DISCLAIMER: This is a nonprofit fanfic, The Vision of Escaflowne is property of Shoji Kawamori and Sunrise, please support the official release.
DISCLAIMER #2: Arrika is property of Rad (u/178188) as her homage to Aerika S (u/83537), you should check out their works! Both are titans of the Allen/Eries.
Hello there my dear reader, this fic will be my entry in the Escaprompts held in the Escafans group in dA. The theme of October (yeah, kinda late to be my entry for Oct, 2013 but Rad gave us more time to send our works) is the description of a doujin/fanart of Escaflowne.
I choose DunaLongHorn's "Second Chance" doujin page that depicts her version of what happened in Gaea 10 years after Hitomi returned to Japan, you should check her dA profile and look at her amazing work that is in english as well as in spanish.
Sorry for the grammar, my native language is spanish and I am a self-taught english writer. And I deeply apologize for this awkward work because it is my first time writing about these two and with this kind of outcome.
Just leave the past behind
This happened in the studio of prince regent of Asturia, Dryden Fassa, in his family house. The room is full of books and although being of such an important person, it is very messy and surely put in order by a student of his. There is a desk with a lot of papyrus and some used mugs over many plates, the owner of this place seems to eat periodically here.
In a couch there is a woman with platinum blonde hair covered by a veil, she wears a blue dress of simple design. Her regal vibe is only equaled by her cold gaze and seems to be angry for the absence of the man, she has been waiting for more than an hour and nobody has even offered her something to drink. A black cloak is hanging in a coat rack; it seems clean and tidy so it must be hers.
A key is inserted in the door and the knob starts to move to allow the entrance of the prince regent. Years had passed for everybody but more for him, his hair is already gray in some areas and the weight of the responsibilities marked his face with wrinkles, yet that mischievous brightness in his eyes has not faded with the pass of the time; his glasses doesn't help to make him look his age. His clothes are misarranged like always but now more appropriate for his rank, yet they have the style proper of his family origin.
"You are late," the stern voice of the woman echoes in the room and the man closes the door.
"I am fine, how about you?" he said with a lively tone, pointing her that she had forgotten her manners.
The second princess of Asturia is still in her seat with her arms folded over her chest; he understood this as a signal that something was bothering her to the point of breaking the rules of etiquette. It is unlike her to do this; she is the ever obedient second princess of Asturia, with severity only equal to her grandmother's.
"Arrika told me that you were waiting in my studio, but my father was quite pushy over some matters regarding trading routes. He thinks that me, having access to grant them at my wish, is like a life long contract for the Fassa's to be the only ones to have them at their mercy. Fortunately, she didn't told him about your presence here and is playing as a decoy for us," he went to his desk and sat in the cushioned chair behind it.
The gaze of the princess was pointed to the small table in front of her; her face was paler than usual.
"I am not a mind reader… yet, so please tell me the reason of your marvelous presence here, I haven't see you personally in years and now you appear without an invitation," he looks at her with a serious face.
"I apologize for not scheduling this visit before," she breathed deeply "But I couldn't think about an explanation to your secretary out of personal matters without it being suspicious, giving that you are married to my younger sister."
"Apology accepted," he said with a playful voice while closing his eyes "Now tell me what happened, you come here each time something happens."
"Before the 'I told you' let me tell you: You were always right," the princess looked at him in the eye while speaking and he already knew about what ─or better said, who─ they were talking.
"What did that bastard did to you this time?" he took off his glasses and cleaned them with his coat. He reached for his hookah and smokes his shisha, this was going to be a long visit and he had to be relaxed.
"Before you tell me this was wrong please, take a note that I was really drunk in that moment," she pinched her brow with her fingers and started to narrate what happened the previous night.
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This happened in the Schezar State, in the room of the heir of said family while his sister was in a trip with the third princess of Asturia. The swordsman and the second princess were drinking vino while talking about the future of their relationship.
