Chapter3: Home Is Where The Heart Is
"Why is there nothing you can do? She's back now! She came back!! What more do you need?" Van cried at Miguel, the elder advisor who had broken the news of the arranged marriage to him. He and Van were in the royal chambers, as Van was trying to convince him to call off the wedding to duchess Arabella.
"I'm so sorry majesty," Miguel replied, his head lowered, talking into his chest. "I know you love her, but like Damien said, the duchess is already on her way. There is no way to break this bond. If you do, Tyran will get very angry with Fanelia, and, well, who knows what might happen then. We simply cannot break this betrothal. You would be putting your whole kingdom at stake."
"I can't stand for this!!" Van yelled at him. "I won't! I love Hitomi too much to do this to her!!"
Miguel's head drew up sharply. His face was very cross. "My lord," he said respectively, "There is simply nothing that can be done. You are just going to have to tell her straight out. The well being of your people always comes before you. That is the life of a king." Miguel looked upset, but had to hold his ground and stern facial expression for the king.
Van slumped into a nearby chair, next to the window. He stared helplessly outside, watching a bird fly freely through the sky. "I don't want to hurt her, Miguel," he sighed. "I have no choice but to go ahead with it, I know that. But if I tell Merle…what am I going to do? … I can only pray that she understands…"
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Hitomi awoke in a beautiful room on a huge canopy bed with colorful tapestries hanging from the walls. There was a small table next to the bed with a bowl of water and a cold cloth hanging off its edge, and a chair stood next to the window to her left. It was a bit dark with the shutters closed. Without a second thought she leapt off the bed and threw them open. The late afternoon sun flooded into the room and Hitomi saw, with all her hearts delight, the kingdom of Fanelia spread out before her, even more magnificent than when she had left it.
"HITOMI!!" cried a familiar voice from the doorway. Before she could turn around to confirm her suspicions, she was on the floor with a very heavy cat-girl sitting on her chest, swishing her tail back and forth happily.
Hitomi smiled, despite being near unable to breathe. "Merle! So I really am back!" She sat up and caught Merle in a hug, squeezing her tightly. "It just feels so good to be home."
"Home??" Merle squeaked hopefully in the tight embrace. "You mean you're staying for good??"
"Well, I was hoping to stay for a while," Hitomi said thoughtfully, not having really thought about it much. All she had really focused on was getting back. She hadn't thought as far ahead as to what her next move should be. Then she remembered. "Where's Akiko??"
Merle blinked. "You mean that other girl that came here with you?" she asked. "We put her in another room. She's not awake yet. C'mon, you must want to see Lord Van!" Merle bounced to her feet in excitement.
"I'd rather see if Akiko's all right first, if that's ok with you," Hitomi replied, standing and brushing some dirt off of her.
Merle scowled. "Ok, but I'm sure Lord Van wants to see you as soon as possible! He'll be upset that you made him wait."
'Looks like Merle's found someone new to torture,' Hitomi thought, smiling. She wouldn't dare say it though. She knew that it would only be a matter of time before Akiko and Merle started to get to know each other and become great friends. "I'm sure he can stand to wait a little while longer Merle, as can I. It's been 7 years. What's another 10 minutes?"
Merle grumbled as she started out the door, but soon she struck up intense conversation as led the way down the hall. "…Melerna and Dryden are having their third child next month. He's great with kids, Hitomi. You have to see them sometime, they're adorable!" They stopped and entered a plain wooden door into another, less fancy-looking room, where on a small bed lay Akiko, sound asleep. Hitomi was glad that she was fine, and felt safe to leave her to rest.
Merle grabbed Hitomi by the hand and led her back to her room, where 3 handmaidens were awaiting with piles and piles of clothes for her to try on. "I know you probably don't like it, but Damien will get so mad if you don't follow royal tradition," Merle explained, rolling her eyes.
"Damien? Who's that?" Hitomi asked as the handmaidens were searching for the right clothes through a pile on the bed after scanning her up and down.
"He's one of the royal advisers," Merle explained. "He gives everyone the creeps. And he really doesn't like me." She pouted and crossed her arms, which made Hitomi giggle.
