Disclaimer: I do not own "Vision of Escaflowne", its characters, settings, etc. It's sad really, I probably never will either. . .
*grumbles* Now I'm just depressed, I hate disclaimers. . .
AN/ Wohoo! And we have Chapter Five! Before anyone tells me, yes I know that Folken was thirteen years old when his father died, I changed the timeline slightly to suit my purposes. It is now early summer the year Folken turned fourteen, he'll still be fifteen when he goes to fight the dragon, I think *^_^* Anyway, enjoy and review
Thanks Everybody
~Gabe~
Chapter Five - Painful Reflection
They sat there in the garden for sometime, simply enjoying one another's company. Folken began to whistle a soft tune, it wasn't cheery, but it wasn't mournful, and for some reason it made Estrela feel extremely tired. As the sun had risen, they had moved from the stone bench to the shade of a nearby tree, laying side by side in the cool grass, staring up at the canopy of leaves above them. As Folken whistled, Estrela remembered that she had not slept last night, except for her nap in the bath, which had not left her feeling rested to say the least. She felt her eyes grow heavy, her lids begin to droop, and before she knew it, she had fallen into a deep, and blissfully dreamless slumber.
Folken noticed her slowed breathing, and stopped his whistling to glance over his companion. Her eyes were closed, her breath was
slow and steady, and all of her muscles seemed relaxed. She was so beautiful when she was asleep. . . Whoa, slow down Fanel, A
voice in his head warned. He smiled to himself as he looked back up towards the branches above, swaying gently in the breeze. She
is so beautiful. . . He thought.
"Prince Folken!" Came a cry from the opening garden doors. Estrela shot upright, wide awake instantly. Folken placed a hand on
her shoulder as he slowly sat up, silently cursing the owner of that voice. "Prince Folken!" It said again. A young page, Gennan,
Folken thought, stuck a blond head through the large doors, his eyes searching the garden frantically.
"Yes Gennan?" Folken replied, standing from under the tree and offering an arm to Estrela. "What is it?" The boy looked startled at
the sudden appearance of the Prince from the shadows, his voice sounding very flustered as he bowed and addressed the pair, who
were still only partly visible beneath the bows of the huge tree.
"Prince Folken, the King has requested your presence in his study immediately. He also requested that you to bring the Lady Estrela
with you." The boy was new to the palace, the son of some lesser noble from Asturia. He had come to Fanelia to work as a page,
probably hoping to advance to a squire within the next few years, and then perhaps someday become a knight. He looked to be
about eight years old, though he was in fact, closer to Folken's fourteen. The blond boy was very small in body, almost scrawny and
his head only came to the Prince's shoulder, with huge green eyes and pale golden locks which hung down below his chin. He was
dressed in a page's uniform, red tunic with dark blue surcoat and breeches, a royal Fanelian crest embroidered on the left breast of
the coat, the symbol of Asturia and his family's own white rose and green spear adorning the right. Estrela thought he looked cute,
and it was all she could do to stop from snickering when he bowed again, his curly hair falling into his youthful face and causing
him to sneeze. Folken smiled kindly as the lad lifted his head, with cheeks flushing the same deep crimson of his tunic.
"Thank you Gennan," The Prince said, trying very hard to keep the laughter out of his voice, "We will go at once." The boy gave a
smaller bow before turning quickly and dashing out of the garden. As the large doors closed, Estrela let loose the fit giggles which
had threatened to burst her. Folken looked down at her as they began their walk back into the palace, chuckling under his breath.
