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Part XX
The Final Setting: A Proposition & Liquid Poison
"Princess Millerna?"
Millerna nearly jumped from her window seat at the voice that interrupted her. She closed her book shut with a snap, and tried to discretely hide the cover of the medical book that she had been reading. The princess had to bite the inside of her cheek to fight the rising blush.
"Allen." Even if it was just him, she wasn't certain that she could trust him not to relay that she was once again trying to resume her studies to her father or sister. "What brings you here so early?"
The way the knight's crystal blue eyes strayed to part of the cover that her hand hid from view had her heart pounding, but she kept her lips pressed firmly together and she never looked away from him. The way that he formally bowed before stepping over the threshold and into her receiving room had her arching an eyebrow in surprise. He had never showed such formality when in private with her before.
Millerna stood up, using her skirts to hide the way she stuffed the book under one of the large pillows that cushioned the window seat.
"Is something wrong?" There was none of the usual light humor in the knight's eyes. "Allen?"
Allen Schezar, her handsome erstwhile lover, got down on his knees and bowed his head. He withdrew his sword and placed it on the ground next to him. Millerna straightened, more then a little alarmed at the sudden display.
"Please, Your Majesty, Princess Millerna…I request your aid in a most serious manner that has only recently been brought to my attention."
"Allen." She stepped forward and kneeled down next to him. "What is it?"
"IF I thought I could achieve this through my own means then I would have done so, but she has refused—"
"She?" Why couldn't she stop the jealousy that stabbed at her heart?
"She is in great danger, and I think that you are the only one that can help her. Please save her, please help the heir to the Veshranean Isles."
"Veshrane," Millerna stood up suddenly, her sapphire eyes wide as she stepped back. "But that is Zaibach territory. The royal family no longer rules there."
"I know, Princess, and I can't possibly explain everything well enough to fill your curiosity. I need you to trust me, and do what you can. I need you to use your power to aid and protect her."
"Allen, you're scaring me."
"Please Millerna." His gloved fingers latched onto the hem of her skirt. Then he raised his head and she was shocked to see the guilt that wracked those startling crystal orbs that she loved so much. "Please protect the princess. I should have helped her, should have done something to stop the invasion, but I couldn't; and she will not accept the help of Fanelia."
The golden haired princess took a deep breath and took another step back. Where was this all coming from? Why…what was Allen blaming himself for? "Who is this princess? If I was to help her how would I find her?" Although if she was quite honest with herself, Millerna wasn't sure if she even wanted to.
"You already know her, Millerna. She is Hitomi, the Zaibach ambassador, Hitomi Kanzaki."
Hitomi couldn't help the yawn that cracked her jaw. She blinked away weary tears and stared blankly at a spot on the wall. She had one of the cashmere throws wrapped tightly around her as she tried to berate herself enough to wake up. If she wasn't able to manage to make some sound besides a grunt when Dilandu woke up…
Well, she really didn't want to think about it.
Don't see why I have to get up so damn early anyways. Millerna probably isn't up yet and I doubt that she will be eager to see her fiancé so soon.
Hitomi rubbed the silky tassels that the decorated the edge of the throw blanket. She frowned when she saw the clumps that were tangled together in an impossible knot and immediately set to work on them, trying to find the source of the individual strands with her slender fingers.
She raised her eyes when there was the click as the latch that kept the bay windows closed was flipped and watched Naria and Eriya slip inside. The soft, white suede of their silver lined sarongs peaked out from under the cloaks that they used when walking around the town.
"I still don't understand why I'm the one who has to stay completely covered."
"Yes, because silver hair--"
"Platinum." Naria flicked at one of her black tipped locks. "This is too dark to be silver."
"Fine—because after all platinum hair is such a common color." Eriya flipped back an amber gold lock that had strayed over her eyes. "Dilandu is one of those rare exceptions." She added when her sister opened her mouth to protest.
