A.N. Another week, another chapter. I hope this isn't dragging out too much and all of this is still interesting. I made the layout for this story years ago and I had wanted to pace it slowly so as to show a bit of the nitty gritty behind running a kingdom. For those of you itching for the reunion chapter only two more to go and then it will be here.

Disclaimer: I do not own "The Vision of Escaflowne" nor any of the characters there in. This purely fanmade and profit free.

XX

"Enjoy when you can, and endure when you must."

-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

XX

Chapter 12: Live for the Moment

XX

28 September, 1996

Gaea

XX

The tender spot on her neck was already starting to fade in color, but Hitomi was still far too aware of it. Since Van had offered to teach her more about Fanelia, they had a legitimate reason for spending the evenings alone, which in turn lead to more than simple conversation. While they didn't have sex all the time, they did spend a lot of time kissing, and making out, which on more than a few occasions, had ended up with them making love.

They had also tried different things as well. Hitomi felt her cheeks warm with the memory of their activities and couldn't stop the smile that curled her lips in self-satisfied pride. They were both getting rather good at doing those sorts of things, and she was particularly proud of the way she had made Van look and sound when she'd convinced him to let her use her mouth on him.

She'd backed him to the window, trapped his hands against the ledge and told him to try and hold still. His cheeks had gone as red as her own, and his intense stare had made her heart skip nervously, but she'd already done a little of it before, so she was fairly certain she could manage it now. It was also a little exciting and invigorating to have him watch her, knowing this time, he'd promised to let her finish him this way as he'd denied before.

Perhaps it was his denial then that made her want to do it all the more. She supposed that made sense, she was at that time in her life when she was supposed to be rebellious.

He wasn't complaining last night…

Hitomi shivered, remembering how his fingertips had gripped the stone window ledge causing his forearms to flex as the sensations of her mouth on him drove him near crazy. She could also feel the same reflex in his thighs as he suppressed the instinct to thrust into her mouth, and the action was both sweet and irresistibly sexy. She'd never thought of herself as particularly driven by the thought of power, but the pull and control she had over his reactions; knowing she was the one bringing him such pleasure and making him gasp, quake, flush and grunt her name was a sweet cocktail that she was quickly becoming addicted to.

She didn't particularly like the action so much as she did other things, but the rush she got from watching Van's face as he saw her upon him… the way his mouth hung slightly agape, his eyes half-lidded, brow pinched in a sensual way, sweat dampening his hairline just slightly—

"Hitomi!" Merle's shout, directly beside her ear made Hitomi jump and let out a cry of surprise as she was violently ripped back to the present from her very private musings.

"M—merle!? What the—why are you yelling?"

Merel's face contorted as she let out an exasperated growl and rolled her eyes. "Seriously… you were standing there staring at nothing with a stupid look on your face and messing with your bruise…" Merle's eyes narrowed as she leaned close and Hitomi swallowed hard, uncomfortable and worrying that perhaps her actions would draw attention to the fact that her bruise wasn't a normal one.

She wasn't sure if she and Van were actually succeeding in fooling the cat girl or not, sometimes it seemed a little too convenient that the thirteen-year-old had never once asked how her night had been, nor questioned why she was up before her or why she always "made" her own bed so perfectly.

She… she doesn't know… right?

Just as panic was starting to set in from the narrowed look the girl gave her Merle sighed, hands dropping from her hips to grab at Hitomi's hand and drag her along. "I have no idea how you can get so many bruises when we hardly do any manual labor at all… your skin is stupidly weak."

"Er…" Hitomi stumbled behind her, relief and panic ebbing and flowing like the tide inside of her, before she remembered that she should rise to the bait less she make Merle even more curious than she was. "Uh—H—hey! My skin isn't—"

"What you thinking about anyway? Your face is still red."

"!"

Merle glanced over her shoulder but rolled her eyes. "… whatever stupid thing you did to get so embarrassed about a bruise, get over it. You're about to meet a very important figure in Fanelia and he's…" Merle's expression shifted slightly and while Hitomi couldn't guess what emotion she was feeling, it was clearly not a pleasant one. "… difficult."

"…" Hitomi felt herself sobering up with that and regained her footing so that Merle was able to let go of her and they could walk in tandem. "… is Emos really that scary?"

"He's one of the original noble families, nearly as old as Van's own lineage." Merle said and Hitomi tried to fit that into what she'd been learning from Van over their nightly lessons. Van had mostly stuck to frivolous information such as festivals and customs that were annual as well as some basic assets of the cultural of Fanelia itself. He'd taken some time the night before to explain some of the details about the trade of goods to and from Fanelia and she was made aware of the six original noble families that had been in charge of the different sections of Fanelia, she believed Van had called them Fiefs, that produced various grains and other goods to the capital of Fanelia. This of course took place after the fief had stored enough to feed its own and survive the winter, and the surplus after the coffers of the palace and main city were filled, were then shipped out to the other kingdoms and dukedoms.

