It was Kane's favorite part of his night when he retreated to his room and prepared a chess game. The one that was promised to him in exchange for hours of careful work painting a full-fledged portrait…in his eyes, it was more than a fair trade. Nothing could clear his mind like his favorite board game. He was eager as he set the pieces in their respectful spots. By the time he was finished, 'Queen' walked into the room and discarded her gloves.

She started sporting her own pair after living with him. She inquired why he always wore his own. He informed her it was to keep his hands clean, and leave minimal fingerprints on what he touched. She admired his reasoning and even bought her own pair. They fit her small hands with a gray, triangular design printed on its material.

She took a seat across from him and flashed a smile, matching his enthusiasm as she made the first move. True, they had a bit of a rough exchange earlier that day...she'd been insistent on asking him about his father ever since they met with her mother. He repeatedly dodged her questions and mentally prayed they would come to an end. It seems they had - as she hadn't asked him a single question since their small confrontation. He was quick to brush that thought aside, watching their pawns go along the board thoughtfully.

His head was completely wrapped in the game. They barely spoke. There wasn't much to say. The movement of their pieces always exchanged plenty between them. It was a comfortable silence. He was surprised to find himself completely speechless at the result of their match. It was when Queen called 'check' that he found himself taken aback in his seat. He thoroughly inspected the game and made his moves after a painful examination, only to end in a checkmate that wasn't left from his own lips.

She won.

It was the first time in years he'd been beaten at his own game.

Even she appeared surprised, staring at him with wide eyes as she took his king. She soon giggled. "You must have finally let me win..!"

"I didn't." He insisted, still staring at their board. His stare was perplexed, his gaze focused intently on the leftover pieces on the board. He was attempting to piece together how this happened. She noticed his stiff posture and hesitantly set the chess piece down.

"Really..?" She looked down for herself and clacked her tongue. "All that practice must have paid off! I've been playing so much ever since I met you."

Kane sat forward in his seat. He realized how she won. He played her entire strategy in his mind, remembering every move she made in their game. She played him like a fiddle. He didn't even realize a couple of her openings that should've been obvious. How she managed to trick him was beyond his understanding. But he didn't really need to know.

All he knew was that a strange sensation went through him at that moment. It was an excitement and a familiar longing that came from deep within. This newfound arousal caused him to eye her hungrily from across the small table, abruptly sitting up in his seat and immediately clearing the board from the table. Queen jumped as she watched the pieces fall messily onto the floor. Her brown eyes went back to Kane, who advanced on her as the seconds passed. She'd never seen him this excited - even when she made that comment about fooling Queen Margherita..!

"Kane?" She asked, her heart rate increasing as she clenched on the sides of her chair. She wasn't afraid; she just simply couldn't predict what exactly he was going to do .

He removed himself off the table and finally met with her, holding the sides of her head with shaking hands. "Do you know how long it's been since someone beat me at chess..?"

She swallowed. His touch was desperate. "I would think beating you would have you outraged…"

"Not at all." He came forward and left a kiss on the side of her neck. Then two. Then three. "It takes someone incredibly resourceful to outwit me."

She let out a surprised noise when he grabbed her from the seat. In a matter of seconds, he had her pinned down to the bed. She had no moment to think as he covered her skin in needful kisses, embracing her figure tightly while he worked his way down. It didn't take long before her dress was completely removed and he led them through the entire night. Not that she protested; she found she liked him like this, so excited - she sometimes forgot about his strength and how he could overpower her at any moment he wanted.

She made it a goal in her mind to win again .

. . .

. . .

Kane's eyes opened. The sunlight began to light up the room as he sat up in the blankets and observed his surroundings. The table had been tipped over, the chairs thrown carelessly aside, and there were still chess pieces laying around on the floor. He brought a hand through his white hair as he recalled the events from last night, the previous sensations returning to his body the longer he remembered them. A smile grew on his lips at the revelation.

Queen beat him at chess.

