Chapter 18: Reading

Van woke slowly, feeling refreshed. He opened his eyes and blinked against the bright sunlight filling the room. He looked around, puzzled, at the room lit by the late morning sun. He rarely slept in. He vaguely remembered being led to his room but nothing more. Alarmed he sat up, searching for Hitomi. Not seeing any sign of her, he jumped out of bed and rushed to dress, his speed fueled by fear. He strode out of the room, stopping to question the guards whether they had seen her. Receiving negative responses, he quickly headed down the hall, quickening his pace at the sound of swords clashing and a loud scream.

Van burst into the room they had occupied the night before, stopping in the doorway in surprise. Phiat and Allen were sparring on one side of the room and on the other Merle was jumping up and down and squealing in excitement. Trying to slow his heart rate and not look like he had been alarmed, he sauntered over to the table. Hitomi looked up at his entrance, her eyes sparkling and cheeks flushed with pride. Merle was hugging her while the Millerna, Eri and Celena and Dryden applauded.

Merle spotted him. "She read it!" she called excitedly.

Van confused, looked at the book Hitomi was holding in her hand. It was a book for children that Merle persuaded him to have written for the orphan schools.

"So?" he said, not understanding. Some of the excitement faded from Hitomi's face. Merle glared at him. "She worked all last night and this morning to learn how to read it!" She snapped at him, angered that he was undermining their accomplishment.

"Hitomi didn't know how to read our language," Millerna explained gently as Hitomi slid the book out of sight, suddenly ashamed of the simple task she had performed.

Van stared at her in astonishment. The thought that Hitomi couldn't read Gaean had never crossed his mind. He had taken it for granted that since she could understand what they were saying, then she could read as well. "Congratulations," he stuttered belatedly.

Merle sniffed at him in disgust and hugged Hitomi again before returning to her seat. Hitomi stared at the table in front of her, feeling small.

Van started to say more when a cough at the door interrupted him. He glanced over, recognizing one of his advisors, who bowed and beckoned him over. With a glance back at Hitomi, Van walked over.

"I beg your pardon, your majesty, but the midweek court has convened and is awaiting your presence."

Van nodded. He had forgotten. "I will be there in a moment." The advisor bowed and left.

"Hitomi," Van called. She looked up and excused herself from the table to walk over to him. "Would you like to come and watch the court?" he asked.

She nodded. She glanced back at the table. Merle waved goodbye at her "Seen it!" she called. Millerna looked up and grinned "Done it!"

Hitomi laughed. "Got the t-shirt?" she called back. They all raised their heads to look at her, confused. "Sorry," she muttered. "Earth joke." She turned and followed Van out the door.

Van glanced over at Hitomi as they walked down the hall. "I didn't know you couldn't read Gaean." He said quietly. She turned to look at him. "I really am proud of you."

A fleeting smile crossed her face. "Celena and I got up really early this morning to work on it. She gave me some history books to study when I get better."

"When I woke this morning and you weren't there, I was afraid you'd left." Van admitted.

Hitomi looked at him exasperated. "I won't leave without telling you!"

Van's smile faded. "So you are still going to go."

Hitomi stopped and faced him in the hallway. Before she could say a word, he grimaced and pulled her into a side room, out of earshot of the guards stationed throughout the hallway.

"I have a feeling this is going to involve an argument. I don't want any prying eyes or ears," he explained as he shut the door behind them.

Hitomi stared at him while she collected her thoughts. Stalling, she glanced around the dark room, looking at indiscernible shapes of objects stored there. The windows were covered with cloth, allowing just enough light in so that she could see Van's features.

Finally gathering her courage, she turned to face him. "Every minute I am here I am putting you in more danger. I have thought a lot about what brought me here and I have realized something." She paused and took a deep breath. "When I had the vision of you being killed, I immediately tried to come. But first I saw your mother."

Van jerked, but Hitomi's solemn face stopped any questions from leaving his lips.

"She asked me if I thought I had made the right decision to come. I think she was warning me not to come. And after last night I think she was right. The person behind this was waiting for my arrival to kill you. "

Van shook his head. "What about the archer? The one whose arrow you stopped?"

"I don't think he would have killed you. Injured you maybe, but not kill you. If I hadn't come they wouldn't have had a reason to continue to attack you. They would have realized attacking you would not bring me. Only my emotions and interpretation of the future made it possible that you may be killed and sent me here. I don't think I am explaining this well. Do you understand?"

Van began shaking his head halfway through her explanation. When she finished, he looked at her, studying her for a moment. She stared back at him, silently pleading with him to understand.

Finally he spoke. "Hitomi, why did you come?"

She looked surprised at the question. "Because I thought you were going to be killed!"

He looked at her piercingly. "You defied the spirit of my mother and traveled to another world to get shot by an arrow just because of a vision that I may or may not be killed?"

Hitomi flushed. She looked at the ground. "Yes and no."

"Yes and no?" He repeated, beginning to smile. "How much yes and how much no?"

Hitomi tried to hold onto the urgency to make him understand the danger but it slipped away as she began to smile foolishly at the floor. "Sixty percent yes and forty percent no?" she guessed. As she felt his hand gently take hers she cursed inwardly how easily he made her want to forget that she should leave.

"Only forty percent?" he asked as he drew her closer. She nodded her head, then shook it as he wrapped his arms around her. Feeling him shift, she looked up and saw the smile in his eyes as he bent his head to softly kiss her. His mouth was gentle on hers, a quick taste of tenderness and love before he pulled away.

"Forty percent what?" he whispered before kissing her again, longer but still gentle, a soft touch of warmth on her lips that made her long for more.

Hitomi melted in his arms. "Love, loneliness, need," she murmured against his mouth. "I missed you, Van."

"I know." He murmured back, kissing her again. She splayed her fingers across his chest, feeling his heart beat. They broke apart, standing in the darkness listening to each other breathe.

Suddenly the silence was broken as out in the hallway an impatient voice called Van's name. Van groaned as Hitomi bent her head and smothered her giggles into his chest, clutching his shirt in her hand. Van chuckled and kissed her temple.

"I think my advisors think I have lost my mind." He whispered to her. He crept to the door, pulling her along with him. Listening carefully, he heard the advisor walk away. He opened the door and peeked out. Seeing the hallway was empty except for the eternally present guards, he opened the door and walked out, Hitomi in tow. "I think the midweek court is probably getting restless by now." he said, resuming their walk to the receiving hall.

Hitomi hung back a moment. Van looked at her.

"We didn't resolve anything. You can't keep avoiding it," she said.

Van's expression softened. "I know," he replied sadly. He took her hand and tucked in his arm. Hitomi let him lead her down the hall. "Tonight." he said. "Let us have today, then we'll decide what to do tonight."

Despite the growing feeling of dread at the delay, she agreed.