Prelude

As Hitomi played in the beautiful garden of the castle, her mother looked dazzlingly at her.

"Mother, are you sure?" said her in a mix of disbelief and sadness.

"Yes, I saw it." Never did this phrase irritate her more than now. For the first time in her life she wanted to pretend she didn't heard anything of it. She was starting to blame her mother and wanted to call her senile, take her to a calm environment.

"I won´t accept it! She's too young! If we don't duel too much with it, eventually she will forget."

"You know better than this Kyouko." said the Queen Mother Hiomy meanwhile given her daughter a hard look.

"No, I don't and in this matter I won't give in. She's my daughter and I'll shelter and protect her as long as I can! Isn't always you who says that the future isn't written on rocks?"

Seeing the determined look of Kyouko she slight, looking back at the innocent child laughing she could understand the felling of her daughter but the same time she knew that destiny itself wouldn't wait .

In Fanelian …

"Van! Van! Came here right now!" said Varie getting a little annoyed at her son tricks.

"Van Slazar Fanel! Came here right now! I won't repeat myself!" hearing his full name he knew he's in big trouble. Making his best innocent face he let the safety of his hideout and appeared in front of his mother.

"Now, give me one reason for not putting you in chastisement?" She said angrily pointing one finger at him.

"He badmouthed father! He was wrong! And he doesn't have the right to judge father!" Van exclaimed thinking that he has all the reason on his side. His mother could see his reasons and understood them.

Slighting heavy she said: "Van, I know that you wanted to protect your father but it's no excuse to fire the closet" Behind her Folken was trying hard not to laugh at the situation and knowing his mother wouldn't be too happy with him if he so dared to misgive his brother action, like she always accuse him.

Seeing Folken approaching Van felt happy. He now had someone at his side, hopeful his brother would convince his mother at not give him a punishment. The last time he couldn't touch a sword for two hole weeks!

"Mother, you shouldn't be so angry with him. That Duke stepped behind his bond too many times, If it wasn't Van it would be me." Thinking in how pleasant his father was when the annoying bug came half naked and with his hair burned , his eyes glimmered happily.

"Or could have been father, who knows?" At this comment Van skirted Folken curiosamente.

"Was father happy?"

"Very, and I doubt that he's angry at you." After this Van smiled and Varie frowned.

"Don't think you are out of trouble."

"But mom! He was…" He shuted his mouth before he said what he heard the fool saying about his mother.

Looking thoughtful at him, she knew that something more had happened. Sighting again, she would let it pass. Smart little Van knew the expression of his mother and before she ever muttered something he hugged her.

"Thanks, mom!" And cleverly ran through the corridors of the palace. She had given him one chance and before she could change her mind he fled.

Chucking Folken followed his brother as Varie returned to her duties.

After some moths Fanelia was been visited for one of the most powerful country and friend Kanzas. The royal family were old friends of the Fanel but it would be the first time that the young princess and prince would meet.

Van was not thrilled with it. The truth he didin't even wanted to meet Them. Even young he had already experienced only a few encounters with princesses and none of them was pleasant. They were either too boring or treated him as if he were an idiot. Even though his parents insisted that this time she would be close in age to him the fact that she was younger wasn't very convincing.

"Probably another annoying girl that is going to cry if I look at her wrong." The last time that he had showed the lizard he had managed to pick up after much effort the girl simply freaked out, screaming at him.

And the worst was that he took the blame for the whole scandal. And as everything that is inevitable the moment of desolation came meanwhile he mentally prepared himself to endure the coming weeks.

In the trone hall...

"Welcome to Fanelia, my friend!" exclaimed Gaou.

"Thank you, I'm glad that I'm here. I almost have forgotten how beautiful your country is." Said King Saykou.

"It's a pleasure to meet you again King Gaou and a blessing in meeting such a beautiful lady as yourself, Queen Varie." Said Mamoru blowing to Gaou and kissing Varie's hand.

"Your son has a smart tongue I can see it."

"Haha, forgive my playfull son."

"Hello, Varie. It's been a while." Said Kyouko greeting her friend.

"Yes, too much, really.." And they hugged each other.

