The Reluctant Weapon - Part One : The Dream
The story is about a young woman name Valentina de Medici, who is born with great power. She gets pulled deiberatly out of her time by the Rosenkreudz to become their ulitamte weapon and to preoccupy the attentions of their insain leader Cain. But what if she were to fall into the hands of the Vatican, would she choose her former masters or would she choose the kindness of Father Abel Nightroad? Is this real or is she dreaming, only she can be sure. Trinity Blood doesn't belong to me but, Valentina does. Some of this is based off the novels and some from the anime. This is my first fan fiction, I hope you like it.
Isaak Fernand von Kampfer, a tall thin man with a coldly handsome face and long straight black hair, looked out of the airships windows and smiled to himself. In only an hour the weapon that would bring ruin to the world would be in his grasp. He turned to the machine and finished the final measures of this little experiment. He smiled to think how pleased the Contra Mundi would be with his success. The Contra Mundi, also known as Cain, entered the room, " How much longer before we begin, Panzer Magier?"
"We are ready at your command now, Master," said Isaak with his hand over the button.
"Do it, I grow impatient to meet this young woman you claim will be the ultimate weapon if infused with my blood."
"Yes Master," Isaak pushed the button and bluish-white light filled the room. The light died down after half an hour to reveal an unconscious young woman wearing a bloodstained white blouse and a pair of black leather pants. Isaak picked her up and carried her to a medical table; he brushed her long blood auburn hair from her lovely moon pale face and smiled as he thought, 'History books didn't do her justice. Her beauty would make men despair and her power could bring Rome to ruin with a blink of an eye. If he likes her than maybe while she is preoccupying his time I can make my own plans.'
"It is my great honor to introduce to the Rosenkreuz Orden the Star of Annihilation, Valentina Gabriella Francesca de Medici. This young lady is a witch of the highest power having been born with Methuselah-type abilities such as - pyrokinesis, telekinetic blasts that can take out an entire city if she so chose too, mental manipulation abilities that would make Dietrich envious, and she can call the weather and bend it to her will. And she will be even more powerful once we infuse her blood with yours Master, thus making her the perfect weapon and a suitable bride for yourself sir."
Cain walked to the table to have a closer look at this girl, who Isaak proposed to merge with him through his blood, and let out a sigh. She was a rare beauty with blood auburn hair to her hips, moon pale skin that was smooth as silk, a figure that was pleasing to the eye, and a beautiful face that held a pair of ruby lips that drew him in. He wondered what color her eyes were as Isaak began to transfuse Cain's blood into Valentina's veins.
An hour later she woke up to find that, instead of being in a coffin in her psychotic ex-boyfriend's cold basement, she was lying on a medic's table with about twenty men looking at her. She didn't think, 'Hey this is better than the coffin,' or even, 'where am I?' No, she didn't think at all, she just reacted with her body on autopilot. She jumped to her feet and kicked two men in the head as she flipped off the table landing on their faces with the full force of her 120 pound 5'7" frame. Her right fist came around to punch Dietrich in the face with a breaking sound around his nose as her left foot kicked another man behind her in the groin with enough force for him to faint from the pain. Valentina weaved around three assailants causing them to knock each other out without even laying a hand on her. She grinned at the next three to try to subdue her with something bordering on insane glee as one of the men pulled a gun out and shot his two comrades, and then he crawled to her like a puppy looking the be rewarded. She patted him on the head and said, "Sleep, that's a good boy."
Valentina looked up from her new pet to find herself face to face with a smile that serenely hid the insanity inside like a mask. That smile bothered her and she found herself wanting to wipe it off the man's face. She pulled a knife out of the sheath at the small of her back and tried to stab him, only to find the smiling man with the blonde hair was holding her knife hand at the wrist and was gently twisting. She dropped the knife with a cut off scream and kicked at his knee. He stepped out to the side so her foot only connected with empty air and pulled her into his embrace, " Isaak was right about your powers but he did not say what a skilled fighter you are."
"Let go of me," she said in a weak voice as she pushed at his chest.
"No, I think I'll keep you very close my little star of the emerald-hoarfrost eyes. You are staying here to be my weapon against the world and my bride," said this smiling man with a lilt of a chuckle. She thought, as she looked into his pretty blue eyes that held little that was sane and much that wasn't, 'Oh God, why deliver me from certain death only to hand me to this mad man?'
It took some effort but Isaak managed after a week to convince Valentina that life would be easier if she joined the cause of the Rosenkreuz Orden. But her compliance seemed more sarcastic than genuine, she just wanted to be left alone and if saying yes to join the cause of these fanatics would make them leave her in peace then so be it. The three who wouldn't leave her be were Dietrich, Isaak, and Cain. Dietrich struck her as harmless, because she could turn this 'Puppet Master' into her puppet, but he was still infuriating even when she did control him. Isaak Fernand von Kampfer treated her like a pet project forcing her to hone her magick and fighting skills to flawless perfection. He was even more infuriating than Dietrich because he treated her with something bordering on fatherly patience with a pat on her head when she lost her temper with him as if she had done something cute which would make her even angrier. She used her telekinetic blast to throw him through a wall once; he just smiled at her like she had turned him on needless to say she never did it again. Then there was Cain, a psychopath in an angel's body, a man who kept looking at her as if he wanted to know what she looked like with not only her clothes off but also her skin. He pushed her too far one night and she called power she didn't even know she had. She grew fangs as a pair of wings of night black feathers with violent purple edging sprouted from her back, a whirlwind of electrical power surged around her, and then she threw him through five walls without even touching him. He just laughed at her, sprouted wings of his own, and threw her against the opposite wall. She didn't remember much after that except that she woke up the next day in her bed with a damp rag on her head and a blinding headache. This treatment persisted for a month before they finally let her out of the airship with a mission, she was to convince a high-ranking clergyman to join their cause, but she had other ideas and they involved escape.
Father Hugue de Watteau turned around to find an attractive young woman with a pair of mesmerizing eyes like emerald hoarfrost framed in a face of unsurpassing beauty that also held a pair of lips that made him miss the past when he knew what fun was, silken skin as pale as the moon, hip length hair like silk thread of the rarest blood auburn, and a pleasing figure that caused immediately censored thoughts in the quiet priest's mind.
"Arrest me," said the pretty woman in a dulcet tone with her delicate looking hands out stretched before him.
" Why."
" I'm of the Rosenkreuz Orden. See, I'm wearing their uniform," she spun around slowly to show off the figure hugging uniform with the short thigh-length full skirt that showed off her legs, "Please Father, I'm begging you to arrest me."
Hugue looked down at her as she got onto her knees and began to plead with him, "Please Father, you have no idea what I have been through for the past month, a man grooming me to be his bride and a weapon of total world destruction. Another man keeps pushing me to the brink of insanity and treats me like I'm a rare treasure to be owned, nothing more than property. I'm treated like a massively magnificent jar of explosive poisoned candy. I can't take it anymore, so, please just take me to the smallest cell you can find and chuck me in it. At least I would have peaceful silence…."
"Hey Father, just take her to the nearest hotel and get it over with," said a man passing by who began to laugh at his own perverted thoughts. Valentina sprang up with grace and speed; she walked over to the impertinent man and punched him in the face. The punch was beautiful and textbook perfect, and she looked down at him after he hit the ground, "Now lets get one thing straight. I do not give people sexual favors ever and especially not in the street. Are we clear now, you miserable little excuse for a human being, or do I have to extend my lesson in morality?"
"We're clear, we're clear, I'm sorry."
"Good, now get out of my sight," she said and walked back to Father Hugue, "see Father, I'm a menace to society."
"She's the prettiest menace I have ever seen. Where did you find her Hugue," said a tall darkly hansom priest who looked more like a spokesman for romance novels. He walked over and smiled at Valentina, "Don't mind Hugue, he doesn't say much. He seems to like that whole lone wolf bullshit. Is there something I can do for you? By the way I'm Father Leon Garsia de Asturias."
"Valentina Gabriella Francesca de Medici, nice to meet you…umm…did I say something wrong Father?"
"Nothing at all, so, you're a de Medici," it was a statement of fact and nothing more. She smiled captivatingly at Father Leon, "Could you please arrest me Father? I want to get away from the Rosenkreuz and your friend seems less than compliant. In fact he's down right antisocial."
"You're not wanted in connection to anything I know of but I can offer sanctuary if you like. And like I said before don't mind Hugue because he is antisocial," said Leon as he led her to the Vatican.
By the time they got to the Vatican's main gates Father Leon was carrying Valentina like a small child and he was grinning like a kid in a candy store.
"Leon, what are you doing with that girl," said an approaching priest with white hair.
"Carrying her, what does it look like Father Four-Eyes," said Leon and he gave Valentina a wink.
"I thought you'd say something like that Leon. Hello Miss, I'm…what?"
Valentina literally flipped over Father Leon's head using his shoulders as fulcrums to get more lift. Once behind him she said, " I can't go anywhere without you following me can I?"
"W-what," said the white haired priest with the glasses waving his hands in front of him, "you're a charming young woman but I've never seen you before."
She threw her arms skyward, "My God, why have you sent me to a place where there is a Cain clone?"
