Mercury was sitting in his cell alone and Jaune appeared in front of him. Mercury stood up and looked at Jaune
"Your doctors patched me up, Why?" Mercury asked the Blonde
"they're sworn to treat all wounded, friend or foe" Jaune replied back
Mercury scoffed "You want me alive so you can torture me? is that it?"
"No one's going to torture you..." Jaune told him
Mercury glared at Jaune. He turned around and sat on the cell's bed and looked at Jaune
"So how do we die? Hanging? Beheading? Drop us from the top of the wall?" Mercury asked
"I don't know what happens to the prisoners, not my place to decide," Jaune told him
Mercury down "then who decides?" Mercury asked
Jaune looked at him and looked at the halls before looking back at Mercury "I suppose Cinder does"
"is she your Queen now? You lick her boots? do you even know her!?" Mercury yelled
Jaune looked at him "I don't have a Queen or a King. I serve my friends" Jaune told him
Mercury chuckled and got up walked to Jaune "You spent too much time with us, Jaune. You can never be a kneeler again. And "Queen" Cinder, She'll betray you. Like she betrayed me and Emerald..." Mercury said
At the mentioned of her name, they both went quite. it's only been a week since her death. Mercury was still sad about it but knew he needed to move on. Jaune however, Jaune couldn't get over it. Not yet.
"We're gonna burn the bodies, do you want to say any words?" Jaune asked
"None. they're dead. burn them and move on. it's what we did" Mercury said with his voice full of hurt.
Jaune nodded and looked away. He was walking down the hallway and three cells down Jaune stopped. "Did you love her? She loved you..." he heard Mercury told him
Jaune walked back and stood in front of Mercury. Jaune wanted to know more.
"She told you?" Jaune asked
"No" Mercury said "All she ever talked about was killing you. That's how I know" Mercury told Jaune
Jaune looked down in sadness, Mercury grabbed his arms through the bars and looked at Jaune and Jaune looked back at him "She belongs here. You understand me? She belongs here..." Mercury said and Jaune nodded.
After that, Jaune went to the burning of the soldiers that had fallen on both sides. Jaune saw Emerald. She looked peaceful in the burning, Jaune left because he couldn't watch the flames burn her away. Blake noticed this. She knew all about Jaune and Emerald.
Jaune was training the new Rangers that had joined. two were fighting against each other and Jaune seemed to be glad. Soldiers were learning fast
"Good, good, pivot! Don't forget to pivot!" he said
He continued to watch the two fight with wooden swords. Jaune looked to see Ren and Blake teach the others who had guns. Nora was teaching the ones who were training to be hunters but decided to come here instead. Jaune then turned to see a Mistral soldier who was waiting for him
"The Queen wants a word with you, Jaune Black," she told Jaune
Jaune nodded and was lead to Cinder. she was staying in Gwen's old office and she was wearing a long dress with gold and white patterns along with it.
are you not hot your Grace?" Jaune asked as he approached Cinder
"Never, I'm always warm" Cinder told him and put her hand onto Jaunes face "Feel that?" She asked and Jaune nodded
The two sat down and Cinder looked at him
"You know who rules at Ark town now?" Cinder asked
Jaune hated the answer but he knew who it was.
"Tyrian Callows... Or the Scorpion King as they call him" Jaune replied
"The Psycho who put a dagger into Katelyn Arc's heart," Cinder said with Bitterness "don't you want to kill the man who murdered your family? your sister? your mother?" Cinder asked
"I want a lot of things, your grace" Jaune replied
"I've been talking to your fellow commanders. three of them hate you and only one likes you" Cinder told him
Jaune didn't answer. he already knew who the one was. 'thanks Ilia' Jaune said to himself
"It doesn't matter. I'll take back the south with the help of your friend yang and the help of Queen Winter. But when I leave here I want you to come with me, And I want you to be the one to mount Tyrian Callows's head on a spike. But if we're gonna take back the south we need men" Cinder told him
Jaune sighed "The Soldiers here work for Queen Kali, I Can't order the Blue Fang-"
"I'm not talking about the damn Blue Fang. I'm talking about the White Fang and the Silver Hand"
Jaune was dumbfounded "Your grace, you want the White Fang and Silver Hand to march in your army?" Jaune asked
"If they swear to follow me, I'll pardon them. We'll take Ark Town. Once the South is won, and we'll declare them citizens and we'll give them land to live on" Cinder said
Jaune looked at her and knew there was something else, something that she wasn't saying
"what's the catch, Your Grace?" Jaune asked
"I'll offer them their lives and their freedom, IF Adam kneels before me and swears his loyalty.
Jaune chuckled a little "I don't think that's likely. He and the rest of the White Fang along with Mercury Black and the Silver Hand are very stubborn" Jaune said
At the Mention of Mercury's name, Cinder had seemed surprised for a brief second. Jaune noticed this.
"You admire him, don't you?" Cinder said, recomposing herself and looking to Jaune.
"I respect him" Jaune replied with his head down
" well he likes you. Convince him to bend the kneel..."
"Your grace--"
"...or he burns"
Jaune looked down and sighed "How much time do I have?" Jaune asked
"Nightfall. The sun drops fast this time of year. Hurry, Commander Black" Cinder replied.
YOU ARE READING
The Bastard of RWBY
FanfictionJaune Arc was never an actual Arc, he was the bastard of Jonathan Arc and a nameless woman, his sisters loved him, his adopted mother loved him but his father saw him as a mistake, so Jaune ran from home to be a huntsman at the age of twelve, Jaune...
