Chapter 37

"Van?" Hitomi croaked out. Her voice was always a bit unmanageable when she first woke up. Judging from the sky color, it was nearing sunrise. She spotted her husband almost immediately, as he slipped on his shirt as he exited their bathing room.

When his head poked out of the top, his eyes met hers. Tugging the garment into place, he gave a soft smile, "Morning."

"Good morning." Hitomi's cheeks flared and she couldn't understand why, but they did regardless.

"I have something for you," Van's voice was still raspy, proof he hadn't been up too much longer than her. Hitomi slowly drew herself up into a sitting position, her modesty having returned to her in the sun light as she held the sheet high and close to her body.

Sitting on the side of the bed, his back to Hitomi, Van fished something out of his pocket. With this vantage point, she could see a rather noticeable bruise forming at the base of his neck and her blush deepened.

"Here," Van said, turning to her and getting her attention away from his neck. Draped across his fingers was a thin gold chain, though the chain was nothing remarkable, the small pink, tear shaped pendant that was looped onto it was. The petite stone seemed to glow with its own life as she stared at it, mind blank and heart soaring.

"It's so beautiful," she murmured.

"It was my mother's," Van admitted, unclasping the necklace. "My father gave it to her on their first anniversary." He leaned over and gently put the necklace around her neck and reclasped the delicate chain. Hitomi looked down at the pendant lying against her skin. It wasn't anything that would scream out as special to anyone in a store, but it meant the world to her at this moment.

"I was going to give it to you on our anniversary, but circumstances being what they are-" Hitomi looked up; Van was still leaned in close to her with one arm holding him up. Without a single thought going through her head, the Queen quickly bent forward and gently kissed her husband.

Van was somewhat dumbfounded by this, but decided not to ruin the moment with unimportant questions.

When she pulled back, she gave him a full smile, "Thank you, Van."

Recollecting himself, Van cleared his throat and was on his feet within a bat of an eye. "I'm going to be leaving before noon, make sure you are dressed before then."

"Hungry?" Armand asked, his voice almost making a song out of the word as Van walked into the dining hall. "I'm sure you are," The knight answered his own question with a barley hidden smirk as he pulled out the chair for Van and started to pour his juice for him.

"Of course I slept well."

Van lifted an eyebrow as he sat down at the table. Armand soon followed and began to gleefully munch on a biscuit while humming to himself. The man was positively bouncing in his seat.

"I bet you worked up quite an appetite!" Van sipped his juice as Armand buzzed with excitement.

"Did you get a hold of some type of medicinal herbs?" The first time Van had used a full sword in practice, he ended up tripping and getting a nasty cut on his stomach. To ease the pain of the wound, the healer had given Van a hand full of crushed Naway flowers to burn and ended up in a daze for a week. It wasn't a pain killer, more like a brain killer. After that he wouldn't even go anywhere near Naway plants.

"What? No. I'm merely happy because of all the possibilities!" Armand explained. His face was so happy that it had Van scared. Rai walked in, a large platter in either hand, and placed them on the table before her king. She took one look at her delinquent son and gave him the sound motherly look of 'what-did-you-do?'.

"Would you excuse Sir Armand for a few moments, your highness?" Rai asked politely, all the time eyeing her enthusiastic son. Upon hearing her request and Van's flippant response, Armand felt his stomach fill with icy liquid. "This way, sir."

Grumbling, Armand followed his mother.

Van couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as Rai's voice became shrill. Armand, between saying 'ouch' and 'nothing', reminded his mother he was a healing man and should be treated with gentler hands.

"What's the point of locking me up?" Allen inquired as King Aston looked at him through the bars of his jail cell. "I've done nothing but serve Asturia since I came here."

"You failed to mention you were the crown Prince of Zaibach, how do I know that you aren't spying on Asturia for your homeland?" Aston shot back, folding his arms behind him. The guards were posted out of earshot.

"I'm not the traitor," Allen pointed out, stood up to meet his King face to face. He was caught between bowing to show respect and acting like the Prince they accused him of being. "You've arrested the wrong person!"

Aston chuckled darkly, "Whatever do you mean?"

"I mean that Prince Chid is a doppelganger!" Allen braced himself for a nasty remark or even a threat of death for such blasphemy, yet nothing like came. "Who knows how long he's been posing as the prince."

A silence stretched between them until the king gave an empty eyed look to the knight. "I know that child isn't Prince Chid," Aston admitted with a shrug. "Doubtlessly my grandson has been taken somewhere that will take a war to find him."

"Then why-?" Allen knew that Aston didn't like him for whatever reason the king chose to not like the knight. "If you know-"

"Do you know who told me of your lineage?" The old king smirked. "Who asked for you to be arrested?"

Allen remained silent, though his blue eyes narrowed a bit.

"Your charming sister."

The knight clamped his eyes shut, as a frown traced his lips. Backing away from the bars, the man dropped down on his cot, hands clasped in front of him as he leaned on his knees.

"I was expecting more of a show of shock from you, Prince Allen."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, your majesty." Allen replied hollowly. With a 'humph' of disapproval, Aston clicked a few short words and left the blonde alone.

