For someone who had lived with a small family for most of her life, Valerie wasn't accustomed to any spacious quarters. It's what helped make the barracks bearable for her as well as sleeping on those miserable cots. Being in such a sumptuous area, she expected a grand scene that awaited her beyond the door. But to her surprise, she found a decently-sized living room shared with a small balcony. There was no elevated ceiling nor were there any fancy portraits placed around the room. A standard collection of things were sprawled in places, but otherwise, it looked just like a normal room she would have at home.

She stepped forward and admired the filled bookcase. Kane came following her in and took a small look around, though his gaze was nowhere near as interested as hers. She quickly sat on the couch and released a pleased noise to find it was comfortable, and admired the stain-free coffee table sitting just before it. She promptly stood back up, then passed by to look at a small table and the couple of chairs placed on the balcony outside. It had a gorgeous view of the streets below, and a sight of the ocean from afar. She couldn't believe this was what she'd be waking up to from now on.

She breathed, still in awe. "This is not what I imagined at all."

"Your stay just needs to be convenient and comfortable."

"I am actually very grateful for that." She turned and noticed he was standing beside her. Her heartbeat quickened as she quickly swallowed. "At least I feel like I belong in here."

She turned around and realized the kitchen was right behind her. It didn't occupy much space, but gave her enough room to move around. She especially admired the lone dining room table with only a few chairs around it. It was placed just before the balcony so she could gaze off every time she sat down, and admire the stars once nightfall came along. Just around the kitchen was her bedroom and a singular bathroom. She found a bath tub inside with a small sink, but didn't pay much mind to it. She looked around and noticed her room came with a full-sized bed and immediately laid down.

As she stared at the ceiling, she could hear the Commander's footsteps come from the kitchen. They stopped at the doorway. Seeing him watching made her somewhat tingly, yet she managed to keep her cool. "-This is very comfortable."

He stood at the edge of the bed and opened up what looked like a brochure. "Your instructor is only a couple of blocks away. It's a leisurely walk and is very safe. You can easily get there in 10 minutes."

She sat up and took a look at what he was showing her. It was a small map of the location that he likely picked up from the lobby. She took it from his hands and started looking at the rest of what they had around - shopping areas, dining, libraries, things of the like. She managed to find the logo of an Armada Base not too far from where she was. She pointed at it and looked at him eagerly.

"-Is that where you'll be staying?"

"It is."

"It's rather close, isn't it?"

He was quiet for a few moments. She watched as he suddenly folded the paper up and handed it back. She took it from him and found he was already walking out of the doorway. She was just about to ask where he was going until he looked back and motioned for her to come. She got up to her feet instantly and followed behind him just as he made his way to her front door. Before he could open it, he paused for a second, then turned back to her with his hands held together.

"I wish to accompany you to meet your instructor. I can show you the way there and properly introduce you to him."

She attempted to conceal the enthusiasm in her voice. "That sounds appropriate."

He motioned for her to go first as he held the door open, and again, she thanked him. She held a hand over her smile as she passed by. This was the third time he had ever done this for her. For a military man, she was starting to see how much of a gentleman he truly was. As soon as the two of them left the apartments, the Commander led her on a path leading straight through the gardens and eventually onto the walkways of the city.

As they walked together, she suddenly realized how much time she had been spending with Kane today. Her graduation was held just this morning and, within several hours, she traveled to an entirely different city. There was also the necklace she received from her mother - still placed securely in her bag, which she left back at her new home. And finally, what exactly happened back on that ship; she nearly drowned again, and it gave her a firsthand witness at how...unsuited she currently was for the seas.

Needless to say, she had a lot buzzing on her mind the moment she was able to think in peace. She felt hot, but it wasn't because she was in the Commander's presence anymore - it was from a growing feeling of frustration building up in her chest.

During their small trip, she looked around at the buildings, statues, and fountains they passed. Almost all of them were either of unicorns or shared elements of the mythical creature. It gave her a mild flashback to the lobby and its decorations - display cases filled to the brim with small unicorn figurines. She clenched her fists as she found the twentieth one on their walk alone. She despised the fact that she even counted them. Just seeing so many made her eventually snap.

