Disclaimer: I do not own
Escaflowne. But then you knew that already.
Introduction
The
sun is setting on the planet of Gaea. Deep in the crimson sky flies a large
airship, just a spot of gray on the darkening horizon. The ship's motors,
roaring miles above Gaea's endless hills, are the only sounds on this
midsummer evening. It is the only disarray in this seemingly perfect world. The
Crusade.
Upon
the ship, things are much less peaceful. The ship's captain, Allen
Shaezar, is having a rather heated dispute with Van Fanel, ruler of the
ill-fated country of Fanelia.
"Chivalry,
chivalry, chivalry, That's all ANYTHING'S about to your, Shaezar!
Stop being so Goddamn noble and save your country! I can protect myself!"
Allen shook his head. "Van,
Van, come now. Zaibach is powerful! We must stand together against them! And it
is my duty as a knight..."
"Screw
your duty, Allen! Don't be a fool! Just mind your own business!"
Hitomi Kanzaki, a fifteen year old
girl from the mystic moon, Got up from where she had been sitting, at the small
table in the middle of the room.
"Please,
don't fight with each other!" she cried, torn between the two
handsome men. Van and Allen turned away from each other sulkily.
"Fine,
Van, You win for now, but this conversation is far from over!" Allen
remarked angrily. Just then, a voice rang out from one of the many doors
leading into the ship's meeting room.
"Indeed,
Shaezar, it is not." The three people in the room turned to see Folken
Lacour de Fanel, alias Folken Strategos, Van's older brother and a former
Zaibach leader, standing in the
door way. Folken strolled slowly into the room, His black robes trailing on the
floor. "While I hate to agree with you, Allen, I have to admit that you
are right." Van's jaw dropped. Folken held up one of the long,
metal fingers of his prosthetic hand. "Zaibach IS powerful, very
powerful. But that is no reason to put yourself and your country at risk. Van
is capable of protecting himself." Van's eyebrows shot up with
surprise, but Allen frowned angrily.
"You
will do well to stay out of this, Folken! Keep in mind that this is MY ship,
and I can get rid of you at any time." he hissed. "Oh, and by the
way," he added pensively, "It's funny that you, of all
people, should talk about putting your homeland at risk. We all know what a
magnificent job you did 'protecting' Fanelia." Folken's
eyes clouded over angrily as he glared at Allen, prosthetic fist clenched. Just
then, there was a loud grinding sound from below the ship's floor, and
the sound of the engines began to grind to a halt. Suddenly, a small creature,
half cat, half girl, bounded from one of the rooms and straight into Van.
"Wha...
what was that, Lord Van?" she stuttered. Van looked at Allen, confused.
"I
don't know, Merle," He told her, still looking at Allen.
"Well, Shaezar?"
Allen's eyes darted frantically around the room.
"I-I think the engine's failed!"
"Oh, fantastic!" muttered Van. Merle the cat girl
clung frantically to him, much to Hitomi's annoyance. Allen was still
choking on his words.
"Th-
this has never happened to me before... The Crusade has always been the best
ship in Asturia! But don't worry, the levastones should..." He
stopped as the engine ground to a halt. Everything seemed to move at half
it's normal pace as the ship began to plummet to the ground...
Chapter 1: A New Land
Samson
Reyes walked through the dense forests of his native land, Tierania. He kicked
the dirt up with his large black boots, complete with Teirania's military
crest. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks and gave a low, long whistle at the
sight before him. There sat a large, tangled mass of metal, obviously an
airship which must have crashed only a short time ago.
"Coeburn,
Farnett, Gyre, Pawkyns, Smythe, Tagaki, Zypher ... get over here!" Almost
immediately, seven young men, all in the same style of uniform, appeared in
front of Samson. There was a general exclamation of shock at the size of the
airship, and then one of the smaller men, Alastyr Zypher, whispered "Are
there... people in there?" Samson shook his head.
