Dreams and Visions: Chapter 8
By mercy_angel_09
Rating PG-13
Disclaimers: I don't own Escaflowne and I'm certainly not making any money off of this venture, so it'd be sort of pointless to sue me. (Besides, I'm a poor college student; you'd lose more money than you'd gain.) The creative geniuses behind EscaFlowne are Hajime Yatate and Shoji Kawamori, Sunrise, Bandai, and I'm sure a few other companies that I'm forgetting or have no idea about.
~*~
"So, she's beautiful," Millerna said.
"She looks so much like Van," Dryden pointed out.
"And she acts a lot like him," Hitomi chuckled. "That's how I knew that she was his daughter. And you saw how well she uses a sword."
"I'd say that she uses it better than he does," Allen remarked casually.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Van asked.
"Oh, nothing," Allen replied.
"Sure," Van sighed. "Well, this is the spot. What do you think?"
Millerna looked around. It was a clearing in the forest behind the palace, with a gazebo that stood in the middle of the pond. "This is what I remember! When we first met you were here with Folken!"
A flash of pain crossed Van's face at the mention of his deceased brother. "Yes. This would have been the spot."
"It's such a beautiful spot. Much prettier than I remember though," Millerna continued. "Is the actual ceremony going to be out at the gazebo?"
Hitomi nodded. "Yeah. Romantic, don't you agree?"
"Oh yes," Millerna said. "My wedding . . ." her voice trailed off. "Err, we won't even touch that subject. So, what does your dress look like?"
Hitomi blinked. "My dress?" She smacked her forehead with her palm, causing everyone to give her a questioning look. "I really don't know."
"You'll wear what my mother wore," Van answered.
"And what did your mother wear?" Dryden asked. "And will it fit Lady Hitomi?"
Van looked Hitomi up and down for a moment and then smiled at her. "I think that you're around the same size as my mother was. It should fit you perfectly. I'll have Merle help you with it."
"I don't think that would be wise," Hitomi said. "She might rip it to shreds before I can walk down the aisle in it. Perhaps Celena and Millerna should help me."
Van took a second to think over Merle's reaction and then cringed at the thought. "Perhaps you're right. Maybe Celena and Millerna should help you."
Hitomi breathed a sigh of relief. "That's always good to know. I can almost guarantee that Merle isn't happy about us getting married."
"I know," Van sighed. "But she'll just have to deal with it."
~*~
Hikari stood at the edge of the castle property, looking over the sprawling city at her feet.
"Incredible, isn't it," a voice said from behind her.
Whirling around, Hikari's once sunny disposition turned stormy. "What do you want?"
Kaiden sighed. "I come to apologize for being such an ass, and I get yelled at?"
"Oh, sorry," Hikari said, turning back to the city.
"Can you believe that this city was once reduced to rubble? In just a matter of years your father rebuilt it from the ground up. Including that palace," Kaiden said. "Listen, I'm really sorry that I was so rude to you. But it was kind of weird that the only person who can use a sword better than I is a girl."
"It bothers you that much?"
"Women don't use swords here in Gaea. So it took me by surprise. Have you fenced with Chid yet?"
"No, he had some business to attend to. So it might be a while yet. Why do you ask?"
"No reason. Just that Chid is really good, and you might find yourself looking up his steel."
"I don't think so."
"My, aren't we the cocky one."
"Don't talk about yourself Kaiden, it's rude."
"Ha, ha. I'm serious. Chid doesn't fence much, but when he does, he always wins. Always. I don't know how he can use a sword with no practice, but for some strange reason he can and believe me, there's something about him, like he has some dark secret, and maybe that's why he's so good."
This statement startled Hikari. She knew that Millerna and Allen knew the truth, as well as Chid and her mother, but Kaiden was certainly on to something big and there was no denying it. Hikari shrugged her shoulders. "I doubt it. Some people are naturals at things. Maybe Chid is a natural with a sword and that's why he doesn't have to practice. But that's just my opinion."
"Maybe you're right," Kaiden sighed. He walked up beside her and then, without warning, grabbed her hand. "Has anyone ever told you how amazing you look?"
"Beside Chid this morning?" Hikari answered.
"My cousin is preoccupied with beautiful things, so that would make sense," Kaiden sighed.
"Kaiden, I don't know what to think of you."
"What?"
"At first you can't stand me and now you're hitting on me."
"Hitting on you?"
"Uh, flirting with me."
"Oh. I-"
"Save it. Listen, as far as I'm concerned you're still a first class jerk."
Kaiden nodded. "I see. Well, I can't say that I didn't try."
He turned to walk away and Hikari sighed. "Do you really want to be my friend?"
"More, if you'd allow me."