To him, this symbolized more than mere improvement in a game. For so long, he had the upper hand - knowing his movements far before hers, always faster to complete the goal and play the game in time. But she caught up with him. Their sessions became longer and more difficult as she recognized his strategies and played against them. It was only a matter of time before her mind worked just as fast as his, and she noted all the movements that became muscle memory to him. She made her own strategy that finally beat him.

He placed a fist over his chest as he felt his heart beating intensely. There was that feeling again. The strange ache in his heart back when Emilia asked him if he loved her. It was a reenactment of it - the weakening of his muscles and the heat that overpowered his chest. Of course he loved his Queen . Her winning that chess game last night reminded him entirely of why he did. She was growing so capable, so strong and incredibly sharp…everything he envisioned of her becoming: she was finally there..!

He was excited. Proud . All this hard work teaching her and sculpting her into the fine woman he wanted by his side….Queen was ready. And he finally was, too. He was sure of it, now. He turned his head in expectation that he'd find her beautiful, sleeping form - only to be met with an empty spot on the mattress. He peered around the room for a minute before removing himself from the bed and dressing in his uniform.

The entire time he prepared that morning, he was constantly looking around for her. He wanted to speak with her - to hear her wonderful voice again...He climbed down the stairs and searched every room. He expected her to be with Bishop, but instead found his tinkerer alone in their workshop. Her presence was not in the house at all. He finally reached their kitchen and found a note attached to a magnet on the fridge. He hastily removed it and read what was written:

"Went to the library. Will return. -Q'

'Very well,' He thought to himself, crumbling it in his hand and discarding it. An unusual decision to head somewhere so strange this early in the morning...but he didn't want to question it, for now. He had other things on his mind - other plans he wished to fulfill while she wasn't here. He collected enough gold and promptly shoved it in his coat's pocket as he left the mansion, his pace quick to get to his desired destination.

'Queen' spent the rest of her week in the halls of Cadiz' grand library, reading through as much literature as possible. She wanted to get all the information she could before meeting Kane's father. She searched for books, documents, and people who knew of Valencia's once-famous toymaker. She'd spoken with different scholars about Gazpaccio, and those who allegedly met him. The process was peculiar. The people who met with her insisted on being anonymous and keeping their exchanges private. Even obtaining the right papers to read about came from unknown hands, in alleyways and the dark corners of streets.

She was instructed to read them alone, and keep them away from the eyes of nearby soldiers. So she sought solitude in the library during the quiet hours, remaining undetected as the days went by. She learned more - through the newspapers she inspected, she read about the inventions Gazpaccio made, and what golden wonders were brought into Valencia. They ranged from wondrous toys to downright killing machines. He also had a hand in the growth of servants and workers for the rich classes. Undeniably, his work became more malicious as time went on...

When she was out of material about the toymaker, she read about her partner instead. There were plenty of books published about Kane's work and contributions to Valencia. Engineers and scholars alike went crazy about his designs and machinery. Despite how hard she looked, she could not find anything about his past. There were biographies written about his days in the war, but nothing mentioned the toymaker. Even the papers about Gazpaccio neglected to mention anything about his son.

. . .

. . .

Her eyes fluttered open when the sound of birds outside woke her. Her vision became blurry and she rubbed her eyes until it cleared. That was when she noticed Kane's figure on his side of the bed, his bare chest moving slowly while he breathed. She slipped out of the covers as quietly as possible, tiptoeing to the drawers and getting dressed for the day. Her eyes were locked on the man across the room while she did this, intently watching if he stirred. Today was the morning she was due to meet with Phule at the docks. She did not want Kane to notice her leaving, in fear he would suspect something.

She noticed her boyfriend had been in a better mood lately. Ever since she won that game of chess, he showed more affection her way and they spent a lot more time together. Any moment she wasn't in the library, she was usually by his side, watching his soldiers train. He provided Queen with her own chair to sit in during these times. She would watch him carry out his businesses as well. It almost felt like a throne of her own, as she watched people work below her.

And she loved it.

