A/N: Here's some background on the baddies, as well as a bit of V/H fluff before shit gets serious. Well ok, that's an understatement. I got carried away and it's pretty citrusy at some point. Sorry, not sorry. You have been warned! For the gentle souls among you, I will insert some ooo so you can skip that part in case reading such things offends you. Don't complain later on if you choose to disregard this or never read my notes.
~~Zaibach~~
"Leave us!" Empress Zita's booming voice reverberated off the polished metal walls of the throne room. The courtiers scurried to follow the gold-clad woman's demand and soon, she was alone with general Gain and the individual he had brought before her.
"Majesty." He addressed her. "The sorcerers were able to capture one of the Basram energist engineers during a direct attack on their laboratories. We have been very successful since the mishap at the shallow sea.
General Gain pulled the man closer to the throne by his arm and leaned heavily on the cane by his side. The engineer followed with his head held high. Zita descended the throne slowly, releasing her wide cloak to let it fall on the stairs and reveal the heavy fabrics of her golden dress and metal corset boning underneath.
The man bound by chains, tall and seemingly unyielding, regarded her with disdain. His pale face, although tired and unshaven, still reflected his high intelligence.
She unlatched the clasps on her iron corset and groaned in relief as her midsection now slumped slightly under the weight of her own upper body. Not an ounce of weakness was to be shown in front of the courtiers. 'Fashion', they had called it when she had started to wear the corset and the antique looking spectacles. Symbols of dedication and wisdom befitting her role as the Zaibach Empress. She had been designed to bring this country back to its former glory, and eventually to rule all of Gaea. She couldn't afford to be regarded as imperfect.
Truthfully, she was a prisoner in her own body. A test tube human without a mother or a father, magically engineered to come to life and supposedly perfect. She snorted in a much too undignified way at the thought of this. Her body was decaying, the magic draining from it slowly and nobody but her and the high council of sorcerers knew it. She had to remain strong.
Decaying magic was a process not even the best of her sorcerers could prevent. She stepped up close to both men and unbuttoned the dress on the side of her upper body, pulling it down to reveal her bare midsection between the skirts and bustier.
The engineer gasped when he saw the decomposing flesh. Small amounts of rotten magic were oozing near her ribs and all around to her spine where the bones were slowly being eaten away and too weak to hold her upright. It caused her constant pain.
"You have the ability to mend me. I know it." She said almost in a whisper, her tawny eyes narrowed as she focused on him. "War machines are not the only thing Basram has been working on. You have been experimenting with the use of your technology on humans!"
The man snarled. "We are not far enough advanced yet to replace human tissue or limbs and bone." He straightened up to his full height.
Zita got up in the man's face, close enough for him to react by concaving his body away from hers as the magic from her torso singed the folds of his cloak where she touched it. "Is that so? Then who else could?" She hissed.
"The Ispano…perhaps." He gulped, finally showing the fear he felt on the inside. Having rotting magic so near made his body shake with dread.
The Empress grinned at Gain and he immediately said. "Nobody knows how to call them, but we can trace the energy signatures of their mother ship if it appears somewhere."
Zita smiled, obviously pleased to know this. "Discard him. He is of no more use to us." She spat and stepped away.
"Yes, majesty." Gain nodded and pulled out a dagger. He unceremoniously rammed it into the man's back and twisted it painfully.
The engineer, not prepared for his sudden and untimely death, suffocated on his own blood with wide eyes.
"He lied about the status of their experiments. I know it." She growled. "He got what he deserved for denying it."
~~Fanelia~~
Hitomi walked through the hallways of the palace with more confidence now. Ever since the stubborn king and she were on the same terms about their feelings, she felt so much more at home. Today, however, she had remembered something else to worry about.
I just have to do it, although I don't fully know what it means. Kur has the right to know.
She found the falcon tower next to the palace and ascended its winding stairway to the top. Just as expected, Kur was with his birds at this time of the day. The top of the tower was open but covered with a small roof supported by wooden beams. Kur's arm was outstretched to catch one of the majestic animals coming back from a flight.
"Excuse me." Hitomi made her presence known. Several other birds were perched on wooden pedestals and in open cages.
He turned and bowed his head in greeting. "My lady. To what do I owe the honor of seeing you here?"
