DISCLAIMER: I am suffering from multiple personality disorder and my other 'me', who wishes to stay anonymous, believes she owns Escaflowne. But do not fear; I keep her under sedatives.
Head were turning as Hitomi Kanzaki walked towards the office of her supervisor. Her days off started at the beginning of the week so she had enough time to go through the file the Ceali agents gave her about the prince she is hired to protect and to go through the makeover they mentioned. But today she was called to drop by at her supervisor's office so they could decide together who should be in charge of her project while she was away. Dr. Freid knew better then just put anyone on her position, her job was much too delicate for that.
Hitomi ignored the surprised, confused and interested looks as she walked down the hallway towards glass doors with the title 'Doctor of Medical Science, Mahhad Freid' written on them. She knocked and patiently waited for the signal to come in.
Her supervisor was busy reading a file so he just waived her to walk in and Hitomi followed the instruction and as usually closed the doors behind herself. She waited patiently several more moments for her boss to read the report from the lab about one of their experiments. And when he did his eyes grew wide.
He observed the girl that worked for him silently, the changed completely blew him off "What have they done to you?" he mumbled.
"What? No good?" Hitomi asked looking down on herself "They said I need to look appropriate to my age."
"They succeeded." She heard her supervisor say, but he was still looking at her in awe.
She truly looked different then before. For starter the length of Hitomi's hair was very different then it used to be. It was always short so it wouldn't bother her but now with the extensions it reached almost half way down her back and was a bit curly on the ends. Her clothing was shockingly different from what she used to wear. The serious black pants were replaced with deep blue jeans and a plain white shirt gave its place to a sleeveless emerald green silky shirt that was tied on the side and had a very nice looking cleavage. Even the choice of footwear was different. Before Hitomi would wear flat black shoes, but now they had an actual heal, the color stayed the same though.
Only thing that stayed the same were her eyes.
"About my position…" Hitomi sat down on the soft chair "Would it be possible to have my assistant responsible for it?" she asked.
"Mr. Costello? He is still a student and I do not believe it is the right decision." Was the answer she got. But Hitomi wasn't planning to give up so easily.
"I understand he is still a student. However he is only one exam away from graduating and has been my assistant since I started to work here. He is the only one I am absolutely sure I can trust." Her arguments were good but not convincingly enough.
"That all may be so but it is gravely important that someone with a license works on the research." Dr. Freid was dead serious "You know what the virus is capable of doing so we need someone to work on the antidote. Someone who has the approval of the government and is… What is the word? 'Checked out'?"
"Aster Costello has all necessary security clearings for this project." Hitomi said calmly.
"But not the necessary experience in working alone on such an important matter." Mahhad Freid wasn't giving us "The research isn't on that stage at this point but sooner or later it would have been necessary for you to go in the Hot Zone, and I am not sending a student in there, no matter how good he is."
"And who do you suggest?" she finally asked.
Seeing she was willing to compromise or something similar made Dr. Freid happy "I have talked to a young scientist from Zeibach. He is a perfect candidate for the job, his record is clean and he appears to know what he is doing."
Hitomi wasn't very happy but had to play along "Can at least Aster stay on the place of the assistant? One person alone cannot do so many different things necessary for this research and it would be a waste of time to look for another one and then wait until he connects the dots."
Her supervisor thought about the matter for a moment before answering "That would be the perfect solution to this problem."
"No. The perfect solution would be me not being forced to babysit some spoiled brat of a prince. How many lands do still have those old fashion monarchs?"
"Just a few." Dr. Freid tried to remember correctly how much "I believe only three more. Fanelia, Ezgardia and Zeibach. But the last is in the process of creation a republic instead of empire."
Hitomi nodded and stood up ready to leave when a thought appeared in her head "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course." Mahhad Freid observed the young girl in front of him.
"It's kind of personal." She mumbled.
A smile spread on the older man's face "You want to know if I have some connections with the Democratic Republic of Freid." It wasn't a question, it was a statement and Hitomi blushed that he was able to read her so easily.
She nodded and somehow managed to mutter "I just thought… because of your last name. And I never before dared to ask…"
"My father was the last duke of Freid. During his long reign he encouraged the reformation to free me of the burden and enable me to choose to be what ever I want." He answered sincerely, something that Hitomi appreciated "But please do not spread the word."
"I won't say a word to anyone." Hitomi said and her, for now former, supervisor nodded. He trusted her and knew she would never do anything she was asked not to do.
Three bags were stuffed full and placed on the bed in the large bedroom. Hitomi still had around an hour before she needed to go on the landing planes and didn't really know what to do in that time. It's not like she had any friends she could call or visit, her neighbors were strangers she rarely talked to even though she's been living in the small house since she was fifteen and became a student on the university.
She walked out of the bedroom and right away noticed the yellow file on the coffee table. The information they gave her about the prince were not very specific. She now knew his hair was black and that he had brown eyes, she knew the names of his parents and his grandparents but she didn't knew anything specific about him. Not that it really mattered, she would probably find out enough while living with him. Agent Genisha already informed her about the settlement. She would be his roommate, which should help her to keep an eye on him. But a feeling was telling her things wouldn't be as easy as that.