Queen ensured he was asleep before leaving the room, shutting the door quietly and making little noise as she traveled down the stairs. She made sure she was unnoticed as she left the front doors of the mansion, hastily making her way to Cadiz' docks. She wasn't wearing her usual clothes, as she did not want to be recognized. She was wearing a different mask she'd found in a closet, with clothes that covered her entire form. She finally advanced on the docks and found a single ship there, with a man standing by himself. It almost looked deserted, which was strange, since there were always soldiers working around the bastion.

She approached Phule and found him in his usual costume. He didn't seem to care about anonymity. He noticed her appearance and made a pleased noise once she was standing in front of him.

"Finally! I've been waiting. No one noticed you coming here?"

"Not at all." She replied confidently. She peered around him to find only one other man awaiting on the ship. "Where is everybody..?"

"Don't worry about it. I wasn't going to captain a ship with a nosy crew."

He rolled his eyes and motioned to the man to prepare for departure. Queen helped herself aboard and noticed how small it was compared to the usual vessels. Phule joined her side a moment after, and they were traveling on water within the next minute. The other man aboard was completely quiet, wrapped from head-to-toe like her, wearing a regular bauta mask. She almost believed it was Deacon, had it not been for the brown eyes.

She tilted her head at the jester. "You are able to captain ships..?"

"I normally don't have fleets like my brothers do...but I am able to go wherever I want, anytime I want."

She glanced at the other man and whispered quietly. "Who is he..?"

"Someone I can trust not to blab about where we're going." Phule nodded at him. "The Tortellinis should be preparing for their party about now. It is an all-day affair, you know. They have the entire family over to party and drink...we will be hanging low until they start their game. I know the perfect hiding spot on that island."

"You've been there before, haven't you?"

He looked into the horizon wordlessly. That answered her question. "Do you come to visit your grandfather?"

He shot up in his seat and nearly went for her throat. He had his hands in the air and calmed down, retreating them to his side and growling slightly. "Don't you go talking about it!"

"I won't!" She held up her own in defense. "It seems we both have a secret to keep..."

He eyed her before looking away and crossing his arms. They spent the rest of the ride in tense silence - it took a few hours until they saw an island come into view. A large tower overlooked dead land and small buildings, with only the tiniest of a dock to board. That was when she realized why they took a ship so small - they were able to board with ease, and out of sight. It looked like a private dock for the island.

The man in the bauta mask made himself scarce. Phule led her onto the land, taking a specific trail and hunching below the walls. He held the bells on his cap firmly in his hands so they wouldn't ring with his movement. The walls were covered in large gear mechanisms that rotated loudly. They dodged around them as best as they could. At one point, they stopped to peek and get a good look at what was going on. That was when Queen noticed there were a lot of large men here, moving chairs and tables around. Their voices were gruff and they spoke in Italian. Their skin looked greasy and they wore plenty of jewelry, smoking cigars while they moved packs of alcohol. The others were currently putting up decorations.

She ducked down when one almost glanced in their direction. Phule tsked as they moved on - she noticed they were advancing to the lone tower on the island. It was situated near the shoreline. There were two guards currently standing near the door, looking bored out of their minds. Phule settled several feet away where they could not be seen. Queen craned her neck to look at the tower while the birds flew overhead.

"So, we just wait here? For how long?" She whispered. He rubbed his hands together before sitting down firmly on the ground.

"You may want to get comfortable." Is all he said.

"Couldn't we just...knock them out?" She suggested. They looked easy enough - she was sure she could take them on her own. He waved his hand.

"That will let them know someone was here - and we can't have that. This is a family island. They know who's where at all times."

She huffed before sitting down herself. It felt like eternity passed as the two figures remained in the bushes, swatting away insects while they watched the guards. The men were eventually ordered by someone in the distance to start heading in. That was when they cheerfully left their posts to the building they passed by previously. It seemed everyone else was there - they could hear voices and commotion coming from its direction. It was afternoon by this point. Queen shot an impatient look at Phule, who stood from their hiding spot and cracked his back. She came to her feet and brushed the dirt off of her clothes. It was a good thing she wasn't in a dress...it could've been ruined ! Or get caught in those gears …

"In there." He pointed abruptly to the tower.