While some staple vegetables and hunting was also performed and carried out, Fanelia's greatest resource that made them one of only three kingdoms that she knew of, was the monopoly they had on the various staple grains. Zaibach was a desolate area that was mostly devastated by the winters and not much grew there. This was why it had become a hub of invention and mostly supplied gymelef production. Asturia was a port capital and kingdom so it was the hub of all trade and culture. It was also rich in seafood however they lacked the fields to produce an abundant crop to feed all of its citizens as it was trapped between the mountains and the sea. That didn't mean they lacked fields, only that they lacked enough fields to meet the demands of its citizens. That left only Fanelia and to a lesser extent a few of the dukedoms with the ability and land serviceable to provide grains.

This was likely why Zaibach chose to attack Fanelia first. If they could control the food, they could control the rest of Gaea without much battling needed. At least, that had been Dryden's supposition and Hitomi was in agreement.

All of that aside, the six primary advisors to the king of Fanelia, were the heads of the families that ran the fiefs in Fanelia. While they were rather ignored by the rest of the world, in Fanelia, these families were well respected and considered of higher status, enough so that they had been granted last names and were regarded as nobility.

According to Merle, only two of the original six families had been found, and all of the fiefs had suffered massive loss of crops and damages. It would seem that Dilandau's obsession for violence and fire had caused far more harm to Dornkirk's plans then they could have ever suspected. His actions of burning Fanelia to the ground was likely why Zaibach had been forced to take military actions against the rest of the powers instead of strangling them out by withholding food.

"… so, the family name is Emos… what's this guy's first name?" Hitomi asked.

"Does it matter? We always just referred to the head of the family by their last name."

"So, you don't know." Hitomi teased and watched as Merle glowered at her in response. Before a response could be made an elderly man with silver hair dressed in rather impressive robes stepped out from one of the few homes that had been completed. His arms were crossed and his lined face looked stern and unhappy.

"… the seer from the Mystic Moon." He stated, and from his tone and the way he looked down his nose at her, Hitomi knew instinctually, that he did not like her.

Merle bobbed her head in a shallow bow. "Councilor Emos. This is Lady Kanzaki." Merle said using far more respect than Hitomi had ever heard from her when referring to herself. She couldn't stop the startled look she gave the cat-girl but Merle was pretty much ignoring her. In fact, she seemed tense and almost angry.

"Hn." Emos said, and the derisive and rather dismissive tone to his actions brought a sharp and sudden insight to her. Perhaps it was due to her abilities; her visions that had only grown stronger since arriving on Gaea, or maybe it was simply because she had experience with this kind of thing before, but Hitomi felt a cold knowledge that this man was discriminating against her, Merle, and likely also held the same racist thoughts against Van.

She'd paid enough attention to realize that Beastmen and Beastwoman were treated different from those that looked strictly human. She'd also heard the derogatory comments about those from the Mystic Moon as well as the harsh comments about the draconians. She'd seen the past memories of Van's father fighting his own men to accept Varie in a vision, but she'd not stopped to realize that Van and Folken had likely grown up with the same stigmas and harsh stares from someone in power in their own homeland.

Her own grandfather had been German. She had taken after him and received the light brown hair and green eyes and though, not as much as her own father had suffered, she was no stranger to discrimination and the secular injustice of the world. It had been the deciding factor in her application to her high school (1). It hadn't been a top rated school, but it was a decent school with a good track and field team. Between her clearly western heritage and her "freakish" abilities to see future events she had wanted to blend in and avoid those with the narrow-minded bias that had made her middle school years rather abysmal.

Emos was no different than any other bigoted jerk she had come across on Earth.

disgusting.

"… Lady Kanzaki?" Emos stated, and it drew Hitomi out of her thoughts. Hitomi made a bow herself to hide her twisted features that would show how little she actually thought of this man. "It is an honor to meet with such a distinguished and… pivotal member of Fanelia."

Her over-the-top flattery tasted like ash in her mouth, but she knew enough from experience, that being honest against someone this self-righteous and sadly powerful, would do her no good. She needed this man on her side, or at least, not actively against her if she intended to return and stay at Van's side. They could work on weeding out the insidious infection that this man represented after they were both in a more stable position to do so.

"You are not unknowledgeable." Emos stated though it was hardly praise so much as a back-handed compliment. Hitomi grit her teeth and plastered a fake smile upon her face as she rose.

"Thank you for taking the time to speak with me. I know your time is valuable." It had been a while since she'd had to choke out such platitudes and she was rather proud of herself for not reacting in the way she wanted to, which was telling him off.

