"Hmm. What about this one?"

'Queen' turned on her heel to present a long, white dress in her hands. Holding it over her figure, it looked loose around her hips and a little tight around her shoulders. The thoughtful eyes of Kane observed these areas intently. He motioned to return it to its rack. She obliged with a thankful nod of the head and moved on in the store - looking at the other displays of dresses and gowns. Every now and then she would stop to examine one, and if it was to her liking, it was promptly placed on her partner's arm.

He was already carrying a handful of things - bags of jewelry, clothes, and perfumes. Not that he minded the extra weight on his arm, but he was growing a little impatient. They were having little results with the dresses here so far.

"Did the King tell you where we are going for that date?" She asked, hoping to start a conversation.

"Her majesty returned from her trip a few days ago. I've been told she wants to see a play."

"A play? Will it be in that fancy theater I see in the middle of Cadiz?"

"-That's the one." He paid for their things and guided them outside. "We are cordially invited to a dinner at the castle afterwards."

"A show and a dinner?" She attempted to picture how stressful the latter was going to be. "When is that, exactly?"

"Tomorrow night. Today will be preparing you for it." He groaned as he glanced at their purchases. "If I can only find you the right attire…Here, let's try this one."

With a guiding hand, he brought them into an expensive store with far more exquisite options. 'Queen' marveled at everything she saw held for display. She was almost hesitant to look around, if he hadn't urged her to do it. She chewed on her lip when she looked at the selection, reminding herself that this was a date with royalty, and she must look the part as a guest.

It had been almost a week since she met the King of Valencia. She spent her time training with the Elite and venturing into Cadiz on her own. That's how she knew about the grand theater - a large building with most attention drawn to it. She was almost tempted to ask Kane about it until it was mentioned now. She swallowed the knot in her throat when she found a dress she liked. She held it towards him for his approval - which she received right away.

While she was trying on the dress, she heard him talking to her from outside the changing room.

"The King and Queen have been wanting company for some time now. I'm not surprised we were asked to join them."

"Oh? Do they not have...their own court?"

She could hear the struggle in his reply. "-They do. But they haven't taken a liking to anyone. I see them go through a lot of people and then complain about it afterwards."

She struggled with the zipper after pulling the dress over her frame. After a few agonizing attempts, she opened the door and looked to him for help. He understood the situation and fixed it with a quick pull of his hand.

"What I'm saying is, if this evening goes well, do not be surprised if they become sort of... attached . They would give anything to have a distraction around."

She didn't understand what he was saying and shrugged it off for the moment. She returned to the room and fixed her hair in the mirror. She wouldn't recognize herself now if she were back in those barracks - something about her upright posture, makeup, and expensive dress made her look like an entirely different person. But she was coming to like how she looked, and even flashed a smile in the mirror. She opened the door and called for Kane.

"How do I look?"

He stood a foot away from her and observed the sight. She looked perfect - and that was a strong label, in his eyes. He envisioned this before - but he underestimated how beautiful she would look. The way her brown eyes blinked curiously at him, small fingers tucking the fallen strands of her hair behind her ear. Her dress was long and came nearly inches from the floor - a golden color similar to the one in his own ensemble, with glistening touches here-and-there. It hugged her waist and left a modest cleavage, both of which he was curious to observe.

He smiled in satisfaction. She was looking the part now; all that was needed was her confidence. That part would be truly tested tonight, he mused.

"Like a queen ." He told her.


Before the sun started to set, Kane got to work on preparing her for their date that evening. She studied for hours prior and practiced extensive table manners with Phule. He observed every minute of her preparation to ensure she was ready for this night. She struggled with her posture before meeting the King of Valencia - so they paid close attention to it today. She made beautiful progress within the hour, demonstrating ideal walking and acceptable attitude.

