Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne or any of its characters. This story isn't being made for any financial profits so don't bother suing.
Trials of Seasons
Time Passing
The sounds of footsteps tapping across the stone floor echoed in the halls of the Fanelian Castle. The Kings of Zaibach and Fanelia and the elf woman, Sora, walked through the corridors in complete silence. The interrogation gave them the information they needed; the girl was a mystic and had, in some way, been able to harness a facet of power from Atlantis.
"Do you believe that you will find the girl, Van?" Folken spoke in his monotone voice.
"Only time will tell. Your help may be required a bit further." Van replied roughly.
"Very well then we will stay as long as necessary. However, I must ask what exactly you plan to do with the girl once she is acquired."
"I can not say for sure. One thing is for certain, I cannot allow her to get back to Kiaura. Since she possesses powers from Atlantis. The minute Kiaura has her back it is most likely that she will lead an attack on us. Why they had not used her before baffles me."
"Do you simply plan to keep her as a prisoner, or will you try to persuade her to your side?" Folken questioned.
Van stayed silent. He was not quite sure what he was going to do once he captured the girl. He could only shrug and say "I will deal with this matter once we capture her."
"I see." Folken murmured with understanding. The situation had become more complicated than simply attacking Kiaura and forcing them to surrender before its allies stirred too much of a ruckus. Now they had to deal with one of the generals having untapped ancient powers. Such a difficult matter. "Tell my dear brother, how has it been fairing in your country?" Folken asked. Van paused for a bit and looked out of a nearby window to see the lit up city.
"All seems to be fairing well." Van answered blankly. Folken raised a brow at his brother's behavior.
"Truly?" Folken questioned with a tinge of uncertainty.
"Yes." Van answered quickly.
"Have you thought of marriage?" Folken asked, changing the topic.
"I do not have much time to think of it." Van said curtly. He was beginning to get annoyed with his brother's questions, though he knew that they did not come from a malicious place.
"I see. I would have assumed that your advisors would be unleashing every available ally princess on you." said Folken calmly.
"You are right to assume, they have actually tried many a time." Van said with an amused face that broke through his hardened demeanor. Folken grinned wryly.
"I see. And the princesses were quite off put by your attitude?"
"The attitude they seemed not to mind. However, when I insisted that if they were to be my queen they would have to fight along side me in battle, they seemed a bit more hesitant."
"Oh my." Folken said amusedly. "You really should have thought about those words. There is a very good chance that those princesses will now receive some form of training just to be with you. After all, there are very few available princes left in the world."
"I doubt they would be able to survive any form of training." Van said with a deep chuckle.
"A woman's determination can lead to many surprising feats." Folken replied. Van shrugged it off; not taking his brother's the words to heart.
"A message." Sora's voice whispered. Van looked at the elf, puzzled, before a light pounding of feet caught the Kings' attention.
"Your Majeshty!" A young voice called. All three turned to find a young messenger boy running towards them. When the boy was close enough he quickly bowed and then looked up at the King. "Forgiff mi Milord…" the boy had to pause to catch his breath "te advishors… wish to meet wit chu now…"
"Are they not aware that I have guests?" Van questioned annoyed. The messenger boy bowed again.
"Yesh Milord, tey beg your parden and shay that it'sh a matta of…" the boy paused again as he struggled with the word "urrginshi." The word was urgency. Van sighed.
"Very well then, tell the advisors that I will meet with them shortly." He spoke brusquely. The boy bowed and went off to deliver the message. Van then looked at his brother and Sora.
"With all due forgiveness, I must go and speak with my advisors." Van said as politely as he could manage.
"Do not worry, brother. The situation is completely understandable." Folken said nonchalantly.
"Of course." Van said. He then noticed a servant maid entering the hallway. "You there!" He called in a booming voice. The maid froze and looked at Van fearfully. She looked down as she moved toward her master.
"Sir?" was the young girl's reply as she bowed her head.
"Are the rooms for Lord Folken and Lady Sora ready?"
"Ah, yes milord. We've just finished. Forgive the delay. We weren't told that the guests would be spending more than the day in the castle." The girl quickly explained.
"That is fine." Van said curtly. "Escort them to their room and serve dinner. They did not receive any due to some prior engagements." He commanded.
