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#queen of keeping promises

lovebritney · 6 months

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Britney: For The Record (2008)

#queen of keeping promises #gif #britney spears #the woman in me #for the record #mtv #2008

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ibreathhere · 21 days

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HaeIn rally just said; you think I'm going to waste my last days of life on your accord, if I'm going to die, ill do it my way.

She has really nothing to lose except the power and the protections that the secret of her illness gives her, also what scares her. And she decided to give all that up, to protect Hyunwoo, it's her last power move. im crying

#korean drama #kdrama #queen of tears #dorama #hong haein #hyunwoo #my queen is keeping her promise and taking care of him

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jacqcrisis · 4 months

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Idea: kingdom in a magical land. The current king is married to a woman who hails from a different country that despises and punishes the use of magic, while his is encouraging about it, to the point he has a head royal wizard.

Ever since the queen came into the picture, the royal wizard isn't allowed to stay on the castle grounds as people in his position have for centuries. He cannot be within the same room as the king without an escort and the king is not allowed to visit his tower without one of the same. In fact, most interactions with the wizard must be done solely by the queen unless it is specifically about warfare or something to do with the border. If the king and the wizard have to meet, they must be in the company of someone, and are not even allowed an iota of privacy despite the sensitivity of their conversations.

Ask the wizard on his rounds through the kingdom, and he'll state the queen doesn't trust him. Such a pity, he says with a grimace before continuing on his way, basket full of foraged ingredients swinging from his arm. The commoners believe it is due to her home country, their distrust of magic, and their belief anyone who practices it is a snake despite the wizard being nothing but loved by all.

The servants and the advisors of the castle, however, have a different idea. Especially those who've known the king since he was a boy and the wizard when he was just and apprentice, the boys having basically grown up together on the castle grounds. Those who've known the two and seen the deep friendship they developed, those who've spent years whispering tales of late night visits and trips out alone together up until the betrothal to the current queen...

Well, they have a different theory why she glares at the wizard so intensely at every light touch he happens to brush upon her husband's royal hand during their meetings.

#jacq writes #idk i had this idea very strongly #god forbid there is a war #then the wizard and the king have to go to battle #he promises the queen he'll keep her husband safe with a shitty little grin #she doesnt care about the kings lady lovers #just fucking hates that wizard

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softquietsteadylove · 1 year

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Hey! For the Ice Queen/Tyrant King AU, I think it's time that Thena gets a matching tattoo with Gil. You know which tattoo I'm talking about.. What do you think?

Gil threw himself into the bed, burying his face in the soft white pillow waiting for him. "Fuck, it's nice to be in a proper bed again."

Even if it wasn't his bed.

"Don't sleep like that, it's bad for your back."

Gil turned his head, peeking up at his Ice Queen beside him, wearing a very sexy, lacy, satin-y nightie. She still had her lace around her shoulders, but he was starting to think it was just because she was letting him sleep in her bed for the first time. Not even just since he'd been released from the hospital earlier today, but for the first time ever.

Thena was reading over some reports from both of their businesses. Gil would be returning to work soon enough, and he had been keeping up on some necessary files and updates as much as he could from his hospital bed. He had to admit, with Thena running things in his stead, his profit margins had never been healthier.

"Do you need me to turn off the lamp?"

Gil smiled at the woman next to him, already reaching for the sconce built into the wall next to her bed frame. He sighed, "no, it's okay. I'm probably gonna drop right off, anyway."

"Hm," Thena acquiesced with just the faint sound of her agreement. She went back to her reading as he mumbled out a soft Korean 'good night and dream of me'.

Gil turned onto his side, partly for sleeping and partly to keep looking at her. He cleared his throat.

"What?"

He reached out his hand expectantly. She sighed but granted his wish, letting her left hand drift over into his delicately, like a bird perching on a branch in the snow. He smiled as his thumb brushed over the softness of her skin.

Last time he was in her home, he was coming to apologise for not telling her about the Little Heiress' business proposal. He could still remember the wild look in her eyes as she'd run out and thrown him against the wall. The anger and hurt turning her eyes black; he would never let her look like that again.