They seemed to walk for hours, weaving though the bright hallways of the castle, talking and joking in low voices, though in reality
it was only a few moments before Folken and Estrela had stopped before a large wooden door. The prince knocked lightly before
twisting the brass latch and pushing the door open, to expose a medium sized room with dark wood paneled walls and lush green
carpets. There was a large oak desk to one side, framed by two huge widows and many bookcases, a broad stone fireplace opposite
with more bookcases beside it, and several slightly worn, but comfortable looking armchairs scattered about. In one chair, Queen
Varie sat, an epitome of beauty in a pale yellow dress slashed with a deep rose, her long ebony hair flowing loosely around her
shoulders and down her back. General Balgus filled another chair, wearing his samurai uniform, though not his sword, and a gruff
expression. The King sat regally behind the large desk, staring at his oldest son and the young woman on his arm above steepled
fingers. He motioned for them to sit. Folken took a chair beside his mother, Estrela followed in a moment, after bowing deeply to
the entire gathering, then sinking into a rather overstuffed chair to Folken's left. He glanced over at her, her dark eyes were locked
on the floor in front of his father's desk, slender hands clasped tightly on her lap. He shifted his gaze to his father, sitting quietly in
his favorite chair, wearing a simple off-white tunic and black leather jerkin, tooled in gold and red on the breast with two roaring
dragons. His intense eyes were locked on the motionless figure of Estrela, his dark brows furrowed in an odd manner. The King let
out a deep breath, leaning back in his chair before he spoke,
"Well," He began, "I believe the first order of business, my lady, is for us to learn the reason for your request of sanctuary,"
"My King. . ." Estrela began, lifting her eyes,
"No," The King interrupted, "Not why you requested sanctuary here, I want the reason why you need sanctuary at all. I had heard
that the Cisne never leave their forests, and used magicks to hide and protect themselves from outsiders. Why have you left your
people?" His words were not harsh, they were actually very kindly, but they ripped through Estrela's chest like daggers. She had
known that this was coming, but it still pained her to think of her people. She let out a ragged sigh, shoulders shaking slightly, as
she began her tale,
"It is true your Majesty, that the Cisne rarely leave the forest. However, I was banished by my people a number of years ago. They
put me out of my village, told me never to return, and even wrote me out of our chronicles, which are collections of scrolls kept by
an elder in each village, records of everything about our lives. To my people, I no longer exist, and I never did. It is the only
punishment fitting the seriousness of my. . .crime." He voice seemed to falter on the last word, and she stopped for a moment to
steady her breath,
"What was your crime, to warrant such a punishment?" Balgus spoke up, his voice serious and his face like a stone mask,
"I broke the first law of my people. I took a life." Estrela said quietly, her eyes squeezing shut against the painful memories which
filled her mind, "It was an ordinary day, I was outside our small cottage, watching my younger brothers and sisters in their play.
Then suddenly I heard a loud commotion in the forest across the village. I. . .I told the children to go in the cottage, and I ran to the
woods to see what had happened. There. . .I found some of our men in a clearing, dead. . . no, murdered in cold blood. Their skin
was so pale as they lay there on the grass. . . I was terrified, but raced back to our cottage to protect the children. When I got close
enough, I saw that the door had been broken down, pieces of the splintered wood still clinging to the frame. I was becoming more
and more frightened, screams from other areas in the village tore through my mind, flames scorching many of the houses, but I had
to get to the children. I dashed into the house, only to find a large man inside, dressed in ragged clothes, a bloody sword in his hand.
His back was to me, in fact he took no notice of me at all, which was lucky, because I was completely frozen by fear. Then, I
happened to glance to the floor behind him, and I saw. . ." She had been slowly paling as she spoke, and now her face was ghostly
white, her hands clutching the arms of the massive chair hard enough to make the wood groan.
"I saw. . ."She continued in little more than a whisper, "My youngest sister, as small as young prince Van, lying naked on the
wooden floor, blood pouring from a huge wound in her stomach. . .she looked so still. . ." Estrela choked back a sob threatening to
escape her throat, and slightly raised her voice, "I heard crying from the corner the man was approaching, one of my other sisters,
Vela, lay curled in a tight ball before him, a cut on her cheek, and another, which looked very deep, running down her leg. I was not
thinking, I grabbed my father's large hunting knife from the mantle behind me, and before the man could react, I plunged it into his
back, between his ribs. I remember how he turned around to face me, the look in his icy blue eyes, I had never seen eyes like that
before, filled with hatred, death. . .he made a grab at me, but collapsed before he could reach. Blood trickled from his mouth, and
his eyes glazed over as he lay there. I just fell to my knees beside him, and stared into space. I had never killed before, none in my
village had. It seemed like an eternity before someone came, my uncle. He saw the man on the floor, the sticky blood still on my
hands, and before I knew what had happened, I was brought before the village council, judged and convicted of the highest crime,
and banished soon after." Her voice was cracking with pain, and a single tear rolled down from her tightly closed eye as she
finished her story.