"I'm
not sure, Zypher, but if there are, they must be brought to the queen
immediately. Coeburn, Gyre, Check the ship. If they're in there,
we'll find them."
*****
Taeami
Saerian paced worriedly about the throne room. Her troupes had been gone for a
hour investigating the strange explosion that the villagers had heard and still
there was no word from Samson. She bit her lower lip anxiously. The faithful
leader of the Tieranian military was never late and always kept in touch with
her. She sat down, then stood up again. What was taking him so long?
The
doors burst open. "Your majesty," breathed a winded Samson,
"We have returned." Taeami breathed a sigh of relief.
"And?
Did you find anything?" Samson nodded vehemently.
"Yes,
your majesty. Bring in the Foreigners!" He yelled over his shoulder, and
moments later his troupes appeared with the unconscious crew of the Crusade.
"We found them in the wreckage of an airship; The Crusade. Shall we take
them to the dungeon?"
"No!"
Cried the young queen, rushing towards them, "Can't you see
they're hurt? We have to help them." She examined Allen's
gentle face. "They are not Zaibach," she said firmly. "Hey,
this one looks just like you, Samson."
"But
your majesty, the treaty..." Samson began.
"Damn
the treaty, Samson, I'll do what I think is right, weather Zaibach likes
it or not!" Her expression softened. "Samson, please... trust my
judgment?" He nodded.
"Yes,
your majesty."
"Let's
take them to a room, then."
*****
Hitomi
Kanzaki woke up with a start. Where was she? A bed, a strange room... the
crash. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach as she cried out.
"Allen!!
Van!!" Suddenly, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She turned
around to see a young girl, about her own age, with long brown hair and an
enchanting smile.
"Hello,"
the stranger said quietly, sitting down in a chair beside Hitomi's bed.
"You're finally up!"
"Wha...
What is this place?"
The
stranger laughed. "You're in Tierania."
Hitomi
looked confused. "WHERE?! Who are you? Where am I?! "
"Tierania.
Allow me to introduce myself. I am Taeami Saerian, Queen of this country, and
this is my castle. Is that better?"
"Where
are my friends?"
"Don't
worry, they're safe. You're the first to wake. It's lucky my
men found you when they did. You were all pretty banged up." Hitomi
looked down at the white gauze bandage wrapped around her wrist.
"Oh...
thank you... But I just want to see my friends now," she said quietly.
Taeami nodded.
"I
understand. I shall take you to them."
*****
The
two young women entered a large room. there, in front of them, sat three beds,
and in the beds were three bodies. Hitomi flew to one of the beds.
"Allen,"
she whispered, brushing a strand of golden hair away from his face. Taeami
raised her eyebrows in interest.
"So
that's his name. I was wondering. Oh, by the way, you haven't told
me your name yet."
"It's
Hitomi, Hitomi Kanzaki." Suddenly, Hitomi gasped. "Where's
Merle??" Taeami looked confused, then a light of recognition shone in her
eyes.
"Ah,
you mean the cat-girl? She's fine. We kept her in another room."
Hitomi looked relieved and disappointed at the same time. "Who are the
others?" asked a curious Queen Taeami.
"Van
Fanel, King of Fanelia, and Folken Fanel, his older brother," she
replied, gesturing. Taeami walked timidly over to the two beds, looking first
into Van's sleeping face, and then into Folken's.
"Folken
Fanel," she whispered, hovering over him. "The name is familiar,
and yet I KNOW I've never seen him before. His face is full of such
remorse, such penitent sadness... It's intriguing..." Folken
shifted slightly, and then his eyes flew open. He looked around, startled, and
then his eyes rested on Taeami's face.
"What's
going on here? Where are we?"
"This
is Tierania," she replied quietly. "Queen Taeami Saerian de Tieran,
at your service." Folken examined her. Feature by feature, she was not
very remarkable, but there was something intriguing about her.
"Where
is my brother?" He asked, suddenly very alert. Taeami stepped out of
Folken's line of view so that he could see his younger sibling.