They approached the door. She was surprised to find it unlocked and opened upon her command. It was quiet inside, beyond a slight ticking sound coming from somewhere. She moved herself fully inside and turned around to motion for Phule to come in. He stood firmly where he was, waving a hand at her.

"I'll keep a lookout. If I see anyone coming, I'll knock on the door twice and you have to come out. Understood?"

She frowned before nodding. She expected him to want to see his grandfather, but it was safer for one of them to keep watch. They were trespassing as it is. She wasted no time coming inside, closing the door behind her in one movement. The moment it shut, she heard a startled voice from above. It sounded like it belonged to a man. It came from the direction of the long staircase circling around the room.

"Who is there? Is it already time for me to eat my lunch...?"

Her eyes widened as she found a figure climbing down the stairs. He was nothing as she expected - a balding man wearing a baggy, white shirt with brown pants folded at his knees and an apron tied around his waist. He wore long, white socks with a pair of shoes that were beginning to wear. She noticed what was left of his brown hair had gray streaks, and there was a goatee just under his lip. His eyes were a familiar shade of blue when he looked at her. As he stepped forward, she noticed a golden earring pierced on his right ear. He took a wobbly step towards her, holding the railing of his staircase uneasily.

"Wh-who are you...?" He asked weakly. "And how did you get here?"

'Right. I should introduce myself.' Clearing her throat, she replied, "My name is Queen. You are Kane's father, right?"

"Kane sent you here...?"

"No! I came here on my own, after I learned where you were." She elaborated awkwardly.

He smiled slightly, folding his hands together and finally moving from the staircase. She noticed the ball and chain hooked onto his right ankle, which dragged on the floor as he moved. "-Ah. I recognize your name. You're his girlfriend, aren't you?" She smiled and nodded. He knew of her! "I have heard many rumors. I couldn't believe he was seeing a woman, after all these years..."

"I thought it would be right to meet you. I wanted to know who you are." She fumbled for a second. "You were the Toymaker, right? The one who made all of those wonders for Valencia, years ago...?"

"Yes; that was when I was in my prime." He headed towards her and spoke softly. "Please, we must get comfortable if we are going to talk."

She looked around and noticed there were no chairs in here. She was surprised when he sat on the floor in front of her. Noticing she had no choice, she took the cue to sit across from him on the carpet. Not exactly the most ideal place to sit and chat, but it seemed to be the only option, as this room was barren...and it was better than the dirt! The only thing that caught her attention was a desk with various machines on its surface. They looked like the ones in Kane's workshop. Before she could get a better look around the room, the man leaned forward. She could finally see how exhausted he looked, as well as the wrinkles forming on his forehead.

"How did you find this place?" He asked wearily. She couldn't blame him for not letting his guard down.

"Your grandson, Phule, led me here."

" Robert ..." He tsked under his breath. She was about to inquire who that was until he decided to change subjects. "-I have never met any of my son's girlfriends before. My name is Gazpaccio Vianello. It is a pleasure to meet a beautiful woman like you."

"The pleasure is all mine. I came all this way, after all."

"There are so many rumors in Valencia nowadays. No one talks about me anymore." He shook his head slightly. "I have heard about you from those guards outside. They said you were a soldier of his that he fell in love with…"

"That is true." She nodded. Her heart tingled at that word. Was it truly a rumor? "Kane observed my unit before taking me with him to Cadiz. He had been giving me lessons and keeping track of me before that, in Florenza."

Gazpacho rubbed his chin in thought. "It is an interesting story. I wouldn't have imagined him like this. I am just glad to hear he's found someone, after all this time. I had been hoping for it all along. That he isn't as heartless as they say…"

His words trailed off as the silence settled in. Queen got a better look around the tower. There were a few books and papers laying around, but even more small toys and mechanisms on the tables and floors. It reminded her of what she was here for.

"I tried to read about you, but there wasn't much I could find. Someone handed me some newspapers from your day…" She searched through one of her pockets and unfolded one in question, handing it to him. "You were such a beloved inventor back then. There were countless positive reviews about you."

