SAPR

by Scipio Smith

Family Dinner (New)

Family Dinner

Pyrrha stood in front of her wardrobe, frozen with indecision.

Various possible choices of attire stared back at her from out of the spacious closet; now that she was back home, she wasn’t limited only to the things that she had taken with her to Beacon; a substantial number of formal gowns, which she had had no need of in the first semester – that might change in the second, what with the Vytal Festival and the associated dances – were clustered together on the left hand side of the wardrobe. They were very lovely to look upon, but they were meant for high society functions and were probably far, far too formal for dinner with friends.

Although they might make quite an impression.

Quite possibly the wrong impression altogether.

Pyrrha’s eyes flickered to the more casual outfits on the other side of the wardrobe; there was less risk involved in them, but at the same time… they were the sort of thing he’d seen her in already.

She just couldn’t make up her mind.

There was a knock on the bedroom door.

“Who is it?” Pyrrha asked.

“It’s Iris, young mistress,” Iris replied. “My lady sent me to see if you needed any assistance. May I come in?”

“Yes, of course,” Pyrrha answered.

The door opened, and Iris glided silently into Pyrrha’s bedroom, closing the door deftly and quietly behind her.

Iris stood beside the doors, hands clasped together in front of her. She waited for a moment or two, and Pyrrha found that even when she returned her attention to the wardrobe and all its choices, she could feel the maid’s eyes upon the back of her neck.

“Is everything alright, young mistress?”

“I… I can’t decide what to wear, Iris,” Pyrrha admitted. “I… I want to… I’d quite like to impress… my guests, but at the same time, I don’t want to seem as though I’m trying to overawe them, if that makes any sense.”

Iris was quiet for a moment. She was a few years older than Pyrrha, having entered service here when Pyrrha was ten years old. Her hair was brown, and her eyes were hazel with just a hint of green about them. “Begging the young mistress’ pardon, but if young Mister Arc isn’t impressed by you after four months spent in your company, he has too little sense to be worth bothering with.”

Pyrrha felt her face redden. “I don’t… whatever are you talking about, Iris?”

Iris turned her eyes downwards. “Nothing that it was my place to see, young mistress; please forgive me.”

“Oh, it’s quite alright,” Pyrrha said softly. “Although… it doesn’t get me any closer to deciding what to wear.”

The smile that crossed Iris’ face was very slight. “Why don’t you go and get showered, young mistress, and I’ll have something suitable laid out for you when you return?”

“That… is probably for the best,” Pyrrha acknowledged. It wasn’t as if she was anywhere close to being able to come to a decision herself, after all. “Thank you, Iris.”

“No trouble at all, young mistress.”

Pyrrha had no qualms at all about getting undressed in front of Iris; she had known the other woman half her life, and she was a woman. She changed out of her huntress outfit and headed into the shower, leaving the maid to do what she herself had proven unable to.

As she stood in the shower, letting the water wash down her body and through her long, red hair, Pyrrha felt doubts besiege her. It had seemed like such a wonderful idea to bring her friends here to Mistral and show them the city in which she had been born and raised, but now that they were there… she should have anticipated her mother’s reaction, she should have done something to prepare them for it.

I should have risked putting them off? But would that have been any worse than allowing Jaune and Ruby to feel humiliated by her mother? What must they think of her now?

I’ll make it up to them. There are so many wonderful things to see here in Mistral, I’ll make sure they have a good time.

But before she could get onto that, there was dinner to survive. Dinner at which her mother would doubtless seek to test each and every one of her friends.

Sunset seemed well-equipped to survive such a thing; Pyrrha had been surprised by the easy way in which she had adopted courtesies which, if not Mistralian, were nevertheless more acceptable than no courtesy at all, but then, Sunset had told her that she had been taught by the leader of a community. A community outside the kingdoms, true, but it was rank arrogance to believe that that meant that they were nothing but crude barbarians living in mud huts.

And besides, Sunset seemed to enjoy a challenge, provided it was a challenge that she was able to overcome. She might actually like having to match wits against Pyrrha’s mother.

On the other hand, Pyrrha could not say the same about Jaune or Ruby. She would have to try and protect them, at least in part, or else the rest of this trip could be rendered rather uncomfortable.

She emerged from the shower, her hair smelling fragrant, courtesy of her expensive shampoo and conditioner, to find that Iris had laid out a simple but elegant red cocktail dress with slit sides and a high neck out on the bed for her, with a pair of scarlet high-heeled slippers sitting on the floor beneath it.