"Don't
worry," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "Your entire
crew survived the crash. Miss Kanzaki has told me there were five of you on
board?" he nodded. "Excellent. You were lucky, Lord Folken, you got
away with barely a scratch. Your friend Allen, however, had multiple
injuries." She saw Hitomi's worried expression and hurriedly
consoled her. "Don't worry, we've tended to his wounds.
He's fine now. You've all been out for a couple days, I'm
afraid."
Folken
nodded, unsmiling. "Thank you for your kindness, Your majesty." She
shrugged.
"It's
nothing, really. I'm all alone here most of the time anyway, so I'm
thankful for the company. You are free to roam the grounds or the village if
you like, I'll alert the guards. If it's Zaibach you're
avoiding, then you'll be safe here. The Emperor won't come near
this country. We have an agreement." Folken nodded as if he already knew
this. By this time, Van and Allen were beginning to stir.
*****
Once
the whole group had been reunited and introduced to their hostess and had eaten
dinner, Taeami showed them to separate rooms and they all parted ways. After
this, Taeami retired to the throne room. After a few minutes, there was knock
on the door, and Samson entered the room.
"Our
guests are all awake?" Taeami nodded. Samson strode over to her and sat
down in the large, empty throne beside her smaller one. "You are upset,
Taea-chan. Why?"
She
cast her eyes in his direction. "I'm too young, Samson, I'm
not even seventeen years old! I can't run this country on my own! I try
to be strong for my people, but... I don't know how I'm going to
manage. I don't see why I had to be born into the royal family! I'm
not ready to rule a country!"
Samson
got up and took her into his arms. "Ah, little one," He sighed,
rubbing her back, which was heaving with gentle sobs, "We never get to
choose our destiny. I don't know how to comfort you. I don't know
what path your life will take. But I do know that since the first day I met you
I've known there was something special about you. You may not know the
first thing about ruling a country, but you have courage and honor. Those are
the makings of a true ruler, Taea, and those are the things that make us loyal
to you until the end. I lead those troupes, and I see everyday how devoted they
are to you, their queen. Those men would gladly die for you. That's what
counts."
She
pulled back, wiping her eyes. "Thank you, Samson, thank you for
everything."
"You
are still unhappy."
She
closed her eyes and sighed quietly. "What makes you say that?"
"I
have been your friend and protector now for eleven years. No one knows you
better than I do. It is our guests, isn't it? Is it the King of Fanelia?
Or is it, perhaps, his brother?" Taeami looked at the floor.
"I
don't know what you're talking about."
Samson
laughed. "You're brilliant, Taeami, but you should know by now that
you can't fool me. Now, what is it about Folken Fanel that's troubling
you?"
Taeami
bit her lower lip. "Well... there's something about him,
something... I don't know! He's so quiet, and yet his silence seems
to speak volumes. And he's always watching, observing. It's
unnerving and exciting at the same time."
Samson
nodded. "You like him, don't you?" Taeami shook her head and
looked away.
"I
hardly know him, Samson."
"Yes
but you still like him."
She
sighed. "It doesn't matter anyway. He's from Fanelia, and
that's miles from here. Besides, my heart belongs to my country, not to
some would-be king." And with that, she got up and stormed out of the
throne room.
From
his bedroom window, Folken Fanel watched as Taeami climbed the moonlit hill
outside the castle, and, sobbing, buried her head in her hands.
*****
Morning
came quietly, creeping up over the dark horizon, waking Tierania from
it's dreamless sleep. Inside the castle, Queen Taeami wandered the halls
aimlessly. She wore a long dress made of layers of gray chiffon, and her long
dark hair was twisted into an elaborate, braided design. Deep in thought, she
did not notice Folken in front of her until the two of them had collided.
"I'm
sorry!" She cried, and looked up. "Oh! Folken! Good morning. Did
you sleep well?"
"As
well as one could expect, I suppose," he replied seriously. Then:
"Is everything all right?"
