"..."
The only sound in the room was a pen dropping on the surface of a desk. A lone figure shifted in his seat uncomfortably, his gloved hands rubbing the sides of his masked face in a tired motion. The Supreme Commander of Valencia looked at the finished work before him - stacks of paperwork, written letters, and blueprints messily piled over the other. He leaned back as a small creak emitted from his chair. He glanced out of a nearby window and noticed dusk was approaching.
'She must be waiting for me.'
He moved the papers and projects into their rightful bins then dismissed himself. He spent countless hours today in this room, catching up on his neglected responsibilities in Cadiz. He finished the written portion of it now - he'd have to visit his men in their bastion soon and catch up on the affairs he missed. To him, today was the easy part. But the time poured into his duties was starting to become a bit bothersome.
He was accustomed to cooping himself up in his work for days on end. Weeks , even. But now he had elsewhere to spend such hours, with a woman he wanted to be around. There was no need indulging in frivolities before, but now he had a reason to stray further away from his desk. Except he'd been gone for much too long. And priorities were priorities.
He locked his office's door as he left, returning his keys into their rightful pocket. He turned on his boot's heel and began his trip back home. He was eager to return. Such a feeling was foreign to him, as his family rarely convened there. But 'Queen' was behind those walls now - and at times like these, he wished for nothing else but to indulge in a chess game before they'd settle in for the night.
"Supreme Commander..!"
Kane halted in his steps. He stiffened before he reluctantly turned around. He knew who the voice belonged to; it came from a figure he was not prepared to speak with. But King Casimir didn't need anyone's approval for his presence. The man trotted towards him, flashing a pearly smile as he went along. His footsteps were the only sound in the room, as not many inhabitants of the castle were about when hours became late like this.
He almost wanted to sink into his shoulders as he addressed the royalty. He hadn't spoken with the King at all since he returned to Cadiz. He did his best to avoid him until all his work was finished with, so there would be no negative confrontations. His absence here was not looked at highly. He disobeyed orders to prolong his stay in Florenza - another questionable decision in the eyes of his superiors. Not like Casimir has ever scolded him before - but in this rare circumstance, Kane almost expected it.
"You're back." The crown commented as he hung his head to the side. "I am relieved to see you."
"The feeling is mutual, your Majesty." He averted his eyes at the untruthful statement. "I was just finishing my work. There is no need to-"
He held a hand, silencing the Supreme Commander immediately. He was the only man who could do this. "-I have not come to reprimand you. It is most unnecessary… and I do not think you deserve it."
The other man's eyes wandered his face curiously. The King decided to elaborate. "I would be dishonest to say I never intended on scolding you. I was upset when you kept denying my calls. It must have been the only time I've ever felt furious with you! But then, I heard something that changed my mind..."
Kane suddenly felt like something worse than a scolding was going to happen.
"-I hear you have a girlfriend."
"...Have you?"
"The rumors spread quickly! If something is talked about enough, it eventually makes it way here, into my castle. They say you have taken the company of a woman. So, I've come to you to hear your honest word, of course."
This was happening too fast for his liking. But it was out of his control now. He'd have to play along, as he owed too much to Casimir to argue otherwise. "Yes I do, your majesty."
" Brav'uomo! So they ARE true! I had a hard time believing it. You've helped me plenty in my marriage...but your own girlfriend - that's never happened until now."
"I wanted to introduce her when she's situated here. She's only moved in with me this past month-"
"Do not worry...I have no doubts you'd tell me. I just wish it was sooner." He gave him a smile. "How was the Opera? I assume you took her - that's what I wanted when I gave you the tickets."
"You knew of it that soon?"
"Of course! Margherita was looking forward to that show. But when I told her about what I'd heard, even she agreed to lend them to you. You wouldn't have accepted them otherwise…"
It was a good point; one he didn't even take into consideration. "It was a fine show. She enjoyed the art exhibit, but I think she's also a fan of the opera."
"Brillante! A woman with good taste."
He chuckled, then stopped to look at him seriously. He gestured with his hand as he began walking down the castle's dimming corridors. There was no argument as the Supreme Commander followed along at his side. He felt slightly irritated that his trip back home was interrupted, but he knew this would not take long - whatever this was. As talkative as his superior could be at times, Casimir always got to the point when it regarded what he wanted.
