Ansel had been a quiet place, at least at night and decently far away from the tavern and the temple as they were. So when he heard the dull clank of a door unlatching and its groan of opening, he blinked and rolled over to look at the door. The very closed door. He grunted his confusion, and then turned when he heard a gentle rap of knuckles on wood.
"Servant's entrance, Lord." The Faunus murmured as the Dust-light behind her bloomed a dull, pale light that lit her up from behind. She leaned against the edge of his desk, fingers toying at its lip, while the light lit her up and only then did he realize she wasn't wearing her normal robes.
Instead, she wore something pale and sheer - that, lit from behind, showed her curves through it like it was scarcely there at all.
"D-Deery?" He swallowed the cotton in his mouth, sat up and rubbed at the sleep of his eyes, if only to avoid the danger of looking at her. "What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night."
"I… Merely wished to check on you."
"Why?" He shrugged, "Cardin beat you more than he did me. I just lost some skin-"
"And I only suffered a bruised rib, a headache and some bruising." She cut him off and pushed off the desk, pacing to the side and playing with her fingers. Quietly, almost murmuring, she added, "The Gods know I've suffered worse."
"I'm sorry for that." She turned to him and he explained, "I should have made sure Cardin didn't hurt you."
"How?"
"I… I don't know, actually." He admitted quietly, pushing back his covers and turning to sit at the edge of his bed. He crossed his arms and went on, "But that, uh, doesn't make it not my job to know. It just means I failed- Failed to study my surroundings l-like a knight should, failed to understand, failed to protect you, so-so I'm sorry."
"And that's why I'm here, Lord Arc." She smiled warmly, but only barely, the edges of her lips curling up and her eyes softening. After a moment's hesitance, she paced over to him and turned, sitting so closely that he could smell the lavender coming off of her hair and feel her warmth. She flicked him a look and a smile and turned away, staring at her hands in her lap, "I've known Lords, and a Lady, as kind as you. After a while, I learned to read it."
"Read it?" He asked, leaning back and looking at her confusedly.
"Indeed, and…" She reached up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled, then shrugged, "And typically, they also waited, until our time together was almost over. Then they acted, and they were gone."
"Acted…?"
"Lord Arc, I'm Chastened." Her smile turned sad as she turned to him and leaned back on one hand while her other came over to rest on his bare stomach. His blood roared in his ears for it, but he still heard her say, "If you… Are merely doing all of this because you want me, and want me to be willing, then… I am."
"W-Willing?" He laughed anxiously, eyes flicking from her hand to her face quickly. Unsure of what to do, he stammered, "W-Willing to w-what, uh, exactly?"
"Forgive my boldness, my young Lord." Deery sighed and turned, hand sliding up his chest to his shoulder as she came in and pressed him down onto the mattress.
He felt her shift and turn more before her chest pressed against his and he felt her press her lips to his. Without even thinking, his hand grabbed at her hip and his other came up to the side of her stomach. He'd never touched a woman like this, and Gods she was so soft… As she leaned into him, it was like she was molding around him. She pulled away from the kiss and slid on top of him, straddling his waist and leaning around to nip at his neck, and he thought he was dreaming.
"You can touch more than my waist, Lord." She chuckled as she pulled away and flicked a look to the ties at her shoulders. Pressing down into his lap more firmly, and smiling at what she found, she said, "You bled for this. Just… Take it, Lord, as is your right."
Slowly, his hands came up and he reached for the sting…
But then he paused, and turned to the woman, "W-Why are you doing this?"
"Like I said, I've learned to read my masters." She shrugged and took his hand, guiding it to her shoulder and holding it there. "I know your kindness. I do not mind where it leads, so I felt I should…"
Coyly, she flicked a look up and down herself and smiled as she leaned forward to let her chest sway a bit. Gods, she was beautiful…
But she didn't want this, not really, anyway. She was just assuming he did, and that was the only reason he was being kind to her at all. That it was all just a prelude to him demanding her to come and do this. So why not just cut to the chase, right? Save some time for all involved. And as much as part of him wanted to let her believe that, to let this happen…
It was wrong.
