This is Escaflowne version of the old story I heard years ago. I hope you like it as much as I did then... the second chapter should come in few days.
People of Fanelia were thrilled. The day has come when the king of Asturia is to arrive with his two daughters. And while the younger one was already betrothed, her older sister is still free. But that could change very soon.
Folken Fanel the newly clowned king of the small kingdom guarded by the dragons was anxious the whole morning. And his behavior started to pass not only on his younger brother and adopted little sister but on the whole staff of the palace as well. The chambers were prepared two days before and the cooks were buried in work to prepare a special meal for the probably the most important day of their kingdom.
After all, it's not every day that Fanelia has a chance of a union with Asturia, one of the wealthiest kingdoms on Gaea.
If it was up to king Folken and princess Eries Aston the betrothal would be official right away, but king Aston wouldn't have it. He needs to see for himself if Fanelia is good enough for his daughter. Or as many thought he wanted to make sure the price Folken is ready to pay for her hand is large enough.
"Will you stop pacing?!" Van snapped at his brother "Calm down Folken, everything will be just fine."
"You don't know that Van." Folken's dark blue eyes turned to his fifteen-year-old brother "You never met king Aston, that old grumpy greedy man."
"Eries loves you, she will influence on her father, I'm sure of it." Young prince sighed, he knew very well those words weren't true. No one could influence king Aston, not in the good way at least.
"I can only hope he doesn't ask a ridiculously high price for her hand, and I quite sure he will." Folken said sadly and sat opposite of his brother.
"You can't give up yet Folken." Soft female voice made the king lift his gaze and he saw two blue eyes looking back at him.
"Did you came in through the window again Merle?" he asked chuckling "You could use the door you know."
"I was on the roof observing." She said calmly.
"And did you observed something interesting?" Folken asked casually "Some handsome cat-boy perhaps?"
"Nah. But I did saw an Asturian levi-ship approaching." She said like it was no big deal. Intentionally of course just to irritate her adoptive big brother.
"What?! Merle?!" Folken jumped and turned towards the door just as it opened and a guard bowed.
"Your majesty, Crusade is spotted. Your presence is required on the landing docs." He said and bowed once more.
Folken right away stormed outside with the guard behind him. Van and Merle remained in the chamber, both thrilled at what was to happen that evening at dinner.
Princess Eries was well known in Fanelia since, at that time, prince Folken openly showed his affection to the beautiful young woman. But not just known; she was loved as well, for her beauty, wisdom and kindness.
The dinner was calm. People at the table exchanged glances, all waiting for someone to start talking and stop the tension in the air.
Merle was about to do so when princess Millerna spoke "I can see why you like it here Eries. It's beautiful."
"Thank you princess." Folken said smiling to the younger girl "I am glad you like Fanelia."
"How could she not?" Eries smiled to the king she loved so much "Fanelia isn't as noisy and overpopulated as Pallas is. And people are much more bonded here. I liked it here from the first day."
"Well, as it seems my daughters have already made my decision, all we need to consider now is dowry." King Aston said seriously "Eries is my support in the old days and I need to see you are worthy of her hand."
"Father?!" Eries was shocked by his words. Speaking like that to a monarch was an insult, especially in his own land. But Folken didn't even flinch. He knew very well this would happen and that king Aston would try to throw him out of balance.
"What is it that you ask in exchange for your blessing?" he asked the older ruler seriously.
"I ask only one." King Aston made a small pause before finally saying the words everyone gasped at "Your neighbor kingdom is known for many incredibly and beautiful creatures and you are in very good relations with them. I wish a horn of a unicorn in exchange for my daughter's hand."
"You want me to kill a unicorn?!" Folken was losing control.
"What? Of course not." King Aston said calmly, he had already checked all the information's and wasn't backing out "They lose their horns before winter. Only with one of those horns as dowry will you marry Eries."
"If you ask empress Moire I'm sure she would allow you to take a horn." Van said smiling to his brother.
"Unicorns are sacred to people of Asua." Folken said back seriously "She will never allow it."
"They you will need to get it some other way." The king of Asturia was serious "No horn-no wedding."
"I'll get you the horn." Folken said. He wasn't going to give up now, not when he is so close to be forever with his beloved "How much time do I have?"
"One week."
The answer could have been one year but that wouldn't change the fact the request was nearly impossible. Folken nodded and king Aston stood up, he and his daughters are going to rest before going back in Asturia on the next morning.
