Intricacy of the Heart
Chapter: Twelve
Title: Oranges to Flirt
Author: Talia (Cascata)
Genre: Romance
Rating: R (for future)
Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne or any of its characters… I do own me.
Author's Note: Comical Relief coming up. Hope you enjoy it, this is a scene that got the whole story started –wicked evil grin- Allen fans, you know you love me… even if you hate me by the end of this chapter… hehe
~~~~~*~~~~~
Talia smirked and handed both men their bags of supplies. "Safe travels, Van-baka. I put an extra dagger in there. I'm sorry I cannot come, but I'll just slow you both down."
Van nodded in understanding as he draped the bag over his shoulder. "Thank you, Talia," he said softly, gazing into her eyes. He then shocked all three of them by wrapping his strong arm around her in a tight embrace of which was returned immediately. "I'll be back for you," he whispered softly in her ear, earning a slight shudder. He'd made up his mind while Talia prepared their bags that he would marry her, even if the contracts were dead he loved her, and Hitomi belonged to Allen. No need to cause any more chaos with yet another love triangle. Even if he loved Hitomi still.
Allen stood off to the side, able to sense the emotions coming from both of them with no trouble. He was happy for them, but somewhere he felt empty when he saw how much Talia cared for Van. No! He had Hitomi. Why would he like that shrew anyway? It was then that his stomach growled. 'Ah, there's the emptiness.'
"As for you, Allen-baka, here," Talia said with less patience as she had Van. "These are for the requirements to get in. Don't bother opening it until you get there, understood? Most will just fall out. Van has the food and the oranges. Don't eat the oranges. You lose any of this and any plan to get in might be foiled."
"Why not?" Allen asked, feeling his stomach growl again.
"Because I said so. Do not question me," Talia growled and pointed to the door. Both men started walking towards it, but Talia grabbed Allen's arm and pulled him back. "Take care of Van, he's too rash when he fights."
"You're saying this to someone who knows this all too well, Hime," Allen replied softly, a smile gracing his lips, "Don't worry, you have my word he'll come back alive, even if I don't."
"Don't start on that, you'll jinx yourself," Talia whispered, "I love him, Allen."
Allen nodded, smiling almost sadly. "Don't worry about him, he's in good hands."
"If it's anything like the rescue you performed with me…"
"I was drunk," Allen justified.
"Allen? What's taking so long?" Van demanded from the doorway.
"Coming," Allen called up to him, then looked down into Talia's ever changing eyes. "We'll be back soon."
Talia nodded and hobbled backwards, her new brace proving to need adjustments. "Good."
Allen turned and swiftly made his way to Van, shocked to have actually had a civilized conversation with that shrew. "Ready, Van?"
Van was already mounting the horse, "I've been ready, if you'd quit wooing every damn woman you see maybe you would have realized that. Get on, let's go."
Allen blinked but didn't object as he mounted the large horse and sat behind Van. Moments later, the two were off.
~~~~~*~~~~~
Hitomi grumbled as she rounded another corner. How the hell did someone find their way out of this damn maze of a palace? She'd been by here several times now, and she'd spent the previous night on the top floor trying to find her way this far. Damn it all, it would take a week to escape and she was starving!
"Hey! You! What are you doing down here?" another guard growled, his dark eyes focused on her emerald orbs.
"I'm… doing my daily rounds on this floor, extra security to find the king's escaped fiancée," Hitomi replied in a deep voice, trying to sound as much of a man as she was trying to walk.
The guard nodded and adjusted the cloth over his mouth and nose so it came just below his eyes and motioned for Hitomi to do the same. "You're luck you're new here otherwise you'd have ended up with floor duty for a week for allowing that much of your face to be seen."
"Thanks. I've got to get back to work now," Hitomi said quickly. Fortunately the man nodded and went up the stairs leaving her alone once again. Smiling to herself she turned and began wandering for the stairs once again. Once she got out of there she sure as hell was never going to have problems with any mazes. Ever. Figure this one out and something from even the movie Labyrinth would look easy.
~~~~~*~~~~~
Van and Allen rode up to some bushes just shy of the large makeshift palace. They had to get in there… but how? "How are we supposed to get in there?"
Van sighed. "If we had a woman I wouldn't be as intimidating. I can just say I need to talk to the king about negotiations, but I can't go alone. I don't trust them…" he hid his smirk as he turned to Allen, "Let's see what Talia gave you for supplies."
Allen opened his bag and peered in. His eyes narrowed and he pulled out a large dress, one of which appeared to be that of a handmaid.