Oh, the formalities. She wondered if she would ever get used to it, as she moved closer.
"Your falcons are beautiful." She said as she looked the bird up and down. The animal was perched on Kur's hand and his huge talons dug into the thick fabric of a brown leather glove. His feathers were various shades of brown.
"This here," Kur said and ran his free hand down the animal's back affectionately, "is Hudson. He is a hawk."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Hitomi apologized.
"Not to worry. It is an easy mistake to make. A hawk is larger than a falcon and grabs its prey with the talons, while a falcon hunts with its beak." He explained.
"I had no idea." She admitted as the bird's black eyes seemed to watch her with curiosity.
"Hudson joined me when I left my… home. He has been with me ever since." Kur stroked the bird's back once again before walking to the ledge of the castle tower and throwing him back into the air. "Now, how can I be of assistance?"
Hitomi cleared her throat. " Okay… so the reason I'm here is that I need to tell you something that I saw. It happened the day you and I were at the lake."
He turned and looked at her."Yes?" Although his brown, shaggy hair covered most of his face, the curiosity was easy to see.
What is it with Van and him and the permanently messy hair?
Hitomi cleared her throat again in an attempt to find a good starting point. Somehow, the words she had prepared beforehand were gone.
"I guess there's not really an ideal way to say this. I saw you running up a long, winding flight of stairs. It looked like a tower. Not this one though… somewhere else. The stone and everything inside looked entirely different. At the top of the tower, you barged through a door….a door that wasn't locked."
His eyebrows rose slightly and the eyepatch moved with it, but he didn't interrupt her.
"Then…I don't know… the next thing I saw was you holding a baby with….blood everywhere." Hitomi finished, wringing her hands in front of herself nervously.
Kur stood a moment, mouth slightly open as if stunned into silence.
"Oh…and you were crying. Crying from sadness and…anger." She added uncomfortably. "I don't know what to make of it. I'm sorry." She looked at him, lips pressed together tightly.
He stood as still as a statue while looking at Hitomi or rather looking through her. His jaw was moving slowly as if he was grinding his teeth in thought.
"Kur?" Hitomi asked carefully. "What does it mean? Do you know?"
His eye finally focused on her again and he quietly said. "I… I think I know. It means… I must go. Thank you for this." He said as he brushed past her as politely as possible.
"Wait…this… just so you know, I have no idea when this will happen. It may be soon, or not for a long time! Anything you do might change it." She quickly told him.
"I do hope you are right, lady Hitomi." He said darkly as he disappeared down the stairs.
When he was gone, Hitomi threw her hands up in frustration. "Brooding men with shaggy hair! It must be a royal thing." As if to confirm her statement, one of the birds off to the side let out a high pitched cry before it busied itself again with the upkeep of its feathers.
A short while later, Hitomi was taking her time in the bath grotto. She sat leaning against the edge of the pool, listening to her music. After the dragon incident, she had made it a habit of taking it with her. Whenever there was nobody else, like this evening, she even sang along to a few songs.
Just as she was in the middle of such a song, the battery finally died. Oh no. Well… it was only a matter of time. I'm probably lucky it lasted this long. She wrinkled her lips sadly and removed the earplugs. The song was still fresh on her mind, so she picked up the verse again and continued to sing it.
Her voice was echoing off the walls more loudly than she had realized before. "Wow…I hope nobody heard me earlier." She quietly said to herself.
"Wow."
'Wow.'
'…ow.' Her voice echoed back to her from the walls. It made her think.
"Wow."
'Wow.'
'Wow.'
'…ow.' She repeated it more loudly and the echo came back stronger. Something clicked in her head.
That's… that's it! That's it! She quickly exited the pool and dressed. Why haven't I thought of this before?!
She walked through the hallways at a fast pace. Alright, this big meeting with all the vassals should be over. Van is probably in his study.
When she turned the corner of the long hallway that lead to the royal wing, she saw both Van and Kur stand by the open door. Van's hand was on Kur's shoulder and he nodded. "You have my permission to go."
Kur nodded with a relieved expression and was about to turn, but then Van added. "Ask Gajeel to come. He can provide protection when you cross the shallow sea."
With another short nod, she heard Kur say, "I will make my preparations and leave tomorrow morning." With that, he was off to the side and disappeared into the dark hallway around the other corner, his cloak trailing behind him.
