Bad Dream

They walked into the restaurant and were seated promptly in a private room. “What can get for you to drink to start with, Your Highness?” The waiter looked at Blake, completely ignoring Yang. Yang heard Blake clear her throat before addressing the waiter. “I would appreciate it if you also addressed my fiance.” Her tone was flat and her ears were noticeably tense. The waiter looked startled, then looked at Yang. The man’s tail visibly twitched, obviously nervous. “What can I get for you to drink, Your Highness?” Yang shifted a bit, uncomfortable. She wasn’t a member of House Belladonna yet, so she probably shouldn’t be called that. She didn’t even havea title. But the Belladonna family seemed pretty intent on having people address her as being a member of the family. It was a very strange place to be in. But she really couldn’t reveal her discomfort to the waiter, so she glanced over the drink menu, then placed her order. The waiter scurried off afterward and left the pair alone. Their guards stood out of the room, so they were truly alone. Yang looked at Blake. “Should he even be calling me that yet? I mean we’re engaged but we aren’t married yet.” Yeah, this really was uncomfortable. She hoped nobody was listening in. It they were, then it’d get out. The last thing the Belladonna family needed was gossip around her for some reason. She was trying her best to not let things get her down, but it was hard. She knew she was representing basically all humans to the Chilese people. It was so unfair. One person shouldn’t have to represent an entire race… But what could she do? “Technically, you’re right. You aren’t part of House Belladonna yet, so you shouldn’t be referred to as ‘Your Highness.’” Blake paused. “But. We see you as a member of the family already .That’s simply Chilese tradition. The prince or princess’ fiance is seen as part of the house, so you have everyright to pull rank for respect.” That was quite the strange tradition. As far as she knew, in Vale and Mistral, one couldn’t claim a title until they’d fully married into the house. It was strange. But to pull rank… Yang sighed and folded her hands in her lap, gaze downward. “But if I pull rank toomuch, won’t people think I’m abusing my power?” There was catch after catch after catch. There was really no way to get around most of there. She didn’t want to get on people’s bad sides and give them the wrong impression of her. But it seemed like the only way she could get any where was to use her connection to House Belladonna. Blake had proven that at the chapel like the chaplain basically wouldn’t have to let her in if not for Blake. Blake interlaced her fingers and looked at Yang, her expression unreadable. “That is a fair point, but people sometimes need to be reminded of their place. We treat our subjects incredibly well—most laws passed are for theirbenefit. This entire marriage is for the good of the country which includes the subjects. But there still is a hierarchy to things. And sometimes, people need to be reminded of it.” She sighed. “I hate to tell you to abuse your power in this situation, but it may be the only way you can get things done.” That was not what Yang wanted to hear. But Blake was clearly right. Yang might be turned away from places simply because she was human. She meant no harm. Yang sighed. “I’ll try not to use it too much. I will be a member of House Belladonna, but I’m also a human. I don’t want to make it seem like I’m lording over Faunus due to that.” She had to walk a very fine line. She had owned slaves in Mistral even though she hadn’t known until later, so she would have to be careful when she used her connections to House Belladonna. She did notsee Faunus as lesser, but she needed to be able to function if she went into the city. “I think if you mainly use it to remind people to let you into places, it should be fine. As long as you aren’t using it every five minutes to get preferential treatment, you’ll be okay. You’re a member of the royal family; you should be able to get service anywhere you go.” Yang nodded a bit. Yeah, that was probably mostly how she’d use it. She wasn’t going to do too much to get any sort of crazy treatment. She just wanted to get service at places like chapels… That was all she really wanted. “I’ll really try not to overdo it. But it does unfortunately seem like I’ll have to use it even if I don’t want to…” This really was disheartening. Apparently people really weren’t going to like her no matter what she did. Owned slaves in the past despite not really understanding? Hate. Be a human? Hate. Not do anything? Hate. Use her connections to the royal family? Hate. She was going to be hated no matter what she did or did not do. The door opened and the waiter came in with a pot of tea and a cup of water. He put the cup in front of Yang, then scurried out. Blake took a drink of her tea. “You’re right people are going to hate you no matter what you do. By best advice is to let your actions speak for themselves. You have an uphill battle to face, and it’s a journey you’ll largely have to face on your own. My family will help you where we can, but gaining people’s trust will be hard due to generational scars.” Yang nodded and sighed. “All right.” Yeah, all she could do was gain people’s trust was to be herself and let people draw their own conclusions. She wanted to be the best ruler and partner for Blake she could be. She couldn’t let other people’s