A/N: Hey guys! I'm sorry this chapter took forever and a day to write, but not including this, the chapter is exactly 4,000 words, so treat yo selves. After this I'm going to take a small break to plan out the other half of the story. I'm going to write a short Steven Universe Murder Mystery AU in between, so look out for that and enjoy the show!

My Red Princess Chapter 5

Sapphire was bored.

She sat at the throne, slumped over. A large line of male gems were in a line organized by supervisor Strawberry Quartz, hoping to win a dance with her. Two gems came up to her.

"Good evening, your majesty. I'm Pyrite." The golden gem handed her a bouquet of flowers.

Sapphire stared at them. "Are these from the palace garden?"

"Haha, you're so funny!" He said nervously.

His orange brother snickered and introduced himself. "I'm Carnelian. Unlike my brother, I'm quite the character! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"Charmed." Sapphire said flatly.

Carnelian didn't take the hint and blushed. "Well, then, would you care for a dance?"

Sapphire was about to reject him when Pyrite pushed him.

"What the heck, man?!" Carnelian yelled.

"We had something going!" Pyrite put his brother in a headlock while Carnelian's arms flailed. Everyone's attention was drawn to the scuffle, including Corundum's. Sapphire used the opportunity to slip away. On the bright side, Steven and his friend Connie would be arriving soon.

💎💎💎

Ruby walked up the stairs and into the palace. She saw a large hallway leading to the ballroom with several doors along the edges. The wall in between doors had a Pearl, amounting to a lot of Pearls. Ruby walked through with awe, Pearl and Amethyst trailing behind her.

"Woah..." Amethyst murmured.

"Okay, guys, we need to look out for Carnelian and Pyrite. If they see us, there's no doubt they'll blab to Tourmaline." Ruby instructed. They nodded.

They reached the ballroom to hear a bunch of people chanting.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" They were shouting. Someone named Turquoise was getting really into it. Ruby tapped a gem on the shoulder. "Uh, what's going on?"

"Apparently two brothers are fighting over the princess!" snickered. "Check it!"

Ruby looked angled herself to a spot where she was alined with all the gaps between people where she glimpsed the event they were talking about. She laughed. "Pearl, Amethyst, look! It's Pyrite and Carnelian!"

"What?!" They looked. Ruby's stepbrothers were in a full-on brawl. Carnelian had Pyrite pinned on the ground while Pyrite swung his arms at his younger brother. The three exchanged glances and burst into laughter.

"Guess we won't have to worry about them for a while!" Pearl giggled before gasping. "Woah, look at that cutie over there!" Pearl gestured to a red male gem. "We should go flirt with him!"

Ruby didn't like boys, so she turned down the offer.

Amethyst, on the other hand, had a strange response. "He's not even hot. I think he's a waste of your time. I don't like him. Looks like he's up to something...suspicious."

"He's eating a potato chip, Amethyst."

"So it seems..." Amethyst was about ready to summon her whip.

Pearl rolled her eyes. "I don't see why you have a problem with him. I'm going to try talking to him." Pearl walked over.

Amethyst scoffed and muttered, "Pearl before swine...", and ran to the snack table, her face an intense violet.

The three split up to explore. Amethyst began chatting it up with a perky and charismatic gem named Sardonyx and a jumpy nerd named Jade. Pearl, after a failed flirt with the gem (Spinel) was cheering for a dancer named Rainbow Quartz, who was killing it. Ruby was mingling with a gem named Aquamarine. Soon, Aquamarine's date, a red gem named Bixbite arrived, so she had to go.

Ruby went over to the food table. She poured herself a glass of punch and turned around.

The next events all happened in slow motion. Ruby turned around with her punch, not noticing the massive figure behind her. She moved forward and made contact with the humongous beast. Punch splattered all over her outfit. Ruby looked up slowly to meet the gem's eyes and gasped.

It was Sugilite.

The gem's eyes began to bulge. Ruby stepped backwards, and then ran. She heard things smashing behind her and she ran up the staircase.

"WHERE DID YOU GO, BRAT?!"

Ruby made a left into the library, a massive archive of stories. Ruby was in awe at the towering bookshelves and long pathways. She pressed her back into a wall, panting. She had lost Sugilite. She closed her eyes but felt a tap on her shoulder

She opened to find one of the kingdom's most famous people.