Three years ago they had decided to take their friendship to a romantic level, it was almost natural. The princess had been in love with him for more than ten years and even if he had an affair with both her sisters and a child with one of them, she helped him with the actual situation of his younger sister.
The platinum blonde was sitting in a chair as he was across the table, both of them had their hair untied and were dressed in a casual manner different than the normal formal attires of their ranks. As always, Eries' cloak was hanging in the back of her chair; they still had to hide their relationship from everybody.
"And what happens next? I am already 28 and even like that, many men had sent their letters asking for an opportunity for me to be part of their family; most of them aren't asturian" the princess drank a glass of liquor in one sip.
The blonde man frowned and made his beverage dance inside his coup before drinking it in the same manner "Be direct, you are always like that, why are you giving rodeos right now?"
"Did you know that the healthy age for a woman to bear a child is before turning 30? Millerna told me about it," she poured vino in her glass and tossed aside the empty bottle to reach for another one.
"And what do you want? For me to impregnate you before you turn into an old hag? Had you thought about what you are asking me to do?" the knight seemed angry and flustered for her insinuation.
"And why not? I am not a candidate for the crown anymore, now the throne is Millerna's, and I can ask father to grant me a wish after all this years of loyal service for my country," she frowned and drank again.
"I think that you are already drunk, the Eries I know would never say something so selfish and absurd in her five senses; Asturia's wellbeing is before her own," he took the glass of vino from her fingers and put it away from her.
"The Allen I know would not decline an offer of a lady to lay with him," she knew a lot about his life that what she said was true.
"You hurt my feelings princess, do you have such a low concept about me then?" his voice had a hint of joke and truth at the same time.
"I only ask for one night with you, I've been waiting for this moment for more than 10 years and you dare to negate me this wish?" she was serious now.
"It is not as if I don't want to, you know, any healthy man wants to dance the horizontal tango with his lover once in a while. But I don't want to repeat the same I did with you know who," he remarked the last words to make his reason clear for her.
"But I am not her; we are like the sun and the moon, the same yet different. Why did you start to going out with me if she is still fresh in your heart?"Do you think of me as a replacement? Like when a child buys a puppy after his pet died?
Hurt was seen in her gaze, the knight understood what she thought only by looking at her blue eyes. And the truth slapped him in the face as strong as a melef's strike; she was right and yet this was so wrong, but right now he didn't want to think about it.
"If you ask me something so radical then you must be prepared to get a drastic answer," he extended his hand to reach for her face and kissed her in the lips in such a passionate manner that Eries didn't had the time to close her eyes.
Of course they have kissed before, but they were chaste for she is a really serious person. Allen had always respected her to the point that they shared their first kiss only after she asked for one. But this time, he didn't waited for her response and even bit her lower lip asking for an entrance, permission that Eries quickly gave him and so their tongues started to battle.
He stood up and pushed the table out of his way, that furniture piece was between him and his lover so it must be tossed aside. The sound of the wood colliding with the floor echoed in the manor, but right now they were alone in the house so it didn't mattered. They could be as noisy as they wanted and nobody was going to notice them.
Eries was flustered, thanks for the vino and the sudden reaction of Allen. She wasn't prepared for this outcome, in normal conditions he could gladly escort her out his home and recommend her to take a cold shower. The womanizer knight was always a killjoy in these matters with her, and she couldn't remember right now how many times she had wished for him to do otherwise.
However, she wasn't that surprised when he took her by the waist and pulled her near himself and started to guide her to his bed. She put her hands in his chest and clung with strong fists full of silk to him, she leaned her body close to his while he started to touch the low of her back with his fingertips, tracing the lines of her figure but searching for something different. They didn't go away from each other 's lips for even a moment.