treatment of her be discouraging. She knew she had pure intents and desires. All she could do was hope that people would pick up on them in due time too. “Do you know anywhere that does charity work?” Blake tapped her chin. “Not personally, but our trip coordinator knows the city. He should be able to direct you toward places. Why exactly?” “It could be a good place to start building rapport. How involved are you guys with the people?” SHe had done a ton of charity work at her old chapel. The people in her community had known her and how charitable she was. She really did enjoy such work. Sure, she had ulterior motives with this, but she really did enjoy the work. Serfs needed to stay in their place, but a lot of people did need help to find a place in the world “That would be good. Like you yourself pointed out, it is ulterior motives, but if you enjoy the work, you should still be able to do it.” Blake smiled and Yang nodded. She really did enjoy helping people and seeing them back on their feet. She’d seen plenty of people go from being on alms to having their own land and businesses. She wanted to see that happen here. She had connections in Vale and had used them… “I hope I can build the sort of network here that I had in Vale.” She had no title aside from acolyte in Vale, but she’d really built a great network to help people. She’d helped dozens of people get jobs in the past. She would hopefully become a staple in the Valian enclave. She knew she’d have to give that eventually, but for now, her schedule was her own. Kali had said as much. She wanted to fill that with charity work to hopefully make a difference in the city. She would do her best… Blake smiled. “We’re pretty involved with the people as far as royalty goes. We don’t do charity work like that, but we listen. If we go out into the city, we listen to what people have to say. We try to put money into works that would benefit the people. We really try to listen and make things better where we can.” Yang nodded. That was good. She was glad that the Belladonnas were nothing like King Ivan. He was terrible and bled every single lien out of his people that he could. Some of the nobles did what they could, but their options were limited. Taxes handed down by the king couldn’t be avoided or overturned. He was an awful ruler. “That’s good to hear. I hope the people can realise that I mean the same.” Serfs belonged in their place, but seeing them suffer still wasn’t terribly easy. She could see their haunted eyes, gaunt faces, and thin bodies. It was really terrible to see them in such a state. They really didn’t have easy lives. Yang was a bastard which made life hard in its own ways, but she always had a warm bed, clothes, and food. She had never wanted for once in her life for a lot of things. She wanted to give back to the people that ensure that they had their needs met. “It’ll be an uphill battle for sure, but you do seem to legitimately care. I’m sure you’ll win over some in due time.” Blake smiled warmly and Yang nodded a bit. SHe really hoped that was the case. She really had no way else to win people over. She did want to win them over, but really only so far as to let them know she meant no harm. Plus, it would make Blake’s life easier as eventual queen if Yang had good rapport with the people. “By the way, is advanced aura common here?” Blake blinked a bit, her ears twitching, before she shook her head. “Not really, no. Some people practice it, but the families are pretty isolated. My mother’s family is one such which is why my siblings and I have learned it. But outside of that, it’s relegated to some monasteries and such.” Blake took a drink from her tea. “Why do you ask?” “Just curious. It’s pretty heavily encouraged in the Branwen tribe. The woman who gave birth to me can read me like you and your mother do. I was just wondering if I had to worry about it being widespread.” She was used to it, but that didn’t mean she particularly liked it. She had learned to accept it on the occasion Raven did visit. But it would be a daily fact of life now. She wasn’t sure how to feel about it. Blake’s ears flicked back. “Sorry. It’s not like I can turn it off aor anything. The only way I’d be able to do that would be if I stopped practicing completely. I’d rather not do that. It took a lot of work to get where I am now.” Yang couldn’t really fault her, but it didn’t mean it wasn’t kind of frustrating. Her mind was supposed to be a sanctuary. But it wasn’t around people like this. “I get it. It doesn’t mean it isn’t kinda frustrating though. It’s fine once in a while when Raven shows up. But everyday?” That was going to be so incredibly frustrating. Summer did have a Semblance like that in reverse, but she wasn’t an advanced aura user. Summer’s Semblance was quite terrifying but she only used it for good which Yang was glad for. Projected empathy was scary. She could crush minds without much issue. It really was incredibly scary what Summer could do. “Sorry.” Blake’s ears flattened against her head. Those ears made her incredibly easy to read in some regards. Faunus body language was pretty open and tangible when it came to things ears and tails. Humans would be plenty easy to read if one knew how to do it (which Yang did). Still, Blake was going to be something of an open book. Her ears were so incredibly expressive, so she kind of had her own way to get into what her fiance was thinking. So at least she could get