Chapter 4
Outside the infirmary, Verin was leaning on the wall, waiting for them. Von eyed him, wondering if he had heard anything that had just happened. The young general walked up to them and kissed Hitomi's hand, grinning at Von's visible displeasure at his actions. "Lady Hitomi, I am lord Verin Belhessin of the Twin Valleys. If you will follow me, I will show you to your room." Von walked with them. "Lord Verin is actual one of Fanalia's four generals, and the youngest general in our history at nineteen." "I'm surprised a general would see to something like finding guests accommodations." Verin grinned. He liked this woman. Women in court rarely spoke their mind. "Yes, well. His majesty commands and I obey, like a good puppy." He gave Von a look. Von frowned and shrugged. "I entrust certain things to lord Verin." Hitomi looked at Verin and Von. They seemed to be almost like friends, instead of a monarch and his subordinate, though Von always seemed to be too introverted for friends, except maybe with Merle who was practically his sister.
Many corridors later, they were near the end of the one in question, when a pair of double doors opened with a bang as something orange hurtled out. It was Merle. "There you are! The room is ready." She jumped up and hugged Von, then launched herself at Hitomi with enough force to knock them down in a tangle of limbs. "Hitomi!" She squealed, licking the young woman several times, much to Hitomi's surprise. She hadn't thought the cat-girl liked her that much.
"Hi Merle." "I am soooo… glad you're back. Did you bring some weird stuff? Did you get hurt? You have this bandage on your head." She ran around Hitomi sniffing around her. "Merle. Give her a chance to answer at least." Verin raised an eyebrow. She rounded on him and poked him in the chest. "Where were you? You told me to organise her room, but then you took off. Slacker!" "Merle!" Hitomi didn't think that was usual court decorum. Von grinned a bit. "Yeah, yeah. Don't get your tail in a knot. I went to the kitchens to organise some food, then to the infirmary to see if Lady Hitomi was fit for moving into her rooms." "Give me a break! That was hours ago. You went chasing tail again, didn't you?" "Not literally. But…maybe." Verin grinned in a devil-may-care way and put a finger under his eye, pulled down the skin and stuck his tongue out at her. "Ew, you perverted slacker!" She tried to claw him, but he put his hand on her head and pushed as she swung at him. "Come on Hitomi, they will be at it for a while." Von steered her inside the room to the sound of Merle hissing.
"Wow." Hitomi forgot about Verin and Merle for a moment as she took in the spacious bedroom with its High ceiling, large four-postered bed with sheer curtains draping over the side all in burgundy, with it's dark brown wood posts and bedframe, the door next to that, the vanity to the right with its chair, the large floor to ceiling windows to the left, overlooking gardens, the large rug covering most of the floor, and the fireplace to their left. The entire room was themed in burgundy with cream and gold or yellow accents. "Will this do?" Von watched Hitomi's reaction. "Yes. It's so big." She smiled at him. He smiled back, and then leaned towards her a bit before stopping hesitantly, looking uncertain. Her smile widened slightly at this and she leaned in and kissed him softly. "Wow." He muttered as they parted. "What?" Hitomi's eyes were so... luminous…as she watched him. He stared. "Nothing." He slowly leaned in and kissed her back.
"How sweet." A voice at the door drawled as they parted, causing them both to jump. Their audience was both Verin and Merle. Merle was blushing and looking away now that they were looking at her, and Verin was grinning like the mouse that ate the cheese. Both Hitomi and Von blushed, though the latter tried to hide his embarrassment at anyone witnessing that scene. "Verin…" The young king warned. Merle was like his sister, so this was very awkward and Verin would be teasing him about this for a long time, if the way Verin was looking at them was any indication.
The man ignored this. "Well, we had best be off. You look like hell majesty, and had better get cleaned up and eat before the council meeting this morning." Von looked at Hitomi. "She'll be fine. Merle will look out for her, and I'll assign her some servants. You'll see her at dinner." Hitomi smiled at Von. "I'll be fine." She reassured. "I'll see you tonight." She figured she would have plenty to do between now and dinner with Merle around. She glared at Verin briefly as if daring him to say something, before kissing Von on the cheek. "Come on lover boy." He wrapped an arm around the younger man's neck and dragged him off before Von could react to any of it.