She
narrowed her eyes. "Yes, of course! Why?"
"I
couldn't help but notice you on the hill last night... You seemed
upset."
She
laughed nervously. "I'm fine, really. I was just thinking,
that's all." He nodded.
"I
see. Well, I don't usually suggest this, but if you ever feel the need to
think aloud with another person..."
She
cocked her head. "You mean talk?"
"Yeah,
talk." Taeami laughed.
"I
might just take you up on that." They were interrupted suddenly by a door
beside them being flung open. Allen Shaezar strode purposefully into the
hallway. He bowed before Taeami, kissing her hand and declaring, "Your
majesty looks most radiant this morning." Taeami shook her head.
"Please,
just Taeami. After all, I'm not YOUR queen." Allen straightened
himself up.
"Well
then, good morning, Taeami." He paused. "Folken."
"Allen."
Taeami
raised her eyebrows. "Okaay, well then, if neither of you need me, I
be..." But Allen interrupted her.
"No,
no, as a matter of fact, I DO need to talk to you. I had a wonderful idea last
night. I think you might be able to help us with a little problem that
we're having."
She
cocked her head. "Really? Well, I'd be happy to help, but what can I
possibly do?"
"A
great deal, your majesty!" Taeami winced, and Allen corrected himself,
"I mean, Taeami. You see, my country, Astoria, is in trouble. The Zaibach
want to take us over. Our king has decided to collaborate with them, and I
can't convince him not to. The only person who has had any influence on
him so far has been Van," he paused angrily here, "So I was
thinking that if we had another ruler come with us to Astoria, we might just be
able to convince him. What do you say?"
Taeami's
eyes widened. "You want ME to come with you to ASTORIA? Is this a
joke?" Allen shook his head.
"No,
unfortunately, we're very serious."
She
looked at him, shocked. "I've never been to Astoria before!
I've only ever been to a few countries other than Tierania, and..."
Allen
waved his hand dismissively. "Please, don't worry! You'll be
fine! I'm quite sure you'll be able to charm the king into seeing
our side of things. After all, who could resist someone as lovely as
you?" Taeami raised her eyebrows.
"Um...
yeah. Well, I guess I might as well. I don't see what harm it would
do..."
"Excellent!"
shouted Allen. "We can leave tomorrow! I trust your men are done
repairing my ship by now?" Taeami nodded. "Marvelous! I'll go tell the others!" And
with that, Allen walked away. Taeami sighed, bemused.
"What's
his problem anyway? Does he think he can get women to do whatever he wants them
to just by turning on the charm?" Folken shrugged.
"It
seemed to work with you."
Taeami
tossed her hair haughtily. "I take offense to that, Folken Fanel! To
think that I could be tricked into something like this just because some
handsome knight from Astoria decides to turn on the charm... honestly!!"
Folken
rolled his eyes. "So now he's 'Handsome'! No, you
weren't fooled at all!"
"I-I...
That came out wrong..."
Folken
raised one eyebrow. "all right then, if you're so adamant about it,
then why DID you agree to this, exactly?"
Taeami
shrugged. "Because CHIVALRY demands it," she said mockingly before
tossing her head and walking away in a falsely flamboyant manner. And for the
first time in weeks, Folken smiled.
*****
"Samson,
I don't believe it! They want ME to go to Astoria to talk to the KING!
ME!!"
Samson
laughed. "Well, you ARE a queen now. It's to be expected!"
Taeami
shook her head. "I didn't expect it! I thought for a minute Allen
was going to ask me to help braid his hair!!" Samson nearly spat his
drink all over the throne room. "No, but really, I never saw this
coming!" She got up from her throne and grabbed Samson's hands, pulling
him across the room excitedly. "You have to come with me! We'll
have such a good time..."
He
shook his head. "You know I can't. I have to stay here.
Who'll guide the troupes with me gone?"
She
frowned. "We're not at war, Samson, they don't need you with
them. But I do. Please, please say you'll come!"
