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rainbows-fanfics · 1 year

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All’inzio (Chapter 11)

Summary: A soldier-in-training, Valerie hopes to join the Valencian Army to avenge her father’s death under the wing of General Rooke. But when she happens to catch the attention of Commander Kane, her plans take a different turn.

Human AU of the Armada from Pirate101, where Kane meets his Queen.

Pairing: Kane/Queen

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Note: The title translates to “at the beginning”.

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The first thing she did that night, upon returning home and putting her new dress where it belonged, was to write to her mother. Her last letter was filled with all the new things she experienced at the start of this week, but there was...so much more to write about now. She made brief mention of the unfortunate swimming lesson where she nearly drowned...but she did not want to scare Emilia in any circumstance, so she made sure to write about the pleasant things that happened lately. And that meant finally letting word out of her time with Kane. She mentioned him being responsible for the new apartment, but let herself write more of their talk from the other day.

She kept some things she learned of him a secret, figuring his experiences with war were personal. She could picture her mother having several questions about it. She kept things to a respectable amount of detail, but allowed some room to fawn over them. How could she resist? This was the man she had feelings for, and what she learned about him only increased her interest. She even gushed about him buying her a dress - all simply because she was getting stares otherwise. She wrote of him in a good light, and sent the letter off on its way that next morning.

She wore the dress out for the day, on her way to her lessons. She noticed the different reactions she received from nearby gentleman and the lack of scoffs from fellow women. It was quite the peaceful trip to her lesson with Aristide. By the time she was there, he was standing out front, tending to the flowers sitting on the window sill. When he saw her arrive, he gave a small comment on how lovely her new dress was and how good she looked in it. She went inside to carefully store it away, wanting nothing but for it to be safe and untouched.

"We are going to be doing things differently today." Aristide informed her. "What I did last time was....ah... how would one say, unacceptable?"

Valerie smirked. "Kane talked to you, didn't he?"

He opened his mouth for several moments. She realized this was the first instance she ever used Kane's name instead of his title. She hoped he wouldn't pry. Thankfully, he didn't. "-Yes....not really talk, but he showed his disapproval for what happened. That is why we are going to be taking certain precautions..."

She wasn't surprised when she found him taking flotation devices out. There was something different about him today. She could only imagine whatever Kane might've told - or warned - him about. He was cautious about getting her in the pool, but she was less afraid this time when he gave her something to float with. She found some comfort from hugging something close while she was in the water, especially when that 'something' was keeping her afloat. Aristide gave her an informative lesson that day about floating, and demonstrated methods on how to do it. Something about their time together felt...more formal than the last few ones.

She bid goodbye to him and found herself eager to leave. She wanted to spend a full day without receiving any looks for once. It felt almost natural to be back in her dress, and noticed how comfortable it was to wear now. She can see the appeal of wearing these...it gave her so much movement, and she felt like a true lady! One that belonged in such a place as Florenza....She pushed her hair back as she went outside, ready to be part of the crowds for once.

But when she found a figure at the end of the walkway, she knew her plans would change.

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Kane's direction changed lately.

He never planned to stay in Florenza for long. In fact, he intended to leave ages ago and remain elsewhere. He was needed back in Cadiz, with his strategists and soldiers. Anywhere else besides an island filled with snobbish, unicorn-obsessed people. He admired everything Florenza had to offer for their studies, their accomplishments in the arts and sciences...but the people here were too conceited for his taste. And that was saying something, as he worked for the most vain man in Valencia.

So, why is he here? He already knows the answer, but it's still baffling.

He didn't involve himself in the lives of his soldiers or those who worked for him. He didn't need to. He had an important profession that kept his time and attention. But what happened was that he let himself get curious. He did what was necessary, collected what he wanted, but there was something possessing him to want more. It wasn't the manifestation of his study nor was its cause, but one recipient in particular that led him astray:

Valerie Toscani.

His fascination with her was as unadulterated as he led on. And he blamed that on how capable she revealed herself to be. But there was more after he scratched that surface. He thought her beautiful the moment he saw her, even in the uniform of his cadets. The way she performed was just as enthralling, and he was annoyed at how quickly he picked up on that. His interest from then only continued to grow. She caught his attention. After he learned more about her, he wanted to continue this involvement.

That was the slippery slope that led him here.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the door close. He glanced up and found the woman of his thoughts strolling towards him with a bright smile. He noticed the dress he bought for her situated comfortably on her frame. He put her in his favorite color per his taste, as he thought it would compliment her the same. This held true, as he found himself admiring the way her dress glittered when she approached him.

"Have you been waiting here?" He nodded. She blinked in surprise. "Why...?"

"I arrived a little early. I stayed here until your lesson finished." He led her on the sidewalks to start their walk to her apartment. "Did your instructor correct his mistakes..?"

"-Well, if you could call it that. I heard you scolded him more than you informed him."