"Yes milord"
"Tomorrow, we will continue where we left off." Van said to his brother. The Zaibach King nodded.
"Of course"
"This way, if you please." The maid said to the guests with a bow. Both Folken and Sora began to follow the servant girl before Sora suddenly stopped and looked at Van, catching his eye before he went off. Her glowing eyes fixed on something beyond him. Folken simply continued his way with the maid as his guide.
"Something the matter?" The Fanelian King questioned the elf girl.
"Strings." The elf girl whispered. Van looked dumbfounded at the mystical being.
"…strings?" He repeated skeptically.
"… between you and the vision. Nothing direct but something …strong." Sora closed her eyes.
"Listen to her words, Van, but do not think on them. You will not find their meaning that way." Folken said further down the hallway. Sora opened her eyes and turned to follow the maid and Lord Folken.
"Folken knows interesting people." Van said to himself offhandedly when they were out of hearing range. He stopped and looked out a nearby window, watching the lights of his city. "Hopefully the advisors have not broadened the use of the word urgency." He then turned around and headed towards the council room. "Some ale later would do some good."
(The forest of the Western Plains)
A pair of blood shot, emerald eyes fluttered open slowly to find the darkened sky. As Hitomi felt her wet lashes against her irritated eyes, she looked at her surroundings. She was still in the forest, but this area …was different. There was a bon fire set a glow not too far away from her. Her hazy vision followed the light it cast, and she discovered two figures sleeping underneath a fur blanket. There was something odd about this blanket, though. It seemed to fit very snuggly around their figures. Such a strange blanket. As Hitomi's eyes cleared, she realized that the fur blanket was not a blanket at all but their skin! Hitomi began to panic. She sat up quickly, despite her weakened state. She noticed something warm fall from her shoulders as she sat. She looked down and realized that an animal's pelt had been wrapped around her to keep the night's chill out.
"Ah, you're awake." Called a rough voice behind her. The bewildered woman twisted her body around to find another fur-covered creature with fire wood in his arms. Her actions sent a wave of pain up her back that she could not ignore.
"Ow." Hitomi groaned as she lowered her body to ease the pain. The creature chuckled lightly.
"It would be wise not to move." He said in an amused tone. He placed some firewood down on forest floor and walked over to Hitomi. "I am Ruhm. We found you in a clearing not too far from here." He spoke as he kneeled besides her.
"You…saved me?" The woman croaked. Ruhm nodded and looked past the bon fire that was set a glow. The woman followed his gaze to the two sleeping creatures that she originally saw. These are my rescuers?
"Excuse them; the day wore them out." Ruhm said looking back at her. Hitomi looked up at him. He was covered in fur but his body was similar to a human. He wore a tunic that was fastened at his waist. He had short, black claws, large pointed ears, and a human-like, smooth, black nose. She never had seen a creature like him before. Despite her caution with this unfamiliar clan, she could not sense any malicious intent from him. His eyes were very dark and more animalistic than she was used to, but they were honest.
"Thank you for finding me." She croaked again. She noticed a slight throbbing in her throat and realized that all her sobbing the previous night must have left her throat raw. The creature took note on her voice and grabbed a water jug that was near by and poured water into a wooden cup that doubled as the jug's cap.
"Drink." He ordered as he handed her the cup. Hitomi quickly pressed the cup to her dry lips and gulped down the heavenly moisture. Water never seemed more precious than at that moment. When she felt no more liquid from the cup she stretched her hand out to give it back to Ruhm.
"Thank you." Hitomi whispered, feeling better now that she had liquid coursing through her parched body. Ruhm, instead of taking the cup, immediately poured more water. "No, that's okay I'm-" She began in objection.
"You need more." He said, cutting her protest off. He took hold of the cup and her hands and pressed it to her mouth. She found that despite her original protest, she really did need the second cup.
"Thank you" She repeated when she was done. He nodded, seeming satisfied by the amount she drank.
"Now get some sleep. We will take you to our home tomorrow and you will be able to recover more." Ruhm got back up on his feet.
Home? Hitomi thought. Where were they going to take her? Where on Gaia was she? How far away was she from her home? Hitomi looked up and found Ruhm staring at her with the pile of fire wood once again in his arms.