Thena kept quiet as he toyed with her hand idly. It surprised even her, how comfortable she was just having him next to her. Perhaps it was because she'd become so used to him sleeping with her, first from when he'd visited her in the poison ward and then over the past few weeks of her visiting him in the hospital for his gunshot wounds.

Gil held her hand in his, admiring how well they fit together. His hands were large, thickly muscled, somewhat calloused. Her hands were slender, long but small, and so fragile seeming against his. He shifted her hand in the light, catching sight of something.

It was a white ink tattoo, already designed to be subtle and nearly impossible to see against the pallor of her natural skin tone. But there it was, around her fourth finger. He had to shift it in the light to catch the gleam of it, but it was a design he would be able to draw blindfolded.

"What are you doing?" Thena frowned at him as he rolled her wrist around a few times. When she finally looked over at him, he was staring at her ring her finger obsessively. Reflexively, she tried to pull the hand back to her.

Gil didn't let her, grinning up at her and the knee-jerk reaction that spelled out her guilt to him. "What's this?"

"Nothing."

"Nice try, Princess," Gil sat himself up, still holding the hand in his. Now that he had spotted it, it was at least faintly easier to pick up the white lines tattooed into her skin. "You got a matching one?"

Thena stayed silent, and it - along with the sudden colour in her cheeks - was all he needed to know. He combed his memory, past when she'd asked him to tell her about how it all happened. There was a final stretch of days when she'd had a lot of business to take care of, and when she did come to check on him between meetings and deals, she'd had her gloves - and coat - on the whole time.

"How did..." Gil trailed off, also recalling her managing to slip into conversation asking the name of the artist who did all the rest of his tattoos. Gil only used one artist--only trusted one person to allow to paint his bare skin like that. "He did this?"

"He already had the design."

Gil looked up at his Ice Queen, who still wasn't looking at him. He could have expected as much, though; Thena wasn't good at vulnerability. They'd been taught not to be, after all. She didn't like having to look her own feelings in the eye.

Thena looked over at him as he raised the hand gently, touching his lips to the 'ring' she had gotten to match his.

"I love it," he whispered, keeping his eyes on the woman he loved. And did he ever love her--more than he ever thought he would be capable of in a single lifetime. Her eyes had that softness to them that made him bold enough to reach an arm around her, "I love you."

Thena let him pull her into a kiss, sighing against him as her hands found his chest all too naturally. Her fingers splayed out, her palm seeking out his heartbeat.

Gil laid down on his back, pulling her over him (and getting a super cute little pout for it). "So, no more complaining about me calling you my wife, huh?"

Thena rolled her eyes at him, "don't get ahead of yourself. This is merely making the same statement yours is."

That he was hers. And she was his. To all who needed to know and no one who didn't.

"But-"

Thena pressed down on his chest, reaching for the lamp and hanging her lace around her jewellery hook. "It's not as if you've actually asked in any way."

Gil barely got his mouth open before she jabbed her finger down to shut his lips.

"Don't," she glared down at him and pursed her lips, "you dare."

Gil sighed as she finally laid down with him, her head on his chest and her hand on his heart. He held the hand over his heart with his--a familiar and comfortable position for them. He supposed he could acknowledge that this might not be the best time for a proposal.

But now he was just thinking about how he wanted to propose. He wasn't sure what Thena was thinking, but they could both feel the other's heart racing way too fast for them to go to sleep.

#Ice Queen/Tyrant King AU #I have thought about this Anon #I promise I have thought about this a lot #and a white ink tattoo fits Thena perfectly #it would be imperceptible on her skin #it's detailed and personal #and she gets to keep it to herself as much as she likes which is the most important factor #she subtly asks Gil who did all his #next day she goes and says I need this done no questions asked #he goes yes ma'am Ice Queen it would be my honour #and of course she hasn't told Gil #she would have...eventually #she was just...trying to find the right time #and definitely not feeling shy about telling him #stubborn little cutie

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rushingheadlong · 4 months

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happy new year rushing! any fun plans for 2024? 😊

Happy New Year to you too! I don’t have many concrete plans lined up (yet) but there’s definitely some things I’d tentatively like to try to do!