He observed the page and chuckled, a bright smile growing on his face. "Yes..! This is quite an old one. It was the beginning of my days with toy-making. Things were so much better back then.."

Queen lowered her head. "I only have a few more, but they describe your inventions becoming... different . You were making dangerous things. What happened to the toys?"

He set down the paper as his smile dropped. This was when he looked ashamed, refusing to make eye contact with her. "Such a long story...I was successful with what I was making, but I wanted more. When I was offered to build 'special' devices, I did not hesitate to do so. I wanted the money so badly, I did not realize I was making such terrible things…"

He stood and slowly walked over to the only window in the room. It had bars over it, to dissuade any attempts of escape. He held onto one and glanced out into the ocean. He looked almost reminiscent, a sad look washing over his eyes.

"I made a lot of money with what I did. But it didn't even matter, in the end. They took advantage of me, stole everything I had, and drove me out of business..! I suppose what happened afterwards was out of spite. Greed. Anger . I knew it was bad then, but I didn't care. I just wanted revenge. How terrible of me…"

Gazpaccio picked up his head and realized her presence. He almost got swept up in his own story..! He returned to her with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. It has just been so long since I've been asked about this. Holding onto all of this is such a weight I want to get off my shoulders…"

"I don't mind. I came here to talk; to get to know you. It's hard learning anything about you or Kane."

"But you are together with him. What is there you don't know?"

She bit her lip. "Well…he doesn't tell me a lot about his past. I've asked him plenty of times, but he won't tell me anything. Not even about you."

His look turned sad. "I don't blame him. It is right for him not to want to talk about me…"

"He said you two had a something of a fight…"

"Not one fight. We had plenty of disagreements. But I was in the wrong. I realized that, after getting locked up here." Queen had a confused look on her face. He elaborated. "I wanted Kane to be an artist like me, to sculpt him into my own image. And he was incredibly skilled. So, I had him work with me when I built and painted these machines...At first, we bonded well. Years passed while I taught him everything I knew. He was intelligent and caught onto everything quickly. I guess it wasn't a surprise when he surpassed my own intellect…"

Queen clenched her hands in her lap. This was it. She was finally learning about his past…

"Kane was smart. Smarter than his brother, and eventually, smarter than me." Her mouth opened in surprise. "I could not teach him everything. What I did not know, he taught himself. He wanted to learn. He grew less interest in building and painting, and wanted to work on other things. He was restless, but I did not notice. I forced him to keep working with me, and when I grew more selfish...I asked for more of him. That was when I started having him paint on his own. He was so talented, you see. I sold his works and kept the money - sometimes, I brought him out just to paint and sell them right away...he must have worked for tireless hours..."

Her fingers itched. She was still focusing on the first part. "Kane has a brother!?"

He snapped out of his story. "Oh? You did not know?" She shook her head indignantly. "Kane has a twin brother, named Able. They were inseparable when they were young. Able was not as gifted as him, and worked slower with machines...so I did not have him around. I suppose that made him jealous, all the time I spent with Kane. He worked more around the house for me instead."

"What happened to him?" She asked curiously. He took a deep breath. She almost felt guilty for making a man speak this much, but she had so little time…

"Able was loyal. He stayed with me after everything. Kane... did not . I was putting him through so much - I entered him in chess competitions, just to keep the gold. I had him build countless machines and craft paintings, all so I could keep the profit as my own. I made him work harder than I should've. I praised him to everybody as my 'ingenious son' , who was capable of anything. He was popular. But he did not want any of it. He grew so restless, that when the war came...he told me he wanted to serve."

His shoulders slumped. "I begged him not to go. I needed his hands to help me get revenge on those who wronged me. But he saw how pointless that was. So he spent his time training instead...He had too many responsibilities. There was a baby! Able and I helped look after Robert. But when the time came...Kane left, anyway. My business fell while he was gone. I struggled to keep up, and the competition wasn't helping. The fact that two more children were delivered to our doorstep only made things more difficult."

'Rooke and Deacon…' She thought.

