Disclaimer: Escaflowne and all of its characters belong to Bandai and Sunrise. The writer claims no ownership.

Author's Note: This was originally written almost three years ago for a contest in the Escaflowne community on Livejournal. I lost the original file in a computer crash and never uploaded it here, but I finally found the entry in the community and decided that I might as well post it since there has been no activity on this account in five years. Now to finish cleaning out this account… Anyway, this is set before Van's fifth birthday, before Folken goes to slay the dragon.

"Come on Van! It won't be that bad, I promise!"

"Yes it will! Go away!"

Sighing, Folken leaned his back against the footboard of his brother's bed, his head resting on his fist that he propped on the arm crossed over his stomach. Already he could imagine with crystal clarity his mother giving him an 'I told you so' look if he were to emerge from the sunbathed room without his darling baby brother in tow. Not that Van is being anything remotely connected to the definition of darling at the moment, Folken thought to himself as he idly unfolded his arms and grabbed a toy from the floor. He took a moment to study the wooden ball held in the palm of one hand, admiring the natural patterns of the wood and the way it had been sanded down and polished to prevent splinters. A rueful smile tugged at his lips; the teen had almost forgotten the simple joy that came from playing with toys. Shaking his head he tossed the ball into the air and chuckled dryly, catching it and repeating the action several times before setting the spherical object down and rolling it across the floor so that it bounced against the closet doors a few feet away.

One of the doors inched open a smidgeon and a small hand reached out, patting the floor in search of the toy. Folken's lips twitched as he forced down the laughter that bubbled in his throat. The searching hand finally managed to brush against the smooth surface of the ball and the door was nudged open another few centimeters. Tentatively Van poked his head out of his 'hiding place', glancing first at his brother and then at the toy that rested so tantalizingly close. Indecision warred in his young mind; while it would be better to have something to play with in his hideout –he hadn't had time to grab anything he had been playing with before Folken had entered his room- going to retrieve it might give his brother time to catch him, and that would mean that Folken would force him to practice! Still, the ball was one of his favorite toys, and it was only a foot or so away. Biting his lip he trained his gaze once again on his brother. Folken was feigning indifference; he was seemingly busy watching the birds building a nest outside the window. Maybe that would give Van enough of a distraction that he could safely snatch the ball and escape into his chosen fort before his brother could react. Nodding in confidence of his plan the boy darted out and made a grab for the ball, only to yelp in surprise when his brother lunged forward and snatched him up.

"Noooo! Put me down put me down!" The four year old prince demanded indignantly, unable to smack at his brother due to the fact that Folken had pinned his arms to his sides.

"No, I don't think I will." His brother stated nonchalantly, tucking him under one arm as he rose to his feet. Van's vision swam before his eyes while momentary vertigo muddled his brain. All he was aware of was that he was being carried against his will and couldn't as much as scream for help. It wasn't like the guards would believe that he was being kidnapped by his own brother. When his vision cleared he tried to struggle free from Folken's grip, only to have his sibling simply shift him back so that he was being cradled against his chest in a bear hug. Growling in frustration the boy allowed himself to be carried, muttering every childish curse he could think of a receiving a smack to the back of his head. "Don't say that." Folken warned casually, nodding to one of the servants that had paused in the corridor to stare at the antics of the princes as the elder headed for the stables.

By the time they had reached the courtyard Van had tired himself out and Folken had loosened his grip in response. The warm sunshine and the scent of fresh bread being prepared in the bakery made the younger sigh and snuggle into his brother's shoulder. There was something comforting about being outside on a spring afternoon with his sibling when it was just the two of them, even if Folken was being unfair and might as well have been dragging him off to meet his maker. He perked up when he heard the distinctive clip-clop of hooves against the cobblestones that preceded a stable hand appearing with a saddled horse. This must mean that Folken was taking him out of the castle! Van wasn't too certain if this was a good sign or not as his brother passed him to the servant and mounted the even tempered gelding.

"How come I can't ride my own horse?" Van mumbled as he was passed up to Folken and placed before him in the saddle. His brother chuckled and chose not to answer him, clucking his tongue to the horse that began to move forward. Van unconsciously grabbed Folken's wrists in a brief moment of panic before he remembered his lessons; the unfamiliar gait of a horse always caught him off guard no matter how many times he rode. Calming his nerves he tangled his fingers in the horse's mane and tried to figure out where his brother was taking him. After they had ridden past the tree that had been split down the middle in a lightning storm the previous month a mile into the forests surrounding Fanelia he sighed and leaned back against his brother, deciding that it was more interesting to pester him with questions.