The King eventually stopped to gaze at the streets below. He rested himself comfortably on the railing. Eventually, he said, "I would like to meet her."
He hadn't really been paying attention. "Hmm?"
"Your girlfriend. I want to meet her." He repeated, directing his attention to him. "This woman you're with...I assume she is smart and dependable for you to be with her. Not to mention...you sort of owe me, for leaving your responsibilities. I think you can make it up quite easily here."
He thought about this quickly. "...Yes, that can be arranged."
"Bring her around anytime to my castle. I will be more than delighted to see her. As far as I'm concerned, any woman of yours is more than welcome within my walls."
"That is a great honor, your highness. I'm sure she will appreciate your invitation."
"Wonderful, wonderful...I will dismiss you, Kane. I'm sure you have elsewhere to be right now."
He thanked the other man as he took his leave, quickly departing through the halls. He didn't even glance behind as he left the castle in a hurry. But King Casimir kept his eyes locked thoughtfully on the Commander's figure as he went, holding his fingers to his lips and musing many things to himself in this time.
"My, you're playing with such focus tonight…"
Kane's eyes glanced up and met with the ones of Queen. She smiled at him almost teasingly as she went and played her turn, moving her bishop along a few spaces. He returned his attention to the game, taking this second to observe the board. He was a little more rough than usual - only a few more turns and he would have her in check. He captured her piece and clacked his tongue as he set it aside.
He received his wish that night - as she agreed to partake in a chess game after dinner. She told him she'd been looking forward to one after all this time, and he was more than happy to set up a game within their bedroom. She was comfortably situated on the couch while he pulled up a chair on the other side. They said very little the moment their pawns were moved, but only now did she finally make a comment.
He ran a gloved hand through his hair. His mind felt clouded after his talk with King Casimir. It was terrible to have something this important on his mind, so late in the night. He figured a chess game would clear his thoughts, and it worked splendidly. But he still had matters to speak with her... now would be the best time, as they were both alone and comfortable.
"Has Phule taught you anything of the royalties yet?" He asked, reaching for his glass and drinking some water. She hummed thoughtfully in reply.
"He told me what their favorite jokes are and how he gets them to laugh. But he didn't tell me a lot about them - just that they are like the other people around here."
"Yes, that is true. But there are some things you should know about the King and Queen...they are very important figures here; they will be different than those you meet on the street."
She looked interested. "Why exactly do you mention them?"
"...The King is interested in meeting you." He finally confessed. "He heard news of our relationship, and would like to see you in person. But I want you to be prepared before you do."
"Is that so?" Her eyes gleamed. "I have always wanted to meet him….my mother especially ! We looked highly upon him at home."
"It will be most appropriate to get this out of the way." He shifted his attention again and moved his chess piece. "Any unfavorable rumors of our situation will stop the moment you are seen with the royals. It'll make things easy."
"You can start preparing me now. You know him personally, don't you? What is he like?"
"The King trusts me with most of the work for Valencia. He is as materialistic and rich as everyone else here. But, he is in charge of everything. He is most usually kind to those within his circle. That would include you - as you are my partner. So he shouldn't have any issues with you."
"..Didn't you say he's also obsessed with unicorns?"
"...Yes; you will see what I mean when you visit his castle."
She giggled quietly, finding this humorous enough to let him capture her piece. They were close with finishing their game. He was the winner, as she assumed from the start. But she did not mind - their games were still so intense, and she loved spending such close time with him. Her eyes darted down to her most important piece on the board and remembered something.
"Now, what about the Queen?" She asked. "Am I meeting her as well?"
"Her majesty is on a small trip elsewhere for the time being." He put her in check and focused more on their conversation. "It is rather beneficial for you not to meet her yet…"
"And why is that?"
"The Queen is not like her husband. While he is more compassionate - Margherita is strict with their enforced laws and code of conduct. Her impression of you will be vital. Let's say it will highly work out in our favor if she likes you." His serious tone made her sit up in her seat. "You will need time to learn to impress her. Phule and I will help you with that."
"She sounds so intimidating..! And yet, she likes you?"
"She admires my strength and intellect. She has her knights, of course, but she said she feels most protected around me." He looked away. "-That may be to my advantage, as I doubt she will have strong feelings of distaste around you."