He
closed his eyes, knowing that if he looked at her he'd have to say yes.
"No, Taea, I can't. My place is in Tierania." He let go of
her hands and walked to the other side of the room. Taeami bit her lower lip.
"Are
you mad at me? Samson, what did I do?" She walked over to him and lay her
hand on his arm. He pushed her away.
"Please...
don't. You didn't do anything. I would just rather stay
here." She cast her eyes
towards the floor.
"All
right. I can't make you come with me. Maybe someday you'll tell me
what's wrong." And with that, she left the room, leaving Samson
alone to long for what could never be his.
*****
Taeami knocked tentatively on the solid
oak door. After a few excruciating seconds she heard his quiet "come
in", and gingerly stepped inside the room.
"Hi,"
she whispered nervously, "Can I talk to you?"
Folken
Fanel nodded from his chair in the corner. "I had a feeling you'd
come." She sat down on the bed.
"
I didn't know who else to turn to. I just need to talk to
somebody."
"What's
the matter?"
She
shook her head. "I don't know. I'm just so confused!
I'm sixteen years old and ruling a kingdom when I don't even know
the first thing about being queen, I'm supposed to go to Astoria tomorrow
to talk to a King about problems I can't possibly comprehend, and the
only person I've ever been able to talk to refuses to talk to me."
Folken
narrowed his eyes. "Are you unhappy?"
"Yes!
I haven't the slightest idea what I'm doing..."
"No,
I mean with being queen. Is this really what you want?"
She
paused. "Well, yes... I've looked forward to becoming queen since I
was just a little girl. But somehow... I don't know... It's just
not as glamourous as I imagined."
"If
you're happy, and your people are happy, then you're obviously
doing something right." She cocked her head.
"I
suppose."
"And
as for Astoria, don't worry about it. You'll do fine. As much as it
kills me to say this, Allen was right. The King has a weakness for pretty
things. A few second with you and he'll be eating out of the palm of your
hand. Don't lose any sleep over it." She laughed.
"I
doubt the king will fall for such a cheap trick!"
"You'd
be surprised. Now, as for your friend not talking to you, I can offer very
little there."
She
nodded. "I didn't think you could." she sighed. "He was
acting so strange today! He refused to come to Astoria with me, and then when I
tried to touch him he practically hit me away." Folken raised his
eyebrows.
"What
is your relationship?"
She
shrugged. "We're friends. He's looked after me since I was
five years old, when he first came to serve for my father. He's my best
friend, we've always been able to talk about everything..."
Folken
nodded. "I see. I would tell you what I think, but I'd say that it's
best that I don't, for your sake. Rest assured, he still cares about
you."
She
closed her eyes. "There's something else... I'm worried about
leaving for Astoria. I feel... wary... like something is going to happen if I
do."
Folken
furrowed his brow. "Hmm. I see. Well, there are two reasons I think you
should come with us." He got up from his chair and sat down beside her.
"First of all, we need your help. I'm not saying that your coming
will accomplish anything, but as long as there's a chance, we have to
try."
She
nodded. "And the second thing?"
"Well,
I think that leaving you behind might turn into one of the biggest mistakes I
could ever make." She looked at him, utterly confused.
"What
do you..." But she never got a chance to finish, because at that moment,
he kissed her. It was a soft, gentle kiss, which lingered on her lips even
after she pulled away.
"Why
did you do that?" she whispered, fighting back tears. He closed his eyes
and turned away from her.
"I'm
sorry," he said quietly, "That wasn't supposed to
happen."
"No,
it really wasn't." she stared at the back of his head, a pained
expression on her face. Folken breathed deeply.
"I'm
sorry," he said again, "I'll leave now if you want."
and with that he got up off the bed and started towards the door.
"No,
wait!" She said quietly, jumping up after him. She placed her hand on his
shoulder, and he turned to face her. "Don't leave."
"Why
not?"