"Hm. Well, as Lord Van has commanded I am to tell you about the six fiefs and houses of Fanelia. I must make the time."

Hitomi's hand fisted but she managed to maintain her smile. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

Emos's eyes narrowed and he turned his back on her leading her into the construction areas speaking quickly about the great houses of Emos, Idus, Krono, Leam, Shoreus and Leife. It was all rather standard, nothing really all that informative overall. Van had actually given her more details than Emos was. The only thing this meeting had done for her was highlight the hubris of Emos and the other noble families. She did however, learn that only the hier of each family took over the fief. Any other children moved on to the city to work odd jobs, joined a merchant vessel or moved to another Kingdom or Duchy.

"Alas, it would seem that only Idus and my own family have been found." Emos spoke then, and there was something different in the way he said it. It felt similar to how a teacher would bring up a subject that they wished to test her on.

Uncertain if she should respond or not, Hitomi looked at the man and his gaze that clearly showed he did not expect much from her and felt her irritation rise.

"What happens if all six cannot be found?" She asked. "Without a full council to guide him, how will… Lord Van," It was odd referring to Van that way but she would not give this jerk a reason to find fault with her. "Deal with the void? And how will the Fiefs be cared for?"

Emos's eyebrows rose in mild shock.

Yeah, I can keep up with basic information you jerk.

Hitomi thought to herself smugly, but was quickly brought up short when Emos stopped walking and turned to her with a hard cast to his features. She wondered briefly if she was asking inappropriate questions.

"… well, there would be several options. He could always appoint another family of Fanelia to manage the fief and bring them into the council, merge the fiefs or—is there a problem, Lady Kanzaki?" Emos cut himself off, his expression turning insulted at her expression to his first two ideas.

Oh no…

Hitomi blinked and tried to smooth her face out but the damage had already been done. "I'm sorry, please continue."

"No, I believe it would be a good learning experience if you spoke your mind." His lips curled into a slight sneer that made Hitomi bristle. Perhaps she was still too quick to react, but she took his goading and straightened up, hands on her hips.

"Neither of those options are particularly smart, are they?"

"How so?"

"Anyone can learn to run a fief, I'm sure, but it will take time and a lot of trial and error before they will be able to run it adequately. Fanelia cannot afford that right now. It would be pointless to assign someone with no previous knowledge or experience in being in power or managing something that large." She snapped.

"And what of the merger?"

Hitomi sighed, "From the maps I've seen, Fanelia is expansive. If there are only six Fiefs, they are already large. They have been damaged and will require a lot of work to bring back into working order. Merging any of them would be too much for one person to manage. I'm sure it was already a huge effort to maintain the six individually."

Emos seemed unaffected by her statements, merely staring down at her and Hitomi felt a little intimidated by his cold, unwavering stare. He reminded her of Dornkirk in a way and she wondered if that added to her dislike of the man.

"Then what would you recommend, Lord Van do?"

"Wha—Me?"

"Who else?" His sneer was insulting on many levels and she gripped her hands tightly wishing she could slap the smug look off of his old face.

"…" She closed her eyes to try and sort out the problem. She felt inadequate because she'd never had to think of a solution like this before. She was only guessing what might work for the best. However, she was learning about Fanelia for a reason. One day, she may need to think of these answers, so, practicing now would do nothing but help her to grow. However, she really didn't want to make a mistake in front of this man.

"Well? What do you see, great seer from the Mystic Moon?" His insult and disgust of her weren't even slightly disguised with that statement and in wrenched her reply from her instantly.

"I don't have to have visions to think, thank you." Hitomi snapped back. "… I don't have much experience, but I would suggest taking one of the children not already in line to take over a fief and train them to take over one of the govern less ones." She suggested, "Growing up in a family that is already in charge of territory, they would have the tools they would need to survive and a source of information readily available to take care of one and would feel less intimidated to ask for help."

"This would still place the same family in charge of multiple fiefs. Was this not one of your concerns earlier?"

"Not necessarily. Once they are on their feet they would be a branch of the family but they would be creating their own family of heirs. Over time, they would naturally become their own house." Hitomi stuck to her ground despite starting to feel rather foolish. While what she said was true, they would still be bound by blood and loyalty to their parent family. This could still risk giving too much power to either Emos or Idus. "You could even consider sending a daughter and her husband to the Fief to run it. That would cut the direct blood ties would it not?"

Emos seemed even less pleased by that last bit than he had with the rest of her suggesting and Hitomi found herself looking away from the man. Perhaps she should have kept her mouth shut. She was regretting her choice when Emos continued to stare down at her impassively.

After a moment, he turned from her and continued walking. Hitomi blinked in surprise when he simply picked up his lecture once more not even bothering to respond to her.

What the hell?