On the Queen side of things, I’d like to pick up the rest of Brian’s books and give them a read. I got a copy of Diableries for Christmas but I really want to get his space books and check those out next! I’d also like to check out more of Roger’s solo music… I meant to do that years ago actually, but I got sidetracked by The Boomtown Rats and never went back to his stuff 😅

And on the topic of the Rats, I want to get back to making regular gifsets for @its-a-rat-trap since I fell off that a bit in the second half of last year… I also want to get caught up on scanning and posting articles to @merlinband-archive, and I REALLY want to find a copy of their last single before the 50th anniversary of their album release this upcoming November.

(On that note, if anyone is out in the wild and finds a 7” Merlin single for “What A Funny Way To Fall In Love” b/w “Rock ‘n’ Roll Express” for sale anywhere please hit me up so I can buy it off you!)

Beyond all that I want to get more writing done this year for sure! Not just fic (though I will finish the Hanahaki fic or die trying) but original stuff too; I submitted my first short story for publication last year and I’d like to get more submissions out if I can! And my Housemate and I have a huge list of local places we’d like to check out once the weather warms up again, starting with my favorite beaches that we haven't made it out to yet.

I think that’s everything, and if not this is probably a longer answer than you wanted anyway alsjdflksadjlf but tysm for the question anon, and I hope you have a fun 2024 yourself no matter what your plans are!

#ask #anonymous #not queen //#fic talk #(very briefly but tagging just to be safe!)#the rest of my 'resolutions' are just boring life-stuff like paying down debts so I didn't include those here #I also REALLY wanna try to get another Collection update done this year but I'm not making promises about that #I've already learned my lesson by making promises re: Hanahaki that I don't think I can keep lskjdfklasjklfjak #long post //

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solradguy · 2 years

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Intentionally or not on his part, Sol is probably the reason any kind of Queen media has survived to the present day in the guilty gear universe

Yeah I think about that a lot, too, especially since his surviving piece of Queen media is something as fragile as a vinyl record. With the Dawn of Revival being catastrophic enough to level entire cities, it makes me wonder just how many vinyl are left in the world of GG. Like not even just Queen records, but vinyl as a whole.

A lot of music archive places are in big cities, like the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame's archives are right near the heart of Cleveland (Ohio), with the Hall itself pretty firmly in the center of it so, if Cleveland got leveled, that's a lot of music history just gone forever.

Sol probably had his Sheer Heart Attack record from pre-DoR too, which means he's somehow managed to keep it intact for like 100 some years plus however many years old the pressing of his record is. SHA is a pain in the ass to find now here in 2022, I can't imagine how hard it would've been to get a hold of before stuff like Discogs and eBay lmfao. I'd probably be pretty attached to my Sheer Heart Attack record too if it was basically the only thing I had left from before the world went all to shit haha. Sol needs to hurry and get that thing digitized.

#asks #I wonder if Sol ever had to clean it using wood glue because he wasn't able to find any actual record cleaner after the DoR lol #(you smear the glue over the record and when you peel it off it picks up all the dust and grease)#Oh shit after Begin he ends up living out in a shack in the middle of nowhere #So he couldn't have been keeping the record in his lab or it would've gotten destroyed #Which means he either went home at some point to go get it #OR he found it somewhere AFTER becoming a Gear #I dunno which of those two possibilities would be more heartbreaking tbh #Finding a record of your favorite band intact in a falling apart record store somewhere #Or sneaking your way home in the dead of night and having to go through all of the things from your life you can't ever return to #One day I'll make a Sol post on here that isn't an entire essay I promise lmfao #I got Queen on the brain today

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foolofatook001 · 5 months

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“Tell to me, Tam Lin,” she said, “Why came you here to dwell?”

“The Queen of Faeries caught me, when from my horse I fell. And at the end of seven years, she pays a tithe to Hell— I so fair and full of flesh, I fear it be myself.”

("Tam Lin," Fairport Convention version)

Here’s the thing— Martyn knows how this kind of story is supposed to go.

