Disclaimer: I do not own escaflowne! (Wish I did though)
Trials and Tribulation
Prologue:
It has been 5 years since the end of the Great War. The countries of Gaea are slowly pulling themselves back to their feet. The larger kingdoms are progressing steadily. The smaller ones had to take loans frome the larger ones, creating a massive war debt. This debt created much strife and confusion throught the land. Many tyrants saw this as an opprotunity to cause a revolution.........
Episode 1 Chapter 1- Misgivings
The clock on the wall continued its insolent ticking as Van Fanell tossed and turned between the plus blankes of his bed. He was exausted from touring parts of Fanelia to examine the reconstruction, yet he could not sleep. He missed her so much. He wished so hard that she was there with him, that he fell asleep in spite of himself.
" Oomph! ouch!"
Van awoke to find himself on the thick, red carpet next to his bed. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he peered over the mattress to see who pushed him. Before his eyes he saw a lithe and gracefull human who appeared to be covered in orange and black fur.
"Merle!!"
" Well good morning to you too your Grouchiness."
Even though she was now eight-teen, Merle still took an irrepressible pleasure in bouncing Van from bed when he overslept.
Van drug himself to his feet and walkedbehind a divider to change into his much hated "royal garments." He stepped out from behind the divider and looked at Merle, who was trying to suppress a smile. Van's royal clothes were always a source of amusment for her. They made him look, well, puffy. As the walked to the dining hall together, Merle noticed that Van was becoming more and more withdrawn.
After breakfast, Van stood in the corridor and looked at the door leading into the Conference Room. He wrinkled his nose in distaste. Suddenly, he felt someones eyes on his back. He whirled around to see one of his generals looking at him with a lopsided half-grin on his face.
" You wouldn't be trying to think of a way out of the daily meeting, would you sire?"
" If you have any ideas, I would like to here them." Van replied, fore after five years, the reports were largely the same, making them very monotonous.
The General said nothing ond opened the door for his king. The babble of voices stopped and everyone in the room bowed. Van nodded and looked at the people in front of him. On the right side of the table were his General, on the left side, his Nobles.
" Daily report." Van asked, suppressing a yawn. The daily reports went on, but Van barely heard them as his mind was on something else. Prehaps the only one to notice this was Rab, one of the king's three Guymeluf Masters.
" Dismissed." Van said as the reports ended. Everyone started to file out.
" Rab, would you stay a minute?" the King asked.
"Yes, sire?" Rab replied.
The King at the figure before him. He had known Rab since they were both little. At 20 years old, the meluf master stood 6'3" tall. He wore dark blue trousers and an olive green button-down shirt. His maroon cape had a guymeluf and crossed lightning bolts embroidered on it, signifying his position.
"Rab I received a message from Austuria yesterday informing me of a warning they recieved from a small band of mysterious warlocks in a moutainous region in Zaibach. The message also announced that, since King Aston is ill and cannot visit Fanaliea personally, they are sending a delegate in his place."
" Let me guess," Rab interruppted, " Alan Shazar?"
Van looked Rab in the eye. " Yes. I want you to meet the half-way."
Rab frowned. He had a cynical attitude toward Allen ever since he put Van in harms way during a dragon hunt.
Rab met the King's gaze. He saw the Van wasn't going to argue.
"When does he arrive?" Rab asked.
" In five days" Van replied.
The meluf master sighed. " I'll leave day after tomorrow."
Van nodded and walked out.
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Allen stood on the porch overlooking the palace gardens in Austuria. He held in his hand the paper giving him the go-ahead to travel to Fanelia. He grimaced as he read that Rab was to meet him half way. He had no love for Rab and he was sure the feeling was mutual. In spite of himself, Allen couldn't help admiring him. Rab was one of the best guymeluf pilots he had ever seen. The Thonar, Rab's guymeluf, was ugly as sin, but it could do things the others could only dream of doing. Allen shook his head vigorously. He would sort out his thoughts later. Right now, he wanted to find that red-head he met earlier.