When the dining room emptied Van looked at his brother seriously "You will talk to the empress first, right? You won't just go there and steal a horn."
"I'll send a messenger in Asua first thing tomorrow morning. If that doesn't work I'll…"
"How can he even ask such a thing from you?" Merle was enraged "Something from Fanelia-sure. But ask from something that doesn't belong to this kingdom-stupid." The young cat-girl protested "Eries is suppose to marry you and not the prince from Asua!"
"Asua doesn't have a prince." Folken corrected her "The empress is childless."
"And that changes your problem with the stupid king how exactly?" she asked annoyed.
"Folken…" Van was about to say something when his brother stood up.
"Let's worry about it if the empress denies my request, alright? I'm tired right now."
He left the dining room leaving his younger siblings behind "I'm worried Van." Merle said as her ears lowered "This whole thing won't end good. I can smell it."
Three days have passed, three longest days in the life of king Folken when the messenger finally returned with the answer from empress Moira of Asua. Fanel siblings were alone in the throne room, Folken told his advisers to give them privacy, as he opened the letter.
"As first I would like to congratulate you o the successful dragon slaying. Fanelia has gained a good and strong king who will treat his people with respect they deserve. And I hope the relations between out two lands will remain as friendly as it was before.
But now about your request. Unfortunately I can not give you a horn of a unicorn nor can I permit you to go in the Aerden forest and search one yourself. You know unicorns are our holly animals and we must treat them so.
I am truly sorry king Folken, and I hope you and king of Asturia find a compromise that would make both kingdoms pleased.
Greetings, Moire of Asua"
"Shit!" Van snapped after Folken finished reading "Now what? Do you think king Aston would go with a compromise?"
"No." Folken answered and stood up. Van and Merle watched as he walked to the window and looked in the distance. He was completely in his thoughts and didn't even notice as one of the advisers walked back in.
"What was the empresses answer?" he asked but the only answer he got was Merle shaking her head. They all observed their king now, trying to read his plan from his posture. Which was an impossible task.
"I can only do one thing now." He said finally.
"You're gonna steal one." Van said seriously "What if you get caught?"
"Then I'll have even larger problem." Folken joked "I'll be leaving tonight after diner." He added and left the throe room to prepare.
This wasn't how Folken planed things to end. He was standing in front of the throne of Asua with his hands bound behind his back and waited for the empress decision. He was arrested for entering the Aerden forest and the unicorn horn he found was taken away from him.
"I believe I was quite clear in my letter that you or anyone else are not allowed to come on out territory and take what belongs to Asua." Empress Moire was angry. Her dark brow eyes looked at the king of Fanelia seriously and she waited for him to defend his actions. That didn't happen.
"I understood your words and I know what I was doing was against your will and the law of Asua. But I was left with no other option."
"King of Asturia is-"
"Is a old greedy man." Folken interrupted her "He will not change his mind."
"And you were ready to rich your own freedom and life to get him the horn in exchange for the princess' hand?" the empress asked stunned.
"Yes." Folken answered shortly.
"Very well then." He looked at her as she spoke and she smiled to him "I admire your courage, I wish I could have someone who is willing to go that far for me but no man sees a point."
"I don't understand." The king was confused by her words and even more when his bounds were cut.
"I will let you walk and take the horn, but I wish something in exchange." Folken nodded, he could feel the price would be high. But he was ready to pay "I am without an heir so in exchange for your freedom and life I wish the first child born in the marriage I am enabling by breaking the law of Asua."
Folken gulped. He was expecting anything but that "Is there nothing else you could ask?" he probed.
"I know how difficult it is to give away your own child so I give you a task to complete. But if you fail the little prince or princess will be brought in Asua and raised as my own. Agreed?"
"I don't have much choice, do I?" Folken sighed "What do I need to do?"
"It's quite simply actually. Or so it seems." The empress looked at him seriously "You have the time until the child comes to do what I ask of you. If you fail-"
"I understand." He was getting anxious "Tell me what you want from me."
"I want you to answer me one question. I want you to tell me what women want the most?"
It's not necessary to mention king Aston was quite surprised when Folken gave him the unicorn's horn in a long wooden box with the Fanelia crest on the lid. That left him no other choice but to give his blessing. Both Folken and Eries were overwhelmed and spend the whole evening talking about their future.