Van turned his head when he saw Hitomi approach and one corner of his mouth quirked up, all worries forgotten for the moment. Likewise, Hitomi slowed her pace when the sight of him made her heart flutter a bit. He was in black breeches, but instead of the usual matching jacket, he wore a dark blue shirt with a tight looking, high collar and a deep red haori coat with gold trimming.
She had never seen him in anything but black. Having him stand before her in what she thought was probably his more official clothing, was entirely new to her. "Van you…" the words stopped coming out when she raised a hand to trace the golden coronet that circled his head. The intricate piece of royal jewelry was made to resemble two dragons with long bodies; their heads meeting in the middle of his forehead. Apart from two small garnets for eyes, there was no other embellishment.
"Dragon King." She whispered, still admiring the coronet.
Van chuckled and plucked her hand from his forehead gently. He turned it and brushed his lips against the palm, causing a small beat of pleasure to run straight to her heart.
"What do you need?" He didn't let go of her hand and looked at her like it was the most normal thing to treat her like a woman of noble birth.
Well, I guess he's had a lot of time to practice his poker face.
"I need to speak to you about something," Hitomi said.
Nodding, he pulled her into the room and closed the door. Before she could begin to speak, Van's lips gently brushed hers. His arms were around her waist and her hands held on to the front of his haori coat automatically. The kiss was chaste, but it still caused a healthy flush on both their cheeks.
"So?" Van asked as their lips separated, still holding her in his arms.
"So?" Hitomi asked in confusion.
"There is something you wanted to speak to me about?" One corner of his mouth raised in amusement. It made his normally stoic face look even more handsome.
I wonder when exactly he became so titillating over the years.
"There is!" Hitomi answered in realization. "But first, where is Kur going?"
Van released his hold on her and removed Hitomi's hands from the front of his coat. He held them in his. "I don't know if I should tell you that."
"I talked to him earlier…about a vision I had. The vision was about him." She assured him.
"I know," Van said quietly, avoiding her stare.
"Please Van. Tell me." She tried to meet his eyes. "It could be dangerous for him to go wherever this vision is supposed to come true."
"Without a doubt." He sighed. "But he would have probably left even without my permission." He finally met her eyes with his, and almost looked sad. "He went to free his sister."
"I didn't know he had a sister." Hitomi squeezed Van's hands more tightly. "Wait. Is she pregnant?"
All Van could do was nod.
"Where is she?" Hitomi asked.
"In Egzardia," Van said gravely. "Kur is going to Egzardia to save his sister from her brutal husband, king Jekt. When the conflicts between Basram and Zaibach began, Inanna was quickly married to him. She was still just a child then ..."
Hitomi pulled one of her hands out of Van's grasp, only to touch it to her forehead in realization. "By the gods, I should have remembered. Merle told me this the night I arrived here. She said Basram and Egzardia are linked by a political marriage. I never thought to ask for details."
Van nodded again. "Most of the energists Basram uses come from Egzardian mines. It was the only way to guarantee their loyalty as well as a continued, steady supply of energists for their experiments and weapons."
"Energists!" Hitomi's head shot up again when she remembered. "This is what I came to talk to you about in the first place."
She pulled her other hand from his and removed the dull ring from her index finger. Holding it up between them she said. "It's dead. I need something new. It's that easy." She explained. "The pendant isn't strong enough for my powers anymore. I think what it really does is it amplifies them. My powers were inside of me the whole time I was on earth, but they were weak because the pendant was far way, here with you. Then I got the ring and suddenly was able to do so much more. The other day at the shallow sea, I had both pendant and ring. That was the strongest I've ever felt. I didn't feel any pain after and I didn't faint. I think if I can get a new one, my powers can be amplified again."
Van walked over to the fireplace and turned his back towards her. "Hitomi it's not that easy." One of his hands came to rest on the mantle above as he leaned on it and stared into the flames.
She followed him. "Why?"
"First off, we don't have a craftsman in Fanelia who can work with energists." He spoke quietly. "Second, we don't have any mines here and energists are hard to come by in this part of Gaea. That's why I had to go through the rite of dragon slaying." He sighed heavily. "And third..."
"And third?" She asked.
