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To Lady Lanet: I'm happy!!!! Do you know what? I read "The Day the Moon Shines" by Deep.Indigo and it's really good. In fact it was one of the many inspirations that made me decide to write an SOAL fic!

Tee-hee!!!

The streets of Lower City always seemed dark. Even with the streetlights on. In fact it seemed darker with them on for the light was an eye opener for the filth that hung over the city like oil. It smelled of smoke, sex and death. Usually because the males worked in factories, women were prostitutes and everyone died at a young age.

Alfonso walked down the dirty streets with approximately ten men in armor to sort out this dispute. Apparently it was a disagreement about which of two factories were getting more money. A petty thing. Alfonso didn't care what pathetic factory the metal for his ships came from. It was fine as long as it was there. Everywhere he looked there was a rat or something worse skittering across the streets. It made him feel like taking a long hot bath just breathing in the air. Which was exactly what he was going to do when he got back.

The riot took place on an intersection between the two feuding factories. Even though it was a terribly violent brawl, Alfonso found it quite boring. All he had to do was send in his men and he stood there watching them win.

Atalya * watched the riot with a few other young women that she considered her friends. She looked down at her long blue dress that she had received from her father. Why he insisted on leaving her family in the hellhole of Lower Valua and still sent home superficial goods of meaningless value was beyond her. She had just been in the midst of trying it on with her friends when the riot occurred. She knew that there were lots of men at this kind of thing. She could get a lot of money if she worked hard on a night like this but she had decided not to, unlike her friends who were all over a few of the men who weren't openly brawling. It wouldn't go on long though, she knew. The Upper Valuan forces had arrived to put the violence to a halt.

" Hey, do you think he's the one being in charge of all this, hun'?" Said one of her friends. Justina, she knew even though she had been looking in the other direction. Atalya could tell by the squeak in the voice. She shifted her glance to where Justina was pointing and saw a man. Quite different from the ones she usually saw. The civilians of Lower City were most of the time, undernourished, and dirty. He also obviously one of the men that she had for clients. They were all three hundred-pound sailors. One hundred pounds of body hair, one hundred pounds made up of the gigantic gut they had and the last one hundred pounds made up of whatever else was there.

The man she was pointing at wasn't hairy or fat but not undernourished either. His hair was a beautiful blonde colour and even though they were far away she noticed his eyes were a piercing blue. His clothes were all neat and clean and fit him well. She could also see by the fit of his black pants that he has quite a well-turned calf. * The bad thing was, she could tell that he was Upper Valuan. It was obvious not by his clothes or features, but by the look in his eyes, the air of confidence that surrounded him like a cloud. That made it next to impossible to even think about getting any money from him.

"Hello? Atalya, you there?" Her friend Florina waved a hand in front of her face. Florina had always been quite beautiful with hair the colour of fire, no amount of dirt or grease seemed to be able to dull it. Atalya always thought she would make a good princess. " Stop gawking at something that is way out of your league." Although it sounded like it was an insult, Florina only spoke the truth. There was no way that an Upper Valuan man would give any attention to a couple of whores like themselves. After all, he probably had some beautiful rich woman waiting back at his most likely, stately mansion. " Though of course.. I understand why you're so smitten." Justina giggled. " He is rather easy on the eyes, isn't he?"

Alfonso unconsciously flipped his hair back, although nothing was out of place and looked again at the girl he had been studying for quite a long time. Her dress and mannerisms suggested that she was of noble blood, but what would someone of such stature be doing down here in the slums? Even more puzzling was why someone such as her would be associating with the two prostitutes that were talking with her. No matter what she was though, he couldn't deny that she was somewhat pretty. Much prettier than any of the other Upper Valuan ladies he had met. Very few families of his status had daughters his age. Even fewer had ones that he would even consider to be good looking. There were some girls of lower rank that were beautiful but their rank just made them untouchable to him. Almost like a filthy sheet of oil hanging over clear water. So, needless to say, he had never been romantically engaged with anyone before. Also something Vigoro couldn't seem to understand was that he had chosen to be celibate not forced to be. He had insisted that he could get laid if he wanted. He just didn't want it to interfere with his duty as an Admiral. Nonetheless he decided to go talk to her to see what her deal was.