"Because,"
she said, drawing in an unsteady breath, "I want you to stay." And
with that, she kissed him again. He held her against him, felt her heart
beating, felt her resolve melting away. She touched the cold metal of his
prosthetic arm and looked up at him with painful sympathy. She did not cringe
when the metal claw touched her skin, only let him hold her to him as tears of
joy, sadness and confusion coursed down her face. She looked up at him, her
fingers caressing his pale face, and traced the purple teardrop permanently
tattooed on his right cheek.
"Eternal
penitence... why such remorse?"
He
closed his eyes. She could almost feel his pain. "I've done
things... terrible things... You need to know, before you get involved."
Taeami
shook her head. "Don't tell me. I don't care what
you've done. It's what you do now that matters." He kissed
the top of her head as she buried her face in his black robes. "Why
me?" she asked, more to herself than anyone else.
"You
made me smile," he replied. She gave a joyfully little laugh through her
tears as he said this. "They'll be wondering where you are."
She nodded.
"I
know. I should go." She walked to the door, opened it, glanced back at
him with a sort of painful happiness in her eyes, and left him alone in the
empty room.
*****
Taeami
stood over her bed, on which was spread several items of clothing. She folded
her clothing and shoved it into a small bag bearing the Tieranian crest. She
was leaving the next day for Astoria. Leaving with Allen, Hitomi, Merle, Van
and Folken. Her heart leapt at the last name. Ever since earlier that
afternoon, she'd been walking on air. Even Merle the cat girl had
noticed. Samson had, of course, questioned her on it, and she'd told him
that she was just excited about going to Astoria. Taeami stopped folding for a
moment. Why hadn't she told him the truth? she had the chance to, but she
didn't. She had no idea why, she just... couldn't. There was a
knock on her door, startling her out of reverie. Back to the door, she shouted
for the person behind it to enter, and next thing she knew, Folken was standing
behind her, his arms around her shoulders. She leaned back to see his face.
"Hi.
How are you doing?" He spun her around effortlessly so that she was
facing him.
"I'm
all right. How are you?" She grinned.
"I'm
great! Just packing to go." She gestured to the bag and the clothes on
the bed. He kissed her and then sat down.
"So
you decided to come then?"
"Well,
yeah."
"Why?"
She
looked at him with an odd little half smile on her face. "Two reasons.
One, You need my help."
He
raised an eyebrow. "And two?"
She
grinned. "Letting you go just might be the biggest mistake of my
life." Folken smiled.
"Hmm...
Deja Vu. I see her majesty hasn't lost her sense of humor." She
laughed.
"Never!"
she resumed folding clothes. "I'm so excited about this trip! I
never thought I'd see Astoria. It just never crossed my mind!"
"You
know, sometimes you seem so... young."
She
cocked her head. "I AM young, Folken!" she laughed.
"Sometimes YOU seem so OLD!" He cracked a half smile at this.
"Point
taken. Hey, how old ARE you, anyway?"
"Sixteen.
Red, 15th moon," she replied.
"Your
birthday's in two days? How do your people feel about you being
away?"
She
shrugged. "I don't know. I guess they'll have to live with
it. I'm going. There, all packed! It's almost time for supper,
I'd better get ready." Folken walked over to the door. He had one
foot in the hall already when she pulled him back and kissed him fleetingly.
Then she shoved him out the door, muttering something about seeing him soon.
In
the hall, Folken smiled to himself. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he
didn't even notice Van until they had almost run into each other.
"Van!"
exclaimed a surprised Folken. Van raised an eyebrow.
"Brother."
Folken looked at him quizzically,
"Is
something wrong?"
Van
gave a sarcastic little laugh. "No, nothing. If you don't
mind..." He went to step around Folken, and then stopped abruptly,
turning on his heel to face his brother again. "Wait a minute... Did you
just come from the queen's bedroom?"
Folken's
eyes darted nervously around the hall. "I don't know what
you're... I mean... You SAW that?"Van's eyes widened.
"What's
going on here?! Brother!"
