Standard Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah....I do NOT own Escaflowne





The Serpent Chronicles



Coma



Merle had just returned from her visit to Asturia. She had been thankful for every moment she had spent there. Now she was on her way to report to Van. As she approached his rooms, her heart started beating like it wanted to jump out of her breast. She was AFRAID of Van, her dearest friend. She wanted to turn on her heels and run away, as far as possible.

She opened the door to the dark rooms, like everywhere else in the casle the former coulourful wallpapers had been covered with black fabrics. Few candles gave some light.



"Hello Van. How are you today?" No reply. As usual. She moved on, "I just returned from Asturia......"

"Hm....."

"They all send you their best wishes.....they´re very concearned about you......."

"YOU DIDN´T TELL THEM ANYTHING; DID YOU?" he souted at her. Her heart was twisting. She felt like she´d faint, but she steadied herself.

"Of course not. Your´re my king- I obey. But.....they´re your friends......"

Suddenly she was smiling.........

"Why are you smiling, Merle? Is there anything funny?"

Nobody was allowed to laugh or smile; nobody´d dare and would do it. Merle had been thinking about Doran. He was such a sweet and lovely boy....... He made her laugh.....

"NO! I beg your pardon." She shivered. She couldn´t tell him about Doran. It would make him think of Hitomi, and that he had no heir. Having no child was a fact that weighted him down. Van hadn´t heard her words because his mind was off.......anywhere and nowhere, but not at the place of his body or heart.



"It´s ok, Merle. Go now." He had spoken in a softer tone than usual, reminding her and others that this cold, emotionless man had once been a soft, tender and warm-hearted young boy.



The moment Merle left, Van was to himself again. He cursed the people who were happy with their wives or husbands, children. He didn´t want to hear any laughter. He sat on his big chair, legs pressing against his brest. In his hands he held her pendant and waited......He had been waiting for years now. Waiting for the tears to come, for relief. But he couldn´t cry. He couldn´t when she was lying in bed with fever, when she was unconscious, or when they put her coffin into the dark, cold earth. He needed relief, the tears.



"I´m sorry to interrupt you, Your Majesty." It was Lord Molden, chief of security and Fanellia´s spy network.

"What´s it, Molden?" Molden was the only person that Van talked to in a normal way, he was his councellor. Van trusted Molden to some extend, but in the years Van had gotten enormous suspicious.

"The king of the Rovaan has installed a trade with the Moron and the Zaibach. Together they´d have a enormous military power. Are we going to act in any way?"

"Is there any danger for Fanellia?"

"Not yet. But Asturia will be hit by this union. The Moron were the most important trade partners of the Asturian."

"So it´s not of our business......"

"There some more news."

"Go on...."

"There are rumours about the Nordman taking over the the land of the Lavan dukes. This could really be a problem for us."

"In how far?"

"Well, there are the Lavan lands, the Gonin and then there is Freid, Asturia and Fanellia."

"Tell me about the Nordman. What´s so special about them?"

"Actually we don´t know much about them. They are fierce, fiery and unstoppable. Nobody knows about the strengh of their military force. What we know for sure is that they´re worshipping a wargodess and that their king is determent, clever, wise and diplomatic as long as it is to the benefit of his people."

Van was starting to be interested. "Sounds like he´s a man of my calibre."

Molden had an idea. "Your majesty, with the Nordman as our allies, we could take over......." He stopped talking as he saw Van´s face. Immediately he left the king´s rooms.









OOOOOOhaaaaaaaaaaaa.................what´s that? Is their a new war to come? And what role has Van in it?

Please R&R

Cat´s Cradle