The plucky hero goes into the heart of the enchanted wood, and through a bit of cleverness and the virtue of their pure heart, they rescue the victim from the horrible entangling grasp of whatever evil faerie creature has them. Now, he wouldn’t say he’s got a pure heart, necessarily, but he is certainly clever, and, well— he’s made several forays into the enchanted wood, as it were, and gotten away unscathed each time.

But what do you do when the victim refuses to leave with you?

He’s tried reason. He’s tried logic. He’s tried gifts. He’s tried impassioned pleas. Ren still keeps going back to the Shadow Lady. He keeps insisting he’s not enchanted and that “his Queen” wouldn’t take away his free will, which is unfortunately exactly what someone enchanted and without free will would say, so he can’t really take Ren’s word for it.

He’d love to work with Ren, really he would. (He’d love to get into that very solid and defensible tower with a proper moat and everything, too.)

He just doesn’t want to take on a fae as well.

The Shadow Lady has extended her reach far, and though Martyn knows she’s got limits on her power, the sight of her doing something to Ren to make him harmless to her when he went red— something with enough magic to black out the sun in the middle of the day and nearly knock Martyn to the ground with the pressure— well, he’s pretty sure that speaks for itself. Grian had warned them about her, early on in the game, and though Grian is lost to the red names now, his warning still holds water, at least in Martyn’s mind.

Maybe the problem is that he’s thinking about this as the wrong kind of story. Maybe this isn’t one where the clever hero spirits away the innocent victim from the faerie queen, leaving her to curse his name from afar.

Maybe he’ll have to take up dragon-slaying.

#last life smp #last life fae-u #fool writes #martyn inthelittlewood #like so many of these ren is mr not-appearing-in-this-snippet despite being talked about #I've just been thinking a lot about Martyn in this AU recently #and kind of came to the conclusion that this is sort of the same deal as the PWHAU??? but for last life #like. martyn sees someone who could be an ally but they're “held back” by their Other Ally and a promise that binds them #so they just need to be Saved from their Oppressive Overlord #even if that's not actually what the other person wants #grian & scar and now ren & lizzie #he wants to be the bonny janet to ren's tam lin #tie his headband green and his true liege win from the evil faerie queen #meanwhile ren is out here living out his best medieval knight life #martyn be normal about rendog challenge continuously and regularly failed /lh #also a lot of this is AU-specific because I have ren go red in his boogey kill with skizz #(btw that just happened in the latest fae-u chapter I posted you should totally go read it if you are interested :P)#so lizzie keeps ren on as an ally despite being red because hashtag just faerie things #which shakes things up with martyn because You Don't Do That and also there are other reasons #anyway I think I now have an eventual ending(?) in sight for this au which is exciting #this has been extremely long tag rambles with fool

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antiquaries · 2 years

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Here we fucking go again

shut the fuck up shut the fuck up all his kids are crisis-ridden mostly because of his dysfunctional parenting arghhhhhhhh

"authority figure not authoritarian" 💀💀💀 my guy has got LITERALLY. NO ROOM TO TALK OMG

I hate this book already

#like fuckyoufuckyoufuckyou #dc stop sucking batman's dick challenge #I'm gonna bite the bullet and tag omg #bruce wayne hate club #if any batmutuals see this I want you to know I'm sorry #love you all but your guy is annoying godbless #and if you wanna block/unfollow that is also fine I just couldn't keep it in even for the sake of civility #rant #I promised myself I'd try not to complain about batman too much anymore but no❤#dc: saved by the belle reve #dc #oliver queen #roy harper

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rainbows-fanfics · 1 year

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All’inzio (Chapter 10)

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

Note: The title translates to "at the beginning".

"Commander!" The word left Valerie's lips in a surprised gasp. She was ashamed with how quickly she ran over to him. "You're here...I wasn't expecting-"

"I returned as promised. A little earlier than I thought, but I did not mean to surprise you." His words sounded so melodic. That was likely from how bad she missed hearing it. "-Are you alright?"