"Now, now , what we have here?" said Varie after seeing Hitomi hugging her mother legs.

Laughing Kyouko said: " Let me introduce you, this is my daughter Hitomi. Hitomi this is Queen Varie and King Gaou Fanel ."

With a small and cute voice she bowed politely and said: "It's… It's a pleasure to meet you."

Her small and beautiful frame was cute and the King and Queen of Fanelia were instantly taken by her.

"What a cute girl! It's a pleasure to meet such a beautiful young lady" said King Gaou playfully but Hitomi blushed and hide behind her mother.

"I'm sorry she is still too shy."

"Don't worry about it. But she's really a cute lady. I'm happy too meet you too." Said Varie looking kindly to Hitomi.

Suddenly the doors were open and Folken and a annoyed Van entered the room.

"Sorry for our lateness, my apologies." Said Folken blowing.

"I was starting to worry about what must have happened." Said Varie disapproving their behavior.

"We had a ... unexpected accident."

"Are you hurt?" Said Kyouko looking at them.

"No, your Highness. It was a small thing."

" Don't worry about them my friend. I'm sure that they are ashamed of they lateness and won't do it again." Said Varie looking at her sons. Van was looking at the ground as their lateness was his fault.

Trying to lightening her friend's mood Kyouko said: "My, my, you have really grow Folken! And this is your brother?"

"Let me introduce my son to you. This is Van , Van this is Queen Kyouko, King Saykou , prince Mamoru and this little cute girl here is princess Hitomi Kanzaki of Kanzas."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all." Said Van without much enthusiasm.

Mamoru raised an eyebrow at this. Sayoku laughed and Kyouko decided to ignore his behavior. However Varie would talk seriously with him later.

And thus descanted a pleasant and friendly evening where the kings and princes talked about the news of their life. But that left Van isolated because his parents and his brother were busy, including the princess who supposedly he would know wouldn't leave her mother. He was paying attention to her all afternoon but in his defense it was because he couldn't go play and ignore the visitors or his mother would be really angry with him. And she was strange, occasionally she would look at him but then she totally ignored him! This irritated him, what she meant? Why she didn't talk right way? He was just waiting for an opportunity and he would question her about it.

When Kyouko left Hitomi in her room to rest, Van took the opportunity and snuck after her making sure that everyone had already left the room.

Hitomi slept peacefully with her delicate sighs she lay in a deep sleep.

Van when approached her he stopped momentarily. Her white skin, her long lashes and her delicate face reminded him of sugary stories he had heard a few times. Where a princess was saved by a prince although he never thought someone would venture to save the princesses he had met but her… maybe just maybe he would want to save her.

And he didn't notice but he ended up sleeping next to her. And so Varie and Kyouko found them sleeping together with Van protectively embracing Hitomi.

"And when this happened?" asked Kyouko.

"I am also surprised, Van isn't usually like that."

The days passed quietly and gradually Van and Hitomi began to spend time together, to the estrangement of the Fanel family no incidents occurred. No burning hair, no crying, Van was behaving like a little gentleman.

"Apparently we are being ignored." Said Kyouko spoofed.

"Yes, believe it or not. "Varie said laughing.

Her son was showing thelittle princess enthusiastically his collection of samurai dolls and their different armor. And the princess seemed to enjoy his company, one could hear her laughing from time to time. Perhaps in her young age she laughed at the faces that Van produced when he tried to imitated some of the samurai of the castle. Incredibly they got along very well.

In the day of the ball in honor of the visitors of Kanzas everyone was dressed in their finest clothes, the council was all present and everyone eager expecting to make acquaintance with the Kanzas guests and maybe close business partnerships. Kanzas was known to be one of the richest countries of Gaea and its influence went far beyond that. Being a country rich not only in precious stones but in agriculture and its proximity to the sea gave it an enviable economic support.

After the arrival of the royal couples and in the course of the ball everyone was waiting for some of the royal family to initiated the dance. It was usual that the king and the queen or the prince initiated the festivities with the first dance. But before anyone could go to the dance floor Van could be seen pulling the sleeve of his father's shirt.

"Father! Father! " Said Van impatiently.