“Will this do, young mistress?” Iris asked.

“I… yes,” Pyrrha said, smiling. “Yes, I think that will do very nicely. Thank you, Iris.”

She was able to get into the long dress without assistance, but where Iris’ help was invaluable was when it came to making up her face; as Pyrrha put on a touch more make-up than was usual for her. As well as the green wings over her eyes, she gave her cheeks a little blush of pink and painted her lips in a delicate shade of red. She wore her hair in its usual gently braided ponytail, with her circlet gleaming on her brow and her golden armband sitting above her elbow. A bracelet of delicate golden links was fastened around her other wrist.

Pyrrha looked at herself in the mirror. “What do you think, Iris?”

“Very pretty, young mistress,” Iris said loyally.

Pyrrha laughed nervously. “You’re probably just saying that because it’s your job.”

“A maid who lies to her mistress doesn’t keep her position long once the mistress’ delusions meet reality, young mistress,” Iris reminded her in a tone of slight reproach.

“No, I suppose not; I’m sorry for suggesting it,” Pyrrha said quickly. “You don’t think it’s too much?”

“Not at all, young mistress,” Iris said. She hesitated. “If it be permitted to ask, how was Beacon?”

Pyrrha smiled. “Oh, it’s been wonderful so far, Iris. The teachers are… a little eccentric, some of them, but everyone has been so very welcoming to me. It’s been… everything I hoped and more.”

“But you did get into a battle, didn’t you?” Iris asked, sounding slightly anxious about it. “It was all over the news, how you got into some sort of battle with the White Fang.”

Pyrrha hesitated for a moment. “Yes,” she admitted. “My team and I… as you say, we got into a little bit of trouble with the White Fang.”

Iris said, “It’s a funny thing, young mistress, but even though it was all over and done with by the time we heard about it, we were still so worried about you, and I think, this might be me speaking out of turn, but I think my lady was rather worried too.”

“I wasn’t the one to be worried about,” Pyrrha murmured.

“Young mistress?”

“My friend, Ruby,” Pyrrha said softly. “She… it was rather desperate, for a time.”

Iris pursed her lips together in concern. “If I may, young mistress, what were you doing getting yourself involved in a real battle? I thought you went to school to learn how to fight.”

“I know how to fight,” Pyrrha reminded Iris, “and Beacon has plenty of practical exercises… although that wasn’t one of them, I admit. What were we doing there? We were trying to help a friend.” She paused. “I’m told that a lot of people wanted me to come home after that.”

“I wouldn’t exactly know for sure, young mistress, but I do know that my lady had a great many visitors shortly after, including Lady Terri-Belle, the Steward’s eldest daughter. Though what they talked of, I really couldn’t say.”

“I suppose not, but equally I suppose I’ve no reason to doubt my mother about it,” Pyrrha replied. “It appears that I have concerned a great many people, although I couldn’t say why.”

“Speaking for myself, young mistress, I wouldn’t like to see you laid to rest so soon. The crypt is too dark for a young girl to make her home.”

“That’s very sweet of you, Iris, but I doubt that Lady Terri-Belle feels the same way,” Pyrrha murmured.

There was another knock on the door.

“Who is it?” Pyrrha asked.

“Diana, young mistress.”

“Come in,” Pyrrha called.

Diana entered, slightly less unobtrusively than Iris had managed, but Diana was younger, only about an age with Pyrrha herself, and had not been there as long. She curtsied. “Begging your pardon, young mistress, but your guests are waiting for you in the dining room.”

Pyrrha got up from the stool in front of the vanity mirror. “I see.” She was glad that they had been shown into the dining room rather than the Great Hall; it was a little less grand and imposing.

Thank you, Mother.

She didn’t require anyone to show her the way; Pyrrha knew it well enough, and before too long, she had made her way down the stairs and into the dining room. Although it was not so grand as the Great Hall, that was not to say that the dining room was exactly what you would call small. It was still large enough to host a modest dinner party, with a long table dominating the centre of the room, covered in an immaculate white tablecloth and places set for five – the head of the table and the four places closest. The walls were a deep cerulean on the bottom half and a cream with gold leaf pattern on the top, separated by a wood panel of rich ochre which ran around the border of the room. Fire dust crystals burned in sconces on the walls.

Sunset was wearing a ruffled sleeveless, strapless dress that started in deep purple, then transformed seamlessly as it descended through the ruffled layers until it was a translucent pink at the bottom that showed her knees; there was a purple choker wrapped around her neck. Ruby was wearing a red dress that, like the dress that Pyrrha was wearing, had a high neck and no arms, although in Ruby’s case, there was a lot that was only covered by a layer of mesh-like, semi-transparent fabric similar to the tights she was wearing over her legs. Jaune was wearing his school uniform.