Just when she closed the file her phone ringed, it was her assistant "I heard I'll be working for some new guy till you come back." He said right away.
"Yeah, Freid thought that he would be the best for the job, although I wanted to for him to make you in charge of the research." Hitomi said and heard the young man gasp on the other side.
"You wanted to give me the responsibility? Really?" he couldn't believe it.
"Really. You are a good researcher Aster." She answered smiling "I am honored to have you as my assistant."
Aster Costello was incredibly honored by those words "I'll make sure you don't think any less of me when you return."
"I'm sure you will be just as good while working for the new guy as you were while I was responsible for you." She said and meant the every single word "I have to go now. It wouldn't be good if I miss my flight."
"Safe trip and return to us safely." Aster said.
"Thank you." Hitomi was glad she had him as a assistant just as he was happy she was his mentor, even though he was three years her senior. A boss was a boss.
After ten hour of flying the levi-ship finally landed on the planed outside of the Fanelian capital Escaflowne. Hitomi was never so happy like in the moment she walked out and stopped on the solid ground. The damn turbulences were making her ill and she already considered that for traveling back to Asturia after everything is over she should go with a bus. It would take longer but at least she would keep the content of her stomach where it supposes to be. Not that she threw up during the flight but she was very near to it.
As she walked in the terminal to pick up her luggage Hitomi noticed a pair of serious looking men following her every step. She already had the urge to run but somehow managed to calm herself. But when she took her first bag and reached for the second one she lost her patience.
The unknown men were quite surprised when she suddenly turned to them and asked "What?!"
"Hitomi Kanzaki?" one of them asked.
"No." she answered shortly and turned to leave when the second one cut her off.
"We were send by the king to escort you to the school Miss Kanzaki." He said when she glared at him annoyed.
"You could have said it right away instead of following me like some silent shadows." She snapped at him. Hitomi didn't give a damn who send them, that was not the way to behave.
"We apologize for that." The other one said "We should go now."
Hitomi sighed and nodded. The men started to walk, one of them in front and the second behind Hitomi. The arrangement annoyed her but she decided to keep quiet this time. At least she didn't have to wait in a line for a taxi to get her to school or explain tot eh driver why a girl was going to a school for boys.
Hitomi shuddered when she remembered that little fact. It was only boy's school and she was the only girl in a mile radius. There was a chance she exaggerated with that, cause there must be at least one female teacher, but that thought didn't helped her one bit.
The men, who still didn't told her their names, were silent during the whole ride and were completely ignoring Hitomi. She already expected for them to pull over and go in a bakery to buy a bagel or something. Even when they parked on the school's visitor parking lot they were completely quiet. One of them helped Hitomi to get her bags out of the trunk but that was it. They just drove off after it with not even a 'bye'. She shrugged and turned towards the school.
Arzas High was build over two hundred years ago, but looked amazing due to the immense amount of money invested in it. The tuition fee was higher then in the most private boarding schools but the money the parents were giving for the schooling of their sons was a good investment. There wasn't a single former student who didn't make a name in politics, medicine, science or any other well paying career. The teachers were asking more from the students but in the larger picture it was all for their well being.
It was little before seven in the morning and the building appeared to be deserted as she walked inside. She already had the key to the room she was placed in, it was send to her via the Ceali agents and Hitomi headed towards the hallway on her left. She didn't spend much time looking around the main lobby, the only thing she did notices was a high ceiling with the large chandelier hanging from it. What she didn't notice were the windows placed opposite of the hallway that lead towards the wing where the student's rooms were. It had the same purpose at the glass panel back in the laboratory in Asturia. Behind the windows were offices of the principal, psychologist, main secretariat and the teacher's lounge and the meeting room.
And from one of those windows the principal was watching as Hitomi. She knew who she was and why she was here. But that didn't helped to feel afraid, for she knew something about the young prince that would make her task much harder that she believed it would or could be. She picked up the phone and dialed a number. When the female voice answered she said shortly "Tell his highness the girl arrived."
Hitomi stood in front of the brown wooden door and tried to calm her hand enough to unlock them. After the third try she managed to push the key inside the lock and moments later the door opened. But what she saw behind them was the last thing she expected. In front of her was what looked like a modern living room, no bed in sight.
She dropped her bags and looked around. A sofa and two sack bags were on the right wall and opposite of it was a entertainment center. Flat screen TV, stereo, DVD player and to Hitomi's horror a game console. She didn't know which one cause it wasn't her specialty, but the fact there was one was enough to throw her in despair. She remembered all the times she asked Aster to stop talking about some game and focus on his task.
Still no bed in sight.
But there was a hallway leading both left and right, something she didn't realize when she walked inside. Hitomi picked the left hallway first and walked to another door. She opened it slowly and peeked inside and when she realized the room was empty she opened them completely to have a better look.