"Eries, what do women want the most?" Folken asked casually in the conversation.
"Happiness." The princess answered but Folken shook his head "No, that's not it."
That intrigued the young woman "Is there something I should know? Something that bothers you?"
The king sighed "I guess I should tell you the price for the horn. I was caught and brought to the empress. She earlier refused my plea so my only choice was to steal one."
"Oh no! What did she ask?"
"I have to give her the answer on the question what women want the most. If I don't she asked the child." He said slowly.
"What child?" Eries didn't understand.
Folken looked at her sadly "Our child. Our firstborn child." Right away tears began to form in Eries' eyes "I have time till the child is born, when ever it is born. She would raise it as her own heir."
"That's not fair!" a cry was heard and Merle stormed in "Why doesn't she get her own child?"
"She had a child Merle." Eries said sadly as the cat-girl sat next to her and Van walked in the chamber as well "She had a little girl but she was forced to give her away as a disease spread through Asua that would have killed everyone if not stopped in time. Euthanasia was the only solution to their problem then."
"Eutho-what?" Merle asked confused.
"They were put to sleep. Permanently." Eries answered wiping her tears.
"They killed them?" Van was shocked "How could they do such a thing?"
"It was the only way. After all the bodies and their clothes were burned to prevent the sickness to spread." Eries finished "The empress' husband abandoned her even before that because the child wasn't male."
"And now she wants ours." Folken said.
"We will find the answer. Don't worry." Van assured him "No matter what."
Eries was panicking. She was two weeks late but how to tell Folken? How to tell him he has nine months to find an answer or they would have to give away the child they conceived in their wedding night. Her dark mood was noticed very soon.
"Something wrong?" Merle asked startling the queen.
"No. What makes you think that?" Eries asked like Merle was delusional.
"You seem a bit… distracted and… scared." The cat-girl said and then added out of the blue "You're not pregnant are you?" when no answer came her eyes grew large "Oh my… you are!"
"Shhh… Folken doesn't know yet."
A male voice startled her once more "Know what?"
Folken and Van walked in the chamber in the worst moment possible and were now looking in the two of them. Folken had a feeling he knew the answer on his question. But Van beat him to it.
"When is the due?" the young prince joked and got a death glare from his adoptive sister as an answer.
"I guess we should start asking around for the right answer." Folken said lowering his head.
Eries stood up and walked to her husband. He needed the assurance everything would be all right, and she was the only one that could give him that right now. Folken hugged his wife back and whispered for only her to hear "I love you more the life itself."
The next seven months passed in a blur and way too fast. People of Fanelia were all told the truth what happened in Asua and what the price their rulers must pay for being together. Many came to Folken with the answer but none of them was the right one.
The noble women said they want more nice parties the most, daughters of merchants that they want a wealthy husbands and seamstresses wanted to became famous for their creations. The king and the queen were losing hope.
It was during the daily meeting with his advisers that Folken got a trace of hope. Lind, the only remained advisers from his father's reign remembered something that might help his king. Or actually someone.
"She might ask something ridiculous, but is worth the try." Lind said and the other advisers nodded. They all heard of the strange girl that lived on the farm outside of the city "She is famous for having the answers to anyone's problem and could heal almost any sickness. One woman even swears that she made the tea from the plants she got from the girl and gave it to her husband and he stopped cheating on her."
That was all Folken needed to hear to make a decision. He would go to the girl right after the meeting.
"We must want you your majesty about the girl. She is extremely repulsive."
"I don't care as long as she gives me the answer I need."
Folken did as planed and went to visit the strange girl. He found the farm easily; it was standing lonely with a large garden with many different plats around it. Many of them Folken never saw only heard of.
She opened the door even before he managed to knock startling the king. Less with her sensing his presence and more with appearance.
She had a dirty cloth around her head covering her left eye, her hair was hanging down her back and it made Folken wonder if it was ever washed. The girl moved to let him in the house and Folken also noticed the ugly nightshirt she wore as a dress had the same gray tone as her skin.
"What brings you to my home our majesty? Perhaps a question that seeks for an answer?" she asked.
"How do you know about that?" Folken asked stunned.
"Ah, you are not the first one that came to me in a search to find out what women want the most. Many women came in the past months in hope that with an answer they could ask from you something in return." She walked to the window and looked towards the city "I can give you the answer you seek, but you must give me what I seek."
"As long it's not a horn of the unicorn." Folken joked.
