Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne…. Don't sue… you know… the usual…
Shattered Hearts ~*Chapter 1- A Piece of My heart lost and found*~The sun glistened off the silvery waters of the smooth, marble fountain of the deep forest greens of the beautiful privet garden of the beloved King of the Fanelia. Three smooth marble tombstones flashed the reflection of the young king. He knelt, not moving for over an hour, paying his respects and speaking to his now gone, beloved family. Sighing, he lifted his numb body, straightened his posture, and stiffly bowed 3 times to complete the respect.
Taking one last look at the beautifully carved gravestones, decorated beautifully with a variety of different colors and exotic flowers, he turned and walked slowly away.
From behind a thick, dark, group of bushes, a pair of crystal blue eyes followed the kings every movement.
"He's doing it again…"
the dark figure heaved a great big sigh, giving away her hiding spot. The king swiftly turned around, hand on his sleet hilt of his sword, standing gracefully in a battle stance, ready for anything.
"Who's there?"
he demanded not moving anything but his own lush lips. Carefully, slowly, trying not to trigger His Majesty's anger, to make him make a rational decision of slicing her into a million, little bite-sized pieces with only several easy slashes of the dangerously sharp sword of his, right then there.
A hooded figure rose from the bushes slowly. It's long ankle-length robe swished slightly in the wind. It's face dark and unknowing. The figure descended from it's hiding place gracefully, the king not moving a muscle. The hooded figure slowly lifted it's long arms up to it's hooded head, the long sleeves of it's robes rolled down slightly revealing two bony, pale, furry hands. It slowly pulled down the hood; it's hands trembling slightly and then fell down to its sides.
"M…M"
The king stammered, shocked he stared and he dropped his sword, only inches from his thin shoed feet.
The woman was tall, and thin, too thin to be healthy. Her face equally thin and pale, just like the cold white skin of her hands. Her face… surrounded in dirty, shoulder-length pinkish hair, two thin black lines reaching from the middle of her cheeks to both of her big, light pink, cat-like ears. They twitched, and then lowered, almost touching her chin. She was dirty, and looked exhausted. Her eyelids drooped slightly, but were opened enough to get at least a glimpse of her crystal blue orbs. Those eyes… were beautiful, just beautiful… maybe with tiredness in them, but were still full of kindness and love, the gentleness of the woman she was… now all grown up.
"Merle"
the king softly whispered as if the slighted movement would scare her away, out of his arms again, out of his reach.
Merle was everything to him, the closest thing to family left on this world, but then she left, gone, never seen again… until now.
"Lord Van…"
she breathed. Her legs finally gave in from all her tiredness and she fell into his arms. He caught her, lifting her slowly. She had fainted. Van's, Van Slanzar de Fanel's, king of all Fanalia, eyes filled with tears of happiness, filling rapidly, threatening to fall at any moment… when they did. He wept quietly, hugging her close to him. A piece of his heart had come back to him, found him, out of so many lost. Father, Mother, Folken his brother, Balgus his faithful teacher and friend, and……… Hitomi…