"It looks like you have questions, child." He spoke. Hitomi couldn't seem to make any other reply than a nod. Ruhm walked closer to her. "Rest." He commanded. "You body has been through enough."
"But-"
"A worrying mind will not allow your body to heal. Your questions will be answered tomorrow. Now rest." The look in Ruhm's eyes told Hitomi that there was no point in arguing and she felt the tug of sleep at her mind. She nodded obediently, embarrassed by the situation. This creature made her feel like a child. She laid herself down, quite put off. She wanted to at least learn what clan Ruhm was from. The only animal clan near Kiaura was the Eagle Clan. She was completely unfamiliar with the animal clans that lay west of Kiaura. She doubted, however, that Ruhm would even reveal that much. Judging from Ruhm's commanding character, if she tried to speak another word, he would more than likely simply cut her off and tell her to rest again. She let a sigh slip from her lips.
"My name is Hitomi, by the way." She whispered to herself. She figured she should be able to say this much without be reprimanded though she doubt he could have heard her. However, she noticed that Ruhm paused and looked at her. For a brief second, she thought she saw him smile.
"Hitomi…A nice name." He then sat down near the fire with his back turned to her. A clan name then appeared in her mind. She wasn't sure why, but something told her that this word was correct. Wolf Clan.
She let out a sigh and closed her irritated eyes.
(Fanelian Forest line)
"You don't know where she went?" A girl's voice whispered lividly.
"Surely you must have been able to track her some way." A man said with equal passion. The light of the moon illuminated the girl's dark red hair as she began to pace back and forth in panic. Her flowing skirt danced about her feet carelessly, despite her worried mind. The situation was not good.
"No, I'm an afraid I was unable to. She unlocked a power that not many Mystics have been able to before." A second male voice whispered calmly. The light glinted off his armor that showed a unique angular design. He knew the reactions he would receive once he told them. However, they were still difficult to face, especially from the girl.
"This is horrid. Amano, your thoughts?" The red head asked as she stopped her pacing and looked to the brown haired youth for some hope. Unfortunately he shook his head.
"I'm afraid I can only think the same thoughts as you, Yukari. If she was able to do something that not many Mystics can do, and our best tracker can't find her, then I'm not sure if we'll reach her in time." Amano quickly said with worry in his voice. The girl's brow furrowed and she began pacing again. She looked at the armored man.
"How could you not track her!" Yukari spoke, her voice starting to rise from a whisper.
"Yukari, he already explained…"
"NO! I will not accept that! There must have been some way that he could have tracked her! He's her kin!" Yukari continued despite Amano's protest. The girl was going to continue more when a hand over her mouth silenced her. The girl looked up to see Amano's eyes glinting at her in warning. They stayed there for a moment. Their eyes were locked in silent communication. Yukari's eyes then softened as Amano made her realize her misconduct. He then removed his hand and Yukari looked at the armored man once again.
"Forgive me Mamoru…I realize this is difficult and I apologize if I have not been understanding of your situation. I allowed my feelings of frustration to get the best of me," Yukari whispered gently as she bowed her head. The armored man nodded in acceptance.
Amano then walked over to his friend.
"There may be a way to find her. Her powers are going by new rules and we have not a slightest clue of their directions. However, Faeore may have a way to reach her. We will go and inquire her." Amano said with a reassuring smile. Mamoru looked at him.
"Thank you Amano. Faeore should know what to do."
Before anything else could be said, Yukari raised her hand to silence the two males. They both paused and looked at Yukari for an answer. She looked at both of them. "It seems our movements are starting to get noticed." The males stiffened a bit as they began to heighten their senses.
"A bit sooner than expected." Mamoru whispered.
"It seems that they have a powerful ally." Yukari whispered. "It would be best if we depart now."
"Seems so." Amano concurred. They all bowed to each other and within a blink of an eye they were gone.
(Fanelian Castle)
A messenger boy ran quickly through the corridors of the Fanelian castle.
He took a sharp turn as he hurried to the King's chambers. As he entered the royal hallway he heard an odd sound. It was a voice, a woman's voice. After pausing for a few seconds, wondering what it could mean, the messenger boy lowered his head and a blush formed on his cheeks. Though he did not fully know what the King was partaking in, he knew that this was not meant to be heard by a messenger boy. The messenger boy slowed his run down to a forced walk and tried to calm down. He slowly walked up to the large pair of oak wood doors, reluctantly raised his hand, and knocked. He took a sudden step back when he heard the sounds cease.