"Well, I'll leave you to get dressed," Merle sighed. "I'll go get Lord Van and we'll arrange to go someplace, ok?" Before Hitomi could answer, she bounded out the door, and the handmaidens attacked her with the barrage of shirts and dresses.
Once the maids were satisfied with how Hitomi looked, she asked if they could go to Akiko's room and do the same for her. Eager to please both girls from the mystic moon, they all bundled up the clothing and headed out the door.
Hitomi inspected herself in the mirror. She was wearing a beautiful light blue dress over a white shirt with puffy sleeves. It had buttons all the way down the front and stopped just above her ankles. 'Typical style,' Hitomi thought, smiling to herself. She felt so at home here. Maybe she would like to stay, if Van would let her. She could just imagine the look on his face when he saw her in this dress. She suddenly couldn't wait to see him.
There was a soft knock at the door. "Yes?" Hitomi called. The door opened a crack and Akiko's head peeked in. "Hitomi? Can I come in for a second?"
Hitomi grinned. "Sure you can Akiko. Did the maids give you a dress?"
Akiko walked into the bedroom, closing the door softly behind her. She was wearing a one-piece hunter green dress with a low-cut top, and short, lacy sleeves. It also came down to just past her ankles like Hitomi's. She was blushing. "Do you think the front of this is too low?"
"Not really," Hitomi replied. She thought Akiko looked very pretty in the dress. "You should wear that kind of thing more often, it suits you."
Akiko smiled, still blushing slightly. "I don't think I want to wear something so…revealing," she said, lifting up the skirt of the dress so she could walk over to the window. She stood in front of it, leaning her elbows on the windowsill with her face in her hands. "So this place is Fanelia. It's a beautiful kingdom."
"How did you know what it was called?" Hitomi asked curiously.
"The maids told me," Akiko answered, staring out the window absently. "They also said we're going to be holding an audience with the king very shortly." She smiled broadly and turned to look at her. "Can you imagine, Hitomi? The king!"
Hitomi blushed hotly and smiled too. "Yes, the king of Fanelia. I can't wait."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"WHAT?!" Merle exclaimed.
"That's right, Merle. I don't love her anymore. I'm getting married in 4 days. The duchess Arabella will arrive tomorrow and we will be wed. Hitomi means nothing to me anymore." Van's heart sank into the pit of his stomach as he said this, but it had to be done. It was the only way he could go through with it. For his kingdom. For Fanelia.
"But just earlier you told me that-" Merle started.
"Forget everything I said earlier!" Van shouted at her. He didn't mean for it to come out so forcefully. "I don't care for her anymore! I want…I want Arabella!"
Merle just stared at him, hurt and very confused. She stared into his eyes for a moment. They were full of hurt and dismay. Just by looking at Van's eyes she could tell it was a lie. She had always been able to tell, ever since they were kids. If he was feeling mischievous, there was a certain shine of adventure in them. If he was feeling happy, they sparkled in delight. And if he was feeling sad, they had an emptiness to them that Merle just could not bear. It was the emptiness that he had held in them for so long. But now there burned a rage in the emptiness, like a single fire in the black of night.
"Whatever you say, Lord Van," Merle replied after a long silence, and before Van could say anything more, she scampered high up into a nearby tree, where he lost sight of her.
It was then that Miguel, Hitomi and Akiko arrived, perched atop three beautiful stallions. Hitomi's was gray, Akiko's was Black, and Miguel's was brown. They all trotted to a stop, and Hitomi practically fell off her gray horse trying to get down. She dashed over to Van and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Van, I'm so happy to see you!" she cried. "I've missed you so much! I've just heard so much has happened since I've been gone!"
Hitomi didn't notice something was wrong until she realized that Van didn't squeeze her back. She pulled away and looked at him. "Van, what's the matter? Aren't you happy to see me?" Miguel looked at the ground, awaiting the harsh news. Akiko was in shock that the one that Hitomi was in love with was a king and still hadn't dismounted her stallion.
Van pointed to the black-haired woman sitting on her horse. "Who is she?" he asked.
Akiko finally found herself and dismounted her horse. "My name is Akiko Kunikida. Nice to meet you, your majesty." She did a tiny curtsy.