He was only a child with curly black hair and dark eyes. He was chubby and short.

He was Steven Quartz Universe.

"Uh, hi." Ruby said, recognizing the child of Rose.

"Have you seen Sapphire? I'm looking for her." Steven asked.

"Sorry, she was gone when I got here." Ruby shrugged

"Oh, she's probably hiding in the library's secret room." Steven said nonchalantly.

"Huh?"

Steven walked over to a shelf and pulled out a particular book, which opened into a secret room. There sat Sapphire. She wore a blue ball gown and white gloves.

The room was shaped like a triangular prism. There was a window seat by a window at the other end, which the princess was sitting on as she gazed out at the courtyard. The only light was from the window as moonlight was cast through.

Ruby was about to make an awkward greeting when Steven spoke up.

"Hey, Sapphire!" He piped up happily.

She turned. "Oh, hello, Steven." She glanced at Ruby.

Ruby gave a small wave, feeling uncomfortable.

"Hm." Sapphire turned back and stared out the window.

Ruby's jaw dropped. This stuck-up spoiled brat didn't even bother to say hello to her?! Ruby was annoyed. This was the person who gave her hope to deal with her shitty life, and she was just a little snob who didn't even appreciate how lucky she was to be so blessed.

This night was not going as planned.

Steven, oblivious to the brewing anger, climbed on the seat with Sapphire.

Ruby slumped down against the wall while the two caught up. Ruby was only half listening. She wanted to get back out with Pearl and Amethyst.

"Oh, look!" Steven said, pointing out the window. Ruby glanced up.

"It's Connie! Oh, man, I gotta go! I promised a dance with her!" Steven ran and pulled the same book in, opening the secret door. "You two keep each other company!

And with that, the door slammed shut. He was gone.

They were alone.

Ruby wanted to keep as far away from Sapphire as possible, but sitting on the floor had taken its toll on her butt. It was too sore to sit there for much longer. Ruby sighed and stood up. She walked over and pointed to the spot where Steven was sitting. "Mind if I...?"

"Go ahead." Sapphire said cooly. Ruby awkwardly sat, looking out the window.

It was a beautiful view. Ruby hadn't really been able to view the palace from the back of a speeding lion, but now she had the opportunity, and it was incredible. There was a pond and trees an the property was massive. It was like a deluxe version of Geode Estate (which she could see from the window).

Ruby was ogling like a child at a penguin exhibit at a zoo. She saw Sapphire staring at her silently and turned her gaze away, blushing.

"I-I should leave." Ruby said uncomfortably, the feeling of unwelcomeness overwhelming her.

Sapphire nodded and went over to the bookshelf. She pulled out the book, and nothing happened. She tried putting the book back and pulling it out again, but the door didn't open. Ruby looked up curiously. Sapphire pushed herself against the shelf, trying to get it to move. Ruby suddenly slammed into it, but it wouldn't budge. Ruby pressed her back against it and slid to the floor.

"Is this normal?" Ruby turned to the blue gem.

She shook her head. "It's stuck."

Ruby groaned.

"You could always climb out the window." Sapphire suggested.

Ruby's heard leapt. "Uh, I don't really like heights." Sure, she climbed into her tower window, like, a bajillion times, but this was way higher.

"Alright." Sapphire said.

They sat in silence for five minutes before Ruby couldn't take it anymore. They were stuck in here for who knows how long and she could not do nothing the entire time. She was about to talk when, to her surprise, Sapphire spoke up.

"I can't stand my mom. She expects me to do everything right. I'm a doll. She dresses me up and makes me look pretty just so she can look better. I'm her toy instead of her daughter.

"It got much worse when I was twelve. She had always dressed me up and had a whole 'act like a lady' attitude about me, but that was when it really started.

"She sent me to the worst place I've ever been to in my life: etiquette school." Sapphire shivered. "It was hell on earth, complete with teacups, behavior, and, worst of all, waltzing.

"It brainwashed all these other girls from wealthy families and told them the only goal in life is to be charming enough to attract a suitor, marry him, and make him feel strong so the marriage lasts. The worst part is, they believed it.