"Go away." The King's voice resounded. The messenger gulped.
"Forgive me, milord, but I have urgent news." The boy spoke through the door. There was a moment of silence until the messenger heard the woman's voice complaining about the King answering the door at such a time. The oak doors flew open as the messenger came face to face with the King. The King was only wearing a wrinkled up pair of pants, fastened rather sloppily.
"Yes?" The king said calmly, though clearly angry at the boy's interruption. The boy could smell a strong scent from the King's breath, which seemed similar to the aromas from the pub his father owned.
"The soldiers spotted a suspicious group near the forest line. Though we did not think to bother you about it, Lady Sora came to us and told us that the group had… similar vibrations to the girl with the Atlantian pendant." Responded the messenger boy promptly, as his eyes avoided his king's blood red eyes.
The King ran a hand through his hair in thought. "Have they been captured?"
"No, milord. They disappeared before the guards reached the forest line. The advisors believed that you ought to be informed."
"Those fools need to learn how to categorize what is important enough to alert me at once and what can wait for morning." The King said to himself, no longer holding back his frustration. "Alright. I have received the message. Tell the advisors not to disturb me for the rest of the night."
"Yes sir." Replied the boy. The King closed the heavy oak doors. The messenger sighed. He was walking out of the corridor when he heard the woman's moans start up again. His blush returned as he ran out of royal wing.
(Morning, The Western Plains)
It was very cold in the morning, especially in the forest; a somewhat unfortunate side effect of the early morning dew. Hitomi pulled the animal pelt closer to her body. She looked tiredly at the sky. Though she had been able to fall asleep after talking to Ruhm, she still felt exhausted. She took note of the grey tinge that pierced the morning sky. Winter would come soon. Hitomi sat up slowly with that thought. It was never considered a happy time for most. People, especially the poor, suffer greatly in the cold. Hitomi's eyes looked off in her own train of thought. She closed her eyes.
"Good morning" A voice spoke up cheerfully. Hitomi quickly whipped her head around to the voice. She regretted this as pain rippled up her spine. It was another wolf.
"Oh, good morning" Hitomi replied hesitantly placing her hand on her neck. This wolf man seemed much younger compared to Ruhm, and his fur was a much lighter shade of brown. In his arms he carried more logs and branches, which he placed gingerly near the fire. Hitomi figured that they must have left the fire on all night. The young wolf jogged towards Hitomi and knelt down.
"I'm Haru!" He said gleefully.
"I'm Hitomi." Hitomi answered, a bit taken back by the wolf's friendliness. This wolf differed from Ruhm completely. Aside from his appearance, his character seemed to be sweet and simple compared to Ruhm's firm and commanding demeanor.
"What a strange name. It sounds nice though." Haru said unabashedly. "It's nice to meet you," He added as he stuck his arm out. Hitomi looked at his arm in question, but then stuck her hand out and grabbed his and shook it. This time it was Haru who looked at her in question.
"What's wrong?" Hitomi questioned.
Haru tilted his head to the side a bit. "Is that how humans greet each other?"
Hitomi looked a bit dumbfounded.
"Yes …this is one of them… it's usually used between men …in the lower class." Hitomi said, never thinking that she'd ever really had to explain human greetings to someone.
"But you're not man…"
"Well yes, that's why I was confused as to why you stuck your arm out but that greeting was the only one I could think you were trying to do." Hitomi mumbled embarrassed. Haru grinned.
"I see! I see!" He said as he gripped Hitomi's hand and shook it. He reminded her of a young boy, full of innocence and hope. Haru let go of her hand and slipped his own to her forearm and gripped it with his thumb in the crook of its bend. With his other hand he moved Hitomi's hand to his forearm to mimic his.
"This is how we greet others." Haru explained.
Hitomi smiled. "Glad to meet you. Ah, the fire…" She spoke suddenly. Haru looked behind him. The fire was getting dangerously low.
"Oh! I better attend to that." He rose promptly and raced to save the last of the flames. Hitomi smiled at Haru's behavior. His aura was infectious. She took in a lungful of air, feeling much more refreshed.
