RWBY: Grimoire

Chapter Two: Weiss Schnee

Once upon a time, there was a world full of magic. However, not all could use it. Occasionally some were capable of great power. The mages.

And when the Wicked chose to wreak havoc across the land, the most powerful mages gathered to put an end to their wrongdoing.

To ensure that no other evil beings would rise to power, they brought an end to the teaching of magic forever.

Or so they thought...

"Have I not done all you required?"

Hands folded in her lap, Weiss kept her eyes on her stepmother, Hilde Schnee. Pale skin like porcelain, thin almost pointy limbs, and jet black hair accented by gray streaks, pulled back into a severe bun. Her emerald gray eyes could pierce like the finest weapons in Atlas, relegated to a wiry frame tucked into an ice white suit. This woman, arguably the most powerful person in the north, an individual who had somehow gained control of the mining towns below and the aristocracy of the isle was the only thing stopping her from leaving Atlas behind.

And Weiss was tired of her game.

Hundreds of years before Hilde had ever taken her first breath, the Schnee family had led the people of the north into prosperity. The first of their clan, a mage had used their magic to push back the Grim, and erect the walls that allowed the town to grow into its own kingdom.

And while magic disappeared from the world, the Schnee family had continued to practice their craft, and studied the ways of old, while inviting the greatest minds of the continent to develop new technology.

Hilde had married into the Schnee family ten years prior, and on her husband's deathbed became his sole proprietor.

Heirs to the name but not to the dynasty, Winter and Weiss Schnee were well known public figures in the icy citadel of Atlas.

Winter, proficient in her family's craft, used her skill to climb ranks within the Atlesian military.

Weiss, still honing her craft, was now ready to make a name for herself outside the north. For outside her budding skill as a caster, she retained a beautiful voice--something Hilde saw fit to monetize.

It started with Hilde parading her around at parties. Then private concerts. Now, Weiss was the prima donna of Atlas, with her songs recorded and played across the world.

But the only public appearances she was allowed to make were performances.

Now old enough to pursue a career, Weiss wanted to join an academy.

However, Hilde had other plans for her. Each month for the past year she had come up with one stipulation after another to keep Weiss home.

"So you have. But I must ask," Hilde'a eyes trailed over Weiss as if she were examining an insect. "Do you really think you are prepared to leave this all behind? If you wanted to train here in Atlas maybe..." She leaned forward. "But Vale is another story. The Grimm travel in droves, the brigands attack, the white fang targets our transports... and from what I recall, you haven't mastered many forms." Her face morphed into a sneer. "You haven't mastered the Sentinel yet, have you?"

Weiss kept her face rigid. She wouldn't let Hilde have the satisfaction of unnerving her.

Instead, she would take it as a challenge.

"And if I were to master the sentinel..." She paused, arching an eyebrow. "Would you believe I was ready to leave?"

Hilde leaned back, looking more smug than before. "I would consider it."

Weiss felt her face twitch. She closed her eyes.

"Very well."

After Hilde dismissed her under the guise of urgent business, Weiss left the private office.