"Whoa, watch out, he's coming over here!" Exclaimed Justina. Atalya was sure she was just pulling her leg, or he was looking for someone else but sure enough, she turned around and he was walking over to her. Well, walking was too small a word for it, more like strutting. She unconsciously started to twirl a lock of chestnut hair around her index finger. Her friends had insisted to do it after they learned she had received the lovely dress.

" If you will excuse me ladies," he said and bowed with a flourish of his cape. She knew that he was just trying to be polite. It wasn't as if he respected them in any way. " do you mind if I see your.. er.. associate for a moment." Justina stood there gaping. Florina actualy worked up the courage to speak. " Of.. Of course m'lord." She managed to stutter. He took Atalya's hand and led her off to an alleyway where her friends couldn't get a view of her.

" Pardon my intrusion madam but may I ask what family are you from?" He cocked his head to the side in a look not unlike a huskra. She pondered for a moment, not knowing what he meant when it hit her. She glanced down at her dress and her hair. He must think that I am Upper Valuan she thought with a degree of surprise. She thought to tell him that he had made a mistake but another side of her mind thought otherwise.

" I hail from the Emilio family m'lord." Atalya said as she mimicked his confidence while speaking. Though she was Lower Valuan, she had heard of quite a few family names but was quite unsure of the significance. It was one of those things that hovered in the back of her mind for a long time.

" Oh, Emilio I was unaware that he had a daughter," Oh no, she thought, he's starting to suspect something. "Well.." She began. " before he died." Alfonso finished.

" He never had a daughter but he had a brother, a wealthy brother who sails around the world." He nodded for her to go on. " I am Emilio's niece."

" What are you doing here in this filthy bucket of dirt then, surely it is no place for a lady? " She didn't need to think about that answer because ever since he had started talking about this to her she had constructed an excuse. " My father had to leave me here with my distant relatives because it was a dangerous expedition." She said calmly in a matter-of-fact tone. " How distant?" He asked. "Very distant." She reassured him with a triumphant nod.

He thought for a moment. Her story checked out. He decided that he felt sorry for her and that it was almost blasphemous to keep such a beautiful, noble girl in Lower Valua. * " Well, I suppose from the looks of your currant situation I pity you." He smirked and threw his hair back. " If you would allow it m'lady, I would like to take you back to Upper Valua. Possibly for a decent meal and bath?" He asked. Once again a part of her mind wanted to refuse because she knew it was impossible for her not to be caught sometime. Unfortunatly that "other" part kicked in.

"Of course. I'd love to. This place is disgusting anyway." He smiled and his eyes lit up. " If you'll allow, I must inform my distant cousins of my departure." He leaned against the wall and nodded.

Atalya scurried off towards her friends were of course eager to know what happened. Justina could barely hold in her exitement. " How much money did he give you?" Atalya looked at them and shook her head. "No we didn't do that. He thinks that I am much more noble than I am and he has invited me to go with him." She yelped exitedly. Her friends jaw's dropped. " I will be back soon, I promise and we will all be much richer!" She continued, trying to contain all her exitement in a whisper. " Oh! Please tell my Mother that we will no longer be poor." With that she ran back to Alfonso.

" What was that all about?" He inquired. " Oh, nothing.. they just wanted to come too. You know how the poor are."

" Don't we all, and by the way, I never got your name." Alfonso said.

" As I have never got yours, but my name is Atalya." She said in a voice that she normally used with her cliants, silent but seductive.

" I am Alfonso, 1st Admiral of the Valuan Armada." She had never heard of him but thought it best if she pretended that she did. " Ah, yes, if you are an Admiral then why aren't you helping your men? Shouldn't you be staying here to call them off when the riot is over?" Atalya questioned. " Oh no. It doesn't matter. They are perfectly capable gentlemen and can handle it themselves." It didn't matter to her anyway.

Author's note: *-- I am keeping with the Spanish name thing they have going on in Valua.

*-- Yes, I did get that expression from Robert Jordan.

*-- See? He does have a kind of weird twisted sort of compassion in him.!

Heh, I hope y'all review and make me happy and I don't mind flames saying that Alfonso is a fag because yes, he probably is but I thought it would be fun to write a fanfic about him being straight. That's why it's a fanfic. But otherwhys I want you people to keep me informed on my ability to keep him in character cause in my other stroies people have said I have a problem with that so if ever he gets out of character tell me ok? Don't be shy dearies!* creepy old granny laugh *.

-Dani