Hitomi suddenly felt her body stiffen. She sensed a presence approaching. The presence crept into her mind, dense like a fog. Her eyes widened as this odd pressure entered her head.
"Hitomi." A voice echoed in her head.
"What?" Hitomi heard her own voice echo. In her mind's eye the forest and the young wolf man that was tending the fire disappeared. There was nothing but darkness and fog.
"Do not be alarmed. I am not here to hurt you. To think we would never find you in time was quite a disturbing thought I must say." The voice spoke with a tone of relief.
A woman appeared before Hitomi's mind's eye. She was foreign, but beautiful. Her long ebony locks flowed gently to her ankles, and her violet eyes shined brightly in her heart shaped face. There was a red marking tattooed on the woman's left cheek. Hitomi had never seen anyone like her before. The woman was bare foot, her forearms were wrapped in leather, and she wore an airy three-tiered skirt with metallic, apparently antique, jewelry inscribed with old runes. Hitomi started to wonder if she was a gypsy or, perhaps, a witch. The woman's red lips gave a small smile.
"I am neither." She spoke again.
Hitomi stopped her train of thought at the woman's sudden answer. Did she just read her mind? No, impossible. Mind readers and psychics don't exist in the Gaia.
"Of course we do dear, or else I wouldn't be here in front of you." Said the woman, shocking Hitomi.
"That's impossible!" Hitomi shouted, frightened by the sound of her own voice's echo in the haze.
"Oh you'd be surprised how possible it is." the woman said loftily as she approached Hitomi.
"…what do you want?" Hitomi asked defensively.
"My name is Faeore. Your training must begin soon."
Hitomi, confused, looked back at the woman. "…my training?"
"Yes, dear. Your training as a mystic."
"…a mystic?" Hitomi questioned as the word sank in.
"Well yes. Mystics, you see, are beings with mystical powers, hence the name M-"
"I am well aware of what Mystics are." Hitomi spoke with a hard edge. "I have no desire to be trained as one." Now she had to get rid of this woman. Faeore looked puzzled for a moment before a realization dawned on her.
"He didn't tell you..."
"I've been told enough about mystics and their ways. They are blood thirsty creatures only showing their faces during wars." Hitomi retorted, trying to push the intruder out of her mind. Faeore looked at her with an incomprehensible look on her face as she her appearance became bleary due to Hitomi's efforts.
"My, my" said Faeore dryly. "Just how much have they poisoned your mind?" She countered Hitomi's efforts and made herself clearer.
"Truth is not poison."
"True, unless that poison hides beneath a mask of truth. That it is the most deadly." Faeore countered. "I had hoped your father had told you what you are, but it seems not. To think that you would call, not only yourself, but your mother a blood thirsty creature."
"My mother…?" Hitomi's temper flared and she pushed against the woman more intensely. Hitomi had been through a lot in the past two days and reached her limit. "How dare you! Don't you dare drag my mother's name through mud with your lies!"
"Getting angry is not going to change the truth." Faeore said calmly while countering Hitomi's efforts, but also beginning to fade.
"Truth?!? You've invaded my mind, announced yourself to be a mystic, and I'm simply supposed to accept the truths that you are trying to feed me? What would a blood thirsty savage know about truth?"
"You are allowing your ignorance and anger to cloud your judgment." Said Faeore against the strain. This only seemed to ignite Hitomi's anger more.
"Don't you insult me!"
"Silence child!" The woman snapped. Hitomi felt a wave of power knock her over. Faeore's appearance became clearer than crystal. "You do not know what babble you speak. I would highly suggest that you listen and listen well." Hitomi remained silent. She had no choice but to listen.
"What could you possibly know about our clan? What do you know about your mother? You were far too young to truly know her and our people!" The words struck Hitomi deeply. "We Mystics had kept ourselves hidden for many centuries, showing our skills to the few that were in desperate need of our help. We stayed away from foolish matters as kingdoms and war games. Whenever a country begged us to aid them in their battle, we had always refused them! Until one country could not take no for an answer and simply captured us and used our powers against our will." The anger seemed to escape from Faeore in waves, and Hitomi felt a pressure push her into the ground. "Other countries followed suit, and once the wars were over, we were the ones blamed for all of the destruction! We, who were pitted against our own families, who endured torture and violence! Few were able to escape the wars, and once they did, they hide themselves from any human contact. The others were left to die in captivity. And still whenever a war begins countries will comb through forests to try and find the few of us that remain. Your mother had escaped to Kiaura in order to avoid being captured 25 years ago." Faeore paused, staring Hitomi down. There was silence as Hitomi felt Faeore's anger ebb.