used to that. “It is what it is. There’s no use in crying over it.” She simply had to accept what fate had dealt her. There really was no use in crying over something she had no control over. Blake did seem to be a kind person as did Kali. She wasn’t sure about Ghira, Lilou, or Gabriel, but if they were anything like Kali, she would hopefully be okay. She would need to speak with Ghira at some point to see what he was like. Their food came and they ate in a somewhat tense silence. Neither of them clearly knew what to say. They were making small strides toward getting to know each other, but it would still take time. Somehow they hadn’t ended up at each other’s throats yet or had a major falling out. She would count the day as a relative win. They arrived back at the manor and Emmalyn brought Yang back to her room. She sat at her desk and finished the letter, then sent out a signal to Raven. It took a bit, but the woman arrived. “You called me, right, Yang?” But Raven did wrap her arms around Yang who leaned into the touch. She’d been so bereft of physical affection that this felt amazing. Sure, it was only a hug, but after three months on room arrest and such, it felt really good. “Yeah. I wrote this to Mom and Dad. Do you think you could take it to them?” She handed Raven the thick envelope. It was probably overkill but they had to be worried. She hadn’t been able to contact them in three months. Plus, how had Ruby been? With Taiyang and Summer so busy, a lot of Ruby’s care had fallen to her. She missed her little sister something fierce. And she probably wouldn’t ever see again… She really hoped that wasn’t the case. “Yeah, sure, I’ll get it to them soon.” Raven kissed her head and Yang leaned into it. She had never realised how affectionate her parents were with her until this moment. She really was homesick at this point. She missed her family. She missed Vale. She really missed all of it. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever go back and visit them. She missed everything so much. “Thanks. I appreciate it.” She really wished she could even visit if just for a bit. But it was the middle of the night in Vale at this point. She might never be able to see any of them again. She hoped not. But at least she would have letters with them as long as Raven was willing to act as errand boy. “So how have things been?” Raven settled down on the reed mats and sat next to her, snuggling close. Raven wrapped her arms around Yang and pulled her close. “You do seem rather lonely though…” Yang nodded. “Yeah. I just now realised how affectionate Mom and Dad and you are with me.” She closed her eyes, leaning against Raven. She had nobody in Chiole and adapting was hard. She really wished she had taken up Summer on her offer, but she was still worried that Summer would be exiled had she left Vale. King Ivan didn’t like how outspoken she was and how much she rebelled against the crown. Especially with her station as a knight. If she got exiled, then Ruby would suffer and be a pariah—just like Yang. It was so hard. She was so lonely but she couldn’t do anything about it. “Would you like me to stay with you for a while, Yang? I can feel how isolated you are right now…” She put a hand over Yang’s heart which constricted. It was so tempting. So very tempting. But she knew she had to deal with it on her own. She really couldn’t force anybody to stay with her. It might reflect negatively on her somehow. She was really in a no-win situation. “Yang…you aren’t forcing me. I offered.” “But what about the tribe?” She knew that Raven led the tribe. They really relied on her for decisions and making sure that they were safe. The government still wasn’t too fond of them after Raven’s father had razed villages indiscriminately. Raven only picked up villages that had already been destroyed. It still wasn’t ideal, but the government accepted it more readily than killing villages pointlessly. Honestly, part of wished her Raven had taken her. Then she wouldn’t needlessly be separated from her loved ones. “They have Unu and others in my stead. They survived without me for several years when I was married to your father. They can survive without me for a few weeks to a few months. I’ll be fine. I promise.” Raven kissed her head and Yang gave a small nod. She really did feel isolated and alone. She wanted physical affection. She wanted to be curled up next to somebody. She missed her family Raven may not be her mother like Summer was, but she was still important to Yang. “Okay. We’ll have to go talk to Kali, though.” She looked up at Emmalyn. “Could you take me to the queen’s room?” She doubted it would be too far or take too long to talk about. She just… SHe really needed somebody there for her. With how kind Kali seemed, she doubted she would say no to Raven staying. As far as she knew there was no clause in the marriage contract that forbade Yang from having somebody with her. But at the same time. Raven wasn’t bound by a contract between Vale and Chiole. She lived outside the kingdoms and wasn’t abreast really any of the news anywhere but in her immediate area. The bird bobbed her head and flew over to Yang’s shoulder. “Follow please!” Yang stood and helped Raven up, then followed Emmalyn into the hallway. They soon found themselves outside of a set of double doors and Yang let out a breath before knocking. It didn’t take but a minute for Kali to answer. She looked at Yang then Raven, then