(Hello again! I hope you all liked the last chapter! I know it's been a while since I updated, but a lot has happened. I enjoyed Halloween with my friends by trick or treating for the last time,followed the same night by watching the movie Saw . Four days later I went to chili's and had my "one crazy senior vandalism night" with my friends by going on the interstate and writing an infinity symbol on an unmarked speed limit sign (which you can't see because the sign was so tall and so big that even with five people stacked on one another's shoulders we could barely reach the black border at the bottom of the sign) took my SA T's the next day and turned eighteen the day after that (hence the slight change in my pen name), got my license the week after that(I know, it's pathetic to be eighteen before you get your driver's license, even though you have a car), have a birthday party two weeks later on the eighteenth because almost everyone one you know has to have their party the convenient weekend after, (and to get an excuse to have a hoard of people go with you to go see the new Harry Potter movie... I know, I'm sad...) prepare for and celebrate the one day a year you can stuff your face with turkey legs and yams without shame, apply for college, get your letter jacket for band, (I should just give up my life for a new one under a rock by now huh?) buy presents for all your friends with no money, receiving a card from one person in return, (my friends are just sooooo generous!) play at church for midnight mass on Christmas and get ready for a new year's eve party for family which is ruined by my grandmother by falling and breaking her ankle as she left the bathroom, and spending the first hours of the new year waiting for your parents to get home from the emergency room, all the while searching desperately for the lost chapters of my fanfic as the time between updates grows from days to months.
But, I've finally given up on finding my old chapters, so I'll write them all over again. I hope you forgive the grammatical errors and enjoy!)
(P.s. I know. I'm long winded in my author's note but shamelessly short in my chapter. Please forgive me.
Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own demented thoughts and characters coupled with borrowed characters from a great anime, expressed to the typed word. So that means I own almost nothing. Don't sue, and please review!)
"Donte! What's going on? Tell me why there are guards around Van's and Hitomi's rooms! Where are they!"
XX
Merle had woken early that day to get a fresh start on taking Hitomi around town, but decided to get something to eat instead, because Hitomi would no doubt be with Van, who could show her the sites without help.
After a very tasty meal of fresh fruits she was exiting the dining room, a new idea forming in her head to take Hitomi's friend around town instead; she was eager to get to know this girl whose attachment with Hitomi was so great that Hitomi couldn't go here without her.
What's so great about her?
Despite her happiness at Hitomi's return, she couldn't help feeling a little jealous of this new girl for her close relationship to Hitomi, who she considered almost a sister to her Now.
If Van would just stop the shy crap...
But her usual thoughts for her adoptive brother's happiness were interupted again by the new girl from the mystic moon
Why did she bring her!
She was forced out of her envious reverie when the girl suddenly appeared before her looking slightly worried and a little annoyed.
"Have you seen Hitomi? I haven't seen her all morning, and I'm worried."
Trying to push down the sudden urge to smile at the girl's misfortune, Merle told her she was probably gone, and the girl left looking very disappointed and put-out.
Merle walked on, the happiness she felt slowly leaving her as she walked, until the bounce of her light feet were gone, replaced by and uncharacteristic shuffle.
Where is Hitomi? If her best friend doesn't know, who would?
She decided going to look for her at her room would be first on a very short list of places Hitomi could be.
Her anxiety increased as she walked, hearing whispers all around her in the corridors of an increase of guards to the King's private wing because of a commotion by or in Lady Hitomi's chamber, and soon those where accompanied by whispered thoughts of the King running around secretly throughout the castle in search of the person who had caused it. Someone he trusted. It seemed a traitor was in their mist.
To compound that sudden uneasiness this gossip left in her mind was that, of all the people she heard from, none had seen or heard anything about what had happened to Hitomi.
She reached the corridor, and sure enough several guards were stationed both at the entrance to the corridor and spaced along the walls on each side, at least three stationed at the doors of Hitomi and Van's rooms. She walked deliberately toward Hitomi's door, not expecting the guard in front of it to block her way. She pushed lightly against his shoulder and thought she would feel him step back. She wasn't prepared for him to push her roughly in her own shoulder with his, taking her off balance.
"We aren't allowed to let anyone else in the room at this time," the guard who pushed her said coldly, his head turned downward to watch her fall almost entirely backward from the push. His dark face was shrouded by the shadow his helmet played on it. Merle immediately blanched, first in surprise, but soon turned to anger.
The great affliction felt by this manner-less exclamation and manhandling was so great that she could hardly stop herself from immediately abusing he man before her. In fact she had to literally stop herself from physically attacking him. She forced herself to be civil, regardless of all her natural feeling.
"And who is this 'one other' of whom you speak?" She asked, brushing her shoulder with her hand gazing back at the man with fire in her haughty blue eyes.
She should be be proud of herself. A few years ago she would have used that hand to scratch his brick face to see if it bled.
"Lady Yukari Uchida of the Mystic Moon, ma'am." He replied, his expression unchanging as he stepped directly in front of the door again and looked down at her through his helmet, his eyes hidden.
Despite his being at least two heads taller and three times as broad, her desire to do him bodily harm grew at these agitating words.
Yukari!
She took a step forward and raised her arm again, a single claw drawn to a point on the forefinger she pointed at his chest. "Tell me sir, what is your name?"
He did not answer, and he remained as still as a stone for a moment before answering.
"My name is meaningless, just as your standing here is. I have been given orders from his majesty himself to not allow anyone else inside, including you Lady Merle, and I can not be persuaded otherwise."
It was as if she had been struck in the face. All her composure had left her with her last remaining nerve as she stared at the impertinent man before her.
She took another step forward and yelled, "Tell me sir, just who you think you are? Am I, His majesty King Van Slanzar de Fanel's adoptive sister, sister to the man you have sworn allegiance, not allowed admittance to my friend Lady Hitomi Kansaki's bedchamber?"
She hated using proper grammar and the unfeeling sentiments of a rich noble, but she thought it would recall in this man that he was her inferior, not the other way around.
It didn't help. If his countenance had changed, he portrayed nothing of it. He spoke slowly and deliberately, no emotion in his quiet voice, a sharp difference from her own, "I have not broken my vow to my king by not admitting you because, as I told you, I was ordered not to."
It was to much. She had to punch him then, if he wouldn't move. She stepped closer, making her outstretched hand into a fist as she went and was a mere inch from her barrier before another, independent, strong hand touched her shoulder.
More grabbed really, but who was interpreting?
She stopped and turned, fully prepared to punch whoever was brave enough to touch her in the face, and saw the overly bright eyes of Donte bore into her own. They seemed more yellow than green at this close range, as if two ignited midday suns above a lush meadow were staring at her instead of eyes.
She felt her arm lowering under his hand's pressure, and could feel her usually strong legs shake as if they could no longer hold her weight. She leaned her back unconsciously against his chest to regain balance.
"I'll tell you what's going on Merle." He whispered into her ear. His hand remained on her shoulder placed his other hand on her other shoulder and gently lead her away out of the corridor for another more private place to explain.
Her anger had left her. She felt numb disbelief at the guard's words and resentment and confusion towards Yukari. Van's favoritism for her over herself.
It's as if, she thought bitterly, I am left in front of a locked door, to which only Yukari has the key.