Van snorted and held back a stream of laughter. "Just pull it on over your clothes, you can shred it off when need be," he suggested.
"No, no, no, I am not getting into this dress…"
"Sure you are, unless you don't wish to save Hitomi anymore?" Van asked, still trying to contain his laughter that Talia actually went through with putting the dress in his bag.
Allen sneered and pulled the wretched thing over his head and straitened it out. Placing his hands on his hips he glared murder at Van. "I wont' pass off as a woman. For one, women have hips, do you see any hips?"
"You are just a hardworking hands maiden," Van said with a shrug, his eyes filled with laughter.
"Then what about breasts? All women have breasts," Allen growled, holding his hands over his flat chest. "No matter how skinny, they have breasts."
Van was already digging in his bag for the oranges. "You will have them," Van stated flatly, holding them up. "Nice orange ones."
Allen's face dropped. "No no no…"
Van glared daggers at him, "Allen, you obviously don't want to save Hitomi."
Allen mumbled something under his breath and held his hand out for the oranges. "Not a damn word of this to anyone, Van."
"Understood," Van replied, turning his attention to the palace. "Stuff your dress quick and straiten out the shirt underneath. You can tell there's a tunic under it."
Allen mumbled something more as he shoved the oranges in. "They don't even look like breasts."
Van turned back around and sighed. "Allen, here," walking over to the disgruntled knight he reached in the shirt and began to adjust the oranges. Just as he got them perfectly in place a man's voice boomed from behind them. Van pulled his hand from the front of Allen's dress, embarrassed as to what it must look like.
"Oh, sorry," he said, turning away. "What are you doing here, King Van de Fanel?"
Van narrowed his eyes at the guard. It was the one who had a knife to Hitomi's throat the first night he'd seen her. "I came for peace negotiations with the king."
The guard nodded and turned to face them. "Who's the wench?"
Van blinked, then resisted a smirk as he shoved his bag in Allen's arms. "My hands maid. I couldn't come alone."
Nodding again, the guard cocked a brow. "Quite. Perhaps we should be off, I'll take you straight to King Nem."
Van and Allen exchanged suspicious looks as the guard turned his back. That was way too easy in their opinions.
Once inside, the guard turned to them again. "Stay here, I'll fetch the king."
Van and Allen nodded, still suspicious of their surroundings. Suddenly, both their eyes snapped up in the direction the sound of frantic footsteps came from and prepared to fight if needed.
~~~~~*~~~~~
Hitomi grinned proudly as she turned the corner; she was almost out! However, she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Van and… Allen? In a dress?
Resisting laughter, Hitomi stood by the door while the older man, who had brought the strangers, disappeared up the stairs. He most likely assumed she was still looking for herself. She stood tall and stiff as she waited for all of the guards to leave.
~~~~~*~~~~~
Van noticed the guard and sighed before glancing up at Allen. "Go flirt with the guard so I can go find Hitomi."
Allen's eyes widened and snapped down at the young monarch. "No, I draw the line at being in a dress," he argued, crossing his arms stubbornly. "You go flirt with him."
"Uh, no. One, he's already seen that I'm male and two I've never flirted with anyone in my life. You, who has girls swooning all over you, should know better than me how to flirt."
Allen muttered something below his breath about monarchs and their desire to prove themselves right. "Fine," he said, rather annoyed. Turning he walked towards Hitomi, unknowing as to who she really was.
Hitomi, on the other hand, was too busy glaring daggers at another guard to notice. Only when the other guard left and Allen was standing in front of her did she return her attention to the cross-dressed knight. She bit her lip to keep from laughing at the fact that one of the oranges was now down at his stomach.
Allen cleared his throat and attempted a feminine voice, "What a nice sword," he said softly.
Hitomi bit her lip harder, eyes avoiding his. "I know," she said deeply.
"I like a man in uniform," Allen continued.
Hitomi looked around and realized it was only the three of them. Quickly, she pulled the mask from her nose and mouth before giving Allen a toothy grin, "Didn't know you swung that way, Picasso."
Allen's jaw dropped and Hitomi pulled him down into a gentle kiss.
Van cleared his throat, earning both their attention. "We should get going before Nem gets here…"
Allen quickly shredded the dress from him self before untying the sword at his leg. He'd tied it there while Van adjusted the oranges so it would run along his leg and be much less noticeable. The three of them turned and quickly made their way out the exit.
That had gone surprisingly well. Suspiciously well, in Van and Allen's opinion. Hitomi, however, knew the hells it took to get even to the first floor. Moments later they were on Dapple riding back to Talia's cave, unaware of the King watching them from the balcony.