He turned around surprisingly fast and his hands were on the sides of her face. "And third…" he mumbled as he placed a soft kiss on her forehead. "I don't want you to endanger yourself any further. Can you imagine…" His eyes darkened as he focused on her intently "…what was going through my head when I saw you on the ship, so close to that dragon…and then when you fell?"
Hitomi pulled his hands from her face and interlaced her fingers with his. "Van. I don't know what to tell you except that I love you, and I want nothing more than to forget all of this and just be happy and carefree. To… to stay here with you and grow old together. But…"
There. She had said it out loud. Without having mulled it over for the hundredth time, her heart had finally made her speak the words instead of her brain. However, the impact was lost on both of them because of what she said next.
"…but if we don't do something…if we don't at least try, then there won't be any place for us to be happy in."
Van swallowed slowly when he saw the pleading look in her eyes. He finally nodded in defeat. "I will send a falcon to Palas. Perhaps Dryden has an idea."
His fingers were splaying against her lower back as they hugged tightly. He was torn between the love he felt for the woman in his arms and the love for his people, country, and all of Gaea. If only I had been born a lesser man, I wouldn't have to make such decisions. At this moment, for the first time in years, he resented his office.
"I'm sorry Hitomi, but I have some papers to go through now. Even in times of war, there are proposals to read and trade agreements to review." He said quietly.
Hitomi tightened her hold on him for a moment, before she let him go reluctantly. "It's alright Van." She said as she pulled away. "What are the odds that I can have you to myself for a while later this evening? I have something else to ask of you."
"And what will that be?" He asked, his face still masked with a dark expression.
"You will see." She said sheepishly, trying to lift his mood. "Just meet me in the library."
"Alright." He agreed.
With that, she reached around his head again to pull him into another soft kiss. Van didn't have time to take hold of her again before she was already at the door and closed it from the outside.
Van stood for a moment and looked at the solid door. I don't even deserve her. He thought with a sigh, moved over to his table mechanically and reached for a small strip of parchment to write the message to Dryden.
Later, Hitomi was at the window in the library watching the evening sky as it turned from a dark orange to a soft, dark blue. She was deep in thought about the current state of things on there was a soft knock on the door, she turned to see Van enter and her face lit up instantly.
"Hey." She said.
"Hey." He responded, looking ever so handsome.
He had changed into a pair of comfortable, short breeches and his casual, dark haori jacket. The same clothes he wore the night she confronted him in his study. This time, the jacket was tied neatly.
Hitomi walked over to one of the shelves and pulled out the heavy book with the gold lettering and illustrations she had looked at before. She brought it to the sitting area and motioned for Van to join her.
"I wanted to ask you to read this to me. I…still don't know how to read Gaean. Maybe you could teach me some?" She asked hopefully.
It was his soft smile that made her heart swell these days. It was rare and only reserved for her. Just when he sat down next to her, she saw him do it again. "I will." He said as he settled into the cushions close to her.
He draped one of his arms across the back of the bench behind her and opened the book on her lap. His index finger pointed the words out to her. "It's a history book. The title is 'The Destiny War'. This means destiny and this means war. We read from left to right."
Hitomi nodded and turned the page as he began to explain some of the more common symbols to her. She learned to identify the symbols for words like Gaea, king, Escaflowne, seeress, sword, and vision. After pointing them out to her, Van would read a passage and then let her try to remember anything she could in the following lines.
On the other side of the door, Merle was about to knock. Before her knuckles touched the wood, she halted as her large ears twitched. She picked up soft voices behind the door and it caused her to re-evaluate the importance of her intended visit. I guess this isn't as important after all. She purred in satisfaction.
Mind made up, she turned and left to wander through the dark hallways like so many nights, until she picked up a different kind of much louder noise further away and decided to investigate. She finally found the source of the rummaging sounds behind a half-open pantry door on a floor level close to the basements.
Strange, normally the servants are a lot more discreet and quiet. Besides, they usually retire after sundown. She thought as she pulled the door open completely. Only there wasn't a servant in there. It was Gajeel. He was pushing aside bottles and other kinds of containers, obviously searching for something.
Crossing her arms over her chest, Merle cleared her throat soundly. Gajeel turned his head briefly and seemed to only be mildly surprised at seeing her. "Yes, my lady general?" He asked and immediately busied himself again with his search.