She had expected to be degraded and told why her ide was foolish and repugnant. The fact that he was simply ignoring her efforts almost hurt worse. Hitomi could only sigh and take in as much information as he was willing to give however as she did not feel like poking the bear as it were. Van still needed this jerk currently, and while he made her skin crawl, Hitomi was in no position to take him on. She got no response on her suggestion but she let it go. She could always ask Van what the right choice would be tonight.

Soon they completed a circuit of the main square and found themselves back before the temporary home that Emos was residing in.

"It is pleasing to see you have an interest in Fanelia." The words said one thing, his tone implied her interest was concerning to him. Hitomi tried not to roll her eyes.

"I owe a lot to Lord Van, it is the least I can do."

"Oh? From what I heard, it is us that owe you quite a bit, Lady Kanzaki."

"… thank you for teaching me." She said, intending to leave but was brought up short when Emos spoke up once more.

"Is there, perhaps, a greater reason for your sudden interest, Lady Kanzaki of the Mystic Moon?"

A shiver ran down her spine and a premonition danced along her nerves. He was trying to get more information about her and Van, and her instincts were telling her not to tell him. Of course nothing was set in stone yet, so she couldn't say anything anyway, but Hitomi knew that confirming his suspicions would not be good.

She affected one of her clueless smiles and rubbed the back of her head. "Not really..?"

"…hm."

"I just wanted to know more. I felt bad not knowing anything."

"…"

"Well, I'll be going now." She gave a polite bow and quickly pulled Merle away from the man, feeling his stare upon her back as she made her escape.

"What was that about?" Merle grumbled when they were far enough away that Hitomi could no longer feel the glare.

"… he's…" Hitomi started but wasn't sure how to finish that statement.

"Yeah." Merle said as though she understood what Hitomi was getting at without needing anything more said. "Though, I think you impressed him."

"What?" Hitomi asked, not certain where Merle got that impression from. "What part of that conversation gave you that idea?"

"He didn't tear you down for saying something stupid." Merle shrugged. "I've seen him ask grown men questions and then rip them apart when they gave their opinions. He just turned and changed the subject."

"… yeah… he probably didn't want to upset Van."

Or he felt my idea was so ridiculous it didn't even deserve his time.

"Maybe."

That seemed to be the end of that as Merle and she were quickly absorbed into the flow of reconstruction and work. With nothing to occupy her mind, Hitomi was left to her own thoughts, and for the first time she wondered if staying by Van's side was a good idea or not. She loved him, and she desperately wanted to be with him for the rest of her life.

However, the realities were starting to sink in. Van had grown up with prejudices against his draconian blood. She had faced something similar prejudices both on Earth as well as here. Here on Gaea, she knew that those from Earth were considered to be cursed. If she and Van stayed together and had children, how much would they suffer simply for being their children?

Am I being too thoughtless?... selfish?

Hitomi looked up and her eyes fell upon Van. He was far enough away that she couldn't hear what he was saying to the other man at his side as they worked together. He was working so hard, but she could see a lightness to his expression that spoke of his joy at fixing his homeland. Her heart warmed and she felt almost instantly reassured just seeing him.

No… we survived a war… we can protect any children we may have from the jerks of the world.

Hitomi flushed again, embarrassed by the thought of children despite the actions they had been indulging in. She pushed her worries to the back of her mind, determined not to be brought down by them. After Dornkirk, Zaibach, the war and her own stupid actions, she was fairly reassured that they could handle anything that came their way.

That included ornery, racist old men.

XX

Eighteenth Day of the Ninth Month

Seventh year of Carusfatum

Gaea

XX

"Of course." Van sounded resigned, and Chid could well understand the feeling. Van had his own pride, and it was likely smarting from the fact that he needed the help of his allies for such a personal matter. Friends or otherwise, it was remarkably embarrassing and shameful to need their power and aid in regards to one's own family matters.

While Chid knew no one here would judge Van or Hitomi, and in fact, were happy to help, it likely wouldn't feel that way to the King. Chid knew how cruel the Aristocracy could be. The fact that Van had not prevented this outcome on his own, would be the biggest gossip if it got out and it would affect his son more than himself which was where the real problem lay. Of course, they were here to ensure it didn't, and if he had to guess, that document Millerna had would make it a non-issue. All the same, he could understand the hesitancy in Van's tone.

"… Anil is my heir. As you are all aware, Hitomi and I never—" Van broke off and grit his teeth a moment finding it difficult to ask them to outright lie for his sake, though all present knew where this was going.

Should I interrupt?

Chid glanced in Millerna's direction wondering if she was going to wait until Van had managed to say the damning words before giving him the document, only to see her extending her arm in that very same breath.

"Van, before you continue… I think you should take a look at this." Millerna interrupted, with a kind smile, holding out the sealed document. "Dryden asked me to deliver this to you."

