She spent her first morning rearranging furniture. It was a process that involved moving the chairs and tables. She made sure to remove any paintings with unicorns and organizing the books on her bookshelf. She happened to uncover some board games hidden in one of the cabinets, as well a deck of cards shoved in the back. She made note of these things for the inevitable time she'd get bored lounging around, and piled them neatly on the shelf.
She was freshening up in the bathroom when she peered into the mirror just above the sink. She got a good look at herself after these last few months, and noticed the effects of the stress in training were taking a toll on her. Small bags had formed under her eyes after several nights of limited sleep, and her hair started to grow since she last cut it. She also dropped a considerable amount of weight when she stood on the scale, noticing the muscles growing on her arms and legs. The look in her eyes felt...different since the last time she gazed at herself.
She left for her first lesson with Aristide. There was a nice breeze that came as she walked over to the building Kane last brought her to. She knocked on the door and waited. Her instructor greeted her. Thankfully, he was clothed this time - wearing a plain white shirt with shorts, contrasted to her purple v-neck and pair of pants. It felt strange to wear something besides her uniform after all this time, and not seeing others wearing anything identical. She tugged at her collar as he let her in, uncertainly glancing around the large, empty room.
"I am glad you made it! As you can see, there is no one else here, since you were promised private lessons." Aristide breezily passed by. "We're not going to clean up and change today. It might be a bit before we actually get to the water!"
She felt relieved as she heard this. "That's alright."
He led her around the room, showing her where things were. She was shown a locker room and provided with a private compartment in case she'd like to leave any belongings here. She was supplied with her own swimsuit, as it came with the lessons. He assured her it was modest and comfortable, and even asked for her size for safe measure. She only became uneasy when they approached the pool.
He smiled sympathetically as she flinched. "It's nothing to worry about. When we finally come around to this, you're going to stay in the shallow end."
"It is still a lot of water..." She grit her teeth anxiously. "I don't know if I can do it..."
"Hush. You don't have the confidence right now. We're going to work on that."
He placed his hand on her shoulder to guide her to a table. The chairs were slightly stiff as she sat in one. He rested his elbows, leaning forward to look at her closely. She sat back as much as possible and avoided his eye contact. This was only their first arrangement together, but she still felt...uncertain about something. She blamed it on the fear she experienced with this whole situation, and allowed his voice to soothe her anxieties.
"Your fear of water. It seems to be a problem. And I would like to help you overcome this." He sat a notepad down and prepared his pen. "Can you tell me where it came from? If there is a source to this that you know of?"
Valerie swore the room got colder. She explained to him the time she nearly drowned as a child; how she struggled to take baths for months after that ordeal. The exact reason why she never filled a tub all the way, or stood in the shower for long thinking that she would drown under the fall of water. How she continuously needed to stay several feet away from the canals every time she passed by them. Saying these habits of hers aloud made her sink in her seat and grow quiet.
Aristide studied her before clacking his tongue. "-I see. It is a...traumatic thing for you, isn't it?"
"It's easy for me to avoid it than to talk about it." She trailed her finger on the table in thought. "When I mentioned my fear to the Commander, he told me something...about not letting fear get ahead of me?"
"-What good advice! He's a very smart man."
Just thinking of Kane made her warm again and caused her heart to flutter hearing Aristide agreeing with words. She continued on with the conversation, not bothering to hide anything. She felt less ashamed as their discussion prolonged. He was encouraging and offered his input to things. She felt enlightened after an hour passed. She noticed his notepad was filled with pages of notes.
"Well! What progress. I didn't expect to hear that much from you, but it is appreciated." He closed the pad and set it aside. "Thank you, Valerie. I'll look over these tonight and start a plan on how to help you get over this phobia."
"I'm glad to get all of that off my chest. Thank you for it, actually." She looked away as she went to shake his hand. "I hope I did not waste your time-"
"-Nonsense! I am being paid to listen to you right now." He chuckled, gripping her hand. "I hope you have a wonderful time for your first day in Florenza. It was a pleasure hearing more from you."
She thanked him and went on her way. As she left, she still felt somewhat cold. The breeze became harsh during her walk back home. Her mind was set on her discussion with Aristide, and how different it felt talking about her fear with her instructor instead of the Commander.
The most important thing she had to get out of the way was a grocery trip. The sight of her empty kitchen was starting to get upsetting. She begrudgingly grabbed the gold Kane left her and made a trip to the market. She stuck with things she could eat without much trouble and only grabbed as much as she needed. It pained her when the time came to paying with the gold, but she felt at ease with proper food.
Her wardrobe was rather small for the time being, only having a few outfits she packed before leaving for training. She found a small outlet with clothing stores. She noticed the strange looks and glances she received from nearby gentlewomen. She even heard one huff as she trotted away, and observed one man's face when he looked at her in disgust. She narrowed her eyes seconds after, picking up her pace to get away from them.
"What are they all staring at...?" She asked herself.
Once glance at her outfit compared to their glorified dresses gave the answer right away. In shame, she left to one of the stores and looked at the displays. Everything in the women's section consisted of fancy dresses and lace. While she's always admired such clothing from afar, she couldn't imagine owning any. She never belonged to the higher classes. She took a discreet glance at the prices and decided that she didn't need anything elegant. Instead, she searched for something more reasonable. She managed to find such clothing in the back. It was something more...graceful than her usual wear, but was the best she could do with.
