Catching the King's Eye
Disclaimer: Vision of Escaflowne doesn't belong to me. I wish it were, but unfortunately...you get the picture. ^_^
Hey! Glad you took interest in my story. Reviews are always welcome so please do so after you read. Thanks!
You may notice that the characters are pretty much 'out of character', but this is my take on how Hitomi and Van may fall in love. It may seem Cinderella-ish at first, but there's more to it, I promise! ^_^
Prologue: Aboard the Palace
She opened her dazed green eyes, suddenly squinting because of the sun's rays. She stretched her arms, waking up to the sweet humming of the birds outside her room. Her room was absolutely stunning and gigantic; a four-poster bed with its posts laced with fringes sat in the middle of the room, beautiful paintings made by well-renowned artists of Fanelia adorned the walls of the room, a desk carved by hand placed near the terrace doors which overlooked a grand scenery, and a walk-in dresser containing marvelous gowns and dresses. She kicked the bed sheets and went out of bed.
A knock was heard on the door and a voice followed, "Lady Hitomi, it is time for your bath now. May I come in?"
"You may enter, Marina," Hitomi replied in a commanding yet gentle tone.
Marina, followed by her fellow ladies-in-waiting, came into the room carrying with them towels, a robe, and the bare necessities for bathing. They led Hitomi to the bath chamber and gave her a bath.
* * *
"Your Highness, it is time for your breakfast," one of the king's servants said while knocking on the king's door.
A deep voice answered, "I'll be right outside."
The door finally opened and out came a man whose black hair was disheveled but his eyes and stance revealed his power and underlying control over all his subjects. He was dressed in the king's royal garments which suited him perfectly. He walked, not with the arrogance you will expect from a ruler, but with pride and with his head held high. He nodded to the servant who knocked on his door and walked in front of him, heading towards the dining area.
* * *
Hitomi went out of the bath chamber feeling refreshed and clean. She waited patiently as her ladies-in-waiting dressed her up in the castle's finest robes. She was there in her room but it seemed as if she wasn't for she was thinking of something else; the King. 'What could the King be doing right now? I wonder if he will like me. I wonder if I will like him.' Similar thoughts ran through Hitomi's mind as she thought of how her first meeting with the King would be like. What scared her most was the fact that she wouldn't be the only one meeting the King for the first time, oh no, there would be dozens of women there with her. She was just one of the King's probable choices for a wife and it is not certain that she will be picked. 'I look ugly. The King is sure to pass me by; he won't even notice me! I can't take this anymore!'
Hitomi started squirming, moving around too much that the ladies-in- waiting could no longer put on her dress. "Lady Hitomi, if you would please stand still," Marina asked Hitomi while fixing the dress.
"Oh, I'm awfully sorry Marina, it's just that I'm nervous," Hitomi said apologetically.
"That's alright, Lady Hitomi," Marina smiled at her and continued putting the dress on Hitomi.
Hitomi, on the other hand, couldn't stop thinking about the King. She was actually surprised because she never got nervous about a boy before. 'But this isn't a boy, it's the King! Oh, no, I'm thinking about him again.' Hitomi heaved a heavy sigh; she just couldn't believe this, one minute she was happy at home, suddenly she's forced to be here in the palace to meet the King. 'I should be mad about this, how come I'm nervous?'
Her thoughts landing once again on the King, 'I wonder what he's doing right now.'
And so Hitomi started another bout of fidgeting.
* * *
"Your Highness, the ladies you may choose from to be your wife will be presented to you after breakfast," the King's advisor announced after he bowed in front of the King.
Van just nodded mutely, already feeling degraded as it is. He picked at his food, not wanting to meet the 'ladies' his advisors chose for him. 'What if they're all snobs? What if they just seem nice but in fact they're horrible?' Van heaved a heavy sigh and covered his face with his hands thinking to himself, 'What did I do to deserve this?'
The advisor looked at Van with amusement in his eyes and asked rhetorically, "Your Highness, are you all right?"