His clothes, for once, were dry since the small, frozen lake in the gardens didn't seem to entice him to swim. He had complained many times before about how shallow it was. His breeches actually fit, and he was wearing boots and a shirt. A rare sight.
"What is it that you think you are doing here?" She asked accusingly and shifted her hips to move her weight from one leg to the other.
He seemed to finally have found what he was looking for and brushed past Merle without straightening up the mess he had made during his search. She followed his long strides to another door further down, which he opened to let himself in.
"I wanted a drink, " he shrugged nonchalantly as he entered the small, rustic room. It was furnished with a sturdy set of table and chairs, as well as some cabinets; a room for servants to rest and eat.
"Is that so?" She asked as she followed him and quickly snatched one of the bottles out of his hand. She looked at it, grumbling. "That's Zaibach Votka. You do realize how hard it is to come by this particular kind these days, right?"
He shrugged as he sat down the other supplies on the table and moved to find some glasses. "Seeing as how we are about to experience another outright war soon, it would be a shame to let it come to waste."
"Care to join me for a drink?" He asked as he set two goblets on the table.
Merle set the bottle down and let her tail swish back and forth for a moment in thought. "I suppose." She finally answered and sat in one of the chairs, propping her long legs up on the edge of the table. "I'll have a White Rewski. No Vodka, no kava liquor."
Gajeel chuckled in honest amusement. "A goblet of cream for the lady it is."
Hitomi did well, considering it was her first time learning the new symbols. She was surprised at how patient Van was, but the productivity of the lesson stalled more and more as his head drew closer towards the side of hers and she could feel the heat of his body against her arm and side. His teaching voice was distractingly seductive.
After another short while of listening to his soft tenor next to her ear, she closed the book. "Van. I'm tired."
"I see," he said with what Hitomi could have sworn was a hint of disappointment. "I will walk you to your room." He took the book from her lap to return it to its place on the shelf.
"Van," Hitomi said as she rose from the spot they had just spent the past two hours at. "I was hoping…if it's okay with you…I'd like to come with you tonight." She was playing with the fabric of her dress between her fingers. "I just…want to be with you tonight."
Van's heart skipped a beat at the question. Of course, he wanted her to. He had been thinking about it many times in the past days, heck the dark parts of his mind had him thinking about it since the first night she returned. He wanted nothing more than to share his bed with her.
In typical Van fashion, he simply looked at her from beneath the bangs of his ebony hair and gave a slight nod. He held her hand as they walked just a few doors down to where the royal bedchambers were. All the while, his thumb was drawing small circles on the back of Hitomi's hand. It caused a pleasant tingling sensation to spread all over her body.
The antechamber of his bedroom was twice the size of hers and had two doors on opposite sides. He led her through the one on the right. The room was furnished nicely and an inviting fire was already crackling in the fireplace on the far side. A large canopy bed with a side table was set close to it.
Close to the side of the bed, she noticed the royal sword resting against the table. "Still sleeping with this always close by?" Hitomi asked when she saw it.
Van simply nodded again. She pulled him with her as she walked closer to the bed and stopped when she stepped out of her slippers and onto the soft, cream-colored furs that were draped before it. Her toes sank into the fluffy material and it reminded her a bit of his wings.
She faced him and stood for a moment, waiting to see if he would make the first move. He didn't. It seemed as if he was frozen in place. His garnet eyes, however, gave away his thoughts. Van was longing to touch her.
Hitomi laughed softly. "You weren't this hesitant that one night in your study."
Van shut his eyes in obvious discomfort. "I apologize for that. I don't know what came over me then." He finally opened his eyes again and reached for her face. His hand gently cupped her cheek. "I suppose I just couldn't resist touching you."
Hitomi smirked as she reached for the ties of his haori jacket and unlaced them. She pushed the fabric off his shoulders and the garment fell to the floor. Next, she did something more unexpected. She reached around her neck to remove the pendant.
Hitomi got on her tip toes and brought the necklace down over his head so the pendant rested against his chest again. "Here, it's yours. I just needed to borrow it." Hitomi said quietly and leaned close to press her lips against his warm, tan skin next to the small, pink stone.
Van couldn't remain still anymore. He once again cradled her face in his hands and leaned down to lock his lips with hers in a sweet kiss, the pendant swinging back and forth between them in perfect rhythm.