Van nodded in reply, then took her hand and kissed it. "The pleasure is all mine, m'lady."
Hitomi just stared, unable to move. What was going on here? Why didn't he hug her back? And why did he kiss Akiko's hand just now?
Akiko blushed. "I…I…" She was at a loss for words. She smiled bashfully.
Hitomi's eyes burned with hate. Suspicions raced through her mind. Could Van have been the one Akiko met when she too came to Gaea? Could Van have never told her about Akiko? Jealousy swept over her like a blanket and her eyes burned into Van's back.
But Van seemed to take no notice. "I would very much like to show you around Fanelia sometime if you don't mind," he told Akiko, smiling.
"I…I'd like that very much," Akiko managed to stammer. She curtsied again, unsure of how to act around a king.
Then Miguel spoke up. "Ahem. Excuse me, your majesty, but I don't think you addressed the Lady Hitomi. Perhaps you should have a few minutes to talk with her in private?"
Van nodded slowly, sadly, and turned to Hitomi. He took the reins of her horse and mounted it. Trotting over to her, he offered her his hand and simply said, "C'mon," as if she couldn't mean anything more to him than a pebble.
Hitomi pouted. She didn't take his hand, and struggled to get her foot into the stirrup. She tripped on her new dress, and fell flat on her face. Van sighed and smiled a little, which Hitomi couldn't see since she was facedown on the grass. She quickly got up and mounted the horse, being sure to not get her dress caught in the stirrup again. She refused to hold onto him, but when the horse stated galloping she wrapped her arms around his waist for dear life. Akiko and Miguel watched as they both raced off into the forest in the setting sun.
They rode for a long time, until it was dark and the stars were out. Van pulled the horse to a halt by the shore of a beautiful lake, the surface reflecting the mystic moon magnificently. He dismounted, and offered a hand to Hitomi to help her down. Once again she pouted, crossed her arms and stuck her nose in the air. Van sighed in defeat, and stood aside to let her get down by herself. She slid off the horse, landing on her feet.
It was then that Van cried, "Hitomi, what is the matter with you?!"
"What's the matter with me?!" she screamed at him, "what's the matter with you?? Why did you kiss Akiko's hand, Van??!"
"It was a gesture of courtesy, Hitomi!! It's how a gentleman is supposed to greet a lady!!"
"Oh, that's a fine excuse then!! Why didn't you greet me, Mr. King of Fanelia?! Or did I overdo it by expressing how much I missed you??!"
Van opened his mouth to reply, but couldn't. He looked away, unable to face the accusation she held in her lovely green eyes. He turned and walked towards the lake. He sat down on the grass, staring up at the mystic moon, longing to tell her what he felt inside. Hitomi followed, having forgotten about her jealousy, completely and utterly stumped.
"Van, what's the matter?" she asked, sitting down next to him, hugging her knees. She gazed at him with an expression of concern, worry.
'Just like her to worry more about others than herself,' Van thought. "Hitomi, I have a confession to make." He swallowed the lump in his throat, refusing to show her his emotions.
Hitomi stared up at the mystic moon. 'What could be so important that he didn't even greet me?' she thought to herself. "I'm listening, Van."
"I…I'm getting married in 4 days," he blurted out. "I'm sorry Hitomi, but, I'm getting married to the duchess of Tyran." He closed his eyes, waiting for her tears, the tears that would break his heart.
She looked at him, trying her hardest to smile. "I should've known," she replied, her voice wavering. "I should have known that you'd have moved on by now." Her eyes started to water, but she wouldn't let her smile fade. "I should have known that coming back was a bad idea now. I…I'm sorry, Van." She stood up and started running towards the forest.
"Hitomi!" Van called after her. He scrambled to his feet, realizing what she was doing. "HITOMI!! COME BACK!!" But Hitomi wouldn't hear him. She just kept running, sobbing and wiping her eyes with her sleeve. She tripped over numerous tree roots, and her dress, falling down with every third step, but she just got right back up and kept going.
"HITOMI!! HITOMI!!!" Van screamed. He lowered his head, tears flowing down his cheeks. "I love you…" he sobbed into his chest.