"For now, just friends. I don't think that I could handle more. Fine, just don't scrutinize me, okay?"
"Deal. So, what do you say to a little bit of riding?"
"Riding?"
"Don't you ride?"
Hikari blushed. "Erm, well . . ."
"I'm sure that the stables here could accommodate you."
"I'm sure that they could, but I don't know. We don't have many horses where I come from."
"It'll be fun. Go throw on your pants and let's get a move on. You can't ride a horse properly in that!"
Hikari chuckled as she looked down. The yards of fabric would certainly get in her way and she knew Kaiden was right. "Fine. But you'll have to show me where the stables are. I'm afraid that I still don't know my way around."
Kaiden gave her a dashing smile. "Of course. You are new around here."
~*~
Hikari was humming softly to herself as she made her way to her room. She was daydreaming about nothing in particular, and seeing as she was in a trance, she wasn't watching where she was going.
"Whoa there," a voice chuckled.
Hikari snapped out of her trance and blushed furiously. "Oh, sorry about that."
"It's okay."
"Uh, what are you doing right now?" Hikari looked at Chid's feet, too embarrassed to look him in the eye.
"I was on my way to do a little work, actually. I think that our duel will have to wait," Chid sighed.
"I guess that means that it might be a while," Hikari said.
"Why did you want to know?"
"Well, I was wondering if I'd have to find some other way to keep myself occupied for the time being," Hikari replied.
"I'm afraid so. I'm really sorry that it has to wait," Chid told her.
Hikari shrugged. "Some things are more important than dueling with me."
"Unfortunately. But make sure that you have room in your schedule for me, okay?" Chid said, tilting her head so that he could look into her deep reddish brown eyes.
"Okay," Hikari replied in a trance-like whisper.
Chid smiled and then bent down and kissed her cheek. "You're such a sweet heart." He then removed his hands from her face and walked down the hall, leaving Hikari alone.
She gently touched her cheek, disbelieving what had just happened. "I don't believe it," she whispered.
~*~
Kaiden looked around the hall, hoping that he was in the right place. The servant had given him an odd look when he asked where Hikari's room was, but had pointed out the direction to go. And now he walked down a hall that he hoped was the right one.
"Master Kaiden," a soft voice said from behind him.
Kaiden turned to see Celena standing in the hall behind him. "Oh, Lady Celena, you startled me."
"I'm sorry. Are you looking for someone?" she asked. Her gentle voice left no hints of her alter ego.
"No, uh, yeah. Where's Hikari's room?"
"The next door down. Do you like her?"
Kaiden was taken by surprise. He hadn't expected that question. "Erm . . ."
"Or perhaps it isn't my place to ask you that."
'Like hell it isn't,' he thought bitterly.
"I believe that I heard her go in after she had a talk with Duke Freid."
"She was talking to Chid?!"
"Yes. And then she went to her room."
"Were you spying?"
"Me? Never! I was in my room and since it was quiet, I couldn't help but hear everything. I don't even remember what they were talking about, if you were going to ask me that."
Kaiden flushed. "Err, I wasn't."
"Why don't I believe you?"
"I don't know. Uh, I have to go now milady."
"Of course. Have a good afternoon," Celena said, disappearing into a room that Kaiden correctly assumed was hers.
"This must be where all of the occupants of the palace stay. Well, the important ones anyway," he muttered. Walking up to the next door, he drew in his breath. 'What if she's changing? I'd be so embarrassed if I saw her like that. No, don't even think about that,' he mentally warned himself. Hikari was still the enemy, regardless of the truce that had been made earlier.
But before he had a chance to knock, the door opened and Hikari stepped out. "Getting a little impatient?"
"No," Kaiden spat. "We didn't agree on a meeting place and I was hoping to catch you here so you wouldn't get lost."
"How kind of you good sir," Hikari replied sarcastically as she walked past him. "Come on, I wanna get this over with."
"What? Do you really hate me that much?"
"Actually, yes. I just wanted to know where the stables were so that I could use them without you constantly by my side."
"Oh, so you were using me?"
"Basically, yeah."
"Sheesh. Women."
~*~
Hikari started to mount her horse with uncertainty. She hadn't done a lot of riding, and she knew that if given the opportunity, Kaiden would make fun of her because of it.
"Having problems?"
Hikari's back was too him so he couldn't see the embarrassed flush that rose in her cheeks. "No, of course not."
"Sure you aren't. Hold on a sec," Kaiden said, dismounting his horse and walking over to her and placing one hand on her waist and the other on her right leg.
"What are you doing?" Hikari demanded. Now this was embarrassing. She could beat him in fencing, but needed his help to do something as simple as mounting a horse.
"Helping you get on," he replied. His tone was soft and gentle, and there was no trace of malice or taunting. "Now swing your right leg over and ally oop!"