"My roommate in the dorms was a gem named Black Agate. She was smart, self sufficient, and free. At that school, roommates were basically your partners for everything. We just goofed off with each other for the entire time." Ruby pictured Sapphire doing something crude and laughing, which was very hard to do. "During tea lessons, whenever the instructor wasn't looking, we would stick up our middle fingers instead of our pinkies. When we had to practice walking with books stacked on our heads, we would see who could get the highest stack without it toppling over. After we received calligraphy pens after practicing cursive, we drew...phallic yet fancy images all over the school. It was amazing.

"We were in a class about romance. It was, by far, the worst class there. We were instructed to give our future male partners jars to open even if we were perfectly capable of doing it ourselves, just to make them feel powerful. The two of us equally agreed it was bullshit, but Black Agate made a fatal mistake: speaking out. She went on the longest rant I've ever heard. She was so worked up over how they expected us to behave ladylike and inferior. The instructor was enraged. She took Black Agate away for discipline. Everyone was dead silent. We were sent back to our rooms early. Black Agate didn't return the day. In the morning, she came back. I was excited to see her again, but something was different. She had lost her spark. Now she was a robot. She was dull and obeyed everything. Her face always remained blank and polite. I..." Sapphire reached under her bangs to wipe a tear. "I could never forgive my mother for sending me there.

"After that, I behaved orderly to get out as fast as I could. Before long, I was less open, less upbeat, less...me. I became distant and far away. What they took away from Black Agate haunts me to this day. I can really only open up to Steven.

"I had been there for a year. After I came back, my mom had gotten even worse. She started talking about marriage. I was only thirteen. No one should ever have to go through something like that. A couple years after that, I met Goldstone.

"Goldstone was the son of a wealthy king a few kingdoms down. His gemstone looked like glittering copper. He was in shape. He had a perfect quiff and gentle brown eyes. I'd never seen anyone swoon before and even doubted its existence, but as he walked up to the palace, there wasn't one girl on the street who didn't squeal. He was dreamy and charming.

"My mother introduced us and we began to chat. I didn't like like him, but I liked him. I went to the kitchen to get snacks and I overheard my mother talking with his. I found out it was an arranged marriage. They had been planning on it for years. I was furious. I stopped responding to Goldstone, who started hitting on me. I didn't want anything to do with my mom and I never even confronted her. She had already planned a wedding and gotten a dress for me. I felt so betrayed.

"After a while, Goldstone got sick of trying to get to me. The engagement was called off. My mom was disappointed but not discouraged. I went through so many suitors I can't even remember all of them. The most I went through was three in one month. One of them didn't last an hour because I dumped hot tea on him on our first date. Now I'm here.

"I don't know how dumb my mom thinks I am, but it mustn't be very good because she thinks I wouldn't see through her plot to set up some marital ball 'for the kingdom' as a way to get a husband for me. I...I don't know what to do...if she found out..." Sapphire trailed off, beginning to tremble.

Ruby looked up at her. "Found out about what?" She asked gently.

"That I'm gay!" Sapphire shouted. Everything was still. Soon, Sapphire's face began to crumple. Ruby reached in for a hug. The blue gem flung her arms around her and let out a quiet sob, her body shaking. Ruby rubbed her back, feeling guilty. How could she have been so quick to judge her? She was so cold because she was taught to do so and didn't want to let anyone in and risk the wrong people finding out and alerting Corundum.

"I...I don't know what to do..." She said with a wavering voice.

"Hey, if you ever need someone, I'm here. I'm an eternal flame."

Sapphire suddenly drew back. "Hey, wait! You're the girl from the pathway!"

Ruby smiled. She actually remembered her! She pushed her hair in front of her eyes. "This'll pass, she'll eventually just...burn out." She said in a playful mocking tone.

Sapphire giggled. "I AM AN ETERNAL FLAME, BABY!" She started wheezing with laughter. "Eternal...flame..."

Ruby was dying. "Laughy...Sapphy..."

Sapphire threw her head back, experiencing the best kind of laughter. She was doing the body-shaking intense laugh where you where barely making any noise but your lungs were practically collapsed right before a bunch of smaller laughs. "How did...you come...up with...that...nickname?!" She said between gasps.