A soft noise escaped Hitomi's throat and in response, Van trailed his hands down the side of her neck and pushed the fabric of her red kimono dress away from her shoulders as far as possible. His lips followed his left hand and he bestowed slow, open-mouthed kisses on the side of her neck.
"Mmmh, Van." She exclaimed and reached for him. Her hands came to rest on the waistband of his breeches and she let her fingers explore the muscles of his lower stomach all the way to the side of his hips.
"Please Van. I…I need for us to be closer." She begged.
In response, he wound one of his arms around her waist to pull her against himself tightly. His lips worked their way back up and their mouths met in a series of short, heated kisses. "No… closer…please." Hitomi breathed in frustration.
She reached for the ties of her obi, but Van's hands were already there. He pulled at them and the sash under her breasts fell away as the fabric of her dress parted. She shrugged it off and Van was briefly reminded of the moment when he had done the same thing several fathoms under the sea.
This time, however, the occasion was so much more pleasant. She stood before him in the simple Fanelian style underclothing. A loose fitting combination of short, white shorts and a camisole. The shapes of her perky nipples were clearly visible through the thin fabric. His fingers were aching to touch them, to rub them and tease them until she moaned his name.
Hitomi was the first one to move again. She took his warm hand in hers and pulled him with her to the bed. He followed willingly and slowly lowered himself next to her, leaning on one arm as he hovered over her. What was this beautiful woman doing to him? He allowed his other hand to settle on the backside of her thigh. The softness of her skin was a welcome change to the feeling of a sword handle. The rough skin of his hand sent a shiver down Hitomi's spine.
ooo
She responded by pulling his head towards hers again, this time with her fingers tangled in his hair. The soft pull on his scalp caused something in his brain to snap and he greedily brought his lips against hers. Her hot breath against his mouth was tantalizing, so he used the hand on her leg to pull it across the side of his hip. His lips again strayed from their kiss as they wandered down the side of her neck, briefly stopping to nip at her shoulder and then went lower, towards the loose neckline of her thin camisole.
Small noises of pleasure escaped her throat when he gently kissed the swell of her small breasts through the fabric. He was teasing her, Hitomi's clumsy thoughts told her. She felt the vibrations of his chuckle against her breast. "Van…please…" She whispered.
Her fingers dug into his scalp and the top of the muscles at the base of his neck. Feeling her nails gently rake across his skin spurred him on and he finally enveloped one of her hard nipples with his lips through the fabric. It didn't take long until she was moaning his name.
Van's excitement was growing painfully and Hitomi could feel it through his breeches against her thigh. However, he seemed to be less worried about his own state of arousal as he kept his ministrations focused on her. His mouth was leisurely working on one of her nipples, teasing it through the damp fabric. When he felt like he had bestowed enough attention on one, he tilted his head and switched to the other.
Hitomi could only respond with moans of pleasure and by wrapping her leg around him more tightly. His hand was running up and down the length of it and he marveled the strength it held. She felt powerful. She always had been. He had been fascinated by her long, well-shaped legs since they first met. The short skirt of her school uniform had done little to hide them back then and it was difficult for him to not be caught staring sometimes.
Now, her legs were even more superb. In fact, all of her had grown more impressive. Van was in a daze. His hand had a mind of its own as it kept tracing back up higher and higher on her leg until he was grasping the firm cheek of her bottom. Instead of being surprised, she urged him on. His fingers complied and followed the heat that was pooling between her legs.
She moaned his name loudly as he found her moist lips. The warm, sticky trail of her arousal was already collecting in the soft curls around her center. His fingers were coated in it after one pass through her folds. She was now begging his name, her eyes unfocused. He raised his head to see her reaction as two of his fingers slowly entered her.
The flush on Hitomi's face was hottest on her cheeks as his rough fingers slowly caressed her. In and out they went, pausing to rub the little, sensitive nub swimming in cream. The actions of his fingers became more urgent as she begged him, gasping his name.
When she came, he eased his fingers into her deeply, reveling in the feeling of her release. He drew out the sensation longer for her by gently pushing against the sensitive nub. He enjoyed the feeling of her nails digging deeply into his skin in response. She shuddered and pushed her hips against him tightly, and her mouth slightly agape in a soft moan.