Gaou looked strangely his son behavior who couldn't seem to keep quiet and ended his talk with a lord of campaign of Kanzas and said: "Van, what got into you?"

"I want to be the first, father!" And he jerked his head toward the dance floor.

Gaou frowned and looked back at him. " Okay, I will talk with your mother."

They were siting in their thrones so Varie saw their interaction. " what was this?"

"I don't know but he want to dance."

Now it was Varie's time to frown " Van dancing?" she had to ask because if she remembered correctly Van hated dance.

Even so they made a sign to Folken for him to approach in that night he would be the one dancing first.

" Yes, mother."

"Let your brother start the party " Said Varie still uncetain.

"uh?! Van? Dancing?" Folken looked at his mother for confimation.

"Yes, your brother strangely wants to dance today. I think it's the influence of his new little friend. I honestly don't recognize my son anymore. "Varie said shaking her head.

With that Gaou laughed and said looking directly at his wife: "Nothing like a beautiful lady to change a man" taking her hand and kissing it tenderly.

Amused Folken waited with his parents to see what Van wanted. It was obvious who he planned to dance with but you never know what might happen when it has to do with Van. Although his sudden change of behavior with the girl, he still had his fears.

Van watching the hall first find the King and Queen of Kanzas and soon his friend and also her annoying brother but he wouldn't let anything irritated him today. He would demonstrate his stupid dance teacher that he no longer needed his incessant sermons and that it only wasted his time. He was running toward her while everyone was looking at his family hoping some of them would began to dance.

What was the surprise of the Kanzaki family to see the little prince approach their daughter and says: "Milady, May I have this dance?" as he bowed respectfully.

Hitomi looked at her mother for confirmation and as she smiled and gave an affirmative move with her head Hitomi said: "Yes, of.. of course."

And Van brought her to the center of the dance floor as a perfect gentleman. Surprising all guests the little couple started to dance. They moved as a slow peace but they were dancing unbelievable good. They were cute, everyone stopped to see their prince and princess in what seem to be their first public dance.

The Fanel and Kanzaki family was delighted with them. They seem like a small King and Queen dancing in their beautiful clothes. Although Mamoru was not pleased about this development, his little sister shouldn't be targeted for boys that soon and here he was watching as the annoying little dwarf Fanel danced with his sister.

The Fanelia counselors on the other hand were amazed with the future prospect of the two could provide. They wouldn't let such an opportunity pass.

After two weeks the Kanzaki family were going home and no one would have imagined that it would be the last time that their friends would be seen.

The attack happened when the Kanzaki family were on the outskirts of Fanelia, the samurai had just left the royal family when a group of thieves attacked the carriage. It wasn't known where they came from but it was a massacre which resulted in only one survivor. Miraculously, Mamoru the young prince of Kanzas was the only survivor. But no one ever found the body of the young princess although no one believed that in such a disaster she could survive.

The friendship of Fanelia and Kanzas was shaken because though the attack hasn't occurred in Fanelian soil the royal family was almost wiped out and almost the young prince has lost his life as well.
Although for Mamoru in the time he had spent with the Fanel family recovering he never doubt their innocence in what happened. But the same couldn't be said about the inhabitants of his country and his advisers.

The misfortunes didn't end there, as Fanelia went to war and Van also was orphaned at a young age. And this has caused the tempers in Kanzas to calm down because in front of such a misfotune so much like that of their Prince now King, the people and even the council members couldn't blame a child of only 5 years old.

Fanelia went to war with Barasan for a dispute of territory and although they tried to form an alliance with Kanzas taking advantage of the growing animosity that was being established between Kanzas and Fanelia, Mamoru didn't accept to fight an ally. And in this conflict Fanelia fought alone for their supremacy and won but lost their king. Prince Folken died trying to ascend the throne and Queen Varie could'nt support the sudden loss of her family and friends. She became ill and died in the winter of the sixth anniversary of Van.

The time has passed and both countries have managed to overcome their difficulties and move forward.


Hello my friends! How are you? Did you like this chapter? I haven't put much detail in their clothes and anything like that. But I wanted to give a vista of this fic's world.

Anyway see you next time! .