Behind his blue eyes, Allen's mind replayed one of the last times he ever saw his sister.

"You couldn't-" Allen slowly backed away from his sister. It had been just wrong to see her in a frilly pink dress, petticoats fluffing out her dress with ribbons tied in every single blonde curl on her petite head. It contrasted sharply with what was crashing around them. "Serena!"

Allen tightly shut his eyes again, trying to cover up the image forever etched into his mind's eye. That was the day that he realized he couldn't save the country. He couldn't even save them. So he did what he felt was right, he left Zaibach to be ruled by more capable hands.

It was the only way he could justify his running away.

"Isn't it a beautiful day?" Armand purred, as he plucked several pieces of jewelry from the Queen's collection, slowly hobbled over to her and began to put each one on the proper body part. "To think that today we should be going to war instead of on a picnic! Such a waste of sunshine!"

"Are you feeling well?" Hitomi asked as she raised an eyebrow. Armand being in a good mode wasn't as rare as him being in a good mode and not tormenting her.

"Perfectly dandy, thank you so much for asking my darling Queen." The knight gave a large smile.

"Do you have a fever? Are you hallucinating?" Hitomi, after the bracelet had been put on her wrist, touched the knight's forehead. He froze for a few seconds, his blue eyes grew large, but he snapped himself to attention by backing away from her.

"Why is everyone so suspicious about my attitude?" He crossed his arms and gave her a firm look. "You should be concentrating on the ritual of waking Escaflowne. If you were to mess it up just think of what that would mean for Fanelia! The great guymelf would never wake up! King Van would be without the greatest defense of the country and it would be your entire fault! We'd all die, or become slaves to Asturia and you'd get the title of the deadly Queen of Fanilia!"

"You're feeling fine," she grumbled.

"Of course I am," Armand said smugly. "Please make sure you are out in the great hall an hour before the ceremony, your majesty." The knight gave a quick bow and slowly made his way out of the room. As he shut the door behind him, the brunette leaned against its wooden surface and closed his eyes. His hand over his wound and his head tilted back. "Damn."

Hitomi winced, watching as Van slide his thumb down his sword's razor sharp side. Blood soon started to flow from the cut; he let the droplets fall down into the odd shaped crystal heart, and then raised it above his head. Every knight in the kingdom, except for Jill, had come and surrounded their king as he woke up their greatest weapon. From the stories she read about their history, Escaflowne was only awakened when things were just that bad and had no other way to resolve the problems.

The blonde wasn't stupid; she knew Van had withheld information from her. He didn't tell her how bad it really was. Armand, when pestered and pleaded with, just gave a snide remark and left it at that. Rai looked away when questioned and commented on the weather.

Why were they hiding it from her?

The dragon's heart started to radiate life as he held it above him, repeating the words he had been muttering under his breath for the past hour, but this time his voice was strong and sure. He'd been nervous about forgetting his lines, but he didn't let that be hidden from her, so why something else?

With a shriek of power, the gears around Van came to life, turning and spearing light upwards. The entire cast of onlookers gasped in amazement, Hitomi's eyes stayed on her husband's now tranquil face. Blue swirls of light spiraled around the pinkish hue as more of the machine woke up to its new master. With a powerful shot of energy, the light whipped its force upon the cocoon shaped rock. Within seconds, the rock began to crack, each crack glowing and pulling apart from the main body.

Worry wrapped around her heart in the brief moment that the rock fell freely from its home and down toward the king. It was only a breath of worry as the rocks seemed to dissipate and in their place landed a massive, caped machine. There was a collective gasp as the giant white guymelf kneeled in its landing in front of its King.

"Escaflowne has awakened!" One of the knight's screamed as he threw the doors open, and yelled for the trumpets and drums to sound, allowing the citizens to know what had happened.

Hitomi, flanked by elder knights, felt a familiar itch in her mind. She tried to fight it off, tried to block what was making her world spin.

A silhouette of a city, burning brightly against the dawn. Screams and tears over flowing from throats and eyes and in the middle of it all, a single man looking down at a crumpled woman at his feet.

"Your majesty!" Armand's voice broke through her haze as she trembled violently. "Get back!" The knight ordered to the onlookers, "Give her space."

Light headed and now filled with fear, the Queen searched for her husband. As if sensing it, Armand steadied her and he shook his head. "He's already taken Escaflowne into the courtyard. He didn't see your little episode, my Queen."

"I need to speak with Van." Hitomi's voice was light, and barely audible.

"So you see, there is no problem," Folken repeated, feeling very frustrated with the head strong, obstinate brat in his company.

No matter what he said, Serena still screwed her face into an unhappy, disbelieving scowl. "He's late."

"Perhaps they had to wrestle with him," Folken suggested with an impartial shrug. "Either way, things will work out to their full script. We can't fail now."

Serena opened her mouth to protest, again, but was cut short when there was a light knock on her door.

"Come in," The princess instructed, rising from her chair and giving her attention to the young knight who came through the door slowly. "What is it, Giol?"

The young knight cleared his throat, "I-I wanted to speak with Lord Dilandau." Serena made a very unladylike noise in the back of her throat and sharply turned her head, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I will pass the message on, Giol," Folken assured in his even voice. "What is this about?"

