Disclaimer: You know how much I hate these things? It makes me admit I don't own the greatest animes,
such as Escaflowne.... *sigh*
AN: Sorry about taking so long. Writers blocks are killers...also, I'm doing some changes, you'll
only notice if you've read the previous chapters before this was posted, though. According to some
info I got from the Escaflowne Compendium(sp? really good site ^_^), Merle should be one, this should
only minorly change some scenes *shrugs* Also, I found out Goau died when Van was 3, and Folken 15,
so, if anyone knows how he died PLEASE tell me...otherwise I'll just have to make it up.... Oh,
and Folken's ring is worn around his neck now ^_~
Sarina Fannel: I'm glad you liked my last chapter too ^_~, and thanks for being my first reviewer,
and for reviewing again ^_^
ibcluelessyup@yahoo.com: *chuckles* So you're my newest and biggest and, as far as I know, only fan ^_~.
I'm trying to finish as quick as I can, and I already know what I'm going to devote the next chapter
to...or at least part of it. Anyway, I hope to have the next chapter out quicker ^_~.
The First Stranger - Dinner and...Romantic Beginnings?
The chambermaids came to help her as promised. With them they had a beautiful bluish-green dress
that accented Achaia eyes. It had off the shoulder sleeves that had gold bands around the elbows, at
which point they belled out. The waist fit tightly, with a gold band from which the skirts in layers
of gold and blue mesh above the same blue-green fabric puffed out. It was a very beautiful dress,
and she had to admit as she looked in the mirror, that it looked good on her. She politely refused
make-up of any kind, and so they went on to her hair. Her hair was on the shorter side, most of it
resting at her chin, so the chambermaids put part of it in a small bun, the rest of the escaping hair
developed a wave under their skilled hands.
Looking at herself in the mirror Achaia couldn't help but gasp, was that her? " Oh! Thank you so
much!" she thanked the chambermaids, " You did a simply amazing job!" The chambermaids just bowed
humbly and one asked if they were dismissed, to which Achaia replied, " Yes, would one of you get
Folken, though?"
" As you wish, Lady Achaia," one of the chambermaids replied, the others following her out the door.
Achaia turned back to the mirror again, she looked like a totally different person. The chambermaids
hadn't just done an amazing job, they'd done a miracle! Achaia was interrupted out of her thoughts
by a knock on the door.
" Yes?" she asked as she opened the door to Folken, " Hello, Folken."
" Good evening, Miss Achaia," he replied, " Would you like to go to dinner now?" Folken tried to
hide his suprise at how good she looked and only partly suceeded, " You...you look great."
" Thank you," she replied sincerely, " You look good too."
" Thank you," he replied, showing her the proper way to hook arms as he guided her down to the large
dining room of the castle.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile in the dining room the royal family was already discussing the mysterious girl. Van had
enthusiastic remarks about how much he liked her, and Merle...well...she didn't really say anything,
she was just her hyper self. King Goau and Queen Varie had their doubts about the girl, having not really
met her yet, since she was unconscious when they first saw her. This went on for about five minutes
before Achaia and Folken entered the room, Folken placing her at the table between himself and Van.
Van grinned at her and said, " Hewo, Achwaia!"
" Hi, Van," she replied.
" Mother, Father," Folken said, addressing his parents, " This is Achaia."
" Hello, Achaia," the king and queen said in unison.
" I'm King Goau and welcome to the Kingdom of Fanelia," King Goau welcomed.
" I'm Queen Varie, likewise welcome, and I hope your stay will be pleasent," Varie warmly commented.
" King...queen...," Achaia thought, but aloud she said, " Thank you for the warm welcomes your
majesties. And Folken, why didn't you tell me that you and Van were princes?"
" You didn't ask...," Folken replied with a shrug.
The rest of the dinner was pretty uneventful, full of some minor questions until desert.
" Where do you come from, Achaia?" Varie asked.
" Ummmm...Earth," she replied.
" Earth? I've never heard of it," Goau replied.
For the first time in all her stay Achaia glanced at the sky, through the windows of the castle,
after all, every other time she'd had the opportunity to either Van was showing her something, she
was preoccupied, or looking at either Van, Folken, or Merle. There, on a background of stars was
the moon...and Earth. She gasped aloud and then pointed, " There's the Earth...in the sky...."
" The Mystic Moon?" Varie questioned.
" Is that what you call it?" Achaia asked, wondering just how she'd gotten to Gaea from the Earth.
After dinner Folken escorted Achaia back to her room. They stopped at a wide window just before her
doorway to stare at the sky. Neither of the two noticed how close they stood together as they
gazed at the sparkling stars and the dark sky.
" Isn't the sky beautiful?" Achaia breathed.
" Yes," was all Folken said in reply as he gazed at the sky.
" I always used to gaze at the sky at home, ever since I can remember I've been facinated with the
night sky," Achaia told him.
" I've always liked the night sky too," Folken agreed, " And I always wondered what the people of
the Mystic Moon...er...Earth, did you call it, were like."
" Yes, Earth...," Achaia murmered. Then all of a sudden the two became aware of how close they stood
and they both blush deeply. Folken hurridly escorted her the rest of the way to her room and there
they parted.