Van frowned but accepted it. He looked it over before breaking the wax seal and pulling out an old looking roll of parchment. Chid was honestly surprised at the aged look to the paper. It was only slightly discolored, and from the color of wax used in the seal, Chid would guess that the document had been sealed around the time of the end of the war.

Did he really prepare it that far in advance?

Still in awe of Dryden's foresight, Chid watched Millerna's smile grow as Van's expression first went lax with relief as he leaned back into his chair with a harsh exhale, only to swiftly follow that action with a deep crimson blush that spread over his cheeks as he looked up at Millerna, his expression clearly asking how she had known.

"Don't ask me, I don't know when he did this, though the paper and wax seal look older than the last few days." Millerna said hands raised up in a shrug. "If I had to guess, he made the document up before the official end of the War. We stopped using that red wax after the final year of Lotica."

That was true enough. All official seals from Asturia tended to be in a deep blue color to represent the change of both the royal heads as well as the change of the world following the War of Fatum.

"… what?" Van asked, sounding a little distressed. Allen let out a sharp laugh.

"… did you think no one noticed?" Allen asked derisively and Van's head whipped to the side to glare at the knight. "I had hoped you would not have indulged yourselves… but we all knew you and Hitomi were sharing a sleeping space since that first night I caught you two cuddled up under a tree."

"…!" Van's mouth opened and his throat worked but nothing except an odd strangled sound escaped him. He turned his eyes to Millerna next, looking both mortified and embarrassed and his aunt turned away from his gaze twisting a lock of hair nervously around her finger.

"… we didn't think you two were…" She cleared her throat, "I mean, I certainly didn't think so. Apparently, Dryden knew something." She gestured to the document before regaining her composure and managed another bright smile. "You're welcome."

"!" Van flinched and looked back at the document, his head bowing a little as he let out a low groan and ran a hand down his face. "… right… thank you…"

"Well, with the legal documentation, which I assume, dictates your legal wedding at the hands of the King of Asturia, that is one problem solved." Allen said flippantly, thankfully changing the subject on when and what Van and Hitomi had been up to. "I can only assume the other issue is in regards to retrieving your… wife."

The way Allen said the word 'wife', made it clear he did not think much of the document in Van's grasp, and that this was Allen's subtle way of impressing that Van had better hold a true ceremony for Hitomi. Chid almost smiled at the protective intonation, but was brought back to the issue at hand abruptly.

"… yes. I will need to make a trip to the Mystic Moon. To do that, I need someone I can trust to be here in my stead in the event of an emergency." Van said quietly, gently rolling the document back up and setting it in a safe place upon his desk.

"While I would be honored to do so, I do not think my word or status would mean much to your council." Allen stated with a frown. He was not wrong. Allen, though loyal and a true Knight of Celi, was a citizen of Asturia and was not someone of a high enough status to be revered or even acknowledged by the nobility of Fanelia. The Knights of the palace may listen to him, but no one else would.

"…" Van frowned, almost as though he were dissatisfied with that pronouncement though Chid could not fathom why Van would feel that way. "… and you?"

The question was aimed at both himself and Millerna and Chid sighed. His leaving Freid now was already a problem as Basram was on their border, and while the other Duchy had remained quiet and unobtrusive in the last seven years, many were still uncomfortable and the land at the borders had been rather tumultuous as the citizens of both Freid and Basram often fought causing headaches for both Chid and the Duke of Basram as they had to sort out the mess amicably.

"I cannot stay long, I'm afraid." Chid summarized, more than aware that Millerna and Van had been kept appraised of these minor disputes. Neither would need the details.

"Of course." Van said with an understanding nod, though his brows had pinched at this and his anxiety was clear in his form. "… I cannot even promise a timeframe for this venture."

The admittance was shocking, and Chid watched as Van laced his fingers together and rested his arms upon his desk. He didn't expound, but Chid could well guess the complications involved. There would need to be some heavy conversation between Van and Hitomi, and that was only if Van found her swiftly upon arrival.

"I know this is not the best time of year to be making such requests either." Van's fingers flexed and Chid closed his eyes.

I wish I could do more to help.

"I could stay." Millerna offered, her smile warm and kind, though it was the smile she used in her political work and made Chid slightly uneasy.

"…" Van stared her down, likely also aware that her smile was not as straight forward as her words.

"Dryden can maintain Asturia for a time, and I have enough political weight both as Queen of a neighboring kingdom as well as the fact that we are linked in a treaty, to act in your stead should a situation requiring such arise. Whether they like it or not, if you appoint me, not even your council can bully me out." Her smile was a little frightening.

"Thank you, Millerna—" Van began but was cut off abruptly as Millerna shook her head and raised her voice.

"I said I could. Not that I will."