The door to Dilandu's room suddenly burst open, the door slamming against the wall, but neither of the twins reacted. They merely looked over at him, their expressions clearly bored. Hitomi's hands twitched a bit when she heard the sound of his footsteps, but kept her eyes trained on the tangled fringe.
She was trying very hard not to think about the story Naria had told her last night. She really wasn't sure what it meant anyway. Did that mean it was okay to accept Dilandu's advances even though she couldn't stand him?
Would it really be all right to respond to the tingles that crawled up her skin whenever he touched her, even when the touch was suppose to be in a casual manner?
Her fingers stopped moving and she stared at the fringe, not really seeing it. She went completely still when he stopped in front of her.
Goddess, when had it started? When did his very presence make her feel so weak?
Resentment welled up, at the familiar languid and revoltingly feminine feeling that filled her. Hitomi paid no attention to the words that were exchanged between Naria and Dilandu before he turned and addressed Eriya. She couldn't bring herself to care enough. She caught the world 'Fanelia' and 'crown prince'. Idly, she wondered how much the presence of Fanelia's king as well as its crown prince would change her mission. Her gut turned to ice at the thought of Dilandu decided that it was no longer necessary to get close to Millerna's fiancé. He wouldn't hesitate to send her back to Zaibach.
Goddess, she didn't know how much longer she would survive if she went back there.
That she was aiding Emperor Dornkirk, day after day, was a constant source of anguish for her. For each soldier she had killed that day of resistance, so long ago, how many of her people suffered? How many Veshraneans curse her existence as well as the continued expansion of that wretched empire?
It didn't help that the headaches caused by the vision tonic were steadily getting worse. A particularly painful one had attacked her this morning, and if it hadn't been for the vial of medication that the strange doctor had given her she hardly would have been able to get out of bed. Even now, a couple hours well after she had taken it, Hitomi still found herself dealing with those painful twinges.
"I know you want this, Hitomi,"
Why did her skin start to tingle just at the mere memory at the seductiveness of his voice as he whispered those words, or the way his breath had puffed against her neck?
"You need this. I'll let you have it. If you do well this time, I'll give it to you."
A clink of glass and the sound of liquid being poured shook her out of her thoughts. She looked up to find that Dilandu had put some distance between the two of them and he was over by the grand, wooden table where they were served private meals. The clink of glass against the polished wood was the only sound. She looked around desperate to find Naria and Eriya. After all, the older twin had promised to do what she could to help Hitomi deal with Dilandu.
There was a creak from the main door, and she whirled around to find Naria watching her, the hesitation on her face a clear indication that she was waiting for something. Hitomi knew she needed to speak, but before her lips could form the words the platinum-haired tigre female had disappeared.
"Hitomi."
She turned towards Dilandu, trepidation filled her and her hands clung to the cashmere throw around her shoulder. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of the familiar, hated, burgundy liquid that swirled in the crystal goblet. No, no. Goddess, no.
Hitomi stood up on shaky legs. That damnable poison was the last thing that she wanted.
"Lord Dilandu." Her voice caught and she cleared her throat and wet her lips, not noticing the glittering, ruby gaze on her face as she ran her tongue over her dry lips. "Do you really think it is wise for me to take that now? Allen Schezar has been lurking around as of late." She took an unsteady step back. "You know that I can not control my… reactions… when I drink that."
His answering smile was cruel. "You weren't paying attention, where you, Hitomi? Eriya will keep guard to make sure that no one disturbs us, while Naria watches the actions of the princess. We still need you to get us to that Fanelian brat." He picked up the crystal goblet and walked towards her. "You will continue as planned and use the princess to get close to Lord Dryden. Right now he is our only connection to Fanelia's royalty. Even though we have seen him in the city he has proven most difficult to find." Dilandu didn't stop until he was a mere arm's length away. "Last night's hunt proved to be…unsuccessful. If we are to succeed during the engagement celebration then we must obtain more information. As skilled as Folken's pets are you are the best in achieving this." He held out the goblet. "Now drink."