“I hope I haven’t kept you waiting,” Pyrrha said as she walked in to join them.

Sunset had been holding forth upon some topic, but stopped and said, “Not at all.”

“You… you’re worth the wait,” Jaune said, his eyes fixed upon her.

Pyrrha beamed brightly. “Why, thank you, Jaune,” she said. And thank you, Iris. “I hope that you’ve settled in alright. All of you, I mean.”

Ruby sniggered. “Sunset’s been teaching Jaune how to act properly.”

“Really? There’s no need for that,” Pyrrha said quickly. “In fact, I should apologise to you on behalf of-”

“No, you don’t,” Jaune cut her off. “This is your house, or your mom’s house, and she can act the way she wants to. We’re the guests, we’re the ones who should try and fit in.”

“That’s… very kind of you,” Pyrrha murmured. “Though I’m a little surprised by your tutor.”

Sunset grinned. “You all thought that I was a lout with no manners, didn’t you?”

“I’m sorry,” Pyrrha said. “It’s just that… I would not have thought you the sort of person to be comfortable…” She sought for a polite way of saying that a person who couldn’t stand to be looked down ought to have a hard time amidst the highest levels of society. “You know your own worth,” she finished.

“Indeed, and where do you think I learned to prize it so highly?” Sunset asked. “An Atlesian slum?”

“No, I suppose not,” Pyrrha agreed. “But then-?”

“Sunset grew up in a palace,” Jaune said.

Pyrrha’s eyebrows rose. “Really?”

Sunset preened her fiery hair. “Where do you think I learned how to be such a good leader?”

“Experience,” Ruby said.

Sunset glared at her, but fondly. “Ha ha.”

“I must confess, I wasn’t aware that there were any palaces beyond the kingdoms,” Pyrrha said.

“There… well… there are more things in heaven and Remnant than you have dreamt of,” Sunset declared.

“I have never claimed otherwise,” Pyrrha replied. “Nevertheless, I am surprised.”

Lady Nikos swept into the room, wearing a short-sleeved green dress that matched her eyes. “Please forgive me, ladies and gentleman, for the delay.”

Sunset bowed her head. “The hostess is never late, my lady; the guests have simply arrived early.”

Lady Nikos laughed softly and drew out her seat at the head of the table.

Pyrrha- was beaten to it by Jaune, who drew her chair back at the same time that Sunset used her semblance to pull back the chair for Ruby.

“Thank you,” Pyrrha said quietly, a smile playing across her face as she sat down at her mother’s right hand. Sunset took the seat on Lady Nikos’ left, with Jaune and Ruby sitting beside Pyrrha and Sunset respectively.

Lady Nikos looked over her shoulder to where one of the maids stood upon the door. “You may serve the soup now, thank you, Selene.”

“Of course, my lady,” Selene said, curtsying as she left the dining room out of the door that led towards the kitchen.

Lady Nikos rested her hands upon the table. “I trust that your guest rooms are satisfactory?”

“We are content, my lady,” Sunset said. “The hospitality of your house has not been wanting.”

Lady Nikos inclined her head politely. “So, where do you hail from, the three of you?”

“From… beyond the kingdoms, my lady, by way of Atlas,” Sunset replied.

“From Vale, uh, my lady,” Jaune said.

Lady Nikos glanced towards Jaune, looking a little surprised. She looked towards Ruby.

“Um, I’m from Vale, too,” Ruby said. “From Patch, it’s a little island just off the coast.”

“Indeed,” Lady Nikos murmured. She fell silent as the soup was brought in, a great silver bowl brought in by Selene, while Hestia set five bowls in front of them. Soup was ladled out and into their bowls before the servants departed.

Pyrrha and Sunset both reached for the right spoons; Jaune and Ruby waited a moment to see which spoon the other two were using before they followed suit. The soup was warm and creamy down Pyrrha’s throat.

“If you will permit me, Miss Rose, but did your late mother happen to be Summer Rose of Team Stark?”

Pyrrha looked at her mother in surprise, both that she knew and that she was bringing it up here.

Ruby, Sunset, and Jaune all look startled, but none moreso than Ruby herself. “You… you knew my mom?”

“No,” Lady Nikos said at once. “But I have been a follower of all tournaments for many years, including – especially – the Vytal Festival. Team Stark’s path to victory led through some of the greatest fights I have ever seen.”