He was more than proud by the time they left for the castle. He was confident she would do well - if she executed what she practiced, then they would have no problems tonight. Her transformation was nearly complete, and it all dwindled down to how she would perform around a nearly uptight Queen. They soon approached the large structure and were greeted without hesitation by the soldiers outside. They remained unaccompanied as they headed towards the throne room - holding their breath in anticipation as the herald led them inside.

They were met with a familiar sight - except now the second grand throne was finally occupied. King Casimir and his wife perked up at the sight of the Supreme Commander and his girlfriend. They brought it upon themselves to approach them first, in what felt like painful steps for them both.

Queen Margherita slowly stood from her throne in one careful movement, her blue eyes locked with hers. She stood tall and poised, her chin held high. The noises in the room ceased while Kane gracefully led 'Queen' along the red carpet towards the royalty. He kept a hand on the small of her back, a gesture to calm her as they advanced to the thrones. She understood why; the aura felt intimidating and almost humbling. She attempted to match the Queen's energy by holding her head just as high and taking even slower steps. It took only a moment more before they were standing a foot away from them, politely waiting for their reactions from that moment on.

The Queen of Valencia was as one imagined her to be - a ruler who showed her importance with her presentation. She wore a long, blue dress with a fleur-de-lis design that ended at her ankles. Like her husband, a royal mantle was placed on her shoulders, along with a cape identical to his that nearly dragged on the floor. She wore dainty white gloves that began at her elbows and ended at her fingertips. 'Queen' could see the expensive jewelry from a mile away - a couple of matching bracelets on her wrists, diamond earrings, and a golden necklace over her mantle. Her skin was even darker than her own, her silky, black hair made in an expensive bouffant do. She had a wreath through her hair, which was a darker golden color than Casimir's.

She didn't say a word as she observed 'Queen' from head to toe several times. After a period of silence, Kane opened his mouth to say something until the King beat him right to it. He took his wife's hand and led them down the carpet to meet with the awaiting couple.

"My love, this is the Supreme Commander's new partner… 'Queen' , as I have told you before."

They stopped when they were several inches away. This was when Margherita finally spoke, bowing her head politely. "Wonderful to finally meet you. And what a gorgeous necklace! I'm almost jealous ."

"A pleasure, your majesty." 'Queen' made a quick curtsy while holding her mask still. "And thank you."

"You've made a lot of news in Valencia lately." She continued on, eying the ring on her own left hand. "My court has been constantly gossiping to me about Kane's new girlfriend."

Her heart pounded nervously in her chest. She hoped whatever was spoken was positive and not negative speculation. Kane noticed her change in demeanor and stepped closer to her side. His presence somehow soothed her, in that moment.

"-My beloved here has told me a lot about you. He even invited us for this date we're having tonight. I think it's an interesting idea."

The way the royalty talked sounded like she was disinterested in their conversation - as if she had better things to do at that moment. She constantly glanced at her rings and bracelets while she spoke, playing with them instead of keeping eye contact with her visitors. Before this could be speculated, King Casimir butted into the conversation in a joyful tone.

"Yes, la nostra serata ! We have so much to do within the night - we should get going as soon as we can."

"What a brilliant idea." Margherita replied flatly as she led them to the door. "We must arrive before the theater starts to crowd. I enjoy coming early so I can sort my thoughts."

The royal pair said nothing more as they led them through the halls of their castle. 'Queen' glanced at Kane, hoping her eyes said plenty with how she felt about this situation. His look sympathized with her thoughts. She held her breath and raised her chin - reminding herself to appear confident and important in front of the Queen, and to not lose that at all during their evening.


When the four of them arrived, the theater was vacant. It looked like they were still preparing for the show. Once the crowns made themselves visible, they were tended to by a small gathering of servants. Kane and 'Queen' watched as they were pampered with praise and gifts right away, given glasses of wine and even flowers.