Even in her casual attire, Eries had a conservative vibe with a white gown under a green over dress tied in her back with a lace that covered her torso. She was kicking out her shoes with her own feet when Allen found the knot that was maintaining the green cloth in its place and with skillful movements ─only learned through years of experience─ untied it and opened it, to take it away from his sight by letting it fall to the ground. Now his next rival was the white gown, but it had the same pattern in the front which made it easer for him to work in it.
Usually this was enough for him to have a woman completely naked, but she wasn't a commoner, so she had white drawers and a cloth to cover her breasts and rib cage. The use if this kind of cloth was normal among older women, the younger ones now preferred the new models imported from Ezgardia, they were prettier and easier to wear.
He broke the kiss and spoke near her lips: "With your permission, princess."
Eries was regaining her breath and squealed when he carried her bridal style to put her on his bed. He sat at the bed side, fastened his boots' laces to throw them away after pulling them out of his feet. She crawled to hug him from behind and let her hand slip under his shirt while tracing little kisses to his neck. When he ended his task, proceeded to untie his sash and tossed it aside to turn around and take his lover by the wrists, to make her lay in her back with a not so gentle movement.
"This is the moment when you say 'This is stupid, Allen, get off me and put some clothes on you'," he said, with a girly voice for "her part", half joking half stating; he was looking at her to the eye with a playful smile.
Eries half-sat and told him: "Shut up and let me take these clothes of yours out of the way," in normal conditions she could've never dared to speak that way, but the liquor in her body gave her the courage to do so.
Allen smirked and took his own shirt off while the princess was working in the button of his pants, which quickly flew away to never be seen, she couldn't find a faster way to get rid of it. She couldn't contain her laugh when it happened; he stood up and took off his trousers to be only with his undergarments.
She was still laughing when he took her again by surprise and pulled her by the wrist, forcing her to stand up; he hugged her again to work in the lace that tied her chest piece, and taking the strap from her shoulders the cloth fell to the ground.
Quickly, Eries covered her bosom with her arms and told him: "Please, turn off the lights," she looked at her right side, and to the ground.
"But, why? You must not be ashamed with me," he was stroking her shoulders.
"No, turn it off," he nodded and half closed the oil path of his lamp. Now the room was only illuminated by the light of the moon that entered from his window.
He turned to see her, took her by the shoulders and made her go to the mattress to be now above her. His hair fell at his sides and made a golden curtain around Eries. The shame was now replaced by a look of awe from her for having a man that seemed to be created by Jichia herself. She was still so he took her arms to make her uncover herself.
What he found behind were a pair of small pointy breasts with pink nipples that got erected by the mere contact of the cold air of the room. Normally he could say something to praise the woman who was with him, but he was speechless and couldn't even formulate words to describe how he felt about her right now. And when words weren't enough, actions were the better choice.
He had an intoxicated expression, full of lust and desire, when hungrily squashed one of her breasts with his hand and kissed her again in the lips. She moaned in his mouth when he started to play with her nipple and followed with her fingers each line of his chiseled torso. Both were flustered and acted almost by instinct, shutting their eyes, they didn't needed sight to know what to do, as if said moment had been written in their souls since the very beginning: they were made to be with each other and nothing was going to ruin this moment.
Then, Allen opened his eyes for a moment and Eries wasn't there but a younger Marlene: like he remembered when they shared their first time. The blood was drained from his face and the vino was purged by his own body, this was a bad omen and all the fantasies he wanted to fulfill were replaced by the memories of what happened after his first lover died.
"For Jichia!" terror was found in his eyes and with a quick moment almost jumped to be away from her and covered his mouth with his forearm.
"Allen! What's wrong?!" real concern was heard in the princess' voice as she started to crawl to be near him.
Allen wasn't a superstitious man to believe that in that very moment the first princess' ghost was in the room, warning him to keep away from this kind of development with her younger sister. He thought that the vino was messing with his brain to play him a bad joke, which surely was the case.
When Eries embraced him in search of contact with him, he just couldn't look at her in the eye and went away from her.