The laughter was contagious. They started to calm down, but then they would look at each other and it would send them back into another fit of giggles. This repeated a couple of times before they finally settled down.

Ruby glanced at Sapphire and noticed something strange.

Sapphire realized her bangs were out of place, exposing her only eye and the spot there the other should be. She quickly brushed them back into place and looked away. "I-"

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to." Ruby said quickly.

"If you'll tell me something embarrassing about you."

Ruby laughed and realized she wasn't joking. "Oh, uh, ok."

"Theres not much to tell. I used to have two eyes, but...during a discipline session at the school..."

Ruby gasped. "I'm gonna KILL THEM-"

Sapphire was a little flattered. "Hey, you still owe me a secret." She said, wanting to change the subject.

"...I've never summoned my weapon."

Sapphire looked up. "Really?" She popped out some silver brass knuckles with gemstones on each finger.

Ruby sighed. "I try so hard, but it just doesn't come to me."

They sat in a comfortable silence until Ruby felt something.

"Uh, I need to use the bathroom. Bad."

Sapphire nodded. "We can try the shelf again." She suggested.

No matter how much they pushed, it wouldn't budge.

"Would you rather go out the window?"

"What if I pee on someone walking around outside?"

"I meant climb out the window."

"...oh. Uh, sure." The thought terrified Ruby, but desperate times called for desperate measures. She was not about to piss herself in front of a princess.

Sapphire pushed open the window and climbed onto the roof under it. Ruby closely followed, focusing on Sapphire instead of the plummeting drop she would go through if for one mistake.

"There's an unlocked window over there. It leads to a room close to the bathroom. Take a left and you'll find it. I'll be on the roof above that window when you're done."

Ruby nodded. The two made their way over.

Ruby's foot slipped. "Ah!" She said in alarm as she began to slip. She was about to reach the edge when Sapphire grabbed her hand and pulled her up. Ruby was surprised out how strong the petite princess was.

"Are you alright?" Sapphire asked.

Ruby nodded. "Thanks."

They continued the short journey and Ruby climbed in the window. She was in what appeared to be a guest bedroom. She followed Sapphire's directions to a restroom.

When she came back, she saw something green coming in the window. Instinct told her to hide. She waited before peeking through the doorway. It was Jade, a gem Amethyst was talking to earlier. She looked around, then beckoned outside. Turquoise, the gem who told Ruby, Pearl and Amethyst about the stepbrother's brawl, slipped in. She was followed by the object of Pearl's desire.

"You don't need to pretend anymore." Turquoise said.

"Uh, I hate being Spinel!" The red gem said before his body glowed. Ruby gasped.

Jasper.

Jade turned into Peridot. Ruby watched in awe as Turquoise revealed herself as Lapis.

"The princesses of the Homeworld... What are they doing here?!" Ruby whispered.

"Why wasn't she in the room?!" Jasper thundered, punching the wall.

"Jasper, calm down! We don't want anyone to catch us!" Peridot shouted.

Lapis rubbed paint off her gem. "You're not helping, Peridot."

"Why wasn't she in the room?!" Jasper repeated. "The secret door was still blocked off when we went in through the window! She should still be in there!"

"Do you think she went outside with the boy?" Peridot asked.

"No, we made sure only he left." Lapis said.

"Then we should have been able to sneak in and kill her!" Jasper said, yanking her hair.

Ruby's hand covered her mouth, muffling her gasp. She backed up. They were trying to kill Sapphire?! Why?!

Think, Ruby. What happened to Sapphire?

💎💎💎

Sapphire dropped behind the other side of the roof as three gems made their way across the other side of the roof into the hidden room.

"WHERE IS SHE?!"

"This is impossible! My calculations couldn't have been wrong!"

"You two need to calm down."

"WE NEEDED TO GET HER!"

Sapphire sighed and went through a different window.

💎💎💎

"That makes sense." Ruby said.

The gems stopped.

"What was that?" Lapis asked.

Ruby hesitated before running. She ran away from the library and the room the gems were in and the ballroom.

"Shit. Shit. SHIT." She rounded a corner and skidded to a halt.

"Hello, Ruby." Sapphire said nonchalantly like she wasn't a person who wasn't aware of the fact she was almost assassinated.

Ruby was about to respond when she heard the clock strike midnight.