"Cain, you know Cain," said the white haired priest as he suddenly became a great deal more serious.
"Unfortunately, he's been grooming me to be his bride and to be a freaking super weapon for so long that I can't remember anymore. I can't stand the man, damn the Contra Mundi, and his psychotic plans. I'm sorry for my outburst Father," she said as she stepped out from behind Father Leon.
"That's alright, I'm Father Abel Nightroad," he said with a smile that warmed Valentina's very soul. She gave him an intensely scrutinizing look, which made Father Nightroad blush, and smiled at him brightly, "You have a kinder smile than Cain's, Father Nightroad. However, I can tell that you hide something deep inside that you are ashamed of and the name Lilith Sahl is always fresh in your mind for this reason," her eyes grew wide and she stepped backwards, "Abel Nightroad brother to Cain. He killed Lilith for swaying your opinion on the human race and now her body resides in the catacombs…uh…I'm...sorry…did I say something I shouldn't have? I need to learn to stay out of people's private thoughts. Maybe this was a bad idea, I'll just go find a cave and hide from the world before I'm accused of witchcraft and executed for heresy."
She began to walk back to the gates at a rapid pace that quickly became a full out run and found her way blocked by a concerned Father Abel. She stepped around him and once again headed for the gate, "Leave me be Father, that is all I have ever wanted since I was five, and I want it even more knowing that I was rescued from a slow and lingering death only to be left in the hands of a mad man who likes to push me to the brink of insanity on a celestial level."
"I can't let you leave under the impression that you have done anything wrong," said Abel as he kept pace with her long striding steps. She stopped walking and looked up at him with an expression of disbelief, "Why would you care about me? I opened your mind like a book and read the restricted section. I really am a menace to the human race, maybe my parents should have killed me when they found out what I could do," she shook her head sadly, "No Father, I'm worth no one's compassion. I am a monster from a time before Methuselah or the odd Angels. I am a monster that monsters run in dread of. Forgive me Father but you would never understand what goes through the mind of this little Catholic Strega and the anguish she feels, good bye."
Valentina bowed respectfully and walked to the gate as she ripped the armband off her uniform. She threw the armband at a guard, and ran like her life depended on her attaining maximum speed. Abel turned to Leon, "I'm going after her. No one should be left to the mercy of the Rosenkreuz."
"I agree that we should go after her because I think that Lady Caterina would like to speak with her about what she knows about the Rosenkreuz. But what is your reason for looking for her, huh," asked Leon. Abel let out a sigh, "She is so sad and really believes that she's a monster. I want to let her know that she has a friend in me if she ever wants one."
Valentina stopped running and looked up to see the Fontana di Trevi before her. Her knees buckled and she collapsed to the ground, "Damn it, why did he care? I'm not used to kindness from anyone but my parents. Oh yeah, my parents aren't alive anymore, I'm alone here."
She stood up and walked to the fountain, "It's nice to see that some things never change even after Armageddon. I wonder if the Santa Maria in Trastevere is still standing."
"It still stands Lady de Medici, why do you ask?"
She turned to find Father Nightroad standing behind her, "Hello Father, Santa Maria is the cathedral where my parents were married, and this is where they first met."
"I see, so, you went to a place that holds happy memories for y…"Valentina cut him off.
"Why are you here, Father? Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the concern but you don't know me enough to worry about me."
"Comeback to the Vatican with me, you will be safe there, and we can talk so that I may know you better. Anyway, if you want, I'll be your friend and you don't have to be alone in this world anymore," he smiled at her and held out his hand. She looked at the proffered hand with a note of suspicion but took hold of it anyway, "Lead the way Father Abel."
"Iron Maiden to Crusnik, Father Abel I found some information in connection to the name Valentina Gabriella Francesca de Medici. She was a powerful psychic with manifested powers that were similar to those of the Methuselah, a skilled martial arts master, a sword master, and a skilled marksman."
"You are using past-tense Sister Kate."
"She disappeared at the age of 26, September of 2007. The de Medici family accused her former boyfriend of her disappearance but her body was never recovered, and in the end they buried an empty coffin to gain closure."
"Thank you Sister Kate."
"Your welcome, Kate out."
Abel looked down at the small woman next to him and wondered what the possibilities were that she was the same as that unfortunate daughter of the de Medici family. He stopped walking and met those frosted emerald eyes, "How old are you Valentina?"
"I'm 26. I was born in Paris, September of 1981, why do you ask?"
"Where were you when the Rosenkreuz took you?"
"Inside a coffin in my ex-boyfriend's basement in New York and then I woke up on a medic's table in an airship with Cain, von Kampfer, and eighteen other men looking down at me. I spent a month in that airship wishing they would just go away. And in case you're wondering, I'm 5'7", weigh 120 pounds, my measurements are 35-25-34, yes this is my natural hair color, my father was Italian which is obvious with a name like de Medici, and my mother was an Irish girl name Mary O'Carrol. Is there anything else you would like to know?"
Abel's face was crimson having begun turning pink at the mention of her measurements and the blush just got darker at the mention of her "natural" hair color. He blinked, "N-no-nothing else Valentina…uh…why were you in a coffin?"
"Because the psychopath wanted to rid the world of a heretic witch that would corrupt anything she touched. And he wanted to know why I hid things from him he couldn't be trusted.
Nobody can be trusted with the knowledge of what I am; my father paid for the finest masters of swordsmanship, marksmanship, and the arts martial to teach me to defend myself as soon as I could walk for fear of people hurting me for being a freak."
"You are not a freak."
"Yes I am, Father Abel. I am a human flamethrower, I can reduce entire cities to rubble with my mind, I can move things with my mind, I am capable of controlling people at a level that Dietrich von Lohengrin is envious of, I can read minds like a book, and I can control the weather in order to use it as I see fit. I have other abilities that I have just discovered and, with the exception of manipulating metal, I don't want to talk about them. Do you still think that I'm not a freak, Father?"
"I would call that gifted if used properly."
"That sounds like what my mother said to me once. She said that God had blessed me with great power to prove he had faith in me. On the other hand, my grandmother told me that the moon was my mother and she gave me to my parents as a mark of her favor. My grandmother was a Strega and 'Strega Francesca' was what the people who lived near by called her," she looked confused, "Why am I telling you any of this I barely know you, Father Abel?"
"Maybe because I am listening without judgment," said Abel and then he smiled at her, "like I said before, you have a friend in me if you wanted one. Ah, here we are."
"And where is here, Father?"
Abel knocked on the door and opened it, "Your Eminence, I have someone I believe you will want to speak with."
"Well, let them in Abel," said a woman's voice from inside the room.
Abel opened the door and led Valentina into Lady Caterina's office, "Your Eminence, may I present Valentina Gabriella Francesca de Medici. Valentina, this is her Eminence, Cardinal Caterina Sforza the Duchess of Milan."
An hour later, Lady Caterina had called in several members of her Department of Holy Affairs or AX. Father Leon entered the room and grinned widely at Valentina, "Hey, you found her."
"Of course I found her," said Abel. Leon just laughed and placed a hand on Valentina's shoulder, "How are you doing cutie?"
"…um uh…I'm ok," she replied as she looked at her hand in Abel's, she hadn't let go for anything, and she felt safer with her hand in his. Leon removed his hand and smiled, "I'm glad to see that you're safe."
"Is this the girl that Abel has been making all this fuss about," asked a stately looking priest holding a pipe. He smiled at her and held out a hand, "I'm William Walter Wordsworth or you can call me Professor if you like."
She shook his hand, "I am Valentina Gabriella Francesca de Medici and it's nice to meet you, Father William."
She looked around the Professor at the three others she had not met yet and tightened her grip on Abel's hand. Abel looked down at her, "Are you alright, you are looking quite pale even for you?"
"That nun is see-through and the tall man next to her has no psychic pulse."
"That is Sister Kate Scott, she's the captain of the battle airship Iron Maiden. Which man were you referring to?"
"The man with no facial expression."
"That's Father Tres Iques, he's also called Gunslinger."
"Three of ten? Did his parents lack imagination and had ten children that they gave a designation of birth order to instead of a name. That still doesn't explain how come he lacks a psychic pulse or an aura at that. All people even Methuselah have a psychic pulse and an au…oh…yes, I think I understand now," she let go of Abel's hand and walked across the room to Tres, "You're an android aren't you?"
Tres looked down at her, "Positive."
"Nice to meet you Father Tres, I am Valentina Gabriella Francesca de Medici."
"Positive."
She gave him a quizzical look and turned to the last person to enter the room, "Oh my…um…are you sure this is the Vatican, Father Nightroad?"
"Of course it is why do you ask?"
"Because I think I have died and gone to Heaven. If this is the Vatican, then Cardinal Sforza has been looking for priests at Hot Guy R' US. This is not fair, all the eligible cute guys are psychotic and hell bent on world domination or are vampires or both," Valentina smiled at the priest in front of her and held out her hand, "I'm Valentina Gabriella Francesca de Medici and it's nice to meet you, Father."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, I am Father Vaclav Havel," he said has he gently held her hand. Her eyes grew a little wider and in small voice she said, "Know Faith, you are from Brunn and you were once an Inquisitor."
