Chapter 14: Messenger from Asturia
Hitomi felt Van's lips press to hers and her eyes flew open, but closed again of their own accord as the kiss deepened and he involuntarily drew her closer. She wrapped her arm around his neck as all thoughts but his touch fled her mind. Her resolve to leave crumbled under an onslaught of emotions that left her trembling.
Before she was ready Van broke away, looking into her eyes, searching her face for a sign that he had done something she had not wanted. He was afraid of her reaction, afraid of rejection. Hitomi stared at him in return, touching her lips with her fingers. She had not been kissed since that night on the bridge so many years ago. And that was nothing compared to what just happened. This was...magic.
"Hitomi, I'm sor..." He started, but she silenced him by pulling him down to kiss her again.
Van was on fire, every nerve firing off at the touch of the woman in his arms. He had dreamed of this moment for so long that he could not believe it was real. She was kissing him. Him. A bubble of joy was forming in his chest, threatening to burst. He pulled her closer, wanting to feel every inch of her. He tightened his arms when suddenly he felt her flinch.
He pulled away. "Hitomi, I'm sorry!" he gasped, "I forgot about your shoulder!"
She smiled up at him, her face flushed. She reached up and gently traced the outline of his cheek with her hand. "So did I."
He stared at her in disbelief, then laughed with joy.
Merle stood, worried, her ear pressed to the thick wooden door. Her tail whipped back and forth in concentration as she strained to hear. Eri and Celena stood next to her, guilt and curiosity at war on their faces. Finally Merle slumped in relief and turned to them. "He laughed," she whispered. "He laughed out loud!"
Eri and Celena grinned with satisfaction at her and each other, then jumped when a voice behind them asked, "Why are you three grinning like fools?"
They turned to see Allen and Phiat walking up to them. Phiat moved past them and, before Merle could stop him, knocked on the door. A few seconds passed, then Van opened the door, looking in surprise at the group gathered outside his door. The three girls, trying to cover their guilty expressions, retreated behind an amused Allen.
"Your majesty, a messenger from King Aston of Asturia has arrived and awaits you in the receiving hall."
Van ran his hand over his face. "Phiat, can't you take care of this?" he asked hopefully.
Phiat shook his head. "The messenger was most adamant about relaying the message to you in person."
Van sighed and nodded. "Give me a minute." He shut the door. Merle, forgetting any sense of propriety, leapt forward to listen again.
Hitomi stood looking out the window, attempting to organize her chaotic mind into some semblance of rational thought. The knock on the door had brought her crashing back to reality and she was trying to restore her resolve to leave that had evaporated. She touched her lips with the tips of her fingers, still feeling Van's warmth, relishing the sensation.
Van watched her for a moment from the door, trying to guess what was running through her mind. She looked so small and delicate silhouetted in the window. Van felt a wave of protectiveness wash over him and suddenly he needed to touch her, to make sure she was safe and to hold her close. He closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. She leaned back against him.
"What is going on?" she asked.
"Messengers from Asturia. I have to meet with them." he responded.
"Van, we need to talk." she said when she felt him shake his head.
"No. Later." he said firmly. Hitomi closed her eyes and gripped the hands at her waist. She nodded, not wanting to fight again.
Merle jumped back as the door opened. Hitomi eyed her suspiciously, but didn't make any comments about her close proximity to the door or her guilty expression. Van, oblivious, turned to offer his arm to Hitomi. She hesitated, looking surprised. "You want me to come?"
Van nodded. "You want to be involved and help. This is a start."
Hitomi smiled and took his arm while Merle cried, " Lord Van! You never let me in the meetings!" Hitomi turned her head to look at Merle and, giving into an overwhelming impulse, stuck out her tongue. Merle, enraged, lunged forward but was stopped short as Celena took a hold of her tail and pulled her back.
Van groaned when the door to the receiving hall was opened. The only person visible was a large beefy man using vigorous gestures in his discussion with a person hidden by his bulk.
"I see Lord Giata has already intercepted the messenger," Van muttered in disgust to Hitomi.
Lord Giata stopped his movements with the announcement of the king's arrival. Turning to face the king, he bowed, revealing the messenger. Hitomi stared at her. There was something familiar about her.
"Millerna," she gasped in recognition as the princess pulled her hood down and came forward to hug her. "You're...you're..." She stopped as the Princess embraced her. An image flashed before her eyes of Millerna with a baby in her arms. Hitomi blinked, shocked by the brief vision. "Pregnant?" she finished in a hush so that only Millerna could hear her.
Millerna's eyes widened. "I should have known I couldn't keep something like that from you." She whispered. Louder, so the others could hear, she said "Hitomi, I knew it had to be you when reports reached us of the appearance of a woman from the Mystic Moon. I flew here as soon as I could. I came with others who would like to say hello." She turned Hitomi to face a door to another room. Standing in the doorway was Gaddes.