Van lifted up his face to the advisor and answered, "I'm fine, just fine." Deep down he wanted to say, 'How could you ask me that question? Of course I'm not all right!' Instead, Van smiled for good measure, but the smile did not reach his eyes, in fact, he looked tired.
"I will just fetch you after breakfast to meet the ladies, then, your Highness," the advisor bowed once again and took his leave.
Van just managed a curt nod and waved his hand in the air, dismissing the advisor. He asked himself yet again while looking to the heavens as if wanting the answer, 'What did I do to deserve this?'
* * *
Hitomi headed off to the throne room where the King will receive them. She felt as if her heart will jump out of her rib cage because it was beating too fast. Her feet rushed to get to the throne room, anxious to get there right away. Suddenly, she stopped, letting out a couple of breaths to calm herself down. She willed her feet to slow down; however, her feet didn't seem to want to listen and her speed doubled.
Majestic doors stood in front of Hitomi, 'I'm here,' was all her brain could muster as she looked up at the doors with definite awe. She tried desperately to calm herself; she didn't want to look stupid in front of the King. She fixed her dress, straightening it, as if there were invisible folds in her dress. The doormen opened the doors and Hitomi finally entered the throne room, 'All right, here we go.'
* * *
Van sat on his throne, tapping his fingers on the seat impatiently, 'I just want to get this over and done with.'
The doors opened and Van sat upright, wanting to catch a glimpse of the ladies. Only one thought ran through his mind, 'I just hope at least one of them is nice.'
The same advisor who fetched him stood in front of the King, bowed once more and said, "Your Highness, I present to you the finest ladies of Fanelia."
Van stood up, thinking to himself, 'Might as well, who knows if my future wife is right there?' Then he walked up to the dozens of ladies who looked just as nervous as he was.
TBC
Next on Catching the King's Eye: Van meets the ladies. Who will he choose? Will he even choose at all? Stay tuned for the first chapter!
Sorry it was pretty short, but this is just a prologue. Consider it a 'teaser.' If you like it, please review and tell me what you think.
Disclaimer: Vision of Escaflowne doesn't belong to me. I wish it were, but unfortunately...you get the picture. ^_^
Hey! Glad you took interest in my story. Reviews are always welcome so please do so after you read. Thanks!
You may notice that the characters are pretty much 'out of character', but this is my take on how Hitomi and Van may fall in love. It may seem Cinderella-ish at first, but there's more to it, I promise! ^_^
Prologue: Aboard the Palace
She opened her dazed green eyes, suddenly squinting because of the sun's rays. She stretched her arms, waking up to the sweet humming of the birds outside her room. Her room was absolutely stunning and gigantic; a four-poster bed with its posts laced with fringes sat in the middle of the room, beautiful paintings made by well-renowned artists of Fanelia adorned the walls of the room, a desk carved by hand placed near the terrace doors which overlooked a grand scenery, and a walk-in dresser containing marvelous gowns and dresses. She kicked the bed sheets and went out of bed.
A knock was heard on the door and a voice followed, "Lady Hitomi, it is time for your bath now. May I come in?"
"You may enter, Marina," Hitomi replied in a commanding yet gentle tone.
Marina, followed by her fellow ladies-in-waiting, came into the room carrying with them towels, a robe, and the bare necessities for bathing. They led Hitomi to the bath chamber and gave her a bath.
* * *
"Your Highness, it is time for your breakfast," one of the king's servants said while knocking on the king's door.
A deep voice answered, "I'll be right outside."
The door finally opened and out came a man whose black hair was disheveled but his eyes and stance revealed his power and underlying control over all his subjects. He was dressed in the king's royal garments which suited him perfectly. He walked, not with the arrogance you will expect from a ruler, but with pride and with his head held high. He nodded to the servant who knocked on his door and walked in front of him, heading towards the dining area.