Slowly, he took his hand away, returned it to her hip, and said, "Deery… G-Get off of me."
"My Lord?"
"I said get off." He grunted, looking up at her firmly. After a moment, she slid back and stood in front of him, brows furrowed in confusion. He sat up quickly, and pulled his blankets into his lap for good measure, and sighed, "Deery I wasn't… This isn't what I wanted."
"I-I'm sorry…" She murmured, eyes wide and glinting fearfully, "I-If you wanted me some other way, I'm more than happy to-"
"No." He cut her off, pinched the bridge of his nose, and sighed again. Gods, the life she'd have had to have lived to think like this… It saddened him, genuinely. "I wasn't being kind to get something. I was… Just being kind to you."
"But…" She blinked, "Why?"
"I… Don't follow the question?"
"Why be kind to me at all, then?" She asked with a confused shake of her head and then, when he made to answer, held up a hand and added, "More, you took blows for me. Bled, noble blood, for a mere Fa- Chastened. Why do that for no cause?"
"The Church taught me that being kind is the reason." He explained simply, " And that's… I swear by the gods, you're beautiful, but that's all, Deery."
It wasn't, not by a long enough shot to have baffled the gods themselves, but he couldn't tell her the truth. Even if he wanted to, even if he felt bad for her. His debt to Nicholas ran too deep to risk like that.
So, instead he stayed silent and watched her worriedly.
"I see." She murmured, and then her lips quirked in another small smile. She looked away and reached up to rub her arm anxiously, "I've made myself quite the fool then, haven't I?"
"What?" He blinked, surprised, then shocked and worried after a heartbeat passed and he understood what she'd said. "N-No!You're beautiful, really, a-and I'd be lucky to… To do that with you, really, I would. But… I don't want that because you feel like you owe me. I'd want you to want it. And… And you don't. Do you?"
"I wouldn't say that…"
"Deery, do you want to be with me?" He asked pointedly, eyes narrowing harshly, "Not because you expect it to happen regardless, not because of my rank, but purely because of me?"
"I…"
"Answer honestly."
"I… Suppose not, no." She finally admitted, "It is nothing against you, of course, I just…"
"You don't love me." He filled in, nodding, "Right?"
"I couldn't possibly, after so short a time of knowing you." She murmured, then turned and asked, "And that is all which matters to you?"
"Yeah." He nodded, "I'd… Prefer a friend that chose it to any number of women in my bed because they felt they had no choice."
"Even a Chastened friend?"
"Even a Chastened friend, yeah." He nodded and explained, as best he could, "I wasn't raised a noble, Deery, so I don't… I don't understand all of this stuff. But if I'm to pick and choose what to discard from my upbringing and what to keep, I will keep the kindness that the Church taught me. So yeah, I'd like to, you know, be able to consider you a friend."
"I see…" Suddenly, the woman moved, taking his face in her hands and leaning down past his sputtering to press a chaste kiss to his forehead. Then she pulled back, smiled more widely and said, "Of all the men and women I have known, you are one of the rare, truly good ones. Please, do not let that die."
"I-I won't." He stammered, doing all he could not to look at her swaying chest as she backed away.
Slowly, quietly, she turned to leave the way she'd come, and Jaune had to swallow when the light lit up her silhouette through her dress again. She hesitated at the open door for a short moment before turning and paying him a last smile.
And then she was gone, leaving him to flop on the mattress in a room that smelled of lavender still, somehow, but was so cold…
"You just ran a beautiful woman out of your bed, Jaune." He sighed and rapped a knuckle against his head and murmured, "Good work…"
Still, he couldn't bring himself to think he'd done bad. Nicholas would have been proud, at least, he was sure. And that was enough to help him get back to sleep. Even if it wasn't quite as restful as it could have been.
XxX----XxX----XxX
He woke up the next morning to a gentle hand on his shoulder and rolled over, blinking blearily. Deery was standing over him, dressed once more in her uniform, and she smiled warmly at him as he rubbed at his eyes, "Good morning, My Lord. I hope you slept well, in spite of my… Interruption."
"I did, yeah." He rolled over and stood, turning his neck until it cracked as he paced over to his wardrobe to fish out his uniform. Nervously, unsure of what to really do after last night, he asked, "How, uh, how did you sleep?"