"Ahh, little lady. I knew you would return one day!" Gaddes said jubilantly. He strode through the door, with the rest of the crew from the Crusade on his heels. He grabbed her up in a bear hug, making her wince from the pain in her shoulder. Then he released her to Pyle, who said, "I knew you couldn't keep away from the king here" and ruffled her hair. He passed her to the next crewmember and down the line she went, being was hugged, patted and squeezed until her head was spinning.
At the end of the line she ended up next to Lord Giata, who was eyeing her critically. Van came to stand by her side after greeting Millerna.
"So you're the woman from the Mystic Moon? I had heard you were a beauty. I couldn't see as how I'd say that. "
Hitomi felt Van stiffen. Subtly she elbowed him
"Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder," she said mildly.
Lord Giata grunted. "True, true. You're not here causing another war, are you?"
"Lord Giata," Millerna said sharply.
Unrepentant, he turned to look at her, the expression on his face showing he would also like to say a few things about her, traveling around without her father or husband as an escort. But he held his tongue, and bowing, begged their pardon as he left.
"Millerna, how could your father choose such a pompous man to be the ambassador of his country?" Van asked sourly.
Millerna grinned, a twinkle in her eye. "He didn't. Dryden did. He couldn't take him anymore in the councils so he decided to 'honor' him with the promotion. He figured you were the least likely to kill him so he sent him here. I think Dryden also believed you would be the least likely to seek revenge." She shook her head. "But for all his faults, Lord Giata is a loyal man and really does do what he thinks is best for Asturia."
"Well, that explains his quick appointment after Dryden's return, then." Van said, in disgust.
Millerna turned to Hitomi. "I am sorry for his rudeness."
Hitomi shook her head. "No need to apologize. How are you? What have you been doing?"
Millerna laughed. "Why don't we cover that while I get changed? I feel dirty after the trip here. Especially from the company."
Offended, Gaddes and the crew laughingly shouted retorts, then returned to enthusiastically greeting Allen and Celena, who, along with Merle, had slipped in the room as Lord Giata left. Merle left to arrange for a room for Millerna, grumbling as she did so that they would have to complete the other half of the castle just to house all their guests. Millerna and Hitomi followed in her wake.
Hitomi felt Van's lips press to hers and her eyes flew open, but closed again of their own accord as the kiss deepened and he involuntarily drew her closer. She wrapped her arm around his neck as all thoughts but his touch fled her mind. Her resolve to leave crumbled under an onslaught of emotions that left her trembling.
Before she was ready Van broke away, looking into her eyes, searching her face for a sign that he had done something she had not wanted. He was afraid of her reaction, afraid of rejection. Hitomi stared at him in return, touching her lips with her fingers. She had not been kissed since that night on the bridge so many years ago. And that was nothing compared to what just happened. This was...magic.
"Hitomi, I'm sor..." He started, but she silenced him by pulling him down to kiss her again.
Van was on fire, every nerve firing off at the touch of the woman in his arms. He had dreamed of this moment for so long that he could not believe it was real. She was kissing him. Him. A bubble of joy was forming in his chest, threatening to burst. He pulled her closer, wanting to feel every inch of her. He tightened his arms when suddenly he felt her flinch.
He pulled away. "Hitomi, I'm sorry!" he gasped, "I forgot about your shoulder!"
She smiled up at him, her face flushed. She reached up and gently traced the outline of his cheek with her hand. "So did I."
He stared at her in disbelief, then laughed with joy.
Merle stood, worried, her ear pressed to the thick wooden door. Her tail whipped back and forth in concentration as she strained to hear. Eri and Celena stood next to her, guilt and curiosity at war on their faces. Finally Merle slumped in relief and turned to them. "He laughed," she whispered. "He laughed out loud!"
Eri and Celena grinned with satisfaction at her and each other, then jumped when a voice behind them asked, "Why are you three grinning like fools?"
They turned to see Allen and Phiat walking up to them. Phiat moved past them and, before Merle could stop him, knocked on the door. A few seconds passed, then Van opened the door, looking in surprise at the group gathered outside his door. The three girls, trying to cover their guilty expressions, retreated behind an amused Allen.
"Your majesty, a messenger from King Aston of Asturia has arrived and awaits you in the receiving hall."
Van ran his hand over his face. "Phiat, can't you take care of this?" he asked hopefully.
Phiat shook his head. "The messenger was most adamant about relaying the message to you in person."
Van sighed and nodded. "Give me a minute." He shut the door. Merle, forgetting any sense of propriety, leapt forward to listen again.
