Ironwood listened to your tales, "They took someone from you?"
You smile at him, "It has been a long time since the accident and since I left my original kingdom. I can never go back because it's all in the past."

Ironwood leans forward as you cross your arms, "What about you? Even though we've known each other for a few years, I know I don't know much about you." Thrown off by your question, "About me? I think you know a little too much about me." You laugh.

"I'm serious; I only know what you show me." A leaf falls and lands on your head; Ironwood reaches for it but instead touches your hand as you reach for the leaf. Ironwood holds your hand for a moment, "And I've shown you all of me." He kisses the back of your hand; your face flushes pink as you give him a tender smile, "Isn't this new?"

Both you and Ironwood enjoyed each other's company until it was time for the recital to begin. Ironwood pats your shoulder, "Knock them dead."

"They should be lucky I'm not performing." You walk towards the back of the stage, "I'll tell Weiss to do that for me!" Ironwood chuckles as he heads to his seat. You stand behind the curtain, taking a deep breath in and letting the curtains open, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am your host, (L/n) (Y/n). Welcome to The Diamond Stadium. Today we have performances from our talented Atlas Academy, with a special guest from Weiss Schnee."

The crowd claps as the lights fade, "Now then, let's begin."
You watch the performances from backstage; soon, Weiss performs. The recital ends without any errors, which gives you relief. After some time, the charity event begins; you walk around a greet a few people, "Ah! Lieutenant, it was an honor to receive an invitation from you. The performance was wonderful; you have an eye for these things."

"The honor was all mine; thank you for coming." You smile.
"Such a kind lady; how about I send you an invitation to my next gathering? After all this hard work, you need a break once in a while.

"I will look forward to it."
"Oh, by the way, are you seeing anyone by chance?" This question caught a few people's attention. "Not currently; however, I'm afraid I'm not anyone's match."
"Nonsense. I have a son that looks around your age, a wonderful child. Shall I fetch him for you?" An older woman speaks, locking her arm around yours.

"You talk highly about your son. Lieutenant (Y/n), let me introduce you to my older brother. He's quite the catch, and I would love to call you my sister-in-law." You smile at the people surrounding you, "As much as I would settle down, I still have so much work to do."

A few younger women come closer to you, "What about the leader of the Ace-Operatives?"
"He has such a kind smile; I could just imagine he would be an attentive partner."
"Wait, we are missing the point. What's your type?" The girls look straight at you as others glance in your direction to hear your answer.

You place your hand on your chin, "My type?" You tilt your head to the side, "Haha, I honestly don't know. I guess if they can put up with me, that's all I need."
"You are the representative of us, women; you mustn't settle for less."

"You know what? These men have nothing on you. They aren't even on your level. Don't worry, Lieutenant; we will keep you away from anyone not up to the standards." As the girls continued talking, you took your chance to walk away. You find where Weiss is standing; her face brightens as she sees you, "Miss (Y/n)."

"You did a great job; I'm proud of you." You felt a tug on your shirt, seeing a younger boy stand next to you, "Whitley, I see you came too." Whitley gives you a small smile but looks away as Jacques takes notice of him, "My, lovely to see you again, Lieutenant."

"Really? It was lovely before you spoke to me." You laugh. Jacques laughs nervously, not to bring attention to your comment. Ironwood watches from afar as you continue to talk to Jacques, a small smile placed on his face. "General Ironwood, wonderful to see you here."

"Likewise, I hope you enjoyed the performances." The man smiles, "Of course, nothing less from the Headmaster of Atlas Academy." Ironwood fixes his tie, "Thank you for the praise, but that is deserved by my right hand, Lieutenant (L/n)."

"Wonderful; where is she?"
"She is currently speaking with the head of the Schnee Family." The men look at each other, "We were wondering about meeting her. We heard many stories about how quickly she rose the ranks in your military."

"Is she really from Vale? I've had reporters tell me she used to stand with the Headmaster of Beacon Academy, similar to you." Ironwood remained silent when a hint of anger hit his chest, "Makes a few people wonder what their relationship was."

"Why don't you ask?" The men froze; Ironwood smiled, "Gentlemen, this is Lieutenant (Y/n) (L/n)." You walk from behind the men and stand next to Ironwood. "Nice to meet all of you. Thank you for attending this event; it means a lot to the children who want to go to school." You did a small curtsy giving them a smile; the men stared at you with awe. One of the men extends his hand to you, "It's an honor to meet you, Lieutenant. I thank you for helping Mantle. I'm Richard Merlot; my wife has spoken highly of you."

You shake his hand, engaging in the conversation, "Nice to meet you; how is she?" The man smiles, "She's doing wonderful, thanks to you; you have helped us so much. If you ever need assistance, whatever is in my power, I will grant it." Richard then leaves the group.
"You know his wife?" Another man with navy hair speaks up; you nod, "We have a contract, a nice lady."
The navy-haired man extends his hand to you, "Colbalt Myers, heir of Blackhills Crop."

