Chapter 4 – The Council Meeting And A Bad Beginning

Disclaimer:  Me no own Escaflowne… Me REALLY wish I did, but then if I did, I would be writing a second a series and not a fanfic now wouldn't I? That and I would be very rich. I get no money from writing this; it's just to amuse people! YOU HOLD NOTHING AGAINST ME!!!!

Merle was still dragging Hitomi to the council room while telling her all about the councilors at the same time.  When they reached the door Hitomi stopped and smoothed her dress down and took a few nervous breaths. When she felt ready she looked over to find that Merle had already gone inside and announced that Hitomi was there. Then she saw Merle waving her in, so she attempted to swallow her nervousness and stepped inside. Merle ran past her, gave her a reassuring smile and a thumbs up sign then closed the door. Hitomi turned her face around to see everyone looking at her. Nervous butterflies rose in her stomach and she firmly told herself to stop. Someone at the end of the table rose, and Hitomi's butterflies disappeared to be replaced by extreme joy, because that person was Van. Despite what the councilors would think, Hitomi ran forward and hugged Van. He hugged her back, then pulled out a chair beside him, and let her sit down. Hitomi found that when she was sitting the butterflies were less bad.  Van cleared his throat and all eyes turned to him.

-"Ok, well we can finally begin since Hitomi has finally arrived."

-"Is this the same Hitomi that was the Seer in the Great War?"

-"Do you know anybody else that has the unusual name of Hitomi?"

-"No."

-"Ok, well I believe that you said you had some important business to discuss with me. I also have something to discuss with you."

Van sat back down and smiled at Hitomi. Hitomi smiled back then turned her attention to the councilor who had just risen.

-"Your Highness, we have a very important matter to discuss with you. I will be blunt you need to get married. You need heirs and a queen to secure the future of Fanelia."

The councilor sat down and waited for the usual explosion from the King. He never liked to talk about a marriage that was necessary. But this time Van just sat there with a small smile on his face. Van stood up and put his hands on the table.

-"And now you come to the very thing I wanted to talk to you about."

Hitomi giggled as every councilors jaw dropped.

-"Now I really hate this, and I wouldn't do it if I didn't have to, but I suppose you do know what's better for Fanelia. I want your permission to marry Hitomi. And even if you say no, you will soon find yourself either without a king or with Hitomi as a queen anyways."

Finally one of the councilors seemed to have found his voice and he stood up.

-"Sire, for me, we are amazed you have finally chosen someone to marry, and we were afraid you would be mad again, as you usually are."

-"Did you ever think of why I was angry? You wanted me to marry some stupid simpering princess, when I loved Hitomi!"

Hitomi in her seat blushed and looked down.

-"Well, it's true that we never thought of that but we also never thought that Hitomi would return from the Mystic Moon. And we would be delighted if you took Hitomi as a wife. Not only would she secure Fanelia but she would also be accepted by the people because of what she did for the country years ago."

-"Good then it's settled."

-"When will the wedding take place your majesty?"

-"We don't know, we haven't exactly decided yet."

-"Very well, we have no other business so this meeting is dismissed."

The councilors stood up and pushed their chairs in. Hitomi stood up as well and hugged Van. Then she decided she had better tell Merle the news. She walked pass the table and then suddenly stopped. Blackness had suddenly seemed to appear at the edges of everything. Hitomi panicked, if this was a vision, she had never had one like this.

-"Van! Help! Something's happening!"

That was Hitomi's last thought as blackness settled over her and she passed out. Van had whirled around at Hitomi's cry for help as had most of the councilors. Van ran forward and was just in time to catch her as she fell.

-"Is she alright sire?"

Van pulled back an eyelid and saw that her eyes were dilated.

-"She's ok, she's just having a vision. Help me carry her to her room."

~~ Hitomi found herself descending that same staircase. When she got to the bottom she saw the figure in the corner, shrouded in shadows.  Hitomi strode into the middle of the room and looked at the figure.

-"Same thing as last time, this is interesting."

-"Oh but it's not the same, it's quite, quite different."

-"What? You can hear me?"

-"Well since I gave you the vision I should think so. Are you scared yet Seer? Your time of death is coming closer, and so is the doom that lies upon all whom you care about! We shall see who suffers soon! For now I say that you should suffer, if only temporarily. I will have my fun with you once I bring you to the World Of Shadows!"

The figure threw back its head and laughed, then when it looked back at her, its hood was partially thrown back as well. Hitomi still couldn't see its face, but she could see its eyes. Eyes like living flame, with an eagerness to kill, and a thirst for blood. As Hitomi stared at the eyes she felt the shadows growing around her. She finally ripped her eyes away from those of the figure and saw that the shadows were consuming all light. She looked back to find the figure gone, leaving her all alone in the blackness. One of the shadows reached her and touched her arm. Hitomi screamed in pain, because the shadows felt like flames. Just before she passed out she a voice whispering in the darkness.

-"Shadows bring the touch of flame. I will bring the touch of flame. And the whole world will burn in darkness!" ~~