She wanted to ask him why he would say such a thing, but as her hand came to her face, she felt the tears that were still drying on her cheeks. Her eyes must be reddened and puffy from the stressful experience she had. She took a moment to dab at the moistness that remained and cleared her throat. The look in Kane's eyes was knowing and...somewhat concerned. He peered closely at her when she remained silent, causing her to say something as to not keep him waiting.

"After what happened, I...I do not know how I feel." She bit her lip and looked away, wishing that she hadn't been so honest.

"Enlighten me."

She didn't even notice they started walking together. They were in the streets of Florenza now. She blended in naturally next to Kane, who was always dressed in his elegant uniform. No one batted an eye in their direction. Even if they did, it was from mere shock at the Supreme Commander's presence. No eyes were locked on herself this time. She felt better without the judgemental stares. She took a deep breath to settle down, and realized how relaxed she was to be in this man's presence again.

"My lesson was a disaster, is all. When I went in the water today...it did not go well." She gripped her arm tightly. "I almost drowned."

"How unfortunate." He pressed his lips together. "-How did that happen?"

"I was climbing down the pool and I slipped into the water. I didn't know what to do, so I gasped for air, but...instead of that, water came. Aristide took me out in time, but I couldn't breathe." She shut her eyes tightly. "It felt like I was going to die..."

She could feel his stare on her face and opened her eyes. Kane was looking at her with a troubled frown, his eyebrows knitted together in concern. She hadn't seen him so sympathetic before, even when she was injured right in front of him. His eyes locked with hers, and slowly, he told her:

"I am sorry to hear that."

She tried to smile. He folded his arms, continuing:

"-Normally, there are devices to increase your buoyancy so drowning isn't an issue. I wonder why you were brought in so early without any means of floating whatsoever." He pressed a finger to his lip in thought. "I'll have to speak with your instructor about this."

She went quiet. She wanted to defend Aristide, but for all she knew, maybe it was a poor decision to go in the pool so early. It warmed her heart hearing his concerns regardless.

"It has been...awhile since I have seen you. How are you doing, if you don't mind me asking..?"

"Fine. Rather, until I heard you nearly drowned under the supervision of an instructor I entrusted you with." He replied dryly. "I assure you, I haven't encountered this issue before. It may have been a neglectful decision, but I will ensure it was not intentional."

"Thank you." He bowed his head and her heart skipped a beat. "Um, sir....might I ask you something?"

"Hm?"

"You said you wanted me to fill you in while you were away. I just need to know if you want to hear about anything that doesn't involve my lessons? If you want to keep this professional, I will gladly-"

"-No. You can tell me anything about your time here. I want to hear how well you are adjusting to Florenza. It's my duty to make certain that you are living comfortably here."

She blinked in surprise. She expected him to want to keep things formal. She mumbled some words incomprehensibly as she thought of what to say. "Well, I got food and clothes recently. With the gold you gave me. It was...interesting shopping here..."

"Interesting..?"

She opened her mouth to reply, but a small growl emitted loudly from her stomach. She placed a hand over her shirt and smiled apologetically. She neglected to eat a reasonably-portioned breakfast that morning. Her lesson must've grew her appetite. She laughed nervously in an attempt to rid the embarrassment she felt at that moment.

"Ah, would it be alright with you if I grabbed something to eat?"

"Not a problem."

Valerie smiled again. They were conveniently close to a sandwich shop. She went in to order a small lunch and brought her and the Commander outside to sit on the eatery's patio. The afternoon was still pleasant, the sky clear and the sun warming her back. A small breeze passed by as she and Kane settled themselves into the chairs. She realized she was several inches away from the Commander again. It brought her back to the time he questioned her in that room - when they were sitting across from one another, eyes drifting and meeting with each other's every few minutes...

As she waited for her food, she drummed her fingers on the table thinking of what to say. The silence felt nerve-wracking. She didn't want to waste his time...she felt responsible for entertaining him with conversation. He must like her presence if he was willing to come back, right? She did not want to lose that interest of his in any way.

"I never expected I would be here." She motioned to herself and then to him. "Alone with the Supreme Commander in Florenza...it seems far-fetched when I think about it..."