Havel smiled at her gently, "Now I see why Kate said you wanted to make her an AX agent, Your Eminence. She's a powerful psychic."
Valentina bowed to Havel and walked back to Abel, "Yes, I can also program computers, fix machinery, sew, cook, sing, dance, and speak ten different languages. That is to say I am a luxury but a cute one."
Leon started laughing as he picked her up and cradled her in his arms, "Can we keep her, Your Eminence? She's fun."
Lady Caterina's eyes showed the smile she was hiding, "I was hoping she would join the AX anyway. Will you join our agency Lady de Medici?"
"Put me down, Father Leon," she walked into the center of the room and gave Lady Caterina a gracious bow, "It would be an honor to become a member of the AX, Your Eminence. There are just two little things: firstly, I hacked in to the financial files and found that my bank account is still open and has been collecting interest for nearly a millennia. I would like access to my coffers so thus I will not be taking a vow of poverty. Secondly, although I am Catholic my grandmother raised me to be a Strega and we are a hereditary lot. So, therefore I won't be taking a vow of chastity either. Anyways in the twenty-first century the vow of celibacy became optional and not mandatory."
Caterina gave her an appraising look, "This is acceptable, and your knowledge of Pre-armageddon history will be doubtlessly better than mine."
An hour later, Abel and Leon stood outside the uniform storeroom and listened to the commotion coming from inside. They could hear Sister Angelina, "Be reasonable Sister Valentina, this is what the all the nuns wear."
"I'm in the AX if I have to run or even fight that dress is just going to hinder me…oh…(giggle)… I could work with this dress."
"Well, I guess we could let you have that style. Sister Noelle was the only one that I know of to wear that style of habit although hers had a collar; this thing has a rather low neckline. I think we actually have a couple in your size, Sister. Here we are, and here are your shoes," said Sister Angelina.
"Oh joy of joys, I get to run the hundred meter dash in a pair of three-inch heel. I can run in heels as long as they're not four-inch heels, you could really twist your ankle trying to run in four-inch heels and I know what I'm talking about. I ran four miles in a pair of four-inch heels before and couldn't walk for a week. Thank you for your help, Sister Angelina."
"Your welcome and the dressing room is over there, Sister Valentina"
About ten minutes later Valentina walked into the hallway wearing a slim figure hugging dress with a neckline low enough to see a little of her cleavage and a slit on each side from thigh to hemline.
"So, what do you think," she said as she spun slowly around to show off her new uniform, "Is it really that bad?"
Abel had turned bright pink and had his mouth was wide open. Meanwhile, Leon was grinning at her like she was a piece of aphrodisiatic candy or an alter boy's wet dream. Her stance changed as she moved one leg out to the side and she placed her hands on her hips, "What's the matter with the two of you…oh forget it. I'm going to the dorms to put my other dress away and then I'm going to go shopping for "other" clothes."
She walked off to the dorms with Abel and Leon left staring at her retreating figure. Leon turned to Abel, "Makes you wish that you didn't take the vow of celibacy doesn't she?"
"I-I-I'm not going to hold to that vow long with Valentina dressed like that."
"I got conscripted into this so I didn't make any vows. See you later, Four-Eyes," Leon walked off in the direction of the nun's dorms, "Maybe she would welcome some company when she goes shopping."
Three hours later Abel found Leon lying on a bench in the gardens staring wide-eyed at the sky, "Leon, where have you been?"
"I've been to every high-end clothing store that specializes in women's lingerie in Rome," he started to laugh, " I know how to make Valentina blush now."
"Yes, hold a nightdress up and say, 'you'd look good in this love.' I thought I was going to die of embarrassment, Leon," said Valentina as she stepped out from behind Abel.
"It must have looked good on you. After all, you bought the nightdress cutie…hey," Leon sat up as Valentina placed her foot between his legs, leaned forward and said, "Just stay out of my underwear drawer and I'll forget that you tried to get me to try on fetish wear, ok."
He grinned at her, "Ok, but I still think that black leather is a good look on you."
She rolled her eyes as she stood up and turned to Abel taking his hand, "Father Abel, you said that you would take me to that café you were going on about. I'm buying after all…wha…"
Abel had picked her up in a fireman's carry and ran for the gates, "Good bye Leon."
Leon had fallen off the bench and was sprawled on the ground laughing at the sight of Valentina being whisked away by Abel because of food. 'Well,' he thought, 'she has to learn not to wave a teacup in front of Abel sometime. Better now than later.'
"Sister Valentina are you awake," said Abel Nightroad as he poked his head into the nun's dormitory, "Lady Caterina wants a word with us after breakfast and I…oh my…" Valentina was wearing little deep blue baby doll nightdress that stopped at her mid-thigh.
Abel quickly placed a hand over his eyes, "Sister Valentina, please get dressed."
"I am dressed Abel, you act as though you have never seen my legs before or is it that you…oh…ok I am putting a robe on. It's safe to look now, I have hidden away any temptation."
He removed his hand from his eyes to be met face-to-face by a smiling nun, "You're smiling at me, why are you smiling at me? Valentina stop laughing it's not funny."
"I just think it's cute how a little nightdress, that was doing excellent work in the basic modesty department I might add, got you all worked up. That really is just too cute, Abel."
"We-well good bye," he ran from the room and Valentina could have sworn that even his white hair had a pink tint to it.
Father Leon looked up from the breakfast table to find a pink faced Father Abel followed shortly by a grinning Sister Valentina. He noticed that Abel turned even pinker when Valentina sat next to him and that her shoulders began to shake with silent laughter, "Hey cutie, what so funny?"
"I'm not telling you anything, Leon. Anyway I have a-I have to go, excuse me," Valentina ran from the room. She ran down the hall and out into the gardens, "Stupid, stupid, stupid, you can see in everyone's heart into everyone's mind but your own. What do you want? What do you need to have a happy life?"
She kicked pebbles out of her way, "I want the one thing I can't have, Him."
She covered her face and began to cry as she collapsed, and a strange sensation that she had only felt once before came over her. Her large black wings with the purple edging stretched out, and then it began to rain everywhere except on Valentina.
"Valentina are you alright…oh no. What did Cain do to you," said Abel as he ran out into the rain to find her. She looked around one wing to see Father Nightroad and fear crept into her heart, "Father Abel, stay away from me. I told you there were things I discovered recently that I didn't want anyone to know about and now you see that I really am a monster."
"You are not a monster, Valentina. A beautiful and very scared girl perhaps but not a monster," said Abel as he took a few steps closer. Valentina jumped to her feet and turned to face him with dark liquid flowing down her face. The darkness of the lachrymose liquid secreting from her eyes indicated that she was crying blood tears. Abel found it odd that, although she cried blood tears, had those beautiful wings, and had developed a pair of fangs she still looked the same. Her long blood auburn hair was floating in her power like water and only the irises of her eyes glowed like stars trapped inside frosted emeralds but, she looked more human at 80 Crusnik form than anyone else. With one delicate hand she reached to the sky and the rain stopped with a loud rumbling sound, "Stay away, Father Abel."
"I can't do that Valentina, I am your friend remember," he said as he closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her. Her body changed back to human form and she pushed at his chest weakly, "Let me go, Father. I'm not safe to be…oh…you're one too."
He gave her a little smile, "Yes, I am. Now, why did you run away?"
She shook her head sorrowfully, "I can't tell you that, Abel," the way she had said his name was more like a melodiously soft breath on his heart, "Please Abel, let me go."
He let her go and followed her out of the gardens, "What did Cain do to you, Valentina?"
"He let the Rosenkreuz infuse me with his blood. Now, I have wings and fangs if I loose control. I'd like to see my grandmother try to explain that as Diana's blessing," she said as they headed for Caterina's office.
"Valentina, you have to tell Her Eminence that you are a Crusnik. She will accept you for who and what you are," he gave her a worried look, "You need to tell someone what's bothering you, it doesn't have to be me, but you should tell someone."
"I'm regretting not making a barrier by taking the vow of chastity, because now after a month of being in the AX I have developed feelings for some of my fellow AX agents, feelings that are not appropriate due to the fact that most of you have taken the vow of chastity. Now, do you see why I said that I couldn't tell you, Abel," she picked up her pace as she looked at her feet, leaving Abel behind. He was standing in the middle of the hall in complete bewilderment.
'Not me,' Abel thought, 'you cannot have fallen in love with me, Valentina. No my dear friend, my little Tina, not me.'
When Abel reached the door to Lady Caterina's office he found that Valentina was leaning against the wall waiting for him. She smiled at him, "Come on slowpoke lets not keep Her Eminence waiting any longer."
"You're in a good mood. What happened to change…" he stopped talking when Valentina's eyes flashed with a glimmer of knowledge. She pushed herself off the wall and stood in front of him making him very aware of how much taller he was than she. A playful grin crossed her beautiful ruby lips and she said in a dulcet purr, "Whose Tina? Do I have to tell Her Eminence that you have a girlfriend?"
He began to blush, "Wh-wh-what?! I don't have a girlfriend."
"What you mean I'm not your friend. I thought I was your friend and I'm a girl."