"What is with Florenza and unicorns?" She asked exasperatedly, more to herself than anyone. "I haven't seen anything but those horned creatures my entire time here."

"They consider it a prestige symbol of their accomplishments and noble statuses. To them, a unicorn is a rarity that deserves the upmost respect and attention - which is what they consider for themselves as well." Kane calmly explained.

She looked at him in disbelief. "They're using unicorns just to show how competent and rich they are?"

"Practically, yes." He brushed some dirt off his epaulets. "The King shares a similar fascination with them. He is much more obsessive about it. His castle has several in every room, at the least."

Something in Valerie possessed her to giggle, remembering that Kane is his right-hand man. He must be surrounded with those creatures all the time. "How unfortunate you have to witness that so often..."

An amused noise emerged from his lips, much to her astonishment. "-If this bothers you, then his castle would drive you insane."

Her urge to meet King Casimir slightly diminished, but she was intrigued to hear of his obsession with such a...wealthy creature. She could only imagine what a castle filled with unicorns would look like. It humored her to imagine the Commander in the middle of it - a man of his esteem, working for someone obsessed with something that wasn't even real. Now she found herself relaxed. The heated feeling in her chest dissipated and in its replacement were the butterflies in her stomach again. She wished she could hear Kane chuckle once more, to feel the tingles on her shoulders when she heard it the first time. For her heart to start racing for the millionth time since the moment she was with him.

"This is it."

The Commander's voice snapped her out of these thoughts. She glanced up to find they were in front of a yet another mansion-looking building, except this one was entirely white in color. She noticed a large window out front, surrounded by smaller ones lining to the top. Just like the others, this building had a few unicorns etched into the designs, and two large pillars were placed to the sides of the entrance. Its color alone made the place stand out. She was uncertain to lay a foot on the marble path that led to the doors, and he had to gently motion her forward to start walking again.

As they stopped in front of the door, Kane turned to her and began speaking quietly. "There is something worth mentioning before you meet your instructor." For the first time since she's met him, he hesitated. "-He is a little...coquettish around his clients."

"So, he is flirtatious?" She asked. He made a gesture with his hand indicating she was correct.

"I expect you won't be affected by his behavior during your lessons, but if there is any discomfort on your side at all, please let me know. He is highly respected in his field, so there should be no issues. But I am informing you beforehand, as I think you should know."

Her eyes traveled to the door. She appreciated his concern for her well-being and smiled, nodding slightly. Kane had the pleasure of knocking for her and they waited for a few moments before hearing a light voice on the other side inviting them to come in. He opened it and let her through first. She cautiously stepped in as she peered around, not knowing exactly what to expect.

The inside looked nothing like the outside. Things were more...brown and red. There was a gigantic indoor pool at the farther end of the room, with multiple diving boards lined together along the side. There was an extremely high ceiling and a large window that allowed most of the light to seep into the room. The floor was entirely made of marble, and she could see the moisture atop the tiles as she and Kane moved along forward. She noticed another room to her left that likely served as some sort of shower room. She turned her head and noticed a figure helping himself out of the pool, a white towel currently on his head as to dry his hair.

She was not expecting to see the abs lined along his stomach, nor the muscles exposed on his arms as he approached them. She felt her breath grow short as she covered her mouth with her hand. She bit her lip as she desperately tried to tear her eyes away from his stomach, but didn't need to worry for long as he draped the towel on his shoulder. He was only slightly shorter than her and had bright blonde hair with green eyes. He had a small goatee and was currently wearing a pair of swimming shorts. He stopped only a few inches away from them both and flashed a grin, his eyes notably coming to Valerie first before settling on Kane.

"Supreme Commander..! I hadn't been expecting you so soon. I thought our arrangement was tomorrow morning?"

"My ship left at a sooner time. I apologize for the sudden appearance." He motioned to the woman beside him. "This is Valerie Toscani. She is the one I mentioned I would be bringing over for the lessons. Valerie, this is your private instructor, Aristide."