XX

Millerna hated having to do this, but there was simply no other option. She wanted, and already knew she would help Van, however, all the issues had to be addressed before she could make that call. She wasn't a child anymore, and as much as she wanted to simply help her friends, there was far more at stake.

"… excuse me?" Van sounded angry, though, honestly, she had never really seen him be anything other than, irritated, angry or pouting so, she didn't really react much to his tone.

"As you know, winter is approaching and that brings its own complications as we all know."

"Yes. Though I doubt we would have to worry about the mountain pass ice and snow quite yet. And the supplies have already been allotted and slated for transfer. You would not have to do anything more than ensure there are no problems." Van spoke calmly about the crops that would be sent to granaries of Asturia and Zaibach to be divvied up between Freid, Basram and Egzardia. Daedalus fell under Fanelia's jurisdiction as did Arzas and she assumed it would not be included in his statement.

"I believe you. However, there have been some concerning developments that Dryden has been tracking which could be a bigger problem." She stated and watched as Allen came up off the wall, his expression hard.

"What developments?" He asked predictably.

"… nothing like you are thinking." She sighed. "Dryden has been keeping records since his time as a merchant, on weather patterns and their effect on the lands, and the supplies from each area."

"And the weather is a concern now?" Allen pressed, lifting one brow, not entirely following her narrative. Thankfully, Van seemed to have at least a small idea.

"… Daedalus."

"Yes."

"What is happening in the North?" Chid asked, fully invested now, and she allowed Van to expound on that as it was a duchy of Fanelia.

"Last winter was particularly harsh and cold. The snowfall was heavier and many crops were affected. From the latest reports, the cold is setting in even quicker this year." Van frowned. "But what does this have to do with your staying here? I've already made adjustments for—"

"It's not just that." She shook her head. "Weird weather in one place tends to cause chain reactions in others. Dryden has kept detailed records and found a pattern that he believes is starting up again (2)."

Van seemed to consider this a moment. "What other weather events are linked to this unusual cold in the North?"

"Well, we first took note of the change in the ocean. The water temperature has been cooling quickly, as harsh winds from the north bombard Asturia. Fishing and some other merchants have already been impacted by these changes. Dryden says this cooling is even more predominant in the north, causing colder and harsher winters. This in turn will be followed by unusually dry weather in the Western Fiefs and heavier than normal rains to the South."

Van's eyes closed and he rubbed at his brow, she could tell he already knew about the water in the south. She had heard that he was already implementing flood relief in certain areas, and it wasn't even the rainy season yet.

"So, what your saying is next year Fanelia could be faced with certain fields being ravaged by drought and others by flooding?"

"… according to Dryden's research… yes." Millerna looked down. She didn't have to tell him that the northern duchy of Daedalus would also suffer some crop loss due to the harsh winter they would face. Grain next year would be tight.

"… damn it…" Van hissed, and pressed a hand to his face.

"I'm sorry." Millerna offered. "Dryden was already putting a missive together when we received your letter. He said he wasn't certain as it seems to happen every four to six years, but the timing is right and all current signs point to this being the outcome (3)."

"If grain supplies decrease, there will be discontent and that could lead to more impulsive decisions." Allen added darkly. "If anyone else has taken note of these patterns, it could be used as a strategic move against Fanelia and Asturia."

"Do you think there is enough force left to do that?" Chid questioned, well aware that Zaibach would be the one most heavily impacted by this and they had enough discontent to wish to strike against them. They had the motive and will, all that was questionable was if they had a way.

"As far as we can be certain, no. They are still trying to recover from the war and reparations taken." Millerna answered. "Of course, our information could be incomplete."

"Of course. If this pattern is reliable, it's not so far of a stretch to say that the uprising two years ago could be linked." Allen agreed, looking at Van. She couldn't be certain but she would be willing to guess that had been sparked by the last set of weather phenomena just as Allen was suggesting. It fit the time frame, and it would have been worse having struck just as Fanelia was getting back on its feet. There had been a crunch on grains four years back that hadn't abated for nearly two full years. Directly following that, the attempted uprising had broken out forcing Van and Allen to take up arms and assist in settling the dispute. It had been settled with little to no actual fighting, thankfully, but it had been a tense six months to be certain.

"… we will need to prepare for a famine year." Van muttered and then pushed his fingers through his hair letting out a bitter curse and Millerna flinched. She imagined that Van had spent the last week completing as much of his tasks as possible in preparation for this trip, and now, he would have to rework all of the plans to accommodate these new parameters, and time was short.

"… so, that's it then?" Chid asked softly, "There is nothing we can do?"

"We can't go to Hitomi until this is resolved." Van agreed and she could tell how bitter that was for him to admit. She had not brought this up lightly, and she fully intended to stay and give him time to bring Hitomi back. She did not, however, want him to leave and be unaware of what was to come. Things would be difficult enough after he brought Hitomi back, and add to that a famine year, it would not be a good omen for the people, it would also be stressful for the new queen.