"So much to learn…" She puffed out her cheeks as he won the game, taking her piece away. "...Are you even confident they'll like me?"
"Of course they will. I see no reason why they shouldn't."
"That's quite the confidence…"
"-Which you will have as well. There's no need to feel intimidated around them. You're in a favorable position as it is."
She smiled at his comforting words. They cleaned the board shortly afterwards, returning the game in its rightful cabinet. There was a calmness that set between them after this conversation. Kane felt better without this matter on his mind, and Queen felt assured that everything would go well.
The King's castle was bigger than anything she'd seen.
As 'Queen' approached the gigantic structure, her mouth fell open as her brown eyes observed the impressive architecture. There was an equally large drawbridge currently allowing the esteemed classes through. She didn't realize she interrupted the flow when she stopped, and let out a noise in surprise as a man brushed past her.
Before she could recover, a finger roughly jabbed at the arch of her back. She straightened her form and angrily turned towards the culprit - only to be met with the brown and blue eyes of Phule.
"Stay confident. And stop staggering - walk with ease ."
He motioned to hold her chin high - and she shut her mouth to follow his instructions. She remembered her thorough lessons from this morning and corrected her posture, moving along smoothly. She was thankful her mask hid her face - as anyone would've caught her stupid look otherwise.
'Queen' rubbed her back in pain. She turned to the jester sharply. "You did not have to do that!"
He gave a dark chuckle. "If you stop getting distracted, then I won't."
She continued without hassle. She'd been given plenty of advice this morning, learning about the etiquette of dining, meeting the royals, and behaving in public. They spent a long time perfecting her walking these past few days, which she was ashamed to struggle with. She'd forgotten about being a gentlewoman through these years - and rather, a soldier.
Kane worked equally as hard to teach her. Thankfully, he didn't look down on her lack of practice. He assured her he had to learn similar things by himself. They spent a couple of weeks giving her these lessons until they were confident enough to bring her to the castle. When they left this morning, Kane and Phule brought it upon themselves to be her escorts.
The Supreme Commander watched her carefully from the side. She needed to be prepared. Distractions were not good. She huffed at his lack of intervention. 'Queen' continued on, maneuvering through the line of fellow visitors.
They noticed her wandering eye as they passed the soldiers on the drawbridge, who saluted and allowed them in. Her curiosity peaked when they approached the gardens. As they went through, Kane had to use his free hand to properly guide her gaze back in front of them. She looked confused at the contact, but said nothing.
"You will get to see plenty of this when you're with the King." He assured her. "Right now, he is expecting to see you, and we cannot keep him waiting."
She let out a sigh. "I'm sorry if I'm being a little difficult...this is still new to me."
"You blend in nicely. But you keep looking around like a tourist, and that isn't exactly good." Phule butted in, his bells jingling in the background.
"Are you kidding? I've always dreamed of being at the King's castle..! This is the heart of Valencia; the most important place anyone can be! It's an honor to be here."
"But you must remember - you cannot show that in front of his majesty." Her partner reminded her quietly.
She got the message and painfully tore her gaze away from the beautiful shrubbery. They entered the front doors of the grand castle. It was incredible with how highly regarded Phule and Kane were here - as everyone tipped their hats and respectfully greeted them as they passed by. Phule jested with a few passerbyers as they climbed the stairs and eventually made their way to the throne room, which was guarded with awaiting soldiers.
She held her breath as the doors opened for them.
"Your Highness, the Supreme Commander and your Court Jester have arrived."
The herald announced their presence as they stepped into the room. The wallpaper was elaborate and decorated with neatly hung portraits of the royalty. There was a small staircase leading to a balcony where the lower royals talked and watched curiously from above. There was a long, luxurious red carpet that the three of them stood on, leading to the thrones of the King and Queen from across the room.
She noticed only one figure had been in his seat. King Casimir noticed their presence and promptly stood, smiling as he began his trip down the carpet. He went in a quick manner and she firmly planted her feet. It wasn't long before he was in front of them, and for a moment, 'Queen' wondered if she was dreaming.