"…I can't…" Hitomi started.
"She gave life to you." Faeore continued softly, ignoring Hitomi's attempt at words. "She must have been very relieved that you did not show any signs of our gifts when you were a child."
Hitomi looked at Faeore's face. She had dealt with liars before and knew what gave them away, but there was so much sincerity and pride in Faeore's eyes that Hitomi could not deny that the woman was telling the truth. Hitomi looked away. She could accept the woman's story about the Mystics, but to believe that she and her mother…this was not something she wanted to believe.
"Whether you believe it or not, it does not change the fact that it is true." Faeore replied dryly. Hitomi looked at her incredulously. Faeore shrugged her shoulders. "While I'm in your mind I can read your thoughts. There's not much I can do about it" Hitomi decided not to respond to that confession.
"… I don't have powers." Said Hitomi.
"Goodness child, then how on Gaia did you manage to get into the Adon Forest? Even if you truly desired to, you could not simply walk from Kiaura to here in so little time as you did. This journey takes a minimum of a day and a half by levi ship."
"…a foreign light picked me up." Hitomi explained in defense.
"You summoned that light. Do not tell me that you were so overwhelmed by grief that you have as yet to realize what you have done."
Hitomi looked away. She didn't have to answer. Faeore sighed. She could feel that Hitomi's mind was closing itself to her now. She would not accept that she and her mother had mystic blood.
"Forgive me. I do realize that this is a very horrible time to be giving you such news. After what has occurred just in the past two days and the impact of your father's death… It is unfair of me to have expected that after something like that, your mind would be open to more life defining news." Faeore whispered apologetically as she bowed.
Hitomi looked up at the woman. Faeore's words were sincere, that much could not be denied. However, Hitomi was not ready to believe her.
"Thank you, but…I'm sorry. I just can't." Hitomi whispered. Faeore gave Hitomi a small smile that spread a wave of warmth throughout her mind. Hitomi felt it engulf and comfort her.
"I know, but you will in time. So I ask that you do not dismiss my words. You have a strong power coursing through you, a power that must be tamed." Hitomi felt Faeore's presence starting to fade. She was leaving now. "Until we meet again Hitomi, should you need aid then call us, we will do what we can. Your kin will as well." She whispered as the fog suddenly wrapped around her.
"My…kin?"
The foreign pressure lifted and released Hitomi.
"Um… excuse me, Hitomi." The young wolf called Hitomi breaking her trance. The wolf man was looking at her with a very worried look. He must had been calling her for a while now.
"Oh! I'm sorry, I was…lost in thought." Hitomi quickly said.
"You don't look very well. Do you need to rest more?" The young wolf asked with concern. Hitomi smiled at him and shook her head.
"No, at this point I doubt that sleep will help me any." Said Hitomi as she pushed back the strange vision from her mind. Then, something that Faeore had mentioned in the vision clicked in her mind. "Haru, can you tell me something?"
"Hm?"
"Where on Gaia am I?"
"…where are you? You're here, in the forest of Adon of the Western Plains."
" The Western Plains…I'm in Haddon country?!" she said loudly in shock. This was bad. Haddon was one of the few rural countries nearby Freid, Fanelia's ally. She might as well have been in enemy territory.
"Yes." Haru said, surprised by Hitomi's outburst. "Is that bad?"
"It might be."
(The Fanelian Castle)
Stumbling in the corridors, Van went haphazardly in search of a place to rest his weary mind. Staying in his own chambers was not much of an option. The wench was still there, snoring, taking advantage of his brief moment of misguided lust. He probably could have ignored, it but since he already had a splitting headache, he had no tolerance for her snores.
"Ugh, mornings." Van mumbled under his breath as he walked in the dark hallway at the far end of the castle. His voice sounded raspy and drowsy.
"I see you bedded another woman after you got drunk." A voice said dryly. Van looked up to find a man with messy blue hair, which was parted on one side and blocked his right eye. Despite his rugged and grimy outlook, from constantly working in the outside world, there was a sense of calmness about him.