Hitomi stood looking out the window, attempting to organize her chaotic mind into some semblance of rational thought. The knock on the door had brought her crashing back to reality and she was trying to restore her resolve to leave that had evaporated. She touched her lips with the tips of her fingers, still feeling Van's warmth, relishing the sensation.
Van watched her for a moment from the door, trying to guess what was running through her mind. She looked so small and delicate silhouetted in the window. Van felt a wave of protectiveness wash over him and suddenly he needed to touch her, to make sure she was safe and to hold her close. He closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. She leaned back against him.
"What is going on?" she asked.
"Messengers from Asturia. I have to meet with them." he responded.
"Van, we need to talk." she said when she felt him shake his head.
"No. Later." he said firmly. Hitomi closed her eyes and gripped the hands at her waist. She nodded, not wanting to fight again.
Merle jumped back as the door opened. Hitomi eyed her suspiciously, but didn't make any comments about her close proximity to the door or her guilty expression. Van, oblivious, turned to offer his arm to Hitomi. She hesitated, looking surprised. "You want me to come?"
Van nodded. "You want to be involved and help. This is a start."
Hitomi smiled and took his arm while Merle cried, " Lord Van! You never let me in the meetings!" Hitomi turned her head to look at Merle and, giving into an overwhelming impulse, stuck out her tongue. Merle, enraged, lunged forward but was stopped short as Celena took a hold of her tail and pulled her back.
Van groaned when the door to the receiving hall was opened. The only person visible was a large beefy man using vigorous gestures in his discussion with a person hidden by his bulk.
"I see Lord Giata has already intercepted the messenger," Van muttered in disgust to Hitomi.
Lord Giata stopped his movements with the announcement of the king's arrival. Turning to face the king, he bowed, revealing the messenger. Hitomi stared at her. There was something familiar about her.
"Millerna," she gasped in recognition as the princess pulled her hood down and came forward to hug her. "You're...you're..." She stopped as the Princess embraced her. An image flashed before her eyes of Millerna with a baby in her arms. Hitomi blinked, shocked by the brief vision. "Pregnant?" she finished in a hush so that only Millerna could hear her.
Millerna's eyes widened. "I should have known I couldn't keep something like that from you." She whispered. Louder, so the others could hear, she said "Hitomi, I knew it had to be you when reports reached us of the appearance of a woman from the Mystic Moon. I flew here as soon as I could. I came with others who would like to say hello." She turned Hitomi to face a door to another room. Standing in the doorway was Gaddes.
"Ahh, little lady. I knew you would return one day!" Gaddes said jubilantly. He strode through the door, with the rest of the crew from the Crusade on his heels. He grabbed her up in a bear hug, making her wince from the pain in her shoulder. Then he released her to Pyle, who said, "I knew you couldn't keep away from the king here" and ruffled her hair. He passed her to the next crewmember and down the line she went, being was hugged, patted and squeezed until her head was spinning.
At the end of the line she ended up next to Lord Giata, who was eyeing her critically. Van came to stand by her side after greeting Millerna.
"So you're the woman from the Mystic Moon? I had heard you were a beauty. I couldn't see as how I'd say that. "
Hitomi felt Van stiffen. Subtly she elbowed him
"Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder," she said mildly.
Lord Giata grunted. "True, true. You're not here causing another war, are you?"
"Lord Giata," Millerna said sharply.
Unrepentant, he turned to look at her, the expression on his face showing he would also like to say a few things about her, traveling around without her father or husband as an escort. But he held his tongue, and bowing, begged their pardon as he left.
"Millerna, how could your father choose such a pompous man to be the ambassador of his country?" Van asked sourly.
Millerna grinned, a twinkle in her eye. "He didn't. Dryden did. He couldn't take him anymore in the councils so he decided to 'honor' him with the promotion. He figured you were the least likely to kill him so he sent him here. I think Dryden also believed you would be the least likely to seek revenge." She shook her head. "But for all his faults, Lord Giata is a loyal man and really does do what he thinks is best for Asturia."
"Well, that explains his quick appointment after Dryden's return, then." Van said, in disgust.
Millerna turned to Hitomi. "I am sorry for his rudeness."
Hitomi shook her head. "No need to apologize. How are you? What have you been doing?"
Millerna laughed. "Why don't we cover that while I get changed? I feel dirty after the trip here. Especially from the company."
Offended, Gaddes and the crew laughingly shouted retorts, then returned to enthusiastically greeting Allen and Celena, who, along with Merle, had slipped in the room as Lord Giata left. Merle left to arrange for a room for Millerna, grumbling as she did so that they would have to complete the other half of the castle just to house all their guests. Millerna and Hitomi followed in her wake.