"He asked me to check out a rumor that he heard about King Coron abandoning his kingdom," Giol explained, clearing his throat again, the nervous man shook his head. "The king is still there, an inside source says that he hasn't made any plans to leave or to attempt to bring an army together."

"I see."

"Slena is not a war country; it's mainly frills and flowers," Serena groused, glaring at the red-headed messenger, she told him to leave in a harsh voice. Jumping at the Princess' command, the knight ran into the door before collecting himself and scampering out the door.

"Things will go according to plan, do not worry. Rumors are merely spoken worse-case scenarios and often time are dispelled as quickly as they were formed." Folken turned his attention to the map pinned up on the wall. Their entire world drawn out and colored in for studying, when it was on paper, it seemed so small.

"May I ask you a question?" The girl coated her words with sugar, acting as a princess should once again. Folken rose an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. "Why do you want your home country to be shredded by all this?"

"It won't be destroyed," his voice dropped in tone and became serious. "Just as you do, Princess, I want what is best for my country and sometimes it is a precarious and bloody path to the best place."

"An answer of a true Prince, poetic, selfish, and yet incredibly shallow." Serena dropped into her chair, running a finger the length of her chin over and over again. "Just another pretty puddle."

Just outside the door, a figure clad in his country's colors stood, listening intently to the going on of two plotters. His forehead pinched together as he absorbed as much information as he could before someone came by or they noticed the door was letting their little secrets be heard.

He had been their scapegoat. This time, when the tricks were played, he would make sure to be three steps ahead.

Van sighed, "I cannot not go."

Hitomi had told her of his vision and then proceeded to beg him to reconsider an alliance or a truce.

"Asturia won't hear of a truce, Allen must have failed on that mission." They hadn't heard from the knight since he left, though Hitomi believed the blonde would be able to soothe the kingdom's angry heart.

"But what I saw-"

"What you saw was death. There will always be death in war, Hitomi." Van's garnet eyes became softer in their expression as he placed his hands on her shoulders. "If you can see the future, if this is what is going to happen. I already knew that. Millernia's death was just the beginning of it all, I don't know who killed her and the others, but the damage is done. If I don't go, Asturia will crush Fanelia." That didn't do much to lighten her mode, Van could tell. "Armand will be here, to protect you."

Hitomi wanted to fight with him more about this, but it was fruitless. He was going to lead his people into a war with odds that weren't in Fanelia's favor.

"Fine then," she relented, knocking his hands away from her as she turned.

Sometimes, Van nearly grumbled out loud instead his mind, if countries fought like women the worst that would happen is that the kings wouldn't talk to each other for a bit. Grabbing her wrist and forcing her to face him once more, he opened his mouth to say something but a guard called out that it was that the preparations were complete.

Releasing his wife, the king sighed, and stared at her for a moment before he started to leave. What could he say now? What was it he was going to say? Van shook his head slightly, as if clearing out his thoughts. He had to focus. Focusing was the one way to keep him and his kingdom alive and free from a tyrants—

"Van," Hitomi's voice broke through his thoughts. Glancing over his shoulder, he locked eyes with the wet green pair of his wife. He didn't say anything as she seemed to struggle with words. "Come back to me."

Casting his glance downward, the man didn't reply as he began to leave again.

"Van!" Her voice sounded just a shade more desperate than a second before. He stopped again, but didn't look behind him. "I love you." The last word was broken in half by a barely controlled whimper.

Something inside him shivered with emotion at her words so softly and tearfully spoken. The king made no reply as he left the hall and Armand came to collect the queen minutes later to watch the army march off to battle. The gleaming metal of white and the snapping of the giant cape of Escaflowne was all that Hitomi could see and hear as it led the way out of the city, and the slowly blurred with the forest horizon.

Merle had been near tears beside her, but before any were shed, the cat girl ran into the palace claiming to be hungry.

There was nothing else to do, but for her to bite back the tears. She was now in charge, running a country solo. Van would come back, maybe not anytime soon, but he would have to come back. She waited for him to come around to her for so long, and then last night—Hitomi closed her eyes and braced herself for the future. Surely, she thought, when he returned, he'd finally say those three little words she'd been dying to hear for months.

Armand, seeing the spectrum of emotions cover his Queen's face, decided to break her thoughts.

"Well now, my Queen," Hitomi looked up at the taller man. "You have no one to hide behind to get away from me." Her pain was momentarily forgotten as a wicked grin spread across the knight's features.

"You have to be joking."

"I still know where your favorite pink, bow littered dress is kept." Hitomi's eyebrow ticked, remembering the horrible thing that Armand had insisted she wear when Van and she headed out to Slena. "So, let's start teaching you how to properly run a country."

Armand turned on his heel and slowly walked away, his wound obviously still causing him some discomfort. Hitomi couldn't help but smile at her injured knight, maybe he didn't say it in so many words, but he wanted to help her keep her mind off of Van.

"First off, all the knights get a huge, empty-the-royal-reserve raise in pay."

It was going to be a very interesting time, Hitomi thought rolling her eyes.