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The Dark of Dawn

An Escaflowne Fan-Fiction

We know I didn't create Escaflowne. Which is why I thank the companies who did, and assure them I am not making profit off this. I just have a lot of spare time and an overactive imagination.

Chapter Five: Princess

Dilandau Albatou had been, and as of yet was, impatiently lurking.

The reason for this was, of course, a six-year imprisonment inside the hapless Selena Schezar. An imprisonment without shape or form, with only tortured thought to keep one certain of the fact of being alive. This would have, in Dilandau's opinion, made anyone annoyed. Even the Zaibach Strategos- had he been alive. He very apparently was, however, as Dilandau had seen him through Selena's very own eyes. In fact, through Selena's own eyes, he had seen several strange things lately.

Apparently there was a new Fanelian princess. Upon Fanelia, there was no need to hate Van anymore- what insult was a scar compared to being stuck in a twenty-one year old woman? Especially since Dilandau did not don a scar, much less a face or body. No, his harbored feelings towards Van had gone out through the repayment of his large grudge. If a DragonSlayer had been alive, Dilandau would even have been fine with thinking towards Van as a friend or brother.

Nor did Dilandau really despise Selena. He pitied her, more or less. Being Allen Schezar's sister for one (Dilandau didn't consider what this could make him) and for another not really having much of a personality. Selena was very nice, good-natured, obliging, sweet and kind, and in Dilandau's opinion one could have no worse fate. What would the use of being eager to please if someone tried to kill you? Therefore, Dilandau thought of Selena Schezar in a condescending manner, and waited cunningly for the next opportunity to release himself.

At the moment, though, there was a more interesting happening to worry about. In front of Selena was one of the winged people called Draconians or Dragon Gods (or angels, according to her religion), and both Selena and Dilandau were really quite amazed. Dilandau could read Selena's thoughts, and they were really very confused.

Selena was, for that matter, a very confusing person. Her thoughts had a complex, systematic order which would have amazed the people around her. Most thought her introverted, dumb, shy and haughty, although this was due to the fact that Selena would not talk to any person she deemed to be despicable. It was something that worried her brother; but he secretly admitted he would not mind doing the same thing she did. Allen figured this quirk was just an obstinacy on her own part.

As the girl before her laughed and swirled in a whirl of white, Selena stood, quite surprised, behind her. From all that she'd heard, the Dragon Gods were not only cursed, but dangerous and powerful- powerful enough to have destroyed Atlantis. It wouldn't have been odd for Selena to suddenly run away, screaming bloody murder. Any other time, she would have done just that.

She didn't, though; inside her, Dilandau held her in place. He was quite pleased on being able to do this, especially since Selena didn't know he was. Dilandau was not exactly sure why he kept her in place, looking at the girl in front of her. Maybe he wanted to see her face? Strike the winged one down dead? Maybe it was neither- maybe it was both. Whatever it was, the Draconian turned around, wings covering her upper half, and Selena gave a startled cry.

She was the one rumored to be the newly discovered Fanelian princess, a foundling from a village where no one had recognized a resemblance to her and the King until face-to-face comparison. Princess Arteissa- it had a pretty ring to it. Of course, if she was the real, genuine article, that would make Van also another winged person. Selena was very taken aback by what the significance of this was. Unless, of course, the supposed princess was not at all a princess indeed. In which case she must tell Van immediately.

Selena began to creep away, although this was not of much use. Arteissa had already seen her, and was moving towards her while working on pulling her dress back up to cover her chest and withdrawing her wings. Doing these three things at once was neither easy or graceful, and Arteissa was slow in her motions. But eventually the menial task was done, and she pounced towards the woman.

"What are you planning to do?" Arteissa asked worriedly, catching up Selena's wrists and pinning her against a tree. Arteissa was around the same height as Selena, although slightly more muscular; despite the age difference, an onlooker would have predicted Arteissa to be the one to win if a fight occurred.

"I-I was going to tell Van," said the startled other.

Arteissa nodded, and slowly released her grip. "Yes, that would be a good idea. He went off when I came upon him several minutes ago. Van should be back shortly, though." She sighed gustily and swung herself up on one of the lower branches of the tree. She sat there peacefully, eyes closed, swinging her long legs back and forth.

"Do you really believe you're the Fanelian princess?" Selena suddenly blurted out.

"Yes," answered Arteissa lazily, "I do now- I didn't really before. I can remember Folken Fanel calling me his sister."

"Folken Fanel..." Selena rolled the words over her tongue, and found them like the fruit her brother used to pick for her in their idyllic childhood. The fruit had always been just right out of Selena's reach, yet still so close. As if she could have gotten it by just pushing herself a little harder, by exerting her forces. A similar thing was with Folken Fanel- he seemed so familiar, although she had never met him, but she was sure if she strained her memory she could get an inkling of who he really was.

Between whistling a song that was familiar yet not familiar to her- a dragon and a beautiful woman with long hair came to mind- Arteissa apologized, "I'm sorry for giving you that fright back there. I was almost as surprised to see you as you were to see me. You wouldn't hold it against me, though, would you?"

"Of course not," replied Selena promptly. "I hope you will not mind, but I do have to tell Van about it, though."

Arteissa waved her hand. "No, of course not. In fact, it will be all the better. Do not tell anyone other then Van- you know how people are with anyone different than them. You look like you'd know a lot about that."