King Casimir was around her height, as they were at the same eye level. He had blonde hair with slightly-brownish streaks, luscious in its form. He wore a wreath with yellow flower petals around his head, his eyebrows a similar color. His eyes were a shade of light purple - which gazed at her form as they stood there. She took a brief minute to observe the white collar that rested just before his royal mantle. He wore rich clothing, consisting of a red coat with a golden trim and horseshoe designs printed into it. Under that was a blue shirt with only the sleeves exposed, and his pants were the same shade of red surrounded by the bottom part of his coat - with several layers and tassels dangling from the bottom.
After they observed each other, the King's eyes went to Kane and Phule, who greeted him in return. He looked pleased with their appearance, grinning widely when the colorful man spun the marotte in his hands.
"Dear jester! I haven't seen you around the kingdom lately. Please, take a seat, if you'd like."
He flashed a smile to the other two as he departed, disappearing to the other side of the room. This left Kane and 'Queen' alone with him. A presence came on her back and she relaxed when her boyfriend came forward.
Kane bowed. "His Majesty, the King. Your highness, this is 'Queen' ."
He urged her to do as she was taught. She curtsied as smoothly as possible, with confidence. Casimir looked interested and made a pleased noise when she returned to her full height. He laid a hand on her shoulder, tilting his head and smiling at her.
"It is wonderful to finally meet you." He said.
'Queen' was at a loss for words. King Casimir was a royal figure that she and Emilia could only speak of at home. She wondered what her mother would think of her right now, inches away from the ruler of Valencia himself! She looked awestruck as he pulled away, and had to find her words again.
"The pleasure is all mine."
She noticed in their closeness that the crown wore an elaborate necklace around his neck, with an interesting symbol in the middle. He carried a strange object in his right hand, which looked expensive and golden with various jewels glued on it. She tried her best not to stare and respectfully looked him in the eyes. He was a pale man - his skin almost lighter than Kane's.
"'Queen'...what a curious name, that is." His eyes traveled downwards. "What a beautiful necklace! Tell me, where did you get it?"
Her hand came to the surfaces of the pearls, touching them and pinching her lips together. After a moment, she replied, "My father collected them while he was overseas. It was a gift."
"My wife would love something like that. She's been wanting genuine pearls for awhile now."
He turned and began walking to his throne. Kane led them after with a guiding hand on her back. She thanked him with a small movement of her head as Casimir turned himself around and sat on his throne. He tapped the strange object with his index finger a few times. He glanced between the two standing in front of him with a smile.
"You have a wonderful mask. The craftsmanship of my Supreme Commander, surely..!"
She turned to her boyfriend. "Yes, he made it for me."
The chatter over their heads interrupted their conversation, as the nobles suddenly burst into laughter. 'Queen' looked startled while the other men exchanged a glance. The royalty stood from his throne and began walking in another direction entirely, motioning them to follow. He brought them out from the room and into a hallway, which was just as grand as the rest of the castle.
"You must excuse my court. They've gotten talkative as of late - there are a terrible amount of rumors spreading in Valencia, you see…"
Kane joined the King's side. "I hope we're not intruding? If the talk is too much-"
"-Nonsense! In fact, why don't you go and take care of your work? I'd like to speak with 'Queen' for a little longer, if you don't mind."
His blue eyes rushed over to hers. He expected to be met with uneasiness, but found a strange calmness instead. She looked confident with this suggestion. He took this encouragement to heart and tipped his hat in return. He trusted she could handle on her own - Casimir didn't seem displeased in the slightest. Whatever will unfold between them should be nothing but positive, in his eyes.
"-As you wish."
Kane departed and disappeared out of a nearby door. 'Queen' blinked a few times after he left, wondering what it was like to feel as familiar with this large castle as he was. The King led them down a staircase and into the gardens from before. She perked up at this change of scenery - excitedly looking at the neatly cut shrubs they passed by, as well as the beautiful fountains and flowers.
"I hope you don't mind if I get to know you?" His voice interrupted her ogling. "As you can imagine, I am quite curious."
"Of course not. Ask me anything you would like."
She was prepared to be questioned like this, so she had most of her answers sorted out. He asked where she was from, what she thought of Valencia, his castle, and how her and Kane came to be. He seemed particularly interested in the latter. She talked about her time as a soldier and meeting her Commander for the first time: how it all blossomed to what it was now. When her story was finished, he looked pleased.