"That's not what I meant."
"Oh, so you do have a girlfriend," her grin had been playful but, now it was positively naughty.
"You're picking on me."
"Of course I am. So, now who is this Tina that flits and flutters through your mind?
"Tina is just a name that I use in my thoughts to refer to you, Valentina," he noticed that her smile had softened and grew warmer. She turned to the office door, "Tina, I like it. Shall we go speak with Her Eminence now?"
Abel nodded and they entered the room.
Half an hour later, Lady Caterina was staring at Valentina in curiosity, this pretty young woman was a Crusnik and a powerful psychic she was just full of surprises. She straightened the papers on her desk and then looked at Abel and Valentina, "Sister Valentina de Medici your AX codename will be 'Seraphim.' But what I wanted to speak with the two of you about is that we have received reports stating that in the Kingdom of Hispania there has been Rosenkreuz activity in Sevilla to be precise. Now I need to send in a small unit and they cannot be openly from the Vatican. So, therefore I am sending 'Dandelion' and 'Sword Dancer' with the two of you. I have already briefed them on their position in this mission, even if Father Hugue isn't happy about it."
"No disrespect meant, Your Eminence, but why didn't you brief us with Father Hugue and Father Leon," said Valentina.
" I called you in separately from Hugue and Leon, because I needed to speak with the two of you alone. I needed two of my agents who work well together to pull this off, and according to Kate and Vaclav you have a particular…affinity with each other. Now your cover will be that of a newly wedded couple on their honeymoon. Hugue and Leon will be posing as friends that you have agreed to meet with at the hotel and if anyone gets suspicious Leon has been given orders to create a diversion. Any questions?"
"Well Your Eminence, I don't have any civilian clothes. So, don't you think that I should stay here," said Abel as Valentina began to giggle. She took his arm, "No questions, Your Eminence," and she headed for the door with a playful smile, "Come on Honey, lets get you kitted up."
"This isn't funny, Valentina," he said as they left the room and the last thing Lady Caterina heard was Valentina saying, "Call me Tina, please Abel. This is going to be fun."
Valentina sat in front of the dressing room, "Abel? Did the mirror swallow you or something? You've been in there for a while."
"I look silly," came the complaint from behind the curtains. Valentina shook her head, "Abel, you are silly. Now just come out from behind the curtains so I may see how you look."
He stuck his head out, "No," and closed the curtains again.
"Then I am going to go in there with you, Abel."
"No-no, I'm coming out. Just don't come in here," he said as he left the dressing room. He was wearing a black suit that accentuated his figure to its best. It had a pale blue waistcoat that brought out his eyes, a coat that stopped at his hips, and the pants fit perfectly. The suit fit like a glove, " See, I told you that I looked silly…what?"
Valentina was hiding her face behind her hands, "You look great Abel."
"Then why are you hiding your face," he leaned forward to be eye level with her where she sat. She lowered her hands to reveal to Abel that she was blushing in that pretty way that natural red heads do. Valentina stood up and looked at the salesgirl that was helping them, "We'll take this suit and two others of the same size and cut but, one in navy blue and the other in dark gray with a pale gray waistcoat."
"Yes, Miss," said the young woman and she scurried off to get the requested suits.
"You don't have to buy me anything, Tina," said Abel.
"Abel, we are friends and I like to spoil my friends. Besides I could have three palaces the size of Hispania commissioned and I would still have an obscene amount of money, So, I might as well put it to good use."
"Well you need to get something for yourself."
"I'm planning on it because I do not intend on running around Hispania in a nun's habit. As a matter of fact that is my next step."
Abel closed his eyes and let out a sigh, "You look beautiful, Tina."
Valentina was standing in front of him wearing a long black figure hugging velvet dress with a skirt that draped gracefully off her hips, long slender sleeves that belled out at the wrist to show how dainty and refined her hands were, and a neckline that showed just enough cleavage to be alluring and still be modest. She crossed her arms, "Your eyes are closed, Abel. How can you possibly know how I look?"
He opened his eyes and fell off the chair, "An Angel."
"Very funny, Abel. But I will take that as a compliment though," said Valentina as she walked back to the dressing room. She closed the curtains and smiled as she thought, 'He called me an Angel.'
Abel closed his eyes again and thought, 'I hope that this feeling passes, or working with her will be problematic.'
"What about this dress, Abel? I think it's cute but the color may be a bit much."
He looked up to find her wearing a little sundress with a fitted bodice, spaghetti straps, and a full thigh length skirt; it was pink. He got up off the floor and was noticeably blushing, "Maybe in a blue."
"You're blushing, Abel…oh sorry…the legs…maybe they have one that has a little longer skirt in an icy blue," and she walked off coming back a few minutes later with an icy blue dress that was exactly the same as the pink and a white dress. She came out of the dressing room in the white dress which was just like the pink sundress except it had a skirt that stopped just below her knees, "What about this…why are you blushing now…never mind."
When they got back to the Vatican, Valentina began to complain about how difficult picking clothes out with Abel had been. Leon started to laugh and hugged her, "What's the matter, Cutie? Did Abel make you self conscious?"
"No, he just kept blushing no matter what I wore," she said as she snuggled into Leon's embrace, "My father used to hug me when I was upset, or just needed to be held. I have missed hugs for the sake of the closeness, thank you Leon."
Leon smiled, "You're welcome."
She closed her eyes as she reveled in the warmth of his strong form, and fell asleep after whispering, "I am home."
Leon picked her up, carried her to the nun's dormitories, and put her to bed. He walked off wondering how long it would be before the stress of missing her family would take its toll.
The following day, Valentina was heading out to get a few items for the mission when she ran into Father Leon and Father Hugue. Leon was laughing at Hugue's indignation towards the impending mission.
"Hello gentlemen," she said with a heartwarming smile.
"Hello Cutie, where are you off to," said Leon and laughed even harder when Hugue grimaced at the mention of Leon's pet name for Valentina. Hugue had developed a soft spot for Valentina in the past month since she had joined the AX, even though he had never let her know. He really didn't understand how she could ignore the fact that Leon was constantly flirting with her. He also didn't understand how she affected Father Nightroad the way she did. But most of all he didn't understand how one little smile from her would captivate him, and now she was standing in front of him raising a hand slowly to his forehead, "Are you feeling well, Father Hugue?"
Hugue grabbed her wrist and mentally curst his wandering mind for allowing her to get that physically close to him. He noticed the look of mild surprise on Valentina's face and let go of her wrist, "I'm fine, Sister."
"Are you sure, because I told both you and Leon that I was in charge of our disguises and only Leon responded," she looked concerned.
"I'm fine and I don't need a disguise."
"You have civilian clothes then?"
"No."
"Then you need to come with Leon and I to acquire suitable clothing for the two of you."
"No I don't."
"You cannot go in priest's robes. You are suppose to be a friend meeting us at the hotel, not the priest that married us."
"I could be there for the reception."
"There isn't going to be a reception. Now, you are coming with me, or I will be forced to do something regrettable."
"Like what?"
"This," she flicked her hand and Hugue found himself about an inch off the ground, "this is such a vulgar display but you left me no choice. So, if I have to play puppet master in order to get you appropriately attired then so be it."
With tears sparkling in her eyes she stood on her toes and leaned forward in order to be eyelevel with him, "This gives me no pleasure, Father Hugue. I am sorry that it has come to this."
The sight of tears glittering in her beautiful eyes caused an ache in Hugue's heart because it reminded him of the fact that both of them no longer had a family.
She sat in front of the dressing rooms red velvet curtains with Hugue standing behind her, "Leon?"
Leon stepped out of the dressing room and grinned as Valentina's eyes roved over his body. He was wearing a pare of pant that seemed to hug his small waist and hips, an ivory colored shirt under a dark gray waistcoat, and a black coat that was draped over one arm. The shirt and waistcoat showed off the attractive swell of his chest and broad shoulders like a piece of highly addictive candy, and sloped beautifully down to his waist.
"You look magnificent Leon, but why are you not wearing the coat? Doesn't it fit," said Valentina.
"The coat fits just fine, Cutie."
"Then why aren't you wearing it?"
"Because I want your opinion on the back of the suit," he turned around to show off how the pants molded to the contours of his rear. Valentina closed her eyes and let out a nervous laugh, "Stop shaking your butt at me Leon and put on the coat, please."
He put on the coat and turned to face Valentina whose cheeks were pink form a mixture of pure embarrassment and a realization that she felt an attraction to this man, "Well what do you think?" She opened her eyes, stood up, and smoothed out the lines of the suit. She stepped back and smiled, "Perfection. If you were not a priest, you would be a heartbreaker. I know that if I had known you before I ended up in that coffin that I would have asked you out on a date."
She turned to a salesgirl and requested two more suits of the same cut and size, one in charcoal gray, and one in medium blue with a black waistcoat and pants. Then she turned to Hugue and smiled, "Your turn."
"No."
Valentina sighed as she latched on to his arm and began to pull him towards the dressing room, "Now please, just try on one suit. Otherwise, I'll be forced to treat you like a puppet and that means I can see what you see. I don't think that would be appropriate seeing that I am to be married soon, don't you agree."