They followed the royals wherever they went, which happened to be through the theater's halls for the first hour. Margherita conversed mostly with her husband and Kane, who informed her of the current events in Valencia that she missed during her trip. 'Queen' didn't mind being excluded in that moment - admiring her surroundings and decor of the theater instead. She took this time to gather her own thoughts and prepare herself for what may come the rest of that night.

. . .

Once the halls started to bustle, more guests were constantly flocking to the royalty. They made the decision to head to their seats by then. Kane held his date's hand as they trailed after Casimir and Margherita, who were guided up the fancy set of staircases and to their own secluded box above the audience. It looked a lot like the one back at the opera house - except this one was exquisite, with its own servant, plenty of room, and cushioned seats. It was even hidden by a private curtain so others could not see inside - which was pulled back by the King's wish.

Casimir took the first seat and Margherita joined him, while 'Queen' and Kane followed suit. She was surprised to find herself right next to the crown. She brought her attention to the view for the time being. It was perfect from where they were; they avoided the chatter and disruption from the crowd below. The servant offered them refreshments before the show and left to fetch them some drinks. During this time, they sat in silence.

Suddenly, Casimir stood and walked over to the Supreme Commander's seat. "Kane, I would like to take a stroll with you. It will be quick, I promise."

He looked at the woman beside him for her approval. She bowed her head for him to go. He squeezed Valerie's hand before following the King out of the box - leaving the Queens alone together. This was when the painful silence struck in. To say it was intimidating in the quiet presence of royalty was an understatement. She wondered what to say first, until Margherita beat her right to it.

" 'Queen' ...that is quite a name, if I say so myself."

"Oh-" She scolded herself for being taken by surprise. "It's just a nickname Kane gave me. We play a lot of chess, you see-"

"-Ah. Because you understand, someone named 'Queen' could get themselves mistaken as an actual one. And you can imagine what position that puts me in..!"

"Not at all, your highness. I could not be of any intimidation to you - you're Valencia's Queen, after all."

"That I am." She replied in a firm tone. She crossed her leg over the other and directed her full attention to the woman beside her. "My husband mentioned how you met Kane. He said you were his soldier? I find that curious."

"I'd been recruited as one until he started observing my unit. He paid special attention to me, so I got to know him. He discharged me so he could train me personally in Cadiz."

"It seems so forbidden, falling in love with his subordinate…" Margherita commented while intertwining her fingers. "This has to be the most out-of-character I'd heard of Kane."

"It was not intentional..! He was testing the General to mentor a tough soldier. They believed I was one, and were running some sort of experiment on me. I'm sure it wasn't his intent."

"-But it happened . And you fell for your Commander as well." Something about her teasing made 'Queen' want to slump in her seat. She noticed her loose composure. "Don't mind my comments. I find it...endearing. Kane gets away with whatever he wants, so I can't act surprised."

She decided to change subjects for the sake of her sanity. "Are you a big fan of the theater, ma'am?"

"But of course. Those opera tickets you took - that was for one of my favorite shows. Plays just pass the time when we have nothing else to do."

"You have incredible taste..! That performance was better than anything I'd seen. And your seats - they have the most beautiful view of the house."

"Oh? You must see what they put on for us back at the castle! Our head jester - I'm sure you've met him - he sings and plays tricks for us. Sometimes he's better than the performances I see out here."

"It must be fun to have a personal jester performing at your wish. I would have to dream to even make it to one of these plays."

Queen Margherita sat back in her seat with a curious finger on her lip. From the looks of it, she was enjoying the conversation. She and 'Queen' continued to speak about operas and plays - sharing their interests in the genre and laughing at the jokes they recalled. In this time, she got to learn more of the royalty and her taste in the arts. 'Queen' gave her best to answer her questions in the way she wanted, and appear as interested in things she was. It wasn't hard when she got in the groove of it.

'This is going well,' she mused to herself.


"Your majesty, must we wander at a time like this..?"

" Please , Kane. It is for the better if we're not there, so our dates can have time to themselves." Casimir handed him one of the glasses of wine he'd been keeping. "For what it's worth, I think they may get along quite well…!"