"I am not a fool king Folken." She said surprising him "I know my appearance is unpleasant and that I will never find someone who cares for me as you care for your beautiful wife. So in exchange for the answer that would allow you to keep your child I want a husband."
Folken looked at her confused "I can not order some man to marry you."
"I am not talking about some man. I am talking about your brother."
Van was worried. Folken was avoiding him for the past two days ever since he returned from that girl. The prince made a decision; he would find out what happened and he would find out now!
"Folken!" Van stormed in the royal bedchamber startling the couple inside.
"Do you mind?" Folken was annoyed "You are turning into Merle. She doesn't knock either."
"I would have knocked if you told me what is going on!" Van snapped at his brother "Why aren't you talking to me? What did she said?"
The king sighed "She can give me the answer if I get her a husband."
Van looked at him confused "You can't just order some man to marry her."
"That's exactly what I said too." Folken ran a hand through his hair "But you see… the thing is… she doesn't want just some man for her husband."
"Who does she want?" Merle asked and all turned to the cat-girl that was sitting on the windowsill "Van?"
No answer came and the young prince looked at his brother in shock "She wants me to marry her?! No!"
"That is why I avoided you Van." Folken said sadly "Eries and I just talked about it and decided to give Moire the child. There is no other way. She will raise it as her own, so it should be happy."
Van watched as his brother placed his had on his wife's large stomach. A feeling of guilt washed through him. Folken and Eries are read to give away their own child to spear him of a marriage with the 'witch-girl of Fanelia'.
"Folken, I'll do it." He said slowly.
"Do what?" Merle looked at him "Marry that thing? Van, you can't!"
Eries walked to her brother-in-law and hugged him "Thank you." She whispered and Van nodded. He would do anything for his family.
And it seemed the family is about to enlarge.
Folken was once more standing in front of the throne of Asua. The empress observed him before speaking "You have the answer? You know what women want more the most?"
The king looked at the empress and answered seriously "Women want the most is to be in charge of her own life."
Empress Moire smiled "Your answer is true. And yet you seem sad."
"It's always the innocent ones that pay the price." He said and walked out of the throne room.
He had no time to lose; there was a wedding to plan. A small one but still a wedding.
Van was pacing in his bedchamber when his brother walked in "What did she say?"
"The answer is correct." Van sighed at his brother's words "Are you alright?" Folken then asked.
"I'm getting married in three days." Van said and sat on the edge of the bed "In three days I will have a wife."
"In three days you will have a witch." Merle walked in behind Folken "If you want I'll scratch her other eye out."
"Merle." Folken said not even looking at the neko but at his even more miserable younger brother.
"Can someone at least tell me her name?" Van finally said.
"She said her name is Hitomi. Hitomi Kanzaki." Folken answered "Such a pretty name for such a-" he cut himself off before saying what was on his mind. Not that he needed to say it.
The ceremony was short. They both accepted each other as a spouse and Van made himself to give his wife a small peck on the lips after which he fought with himself not to wipe his lips with the sleeve of his shirt.
Hitomi was wearing a white dress that didn't really fit her form and it kind of hung from her. Her hair was washed but it still looked horribly. Van was close to crying. Even more as the time came for the newlyweds to retrieve in their chamber.
Van left in the bathroom to change and give Hitomi privacy to do herself. Taking a deep breath the prince opened the door and stepped back in the chamber. And in the instant he stopped in shock.
A young woman was standing next to the window and watched the palace gardens. The moonlight reflected on her honey colored hair that was falling down to her waist. The nightgown she wore was sleeveless and a bit translucent so Van could see her milky skin and beautiful form.
She sensed him standing there and observing her so she turned to the shocked prince. His eyes wide upon seeing two emerald green eyes looking back at him.
"How is this possible?" he whispered not being able to talk normally.
"This is my wedding gift you." Her voice was no longer rough as that afternoon but more feminine and seductive "I give you a choice."
"Choice?" Van walked closer to his wife "What kind of choice?"
"You have now seen both by appearances and now you can choose." She smiled and Van felt his heart skip a beat "Do you want me to be ugly witch over the day and a beautiful maiden over the night in out chamber? Or do you want me to look like this during the day so you can show everyone how lovely your wife is but for that you will have the ugly side of me by our side every night while we are alone?"
Van looked at her and after few moments said…
Now comes the question... what would you choose if you would find yourself on Van's place?