"And yet, here we are." He commented with a gesture of his wrist. She laughed quietly.

"They have wonderful things here. Bright, expensive, luxurious things..." She looked away as a troubled frown came on her face. "I do not like the way people look at me. Like I am an animal or some tourist..."

"What did you expect? A prosperous area filled with the higher class will think less of anyone who strays from their expectations."

"But, how can I change that? Adapting here seems so difficult..."

He leaned forward in his seat. "All you have to do is live by their lifestyle. The women here have a certain way of dressing themselves. What you see them wearing - wear it yourself. Watch how they behave. Avoid words they don't use. Eventually, they'll have forgotten you weren't ever one of them."

"So, what you're saying is..." She pieced it together. "Look just like them, talk like them, and act like them? That's how I'll stop getting this treatment?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Florenzians don't adapt to outside customs or wears. They prefer to flaunt their wealth in any way they can."

She slumped in her seat. "This must be easy for you...you're exactly like them."

He smirked. "This may be hard for you to believe, but I was in a similar position. I didn't come from a wealthy bloodline at all."

She blinked in surprise. "No, I wouldn't believe that..."

"I learned to adapt to the customs and ways of others. Like the people here. If you pretend to think as highly of yourself as they do, they'll assume you're just as important as they are."

She wanted to ask him more, but was interrupted when a server sat down her food. She thanked him and brought her attention back to Kane. He was looking elsewhere now - into the streets where people were walking and tapping his fingers together quietly. She took this time to eat her food and let it settle in her stomach. She felt better, having a moment to ease her thoughts. She rested her elbows on the table and leaned forward in interest.

"Can you tell me more about yourself?" She asked. "I've heard so many things about you, but I've never had the chance to learn if they were true or not..."

"-You would like to know more of me?" He asked. There was a hint of curiosity in his tone.

She nodded her head eagerly. "You're most talked about besides his majesty. And I figure...if you are going to be checking on me, the least I can do is learn more about you so we can talk properly."

He gave her his full attention now. She noticed the glint in his eyes again. He set his own elbows on the table and folded his hands together, resting his chin on top of his knuckles. She melted seeing his arms inches away from her own. "What would you like to know?"

'Really..? He's going to let me ask him questions like THAT?' She thought of what to ask first. The one that was mostly on her mind left her lips instantly. "Why do you wear a mask? Is it because you do not want people to see what you look like?"

"The mask isn't to hide my identity. You already know who I am." He shook his head. "It's to symbolize rank. The King loves the Carnevale, and when he saw my mask, he wanted to implement it into his armed forces. How it works is - the more detailed one's mask is, the higher rank they are. Mine was the inspiration for it, and therefore, is considered the highest in the hierarchy."

"I see...That explains why the only other person I've seen wearing a mask was General Rooke..." She looked at him curiously. "Where did you get yours, exactly..?"

"It was personally painted by my father. I was later taught how to craft my own."

She took this moment to observe it closely and leaned forward. She could see the finer details - the golden paint strokes, the ridges of the swirls, and the reflective white beads placed along its edges. She couldn't think of another mask that looked as beautiful as his. She sat herself back and smiled. 'Finally, I'm learning more about him!

"I'm sure you know the rumors of yourself. Is it true you fought in the Polarian War like everyone says?"

"That is true, yes."

"...What was it like? They say it was such a brutal fight..."

"Oh, it was. That war had the most casualties Valencia ever faced. I was among the few that survived, and deemed a war hero for it." His gaze shifted from hers. "I would not be where I am today if I hadn't joined the war. It's shaped my experiences in my field."

"I'm...sorry if I brought up any bad memories-"

"-There are no good memories that can be attained by war. That's something every soldier learns."

She watched as his blue eyes fell to the table. This would be a good time as any to change the subject, but Valerie was confused. "-If the war was so hard on you, then why did you re-enlist..? And become the Supreme Commander?"

"Because I was particularly good at it, and I did not enjoy my life elsewhere." She frowned. "The King wanted me to command his armed forces. He was relieved we won, but incredibly worried from all the loss. He entrusted me to strengthen his army after the war. I couldn't reject."