Hugue gave her an odd look while Leon laughed at how well Valentina fell into the role of new bride. Hugue just nodded and went into the dressing room.
Fifteen minutes later Hugue had not emerged from the dressing room and Valentina finally decided to poke her head through the curtains to see what was taking him so long. He was just standing there, still in his robes with his eyes closed. She stepped inside and gently touched his arm, "Hugue, you have to try something on. Otherwise, we will be here all day."
"Why are you so determined?"
"Because I know how we need to look for this mission. Not to mention that I happen to like seeing how the right suit can enhance a person's beauty, both inner and outer beauty," she said as see played with a strand of Hugue's wavy blonde hair between her fingers as her hand lay on his arm, it was a tactile thing.
"I can't," Hugue's jade green eyes flashed with a momentary hint of loss, "I'm not the kind of man to do missions like this and Cardinal Sforza knew that when she assigned me. I joined the AX in order to fulfill my vengeance on those responsible for my family's death. This makes me feel as though I'm turning my back on their memory."
Valentina's eyes grew wide, "That is the most I have ever heard you say in one sitting."
She shook her head and smiled compassionately, "You wont be turning your back on the memory of your family. I don't have anyone here that I can call family, not for almost a millennia, and I haven't lost hope in making something resembling a family with my friends and fellow AX agents. Look, revenge is an on going cycle that will follow you throughout your life. And if you finally kill everyone involved in your family's demise, you will have nothing left to live for because you wrapped your whole world around revenge. Sometimes the best thing you can do is to just live the best life you can."
"I died that day. I have nothing left, no one will be waiting for me," he said as he finally noticed that she was playing with his hair. She let go of his hair, touched his arm gently, and smiled at his expressionless face, "You are not alone. You have a friend in me and I will wait for you to come home safely."
Hugue stared into her eyes and knew that she meant every word she had just said. There was a touch of warmth in her eyes, her eyes flashed as her grip on his arm got harder, and she moved faster than anyone he had ever seen.
Leon heard a commotion from behind the curtains and a few minuets later Valentina walked out of the dressing room with a guarded grin pulling Hugue out from behind the curtains. He was a vision to behold in a suit that was only two shades lighter than navy blue. He looked like the noble man that he had been born to be, and the suit looked like it had been made for him alone with a waistcoat in a pale gray. The effect of the blue made his jade eyes seem to glow. Valentina smiled at Hugue with a trace of heat in her eyes that he knew her to be oblivious to, "You look fabulous, Hugue it really becomes you."
She walked away with the salesgirl to order two more suits for Hugue and then returned with some extra accessories for the two men standing in front of her. She was quite proud of her control because without it, no vow in the world would have protected the three men she would be going to Sevilla with.
On their way back to the Vatican, Valentina's eye was caught by a dress in a window display. The dress was in all white with long slender chiffon sleeves, a fitted bodice and a long skirt that draped off the hip in satin, it was a bridal gown. Leon noticed as note of sadness enter her eyes as she began to walk away. He latched onto her arm and pulled her into the bridal shop, "Come on, have a little fun. If you're not happy how can I be, huh Cutie?"
A woman walked out of the back room, "May I help you?"
"Yes, my friend is getting married next week and the silly girl worked so hard on all the planning and arrangements that she completely forgot about her bridal gown," said Leon with a wink at a very bemused Valentina.
"I would be happy to help your friend. Is there a particular style that you were looking for, Miss?" "She showed an interest in the dress in the window display," said Leon grinning at Valentina's look of complete shock. The woman looked at Valentina, took her hand, and led her toward the back room, "Yes, I believe that I have that particular style of dress in exactly your size."
An hour later the woman emerged with an associate to lead Valentina out to the mirror in the main part of that shop. She was wearing the dress from the window with a bridal veil, and she was carrying a bouquet of roses, her eyes were closed. Hugue and Leon stared at the vision of beauty in front of them and found themselves speechless. Valentina opened her frosted emerald eyes and gasped at the image in the mirror. It started as a small curve of the corners of her mouth and then it became a full out smile of euphoric happiness. She was lost in a dream even if that dream would last for only a few moments.
"I-I," Valentina was speechless for the first time in her life.
"She will take it," said an unlikely voice. She turned to Hugue with a look that clearly said that she couldn't believe that he of all people had just said that and he simply nodded to her. Half an hour later, they left with the dress, the veil, a pair of heels that matched the dress, and three pictures of her in the bridal gown. For some reason, that he wouldn't tell her, Leon took two of the pictures.
"What possessed you to do this Leon," said the still rather mystified Valentina.
"Because it made you smile," said Leon; "anyway I'm not the one who committed you to buying the dress. That was Hugue."
"She is still smiling, so, stop trying to place blame," said Hugue and then ha picked up his pace. As he passed Valentina, he flashed her a smile that was even more scarce that his length of speech.
A week later as they were getting ready to leave for the train station, Abel found Valentina sitting on her bed as she looked inside a large white box. She smiled, as she looked at the contents of the box, the smile could only be described as cute. She looked up at Abel, closed the box, and placed it under her bed.
"Is it time to go," she asked as she walked to him with her suitcase and a guitar case.
"Just about…um…I didn't know you could play guitar," said Abel as he looked at the instrument case with interest. She smiled at him, set both cases down, and pulled out her purse. She extracted two rings from the recesses of the purse, "We are supposed to be married. Therefore, we need wedding rings and this one is yours."
She took his left hand and placed the plain gold wedding band on his ring finger. Abel stared at the gold band in curiosity; until he noticed that Valentina was preparing to place a gold band with a star sapphire on her own hand.
"Allow me. It's only fair after you put my ring on me that I do the same for you," said Abel as he took hold of the ring and placed it on her finger with care.
He held her hand as he stared at the ring, "We have to go soon."
"Well let go of my hand, so, that I may pick up my luggage. I kind of need both hands for that ok, Abel," Valentina noticed how nervous he was, his nervousness was practically blinding her psychic abilities. She placed her hand on his shoulder and gave him an encouraging smile, "It will be alright, Abel. Now lets get out of here or we'll miss our train."
He gave her a nervous smile as they left the room and Valentina hoped that he would relax before they arrived in Sevilla.
"Abel, stop fidgeting with the ring."
"I'm not used to rings, Tina."
"You're not supposed to be used to the ring but, I don't have a spare if you lose it."
"Yours doesn't match mine, aren't they supposed to match?"
Valentina leaned forward and gently kissed his lips, "Calm down Abel."
Abel stared at her as his cheeks turned pink. She smiled as she took his hand in hers, "A bride's ring may match the groom's, or it may have a gem stone to indicate it as being the bride's ring," she let go of his and touched his cheek as she stood up, "Now, please stop stalling. The train will be arriving in Sevilla in about ten minutes."
Valentina climbed on to the seat to pull her suitcase down from the luggage rack. She set the suitcase down and climbed back up to get her guitar case, which held an antique guitar that she had become quite fond of. The train rocked a little causing her foot to slip and a pair of men's hand wrapped around her waist just before had she lost her balance. Valentina looked over her shoulder to find a very nervous looking Abel holding her waist. She smiled at him, took hold of her guitar case, and set it down. Still standing on the seat she turned to face him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and whispered, "Help me down please."
He lifted her off the seat and lowered her to the floor. She giggled a little at the fact that Abel had begun to blush when their eyes had met. Valentina touched his shoulder, "You can let go of my waist now, Abel. Thank you for helping me."
"O-ok," he let go of her and touched the back of his head with a nervous smile.
Dietrich von Lohengrin watched a very familiar couple walk into the hotel lobby for the elevators and walked to the front desk, "Who are they?"
The desk clerk looked in the direction that the young man was indicating, "Who are who?"
"The couple walking into the lounge, the tall man with white hair and the woman with the long blood auburn hair. Who are they?"
The clerk noticed the couple in question and said, "Oh them? That's Mr. and Mrs. Lang, they're newlyweds just recently arrived from Rome. They're on their honeymoon."
"I see, thank you," said Dietrich and he walked away thinking, 'There is something familiar about those two. No doubt, Master will be interested in them.'
His back was to them now, so, he didn't see Valentina's face when she turned to look at him. She turned back to Abel, "Be careful Abel, I just saw Dietrich von Lohengrin. He's Von Kampfer's protégé and has no compunction about informing his masters about what he sees. Which means if he recognizes me we're going to have trouble."
"We will do our best, that is all Caterina expects of us," he said with a smile that put her at ease. She smiled back, "I suppose you're right."
"There they are Hugue. I told you they would be here any moment," said Leon from a small table in the lounge. Valentina thought, 'Showtime,' and smiled at Abel, she stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. Then she ran to the open arms of Leon giggling and hugged him as he twirled her around. He sat her back on her feet and smiled in devious manner as he waggled his eyebrows, "How is your honeymoon so far, Tina?"
She gave him a playful poke in the ribs, "Just fine thank you and not really any of your business, Leon."
She turned to Hugue and gave him a hug that left him to once again contemplate what she had said about being there for him. He finally realized why he had been chosen for this mission. Valentina and him looked enough alike to be considered brother and sister or at least cousins. He chose to act accordingly and hugged her back, "I'm sorry that I missed your wedding cousin."