Hitomi grasped the proffered goblet with shaking hands. Damn it! She had sworn! She had told herself that she would fight him, yet now when she had the chance she was still following his orders like a well trained dog. She swallowed thickly as she stared at the burgundy tonic that swirled slightly. She met his darkened ruby stare with her own eyes, painfully aware of how she must look to him.
"I—I can not control them. I can not choose what I see. You have to understand that."
"I do. You will spend today walking through all of Palas. Something there should trigger something useful." He wrapped his hand around her and forced her to bring the tonic to her lips.
Tears pricked her emerald eyes. "I might scream. Even Eriya can't—"
"I will take care of it." That husky voice that made her tingle was back, and suddenly he was much too close.
Dilandu's free arm wrapped around her waist, and she was once again pulled against his well muscled body. Before she could cry it in protest or try to push him away, the cold crystal of the goblet was at her lips, and the dreaded tonic was rushing into her mouth.
She burned. Her lips and the part of her chin where some of the liquid had dribbled down burned. Her throat fell like it was on fire, and she was nearly certain that the tonic was damaging her in some irreparable way. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks now, and her hands clawed, grasping at Dilandu's tunic as she coughed and gasped.
Everything was becoming a blur now and her vision was tilting. The scream that burst out of her was silenced when Dilandu brought his lips hard upon her. She was distantly aware of a clattering sound as the goblet fell from her hands and the sensation of a hand groping her breast. Her mind screamed and Hitomi twisted and clawed, trying desperately to escape those tingling sensations and the pain that scalded her every nerve.
Then pain blossomed at her temples, and she no longer noticed how firmly Dilandu was pressed against her. She took no notice of the hardness pressing heatedly against her thigh. All she was aware of was the pain and the way it made her tremble and scream. Her throat felt so ragged as the sound tried to escape her, but the firm press of Dilandu's lips against her own effetely muffled the sounds of agony.
This time, she couldn't find release even in her visions.
A beautiful woman, with dark green hair and a regal face stood before her. Elegant wings sprouted from her back. There was something familiar about those cinnamon eyes. She smiled at Hitomi as she stretched her pristine wings to their full length.
The sound of something dripping drew Hitomi's attention and she didn't quite understand the tan liquid that was dripping to the stone ground, just below the woman's wrist.
Then the woman raised her arm, the movement pushing the billowing sleeves of her dress back and Hitomi's eyes went wide with horror as she watched the skin blister, peel, and melt. The dripping liquid turned crimson as the skin, blood, and muscle melted completely away to reveal white bone. She looked at the woman's face and a horrid screech escaped her when she saw the woman's beautiful hair and eyes melt away until nothing more then a clothed skeleton with featherless wings stared back at her through empty sockets.
Drip, drip.
The sound came to her again. Hitomi raised her hands and watched, in horrid fascination, as her own skin melted away her muscle and bone until she no longer had any hands to watch.
Ok, how many people hate me right now? Remember no matter what happens this is a Van/Hitomi fic!
Sorry for the lack of update yesterday. I've been treating my writing in general and this fic in particular as a job. Hence the reason for my abnormal updates. Of course, because of this I ran out of a bit of steam. It doesn't help that I am hiting a brief road block as I figure out where I need to be.
The reviews really keep my going so there is a high chance of me updating nearly every day unless life gets in the way or I'm not sure where to go with the fic. Just let me know if you like it or hate it. Reviews really make my day.
A huge thank you for the following people for their wonderful reviews:
Suils Saifir
Inda
thepinkmartini
Ro0tin4Kagome
Tem
Kahoko
Lil' Dinky
mysisterisasquijum
Amethyst Wings
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IrishIndy
Kathya
Sorry it took so long!
"Baka neko." -- Yuki
"Kuso nezumi." -- Kyo
-- Furuba
As always reviews are gold. They really get me going when I'm having difficulties finding the energy to write. Of course, since I started volunteering at the hospital it's gotten harder. So many hours, it's like a part time job. Only no paycheck. T.T