"I will—" Millerna was just starting to say as much when the door to the hall was thrown open and a small child with Van's wiry dark hair and Hitomi's green eyes came in crying and yelling.

"You promised!"

XX

His head was aching.

Van hated it when plans fell apart before they could even be fully realized, and he was particularly upset by this set of circumstances. He had prepared and planned for everything. He'd ensured that all of the actual paperwork and details of the harvest and winter preparations were settled, he had ensured that the plans were in the right hands of those who would implement them and he had been prepared to beg and barter with his friends for their help in falsifying records—which thankfully he no longer needed thanks to Dryden—and had more or less guessed that Millerna or Dryden would be the one most likely to be of assistance while he was away.

How could I have prepared for this?

It seemed laughable, though not in a humorous way. He'd missed the promised time with Hitomi thanks to that uprising on the border, which now sounded like it had been caused due to the poor crops from the previous years. Now, thanks to the same weather phenomenon, it looked like he was going to have to postpone again. It was already too close to winter for him to be planning to be away from Fanelia. He couldn't ask anyone to stay in Fanelia during the winter months and he was not willing to make Hitomi wait any longer than he had to.

Though, not addressing this issue now, while there was still time before the grain was shipped out, would be their only chance at lessening the impact of the potential famine year ahead of them. He could feel the confusion and concern through the bond, and knew Hitomi was feeling his emotional bleed over, but he couldn't spare a moment to try and comfort her.

If I call the council to an emergency meeting we could put together an altered quota for what needs to be stored and what should be sent out.

Van thought to himself. If he was determined enough, he could have at least a plan in order in under a day or two. Dryden would likely already be prepared for this and would have taken steps himself. If Van reached out with Dryden to warn Zaibach they could also minimize the impact of the upcoming year. Once all of this had been started, Van could go to retrieve Hitomi and hopefully return before anything else needed to be addressed.

"We can't go to Hitomi until this is resolved." He said aloud. He didn't like it, but he could still potentially get to Hitomi in a day or two. He would not be able to stay long however. Ideally, he would go there, and return with her in less than a day, though he had a feeling that would not be the case.

We need to talk. She will need to say her goodbyes… a week? Would that be enough?

"I will—"Millerna began only to be cut off as his office door was thrown open and Anil came charging in, his eyes red and glossy with tears and his voice sharp with his emotions.

"You promised!" The accusation hurt and Van actually had to suck in a breath to keep from reacting. He had thought they had made progress in the last few days that Anil had come to trust him, but it seemed that the trust was still lacking in many ways. It was disappointing, but Van could not address it right at this moment.

"I told you to wait with Merle." It was stern and as flat as he could manage. Anil had not only disobeyed him but was now acting out in front of other dignitaries. He might not understand, having been raised on the Mystic Moon, but Van couldn't continue to let it slide.

Anil's face crumpled further and his tiny fists shook. He was very upset and he lowered his head, completely engulfed in his own emotions. "You said you were going to get mommy! You promised! You can't—"

"You promised to stay with Merle."

"!" Anil flinched but continued to stand there belligerently. "You have to go get her!"

Van sighed, embarrassed that he still had no idea how to handle his son in this kind of situation. While he did not wish to emulate the previous Duke of Freid, Van couldn't help but take note of the difference between Anil and Chid. Chid had been ruling as Duke at the age of five. Of course, he had help and guidance, but he did not behave in this manner (4). Granted, Van had not been so proficient at that age either and he did not expect Anil to be perfect, he did however expect him to be respectful and listen to him.

Van stood and walked around the desk toward Anil. He was intending to kneel down and try to calm him down and gently chastise him for his behavior but was interrupted as Anil stumbled back and away from him as though expecting to get dragged out of the room and he started screaming more insistently.

"I waited! We waited! You promised!" The words hurt but Van refused to let it show. He had not intended to share these specifics with the entire room and it was irritating that Anil was airing his dirty laundry to everyone. His jaw tightened and he continued his silent trek toward his son. The gaze of his friends burned into his back but not one of them spoke up.

"Anil."

"No! No! No!" Tears finally began to fall as Anil's patience finally broke and his hands rose to his face. Van took the opportunity to close the distance and gripped Anil's shoulder firmly but gently as he lowered to one knee as he had planned.

"Listen to me. There—" Van's words broke off as Anil shrugged out of his hold, raised his face and finally let go of the secret neither had discussed, his face a mirror of fear and pain.

"If you don't get Mommy back now, she'll marry that mean old man and then we'll never be a family!"