"I do?" Selena was surprised. "How?"

"Well, it isn't necessarily too noticeable. I've just observed how your eyes wander sometimes when people talk to you, and then they become offended. How you are very particular about who you'll talk to."

"Yes," admitted Selena. "That's true... but I didn't really think I was different. I knew there was a qualitative something, but I'm sure everyone feels that way."

"I do, dear Lady. Coming from a cynical and violent village outcast, however, I'm not quite sure you should depend too strongly upon my opinions. No one else does, and see what good it's doing them. That 'qualitative something' you talk about (well expressed, by the way) is what is called a je ne sais pas, I think. I'm not sure; some language I've learnt has something like that. I'm beginning to believe I have been suffering from memory loss, and am only recalling what I once knew right now."

"That's exactly how I feel!" exclaimed Selena. "I mean, first I'm five, and then all of a sudden it's as if I'm waking up from a dream on a war ground at fifteen. Then I had to start my education, and any chance I could have had at remembering what I once knew was lost to me."

"Maybe our pasts are connected," suggested Arteissa. "Who knows? Maybe fate has thrown us together to discover our lost lives."

"Either way," predicted Selena cheerfully, "I think we'll become friends."

Arteissa laughed a comradely laugh. "You know, I'm very inclined to agree with you. Want to join me in sitting up in a tree?" She held out her hand to Selena, who obliged her by climbing up, if somewhat clumsily.

_____

It was later on that Selena came upon Van. He was coming out of his training room (where he practiced his fighting skills) and was rubbing a towel across his sweaty face. Selena was unperturbed by this, and told him what she had come to tell him, "You know Arteissa, your supposed sister; you should know her a little bit, by the way, because she's very nice. Well, she's a Draconian, wings and all."

Van was silent for quite a while. Selena began to think he hadn't heard, and began to repeat herself, when he finally said, "I thank you, Selena. That will be all." This surprised Selena, who had never been spoken to so formally by Van after their first year of knowing each other. She was about to say something else to him, but looking at his face, thought better of it and left.

Van strode thoughtfully through his palace, still clothed in only the dark pants he'd been wearing for his régime of fighting. Several servants who saw him were quite scandalized to see their king decked out so plainly, and told him bluntly so, but Van was not listening. Instead, he figured towards conferring with his brother to see what exactly he should do. Van had no qualms about talking to his supposedly-deceased brother as he wasn't being haunted either way.

He found Folken in the lush Fanelian forest, and did not notice Arteissa still in her tree. It was within hearing distance, but she'd fallen asleep and therefore did not get the chance to eavesdrop as she would have probably liked. "Brother," Folken addressed Van, surprised to see him.

Van nodded cautiously. "Hello, Folken. I need to discuss Arteissa with you, and..."

"She's the genuine thing," interrupted Folken.

Van looked at him. "How do you know? Did you also see her with her wings?"

"Yes, when I was eighteen I found a small child out by the Dragon's Lair of the north east. She had wings outstretched, and was living peacefully with the dragons, the only human there. She resembled Mother, and when I talked to her, she told me her name was Arteissa Fanel. There was no reason to doubt her, and I brought her back with me to Zaibach. She resided with me and was schooled in Zaibach, until one day when she was ten or eleven she disappeared. Dornkirk told me she had killed one of the sorcerers when they tried to give her a medical examination, and then escaped using their equipment.

"I never knew whether to believe it or not. There was a time when I'm sure I saw a small girl out in a street like her. It very well could have been; I'm sure there are not many people who look like Mother in any world. But now, I'm quite sure that this Arteissa, be it the same one, is most definitely the Princess of Fanelia. The question is, should this be publicly known yet, or should it be kept private for a while?"

"Well," said Van in surprise, "I think the first thing we should do would be to tell Arteissa. Where is she?"

Folken suddenly smiled. "The last time I checked, she was up in that tree." He gestured lightly, and when Van strode over, he could see a dark-headed girl resting in an apple tree.

Van asked, "Should we wake her up and tell her?"

"Just poke her lightly," instructed Folken, "and if she doesn't wake up then, we'll wait to tell her later." Van nodded, and prodded Arteissa softly on her shoulder.

She turned over, mumbling unconsciously, "Will you teach me to talk to dragons, Mother?" Then her eyes flew wide open, and Van found himself staring into serious dark pink orbs. "What is it, Van Fanel?" she asked him, not exactly knowing how to address Van.

"You're genuine," he told her, "the Princess Arteissa of Fanelia... sister."

Arteissa smiled delightedly, and gave Van a bone-crushing hug. From where he stood, Folken privately wondered how she managed to stay still balanced in the tree. He remembered Arteissa as having excellent momentum as a child, and reasoned that she most probably still held this trait.

Arteissa hoisted herself down from the tree after breaking the embrace with Van, and her eyes fell on Folken. She walked over to him, and the two of them looked at each other, somewhat quizzically. "Arteissa," he inquired gently, "you do not recognize me, do you?"

Arteissa looked somewhat flustered by this question. "Well... you're Folken Fanel. You're the Zaibach Strategos. I know that much. And you were looking after me at one time, weren't you?"

Folken smiled. "It's a close enough interpretation to the truth."

The official announcement was made the next day. The people in Arteissa's former village, Hertmoyne, were all very surprised. They did not show it, though, and said things like, "I knew it all along, that little lady was headed for greatness!"