Gaea:
Van had been steadily rebuilding Fanilia for
the past three years. He stands ideally
looking out his bedroom window at the castle grounds. Fanilia is once again the beautiful green emerald that Princess
Millerna described, long ago. Hitomi
would be proud of his accomplishments, but she is gone and he still remembered
her parting words to him "Don't
forget me Van, I will remember you even when I'm old." In his mind he sees her rising in the pillar
of light he created to send her back home using the energist he removed from
Escaflowne. His gaze moves over to the
Royal Tomb, the resting place of those he has loved and lost. His father and his brother Folken, the
spirit but not the body of his mother and standing silent vigil over them is
Escaflowne.
Van: " Folken my brother Fanilia has become
a kinder gentler kingdom, a place that would please your heart."
Van had found that when he was ill at ease
talking to his brother make him see his problems with a new clarity.
Van: " I feel it's been you coming in my
dreams, but what are you trying to tell me, why can't I remember when I wake."
At that moment Merele comes bursting into
Van's room.
Merle: " Lord Van!"
Van: Merele you must really start knocking before you just come in.
At the downcast look he receives from Merele
he adds
Van: " OK what is it?"
Merle: " Her ladyship is here again and with
all the trunks she brought I think it's going to be a long visit."
Van: " Now Merle it is important that
Zieback be allowed to rebuild, out help is necessary to hold together the
unification of the Alliance. With
Dornkirk gone, the descendants of the original rulers are now trying to set
things right.'
Merle: " I know but she acts as if she is
already your queen. The support she is
receiving from some of your advisors just makes it worse."
Van: " I never led anyone to believe Terrial
and I had a future together least of all her."
Merle: "Oh Van, Hitomi is gone and the people want an heir to the throne. (She sighs) I love you, Lord Van, but, I would never be your queen because I know
you would never truly be mine, but Terrial, she wants to be a queen, not the
Empress of a war defeated country."
At that comment Van looks directly at Merle
and then really looks at her. She
reminds him of Aria and Naria. When did
she grow up?
Merle had changed, her height almost
matching Vans. Her thighs and arms trim
and well muscled and her markings deepened top that of an adult Cat folk.
Merle: " Lord Van."
Van: "Yes."
Merle: " Her ladyship sends word that she
will be joining you at the Firestar feast tonight. Till then she wants you to know she has retired to her rooms."
Merle executes such and uncouth curtsy that
Van can't help but laugh, Merle joining him.
Merle leaves Van to return to the great hall
where she is helping with the preparations for the feast tonight. There is still time before Van must change
for the feast. Deciding to take the
time at sword practice Van walks over to his bedside where his sword belt and
the sword of Fanilia hang. He straps on
the sword and before leaving the room looks over the table. On it sits the dragon statute he had crafted
after the war. It is the resting place
for Escaflowne's energist. The dragon
stands regally a sword in one clawed hand, and in the other he holds the a red
energist, under its clawed foot is a second blue green energist, the energist
given to him by his mother in the Mystic Valley. He touches the base of the statue at the place where the small
hidden drawer contains the pendent that Hatomi gave him when she left Gaea. He
leaves his room and heads for the training room.
The Great Hall is full of merry makers, as
this is Gaea's first great celebration since the War of Perfect Fortune. Van himself makes a regal king, almost as
tall as Folken, with his fathers black hair and dark eyes. He looks out over the crowed celebration, but
can't quite share their enthusiasm for the Firestar's coming. Something about it has him uneasy. His allies, no friends have come from
neighboring kingdoms for the occasion. Millerna and Dryden (reunited after difficulties following the Zieback
attack on Astoria), Ceid Freid, the child King of the Duchy of Freid. Van noticed that Mr. Mole had arrived with
the young kings entourage (he was surely someplace in the lower castle now,
digging for treasures). Allen is here
with Aries Aston and his quite shy sister Celena (It's still have a hard to
believe that the sweet Celena was once the Demonic Lord Delando, the sorcerers
had changed her into with their fate alteration experiments.)
Empress Terrial approaches Van slipping her
arm through his and leaning her head against his arm.
Terrial: " King Van Fanel aren't you
enjoying tonight's festivities? The
view of the Firestar tomorrow night from the castle here in Fanilia will be the
best in all of Gaea."
Van cringes as he is thinking how much she
enjoys using his formal title. Maybe
Merle was right about her after all.
Van: " The presence of my friends here and
the peace all of Gaea enjoys make the Firestar coming more than special for
me."
Van moves slightly away from the empress to
loosen her hold on him. At that moment
Allen and his sister disengage from the crowd to approach Van. Celena stares hard at Terrial as if trying
to grasp a distant memory. Terrial
suddenly excuses herself, leaving to find others to impress, to strengthen her
position here in the castle.
Allen: "Lord Van King of Fanilia, we are
honored to be present with you tonight."
Van: "Thank you Allen, Knight of Kale. Well now that we have greeted each other formally lets drink together to
our friendship and the peace here on Gaea."
Allen: And to our friends not present. (Pause) I see the beautiful
Terrial is with you tonight.
Van: "You of all people should know better, Allen. Are you going to warn me about her the way Merle did earlier."
Allen: "Maybe you should listen to her Van."
Allen claps his hand on Van's shoulder.
Allen: " Wouldn't Hitomi have loved to see
Fanilia tonight?"
At that moment Celena quietly steps up to
Van, lightly lays a hand on his chest and looks up into his deep brown eyes.
Celena: "When fire reaches across the sky, the three dark lords will shatter the
light of balance."
Her hand drops back to her side and she
turns silently walking away. Van and
Allen exchange puzzled looks and then Allen leaves to follow his sister.
Van knows her has heard that passage before. That and more.