You shake his hand, not wanting to be rude, "Pleasure to meet you." Cobalt brings your hand to his lips and kisses the back of your hand. "The pleasure is all mine."
Feeling slightly uncomfortable, you retract your hand away, "Lieutenant, you have a call." Clover walks up to you, and you take a step back, "I'll be right there. Ironwood, can you take care of the guest for me." Facing the men once more before excusing yourself, "Enjoy the rest of the party."

"Hope to meet you again." Cobalt waves at you as you leave; Ironwood takes a sip of his drink when Cobalt turns his attention to him, "What I would give to have a woman like that stand beside me. How come you have never introduced us, James?"

"Lieutenant (L/n) chooses her connections." Cobalt laughs, "I like a woman like that. I'm sure she could make a man very happy." Before Cobalt could continue, "I'd appreciate it if you don't speak about her so lightly. Now excuse me." Ironwood leaves the group; the men glance at Cobalt, "You should have kept your mouth shut."

He turns his attention back to the group, "Why is that? We were all thinking it." One of them spoke up, "We? It's evident that the General pays extra attention to the Lieutenant."

"We bring you to these events to gain publicity, to build connections."

"Be careful what you say, around the General and the Lieutenant, especially if you want to be better than your Mother."

Cobalt glares downward at his drink, then walks away from the group.

Now in a drawing room, you sit on a couch as a hologram of Ozpin speaks to you, "That's good to hear that you are doing well; remember, whenever you are ready, you are always welcome to come back." You smile, "Of course, but if you hear anything about the next move, I will return immediately."

Ozpin chuckles, "As a councilwoman, it would be difficult for you to leave suddenly." You wave your hands, "You know where my loyalty resides; besides, the way I have my plans here are set to be settled for the next decade."

"Only you could make a decade sound like a short time."

You smile, "My time isn't limited like everyone else, so I want to make their lives easier. If they rest easy, so will I eventually."

Ozpin lets out a sigh, "Have you been sleeping?"

You shake your head, "I haven't." He crosses his arms, "Should I have James force you to have a day off." You laugh, "I know it isn't a laughing matter, but recently I have been feeling anxious. I know I shouldn't be thinking the worse. Perhaps it's my nerves coming back."

"They haven't contacted you, have they?" Your eyes sharpen, "My masters are not to be involved. If they did, I wouldn't be here."

"We can close this meeting then; I will keep in touch; if there is any trouble, you are to return to Vale." You stand up, "Of course, take care of yourself."

Ozpin smiles, "You too."

The hologram disappears before you pick up the scroll, "Time to head back."

You leave the room, surprised that Clover was nowhere in sight, "James must have called for him-"

"Lieutenant, nice running into you again."

"Mr. Myers." He places his hand on his chest, "I'm a little hurt; not calling me by my first name."

"First names bases are a bit too close, and I met you not even an hour."

Cobalt chuckles, "Please feel free to call me by my first name. I have a deal for you; I'm sure you would benefit from it."

"And what would that be?" You smile.

Cobalt extends his arm out, "How about becoming my woman?" Your smile fades, "Oh, come on. I heard that you need someone on the same level as yourself. Connections, money, anything you could ask for, I will provide it." You crossed your arms and thought of an idea, "I'll accept, but only if you keep standing." Confused, Cobalt smiles, "Keep standing?" You nod.

"Brace yourself." You expanded your aura, and Cobalt fell to his knees instantly. 'What's happening to me? What did she do?'

Cobalt tries to look up as his eyes lock with yours; fear begins to fill him. You stared down at him, there was so much more to you than he thought, and he was not at your level, not even close. "Thank you for coming to the event." You hide your aura again, "Unfourtanly for you, it seems I will not be your 'woman.' I'm sure other women can take your offer." You turn around, walking away from Cobalt; he glares at you.

The next day, you are sitting in your office when you hear a commotion outside. Unable to concentrate, you sigh as you walk out of the office, "Robin, what's going on?"

Robin turns to you, "Well, it seems you have an admirer. The heir of the Blackhills is requesting to meet you, and from what a guard told me, he has gifts for you." You tilt your head which causes Robin to chuckle, "Lieutenant, let's go for a walk; you need a break. Besides, he might give up if he hears that you aren't in your office."

Robin puts her hand on your shoulders and pushes you away from the commotion. You walk around the campus, saying hellos to some students, "I need to think of a lesson plan for the following year. The Grimm have been more aggressive lately. Maybe I should recruit the new graduates." Robin walks closely, "I will begin scouting. Do you plan to make another team?"

"Well, I am happy with the Ace-Ops and the Happy Huntresses performances. If needed, then I will, but it will be good to have subgroups. With the new graduates, we can merge teams to protect the people. Robin nods, "I'll look into it! I'm sure Clover also has a few teams that he could recommend."

Robin's scroll beeps, "Ah, Lieutenant, is it alright if I take this?"
You nod, "Go on ahead; I'll be at the courtyard." Robin nods as she answers her call.

In a small gazebo, you pour yourself a cup of tea. The sound of students chattering and the leaves rustling cleared your head.