Folken
squeezed his eyes shut. "I'm not really sure myself."
Van
ran a hand through his hair. "I hope you don't mean what I think
you mean!" Folken shrugged.
"Well,
I don't know what you think I... Hey, why not!?" Van threw his
hands in the air.
"Are
you kidding me? The queen of this country with a former Zaimmmphhhmh!!!"
Folken had thrown his hands over Van's mouth.
"Shh,
quiet!" Van pulled away from his older brother's grasp.
"Don't
touch me!" he said, more disgusted than angry. "Are you telling me
she doesn't know about you?" Folken shook his head.
"She
doesn't want to."
Van
shook his head. "Well, you have to tell her! She deserves to know!"
Folken
sighed. "I know, I know, but I..."
"You
what?" demanded a rather angry Van.
"I
don't want to lose her."
Van
looked stunned. He looked Folken incredulously. "You're really
serious about this, aren't you, brother?"
Folken
nodded. "There's something about this girl. She sees so much... do
you understand?"
Van
thought of Hitomi, the way she always seemed to be inside his head. "Yes,
brother, I know what you mean." Then Van reminded himself of his grudge
against Folken and went rigid. "I have to go now. Goodbye,
brother." And he walked off angrily. Folken shook his head.
"Someday,
Van," He whispered to himself, "Someday you will see."
*****
The
five foreigners gathered in the dining hall with the members of the Tieranian
court (a small group consisting mainly of higher ranking military officials).
The five were seated in a place of honor, near the queen's chair at the
head of the table. The two guards at the door rapped their staffs on the ground
loudly to silence the crowd, and then one of the cleared his throat.
"Her
majesty the Queen of Tierania, Taeami Saerian." The double doors were
flung open and Taeami entered. She wore a gauzy blue dress with a many layered
skirt and a low cut top which fit her slender form like it had been sewn on her
body. She had taken her hair down, and it now hung about her shoulders in soft,
dark waves. Her eyes flitted across the court, which was standing for her
entry, and she sighed irritably.
"Oh,
sit down!" she muttered, sliding into her seat. The court sat. Several
servants brought in plates full of food and set them down in front of those
seated at the table. Hitomi stared down at the table, which was about half
empty. Taeami saw the confused expression on her face.
"If
you're wondering where the court went, this is it." Hitomi raised
her eyebrows. "Yes," laughed Taeami, "It's small. The
palace was built hundreds of years ago under the impression that Teirania's
population would expand. My ancestors were... optimists, shall we say. Well,
shall we eat?"
The
meal went on in silence for a while, and then Taeami tapped her glass with her
fork.
"As
most of you know," she began, "I will be leaving for Astoria
tomorrow with our guests," she gestured to Van, Merle, Hitomi, Folken and
Allen. "I do not know how long I will be gone. Until my return, I will be
leaving Commander Reyes in charge of my affairs. He has my authority to decide
on all matters concerning this country, no matter how large or small. All
decisions will be made through him. Is that understood?" The court
mumbled several variations of 'yes, your majesty'. Taeami nodded.
"All right, good." she sat down again, and the whole court began to
talk and eat again. "That's all right with you, isn't
it?" Taeami asked Samson. He nodded, and she hugged him tightly.
"I'll miss you. Take care of everyone while I'm away."
He
nodded again, breathing in the smell of her hair. "I'll miss you
too," he whispered, his throat tight with emotion. The only woman
he'd ever loved was leaving. She let go of him with an unknowing smile
and continued eating. Samson put his fork to the side, suddenly not hungry. He
watched as she slid her hand into Folken's beneath the table, anger and
sadness welling up inside him.
After
dinner, she told him that she would not be in the throne room that night, that
she wanted to go over some stuff with their guests. He told her that was fine
before she pecked him on the cheek and said goodnight. As she walked away from
him (Dangerously close to that Folken Fanel, thought Samson), he noticed that
she seemed happier than she'd ever been before. He bowed his head in
despair. As you wish, Your majesty.