He briefly recalled his talk with Aristide that morning. If he was emphatic at all, he hadn't noticed it. In his mind, he gave him a thorough explanation on what he did wrong and how to correct it. Kane remembered being a little strained during the process; it was stressful to recall how scared Valerie sounded when she confessed she nearly drowned. He understood such a thing was traumatic for her, and wished for the situation to improve. He knew how to get through to anyone in an instant, so Aristide should've understood the point well.

"It's my job to do that when expectations aren't met. Things did go better this time, right..?"

"They did. I was only teasing you." He looked away. "Aristide gave me something to float with and taught me how to do it on my own."

"Wonderful job." He noted this process may take awhile at the rate it was going. "You got back in the water quickly."

She rubbed her arm and smiled at him. "Our talk yesterday helped me. It meant a lot that you cared, you know."

He focused on their direction, noticing it would take a few minutes until they were there. He didn't come today to act as an escort - as suitable as it was. Their conversation further encouraged his interest in her. Not that there was anything particularly astounding about her presence - but her company was...enjoyable. He grew tired of following all the formalities whenever they spoke. He wanted those barriers down, as he intended to speak with her more. It grew tiresome hearing his status constantly after awhile.

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When they were finally there, he assisted her inside the complex, where he followed her up the stairs and to her room. She expected him to come right in, as he found her holding the door open for him. He went to say something but found his mind blank, so he thanked her and followed after. He watched as she fussed with her hair and looked around. When she saw him standing in front of the door, she motioned for him to get comfortable on the couch and tugged at the end of her dress.

"Wait here," She told him. "I'll be right back."

And so he obeyed. He sat himself on the furniture and waited for her to return. His eyes wandered in the meantime, at how simple she kept her decor, to the few framed paintings she had on the walls. That was all he looked at before she came back into the room. He rolled his head towards her and noticed what changed.

Around her neck was a string of pearls, each a similar yet slightly different color situated comfortably against one another. His eyes locked on them as he thought of how attractive it looked against her skin. She must have noticed his stare, as she began to slide one of the pearls between her fingers nervously.

"That's a nice necklace."

"This was a gift from my father. It was a present for my training graduation." Her look turned a little sad. "They're real. He put them together himself."

Kane had nothing else to say at that moment. He stared a little more at the pearls, ashamed he hadn't realized they were real at a first glance. He stood and made his way over to her, attempting to get a better look at them. He realized how improper it would have been to keep his eyes locked on her chest, and met them with her instead. He quickly glanced down at them, being the last time he'd concern himself with it.

"--A meaningful gift." He brought his fingers to the pearls on his own, allowing his gloved hand to make contact with her skin. He lightly stroked their surfaces with his thumb. "-It looks lovely on you."

Her jaw fell open, but no words could leave her mouth. He prolonged the contact by casually looking over the pearls, then setting them back to rest on her collarbone. His fingertips felt hot as he withdrew - not realizing how badly he wanted to touch her skin. He recognized the impulse the other day, but he wasn't expecting to catch an opportunity. Reluctantly, he pulled away and allowed a reasonable amount of space between them. She urged a little closer to him.

"Kane..." She changed the subject. "The dress helped me. I've gotten less stares. You were right...I looked just like them, and they didn't bat an eye."

"That's to be expected. It compliments you well." His eyes met with hers. He felt that same warm feeling in his chest again. He was sure it wasn't because his uniform was too tight. "You should keep the necklace with it. Gold and white is a wonderful combination."

She brushed her hair to the side, eying him coyly. "Funny, I'm coming to like black and gold instead..."

It didn't take a genius to recognize she was talking about his clothes. He smiled unconsciously. "-Perhaps, we should try that on you sometime."

"I would be more than honored, Commander."

He cleared his throat. He had to focus and not waste his time. It troubled him how distracting she could be. "-Valerie, I've a reason for returning to you. I wanted to discuss with you-"

"Oh! If you want to talk, I insist we get comfortable."

Before he knew it, he was promptly sat on the couch by her small hand. She rested herself close to him as she folded her leg on top of the other. There was an eager look in her eyes as she waited for him to speak again. He was expecting her to be willing to hear from him, but her closeness took him by surprise. It didn't bother him regardless. He found himself situated nicely as he rested one boot on his knee. He took it upon himself to ask her one matter that's been on his mind - a topic that first intrigued him about her.

"-I recall from our first arrangement you mentioning your father; the unfortunate circumstances surrounding his passing." He chose his words carefully. "I know your personal distaste with pirates, but I want to understand more. How strong these feelings are, and how prominent they are with your goals."

She took a deep breath. "So, you want to talk about pirates..."

He nodded, but deep down, felt himself on the verge of losing his composure. He recognized how weak he was around this topic - how long he buried similar thoughts of his as to not burden his work. That was their first likeness he caught onto, and admittedly, the reason among others he wished to know more from her. He was hoping these feelings would be validated when he'd hear elaborate. As she closed her eyes and prepared her words, he mentally hoped they'd be the ones he wanted to hear.