The movement reminded him of his own excitement, but right now he wanted it to be about her. He wanted to please her and giver what he could, instead of just taking what he wanted. It wasn't that he didn't know how to please a woman, but with the others, he had never worried about any feelings they could possibly be harboring towards him.
After she calmed, he retracted his hand and settled onto his back. Hitomi responded by removing the leg from around his hip and rested her head on his warm chest. Van's heartbeat against her cheek was soothing. It made her more and more drowsy. One of his hands was high up on her back under the fabric of her camisole; the other hand was clutched around one of hers. His grip on it was pleasantly possessive and she smiled at the feeling.
"Van…" She mumbled.
"Shhh…go to sleep, Hitomi." He gently whispered against the side of her head.
"Mmmh…" She responded weakly as one of her fingers lazily traced the outline of his abdominal muscles where they disappeared underneath the fabric of his breeches.
ooo
Like so often during the night, Van woke abruptly when pictures of the war flashed in his head. He got up briefly and stretched his back. Hitomi was curled up on her side facing away from him and he allowed himself a moment to just watch her sleep. She looked content and at peace.
With a sigh, he released the curtains of the green canopy and stored her clothes in one of the dressers. He rarely used the curtains as he was normally up by the time one of the maids or Merle knocked on his door. Just to be safe, and being considerate of Hitomi's privacy, he pulled the curtains to prevent an incident where they were found together.
After another moment of stretching his muscles, he ran one of his hands through his wild hair and settled back into the bed. Her warmth was incredibly inviting, so he carefully spooned his body against the back of hers, circling one arm around her waist and resting his hand on the soft skin of her midsection.
In the morning, Van was glad to have pulled the curtains when a knock sounded at the door. The pair was facing each other when they woke up and Van immediately lifted one of his fingers to Hitomi's lips in a sign for her to remain quiet. It wasn't that he wanted to be secretive about their relationship. Most of the palace already knew, but for somebody to find them in his chambers would definitely raise questions about the legitimacy of what they could be doing.
Loose protocols and tanistry aside, he was still the king and bearing a child out of wedlock would harm Hitomi's reputation. Although nothing had happened last night that gave him reasons for concern in this matter, it would be hard to convince whoever found them together this morning. An unnecessary discussion Van wished to spare himself and Hitomi.
Hitomi nodded slightly as she understood that he wanted her to keep quiet. "Yes?" He asked loud enough for whoever was on the other side of the door to hear.
"Good morning, brother!" Merle cheerfully called as she entered. It was highly unusual for Van to still be in bed at this time…or to draw the curtains of his canopy bed. She furrowed her brow until realization hit her. Then, a very broad smile formed on her beautiful face.
She smoothed some hair behind her large ears and said "Kur and Gajeel are leaving. They are bringing a small group of wind soldiers, and two of my men with them. Thought you should know."
Van answered immediately. "I will be there as fast as I can to see them off."
Merle giggled and skipped out of the room full of glee. "Wonderful." She was about to close the door behind her, before adding. "Oh and don't worry, Hitomi. I won't tell anybody." With that, she was gone.
Hitomi's eyes went wide as Van's finger slid off her lips. She bit her bottom lip as they both sat up slowly. "She won't," Van reassured her as he scratched the back of his head in slight unease.
He looked a bit forlorn, sitting there with the muted morning light casting his silhouette against the drapes. A bit forlorn, but terribly handsome. Hitomi blushed deeply when memories of the past night resurfaced, and what exactly they had done. Or more precisely, what he had done. She had no idea he was so skilled, but then remembered again that he hadn't been idle in that department during the past ten years. Not that she had been either.
Hitomi watched him disappear behind a screen to change back into his ever so monotone, black clothing. They arrived at the small levi ship field shortly after and Van helped her from his stallion after dismounting it first.
With the Varie being the fastest and most stealthy ship they still had at their disposal, Van had decided that Kur should take it. A handful of his soldiers, as well as two of Merle's army, were with him, Gajeel, Merle, and Darriah. They were traveling with light weapons only.
Nobody seemed to want to mention it, but the mission was dangerous, to say the least. The general idea was to cross the shallow sea as close to the surface of the water as possible, where Gajeel and the merpeople would provide cover in the event of hostile dragon encounters. Most of their attacks were limited to the water, but they could still provide assistance, should the need arise.