back to Yang. “I suppose you have something to ask me, then? Please come in.” They entered the large room and settled a low table. This was going to be interesting. A quick discussion ensued about the situation and Kali nodded. “I see no reason she couldn’t stay with us. Just avoid the Mistrali enclaves and you should be fine.” Yang breathed a sigh of relief, resting a hand on her chest. She had thought that Kali would say yes, but it didn’t mean it wasn’t nerve wracking to talk to her. It didn’t seem like a huge ask but still. “Would you rather stay with Yang or in your own room?” Yang and Raven glanced at each other. “What would you prefer, Yang?” That was a good question. She was old enough she had had her own room since she was a child. But, right now, she felt so alone and isolated. It was hard to really do too much. The room was large enough it could comfortably house two people. She just felt so so terribly alone. “Maybe she can move in with me for a bit, then have her own room?” SHe looked at Raven. She didn’t want to inconvenience anyone or anything like that. She only went to feel less alone for a little while. And sharing her room with somebody she cared about and cared about her would go a long way in doing that. She hadn’t used all of her dresser or closet space, so Raven would have room to put her own clothes. “That’s perfectly fine.” Raven smiled at her and Yang returned with a relieved one of her own. She was thankful Raven was willing to do this for her. The last three months had been so terrible. She’d had absolutely nobody for support or anything like that. She’d had a few servants she wished she could have brought with her. For some reason, though, they hadn’t been allowed. That did get her thinking…which made Raven chuckle. “I could go grab them when I deliver the letter.” “You would do that? Thanks. Oh. Though I would probably need to write letters to them to explain the situation. DId you pick up my idea? If so, is it okay?” She looked at Kali. She didn’t want to overstep her bounds and she was worried that she was already pushing what Kali would deem as acceptable. She did have Petunia, but the woman clearly wasn’t thrilled about having to serve a human. It would take time for her own servants to integrate, but she hoped she wasn’t asking too much. Kali nodded. “That’s all fine. Dignitaries bring their own staff all the time. I don’t see why you shouldn’t be allowed to have some of your own. They’ll just have to learn to work withour staff too. I can set up places for them to stay. We at least do have Valian-speaking staff, so they can help your staff get accustomed to living here. How many do you think would be coming?” That was a relief. “Three at most, so it’s not like I’d be bringing a whole crew.” She could imagine that dignitaries brought far more than that and the chaos it must have created. SHe had three main servants that she trusted and cared about. One actually was a Faunus, but she wasn't sure how that’d be taken here in Chiole. Emi had been hired on and got along with Yang pretty well. “Emi will probably come, but I’m not sure about the other two due to them having families.” “Well, Raven, how does your Semblance work?” Another quick discussion ensued, leaving Kali clearly contemplative. “Do you have any animals you could leave here as a way point? I’m sure Yang would appreciate seeing her parents again interims too. Plus, it’ll be easier for her to explain to her staff directly than write letters.” She smiled warmly and Yang blinked. “Yeah, I have a dog I can leave here. Our falcons wouldn’t deal too well with this tropical heat. I doubt our dogs will want to stay toolong, but I might be able to find one to agree.” Raven smiled at Yang. “Now you can see Summer and your father whenever you want.” Yang looked at Kali. “Aren’t you worried about me staying behind and not coming back?” If she had unfettered access to Vale, it seemed like a good way to get her to not stay in Chiole. Raven had ultimately left the marriage with her father. But she eventually came back into Yang’s life. She was an incredibly important confidante for Yang. Sometimes she just felt like she couldn’t go to her friends and parents over something, so she went to Raven. It was good to have the woman in her life even if it was infrequent. Kali smiled at Yang. “You don’t seem like the type. I know you don’t want this, but your questions and actions prove to me you’re committed. You’re more committed to being here than a lot of dignitaries.” Yang looked down. Kali was giving her too much credit. She really wanted to go home and not have to worry about this. She didn’t want this in the slightest. Though she really couldn’t leave the people of Chiole to suffer. They had done nothing to endear themselves to her, but still. This was about more than herself. The fate of an entire kingdom lay on her shoulders. “Anyway, why don’t I head back home, grab my stuff, then we can go to Vale?” Raven spoke up and Yang looked at her before nodding. That sounded fine to her. Raven would pick up on her emotions, so no need to say anything. She was still shocked Kali was so willing to put Chiole’s entire future on the line like this… She was a flight risk like Raven was but Kali had faith in her… “All right, dears. Rest well when you get back.” Kali smiled and with that done, they headed back to Yang’s room. Her family was in for a pretty rude awakening, but she didn’t have any other choice…