"I never met one myself, but I have every reason to hate them. Things would be different if I had my father in my life. But I'll never know because of their selfish, greedy habits... Every story I heard of pirates is how they steal, kill, and feel no guilt for any of it. How can they feel better about themselves after taking the lives of innocent people? I will never understand it, and it makes me so..angry..."

She was gritting her teeth and clenching her fists hard in her lap. She took a moment to cool off. In that time, Kane looked at her in a mix of wonder and admiration - listening to how firmly she said her words, and how he could hear the venom dripping from them. It evoked a strange feeling...one he didn't have the time to understand. He knew one thing: he wanted to hear more.

"I have friends who were attacked by pirates. Who went through horrible things, and..." She looked away. "-Their lives were never the same. All of these stories, the women wrongly touched and spoken to... it inspired me to fight for them. To get rid of these horrible men who think it's justified to do whatever they want to girls. Everything they stand for is disgusting. I wish there was an end to them already."

He was so busy staring at her that he hadn't noticed the silence. She brought her eyes to his and he realized her story was finished. How unfortunate...he was waiting for more. "-That was enlightening."

His response made her confused. "Why did you ask me about this?"

"-Because I agree with you. You're speaking of a problem not many people address." He leaned forward. "I mentioned my navy was working to abolish piracy, but there is a much bigger problem at hand. I fear pirates are going to become a near issue for Valencia."

"Are you sure this is something to be sharing with me..?"

"You already recognize it. What happened to your father is one of many instances reported about them as of late. And quite frankly, they are as horrible as you speak. I've had run-ins with pirates myself. They are not cooperative to law. That is why they get away with the things you've mentioned - their influence is not one I wish to see in my homeland."

She looked interested now. "So, you're saying you think pirates are going to come to Valencia..."

He held up a gloved finger. "-Mere speculation. I'm just concerned about them. They are rogues with principles that contradict everything I stand for. I had yet to meet anyone that was directly affected by them. I hold no personal grudge, but I am always willing to listen to anyone's victimization."

"I lost my father to them. They've hurt people dear to me. And they are the only way I will get justice for my loss." Those words sounded so emotionless as they left her lips. She decided to change subjects. "-Would you care for some tea, by chance..?"

He told her 'yes', as he was looking for any chance to prolong his stay. She dipped her head and disappeared into the kitchen. He was left alone with his thoughts and shut his eyes. He received the words he wanted to hear, but he wasn't sure what to do with them yet. He hoped this matter would find its way between them again, as he did not intend ending this discussion here. Her footsteps came in and she set down small plates to hold the cups for them. She noticed his stare and cleared her throat.

"How long do you intend on checking in like this..?" She asked.

"What do you mean?"

"With me. Hearing of my lessons and...letting me get to know you." She stood up straight. "This has only been my first week, and I've seen you twice so far. I'm wondering how often you plan to come around, is all."

He sat back in his seat and looked away, mentally working through his schedule of his time here in Florenza. If he were to tell the truth, he wasn't needed that badly here at all. He was biding his time to check in on her. Sure, there were the matters of checking in on his fortress and overseeing his men stationed here...but there was nothing in drastic need of improvement. His soldiers did well here and had very little to report to him. That resulted in plenty of free time, which he spent in leisure working on his own projects. If he were to stay any longer, the only chance of getting actual stuff done was crammed with such little time...But what he'd be staying here for was another matter of itself.

Could he see that being worth it?

His eyes darted back over to hers. "-I will be here on the days of your lessons, to meet with you after them. I can't promise I'll make it to every one."

"Four days a week...?"

"Only if you'd like." He hesitated. "If you do not wish for my presence, I can leave you be in Florenza."

Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to rebut, but the sound of whistling came from the kitchen. She mumbled an apology as she rushed into the other room. He sat back as she came with the kettle and poured the water in, allowing the tea to brew. She sat down next to him then remembered what she was about to say.

"No! I mean...I would like to see you. You are the only person I know here right now, besides my instructor." She laughed nervously. "And I think four days a week is plenty....if that's the most you can manage."

"Then that's how often you will see me."

She appeared to be delighted as she grabbed for her cup. "I'm glad to hear that...I'll be looking forward to spending this time with you, Kane."

The two of them enjoyed their drinks in silence. Kane mulled to himself that this is how he will be spending his next few weeks - or as long as this would take. It was an awfully long time since he put any effort into getting so well-acquainted with someone. It was with a woman as well, he noticed. Not that he didn't want to go out of his way and meet new people - just that no one had been interesting to him in a long while. And he was still pulled in by Valerie's words, how beautiful she looked out of her uniform for once. He was curious with her, and their company was anything but boring.

They made eye contact as they returned their cups at the same time. He got to see her eyes flutter as her fingers brushed along his knuckles. This was a decision he would not regret.

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