Disclaimer: I NEVER WILL OWN ESCAFLOWNE! But I do own Daren, Rune, Aryria, Ruvan, Leonzar, and Varomi!
A/N: I introduced Daren's new little sister Varomi, and you'll get to know her in this chapter. You'll also meet Milerna's child and Merle's baby. Enjoy! ^_^
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 16: Friends of Asturia
"You're so pretty!" Said Van to his infant daughter as he twirled her around. He looked with concern at his pale wife, lying on their bed trying to get some sleep. He felt his spirits lift when she sat up in bed and said, "I'm sure I look horrible. Hand me a brush Van, will you?"
"Sure dear." Van said, plopping little Varomi on the bed beside her mother.
"Who's the baby?" Hitomi wondered aloud.
Van turned around in surprise. "Our daughter of course."
Hitomi gasped since she remembered nothing from after she went into labor.
"Oh Van, she has your eyes." The mother observed.
"I have a daughter!" She happily proclaimed, jumping out of bed.
"Stop! You've been ill!" Van reprimanded.
"Who cares Van darling? I have a daughter!"
"Well King Dryden and Queen Milerna are visiting today, along with their son. Oh and you haven't met Merle's new baby yet." Van informed Hitomi.
"I've missed a lot, haven't I?" She asked, her head spinning.
"I suppose." Van replied giving her a kiss.
"Well, I need something proper to wear." She said.
"The royal wardrobe mistress has already seen to that." Van reported, pulling a red dress out of their wardrobe.
"Oh Van, you know I hate red." She replied and he smiled thinking, 'It's the same old Hitomi alright.'
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A few hours later, Van and Hitomi sat with their little family in the parlor. Milerna looked as lovely as ever, with her handsome five-year-old son, sitting next to Daren on the other side of the room.
"Dryden sends his regards. He had to go on a last minute trip, to deliver some Spelius fruit to outer Bazram." Milerna said softly.
"We understand." Van replied.
"What is the name of your charming son?" Hitomi asked with interest.
"Leonzar, but we call him Leo." Milerna replied.
"He looks just like his father." Van complimented.
"Thank you." Milerna said.
Just then, a frazzled catgirl ran in, dragging behind her: her husband, daughter, and carrying her baby.
"Oh Lord Van!" She screamed, huffing and puffing.
"I'm so sorry, Lord Van! First Aryria ripped her dress, then the baby needed a new diaper, and..."
Van cut her off saying, "It's alright Merle, we understand." He smiled and gestured for them to sit down.
"Oh, and this is Ruvan." She said, holding up the furry baby.
"He's charming Merle," Hitomi commented, happy for her friend.
"Aryria! Why don't you go play with Daren and Leonzar?"
"Yes mommy." The catgirl replied, and with a MEOW, she was running after the boys.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Come on Ria!" Daren called to the catgirl, as they left Leo in their dust.
"Hey! Wait up!" Said the brown haired boy as he broke into a run after Daren and Ria.
Ria and Daren climbed the ladder up to Daren's treehouse.
"Why do you want to go up into that old thing?" Leo asked curiously.
"It's not an 'old thing!' My dad helped me build it!" Daren shouted down, defending his treehouse.
"Oh." Said Leo in a sad tone, looking down at his feet.
"My dad's never around to help me build things. He's always off selling stuff to people."
Daren decided that Leo just needed a friend, so he yelled, "C'mon up!"
"K!" The other boy said, trying to hide the excitement in his voice. 'Maybe I've finally found a friend!' Leo thought to himself.
Leo walked up to some servant's children and asked, "Can I play?" The children fell to their knees in Prince Leonzar's presence.
"Milord. We shall do humbly, what you request." They were playing a 'tag' sort of game, but you could tell that they were letting Leo win. Leo had trudged back to the palace once he had won ten times in a row.
"Your little sister's quite pretty." Leo observed.
"She looks like my mom." Daren replied, ringing the bell so a servant would bring them some drinks.
When the drinks arrived, Leo replied, "Who knows? I might even marry her someday..."
After this statement, Daren spit his juice all over his companions.
"Hey! Watch the water works," a drenched Ria complained.
"WHAT?" Daren asked Leo.
Leo looked puzzled at Daren's reaction. "I said I might marry her."
"Why? She's just a baby!"
"I mean when we're older." Leo explained to the naïve Daren.
"But that would make you brother!"
"I suppose it would." Leo replied.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I also wanted to discuss our children's futures. I thought a betrothal between Leonzar and Varomi would be beneficial for our kingdom's futures." Milerna stated.
"Milerna! I'm surprised at you! You had a betrothal yourself, and you and I know how bad they can turn out!" Van exclaimed.
"But it's for the good of our countries!" Milerna whined.
"I'm thinking of the good of my daughter." Van calmly replied.
"No betrothal contracts will be made out at this time." Van continued as Milerna excused herself, saying she needed to return home.
"Leonzar!" She yelled, "Time to go!"
"Alright mother!" Leo replied.
"Bye Daren! Bye Ria!" And he ran towards their carriage.
"BYE!" They called back.
"Strange boy," Ria commented.
"No, just lonely." Daren replied.
