Chapter 15: Millerna
Hitomi watched Millerna pull jewels from the case she had brought and put them on. She felt a twinge of jealousy at the sight of the exquisite princess and for a brief moment felt inferior to such perfection, just as she had five years ago. The maids had unpacked all her beautiful clothes and Millerna had changed her dress, chatting the entire time about various topics. But Hitomi saw the tight expression that appeared on her face when the talking ceased. She waited until the maids left the room, then asked, "Are you really OK, Millerna? What is wrong?"
Millerna dropped the necklace she was holding up. She sat, looking at Hitomi through her reflection in the mirror. "I don't know." she responded softly. "I'm scared and I wanted someone to talk to. I was so glad when I heard you were here."
"Is it the baby? How long have you known?" Hitomi asked.
Millerna shook her head, then changed her mind and nodded. "I suspected it for a few weeks now. I am afraid to tell Dryden about it."
"Isn't it his?" Hitomi blurted out, immediately wishing she could retract the words.
Millerna froze, then said icily, "Yes. I am not following in my sister's footsteps."
Hitomi, red faced, began apologizing but Millerna drooped in the chair, waving the apologies away.
"I can't blame you. Five years ago I may have eagerly followed Marlene's example. But it's different now. After you left, I was determined not to let a man be the source of all my happiness, which is what I had been doing for so many years. Allen was busy with Celena, which made it easier to let go of him. And Dryden disappeared for a while, doing what he said he would: work among the people. So I learned to depend on myself and make my own decisions, including finishing my medical studies despite Eries's best efforts to stop me.
Millerna turned to look at Hitomi. "But that changed four months ago when Dryden returned. He was different. Oh, he is still a merchant, but now he appreciates people, rather than just things. He worked with all the others to help rebuild Gaea and understands the common people now. And he was so kind, and nice that I couldn't help but like him. Two months ago I remarried him. He has let me continue like I was, making my own decisions, doing what I wanted to do. But I am afraid with the baby coming things will change. They will cage me up for the sake of the heir and I will lose all the independence I have worked so hard for."
Hitomi studied Millerna's face for a moment. "Do you love Dryden?" she asked.
Millerna turned to stare at the floor. "I don't know. I think so."
Hitomi sighed. "I think you should be talking about this with Dryden and not me. Why didn't he come with you?"
Millerna turned to face to the jewelry. "I didn't tell him I was going. I didn't want them to stop me and I wanted to see you." She turned back around quickly and looked imploringly into Hitomi's face. "Will you do a reading for me? Will you do one for me and the baby?"
Hitomi was taken back by the request. "No. I don't do them anymore. And don't you remember what happened last time I did one for you? I nearly ruined your life."
Millerna groaned. "I thought that was what you'd say. I didn't really want you to do one. I am just afraid of what I should do and wanted some guidance."
Hitomi said firmly, "I think you should talk to Dryden. If you love him, and he loves you as much as he did five years ago, I don't think there is anything to be afraid of. You should send a message to him, before he gets too angry."
"Angry about what?" said a voice from the door. Millerna and Hitomi turned to see Dryden leaning against the frame, his unruly hair spilling over his face. He looked over the top of his glasses and grinned at their shocked expressions.
"What? You didn't think that I would know what was going on through my wife's head when we heard you had returned?" He said humorously, moving into the room. "I followed in another airship, of course. It's marvelous to see you again, Miss Fortune Teller."
Hitomi stood, extending her hand, which he took and kissed. She snatched her hand back, her face coloring slightly. "Still the charmer, huh?"
Dryden grinned again and bowed to her, sweeping his brown cloak back as he did so. "Only with my wife now." He waggled a finger at her. "Don't get any ideas!"
Hitomi smiled in amusement. She moved passed him to the door, saying over her shoulder, "I think your wife needs to talk to you about something." She smiled supportively at Millerna's scared expression, then shut the door.
Hitomi watched Millerna pull jewels from the case she had brought and put them on. She felt a twinge of jealousy at the sight of the exquisite princess and for a brief moment felt inferior to such perfection, just as she had five years ago. The maids had unpacked all her beautiful clothes and Millerna had changed her dress, chatting the entire time about various topics. But Hitomi saw the tight expression that appeared on her face when the talking ceased. She waited until the maids left the room, then asked, "Are you really OK, Millerna? What is wrong?"
Millerna dropped the necklace she was holding up. She sat, looking at Hitomi through her reflection in the mirror. "I don't know." she responded softly. "I'm scared and I wanted someone to talk to. I was so glad when I heard you were here."
"Is it the baby? How long have you known?" Hitomi asked.
Millerna shook her head, then changed her mind and nodded. "I suspected it for a few weeks now. I am afraid to tell Dryden about it."
"Isn't it his?" Hitomi blurted out, immediately wishing she could retract the words.
Millerna froze, then said icily, "Yes. I am not following in my sister's footsteps."
Hitomi, red faced, began apologizing but Millerna drooped in the chair, waving the apologies away.
"I can't blame you. Five years ago I may have eagerly followed Marlene's example. But it's different now. After you left, I was determined not to let a man be the source of all my happiness, which is what I had been doing for so many years. Allen was busy with Celena, which made it easier to let go of him. And Dryden disappeared for a while, doing what he said he would: work among the people. So I learned to depend on myself and make my own decisions, including finishing my medical studies despite Eries's best efforts to stop me.
Millerna turned to look at Hitomi. "But that changed four months ago when Dryden returned. He was different. Oh, he is still a merchant, but now he appreciates people, rather than just things. He worked with all the others to help rebuild Gaea and understands the common people now. And he was so kind, and nice that I couldn't help but like him. Two months ago I remarried him. He has let me continue like I was, making my own decisions, doing what I wanted to do. But I am afraid with the baby coming things will change. They will cage me up for the sake of the heir and I will lose all the independence I have worked so hard for."
Hitomi studied Millerna's face for a moment. "Do you love Dryden?" she asked.
Millerna turned to stare at the floor. "I don't know. I think so."
Hitomi sighed. "I think you should be talking about this with Dryden and not me. Why didn't he come with you?"
Millerna turned to face to the jewelry. "I didn't tell him I was going. I didn't want them to stop me and I wanted to see you." She turned back around quickly and looked imploringly into Hitomi's face. "Will you do a reading for me? Will you do one for me and the baby?"
Hitomi was taken back by the request. "No. I don't do them anymore. And don't you remember what happened last time I did one for you? I nearly ruined your life."
Millerna groaned. "I thought that was what you'd say. I didn't really want you to do one. I am just afraid of what I should do and wanted some guidance."
Hitomi said firmly, "I think you should talk to Dryden. If you love him, and he loves you as much as he did five years ago, I don't think there is anything to be afraid of. You should send a message to him, before he gets too angry."
"Angry about what?" said a voice from the door. Millerna and Hitomi turned to see Dryden leaning against the frame, his unruly hair spilling over his face. He looked over the top of his glasses and grinned at their shocked expressions.
"What? You didn't think that I would know what was going on through my wife's head when we heard you had returned?" He said humorously, moving into the room. "I followed in another airship, of course. It's marvelous to see you again, Miss Fortune Teller."
Hitomi stood, extending her hand, which he took and kissed. She snatched her hand back, her face coloring slightly. "Still the charmer, huh?"
Dryden grinned again and bowed to her, sweeping his brown cloak back as he did so. "Only with my wife now." He waggled a finger at her. "Don't get any ideas!"
Hitomi smiled in amusement. She moved passed him to the door, saying over her shoulder, "I think your wife needs to talk to you about something." She smiled supportively at Millerna's scared expression, then shut the door.