"Why is there nothing you can do? She's back now! She came back!! What more do you need?" Van cried at Miguel, the elder advisor who had broken the news of the arranged marriage to him. He and Van were in the royal chambers, as Van was trying to convince him to call off the wedding to duchess Arabella.
"I'm so sorry majesty," Miguel replied, his head lowered, talking into his chest. "I know you love her, but like Damien said, the duchess is already on her way. There is no way to break this bond. If you do, Tyran will get very angry with Fanelia, and, well, who knows what might happen then. We simply cannot break this betrothal. You would be putting your whole kingdom at stake."
"I can't stand for this!!" Van yelled at him. "I won't! I love Hitomi too much to do this to her!!"
Miguel's head drew up sharply. His face was very cross. "My lord," he said respectively, "There is simply nothing that can be done. You are just going to have to tell her straight out. The well being of your people always comes before you. That is the life of a king." Miguel looked upset, but had to hold his ground and stern facial expression for the king.
Van slumped into a nearby chair, next to the window. He stared helplessly outside, watching a bird fly freely through the sky. "I don't want to hurt her, Miguel," he sighed. "I have no choice but to go ahead with it, I know that. But if I tell Merle…what am I going to do? … I can only pray that she understands…"
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Hitomi awoke in a beautiful room on a huge canopy bed with colorful tapestries hanging from the walls. There was a small table next to the bed with a bowl of water and a cold cloth hanging off its edge, and a chair stood next to the window to her left. It was a bit dark with the shutters closed. Without a second thought she leapt off the bed and threw them open. The late afternoon sun flooded into the room and Hitomi saw, with all her hearts delight, the kingdom of Fanelia spread out before her, even more magnificent than when she had left it.
"HITOMI!!" cried a familiar voice from the doorway. Before she could turn around to confirm her suspicions, she was on the floor with a very heavy cat-girl sitting on her chest, swishing her tail back and forth happily.
Hitomi smiled, despite being near unable to breathe. "Merle! So I really am back!" She sat up and caught Merle in a hug, squeezing her tightly. "It just feels so good to be home."
"Home??" Merle squeaked hopefully in the tight embrace. "You mean you're staying for good??"
"Well, I was hoping to stay for a while," Hitomi said thoughtfully, not having really thought about it much. All she had really focused on was getting back. She hadn't thought as far ahead as to what her next move should be. Then she remembered. "Where's Akiko??"
Merle blinked. "You mean that other girl that came here with you?" she asked. "We put her in another room. She's not awake yet. C'mon, you must want to see Lord Van!" Merle bounced to her feet in excitement.
"I'd rather see if Akiko's all right first, if that's ok with you," Hitomi replied, standing and brushing some dirt off of her.
Merle scowled. "Ok, but I'm sure Lord Van wants to see you as soon as possible! He'll be upset that you made him wait."
'Looks like Merle's found someone new to torture,' Hitomi thought, smiling. She wouldn't dare say it though. She knew that it would only be a matter of time before Akiko and Merle started to get to know each other and become great friends. "I'm sure he can stand to wait a little while longer Merle, as can I. It's been 7 years. What's another 10 minutes?"
Merle grumbled as she started out the door, but soon she struck up intense conversation as led the way down the hall. "…Melerna and Dryden are having their third child next month. He's great with kids, Hitomi. You have to see them sometime, they're adorable!" They stopped and entered a plain wooden door into another, less fancy-looking room, where on a small bed lay Akiko, sound asleep. Hitomi was glad that she was fine, and felt safe to leave her to rest.
Merle grabbed Hitomi by the hand and led her back to her room, where 3 handmaidens were awaiting with piles and piles of clothes for her to try on. "I know you probably don't like it, but Damien will get so mad if you don't follow royal tradition," Merle explained, rolling her eyes.
"Damien? Who's that?" Hitomi asked as the handmaidens were searching for the right clothes through a pile on the bed after scanning her up and down.
"He's one of the royal advisers," Merle explained. "He gives everyone the creeps. And he really doesn't like me." She pouted and crossed her arms, which made Hitomi giggle.