Valentina didn't portray any surprise at his words but just smiled at him, "You're here now and that's what is really important to me, Hugue."
The closeness they shared, from the loss of their families, made Abel and Leon feel superfluous at that moment. Anyone who was watching this display would have marveled at how their hair, blonde and blood auburn respectively, mingled to make a copper color and would have thought more of reunited siblings rather than cousins. A hand touched Valentina's shoulder and she turned to face Abel's concerned face. She knew he was right, that this would draw attention to them and would raise questions. She smiled at Hugue and walked back to Abel with a loving smile aimed at him so everyone in the lounge could see how much this new bride cared for her husband. He smiled back at her but he started to blush when he realized that he was looking into her frosted emerald eyes.
The four spent the next hour talking in the lounge as they observed the people in the hotel. They kept asking Valentina to verify whether a person was part of the Orden or not. She had verified about five members of the Orden Helga von Vogelweide, Susan von Scorzeny, and the Neumann Brothers – Kasper, Melchior, and Balthasar. Then she went pale at the sight of a tall man with blonde hair and a carefree smile, and in a helpless whisper that was barely audible she said, "Cain."
She excused herself from the table and ran for her and Abel's room before Cain could notice that she was even there. Abel looked at Hugue and Leon, "We will see you tonight but I better go and see if Tina's alright."
"Are you alright, Tina," asked Abel as he closed the door. She rolled over on the bed to look at him, before that she had been trying to be as still as possible like a rabbit hiding in the grass waiting for the predator to pass by. She was so pale and her eyes were as big as saucers, Abel was worried, "What's the matter, Tina? You look really scared."
She jumped off the bed and ran to him with tears in her eyes, "He's here Abel, and if he finds me he'll never let me go again. Abel, I am really scared."
"Who's here Tina? Who has scared our little Seraphim," Abel said as he held her trembling body in his arms and petted her hair. It was a useless movement yet for some reason it was very comforting to Valentina. She stopped trembling and looked up at him, "He is the destroyer of dreams…the enemy of the world. He is the Contra Mundi."
Abel brushed her hair out of her face, "I wont let him take you away."
"It's unavoidable if he finds me, Abel. He will take me away and I will be forced into his war…" she shuddered, "…and his bed."
"No! I wont let him take you away from us," Abel's voice was unusually grim and the look on his face was thunderous.
"Why do you worry so much about me," asked a rather confused Valentina. She wondered why he was always there for her but most of all she wondered, no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, why there was a sensation of butterflies in her tummy every time she was near Father Abel. A hand touching her forehead brought her back form her reflections, "W-what?"
"You are unnaturally cold to the touch, Tina," his voice was full with concern, "you need to rest until tonight."
"Abel, I-I'm f -fine, I just…" she began to go faint and he picked her up. Abel laid her down on the bed, got a damp washcloth, and placed it gently on her forehead and said softly, "I worry because I am your friend, and it's my job to care."
He pulled a chair next to the bed a watched over her as she slept and thought to himself, 'I worry because I love you but you must never know, my little Tina. Don't worry about the Contra Mundi. I would die to keep you safe from him.'
The following day found Abel chasing down Valentina as she began to run out the door, "Tina…stop…please."
"Come on Abel it's beautiful outside, lets enjoy it," said Valentina as she stopped in the doorway of the hotel to face Abel. He found it hard to concentrate on her words because the sun was shinning behind her making him very aware of the silhouette of her legs through her white sundress. She latched onto his arm, pulled him out the door, and led him under a large shade tree, "I figured that we need to be seen doing more than just sitting in the lounge. People could get suspicious of the nice couple that sits in the lounge all day with their friends when they are on their honeymoon. Don't you agree, Abel?"
Abel thought on this and nodded as he privately thanked God for shade, it saved him from temptation. They spent several hours sitting under the tree as they continued their observation of the Rosenkreuz. Then Abel went inside to talk to Leon and Hugue.
There was a small pond on the hotel grounds that was in sight of the lounge windows and that was where Valentina went. She at the ponds edge and dipped her feet in the water with a grin of child-like innocence on her mouth. Hugue looked out the window to see a tall blonde man sit next to her, and begin a conversation with her. Hugue turned his attention back to the conversation that was going on between Abel, Leon, and himself. Several minutes passed, Abel looked outside to find a man trying to force himself on Valentina and ran out of the hotel with Leon and Hugue not far behind him.
"Hello Valentina," said a voice that set the little hairs on the back of her neck on end. She looked up to see the one man she had prayed that she would never have to see again and she turned her attention back to the feel of her feet in the water to avoid him. He sat down next to her and began to play with her blood auburn hair with a sigh that sounded hungry, "I missed your hair, Valentina. I missed your eyes and the calming affect that touching your skin had on me."
"You must be mistaken, sir. My name is Tina Lang and I'm here on my honeymoon, so, kindly release of my hair," said Valentina as she stared at his reflection in the water and knew that he didn't believe her. He laughed as he ran a finger down her cheek, "I know that is simply not true and your 'Groom' is my brother Abel. So, don't play games with me 'Tina'…ha…did my brother give you that name, I bet he did."
She closed her eyes and pushed at him, "LEAVE ME ALONE."
Cain smiled at the sound of her raised voice, he had missed the intoxicating sound of her rage vocalized, "Yell all you want Valentina, I will not go away."
He pressed her to the ground and kissed her as she kicked and struggled to get away. She got a hand loose, called on her pyrokinetic powers, and planted her burning hand in his face. He stood up, she kicked him in to the water, and then she began to crawl away from the pond. Abel ran up to Valentina, picked her up, and carried her back to the hotel with her clinging to him as if he was life itself. He didn't say anything because it would sound stupid to ask if she was all right, of course she wasn't. Abel took her to their room, wrapped her in one of his coats, and paced the room as he berated himself for leaving her alone. Leon entered the room followed by Hugue and looked at Valentina with concern, "We lost him. How is she holding up?"
"She's a little shaken up but doing ok," said Valentina in a small voice and then she shook her head, "What happened?"
"You were attacked," said Hugue, he was answered with a blank face, "You don't remember being attacked, do you?"
"No, are you sure I was attacked?"
Abel looked at Hugue and Leon, "I'll take care of her. But after this incident, I think we should be going back to Rome soon."
"I second that notion," said Leon and Hugue just gave a curt nod.
That night Abel was woken by whimpering and found that Valentina was having a nightmare. He gently shook her but she didn't wake, she just swung at him. He held her arms down as he tried to talk her out of the nightmare, "Tina…Tina, wake up. It's just a bad dream, Tina."
He found that she had started to kick at the world in general instead of waking and he was forced to pin her legs as he continued to try to wake her. She finally opened her eyes to find a pare of brilliant blue eyes looking down at her with white hair and then the rest of Abel's face filled in, "Abel, why are you holding me to the bed?"
"I tried to wake you but you kept trying to beat on me," he smiled down at her, "you are stronger that you look…um…if I let you up do you promise not to beat on me?"
She nodded and he sat at the end of the bed to give her space. Valentina had a nagging feeling that Abel knew something and wasn't letting her know, "Did something happen today that I can't remember?"
Abel looked unhappy, it was obvious that he didn't want to tell her but, in a somber voice he said, "You were attacked by a man today."
"Who w…" she remembered the touch of the man's finger as he ran it down her cheek and the sound of rapture in his voice when she had yelled at him, "the Contra Mundi."
Tears of fear and sorrow filled her eyes as she flung her arms around Abel "I'm scared and I don't want to be alone."
He wrapped his arms around her and gently stroked her hair, "I'm not going anywhere, Tina. You have nothing to fear."
They lay down on the bed still holding each other and she fell asleep, and didn't have another nightmare for the rest of the night. She woke up to the sound of a camera and found Father Leon standing next to the bed with a camera and a mischievous grin.
Valentina sat up frowning at him, "What trouble are you up to, Leon?"
"Just getting a picture of the two of you asleep. You look so beautiful when you're asleep, Valentina. Anyway, I needed to talk to you," he said as he pocketed the camera, pulled a chair next to the bed, and sat down grinning at her nightdress, "you look good in black."
"You said you needed to talk, Leon. I highly doubt the color of my nightdress was what you snuck in here to speak to me about," she said with a smile.
"Abel, Hugue, and I agree that we should go back to Rome tomorrow after what happened yesterday. You do remember what happened right?"
"The Contra Mundi tried to take advantage of me. If that's what you mean," her face was paler then it had been a minute ago.
"Good you remember. Now we may have to create a diversion tonight, ok," he looked worried about her, "What I was planning on doing was trying to steal you from Abel tonight in the lounge. So, don't be surprised if I start to act out. What?"
Valentina was laughing enough to shake the bed, which woke Abel. He noticed that his arms were wrapped around Valentina's waist and reddened with embarrassment, "Pardon me."
That night Valentina noticed Von Kampfer and Dietrich walking toward their table and she grabbed Leon's hand. He seemed to understand her meaning because he stood up and looked at Abel, "Abel my friend, I'm sorry to do this on you r honeymoon of all times but I'm in love with Tina."