Folken leaned against her door once she'd closed it thinking, " She probably thinks I'm trying to
make a move on her after that scene at the window." At the same time Achaia had leaned on the other
side of the thick door thinking, " He probably thinks I'm trying to seduce him or something after
what happened at the window...why didn't I realize we were that close?" Both finally went to sleep,
resolving to apologize the next morning.
such as Escaflowne.... *sigh*
AN: Sorry about taking so long. Writers blocks are killers...also, I'm doing some changes, you'll
only notice if you've read the previous chapters before this was posted, though. According to some
info I got from the Escaflowne Compendium(sp? really good site ^_^), Merle should be one, this should
only minorly change some scenes *shrugs* Also, I found out Goau died when Van was 3, and Folken 15,
so, if anyone knows how he died PLEASE tell me...otherwise I'll just have to make it up.... Oh,
and Folken's ring is worn around his neck now ^_~
Sarina Fannel: I'm glad you liked my last chapter too ^_~, and thanks for being my first reviewer,
and for reviewing again ^_^
ibcluelessyup@yahoo.com: *chuckles* So you're my newest and biggest and, as far as I know, only fan ^_~.
I'm trying to finish as quick as I can, and I already know what I'm going to devote the next chapter
to...or at least part of it. Anyway, I hope to have the next chapter out quicker ^_~.
The First Stranger - Dinner and...Romantic Beginnings?
The chambermaids came to help her as promised. With them they had a beautiful bluish-green dress
that accented Achaia eyes. It had off the shoulder sleeves that had gold bands around the elbows, at
which point they belled out. The waist fit tightly, with a gold band from which the skirts in layers
of gold and blue mesh above the same blue-green fabric puffed out. It was a very beautiful dress,
and she had to admit as she looked in the mirror, that it looked good on her. She politely refused
make-up of any kind, and so they went on to her hair. Her hair was on the shorter side, most of it
resting at her chin, so the chambermaids put part of it in a small bun, the rest of the escaping hair
developed a wave under their skilled hands.
Looking at herself in the mirror Achaia couldn't help but gasp, was that her? " Oh! Thank you so
much!" she thanked the chambermaids, " You did a simply amazing job!" The chambermaids just bowed
humbly and one asked if they were dismissed, to which Achaia replied, " Yes, would one of you get
Folken, though?"
" As you wish, Lady Achaia," one of the chambermaids replied, the others following her out the door.
Achaia turned back to the mirror again, she looked like a totally different person. The chambermaids
hadn't just done an amazing job, they'd done a miracle! Achaia was interrupted out of her thoughts
by a knock on the door.
" Yes?" she asked as she opened the door to Folken, " Hello, Folken."
" Good evening, Miss Achaia," he replied, " Would you like to go to dinner now?" Folken tried to
hide his suprise at how good she looked and only partly suceeded, " You...you look great."
" Thank you," she replied sincerely, " You look good too."
" Thank you," he replied, showing her the proper way to hook arms as he guided her down to the large
dining room of the castle.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Meanwhile in the dining room the royal family was already discussing the mysterious girl. Van had
enthusiastic remarks about how much he liked her, and Merle...well...she didn't really say anything,
she was just her hyper self. King Goau and Queen Varie had their doubts about the girl, having not really
met her yet, since she was unconscious when they first saw her. This went on for about five minutes
before Achaia and Folken entered the room, Folken placing her at the table between himself and Van.
Van grinned at her and said, " Hewo, Achwaia!"
" Hi, Van," she replied.
" Mother, Father," Folken said, addressing his parents, " This is Achaia."
" Hello, Achaia," the king and queen said in unison.
" I'm King Goau and welcome to the Kingdom of Fanelia," King Goau welcomed.
" I'm Queen Varie, likewise welcome, and I hope your stay will be pleasent," Varie warmly commented.
" King...queen...," Achaia thought, but aloud she said, " Thank you for the warm welcomes your
majesties. And Folken, why didn't you tell me that you and Van were princes?"
" You didn't ask...," Folken replied with a shrug.
The rest of the dinner was pretty uneventful, full of some minor questions until desert.
" Where do you come from, Achaia?" Varie asked.
" Ummmm...Earth," she replied.
" Earth? I've never heard of it," Goau replied.
For the first time in all her stay Achaia glanced at the sky, through the windows of the castle,
after all, every other time she'd had the opportunity to either Van was showing her something, she
was preoccupied, or looking at either Van, Folken, or Merle. There, on a background of stars was
the moon...and Earth. She gasped aloud and then pointed, " There's the Earth...in the sky...."
" The Mystic Moon?" Varie questioned.
" Is that what you call it?" Achaia asked, wondering just how she'd gotten to Gaea from the Earth.
After dinner Folken escorted Achaia back to her room. They stopped at a wide window just before her
doorway to stare at the sky. Neither of the two noticed how close they stood together as they
gazed at the sparkling stars and the dark sky.
" Isn't the sky beautiful?" Achaia breathed.
" Yes," was all Folken said in reply as he gazed at the sky.
" I always used to gaze at the sky at home, ever since I can remember I've been facinated with the
night sky," Achaia told him.
" I've always liked the night sky too," Folken agreed, " And I always wondered what the people of
the Mystic Moon...er...Earth, did you call it, were like."
" Yes, Earth...," Achaia murmered. Then all of a sudden the two became aware of how close they stood
and they both blush deeply. Folken hurridly escorted her the rest of the way to her room and there
they parted.
Folken leaned against her door once she'd closed it thinking, " She probably thinks I'm trying to
make a move on her after that scene at the window." At the same time Achaia had leaned on the other
side of the thick door thinking, " He probably thinks I'm trying to seduce him or something after
what happened at the window...why didn't I realize we were that close?" Both finally went to sleep,
resolving to apologize the next morning.