“My… my parents’ team won the Vytal Festival?” Ruby asked. “Really?”

“You didn’t know?” Sunset asked in disbelief. “They won in their second year; off the back of what they did at Ozpin’s Stand, the two combined made their reputation. You really didn’t know that?”

“No,” Ruby said. “Did… did my… did my mother fight in the one on one round?”

“No,” Lady Nikos replied. “In the two on two round, she sent forward Qrow and Raven Branwen, and it was Qrow Branwen who advanced into the singles and took the crown of victory.”

“Uncle Qrow,” Ruby murmured.

“You remembered that, Mother?” Pyrrha asked. It surprised her; she had not thought that her mother’s memory was that good.

“The name stirred a memory in the back of my mind, which I then confirmed,” Lady Nikos said unabashedly.

“You really didn’t know that their team had won the Vytal Festival?” Sunset asked in disbelief.

“No,” Ruby said. “I guess that no one thought it was important enough to talk about.”

“Not important enough to talk about?” Sunset repeated in a voice that sounded slightly strangled. “It’s the Vytal Festival!"

Ruby shrugged. “It’s still just a crown.”

“It is far more than just a crown, Miss Rose,” Lady Nikos said, in a voice that was tinged with just a little disapproval. “It is a symbol of pre-eminence in the field of arms. It is a sign that one has risen higher than all others, set oneself above the rest by dint of prowess. The crown is glory given gilded form.”

“So?” Ruby asked. “It won’t keep the grimm away or defend a village or keep the person who won the crown alive. The grimm, the White Fang, they don’t care how many trophies you have.” She gasped. “I’m sorry, Pyrrha, I didn’t mean to-”

“I know,” Pyrrha said gently. “I’m not insulted by it. I understand exactly what you mean.”

“You’re still really cool,” Ruby said quickly. “It’s just that you’d be really cool even if you hadn’t won all those prizes.”

Pyrrha chuckled. “You’re very kind to say so.” She glanced at her mother, who was looking at Ruby. Her expression was inscrutable.

“You have no care for worldly glory then, Miss Rose?” she asked. “You do not seek your name to live forevermore on the rolls of heroes?”

Ruby was quiet for a moment. She said, “So long as we act like heroes, does it matter whether anyone remembers us?”

Lady Nikos snorted slightly. “Are you all so self-effacing?”

“I… no, my lady, though whether that is for good or ill I leave as an exercise for your own judgement,” Sunset replied. “I am too covetous of crowns to so… to turn my face away from the prospect.”

“I see,” Lady Nikos murmured. “And you, Mister Arc?”

Jaune hesitated. “I… I wanted glory when I came to Beacon, my lady. I wanted to be a hero, and unlike Ruby, I wanted to be known as a hero. But now… I’m not sure how much there is to be found.”

“Hmm,” Lady Nikos murmured.

The rest of dinner passed with cool courtesy, the courses being brought in and taken away again while not much conversation passed amongst the table. Barely had the desert plates been taken away than Lady Nikos rose and, without bothering to bid goodbye or goodnight to anyone, swept away from the table.

Ruby cringed. “I, uh, I think I upset your mom.”

Pyrrha reached out to her across the table, taking Ruby’s hand in her own and squeezing it. “You spoke from the heart,” she said. “There is no shame in that.”

“Though I still expect you to put your best foot forward in the Vytal tournament,” Sunset said.

“Sunset,” Pyrrha said reproachfully.

“You might not care, but I do,” Sunset replied, sharply and firmly in equal measure.

Pyrrha sighed. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I… this hasn’t gone completely as I hoped. I should have… I didn’t prepare you very well for this, and I’m sorry. Tomorrow will be better, I promise.”

“It’s okay,” Jaune assured her. “Your mom is… moms are moms, we get it.” He hesitated. “Or at least I do.”

“That doesn’t mean that… Mistral is much more than my mother,” Pyrrha said. “Tomorrow, I’ll show you around my home. I promise, things will get better.”

Comments

[Mastermind4892]

Wonderful expansion!

[JMP]

Not where I was expecting to pick up. I suppose the chapters in between were simply updated then. So Ruby's here now, and not home at Patch with Yang and Tai? I wonder if they're still going to meet Cinder and have her accompany them on that Grimm hunt

[Kixtia]

I need more

[Animatorsnake]

One question I want to know about this chapter and Phyrra's family, is how it'll change compare to what occurred in Vol 6 - Phyrra's hometown in the show and all?