"What," Abel was thunderstruck, "b-but-but…what?!"
Abel had stopped staring incredulously at Leon and was now looking in wide-eyed astonishment at Hugue, who was whispering in Valentina's ear. She turned to Hugue with a smile and kissed his lips with what seemed to be wholehearted passion. Leon turned to find Hugue holding Valentina in a passionate embrace. Abel latched onto Valentina and carried her off to their room being followed by Leon and Hugue who looked as though they were in a heated argument, leaving Von Kampfer and Dietrich both rather bewildered. Abel sat her on the bed and turned on Hugue and Leon once they entered the room, "What was that all about?"
"It's called a diversion," said Leon, who was still staring at Hugue in disbelief, "I can't believe that you let her kiss you."
"I told her to," said Hugue as he sat next to Valentina. She stood up and pulled Abel out on the balcony, "I need to talk to you, Abel. Leon told me that we might need a diversion tonight. He also told me what he was planning to do if it came to that. He needed me to know, but you get the best reactions when things are a surprise to you. And Hugue just told me to kiss him because it would cause more confusion and he had noticed the same thing that I had, that Isaak von Kampfer and Dietrich von Lohengrin were heading for our table."
She gave Abel a hug, "I'm sorry for leaving you in the dark."
"That's quite alright. Now, that I know the three of you hadn't lost your sanity…you had me really worried abo-mmpphh," she had stopped his words by kissing him, he knew that he should break the kiss but he just didn't want to. So, Valentina was the one to be surprised this time because Abel kissed her back. There was a clicking sound of a camera and they looked back into the room to find Leon with his camera and a roguish smile, "I had to get that picture. No one would have believed me otherwise."
"Good night, Leon," said Valentina with a pseudo-scowl that turned into a playful grin.
"Good night, Cutie," Leon grinned at her as he left the room. Hugue stood up and nodded at Valentina and Abel just before he left the room. Abel looked down at Valentina and gave her a gentle smile, "Good night Tina."
"Good night Abel," said Valentina as she wished that her feelings for him weren't on her face for him to see them. All she could think was, 'One more night to be close to Abel and then we will be getting far away from Cain.'
They headed back to Rome that following day and when they returned to the Vatican, Valentina requested to be transferred to working at the orphanage with Leon. Her reasons were her own but they involved removing herself from temptation, in other words Father Abel Nightroad.
One month after Valentina's transfer to the orphanage she found that she was fond of working with the children. It felt like being a mother to nearly one hundred children and she love it. She loved and dotted on children in her care, she told them stories that had been long lost after Armageddon, and sang lullabies to the fretful. Father Leon still teased and flirted with her but only when the children weren't looking. The children had even given her a nickname, Beautiful Angel, or for the children from the Franc Kingdom, Belle Ange. Valentina was finally at peace with her life when all of a sudden her life crumbled to ash and she couldn't fix it.
There had been a terrorist attack in Londonium when Pope Alessandro had been touring the Underground Factory also know as the Ghetto. Leon had been sent to Albion and Valentina started to spend more time in Cardinal Sforza's office waiting for news about her fellow AX agents. The Cardinal received news that the Pope and Sister Esther were safe when Valentina had been entering the room with a laden tea tray. Then they received news of Abel's death at the hands of Cain. The silence was absolutely painful but it didn't compare to the sound of breaking china followed by Valentina's sobbing. Vaclav tried to comfort her to no avail, she ran from the Vatican and out into the warm night air of Rome. Tears shimmered in the light of the twin moon as Valentina tried to blink them away, and then she fell to her knees clutching at two rings on a chain around her neck. They had been the rings that her and Abel had worn on their mission in Sevilla and she had kept them close to her heart ever since her arrival back in Rome. She let out a mournful scream that could have broken hearts and torn souls a sunder, and it began to rain. The cold droplets of water hid her tears as she got up and went to her tomb, Lilith's tomb.
Lady Caterina Sforza had people looking for Valentina for two days before she received the message. There was a holographic image of Valentina wearing a black nun's habit with whit trim. She looked up at Cardinal Caterina, and began to speak, "Please forgive me Your Eminence, I have done something greatly against my better judgment. I have fallen in love with a fellow AX agent and now that he is gone I grieve his death. This has influenced my decision to leave this world, and by the time you receive this message, I should have all systems running on the second moon also known as 'The ARK.' I will stay there until I have amassed enough strength to destroy the Contra Mundi, so, that he may never harm anyone ever again. But if I never return, please inform Father Leon that my guitar and story books that I compiled of the pre-armageddon children's tale go to the children of the orphanage, and the rest of my holdings are to be divided equally between the orphanage, the Vatican, and the Kingdom of Albion. The instructions about the division are at the end of my personnel file. Good bye Your Eminence, and please send my love to the AX and the Pope."
Cardinal Sforza was staring in disbelief at the now still image of Valentina, and noticed the loss in her eyes. No, she refused to give up on the hope that Sister de Medici would return but she wasn't going to be the one to tell her that Father Abel was alive. News like that would either cause Valentina to call her a liar or the shock would kill her. It would be best for her if she found out that he was alive on her own.
"Iron Maiden to Crusnik, come in Father Nightroad."
"Yes, Sister Kate?"
"Cardinal Sforza requires your immediate presence in Rome, Abel."
"She knows that I am hunting the-" he was cut off.
"It's about Agent Seraphim, Abel."
"What happened to Valentina," the words caused a sinking feeling in his heart as he asked. There was dead silence from Kate for several minutes the Abel could hear sobs, "She's gone."
"Gone where? When? How?"
"Well she has been missing for a month and we had all hoped she would have returned by now."
"Why am I just now being told about this, Kate?"
"Cardinal Sforza was uncertain as to how Sister Valentina would react to you being alive. But it has been a month and Seraphim's messages have become increasingly morose and you seem to be the key to breaking her out of this state of mind she is currently in. Abel, when I look at her messages with the Cardinal, I don't see the carefree young woman we all came to know and love."
"But where is she, perhaps I can bring her back to the Vatican," Abel knew it was grasping at straws because if the rest of the AX was unable to find her then what chance did he have.
"Once you look to the second moon you will know where she is and exactly how she got there."
Abel looked up to the second moon also known as the vampires moon and knew how she had gotten there but there was a nagging question in the back of his mind, "Why did she go up there?"
"I think Cardinal Sforza should be the one to explain that. I'll be there in five minutes to take the Earl of Memphis and you to the Vatican, Kate out."
Abel ran into the Cardinal's office to find that the AX was in a state of melancholy. Caterina was talking to a hologram of a nun in a black habit with glowing skin and every agent to call 'Tina' friend was in a corner looking at books of what looked like children's stories. The word funeral came to mind as Abel looked around the room, and then he quickly waved that thought aside, she couldn't be dead.
"This book is amazing, and to think she wrote all of these lost pre-armageddon tales from memory," said Father William as he looked through a book that had had the words 'A Collection of Grim Tales By the Brothers Grimm' lovingly written in gold paint on the black cover. Meanwhile, Father Hugue was looking at a book that had the words 'Children's Songs and Lullabies From Around the World' written carefully of the cover of the blue book. Leon looked up from a book that was simply titled 'My Poems' and handed it to Father Havel. He walked to Abel with a letter, "Here Abel, she gave me instructions to give you this in event of her death."
"She's not dead," Abel, said as he thought, 'She can't be dead.'
"It helps for me to think that she is. Otherwise, I get the urge to destroy the contents of any room I'm in," said Leon as he walked back to the others with his fist clinched. Abel noticed that Leon seemed to be suppressing his grief and it was converting into barley-contained rage. He looked at the hologram that Caterina was speaking with. It was a sad eyed Valentina, but her skin was glowing and she spoke in a voice that seemed to echo with the ages, "It has been a long time You Eminence, I don't think I will ever be strong enough to destroy the Contra Mundi. So, I have sent the ship back to earth on autopilot and it should be arriving to its original landing coordinates in about an hour."
Her hologram disappeared and the room went silent, Cardinal Sforza looked at the ceiling and blinked back tears, she had grown truly fond of Valentina. Leon collected the books and left the room stating that he had to return to the orphanage. Havel and Hugue both said they had work to do, and the Professor went back to his office to tinker around with an invention.
Abel looked to Cardinal Sforza, "Let me bring her back, Lady Caterina. She needs us, we're the only family she has now."
"She needs you Abel," said Caterina, she was looking right at him, "she disappeared shortly after we received news of your death. Abel, I think that she loves you."
Abel stared in disbelief at the Cardinal, "B-but she's a friend, I-I…"
"It's alright Abel it's only human. Now, if you think you can bring her back, then do so with all speed Abel."
Abel left for the area that the ship had last been as he thought, 'Why are your eyes so sad, Tina? Why did you leave?'
He kept Valentina's letter in his pocket as he went to the ARK, but as he landed in the docking bay he thought that he should read it. The letter could give him some insight as to why she had come up here. He pulled the envelope out of his pocket and as he opened it the smell of roses floated to him like a fragile memory. He reveled in the familiarity of the flowing handwriting and it felt as though she spoke to him from the page.