Since Fanelia had no need for ships that were confined to only water, Van and the merpeople of Repun had come to an agreement for mutual respect and help in times of need. This was more than any other diplomat or monarch on Gaea had been able to achieve before. Commanded by Gajeel, king Marduk's half-brother, the merpeople of Repun were Fanelia's water army when needed.
Van and Kur talked briefly before taking each other's wrists in a firm handshake, as was the custom. Van even moved close to Kur in a sort of half hug, resting his other hand on the other man's upper back. They had spent many years training and rebuilding Fanelia together, so it was harder than he liked to admit for Van to let Kur willingly embark on a quest that could possibly get him killed.
Van had no choice. Had he not allowed him to leave, Kur would have gone anyway, likely without support. Van out of all people understood Kur's need to rescue his sister. Merle and Darriah had offered to go along, but as much as Van wanted to provide more help, Fanelia's involvement in this mission could be seen as an outright provocation by Egzardia. It would have not only endangered the individuals in the group but the citizens of all Fanelia.
Hitomi, Van, Merle, and Darriah watched the Varie depart speedily. After the ship disappeared across the tall mountain cliffs, they made their way back to the palace. Hitomi rode with Van again and Merle was close by. Hitomi glanced at Merle out of the corner of her eyes and sighed as she saw the feline's obvious smirk. True to her word, she didn't say a word and soon departed with Darriah on their way to the training grounds.
Van was due to meet with Mek, the Chamberlain, to discuss several petitions pertaining new trade routes he had looked over the previous night. This left Hitomi to her own devices again. Tired of spending her time inside, she decided to simply walk the gardens around the palace, still making sure to not stray too far.
It was a beautiful day and although the sun was shining, she buttoned up the new coat as far as possible and lifted the hood onto her head. This new coat was almost identical to the one she had had to leave behind in the water.
Maybe, she mused sarcastically, that teal haired mermaid found it. Uh…no need to be jealous, Hitomi. She scolded herself. It's silly. You know how he feels about you now. Whatever there was between them in the past, it doesn't matter.
She stopped in a small, secluded clearing and inclined her head to see where her feet had brought her. They had carried her to Escaflowne and the monument that had been erected for Van's parents. She stood for a long time and looked at each little detail.
Goau and Varie's names were etched into the smooth, white stone. One name had been added that wasn't there the day she left. Folken's. Her heart began to ache at the thought of Van's family being buried right where she stood. She imagined again what it was like to meet Folken, to talk to him, and learn that he loved his brother despite everything. The love for a sibling. She had understood him all too well.
Hitomi turned her head to the side and looked at Escaflowne. The large, majestic machine was patiently resting on one knee, just like it had been for over a decade. Some vines had started to twist themselves around its body and it was covered in snow. Too much reminiscing. She couldn't take it anymore. Thick, wet tears slipped from her eyes and burned their way down her cold cheeks.
She wept for all of them, but most of all, she wept for Van. All his sorrows, his pain, his loss, and his sadness. His life had been marked by it early on when Folken presumably died, his father passed, his mother left, his home was destroyed, his mentor and people killed…and so much more. Too much death, not to mention the fact that he had been forced to take up arms and kill, too.
As her tears finally subsided, she wiped her face and decided that she needed to be strong for him. Whatever it was that she could do to help Gaea towards everlasting peace, she would do it. I'll do whatever it takes. No matter what happens to me. She made the silent promise while looking back at the monument.
Back at the palace, Van and Mek were standing at a table covered in scrolls. They were just about to sign a petition when loud rattling at one of the windows interrupted them. Van immediately walked over to open it, so the bird wouldn't break it with his impatient beak.
Van let the large hawk land on his lower arm and plucked the message canister from its leg. He ran the back of his hand down the animal's wing and mumbled "What are you waiting for, Hudson? Go. He probably needs you." Van tossed the bird back into the air and watched him disappear swiftly. His shrill cry sounded in the distance.
A small piece of parchment fell out of the container after he broke the seal. His heart rate quickened as he unrolled the narrow scroll. A single word appeared in Dryden's elaborate cursive.
'Ispano.'
Tbc...
Notes on ideas I borrowed:
Catwoman (2004). The party scene. (White Russian: Equal parts of cream, coffee liquor, and vodka).
Hudson Hawk (1991)