It was a bedroom with a bed, wardrobe and a desk. There were several posters on the walls that shocked the green-eyed girl; on all of them were hot girls in less clothes Hitomi ever allowed anyone to see her in. they were almost naked, actually one of them was but her hair was covering all the important areas.
"Lovely, I'm boarding with a sex obsessed throne heir." She mumbled and closed the door. She then focused on the other that she guessed would be a bathroom. But once she opened the door Hitomi realized she couldn't be further from the truth. It was another bedroom.
The furniture was the same although their position was different. As were the decorations. Instead of naked girls Hitomi found herself face to face with posters of different games, some had solders and other fantasy creatures on them. When her gaze accidentally went towards the ceiling Hitomi could see an image of some woman in a long white and purple dress directly above the bed. There was some name written in gold color in the paper but it didn't mean anything to Hitomi.
Only that she was extremely confused by now.
After closing the door she walked back to the living room and then on the hallway on the right. The first door she opened revealed another bedroom to her "Shit! How many people like together in here?"
This room looked little less shocking. Not counting the sword in a sheath on the narrow shelf over the bed. The color of the walls was neutral and they weren't covered with posters but plain. The sword was the only personal object she found. But she noticed another door and opened them. And finally found the bathroom in all her glory.
But that could wait. There were one more door left and Hitomi guessed that would be her room from now on.
And she was right. The second room in the right hallway didn't belong to anyone. The curtains were pulled letting only enough light inside for Hitomi to see where she was walking. She right away pulled them aside and turned back to observe her room.
Plain cream-colored walls, wood floor with a carpet in front of the bed and dark wooden furniture. Not as luxurious as she had expected it to be but Hitomi wasn't the one to complain. It will look much better with some personal items. But then it hit the green-eyed girt. What personal items? It's not like she could hang her diplomas on the wall and she wasn't interested in some movies or anything to have posters. Not even a personal picture. Nothing at all.
There were another door though, and when she opened them Hitomi once gain found herself in a lovely bathroom. This time she looked around better and noticed a shower, large tub and two sinks. That surprised her till the realized she was already in this bathroom. As the realization was sinking in Hitomi's heartbeat was increasing. Two rooms were linked by a bathroom.
Hitomi sighed and returned to the community room and took her bags. She might as well unpack right now before her three roommates appear. And when she opened the first bag the picture her family was looking at her from the picture, the only picture she had of them. A smile spread on her lips as she took the framed image and sat on the soft bed.
But it was not placed on the bedside table, as it should have been. Instead Hitomi opened the drawer of it and placed the frame inside. It was always in her reach but out of sight of prying eyes.
When all three bags were emptied and it's contain neatly placed in the wardrobe Hitomi looked at her watch and realized it was only little pass eight. She really didn't know what to do so she opened the glass balcony doors and walked outside. It was fall and the days were staring to get colder, but not cold enough to prevent people from walking outside without a jacket. Long sleeved shirt was quite enough. The group of boys that was just entering the school was proving that theory.
They were too far away for she to observe them more closely and for them to realize the person standing on the balcony was an actual girl with long hair and boobs. They will know of her presence soon enough, though.
The maid room doors were slammed shut and made Hitomi nervous. It seems at least on of the guys arrived. It was just a matter of time till someone walks in to check out the 'new guy'. And realize the guy is actually a girl.
Her fears were right. Just as she was closing the balcony doors the other ones, of her room, opened and a brown haired guy walked in. He blinked several times, his eyes wide behind his glasses. It looked like he was about to pass out before he pointed a finger at the girl he was facing and asked "Tomi?"
"Hitomi." She corrected him.
"Ah shit." The guy mumbled "People, we have a little situation here!" he jelled as loud as he could.
Hitomi watched in amusement as two other guys appeared on her bedroom doors. One of them was a tall blonde with hair longer then hers and the second was the same one from the picture in the file. She recognized the Fanelian prince without a problem.
"Damn, you're not a guy." The blonde said.
"No." Hitomi's answer was short because she was rather amused with the reaction she got.
The brunette actually took off his glasses, wiped them with his shirt, put them back on and asked yet again "Tomi?"
"It's Hitomi. There was a mix-up." She answered calmly. The Ceali agents told her what to say in asked what she was doing in the school for boys, and she would definitely be asked that question at least a million times.
She was surprised though when the black-haired prince walked away without saying a word. But she didn't have to ask the other two guys about it when the blonde said "Don't mind him. I'm Allen and this is Dryden." His voice was calm and a bit flirty.
The brunette was still observing Hitomi silently till Allen elbowed him "Hi, I'm Dryden."
"She knows that." Allen said rolling his eyes "I told her while you were drooling."
Hitomi laughed when Dryden turned to his friend and frowned before saying "The only one in here who drools after every skirt is you, you Casanova wannabe."
The green-eyed girl realized one thing would be there to help her through her days in the school for boys-she could always count on those two to cheer her up.