sighed happily and looped her arm subtly around Weiss' back in a partial hug.

"I'm so happy, Weiss. I'm so, so happy to have you beside me."

Weiss squeezed Ruby's hand and cast her a smile.

"You're going to do great things, Princess."

"Not, me," Ruby corrected her. "We will do great things. Together."

Weiss dipped her chin, and lowered her voice so only her princess could hear.

"Thank you... Ruby."

The young princess felt her heart swell with joy.

Hand in hand, they turned back to face their kingdom.

Fate had many things in store for them.

Many cruel, perilous trials awaited them, and those they held dearest.

But none would be enough to sever this bond, one so deep and pure it must have been the first of its kind.

This was the bond of two friends, who would, in time, become something more.

This was the bond of the future queen and her loyal knight.

This was the bond that would alter the very world they lived in.

This was the bond that would change fate.

A/N: There were a few little hints and easter eggs in this fic about things that transpire in Eternal. Like how Weiss ties her hair to avoid her head wound implies that she got into the habit of putting her ponytail to the side, so after a while she just keeps it that way.

Then things like how Weiss calls Ruby by her first name, and the first time Ruby sees her without her armor, and how special those things are to them individually. And how people can only unlock their auras for the sake of someone they care about, or with someone else's help and support. I really like that as a way for aura to be unleashed for the first time, and I made it a point in this AU.

I hope you enjoyed reading, and thanks for supporting my AU!

If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!

Please review!