Once the door was shut, Hitomi sat down on her bed, suddenly feeling a bit worn out. Merle had seemingly rallied from her earlier shock at witnessing them make out. "Hitomi! Hitomi, I brought you breakfast. You should eat it while it's hot." Hitomi grinned, thinking how different this treatment was compared to when she first arrived in Fanalia, over two years ago. "Ok." She walked over to the square table next to the fireplace and sat down on one of its chairs in front of a tray with a plate with a silver domed dish cover on it, keeping its contents warm. "Come sit with me." She told the cat-girl. "Ok Hitomi." She sat on the other chair, her ears pricking forward and her tail swishing. As Hitomi removed the food covering, the wonderful smells wafting off the food made her mouth water. Merle watched her for a while, studying the girl from the Mystic Moon, noting the changes in her appearance, though relatively minor, and wondered how to broach the subject of her and Von's newly active relationship.
She waited until Hitomi had eaten most of what was before her before trying to. "So…um…you and lord Von are a thing now?" Hitomi paused midway through sipping her juice for a moment before she could finish the action. The young woman looked over the cat girl. She didn't seem mad. "Yes, I guess we are. That was very blunt." She responded. "Well, you were sucking his face a few minutes ago." Hitomi blushed. "Does this mean you are staying? I mean, I don't know what it's like on the Mystic Moon, but unless you're a no-account womanizer like lord Verin, nobility are expected to marry if they kiss. Of course, its different for cats and stuff, but that's how it is here." "Wow. Just if they kiss huh?" Hitomi mumbled. She thought. "'Cus if you are just planning on messing around with lord Von and then going back to the Mystic Moon, I'll just claw your eyes out right now!" She stood up, her fur brisling, so fast that she knocked over her chair. "Geez Merle." Hitomi stared, before shaking her head. "I'm not messing with him." She lowered her voice and looked away, embarrassed. "I…love him."
Merle stared at her, before righting the chair and sitting back down. "That's a relief. I won't let anyone hurt him." She looked at Hitomi pointedly. "No more indecisive stuff like with lord Allen and lord Von back during the war." "Please." Hitomi rolled her eyes. "I don't like Allen anymore that way." "Okay. Great. Does this mean you and lord Von are getting married?" Hitomi's eyes widened for a moment. She looked thoughtful a moment before looking down shyly. "That's up to him."
"Oh that's so great! He'll be so happy! Can I help you plan your wedding? We'll have a gown made and a beautiful cake and…" "Whoa, slow down Merle! He hasn't even asked me yet!" Merle got up and headed to the door. "Merle, don't talk to him about it. Let him ask on his own." Merle turned to Hitomi and planted her hands on her hips. "You know lord Von. It will take him a million years to do that!" "Maybe it will. But I'm okay with that. It'll give me more time to get to know Fanalia; its culture, history, etiquette." Merle sighed. "Fine. I guess you will need all that anyway. But you will be so bored. I hate that stuff. I always get an earful about dressing like a lady or proper decorum myself, but no one enforces it because no one knows if they should treat me like a lady or a common cat." She shrugged. "Well, I'll take my chances." Hitomi smiled at the girl. "I guess no one would tell you what to wear though. Everyone would think you'll hex their future if they do." "Huh?" "You know, change their fortune by switching out one for another one?" Hitomi frowned at this. "I gave up fortune telling when I left Gaea." "Well, you're still a celebrity. Everyone knows about the Seer from the Mystic Moon and your involvement in the last Gaean war." "I'm just me, Merle. I'm not a witch or something!" She exclaimed, shocked to learn this. "I know Hitomi. But you could always see visions of the future and find things with your pendant, even those invisible guymelefs, and many other things. People don't usually do that. Of course they talk and build up your legend. Even lord Von is seen as a hero, overcoming the destruction of Fanalia and helping to defeat Zaibach while piloting Escaflowne." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "It's part of the reason people who should normally respect and follow him anyway as king, do."
Hitomi's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She processed this for a moment before nodding. "Okay Merle." She made to grab the tray, but Merle waved her off. "Leave it. Someone else will clear it later." Hitomi had forgotten things like having servants. She'd probably have to get used to that.
"What do you want to do now? I can show you around the palace or really anything." Hitomi yawned. "I'm a bit tired. I think I'll rest for a bit. Come wake me in a few hours, ok?" "Sure Hitomi. I'm glad you're here." "Me to." Hitomi took of her coat and put it over a chair. "Do you need anything before I go?" Merle asked at the door. "Not really. But you could tell me about what's going on between you and lord Verin, if you like." Hitomi grinned at the cat, who blushed and got annoyed. "Nothing is going on! Just because we argue you think that something's going on? He's just a lazy, womanizing pervert! No way would I be interested in a guy like that! Never, ever, ever!" She shook her head vehemently. She blew air out of her mouth in anger and shut the door.
Hitomi found a clean dove blue silk robe in the adjoining bathroom, put it on a hook on the wall next to the bed and striped to her underwear before climbing into the bed and under the covers. She grinned widely. "I think I touched a nerve." She murmured before lying down and letting sleep fall over her like a blanket.