He didn't feel like drinking, but took a polite sip while under the King's eyes. He wished to be as hopeful for the latter as he was. Margherita appeared reserved tonight - unless 'Queen' managed to impress her on her own, he was starting to feel a little uncertain. Not that it was either of their fault - the Queen was a tough one to get through to. He saw her constant withdrawal from the other women of her circle, who would sometimes have to plead and give their way for her respect. She was awarded with many gifts and jewelry from those desperate to earn her attention. He'd hate to resort to that if tonight didn't work out.

"Ah! They've finally put your artwork for display here. I've been asking them to do it for weeks..!"

Kane glanced up and found one of his landscape paintings hung neatly on the wall, with its own light focusing on the frame. This didn't impress him; his work was in the castle's walls and in various buildings around Valencia. It only felt coincidental, to see something like this. He still had yet to properly show his girlfriend his art - and for that, his gut started to sink in guilt.

As they observed the painting, the King swirled the liquid in his glass thoughtfully. "I have been thinking about it, and it seems like we have a similar taste in women…"

The Commander glanced at him wearily.

"They're into the arts and have expensive taste! No?" He nudged him without warning. "-They are both quite lovely, too."

"I cannot tell if you're joking." A tired voice replied. It was too early in the night to deal with his antics, or be alone with him for this long.

"Eh, time will tell…." Casimir commented quietly. "It is just a shame, you know? We try to take to all of these couples, spend some time with them, but Margherita - she doesn't even like most of them..! She tells me she wants another pair to be around, but she is so picky! I can't keep her around company she despises. I hope they get along tonight...because I rather like 'Queen'."

The other man glanced at him thoughtfully. He shared a little commiseration, but not that much. The King led them back to the box. Kane felt relieved as he followed him up the stairs - clenching his gloved hands in anticipation when they reached the door. As soon as they entered the room, they were met with feminine laughter. The Queens were having a delightful time together, judging by their closeness and shared smiles. They stopped once the men came into the room and waited for them to take their seats.

"You both are just in time. The show is starting." Margherita commented, giving her last glance to 'Queen'. She shared the look before taking Kane's hand and holding it as the performance started. He wished to implore about what happened, but lost his opportunity the moment the curtains raised. His mind wandered during the entire show.


The play dragged on for hours until the performance was finally over. They departed the theater. With the King and Queen, they enjoyed a carriage ride back to the castle. Their surroundings were getting darker by the second; stars were finally appearing in the night sky. During this time, the two women couldn't stop talking about their thoughts of the show. Kane was curious to listen to their criticisms while King Casimir endlessly chatted with the coachman. It wasn't long before they arrived at the building, and exited out from the vehicle carefully.

'Queen' failed to notice the blue eyes locked on her figure the entire time they passed through the drawbridge and into the dining room. It turned out a dinner with the royals was a grand event, as there were lots of people invited that she didn't recognize. Guests were dressed well and danced in the ballroom as they waited for the anticipated meal. The royalty received even more gifts from their visitors and sat in their thrones to enjoy them. Kane took their distraction to his advantage.

When they were finally alone, he abruptly pulled his partner into a private hallway. Ensuring there was no one around, he asked the question that's been killing him:

"Well..?"

"Well, what ?" She asked back teasingly. At his look, she decided against guessing games. "-Things are going better than I thought. The Queen has talked to me plenty. But some of the things she says feel…passive-aggressive."

"Oh?"

"The first thing she asked me about was my name. I don't think she likes me being called 'Queen' . Said it might mistake others into thinking I was one…! It is ridiculous, isn't it?"

Kane avoided her eyes and placed a thoughtful finger to his lips. Margherita was more cunning than he credited her for. Whether or not she knew of his scheme was something he won't know. The King still seemed oblivious but he couldn't take any chances. He'd have to offer another distraction in the meantime, so no further suspicion will arise….