Her eyes widened. She and Sapphire stood in silence for a moment before Ruby pivoted. She sprinted the opposite direction.

"Wait!" Sapphire cried, chasing Ruby. She raced down the ballroom stairs. Sapphire was fast. Her hand reached out and was about to grab Ruby when someone jumped between them.

"Sapphire!" Corundum shouted, blocking her daughter. "Finally! Where have you been?! Did you meet any boys?! WHEN IS THE WEDDING?!"

Ruby's eyes darted around. Pearl and Amethyst were talking to each other angrily. Ruby rushed to them.

"Oh, Ruby, we've been looking for you! We wa- oh!" Pearl exclaimed as Ruby grabbed the duo.

"What are you doing?! Amethyst shouted.

"It's midnight, we need to go!" Ruby cried. The two picked up the pace and they rushed out. Going down the stairs, Ruby got frustrated with running in glass shoes, so she started to take them off. Pearl gave her a dirty look so Ruby continued with only one shoe.

"Lion!" Ruby shouted. They hurried over to him and hopped on.

Ruby looked back at the palace and screamed. Sapphire was at the top of the stairs. "GO GO GO!"

Lion bolted. Sapphire started to run down the stairs. Lion took a shortcut over a lake, running across the water. All three screamed. Was his mane getting shorter and himself getting smaller?

Ruby looked back and saw Sapphire halfway down the stairs, not running anymore. She bent down and picked up the abandoned slipper. She stood up and looked at Ruby.

Ruby didn't know how to respond to it. She was about to say something when Lion roared. A pink portal opened up and Lion leapt through it. For the umpteenth time, they screamed. Lion skidded on the cobblestone pathway on the estate, then collapsed.

The three panted. The looked at each other and began to laugh.

"WOOHOO! Good job, Li-" Ruby turned to her cat to see he was just a cat again, lying on the ground. She looked down at her dress to see it was falling apart.

"We better get to your room." Amethyst said. Ruby made a sling out of a torn sash for Lion and began scaling the wall, followed by Pearl, then Amethyst.

They were near the top when Ruby looked down. She saw Pearl kick a bunch of rock dust onto Amethyst. The purple gem glared at the white one, who gave a 'oopsie daisy, oh well' gesture before advancing up the tower.

All three climbed into the window. Ruby Rose was siting on the bed, starting to fade.

"Oh, good, you're back! I was starting to get worried. Green Tourmaline will be coming up for another check on you any minute now, hurry!" She said before disappearing.

No sooner then that did the trio hear footsteps advancing up the stairs.

"Quick, hide in here!" Ruby said, opening the closet door. Pearl and Amethyst rushed in. Ruby collapsed on the bed just as her stepfather opened the door.

"Pyrite and Carnelian will be returning from the ball soon. I suggest you clean up and get to bed." He said, starting to close the door.

"Ow!" A muffled voice said from the closet. Green Tourmaline snapped his attention over to it. Everything was silent.

"What was that?" He asked quietly.

Ruby shrugged. "Must be Lion." She prayed Lion wouldn't choose that time to crawl out from under the bed.

He stared at her and then the closet for a moment before shutting the door. Ruby waited until he was at the bottom of the stairs.

"You guys can come out of the closet now."

Pearl and Amethyst awkwardly reemerged.

"Pearl kicked me." Amethyst said matter-of-factly.

"Only because you-"

"Guys!" Ruby interrupted. "Tonight was...wow, I can't believe it!"

The two stopped bickering, looked at each other, and smiled. They proceeded to group hug and sit on the bed.

Amethyst talked about getting into a dance battle with Rainbow Quartz.

Pearl brought up how awkward and strange Spinel acted when she tried to flirt with him.

Ruby gasped and tried to explain about the Homeworld princesses, but she had to explain the events prior for it to make sense. She told them about Sugilite, and Steven, and the secret room, and Sapphire, and how they talked, and her near-death slip, and finding out about Turquoise, Jade, and Spinel.

"I was flirting with Jasper?!" Pearl cried out in shock.

Ruby nodded. "And I don't think they're finished."

Amethyst yawned. "Before we get into this too much, can we just go to bed?"

Ruby nodded and shut out the light.

She dreamed about the best night ever.