"I can't do this to you Eries, I just can't," he picked up her white gown and was going to give it to her when she reached to his arm and took his wrist.
"Stop and look at me when you are talking to me, Allen," seriousness was in her voice and doubt in her eyes. She already knew what was happening but wanted to hear from himself if it was true; her vision was starting to become blur from containing her tears.
He turned around and kneeled to be almost at her head level looking from one side, touched her hand and with a sorrowful expression, told her:
"Eries, I can't have a child with you, please understand. I don't want do repeat the past, I don't want to lose you," his voice was low and deep, with guilt in it.
Tears flowed from Eries' eyes; her heart was broken for the last time. She made a silent bow to herself to not let this happen again and with all the pain piercing trough her soul, could only tell him:
"I can't take it anymore, I am not Marlene," her voice was trembling and lowered her head so her face was half covered by her hair.
He stroked her head and she brushed his hand off her. "Please, Allen, leave," she covered herself and cried silently while biting her lower lip.
Allen took his clothes and left her there to give her enough time for herself, after putting his clothes on waited for her to go out the house. When she was ready, he escorted her out his state and both kept silent all the way to the secret entrance of the palace.
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Of course she didn't tell Dryden all the details of said night; she only told him that Allen left her almost naked in the middle of his dark bedroom.
Dryden sighed and wanted desperately to punch the knight across his pretty face, but that wasn't something he had neither the obligation nor the right to do. He broke his silence and asked her: "And what do you want to do?"
"I will never try to go near him again; maybe will accept one of the proposals of my suitors or becoming a nun is better for me," she smiled softly and looked at her feet.
"Could you allow me to give you my opinion?" she nodded "Since you know Allen he had always give you angst and pain, and if he doesn't want to leave his past behind, his life will be a constant torment until Jichia takes his soul. But the same goes for you, you have been obsessed with him for more than ten years, I think that you are more intelligent to have already noticed this."
"And even knowing this, you are really stupid to believe that he will change his mind in one moment, when he couldn't in all these years. Stop to believe in miracles, you were never like that, but when Allen is involved, you tend to become a believer. In this kind of matters, it is better to do something to change the situation, something that doesn't involve vino or other liquors; like leaving him alone for a while, maybe this way his head will clear itself and he will return to you for the first time."
"As always, you say the right things in this kind of situations; thank you for your time, my friend" she smiled, "You will be a good King for Asturia," she stood up and bowed, in signal of her leave, before taking again her cloak and walking to the door. Somebody knocked the door in a particular pattern, announcing their presence to the people inside the room.
"What are friends here for? Now leave before a servant notices you," he pointed to the door with his pipe.
Eries opened the door and there was her handmaiden, with an impatient look in her eyes: "Have both of you already stopped your chit chat? Father was driving me nuts talking about how difficult is Dryden with him and that his back was killing him slowly," she said joking while dragging the princess out the studio, "You look good Dryden, see ya around," both brothers smirked and Arrika closed the door.
This work doesn't reflect DunaLongHorn's opinion but mine about a sole scene of her doujin. If you want it leave a comment in the box bellow, even torches are welcomed. And I will tell you again: this is my first time writing an Allen/Eries fic and furthermore, a lemon scene (damn it can't be a lemon but teasing but you could understand what I am saying), so it was weird for that reason.
Now, regarding how Dryden started to smoke and according with Wikipedia: The hookah is a single or multi-stemmed instrument for vaporizing and smoking flavored tobacco called shisha in which the vapor or smoke is passed through a water basin often glass-based before inhalation.
You might recognize it as the pipe of Alicia's in wonderland caterpillar, but it is used often by people of the Middle East. This was displayed to point the arabesque influences in Dryden design, in my headcanon the Fassa family is the version of the arab people in Gaea for them being (to me) nomadic merchants.
EDIT 07/14/2016: Some grammar mistakes were corrected; not the plot, just the wording in some parts.
Myth and legend ride with you