No one spoke for a few moments, they all just seemed to soak up her words. Then Folken began, his voice soft but splitting in the silence,
"But you were protecting your family, that monster would have killed them,"
"It makes no difference. I had no right." Estrela said, her voice stiff with anguish,
"You had every right!" The princes voice had raised, and sounded almost angry
"No!" She shouted, startling everyone in the room. Her jet-black eyes snapped open and focused directly on his astonished face,
"No, according to the laws and beliefs of my people, what I did was wrong. Taking any life, under any circumstances, is wrong."
She sat back in her chair, her eyes leaving Folken's, to stare blindly out of one of the huge windows. It's so sunny. . . she thought.
Her voice was distant as she continued,
"You asked me, General Balgus, if mine were a peaceful people. I told you that they were, but there is more. My people have
shunned violence in every form. Even in there own defense. . . It is taught, among my people, that violence solves nothing, and
those who preform violent acts are forever dammed in the eyes of the Gods. The man I killed, I judged him, judged his soul. I had
no right, for judgement is a task for the Gods. He would have been punished by them." She abruptly fell silent, eyes still staring
into space. Folken couldn't take his eyes off of her face, the pain twisting her features, the tears glistening in her dark eyes. His
heart was ripped in his chest as he stared at her still form. Separated from her family, her home. . . shunned by her people, hated by
his, it was too much.
Rising from his chair, the prince moved quickly to kneel before her sitting figure. He wrapped his arms around her rigid body, one
around her slender waist, the other stoking her soft hair. She collapsed into his warm embrace, weeping unabashedly into his
shoulder as she had done earlier that morning. She clung to his chest, long repressed sobs wracking her shoulders as he whispered
comforting words into her hair. She felt so safe.
Their moment of peace ended sharply as the King quietly cleared his throat. Folken hastily released her from his grip and moved
back to his own chair. They were both blushing furiously, but the prince did reach over towards her and take her slim hand in his
own. She dared a glance at him, her eyes still filled with pain, but also showing hints of gratitude, and . . . something else.
The King brought a hand to his temple as he leaned forward in his chair, Estrela's story running again and again through his mind.
He looked at her, her snow white hair such a stark contrast to the jet-black orbs of her eyes and her golden skin. She was. . .
uniquely lovely, and her kind spirit showed through her veil of sorrow. He could understand why his son looked at her so.
"I am sorry if I have caused you to revisit old grief, my lady," King Goau said solemnly, "I had no idea." She lifted her eyes to meet
his, and surprisingly there was a small smile on her lips,
"It is fine your Majesty. I must learn to deal with my memories, if I keep my emotions inside, they will drive me mad. . ." The last
part was said quietly, as she squeezed Folken's hand in her own. He smiled softly in return.
"If you don't mind me asking," Queen Varie piped up from her seat beside the prince, "How long has it been since you were with
your people?" Despite the compassion in the Queen's voice, the smile quickly faded from Estrela's face.
"Thirty-six years. . ." Estrela said quietly. Folken stared at her dumbfounded, as did everyone else in the room. She looked up,
confusion evident on her face,
"What?" She asked Folken, a bit unsettled by the groups silent stares,
"Thirty-six years. . .How. . .how old are you Estrela?" The prince asked hesitantly,
"One hundred and eighteen," She said nervously, still perplexed as to their reactions, "I'll be One hundred and nineteen on the
twenty first Moon of Blue."
"One hundred and nineteen. . ." The King said quietly from behind his desk, "How long do your people live?" Estrela looked at the
King with puzzlement on her face,
"Most live well into their early thousands. A Cisne is considered an elder if they live to be over two thousand years old, and we are
considered adults, and ready to marry, when we reach one hundred and twenty, though many children have their spouses chosen for
them before they turn eighty." She stopped and looked at the astonished expressions on the faces of the people around her, and
could no longer hold her interest back, "Is it not the same for your peoples?" She asked the group innocently,
"No, it is not the same." King Goau responded, "I am forty-nine years old, the Queen is close to that, General Balgus is sixty. . ." He
trailed off as Estrela's eyes widened. She turned to Folken, her expression bewildered,
"And you, my prince, how old are you?" His eyes met her's and he responded in a quiet voice,
"I am fourteen years old, my lady." Folken was still amazed by the woman before him, One hundred and nineteen. . . He thought.