At his lack of a reply, 'Queen' looked at him worriedly. "Isn't it..?"

"Yes. Right." He brushed off her words. "Has she said anything else?"

"Nothing like that. We started talking about operas and plays. Her majesty has an interesting taste...although, I can't really stand her. I'm lucky this is only for tonight..!"

"Is that so? I'd have thought differently."

She winked. "I'm doing a good job, then."

Her tone came out flirtatious, which may be why Kane was so quick to pin her against the wall. He passionately kissed her without any warning. She was surprised at the reaction but welcomed it - wrapping her arms around his neck and deepening their embrace. He eventually came back to his senses and let go of her. She had to fix her dress and pull at the cleavage, looking away with a dark blush. She wished they'd have kept going.

He led them to the door, wiping the lipstick off his face. "We must return; the food should be served anytime."

He was right. They shared one dance together until there was an announcement to gather at the table. 'Queen' gawked at what she saw. It stretched throughout the entire room, with enough space to serve at least 50 people. And that may be how many were there that night, as a crowd poured into the room to take their seats. She remembered to look for her name card at her spot - which happened to be at the head of the table where the Queen was. She was disappointed to find a different name beside hers.

"I will be sitting next to his majesty." Kane informed. "Remember what Phule and I taught you."

He took the liberty to seat her, exchanging a polite greeting to the Queen as he did so. He left to the other side of the room without a further word. She felt abandoned as she was left to sit by herself. A gentleman took the seat next to her and addressed them both, but it was clear he was with his own party. She must have dropped her mask to show the disappointment on her face. When she looked towards Margherita, she wore a sly look.

"I know how it feels. My husband has to sit at the other end of the table...and with nights like these, it looks so far." She lamented.

'Queen' turned and noticed the small figures of Casimir and Kane. That meant she was alone, too. Sharing this understanding made her more comfortable in her seat. The appetizers were served first - a petite salad in a fancy bowl. The Queen of Valencia struck her fork in the lettuce and leaned forward, keeping her eyes on the new guest. Her look was challenging. They knew this would be a long meal.

"Tell me about yourself." She offered. 'Queen' smiled with gritted teeth.


The guests dismissed themselves after the dessert course. While a few remained to socialize, Kane wasted no time excusing himself. He had enough of questioning the King and pleasing him with conversation. He tipped his hat before expectantly looking towards the other end of the table. He waited a minute until he was met with familiar, brown eyes. That's when 'Queen' excused herself and followed him out. They prepared to leave the castle right away, wishing not to loiter.

Once they were out on the streets of Valencia, he placed his coat around her shoulders. She thanked him as they walked in comfortable silence.

"Did dinner go well?" He asked expectantly.

"I assume so. Her majesty asked me all sorts of questions. She enjoyed hearing that I collected art and visited museums. She invited me to do so with her sometime, and told me that I am welcome within the castle walls."

He sighed in relief. So they wouldn't have to be obsequious. "That's great. You're on good sides with both royalty."

"I see why you warned me about her. It felt like she was challenging me most of the time. I must have answered correctly." She shrugged. "That was all boring, anyway. The opera was more interesting and dinner was unpleasant without you around. I think someone may have overcooked the chicken..."

"It's customary for me to sit beside the King. The Queen requested for your seat. It's likely she wanted to talk to you over dinner."

"I'm just glad it is over with. We should play a game tonight to relax from all of this."

He couldn't agree more. He had plenty to think about from this day's events. Her transformation was going perfectly, and he was pleased with how well things went with the royalty - and will from this point on. He was planning something special for tomorrow - something to give to her in gratitude, for making him as proud as he was. It was the least he could do for a wonderful muse like herself. He held the led them up the stairs into his room, where she proceeded to take a shower for the night.

He thought everything was going perfectly...the letter left on their bed didn't even concern him. When he picked the envelope up and observed the return address, he left a thoughtful hum. Emilia.