"Well, we're in good hands, now...you've done such impressive work, Commander. Everything I've ever heard about you is nothing but praise and admiration. I agree with all of those things. You are such a capable man..."

She was surprised to find silence on his end, his eyes slightly widening. She realized how close she was leaning to him, her head rested in her hand. It dawned on her that those words left her lips flirtatiously. An unsettling feeling grew her stomach knowing that she meant them. She didn't understand why she felt so perturbed. His silence made her worry she stepped out of line...

"You admire me?"

She turned numb as she looked at his face. "...Very much, sir..." 'But it's more than that. I deeply respect you. I enjoy your company. I find you attractive. I think of you whenever you're not around. I might even have feelings for you..'

He said nothing as his eyes traveled over her face. She found a small smile grew on his lips, and this time, it didn't fade away so soon. "-I think I admire you as well."

Her heart fluttered hearing those words. He must have meant that as a soldier, but the words still mean so much to her. They shared a gaze and nothing was said then. She felt calm. And ridiculous for ever feeling embarrassed. They are two adults. Flirting is...a natural thing, after all!

'It seems to me like he enjoys it...' She thought to herself.

He looked away to glance at the sky. Valerie snapped out of it and turned the same way as him. It was approaching sunset. It hadn't felt that long since they started talking. She wished she had more time to ask him things. He was an interesting character once she got to know him. And even after he answered her questions today, she felt like he...intentionally left out some details. Being the curious woman she was, she was craving to know what they were. She'd have to pry at the right time.

Kane stood from his chair. "Before I leave, there is something I'd like to do with you. Follow me."

He shouldn't have expected anything else but for her to jump up out from her seat and happily accompany him out. She was intrigued to see where he would take her and for what purpose. She didn't bother pestering him with questions and quietly followed, smiling the entire way. She felt like she was getting to know more about Kane...before, she hadn't even known his age, and only based her opinion on rumors she heard about him. It was satisfying to hear these things from himself, and witness him so...open to answering any of her inquiries.

She discreetly glanced at him from the side while they walked together. He was looking straight ahead and, even though he returned to his neutral expression, she could sense something...relaxed about his posture.

-----------------

The place Kane ended up leading her to was the same outlet she had been to before. She didn't dare tell him this and let him bring her to wherever he pleased. She was surprised to find them in front of the clothing store she visited not long ago. It was the same place where all of those expensive dresses were and she had to find her clothes in the back. As the two of them stood at the entrance, she looked at him uncertainly and pointed inside the building.

"You want to take me in...there?"

"You mentioned getting strange looks. I want you to pick something you think the women here wear. For yourself."

"Commander, you wish to...buy me a dress?"

"That's right."

Her cheeks burned. This was...more than a polite gesture! She never met a man who was willing to buy her a dress. Granted, Kane had done much more for that this shouldn't have come as a surprise...but supplying her with necessities was different than indulging in a luxury. She knew for a fact she could survive without wearing anything fancy - she could tolerate the strange looks and pretend they didn't upset her.

"Are you sure? I don't really need-"

"-Please, go inside and pick something out. It's to help you adjust here easily."

Hesitantly, she obliged and walked into the store. She could see the other customers looking up from their apparels, only to quickly glance away once Kane came into view. Valerie smirked as she passed by them. She searched through the rich clothing collection but hesitated to touch any of them. She felt like she'd degrade the material if her fingers grazed one....

There was another problem: she had no idea what to get. She never figured out her 'style' before and simply wore anything that was comfortable or convenient...but now she had a choice. And others would judge her if she didn't get something flattering. This was something formal, so she didn't want to make a wrong choice and receive more judgemental looks. She turned around and saw Kane patiently watching her with his hands at his sides.

"Would you mind helping me for a moment?"

He stepped forward. "What do you need?"

"I am...not sure what to get. I just, well-" She grew a little heated again and fidgeted with her shirt. "-What do you think would look...good on me?"