She gave him a strange look - as much as one could behind the sockets of a mask. "You don't... look down on our relationship, do you?"
"Why? Because you were his soldier?" He chuckled at the ridiculous question. "-Of course not. As far as I am concerned, he can do whatever he wants."
They were walking on the outer walls now, where they could see the rest of the castle from this particular angle. She couldn't fathom casually strolling with her King right now. She was amazed at how well their conversation was going. He was more approachable than she initially thought. She wondered if Kane's words about the Queen were true as well…
"I've known the Supreme Commander for a long time, now." He kicked a pebble out of the way. "He's the best Commander I've had, but an important person to me as well. He was incredibly helpful with the Polarian war - pulling Valencia out of our slump. I owe a lot to him personally; he's been a great friend to me, I should say."
"You see him as a friend?" She asked curiously. Kane didn't seem to talk about him that way.
"I suppose I do. What else can I call a man who's helped me like he has?" He shifted his gaze. "You are the only girlfriend of his I have met - and that must mean a lot to him. He never disobeyed me until you came along. That is why I must believe what you two have is something special."
She dipped her head to hide the flustered smile behind her mask. He asked her a few more things like what she thought of operas and the beautiful artwork in his castle. She felt more comfortable talking about these things and caught herself slipping out of a few formalities by mistake. It went completely unnoticed by Casimir - who looked more than content with her company.
They eventually circled back to the throne room, where they found Kane waiting for them. He greeted the King and his girlfriend as they stepped through the doors. He looked a little worried as he inspected their faces, but relaxed when he saw them share a smile. 'Queen' returned to his side before politely bowing to the King again.
"I caught up with the work I've missed. Thank you for allowing me the time, your majesty." He looked between them expectantly. "How did everything go?"
"I enjoyed our talk today." He told 'Queen'. "My wife would love your company! In fact, why don't we have another meeting once she's back? A 'double date', as they call it. What do you say?"
The Supreme Commander looked surprised at the invitation. He was taken aback when 'Queen' accepted it. "-I would love to meet her. Thank you for giving me the honor."
"Please, enjoy my castle in the meantime. I have a lot to get done - but I appreciated our talk, 'Queen'."
He waved them off. They took their cue to leave. Kane looked more than impressed as they left the throne room. She felt relaxed walking with him again. By the time they were alone in the halls, he stopped to look at her properly. She lowered her mask to give him a grin.
"I knew this would happen, but I am still proud of you, Valerie." His tone was pleased. "I would've preferred accepting that date, but you're catching on."
"It's easy pretending to be this sophisticated. I don't know why I ever struggled before."
"If you keep this up, we should have no problems at all. I'm hopeful everything will go smoothly with the Queen."
His words fueled her ego. She covered her face again when people started walking by. She reached for his hand and clutched it as they wandered down the halls together. She wanted to prolong this moment. She's never felt this confident of herself before. Sure, she knew of her strength and vigor...but as a gentlewoman? The thought seemed intimidating. It was strange keeping this attitude up today...but she wouldn't protest to doing it again. She would have to, around the Queen.
"How exactly did it go for you?" He asked, breaking their silence.
"It went well. He asked me about myself, and I talked a little about my father. He also told me a bit about you - he called you a 'friend'." He groaned at the word. She caught the noise. "-Is that not true?"
"Perhaps, he may see our relationship that way. But I wouldn't consider him close to me. More than he has to be, that is."
He wasn't that close with King Casimir? It didn't make sense, with how highly the crown praised him. 'Queen' decided to change subjects. "-You were right, by the way. I noticed a lot of hedges shaped like unicorns, and so many paintings of them on the walls! His majesty even had horseshoes printed on his coat!"
He chuckled. This sounded exactly like the time they were in Florenza. "-So you've noticed."
She made a face at another painting they passed by. She resumed her steps with confidence as he trailed behind. There was a new admiration in his eyes as he watched her stroll down the hallway with ease. With her dress and posture, she blended right in with the castle and its people. She could easily fool anyone at the rate she was going! To say he was proud was an understatement - he found it incredibly attractive how quickly she was picking this up.
'She is transforming beautifully,' he thought to himself. 'This won't take long at all.'