"Gaddes." Van mumbled, relieved. He knew very well what would happen if anyone else caught him in this state, and he had no shred of patience to deal with it. The servants had trouble keeping themselves from spreading outrageous rumors. Van then felt a painful pulse in his throat. He reached for his throat and rubbed it in an attempt to soothe it. Gaddes smiled at him.
"Yeah, its just me, your highness. Those rumors are just going to fly now that you bedded your second woman." Gaddes said lightly as he leaned against the wall.
"People will talk no matter what I say or do. You sleep with one woman before you are wed and immediately they believe you are a depraved animal. I cannot control my actions when drunk." Van muttered with a shrug as he sat next to Gaddes. Gaddes lightly laughed at the King's misfortunes.
"Unfortunately its true. People will think what they want to think. They think they know the truth, when they only have opinions that were found in their asses." Gaddes said serenely.
"Women seem to be the best at that." Van said he rubbed the bridge of his nose. His voice was sounding worse than it did before.
"Women are able to control people's fate with a few simple, but malicious words, it seems." Gaddes said jokingly. "However, its usually the lower class that does such things. Those of higher breed do not necessarily condone such actions since they themselves may become subjective to it."
"That is quite the lie, Gaddes. Aristocrat women are just as bad with gossip. If anything, they are much worse. They are simply quieter about it." Argued Van.
"Is that so?"
"Women seem to think that access to better education and social mobility can justify their behavior. No matter what they believe, though, men with power, like myself, still consider that sort of behavior to be in such bad taste." Van said with a sneer.
"You don't seem to think too highly of women in general."
Van looked at Gaddes, considering for a moment what he just said.
"There has not been one good example of a good woman in my experience. So, I suppose, yes. I do not think much of women. I think they are rather petty." He spoke seriously.
"No example of a good woman?" Gaddes repeated amusedly. Van shook his head to reiterate his argument.
"None."
"What about your mother?" Gaddes asked. An immediate silence fell between the two men. Gaddes closed his eyes. Not a good question he realized.
"I rather we not get into that discussion at the moment, Gaddes." Van said stiffly.
"Of course, forgive me, your highness." Gaddes said curtly with a bow. Van looked annoyed.
"Gaddes, you are a good friend so please do not annoy me further with such formalities." Gaddes looked at Van and gave a light chuckle.
"Yes, of course. How forgetful of me."
"Do you have any news from the battlefront?" asked Van, changing the subject.
"Nothing new to report, I'm afraid. Allen says that Egzardia is not letting up on either side of the wall. The other fronts are just as difficult. Do you plan on aiding another attack again?"
"No, the advisors are dead against such a thing. They believe they will fall eventually."
"Well, the men think so, as well. However, the countries are proving very difficult. No matter how many battles we win, they just keep coming at us. Though, we should have expected it from an alliance that has Egzardia in it."
"How troublesome. The casualties?"
"Equal on both sides." Gaddes reported.
"Perhaps it would be better for me to go on another attack. I had assumed that once Kiaura was done with, Egzardia would come to its senses."
"Well, the spies are thinking that perhaps there's a stronger treaty between Egzardia and Kiaura than we had previously thought."
"A stronger treaty?"
"A marriage treaty."
"Ah, that may be very troublesome." Van sighed. "Aside from me, Kiaura's prince is also one of the few available princes around. No wonder they are desperate to help. Are they aware that we have the prince?"
"They are, that's why there's an extra push. They are trying to make you desperate. Trying to strike a bargain with you, and include the prince to keep you from taking away Kiaura's resources. Of course, they are also hoping that he'll escape on his own."
"Quite the ordeal we have at the moment." Van noted. He looked up at the torch that glowed on the high wall across from him, watching the flame dance slowly. The wild tongues licked greedily at the air it depended on. "Gaddes, how many people lived in Kiaura?"
"Roughly under five hundred thousand Van, it's a rather small population for a kingdom."
"How many of them have we captured?"
"Perhaps, a little over a quarter of them. A good number of them had already evacuated before the attack and according to reports, less than half fell in battle. Why do you ask?"