She looked at him thoughtfully for a moment, unsure of how to respond, Fourteen years old. . . The number flowed over and over
through her mind. They were both saved from the awkward moment by Balgus, who, sensing the growing tension, felt it wise to
change the subject,
"Why don't you tell the King the story of your swordsmaster, Lady Estrela" He said suddenly. Estrela broke her gaze with Folken,
unbelievably relieved, and very grateful to the old samurai. Folken sat back in his chair, feeling the same way.
"Of course General, if the King would permit?" Goau nodded his head slightly and she continued. "After I left my village, I
wandered for, oh, almost thirteen years. I had no idea what I was looking for, but I was sure that there had to be something out there
for me. Everywhere I traveled, I was shunned. I could not go into towns or cities because my eyes would expose my race, even the
beast people tribes wanted nothing to do with me. I lived mostly off of the land those years, and I was constantly on the move. I
learned quickly to journey only at night or through deep forests if I had to move during the day, because it was too much of a risk to
travel in the open. After years of the endless trek, I had almost given up. Then my master found me." She paused and let out a
small sigh. She then lay her free hand over the grip Folken had on her other and closed her eyes, "It was a cool morning, early
spring, and I had just started setting up my camp in a small clearing in a forest somewhere near the Freid/Asturian border. I didn't
even hear him come. I was spreading out my bed roll, and when I looked up, there he was, sitting silently on the dew-covered grass
only a short distance away. I had never seen a doppleganger before. He stared at me from his seat on the ground, his reptilian-like
eyes seemed to bore into my mind, as if searching for something, and his pale hands were clasped under his pointed chin. I was
terrified, but I could not make myself move. My mind screamed for me to flee, but my muscles would not respond, even as he stood
smoothly and began to walk towards me. His long cloak was strange, its colour seemed to shift with his every movement, greens
and browns, dark shadow-like patches, blending his body into the forest behind and making it appear as if his head were almost
floating. It was truly eerie. He approached me, stopping only when his face was a mere hand-span from my own. I could feel his
breath on my cheek, it was not warm like a Cisne's or a human's, but felt icily cold, sending shivers up my spine. I dropped my eyes
from his, only to have strong, cold fingers wrap around my chin, and raise my head. I had no choice but to meet his gaze, as frigid
as his breath, and I felt my heart rise to my throat as he began to speak,
'Cisne,' His voice was like a hiss, but it held a certain strength, which I found oddly calming, despite the circumstances, 'What are
you doing here, away from your people?' I began telling him everything, tears starting to run down my face as I revisited the pain. I
still don't understand what made me tell him, but as I did, his grip loosened on my chin, though his hand did not leave, and his eyes
lost a bit of their ice. He was silent throughout my entire tale, and stayed that way for a few moments after I had finished. When he
finally spoke again, he sounded distant, like he was recalling something as well, and his large eyes were slightly unfocused 'A very
interesting story, Cisne. You have nowhere to go?' I shook my head. He seemed to battle with something inside himself, eyes still
far-off, but then he seemed to make a decision as his eyes refocused on mine and he began to speak, very quietly, 'If you wish,' He
said, 'You could travel with me for a time, perhaps even become my student. What is you name?'