The letter said-
Abel,
If you are reading this then I am far away from all the pain and sorrow that life creates. Nothing can hurt me anymore and I think that it's time to let you know my deepest thoughts and feeling. I grew to think of the AX as my new family since mine has been gone for centuries and you will always be my dearest friend. But I have been hiding the fact that I love you for all this time and I prayed to God would see fit to grant me a reprieve from the torment of an unrequited love. I hope you know that I have been happy to be your friend even though you seemed oblivious to my feelings. So, I have only one request for you. Listen to your own heart and forgive yourself for your past, you are not as you were then.
Love,
Tina
(Sister Valentina Gabriella Francesca de Medici)
He placed the letter back in his pocket as he exited the ship into the ARK. He headed for the observation deck and looked down at Earth. It looked different from all those centuries ago when he had tried to use the ARK's laser on it as a child. The ARK was quiet, too quiet, the sound of a door opening behind him alerted him to the presence of an angel. He turned to face her and realized it wasn't an angel but Valentina; she had just cut her hair. She looked in shock as she stared at him, "Abel? Great I'm starting to hallucinate again."
"Valentina, come back to the Vatican with me. We miss you," he closed his eyes, "I miss you, Tina."
Tears fell down Valentina's face as she realized that this was no hallucination. Blinking back tears, she looked at the man whose death had nearly killed her, and her heart filled with a burning rage. With her emotions so raw, she lost control of her abilities and she changed into on hundred percent Crusnik form without thought. And with a speed that was to fast for Abel to track she was in front of him. She still looked more human than any of the Nightroad siblings, her now chest length blood auburn hair floated around her head as though it were in water, her huge black and purple wings hummed with electricity, her irises were like emerald and sapphire supernovas, her dainty fangs rested on her lower lip, and her skin glowed as though she had swallowed the moon. Abel took a step backwards, "Hello Tina."
"Hello Abel," she lifted him into the air, "I have been laboring under the delusion that you were dead, and now I find that you are alive. How dare you not let me know, I have gone through hell and back trying to attain enough strength to insure that Cain would never hurt another soul, and I find that you are alive. I THOUGHT I WAS YOUR FRIEND," she dropped him on his butt, "but it seems that I was wrong. A friend would have told me that they were safe."
Crimson liquid, which glowed with the brilliance of fire opals, flowed down her moon glow skin, "Good Bye Abel."
She changed back to human form and left the room, just before the door closed Abel heard a small voice, "Just leave me in peace."
He followed Valentina into the laboratory to find her crying, and the room was a wreck. She had thrown all of the lab equipment in various directions during various fits of despair. He touched her shoulder and she shrugged his hand off, "Leave me alone, Abel. It's better this way."
"Tina, you can't give up because you're in pain. You need to give the world a chance to show you a way out of hopelessness," said Abel gently.
"How can you of all people say that, Abel? You can't even forgive yourself for Lilith's death and you didn't kill her. Cain was responsible for her demise but you blame yourself and you are telling me to give the world a chance," she stood in front of him with a look of grim resolve as she stared into his eyes, "You and the AX were the only proof I had that the world wasn't peopled with Cains, Dietrichs, Issaks, or Damiens. But when Cain took you away from my world I lost all sense of joy or hope."
"Who is Damien?"
"The jerk I once called my boyfriend, the one who stuffed me into that coffin," said Valentina as rested her head on his chest, "I wish I had known you then. My life wouldn't have been a mess."
Abel wrapped his arms around her, "Come home Tina. We can look for Cain together, you, Ion Fortuna, and I. We'll get rid of him together."
"You're…(sniff)…working with the Earl of Memphis," asked Valentina.
"Yes, we've been-…" Valentina cut him off.
"I'm sorry for yelling at you but you could have let me know that you were safe," and she hugged him with enough force to knock Abel over, "I have been lost without you my friend."
"Tina…um-uh…I can see…uh…you have very nice assets," Abel's face turned pink as Valentina looked down to see that the shoulder of her dress had torn, when they had fallen to the floor, exposing her cleavage. She sat up with a sheepish grin and held the torn fabric up at her shoulder, "How embarrassing, let me change and we can go back to the Vatican."
She walked out of the lab to get changed and returned several minutes later wearing a simple white sundress. The same dress that she had worn that day in Sevilla when Cain had attacked her but her eyes were filling with happiness as she walked up to Abel, "Let's go."
Several days after they returned to the Vatican, Abel went to the orphanage and found Valentina telling the children a story about how a young woman's piety saved her form the Devil. The children seemed to be enjoying the story and he noticed that a few of the younger children were cuddled up next to her. She closed the book and said, "Story time is over, now it's time to go outside and play."
The children ran past Abel almost knocking him over and then he heard a laugh that made his heart jump. He looked up to find a sleepy girl in Valentina's arms, "You're tired little one, time for a nap."
Abel silently followed her as she carried the girl to her room for a nap. He stopped at the door and watched her cradle the girl as she hummed a hauntingly beautiful tune until the girl was asleep, then she put the girl to bed. She left the room and smiled at Abel as she closed the door, "Hello Abel."
"Hello Valentina," he noticed a flash in her eyes as he used her name, "Tina, I need to talk to you about something Leon gave me."
She smiled again, "Ok, lets go for a walk. I'll tell Leon that I'm leaving for awhile."
Abel followed her outside where she ran around to the side of the orphanage, "Leon, I'll be back later. Abel and I have things to discuss."
"Ok, see you later."
She ran back to Abel and taking his hand ran out the gate. They stopped at the park at Borghese villa and sat under a tree, "Alright Abel, what is this all about?"
He handed her the letter that Leon had given him, "Leon gave this to me on the day I returned to the Vatican. I appreciate the sentiment but I don't deserve your love."
She looked at the letter and sighed, she knew why he felt that he didn't deserve to be loved, and the reasons were always open to her and always had been. She gently folded the letter into his hand, "She never blamed you, Abel. Not for being angry with the humans, and not for her death. Don't you think that after nearly a thousand years that she would want you to forgive yourself?"
Valentina touched his cheek as she stood up, "Abel, just think on this for awhile. I have always, since we met, known of the darkness that resides in you and I gave you my love anyway. So, whether you believe that you are deserving of love or not, you will always have mine."
He watched her remove a chain from around her slender neck that held two rings, the rings from their mission in Sevilla. She removed Abel's ring and placed it in his hand with care, "You are my most beloved friend. Abel." Valentina left him sitting under the tree with her letter in one hand and his ring in the other. Her words rang in his mind as he watched her leave, 'I have always, since we met, known of the darkness that resides in you and I gave you my love anyway. Don't you think that after nearly a thousand years that she would want you to forgive yourself?'
Abel closed his hand around the ring and placed both the letter and the ring in his pocket. He stood up and ran to catch up with Valentina, "Tina, you're right I should forgive myself but I can't."
"That's ok, I have enough forgiveness for everyone, she replied with an impish grin and then she stopped walking, "I have found that even though a person dwells in darkness they can have a heart of gold. While, someone who seems to be lit from within can be an absolute bastard. So, don't worry. I forgive you everything and I always will."
He stared into her hoarfrost emerald eyes and finally lost the battle with his will, "I love you too, my little Tina." She wrapped her arms around his neck, stood on her toes and gently kissed him. The kiss grew as they stood in the park and then they heard behind them, "Remember what happens if you break the things I desire, Abel?"
Valentina looked away from Abel to see a carefree smile that hid insanity like a mask, "Cain."
"Valentina! Valentina Gabriella Francesca de Medici!"
She sat bolt upright in bed, "What?"
"Get out of bed girl or you are going to miss your cousin's wedding," said a woman with red hair and a melodious Irish accent, "you're Sophia's maid of honor. Hurry up."
"I'll be down momentarily Mama," she wondered as she got dressed how much of that had been real. She ran into the dinning room, "Good morning Mama, Papa, Grandmama."
She closed her eyes and shook her head, this had happened when she was sixteen not twenty-six, and her Grandmother had died when she was seventeen. She hadn't seen her in nine years, well not a corporeal her anyway.
She opened her eyes to find herself in a coffin, "Hello, can anyone here me?"
The lid opened a crack and sweet air rushed in with the sound of her ex-boyfriend's voice, "I love you Valentina but I refuse to share you with the world. So, I'll rid the world of your beauty and mourn you alone until the day you go to my master. I am truly sorry but you are the weapon the Order wanted me to collect. I never expected to fall in love with you, good bye my love."
"Dietrich let me out. Dietrich! Dietrich?"
She wondered who Damien was, 'Oh yeah. The pushy man that Dietrich rescued me from the night we first met.'
"Dietrich? Oh no," she said, "God, please rescue me from this cruel fate."
There was a flash of bluish-white light and she was floating fifteen feet above the floor of a throne room. She lost altitude and fell in Abel's arms, and Abel sat up in bed, "What was that all about? No more sugar before bed."
He had no idea this was just the beginning. Meanwhile, in the Imperial Throne Room of the New Human Empire there really was a girl floating fifteen feet off the ground and only her telekinetic abilities were keeping her in midair.
To be continued in The Reluctant Weapon – Part 2 (Reality)…
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