* * *
Hitomi went out of the bath chamber feeling refreshed and clean. She waited patiently as her ladies-in-waiting dressed her up in the castle's finest robes. She was there in her room but it seemed as if she wasn't for she was thinking of something else; the King. 'What could the King be doing right now? I wonder if he will like me. I wonder if I will like him.' Similar thoughts ran through Hitomi's mind as she thought of how her first meeting with the King would be like. What scared her most was the fact that she wouldn't be the only one meeting the King for the first time, oh no, there would be dozens of women there with her. She was just one of the King's probable choices for a wife and it is not certain that she will be picked. 'I look ugly. The King is sure to pass me by; he won't even notice me! I can't take this anymore!'
Hitomi started squirming, moving around too much that the ladies-in- waiting could no longer put on her dress. "Lady Hitomi, if you would please stand still," Marina asked Hitomi while fixing the dress.
"Oh, I'm awfully sorry Marina, it's just that I'm nervous," Hitomi said apologetically.
"That's alright, Lady Hitomi," Marina smiled at her and continued putting the dress on Hitomi.
Hitomi, on the other hand, couldn't stop thinking about the King. She was actually surprised because she never got nervous about a boy before. 'But this isn't a boy, it's the King! Oh, no, I'm thinking about him again.' Hitomi heaved a heavy sigh; she just couldn't believe this, one minute she was happy at home, suddenly she's forced to be here in the palace to meet the King. 'I should be mad about this, how come I'm nervous?'
Her thoughts landing once again on the King, 'I wonder what he's doing right now.'
And so Hitomi started another bout of fidgeting.
* * *
"Your Highness, the ladies you may choose from to be your wife will be presented to you after breakfast," the King's advisor announced after he bowed in front of the King.
Van just nodded mutely, already feeling degraded as it is. He picked at his food, not wanting to meet the 'ladies' his advisors chose for him. 'What if they're all snobs? What if they just seem nice but in fact they're horrible?' Van heaved a heavy sigh and covered his face with his hands thinking to himself, 'What did I do to deserve this?'
The advisor looked at Van with amusement in his eyes and asked rhetorically, "Your Highness, are you all right?"
Van lifted up his face to the advisor and answered, "I'm fine, just fine." Deep down he wanted to say, 'How could you ask me that question? Of course I'm not all right!' Instead, Van smiled for good measure, but the smile did not reach his eyes, in fact, he looked tired.
"I will just fetch you after breakfast to meet the ladies, then, your Highness," the advisor bowed once again and took his leave.
Van just managed a curt nod and waved his hand in the air, dismissing the advisor. He asked himself yet again while looking to the heavens as if wanting the answer, 'What did I do to deserve this?'
* * *
Hitomi headed off to the throne room where the King will receive them. She felt as if her heart will jump out of her rib cage because it was beating too fast. Her feet rushed to get to the throne room, anxious to get there right away. Suddenly, she stopped, letting out a couple of breaths to calm herself down. She willed her feet to slow down; however, her feet didn't seem to want to listen and her speed doubled.
Majestic doors stood in front of Hitomi, 'I'm here,' was all her brain could muster as she looked up at the doors with definite awe. She tried desperately to calm herself; she didn't want to look stupid in front of the King. She fixed her dress, straightening it, as if there were invisible folds in her dress. The doormen opened the doors and Hitomi finally entered the throne room, 'All right, here we go.'
* * *
Van sat on his throne, tapping his fingers on the seat impatiently, 'I just want to get this over and done with.'
The doors opened and Van sat upright, wanting to catch a glimpse of the ladies. Only one thought ran through his mind, 'I just hope at least one of them is nice.'
The same advisor who fetched him stood in front of the King, bowed once more and said, "Your Highness, I present to you the finest ladies of Fanelia."
Van stood up, thinking to himself, 'Might as well, who knows if my future wife is right there?' Then he walked up to the dozens of ladies who looked just as nervous as he was.
TBC
Next on Catching the King's Eye: Van meets the ladies. Who will he choose? Will he even choose at all? Stay tuned for the first chapter!
Sorry it was pretty short, but this is just a prologue. Consider it a 'teaser.' If you like it, please review and tell me what you think.