"!" The sound of indrawn breath from behind him was ear-shattering and hardly registered to Van as his stomach dropped out and he sat there staring at Anil, a deep cold seeping in.

What?

XX

The cold wind from the north blew in through the open window bringing a chill and lifting the edges of the papers along Dryden's desk. He calmly lifted the cup with the curl of steam and sipped the tea he had requested not long before.

"They must have arrived by now." He spoke to the silence, lips curling in self-satisfaction. He wished he could have been there to see Van's reaction to the document he had drafted seven years ago on a hunch. He was fairly certain he had been correct then, and was correct now. Those two had not been as discrete as they had thought, and in light of the horror from the war, he could not blame them for wanting to reaffirm both their existence and the beauty in the world.

He had noticed the kiss marks half hidden by their clothes on the occasions he'd stopped by Fanelia to deliver supplies. They had thought they were being crafty, blaming the rebuild but, he knew all too well what those marks meant. His assumption had only been further reinforced when Van had fallen unconscious not even ten months after Hitomi's departure, with no explanation. He'd only been told that Van had felt an intense wave of pain that had built up until he'd simply blacked out.

Aware of their mental link, Dryden was willing to bet he knew what that had been.

He chuckled to himself, imagining how darkly Van must have blushed as he read the document. The poor young King was so easily riled up and predictable, and he was likely still reeling from the change in his life that the child most likely represented. He hoped his gift helped him, and he prayed that things would progress smoothly from this point. The next few years would be complicated enough now that the Dragon's Breath season had passed and the Chilled Slumber approached (5).

Looking out the window he could see the glimmering ocean and the leviships docked below. The merchants were already on edge due to the changing weather. Not many had bothered to keep a record as he did, but they were not entirely ignorant of the pattern. He had managed to continue his rapport with the merchants and was pleased with the current system he had in place. Asturia would survive with only minor discomfort if the problems persisted more than a year, and he had already made a lucrative deal with the merchants, all he needed now was to see how Van would tackle this problem.

He hoped Van had enough information to make preparations. He had not be certain this was the same pattern as before until the latest reports from Daedalus had come in that the first frost had already struck this year and the harvest had been negatively affected. If he and Van could manage the damages this time around, they stood a chance at controlling this in the future and they could use this to calm the last of the discontent with Zaibach and Basram.

Of course, that all hinged on how Van would handle this information.

If he's smart, he will take this time to bring Hitomi back and then reach out to all of us with a plan.

Another sip of the hot tea was bracing and he felt assured that things would continue to work out in their favor. Van was not stupid, and he was a good king. This problem would be resolved one way or another, and with Hitomi at his side, well, things could only improve. Not counting her ability to see the future, she had already proven her own ability to lead. She had been the one to suggest setting up the new fiefs under the management of other non-heir members of the surviving family members. It had proven reliable thus far.

His eyes looked out to the sunlight that glinted off of the water's surface, glittering like precious stones. It brought the illusion of warmth and combined with his tea, Dryden was able to leave the window open and enjoy the fresh air with little discomfort.

"Yes. I believe this will all work out to our benefit." Dryden spoke to himself, still smiling and turned back to the documents that needed his approval. He was certain he'd be receiving a letter from Millerna soon regarding the outcome of today's events, and he wanted to be certain he had time to properly enjoy it.

A.N. And thus ends this chapter. I had quite a bit of fun writing this one, though I fear many of you may find it boring aside from that minor cliff hangar for poor Van. As I said, I wanted to properly depict some issues and complications that someone would face when in charge of a large (in scale of land) Kingdom would face. I also, wanted to show how much Van has grown. He might have just run off right away to get her when he was younger, but he is older and has more to worry about now that he's been ruling for seven years. Anyway, hope this chapter is an enjoyable read.

1) In Japan a student needs to apply to their high school much like applying to college.

2) This, and the rest of what Millerna talks about is supposed to be their version of the weather phenomenon known as La Nina and El Nino. Though, it's the La Nina that is being talked about right now. I am NOT an expert on this, I did some rudimentary research and thought it might be fun to incorporate here ( en. wiki/La_Ni%C3%B1a#Background and encyclopedia/el-nino/print/).

3) La Nina tends to happen every couple of years here on Earth, however I am choosing to say it happens less frequently on Gaea because I can.

4) Chid Freid in the anime, who is standing in for his father and takes over as Duke is only 5 years old. That child is WAY too composed and smart to be five. He's the same age as my son… my son can't find his shoes most morning much less lead a dukedom… anyway, I do not believe the way Chid was raised was right, neither does Van but it is something he has taken note of and being a parent I can honestly say, I look at other kids my son's age and think poorly of my parenting skills at times when some other kid at a younger or same age shows a maturity or respect far beyond what my kid is capable of ( wiki/Chid_Freid).

5) Dryden's names for El Nino and La Nina.