He stared at her for a moment before moving to the dresses she was looking at. She figured asking him would be a wise decision, as he had quite a taste in clothes. At least, that's what she assumed from his uniform. Kane easily picked through them and grabbed one in particular, which was entirely golden in color. It was a knee-length dress that had a lace trim and showed a modest amount of cleavage. She noticed its beautiful details, from the slight touches of white glitter to the golden swirls that lined completely along the trim. The longer she marveled at it, the more ethereal it became - like something she would only wear in her dreams...

"This one looks beautiful." She took it from his hands. "The colors are gorgeous..."

He gave her room to sneak by. She found her way to the dressing rooms and motioned for the Commander to wait outside. She didn't want to keep him waiting long, so she attempted to slither her way into the dress. It was an easy task, as she happened to slip right into the thing. Her frame got so thin after these months. 'Perhaps, *too* thin? She wondered.

Valerie looked at herself in the mirror as she flattened down the dress. The reflection that stared back at her looked like a completely different person. She never wore fancy dresses back at home, as she saved such attire for special occasions. But there was nothing special now. People here dressed like this every day. She could see the appeal, enjoying the way it hugged her hips and gave more movement than a pair of pants would. The colors weren't too bad, either. Gold looked better on her than she thought. Valerie flashed herself a smile. Even though this was only to fit in with this sophisticated society, something about the look felt...right.

She emerged from the room and peeked out to find the Commander sitting outside. She stood in the doorway, hesitating to call out to him. She was apprehensive again - concerning herself highly of his opinion, and hoping that she would meet whatever he envisioned when he picked it out for her. She decided clearing her throat would suffice to get his attention, and nervously clasped her hands as she stood shyly in the new dress.

"Sir? How do I look..?"

He turned his head right away at the sound of her voice. He stood from his seat and took a few steps forward to get a good look at her. She grew hot under his stare and looked away, pretending to be interested in the floor instead. Had she kept her gaze on Kane's face, she would've noticed the way his eyes widened as they curiously traveled from her head to toe. She looked up in time for him to place his hands together and tell her meaningfully:

"You look beautiful - I am sure you'll fit right in."

Her brown eyes lit up at his words. Beautiful? She craved to hear that word from his tongue - how long she has waited wondering if he truly thought anything of her appearance...She hunched her shoulders and looked away bashfully. She wasn't sure what to say, so she muttered a 'thank you' before retreating back to the room. The blush refused to leave her cheeks - her heart beating vigorously in her chest just thinking of Kane calling her such a word. She took a moment to calm herself down before leaving the changing room.

'He DOES think I'm beautiful...'

She met with him and smiled nervously. As promised, he bought the dress for her. She was amazed to hear how much it cost - such a small thing, worth so much! She did not attempt to stop him and found it strange that she didn't want to. She was happy to have the dress in her possession as they walked out, kept safely in a bag. Kane noticed the way she kept glancing at it. She cleared her throat; she really should be saying more. He bought her something pricey just so she would stop getting judged so harshly by these people...

"Thank you again, Commander. I don't know how I can express my gratitude."

"Not a problem at all." A few seconds passed before he added, "And call me 'Kane'."

She shot up in surprise. "What? But, wouldn't-"

"Even though the formalities suggest you call me 'Commander'....I'd rather you use my name." He looked at her and smiled. "I think we can talk more properly once we have that out of the way."

His words possessed her to smile back. She never would have thought to be in a position to call the Supreme Commander by his name. She looked away as she brushed her bangs to the side, laughing when she heard her words said right back to her. This would be getting rid of a huge formality she grew accustomed to, being in the service - but she was more than willing to let go of it. It made her feel....at ease. It was also a reminder she'd gotten closer to him than she ever had before. It was only reasonable for two well-acquainted people to call each other by their names...

"I agree. Thank you..." She swallowed hard as she attempted to get his name to slide off her tongue. "-Kane."

"My pleasure," His eyes drew over hers as he smirked. "-Valerie."

His teasing made her laugh.

#Pirate101 #P101 #Pirate101 Kane #PIrate101 Queen #Kane X Queen #fanfiction #All'inzio #fanfic #watch me NEVER keep my promises!!! haahah!

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