"Well, I'll leave you to get dressed," Merle sighed. "I'll go get Lord Van and we'll arrange to go someplace, ok?" Before Hitomi could answer, she bounded out the door, and the handmaidens attacked her with the barrage of shirts and dresses.
Once the maids were satisfied with how Hitomi looked, she asked if they could go to Akiko's room and do the same for her. Eager to please both girls from the mystic moon, they all bundled up the clothing and headed out the door.
Hitomi inspected herself in the mirror. She was wearing a beautiful light blue dress over a white shirt with puffy sleeves. It had buttons all the way down the front and stopped just above her ankles. 'Typical style,' Hitomi thought, smiling to herself. She felt so at home here. Maybe she would like to stay, if Van would let her. She could just imagine the look on his face when he saw her in this dress. She suddenly couldn't wait to see him.
There was a soft knock at the door. "Yes?" Hitomi called. The door opened a crack and Akiko's head peeked in. "Hitomi? Can I come in for a second?"
Hitomi grinned. "Sure you can Akiko. Did the maids give you a dress?"
Akiko walked into the bedroom, closing the door softly behind her. She was wearing a one-piece hunter green dress with a low-cut top, and short, lacy sleeves. It also came down to just past her ankles like Hitomi's. She was blushing. "Do you think the front of this is too low?"
"Not really," Hitomi replied. She thought Akiko looked very pretty in the dress. "You should wear that kind of thing more often, it suits you."
Akiko smiled, still blushing slightly. "I don't think I want to wear something so…revealing," she said, lifting up the skirt of the dress so she could walk over to the window. She stood in front of it, leaning her elbows on the windowsill with her face in her hands. "So this place is Fanelia. It's a beautiful kingdom."
"How did you know what it was called?" Hitomi asked curiously.
"The maids told me," Akiko answered, staring out the window absently. "They also said we're going to be holding an audience with the king very shortly." She smiled broadly and turned to look at her. "Can you imagine, Hitomi? The king!"
Hitomi blushed hotly and smiled too. "Yes, the king of Fanelia. I can't wait."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"WHAT?!" Merle exclaimed.
"That's right, Merle. I don't love her anymore. I'm getting married in 4 days. The duchess Arabella will arrive tomorrow and we will be wed. Hitomi means nothing to me anymore." Van's heart sank into the pit of his stomach as he said this, but it had to be done. It was the only way he could go through with it. For his kingdom. For Fanelia.
"But just earlier you told me that-" Merle started.
"Forget everything I said earlier!" Van shouted at her. He didn't mean for it to come out so forcefully. "I don't care for her anymore! I want…I want Arabella!"
Merle just stared at him, hurt and very confused. She stared into his eyes for a moment. They were full of hurt and dismay. Just by looking at Van's eyes she could tell it was a lie. She had always been able to tell, ever since they were kids. If he was feeling mischievous, there was a certain shine of adventure in them. If he was feeling happy, they sparkled in delight. And if he was feeling sad, they had an emptiness to them that Merle just could not bear. It was the emptiness that he had held in them for so long. But now there burned a rage in the emptiness, like a single fire in the black of night.
"Whatever you say, Lord Van," Merle replied after a long silence, and before Van could say anything more, she scampered high up into a nearby tree, where he lost sight of her.
It was then that Miguel, Hitomi and Akiko arrived, perched atop three beautiful stallions. Hitomi's was gray, Akiko's was Black, and Miguel's was brown. They all trotted to a stop, and Hitomi practically fell off her gray horse trying to get down. She dashed over to Van and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Van, I'm so happy to see you!" she cried. "I've missed you so much! I've just heard so much has happened since I've been gone!"
Hitomi didn't notice something was wrong until she realized that Van didn't squeeze her back. She pulled away and looked at him. "Van, what's the matter? Aren't you happy to see me?" Miguel looked at the ground, awaiting the harsh news. Akiko was in shock that the one that Hitomi was in love with was a king and still hadn't dismounted her stallion.
Van pointed to the black-haired woman sitting on her horse. "Who is she?" he asked.
Akiko finally found herself and dismounted her horse. "My name is Akiko Kunikida. Nice to meet you, your majesty." She did a tiny curtsy.