Ajin appears, however, in a size that could hit your hand. "Could you find the reason the Grimm are more aggressive?" Ajin gives you a nod before disappearing. You take a sip of your drink when a loud voice interrupts, "Ah! Lieutenant, I've been looking for you." Knowing that you will get an earful from Robin, you curse under your breath, "Mr. Myers? I didn't know you were here. The campus isn't open to uninvited guests."

Cobalt holds out a bouquet of orchids, "For you."

Hesitant, you take the flowers, feeling discomfort when holding the flowers. "What?- Thank you, but why are you giving me flowers?"
Cobalt smiles, "I'm sorry, I stepped over the line the other night. I want to get to know you properly."

"It's alright." Seeing that someone brought you flowers; causes a few students to giggle in excitement, "I'll have a guard escort you off campus. Thank you for the flowers." After doing a small curtsy, your name was called, "Thank you for waiting for me, Lieutenant." Robin returns with Clover, who is holding his scroll in hand. Cobalt clenches his fist, seeing that Robin and Clover blocking his path to getting closer to you.

"Mr. Myers, I'll escort you. Robin, mind giving the run down to the Lieutenant?" Clover begins to guide Cobalt away from you; Robin takes the flowers from you, "Flowers?"
You nod, "Yeah, he said he wanted to apologies."
Robin glares in the direction where Cobalt left.

"Honestly, if he was sorry, he should have stayed away from you." You laugh at her comment, "Perhaps."
Robin smiles, "Besides, any potential suitor has to be approved by us first."

"Us?" Robin smirks, "By Clover, General Ironwood, and I. Luckily I'm not including the Schnee children."
A custodian walks up to the gazebo, "I'll take care of the rest, Lieutenant." You thank the person as you and Robin walk back to the building.

Upon returning to your office, you glance at the fireplace. Robin excuses herself for a moment. You walk towards the fireplace, tossing the flowers, "(Y/n)?" James is heard from the other side of the door.
"Come in." Ironwood enters your room with a bouquet of Gardenias, "What's this?" You gave Ironwood your full attention. "I didn't get a chance to give these to you." You take the flowers, a wide smile on your face, "These are lovely."

"Like you." Ironwood clears his throat, "Well, I have work to do. I'll see you in the next meeting." Clover and Robin glanced at each other after hearing his words.

Before Ironwood leaves the room, you speak, "Thank you, James." James smiles at you and exits the room, with Clover following behind. "You should have talked to her a bit longer." James stops for a second, "What do you think of the Lieutenant?"

Clover thinks, "Someone strong, someone who doesn't hold her tongue. I respect her and her work; she is a great leader."
"Aside from work, personal."

"Oh! Getting personal? Well, she is an attractive lady. Graceful, welcoming, caring, an ideal partner? I'm wondering if I can put the words together." Ironwood continues walking. "What do you think about her?" Clover asks, following Ironwood, "I don't know."
Clover hums in response, "She seems to like you." Ironwood glances at Clover and then returns to his office.

Now in the snowy field, you are a few miles away from the border where Mantle resides. Killing off some hostile Grimm, you sigh, feeling the cold surround you, "I'm tired. Ajin." Black smoke formed at your feet, "Push them back."

Immediately the smoke expanded around the outskirts of Mantle, "That should keep them away for the time being." Ajin picks you up and takes you back to Mantle. A small crowd of people surrounds you, "Lady, welcome back; you weren't hurt, were you?"

"No, are you all alright?" The people nod, "Of course! Thanks to you."
"All you should return back to your homes; please be careful."

You take your leave, and Ajin picks you up and returns you to Atlas academy. You step forward to the front gate, "Identification." Removing your hood and showing your scroll, "Welcome back, Lieutenant."

The gates open, revealing Ironwood standing with his arms behind his back. You smile sheepishly, "I assume you know where I went?"

"And I assume you thought you could just go without telling me your whereabouts?" Ironwood places a blanket over your shoulders, "I saw the black smoke and considering your summon, you took matters into your hands."

Snuggling the blanket around you, "The behavior of the Grimm has been changing; they seem more aggressive than usual; someone has to put them back in their place."
"The Grimm are still very dangerous; if you would have gotten hurt-" You glance at Ironwood, "I'm the Goddess of the Grimm for a reason; the Grimm are smart. But it's better to send me out there than someone who can die easily."

Ironwood chuckles, "I'm caring for a friend."
You smile, "A friend, huh?"

Ironwood takes locks arms with you and escorts you to your room, "I'll send someone to check for any wounds."
"No need, no external injuries if anything; Robin can take care of me."

"Stubborn. Good night (Y/n)."
"You don't mind; good night James."

~~
Another chapter down!

It has been almost a year since I last updated! I'll upload more often for you guys, but I can't make any promises.
The outfit is from the Webtoon The Abandoned Empress; I thought it would fit Saint to wear while staying in Atlas.
Also, Orchids represent greed, lust, and wealth, as Gardenias represent secret love. When gifted is telling the other person, 'You're lovely.' At least from what I have researched.

See you guys soon!
Michaelis.