He guided her leg over the horse's back and gently pushed her by her waist onto it. "Thank you," she murmured, adverting her eyes.
Kaiden smiled at her, knowing full well what kind of effect his hand on her waist had. "Your welcome. But have one thing to ask."
"What's that?"
"Do you trust me?"
"What?"
"Do you trust me? Trust me enough to follow me to a spot where we can really see Fanelia."
"I don't know. I guess so."
"You guess so? That's not good enough. You really have to trust me."
Hikari thought a moment, chewing on her lower lip, a bad habit that arose around extreme pressure. "Fine. I trust you. But how can I be sure that you're not going to lead me off into the woods just to kill me?"
Kaiden looked at her with a certain smugness in his green eyes. "You'll just have to trust me, won't you?"
Hikari groaned. "How did I know that I was going to regret this?"
~*~
Chid sat at his window, looking out on the palace grounds below. "I'm so bored," he whined.
"Duke?" an attendant asked.
"Oh, uh, nothing. I was just commenting on how bored I am. When are those treaties going to get here?"
"I was told within the hour, sir."
"I have other things I could be doing."
"Like spending time with Lady Hikari?"
Chid gave his attendant a look. "And where did you get that idea?"
"Any one who knows you sir can see just how infatuated you are with her. I can't say that I blame you sir. She really is quite pretty."
"I hadn't noticed," Chid said quickly, making sure to deny any feelings that he might have. He looked down on the courtyard and noticed a girl on a horse go galloping by. "Wait a second, isn't that Hikari?"
The attendant looked over Chid's shoulder. "I believe so sir."
"What is she doing? And is that . . . Kaiden!"
"Yes, that is your cousin sir."
"He's chasing her! Wait, now she's letting him catch up? Are they willingly spending time together?"
"Looks like it sir."
"What is she thinking? She doesn't even like him!"
"Sir, are you jealous?"
Chid flushed. "No, Hikari can choose who she wants to spend time with. I'm supposedly busy today, and since Eliana doesn't like Hikari's hobbies, I guess there's no one else but this is absurd! They'll kill each other by the end of the day."
"If you're really that concerned, perhaps you should go after her."
"I can't. Those treaties are supposed to arrive within the hour. If I'm not here, it'll look bad. But I do need to get out of this room. I'll be walking if you need me."
"Of course. I'll come find you when they arrive."
Chid stood up and exited his room. He was walking down the hall, lost in thought when a voice reached out to him.
"You're thinking hard. What's the matter?"
Chid looked up at Allen, then turned around. "I'm just thinking."
"About what?"
"Everything. Like the lies that I've been told."
Allen was quiet for a moment before clearing his throat. "How long have you known?"
"A few months."
"Is there anything that you want to ask or tell me?"
"Did you really love my mother?"
Allen inhaled and then exhaled loudly. "I did. She was the first woman that I really ever loved."
"I see. Did she love you?"
"I was her first true love, but she loved Duke Freid as well. She felt guilty that she betrayed his trust, with me. If anything, your mother was a very loving person, and she was willing to love anyone. At first she didn't like Duke Freid, but eventually she realized that she hadn't given him a chance. By the time she gave him a chance, she was pregnant, with you. But there was no doubt of her love for either of us. Your mother was a wonderful woman."
"I wish that I had known her better."
"You were so young when she died. Three, weren't you?"
"Yes. That was twenty-two years ago."
"A very long time ago. But you were born from our love, but if you must hate someone, hate me. Your mother was a gentle soul who really didn't know what she was getting herself into."
"Did you know?"
"Yes and no. I had heard of these kinds of things, but I never thought that I'd be the cause of one. I can understand if you'd hate me for the rest of my life."
"I can't hate you."
Four simple little words seemed to carry a rather large sound. "Why not?"
Chid looked out the window at the afternoon gardens. "Because you didn't know what you were getting into either. You can claim responsibility all you want, but I know that it was innocent love that became something more. There's no harm in that. And I forgive you. Really, I do."
"How? Technically you're not the heir if it was revealed that I am your father."
"Then it won't be revealed. Hitomi and Hikari know, as do we. Anyone else?"
Allen nodded. "Millerna. She found your mother's diary."
"The same way I did I suppose. But that's all in the past. Let's look to the future, shall we?"
Allen smiled at his son. He was so much like his mother, naïve yet somehow possessing knowledge beyond his twenty-five years. "Yes, let's look to the future."
~*~
So Chid now knows the truth. Aww, don't give me that look! We all knew that it had to happen at some point! The time that Hikari and Kaiden are about to spend together seems to be bugging him, which of course means some major conflict in the future.
Mercy_angel_09