"I was struggling. I thought it was a miracle that Kane came back alive! I was so happy...but there was something different about him. That war was unforgiving. It was cruel. And I think he experienced some things. He became more distant, emotionless...I think the stress of three children only made things worse for him. He was constantly overworking and seemed so unhappy. I should have been proud to hear about his promotions. He was working his way up, while I was only falling down...I took out my frustration. I had many arguments with him at this time. We fought. We said terrible things. He did not want to help me anymore - and I took this terribly. I can't blame him for leaving me when he did."

His voice became shaky. He took a moment to recover himself, and in this silence, Queen was shocked. She couldn't believe the things she was hearing. She sympathized with Kane in this moment, but also felt bad for the man she saw before her eyes…she didn't know how to feel….

"Years passed while I wallowed in my own self pity, and lost almost all my money. Able was still by my side. He supported me and our house...but I knew it was only a matter of time. Before the worst came, I was arrested. By my own son. And Rooke and Deacon. They told me I was imprisoned for illegal practices...and they were not entirely wrong. I am not proud of the deals I made, or the machines I crafted in those times. I was sent here that same day, to pay for my crimes in Valencia."

He motioned around them. She frowned. "And what about your other son..?"

"Able insisted on coming with me. He was arrested, too. When he was here, he would constantly talk about getting revenge on Kane. But I didn't want any part of it. I felt like I belonged here, to pay my sentence...Able disagreed. He managed to escape years ago. He promised me he would someday come back and break me out...but that time has yet to come. I do not know where he is. I can't even receive letters or messages to know how he's doing."

His tone sounded sad...Queen felt like comforting him. "I'm sorry you and Kane did not get along anymore. I'm sure he's just as affected by this as you are. He seemed emotional any time I mentioned you."

"I'm surprised he didn't have me killed. Sometimes I wonder why he sent me here...to stay here, rotting away...he has only visited me once, after all these years. I still love him. I know I wronged him. I wish I could see him one more time, to apologize for everything and fix what I had broken...if he could only give me the chance…"

She wanted to suggest bringing him back with her. But she knew she couldn't. Kane didn't even know they were there to begin with. And taking Gazpaccio from this tower...it was a bad idea. Her eyes went to the ball and chain around his ankle and she frowned. That would be another issue entirely. She was also weary of those large men on this island. No doubt they would be enraged if their captive got away...

"I wish I could do something for you." She confessed. "I only wanted to get to know you, but I feel terrible for what happened to you."

"Just, please, tell him I am sorry...and that I wish to redeem myself. He may not want to listen, but I just want him to know." He scooted forward and laid a hand on her shoulder. "I am sure you will make him happy, Queen. I'm glad I got to meet you. Thank you for coming all this way."

"It was the only way I could know about you." She smiled. He returned it.

"Perhaps, if you had given him more time...he would talk about this. I'm sure of it."

She opened her mouth to say more, but they heard an abrupt knock from the door. Phule swung it open and faced the two of them. He turned his attention to Queen first.

"We must get going. They're finishing their game as we speak."

"Ah. You do not want to get caught. Believe me. The Tortellinis are...persistent." He held Queen's hands in his own and shook them meaningfully. "Please, remember to tell Kane what I said. It is my only request."

She gave him a firm nod. "I will."

Phule hastily motioned her out of the doorway. Gazpaccio nodded to the jester and he returned the smile, shutting the door before rushing them out of sight. While they jogged away, she turned her head and found him next to her, holding his cap in one hand and steadying his mask with the other. She realized he was doing this to stop his bells from jingling and alerting anyone of their departure. She could not stop her eyes from wandering to his brown hair, the curls bouncing lightly with his movement. This was the first time she'd seen any of Kane's sons without their mask...

She was pulled from her thoughts when they found the boat ready for them, waiting patiently at the dock. They boarded it quickly and they set sail right after. Queen sighed in relief as they sailed away unnoticed. Her heart pounded in her chest with how quickly they ran. She took a minute to catch her breath before shooting a playful look in the Phule's direction. There was plenty she learned just now, that she could ask him about...but one matter still rang in her mind:

" 'Robert' ?" She asked teasingly.

He glared at her in return.