"Well enough." She answered, voice full of an odd… Mirth. Not like she was mocking him, but more like she was simply happy.
He liked it.
"I'm happy to hear it." He turned to pay her a smile and paced past her, laying his uniform out on the bed. Everything was in order, so he turned to the woman. She only cocked her head to the side and smiled coyly, one brow raised. Quietly, he said, "I, uh… Need to change?"
"And you wish me to…?"
"Wait outside?" He filled in with a shrug and a flush. Was she…?
"Many Chastened servants help their Lords and Ladies change, Lord Arc." She demured, eyes crinkling at the edges playfully. "Are you not one of those?"
"N-No." He squawked tightly, face burning hotter than a forge-flame as the young woman chuckled and turned to leave so he could actually change in privacy. Good Gods, she was teasing him, wasn't she!?
He…
Well, he wasn't sure how to handle that, really.
It only took him a few moments to get dressed, and when he stepped out into the hallway, he found the woman waiting for him. She paid him a nod and then let him take the lead as they made their way back out to the public eatery. As they came to the table, he could feel - and see - a few eyes following him, lingering on Jaune and his Chastened both. He met a few gazes pointedly, but ignored the rest as he sat and gestured for Deery to join him. When she hesitated, he turned and paid her a smile.
"Come on, Deery." He said, "We have lessons to get to, don't we?"
"...Very well, Lord Arc." She sighed, sliding into her seat beside him and laying out the book in front of him. She cleared her throat and leaned over the page she opened to, tapping at the problem he had gotten wrong the day before. "We were here. As I said, your solution was incorrect. Can you see why?"
"Uh, no?"
"I suppose if you could you wouldn't have made the mistake." She smiled and tapped one of the figures, "You didn't carry this digit properly. Rather, you misplaced it. Allow me to write it out for you."
"Sure." He nodded, sipping at the clear water he'd been given and tearing a biscuit in half.
For a long while, they worked in quiet peace, surrounded - but ignored, largely - by the rest of the soldiers and knights garrisoned in the fort. Then he saw Deery look to the side and felt her stiffen beside him. A hand landed on his shoulder a second later, and a satchel slammed down on the book with a familiar little clunk and clink. The hand on his shoulder squeezed and Jaune turned to look up at Cardin's flat face, peeking out from under the flat rim of his helmet.
"I struck you." He grunted, "And damaged your property, too. A hundred coppers there. Even?"
"A hundred coppers…?" That was ten silver coins worth - more coin than he could see in a week's work at the forge!
"Twenty for damaging your goods." The larger man paid Deery a glare, and Jaune felt her shrink down beside him, before the man turned back to Jaune. "Sixty for striking you. The rest for shaming myself. You accept?"
Gods, he almost did out of the gate - that was so much Lien! But, at the last moment, he caught himself. And frowned.
"I will." He nodded, and turned a hard glare on the man, "If you apologize to-"
He felt a hand on his thigh, sudden, nails digging into his thigh through his trousers. Blinking and stiffening, he turned to Deery. The woman smiled, warm and somehow sad all at once, and then shook her head gently. And so slightly it was almost impossible to see.
Unsurely, but suspecting what she meant, he asked, "What are your thoughts, then?"
"Such is a fair offer, Lord Arc." She smiled, though her hand stayed on his thigh, a hidden warning where no one could see it under the table. Humming, she added, "More than fair, in fact. One would be hard pressed to have cause to ask for more than seventy five coppers, all told. His nobility offers twenty five more than that."
"I see..." The message was obvious, even if he disliked it.
She didn't want him to demand an apology for her. And he could guess why…
"If you apologize for ruining yesterday's lesson and breakfast, we'll call it even." Jaune finally finished, turning to Cardin with an easy smile. The man's eyes furrowed and Jaune explained, "You put me a day behind. I've mere weeks to learn what many, like you, I would wager, did in years."
"Ah…" The man growled, glaring down at him, and then sighed and bowed his head so deeply Jaune could only see his mouth under the rim of the kettle hat. "I… I am sorry, for causing you such problems. I did not know. Forgive me."