"I may have found a way to get the prince to agree to sign a treaty before Egzardia gets out of our control." Van said as the light dawned on him. His throat began to hurt him again, and he let out a cough.
"Perhaps you would like to see the healers?" Gaddes suggested.
"It is not important enough for a visit." Van said with a shrug as he stood up.
"Then at least get yourself to your bed. I'm aware of how dreadful hangovers are, despite your impeccable act." He said knowingly as he shook his head. Van wasn't listening. "I could always inform the council of your current health situation. I'm sure that they would love to assist me." Gaddes said with a small smirk. Van glowered at him.
"I do not have any fear of the council." He scowled.
"No, but they are annoying enough to make you hide yourself in the pubs." Gaddes grinned.
"You seriously think that you can manipulate me? You may be a friend, Gaddes, but I do advise that you watch where your feet land. " Van rose up, turning away from him.
"Where are you headed, your highness?" Gaddes asked, still somewhat amused, as he followed the young king.
"You have seem to perfected the art of annoyance. I will take myself elsewhere I can relax my mind without disturbances." Van said as he continued.
"Your highness, if your mind needs rest then please take yourself to your chambers. Then we can both be satisfied." Gaddes suggested with an exasperated voice. Van was a stubborn man. That trait was helpful for a leader, but for a person it was debatable.
"I would prefer not. There is a disturbance in my chambers at the moment. A very loud one." Van said right before yawning. Gaddes lightly shook his head.
"Ah you mean the-"
"Wench." Van finished. Gaddes frowned at this word.
"Yes, well that is not an issue. I had her leave your room. The maids already came; they cleaned and changed your sheets. There is no longer a disturbance." Gaddes finally said as he walked with Van. Van looked at Gaddes with a bit of surprise. How had so much been done in such a small amount of time?
"This is the second time it happens and you already have a protocol ready? You treat me as though I have been engaging in these acts for years. How did you do all this before you came into this hall?" Van asked with a questioning brow.
"The guards informed me that there was someone in your room. They concluded that it was a woman after hearing some very…interesting noises. Knowing your disposition from the previous incident, I gave them the order to send the woman home and the maids on cleaning duty once you left the chambers. Admittedly, they were a bit fearful of such an order. They thought you were enjoying yourself." Gaddes finished.
"Ah, Gaddes you make life slightly more bearable." Van said with an amused tone as he now headed towards his chambers. "I am most fortunate that you have become stationed here."
"Thank you for the compliment, your highness." Gaddes said in a somewhat mocking tone. "You do realize that you must do something about your tolerance towards women. It would keep your advisors from constantly heckling you if you produced a proper heir." Van scoffed at this suggestion. Gaddes shook his head. Van had too much of a bad impression of women to get over his prejudices.
"I will deal with that when the time comes." Van said coldly. It did not sound as if he ever planned to deal with it. Gaddes did not feel up to arguing with him about the virtues of a woman in ones life. It was not something that could be expressed in words to be wasted on Van. When they reached the royal wing, Gaddes stopped walking.
"Well, then, I will see you some other time, your highness." Gaddes excused himself. Van nodded.
"Of course."
Van continued to enter his chambers. Gaddes was true to his word. The wench was gone and the room was cleaned. He walked to the large bed that stood in the center of the room and chose not lie down, but sit. He looked around his chamber. It was the largest in the entire castle. Delicate designs covered the angelic, opal ceiling and carpeted floor. The large windows led out to a balcony with a perfect view of the kingdom. Across from the bed was a fireplace with a marble carved mantle and gold details. Fresh logs were already burning as the onset of winter's chill began to settle in. Van's eyes strayed to the objects that hung above the magnificent fireplace. There were three paintings. Both the right and left painting were gifts from some of Fanelia's and Asturia's famous artists. In the center rested the third painting, or so it seemed by its shape. A heavy, red tapestry obscured the third painting. He could have taken that painting down, locked it up somewhere, or even possibly have burned it. However, some unwilling force inside him always stopped him.
"Mother."
(Author's Note)
I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in a year! It wasn't supposed to go like that but college just got very stressful and I got busy during the summer, I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner I promise!! Btw, one more chapter and that will be it of the old chapters that I had written five years ago. I'll actually have to start coming up with what's going to happen in the story now. Well that is sure to be fun.
Sereneblaze.