Even the lady behind the counter glanced at her twice during her transaction. She decided not to think about these quiet, judgemental stares. Kane's words came to mind every time someone looked at her the wrong way. 'Don't concern yourself badly with others here. The people can sometimes be...judgemental with their customs.'
What an understatement...
She came home and collapsed on the couch, dropping her bags of clothes on the table. She missed having this freedom, going shopping and looking at such gorgeous things...she was coming to admire the extravagant stores and what they have here. Even if she couldn't bring herself to buy anything extraordinary.
She ended her day by placing her pearl necklace in a jewelry box and making herself dinner. She felt...relaxed after her first day in Florenza. The looks she received from strangers wasn't pleasant, but when she was in the walls of her own apartment, wearing clothes she was comfortable in and enjoying a cup of warm tea while she gazed out at the nightly view of the ocean...she felt right at home.
She relished this moment of contentment and began writing a letter to her mother. There was so much to say, even though it had only been a couple of days. She wrote of her new place, her clothes, her lessons, her instructor...she seldom mentioned the man responsible for it all, but that was because she couldn't bring herself to write his name. Every time she attempted, she grew hot.
After she signed her name at the bottom, she set down her pen and continued to stare at the stars. The Valencian sky was beautiful, and for a moment, she wished she had someone else to share it with.
The next few days of her lessons were spent with more talking. Aristide revealed his lesson plan with her. By the end of the week, she was provided with a personal swimsuit. It was white with some gray details, and went down to her knees with sleeves for her arms. While small in size, it was still comfortable enough to move around in. She left her clothes in her locker and surfaced outside in her new suit for the first time.
Aristide grinned as she came walking in. He rested a finger on his chin as his eyes observed her figure. "My, you look wonderful! It fits you perfectly."
She modestly brushed her bangs back. She tied her hair up prior to changing. "It is pretty comfortable..."
"This will be the one you'll be using from now on." He glanced towards the pool. "Are you ready?"
Panic struck her instantly. She pointed weakly. "Y-You mean to go in...there..?"
"Just a dip!" He waved his hands defensively. "Today I want you to get familiar with the water. It isn't going anywhere, and neither will you. Just dip a toe...submerge...and we'll be done, yes?"
She toyed with her hair anxiously while she followed Aristide towards the pool. Her limbs were shaking when she was standing in front of it. For so long she avoided this like the plague. Sometimes she had nightmares of stepping into a pool and drowning in it seconds after. All of these thoughts caused her to inch away. Her instructor approached from behind and guided her to the ladder. She grabbed at the handle firmly.
"Good! That's it!" He began motioning her body down a little. "Climb down and put your foot in the water. See how it feels. And remember: it isn't going to hurt you, cara..."
She listened to him and lowered her leg into the water. It was warm. She allowed her foot to completely submerge. She held onto the ladder for dear life and started shaking when she went a further step down. The water was at her knees, now. She didn't want to feel it any higher. To wrap around her body and completely engulf her...cause her to lose control of her grip and her breathing...
"Buon Lavoro! Keep going...you don't even have to let go of the ladder. Just let your body go and hold on."
Valerie went to dip the rest in, but she slipped. She saw the surprised look of Aristide as she was sent backwards. For a quick second, her body was entirely submerged and her face was under the water. Instinct made her open her mouth and gasp, causing her to inhale. She was pulled up right away and brought back to air. She coughed violently in an attempt to get the liquid out of her lungs. She desperately clawed at Aristide as he became her only means of flotation.
"Are you alright!? I swear, I didn't expect that to happen. Did you-"
The last of the water came out from her mouth as she clung onto his figure. The embrace wasn't warm or comfortable...it was slippery and scary. She began to shake as his hand came onto her back. Tears started flowing from her moistened eyes.
"Please...take me out...I do not want to be in here anymore..."
"Yes, yes, I will...Great job today...I'm sorry this happened..."
His tone was sentimental. He went to the ladder and guided them out from the pool. Once they were out, she removed herself and sat down on the floor, hugging her knees close to her chest and sniffling. It felt like there was more water in her lungs. Her breathing started to quicken. She rocked herself back and forth while Aristide watched her with sorrowful eyes. The tears were still coming down, though she didn't notice them.
"Be careful. You'll hyperventilate if you keep that up." She shut her mouth. "I think we should end today's lesson here..."
All she could do was nod. She picked herself up from the floor and passed by him without saying another word. She left for the locker room, where she attempted to clean herself from the chlorine. While she was in there, her stare remained fixated on the tiled floor. She used a towel to dry herself off and changed back into her clothes, leaving her suit and exiting the room. She found Aristide catching up so she couldn't leave right away.
"I know today's lesson did not go well, but I assure you, next week's will be better." He took her hand and held it reassuringly. "I did not think something like this would happen. You did wonderful, and I am very proud..."
"I think I will go home, now." She slipped her hand out of his.
"If you're willing to try again, I am available this weekend." Even he could see the disinterest in her eyes. "Just an invitation..."
She said nothing as she turned and left. Her gaze remained on the floor as she continued on. It was hard to feel confident right now. If he hadn't caught her, who knows how long it would've taken for the water to envelop her lungs entirely...she shivered just thinking about it. She didn't even notice the dark figure she passed by quickly, in an attempt to return home and feel safe again...so she can stop thinking about what just happened...
"Valerie."
She stopped in her tracks at the familiar voice. When her eyes locked with Kane's blue ones again, she forgot about everything almost instantaneously.