It wasn't an apology to Deery, but Jaune was sure that wouldn't come regardless. And Deery didn't want him to press for it, in any event.
So Jaune smiled, reached up and clapped the man on his forearm, "Then it never happened, Winchester. Forget all about it. And by the Grimm's claws, teach me how to put someone on their back like that, too!"
That drew a snort from the man, and a nod as he straightened and relaxed, "Leave your pet in your room, and I'd be honored, Brother."
Jaune stiffened, but felt Deery's hand squeeze his thigh gently - warningly - before it withdrew. So he forced himself to relax and smiled.
"I'm sure I can do that." He said, and forced himself to add, "Brother."
As Winchester left, Jaune heard those around him, who had gone quiet in anticipation of another fight and good gossip to be gathered, went back to their food and talk. Quietly, he turned to Deery. The woman smiled and turned back to the book, tapping the new problem he was meant to be working on with a finger. He could tell she wanted to move on and ignore all that had happened now, but Jaune couldn't help the bad taste in his mouth.
Still, he could at least try to let his studies take his mind off things.
That was all he could do for her, unfortunately.
XxX----XxX----XxX
Once breakfast was completed they were all called outside for conditioning, which consisted of two hours of hard exercise. And today, at Deery's suggestion, Jaune elected to join them in the sun rather than stay in and do his own workouts while Deery lectured to him.
They formed up into spaced ranks, ten knights wide and eight knights deep. Jumping jacks came first, then a long series of stretches and preparation, After that came the work, though. Crunches, push-ups, heavy iron weights they all lifted, and then a run around the fortress' base, touching the mountain it braced against and reforming as best they could before turning and running back to the other end. Keeping formation was the hardest part of that for Jaune, if he were being honest. Twice he started to lag behind before noticing the knight to either side of him pulling ahead.
And, just once, he stumbled and would have fallen if Winchester hadn't surged up from the place behind him to catch him and right him.
Once that was done, they broke for a short lunch and rest. Deery found him during that, and ate with him - though she didn't do any actual teaching. They simply ate together, sitting against the wall of the fortress so that none would bother them.
After that came drill practice, where they formed up into the same formation as earlier, only close enough their shoulders nearly touched. At the command of a knight standing on the walls, they turned in time and pace. Jaune messed up a dozen times in the first hour, and the commanding knight wasted no time in dressing him down for it, but he learned.
It was hard not to with the commands quite literally being screamed at him.
Finally, when the day was done, he made his way to his room again with Deery at his side. She held his door for him and Jaune nodded his thanks and smiled as he slipped in.
And then froze.
"Bard…?"
"Jaune." The man smiled warmly, sitting on the foot of his bed with his arms folded and a wrapped sword laid out on the bed beside him. "How was your day?"
"It was… Good?" He answered, turning to pay Deery a questioning look. She only bowed her head, marched past Bard, and turned to stand at his side in a silent but clear display.
"Forgive her, Jaune, but she does have a master. And she is quite a loyal servant to him as well." Bard explained coolly, raising a hand to cue her to speak when Jaune's brows furrowed in question.
"It is you, Grand Archivist Oobleck."
"Oobleck…" He blinked, "But you said your name was-"
"A ruse, my dear boy. Merely a ruse, to test my friend's supposed and oh so conveniently found lost son and heir." Jaune's jaw clicked shut and his blood turned to ice as the man smiled and stood, spreading his hands to either side in a gesture of peace when Jaune flicked a look to the door fearfully. "Rest easy, Jaune, this is not the confrontation you are no doubt imagined it would be."
"No…?"
"The House of Arc is an old one." He explained simply, quietly, turning and holding his hand out to the Chastened standing against the wall. "Deery is one of my informants. I trust you're smart enough to link these two ends of chain. Hm?"
"You…" He blinked, though, and asked, "Were you testing me, somehow?"
"I was." He nodded and turned back to him, clasping his hands behind his back and beaming a smile. "The name 'Arc' is an important name, Jaune. I needed to be certain you would not become a mere wastrel, and tarnish it forever. I needed to know that you would step up to the duty foisted upon you, and wouldn't fall to the temptations of weath and status."