"Oh, yes! Of course." Aristide went over to her and winked. "-And such a beautiful name, might I add! You must be anxious to learn how to swim, aren't you?"

She noticed he was observing her face and grew a little warm under his stare. She hesitated with her answer. "Well...I am afraid of water."

"No worries! I will help you eventually overcome that fear. I can see that you are a very strong woman." His eyes traveled over her uniform until he turned over to Kane. "-Do you have the, eh, payment, now?"

"As promised."

The Commander reached into one of his pockets and revealed a decently-sized bag filled with gold. They were brought into the Aristide's hand, and he looked more than pleased once it was in his possession. He discarded it out of sight quickly and shook his hand with Kane's gloved one rather enthusiastically.

"Grande! Such a pleasure doing business with you, Commander...I always appreciate your references, but very rarely do you give me a student of my own! Be sure to send a good word my way to the King, yes?"

As soon as he was finished shaking his hand, Aristide eagerly turned to Valerie and rubbed his hands together. "I suppose today will be forming our lesson plans, then. Tell me, on what days are you indisposed?"

She thought for a moment. With this new place, and being in a new location...she didn't have anything planned to do. "I am available at any time."

"Anytime, you say? Hmmm..." He held a finger to his lips in thought. "How about you come in for private afternoon lessons on Tuesdays through Fridays? They typically take an hour each session. Nothing too big."

"Four days a week? That's it?"

"I offer extra sessions during the weekends, but they're public." He eyed her for a moment before smiling. "You can come in for them any time for no additional charge. It's all up to you, cara."

Her heart skipped a beat at the term and she quickly thought of his offer to herself. She wondered how much free time she might end up getting if these lessons weren't as frequent as she thought. While she quietly contemplated this, Kane turned to Aristide and asked, "-And what time will her lessons usually be?"

"Well, typically they start at noon. So it would end only an hour after. Sooner if the lessons go well." He rubbed his chin. "For the weekends, they run throughout the day until the evening. Technically, we could start her lessons tomorrow."

She seemed happy with this, as she stepped forward and finally shook his hand. "Thank you. I look forward to learning from you. I will be here on time tomorrow so we can get started."

He put his hand over hers and gave her a meaningful smile. "As do I. I expect to see that beautiful face here tomorrow so we can start working on that fear of yours."

She nodded and withdrew her hand. His were warm, but they felt nowhere near as strong as Kane's. From the time he had to lift her up by her own, anyway...Aristide bid them farewell as they left the building, and Valerie couldn't help but muse over what he called her. Beautiful. She had been called that by her mother plenty of times, but it was never the same as when it came from a stranger, or a man. Her hand found its way to her cheek and she slid her fingertips lightly across it.

She wondered what she looked like. She hadn't gotten a good look at herself in a mirror for months. How much could've changed? She thought.

The sun set during their conversation and night was just about to fall. The air started getting cooler as they both made their way on the path once more. Again, things were quiet. She could hear crickets and the slight shuffling of those nearby, but what sounded to her the most were Kane's footsteps. His combat boots always made them exaggerated no matter what surface he stepped on, and she was starting to recognize the pattern. The way his badges quietly tinged against one another was strangely calming, and she was content just listening to these things.

Eventually, she decided to speak up. "I see what you meant by 'coquettish.' Aristide seemed quite charming."

"Many women work with him for that reason. You'll likely find a lot of them if you attend the weekend lessons."

She observed his face in the dark. Even though his mask concealed most of it, she still could see his jawline and cheekbones from the slight light that illuminated it. She melted once more being this close to him. Even if she was just walking alongside him, she felt like she had gotten the most contact with this man so far. She understood something very clearly: no man could be as attractive as the Commander. No one else could get her heart racing or her chest as warm as he did...

Licking her lips, she shrugged. "I have no time to get distracted."

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. He looked away only to motion to the building they were approaching. "We're nearly there."

She frowned, but then she remembered he was going to come back. This isn't the last time I'm going to see him. He wants to...visit me.