I told him my name, curiosity slowly replacing the fear in my mind, 'And, if I may ask, were I to come with you and become your
pupil, what would you teach me?' I had nothing to lose by traveling with him, I felt worse than dead already, with no home and no
people, and, I thought, if he had wanted to harm me, he would have done so already. A small smile flashed over his features as he
responded to my question, and his eyes seemed to lighten,
'Everything. . .' I remember he uttered the word as if the answer were so clear, so simple, everything. I was astonished by the
sincerity in his tone, and I'm sure that my jaw would have dropped open had his hand not still held my chin. What did he mean, I
thought, everything? I was still in that state of shock when I felt his fingers leave my face, and I stayed standing there staring as he
turned his back and began to walk out of the clearing and deeper into the forest. Before he had completely disappeared into the
trees he turned back to face me, the shadows of the wood adding to the queer effect of his cloak. He had an expression on his face,
a mix of amusement and annoyance, and I saw his shoulders drop in a small sigh before he shouted at my motionless form,
'At your pleasure my lady,' His voice was practically dripping with sarcasm, though good-natured, and I'm sure I must have blushed
seven shades of crimson as hurried after him, grabbing my bag and hastily stuffing my bed roll into it. As I caught up to him I
realized that he had not waited for my answer, that he simply assumed that I would go with him. I almost turned back at his
audacity, but I stopped myself as the thought of being alone again swam through my mind. At least this man, or whatever he was,
did not seem afraid of me, or appear to hate me for being Cisne. He can't be that bad. . . I remember thinking while walking silently
behind him through the trees. . ."
Estrela paused her tale as King Goau began to cough loudly, a hacking which shook his entire body. The Queen quickly rose from
he chair and rushed to his side, Balgus following close behind with a glass of what appeared to be wine from a small cupboard
beside the desk. Then the bout stopped, as abruptly as it had begun, and the King shooed his wife and the samurai away, as he
straightened in his chair and took a small sip of the drink. Both Varie and the General shot each other worried glances, but quickly
returned to their seats, uttering not a word the entire time. Estrela glanced at Folken, she could see the worry in his face as he stared
at his father. She then shifted he glance to the King, who looked a bit red in the cheeks and was breathing heavier than before. She
raised a pale eyebrow, but thought better of asking the questions which now spun through her thoughts. Instead, she simply said,
"Your Majesty, I could continue later, if you wish," King Goau's attention focused on her, and for the first time she noticed the dark
circles under his eyes, the deep worry lines which furrowed across his face. He seemed so fragile, so. . . mortal. Why didn't I notice
before? She berated herself internally, He is sick. . . Estrela's thoughts were broken by the King's voice, now considerably more
strained than before, He sounds so weary,
"Perhaps that would be best for now," He rasped, trying his hardest to steady his tone, "We have kept you long enough. You may
finish your tale later this afternoon, perhaps four glass past midday."
"Of course, Your majesty," Estrela said, glancing out of the large windows, trying to judge the approximate time. I'd say it's about a
glass before midday, she thought, so about five glass. . . She rose from her seat and bowed before the King. Folken rose as well,
and addressed his father,
"If I may father, I would ask permission to escort the Lady Estrela around the palace, perhaps even into the city?" He sounded so
eager, that Goau had to smile,
"Of course my boy," He said, "Have fun." Folken grinned at his father, and offered his arm to Estrela. She offered the King a small
smile, and bowed her head,
"Thank you, Your Majesty," The pair turned and began to walk towards the large doors, but they halted as Goau began to speak again,
"Oh, and Lady Estrela, make sure my son stays out of trouble, will you?" Folken flushed a deep crimson as he shot a warning glare
at his father. The King chuckled under his breath, while Estrela smirked at the prince,
"As you command, my King," She said, trying to hold back the laughter which tickled the back of her throat, "But I'm sure Prince
Folken will be nothing less than a gentleman," The prince shifted his scowl to the woman on his arm, but it refused to stay on his
face as his eyes met her's, bright with amusement. His features lightened as a grin split his face, and he bowed swiftly to the
congregation before ushering Estrela out of the doors.
King Goau chuckled softly once more before taking another sip of his wine. Was I ever that young?
AN II/ So, whadda think? This is not my favorite chapter, I think the next one is much better, which I'll try to have out by Monday. Oh, just as a bit of miscellaneous information, I hate when Estrela is talking about her banishment in this chapter. I loathe it. No matter what I did to that part, it just didn't sound right. . . grrr. . . Anyway, enough of my rambling for one chapter, hoped you all enjoyed it. Peace and Love Everybody.
~Gabe~
Oh yeah, dragon, about the knives. . . *blows raspberry* ^_~ Two daggers and somewhere between twelve and twenty throwing knives in total. Somewhere around eight throwing knives left behind, and her sword. Now I don't know about you, but I wouldn't go to the post office with less, *^_^* Thanks bunches for the review, its stuff like that which gets chapters out faster *hint hint*