"Brother?"

"Yes, Van?"

"How old are you?"

"Fifteen."

"How many years older are you than me?"

"Ten years and two months, give or take a few days."

"… Is that a lot?"

"Yes, Van, it is."

"Oh. Well, how old is Merle?"

"She's three."

"Where is she anyway?"

"She's with Mother today."

"Why?"

"Because you have to practice today, that's why."

"But why can't Mother take me practicing?"

"Because she is busy with matters of court and doesn't have time."

"Oh… Is that the only reason that you are spending time with me then? Because Mother doesn't have time?"

Van knew that he had crossed the line even as the words left his mouth. He felt Folken tense behind him and pull the horse to a stop. Lowering his head Van fought against the prickling in the corners of his eyes that meant he was close to tears. Ever since Father died Folken hadn't been around much. He was always in lessons with Master Balgus or locked away in the library with his tutors where he would study for hours on end and would then be too tired after dinner to play like they use to most nights. Folken tried to make up for it on the two day break he got from his tutors, but it just wasn't the same. It would never be the same. Van knew that it wasn't his brother's fault, but it just didn't seem fair, and it hurt. It hurt not being able to have the same levity they had shared less than a year ago. Sniffling he rubbed at his eyes; he wouldn't cry. A prince didn't cry.

Folken stared at the top of his brother's head for several long moments, echoes of his words repeating themselves in his mind. Closing his eyes he sighed and found his center of calm, sliding from the saddle. Van raised his head slightly to look at him while he lead the horse over to a nearby tree and tied the reins to a branch, then all but jumped from the beast's back when Folken held out his arms. Catching his slight weight the teen carried him a few feet before setting him down, kneeling before him and resting his hands on his shoulders.

"Van, Van, look at me." He commanded gently. Van sniffled again and stared determinedly at his feet but offered no resistance when Folken tilted his head up with a finger and wiped away a tear. Blinking back the rest of them Van finally met his eyes, shoulders slumping when he saw the regret and sadness reflected in them. He hadn't meant to hurt Folken. He hadn't meant to say what he had. Weeks of resentment of his brother's absence had just gotten the better of him.

"I know that I haven't been able to spend time with you like we use to, and I'm sorry for that. I truly am. I miss it as much as you do."

"I know…" Another sniffle and shaky inhale followed by a quivering sigh.

"But, Van, a prince's life is full of sacrifices. We have to give up that which we love most in order to protect our people. We have to abandon our own happiness at times to keep them safe, for we would lose all reason to live if they were lost. A prince's duty is to his people as a future king, not to himself as a son or brother. It's hard to put thousands of lives that you do not know personally before the ones dear to your heart." Folken continued, wiping away another tear. Van nodded subtly and rubbed his eyes with the back of his wrists. His brother waited until he was finished before pressing on. "I am able to do what I do because of you Van. I never want you to be forced to choose between your heart and your duty. I want you to be free of the pressures of becoming a king. I don't want you to have to slay a dragon for no other reason than to prove that you can do it."

"But… why?" Van was torn between annoyance that his brother was trying to keep him from being all that he could possibly be and relief that his brother was trying to prevent him from suffering. Folken smiled faintly and ruffled his hair.

"Because you are my baby brother, that's why. I'll need you one day so that I can marry you off to a princess in a neighboring country to form an alliance."

"Folken!"

"Easy Van easy! I was only joking!"

"Yeah well it wasn't funny!"

"My apologies," Folken chuckled and then grew serious again. "But you are my baby brother, and as is such I'll promise you something Van. If you are ever in danger I will be the first one there to help you. Should a building ever fall and trap you I would be the first one there, ripping metal and stone away with my bare hands if need be to get to you. Even if I have to give my life in order to protect you I would, and never forget that."

Van had no immediate answer for that. He stared at his brother as if seeking to commit every last detail of his face to memory. The words of the promise whirled about his head, echoing and rebounding. His throat burned and felt uncomfortably tight, like something had been caught in the very back of it. Tears flooded his eyes and for once he didn't fight them. Finding himself at a complete lose of words he threw himself forward, wrapping his arms around his brother's neck and burying his face against his shoulder. Folken scooped him up in an affectionate bear-hug, sifting his fingers through his hair and simply holding him until the shuddering had stopped.

"Now then, shall we see about that flying practice?"

"But I'll fall!"

"I'll catch you."

"Promise?"

"I promise." Folken murmured, turning to head back to the horse. "Now, what's the first rule of flying?"

"Umm… Don't hit the ground?"

"… We have a lot of work ahead of us…"