Van nodded in reply, then took her hand and kissed it. "The pleasure is all mine, m'lady."
Hitomi just stared, unable to move. What was going on here? Why didn't he hug her back? And why did he kiss Akiko's hand just now?
Akiko blushed. "I…I…" She was at a loss for words. She smiled bashfully.
Hitomi's eyes burned with hate. Suspicions raced through her mind. Could Van have been the one Akiko met when she too came to Gaea? Could Van have never told her about Akiko? Jealousy swept over her like a blanket and her eyes burned into Van's back.
But Van seemed to take no notice. "I would very much like to show you around Fanelia sometime if you don't mind," he told Akiko, smiling.
"I…I'd like that very much," Akiko managed to stammer. She curtsied again, unsure of how to act around a king.
Then Miguel spoke up. "Ahem. Excuse me, your majesty, but I don't think you addressed the Lady Hitomi. Perhaps you should have a few minutes to talk with her in private?"
Van nodded slowly, sadly, and turned to Hitomi. He took the reins of her horse and mounted it. Trotting over to her, he offered her his hand and simply said, "C'mon," as if she couldn't mean anything more to him than a pebble.
Hitomi pouted. She didn't take his hand, and struggled to get her foot into the stirrup. She tripped on her new dress, and fell flat on her face. Van sighed and smiled a little, which Hitomi couldn't see since she was facedown on the grass. She quickly got up and mounted the horse, being sure to not get her dress caught in the stirrup again. She refused to hold onto him, but when the horse stated galloping she wrapped her arms around his waist for dear life. Akiko and Miguel watched as they both raced off into the forest in the setting sun.
They rode for a long time, until it was dark and the stars were out. Van pulled the horse to a halt by the shore of a beautiful lake, the surface reflecting the mystic moon magnificently. He dismounted, and offered a hand to Hitomi to help her down. Once again she pouted, crossed her arms and stuck her nose in the air. Van sighed in defeat, and stood aside to let her get down by herself. She slid off the horse, landing on her feet.
It was then that Van cried, "Hitomi, what is the matter with you?!"
"What's the matter with me?!" she screamed at him, "what's the matter with you?? Why did you kiss Akiko's hand, Van??!"
"It was a gesture of courtesy, Hitomi!! It's how a gentleman is supposed to greet a lady!!"
"Oh, that's a fine excuse then!! Why didn't you greet me, Mr. King of Fanelia?! Or did I overdo it by expressing how much I missed you??!"
Van opened his mouth to reply, but couldn't. He looked away, unable to face the accusation she held in her lovely green eyes. He turned and walked towards the lake. He sat down on the grass, staring up at the mystic moon, longing to tell her what he felt inside. Hitomi followed, having forgotten about her jealousy, completely and utterly stumped.
"Van, what's the matter?" she asked, sitting down next to him, hugging her knees. She gazed at him with an expression of concern, worry.
'Just like her to worry more about others than herself,' Van thought. "Hitomi, I have a confession to make." He swallowed the lump in his throat, refusing to show her his emotions.
Hitomi stared up at the mystic moon. 'What could be so important that he didn't even greet me?' she thought to herself. "I'm listening, Van."
"I…I'm getting married in 4 days," he blurted out. "I'm sorry Hitomi, but, I'm getting married to the duchess of Tyran." He closed his eyes, waiting for her tears, the tears that would break his heart.
She looked at him, trying her hardest to smile. "I should've known," she replied, her voice wavering. "I should have known that you'd have moved on by now." Her eyes started to water, but she wouldn't let her smile fade. "I should have known that coming back was a bad idea now. I…I'm sorry, Van." She stood up and started running towards the forest.
"Hitomi!" Van called after her. He scrambled to his feet, realizing what she was doing. "HITOMI!! COME BACK!!" But Hitomi wouldn't hear him. She just kept running, sobbing and wiping her eyes with her sleeve. She tripped over numerous tree roots, and her dress, falling down with every third step, but she just got right back up and kept going.
"HITOMI!! HITOMI!!!" Van screamed. He lowered his head, tears flowing down his cheeks. "I love you…" he sobbed into his chest.