Her thoughts were interrupted with Kane holding the door open for her. It was a habit at this point to thank him and continue on. She didn't think of much as they climbed the stairs together and came to her room. She searched for her keys and unlocked the door, relaxing the moment she was through the doorway. Kane lingered as he gently closed it, then began searching through his coat. She turned around and watched him curiously.

"I have one more thing for you before I have to leave." He informed.

She mouthed an 'ah' and patiently waited for him to find whatever it was. He ended up pulling out another small bag filled with what she presumed to be gold. When he offered it to her, her brown eyes widened in surprise and she quickly shook her head.

"Commander, I can't take anything more from you-"

"I insist you do. This is to support yourself while you're here. Food, clothes, necessities. There is a market down the street where you can obtain these things." He slid the bag into her hands despite her protests. "You do not owe me for any of this. It is all yours to use as you please."

She opened it up and found quite the sum inside. She frowned as she shut it. "But you must've paid Aristide quite a lot to teach me. Are you sure-"

"I mean to keep my promise in supporting you. I remind you money is not an issue for me."

She was quiet for a few seconds. Then she nodded, and set the bag down on the counter. He relaxed his shoulders as she did this. The truth is, she was more than thankful for his help. The thought of affording groceries and clothes hadn't even occurred to her until he offered his help for it. She did have some money saved to the side, but it wouldn't suffice long to afford anything in a location like this. What he gave her was more than enough for quite awhile.

"I bid you farewell for now. Good luck with your first lesson tomorrow."

He started heading towards her door. She tried to comprehend his words for a moment. That's...it? All he's going to say before he leaves for a week? She turned frantic as she followed after him and grabbed his wrist, wishing to have her own final words before he's gone again. He always seemed to do this - pop out of nowhere, do so much for her, then leave again...She couldn't take it, especially with these feelings of hers that are growing for him...

"Wait!"

He flinched when she grabbed him, so she quickly let go. She managed to get him to stop in his tracks. He looked at her with impatience, obligating her to wring her hands together and quickly think of the words she wanted to say.

"I wanted to thank you, for everything you've done for me today. You saved my life, you gave me somewhere to live, and because of you I'm going to learn how to swim. All of this in one day, and...I do not know how to take it all in." She paused to rub her arms, suddenly finding herself cold. "-You didn't have to do any of these things, but you did. I wanted you to know that-that I am looking forward to seeing you again..."

He was silent for several moments. Almost long enough for some tension to grow in the room. She shifted her weight to the other foot as his eyes continued to observe her. She suddenly regretted saying all that. Had it been the wrong time? She wanted to express how much she appreciated his help. Maybe she meant a little more with the last part, but he couldn't pick up on that, could he?

After awhile, he replied very quietly. "It was all my pleasure. I await the next time I see you again. I expect you'll have plenty to fill me in on once I am back."

His words were unusually gentle, and they felt very sincere. She smiled. Was he really suggesting that he'd...like to speak to her again? She couldn't deny her conversations with him felt so...nice. Her breath was hot as the next words left her lips. "Farewell, Commander."

He tipped his hat to her before leaving promptly through the door. She closed it after him but allowed her eyes to linger on his form as he walked off. He walked briskly when she wasn't beside him. It took only a few seconds for him to get out of her sight, and that was when she finally shut it and sighed. She was left with an empty and a rather quiet apartment - the Commander no longer there, and her completely alone...her chest grew cold as she shut her eyes tightly, deciding now would be the best time to bathe and change into better clothes.

She ran a hot bath that night and allowed herself to soak for as long as she wanted. She realized how dirty she had gotten from the ship ordeal and cleansed herself as best as she could. But her mind was elsewhere. In her right hand she clutched her father's pearls, holding them delicately and stroking them every time she thought of him. Her mind would wander back to the Commander - reminding herself that he is the only reason that she is here, and not enduring anymore training like her fellow soldiers are. She finally has time to be at peace, and alone with her thoughts. She didn't know how badly she needed this until she had it.

She sunk a little more into the hot water, closing her eyes. I'm going to miss him. I only spent half a day with the man and yet...I'm starting to feel something more for him. She smiled under the water, content with knowing of his true nature, and how she is the only one who will ever get to see it this close.