"Temptations?"
"Food in abundance." Oobleck raised a hand and turned, gesturing to the keep around him and then his bed, "a soft bed," his walls, "four solid walls to call home", his clothes, "fine clothes that draw respect," and finally, "and a beautiful servant to dote upon you, who can do nothing in the case of purely proverbial perversions you might have pursued against her person."
"Last night…"
"Last night was only half a lie." Deery stepped forward to say, flicking a worried look to the surprised man between them when he turned to her in sudden, genuine seeming surprise. "The command to offer myself did come from my Lord Oobleck. But the reasons and willingness were my own. That was the truth, I swear it."
His stomach turned at the betrayal of it, but…
Her face was so open, panic written across it in wide eyes and hands held out ever-so-slightly like she wanted to reach for him. And Oobleck, even for a liar Jaune had failed to catch before now, looked surprised at the outburst.
"Please," she murmured when he said nothing, "believe me."
"...I do." He finally answered, and it was the truth, too. The genuine relief that eased her face and sagged her shoulders only cemented the belief in him. The betrayal of it stung like an arrow in his side, but…
They were right to test him - he wasn't an Arc, and he knew it as well as they did. Why would they have trusted the random blonde that rode up towards Vale? Even so, he couldn't wash the sour notes of the betrayal and deceit out.
But he'd learn to live with it.
"So," he started quietly, "what happens now?"
"Well, now I give you two gifts before I wish you a fond good night." Oobleck answered simply, stepping to the side and gesturing with a hand to the woman behind him. "The first is Deery herself."
"Deery?!"
"Yes." He nodded, smiling warmly and openly as he went on, "I'm afraid I don't have her singular loyalty now, you see. Which makes her worth as an agent just a bit lesser. And you still need tutoring besides. What little we have managed to cram into your head so far is nowhere near enough."
"And besides, and bringing us to my second gift…" The man's smile widened, "A Lord of such a truly ancient, venerable bloodline should have his own, personal servant. It's a mark of status."
"Oh…" He blinked, "Wait, does that mean-"
"I will back your claim in the records of our Order." The man affirmed, pressing a hand to his heart and bowing his head gently. "Your kindness and dutiful study has convinced me you are worthy of it. As the only man that could have countered your claims, you should rest easy knowing that instead I will back them. Your father met your mother in Ansel one night when we rested, years ago. And while he is normally far more restrained, the drink just… Got to him, that night."
"I…" The idea Oobleck would back him washed away his anxieties in full and almost brought him to his knees. Forcing himself to stand, he bowed deeply at the waist, "Thank you, so much, for this chance."
"Don't thank me, boy." Bard- No, Oobleck, rested a hand on his shoulder as he stepped by and squeezed it affectionately. "I've elected to involve you in a world at war, Jaune. There will come a day you hate me for that, I'm sure."
"I'll never-"
"Rest easy, Arc." The man cut him off meaningfully, smiled, and took his leave, adding in farewell, "You will need it."
In the confused silence that followed, Deery came to his side and asked, quietly and anxiously, "Would… Would you like me to fetch you anything, my Lord? Food? Drink?"
The real question was obvious - did he trust her enough for any of that. He could hear the worry in her voice and smiled.
"Sure," he nodded, "some food before I get to bed sounds great. I had a day."
It was impossible to miss the relief and happiness that washed over her before she caught herself and turned to leave. He watched her go and then made his way to his bed. Gently, he picked up the wrapped sword and undid the ties. Crocea Mors, its shield and hilt polished to a sheen, glinted in the Dust-light as he pulled the cloth wrappings away.
And with it, a note -
'This is yours now, my Lord, but be warned. Crocea Mors is a relic with few peers in the Kingdom of Vale. To wear and wield it now would, without doubt, draw ire from your fellow Knights. As Deery can no doubt elucidate, a relic-sword such as this must be earned before it may be wielded freely.
Earn it. I know you can. And I know you will know when you are worthy.
Have Deery destroy this letter when you have read it as well.
Grand Archivist Bartholomew Oobleck.'
He grimaced and nodded his understanding.
Earn it he would…