"Well, he won't be lonely any more with you as his friend." Ria replied, licking Daren's face.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"It's odd." Van commented to Hitomi.
"We forget what it's like to be a child. I remember how mad Milerna was at her father when he betrothed her to Dryden, and now she's trying to do the same thing to her own son."
"Yes, it is quite odd." Hitomi remarked, sipping her cup of tea, she remembered well...
You can't stop me!" Said the teenage Milerna.
"I've made up my mind."
"You're abandoning your country, you're helpless on your own!" Said her elder sister, Princess Eries.
"Why do you and father always have to be like this? You constantly make my decisions for me without asking my permission first."
"But it's for your own good."
"Including making me give up my medical studies?"
"Honestly, what use does a princess have for such things?" Eries commented.
"I wanted to help people... is that so wrong?"
"Royalty should use its position for the sake of the people. Don't you understand Milerna? Such egotism is an insult to your people!"
"You don't understand, I love Allen." Milerna answered as Eries gasped.
"Goodbye sister." And Milerna left.
"I believe you made the right choice." Hitomi said as she kissed him, "And I think Varomi thanks you too!" She handed Varomi to Van, who cradled her affectionately. 'It's a better future for you darling, a better future for you.' He told her mentally as she fell asleep in his arms.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: I introduced you to the three new kids, aren't they kawaii?" ^_^; Well R&R! Arigato and Sionara! ^_^
~Trunks Gal~
A/N: I introduced Daren's new little sister Varomi, and you'll get to know her in this chapter. You'll also meet Milerna's child and Merle's baby. Enjoy! ^_^
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Chapter 16: Friends of Asturia
"You're so pretty!" Said Van to his infant daughter as he twirled her around. He looked with concern at his pale wife, lying on their bed trying to get some sleep. He felt his spirits lift when she sat up in bed and said, "I'm sure I look horrible. Hand me a brush Van, will you?"
"Sure dear." Van said, plopping little Varomi on the bed beside her mother.
"Who's the baby?" Hitomi wondered aloud.
Van turned around in surprise. "Our daughter of course."
Hitomi gasped since she remembered nothing from after she went into labor.
"Oh Van, she has your eyes." The mother observed.
"I have a daughter!" She happily proclaimed, jumping out of bed.
"Stop! You've been ill!" Van reprimanded.
"Who cares Van darling? I have a daughter!"
"Well King Dryden and Queen Milerna are visiting today, along with their son. Oh and you haven't met Merle's new baby yet." Van informed Hitomi.
"I've missed a lot, haven't I?" She asked, her head spinning.
"I suppose." Van replied giving her a kiss.
"Well, I need something proper to wear." She said.
"The royal wardrobe mistress has already seen to that." Van reported, pulling a red dress out of their wardrobe.
"Oh Van, you know I hate red." She replied and he smiled thinking, 'It's the same old Hitomi alright.'
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A few hours later, Van and Hitomi sat with their little family in the parlor. Milerna looked as lovely as ever, with her handsome five-year-old son, sitting next to Daren on the other side of the room.
"Dryden sends his regards. He had to go on a last minute trip, to deliver some Spelius fruit to outer Bazram." Milerna said softly.
"We understand." Van replied.
"What is the name of your charming son?" Hitomi asked with interest.
"Leonzar, but we call him Leo." Milerna replied.
"He looks just like his father." Van complimented.
"Thank you." Milerna said.
Just then, a frazzled catgirl ran in, dragging behind her: her husband, daughter, and carrying her baby.
"Oh Lord Van!" She screamed, huffing and puffing.
"I'm so sorry, Lord Van! First Aryria ripped her dress, then the baby needed a new diaper, and..."
Van cut her off saying, "It's alright Merle, we understand." He smiled and gestured for them to sit down.
"Oh, and this is Ruvan." She said, holding up the furry baby.
"He's charming Merle," Hitomi commented, happy for her friend.
"Aryria! Why don't you go play with Daren and Leonzar?"
"Yes mommy." The catgirl replied, and with a MEOW, she was running after the boys.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Come on Ria!" Daren called to the catgirl, as they left Leo in their dust.
"Hey! Wait up!" Said the brown haired boy as he broke into a run after Daren and Ria.
Ria and Daren climbed the ladder up to Daren's treehouse.
"Why do you want to go up into that old thing?" Leo asked curiously.
"It's not an 'old thing!' My dad helped me build it!" Daren shouted down, defending his treehouse.
"Oh." Said Leo in a sad tone, looking down at his feet.
"My dad's never around to help me build things. He's always off selling stuff to people."
Daren decided that Leo just needed a friend, so he yelled, "C'mon up!"
"K!" The other boy said, trying to hide the excitement in his voice. 'Maybe I've finally found a friend!' Leo thought to himself.
Leo walked up to some servant's children and asked, "Can I play?" The children fell to their knees in Prince Leonzar's presence.
"Milord. We shall do humbly, what you request." They were playing a 'tag' sort of game, but you could tell that they were letting Leo win. Leo had trudged back to the palace once he had won ten times in a row.
"Your little sister's quite pretty." Leo observed.
"She looks like my mom." Daren replied, ringing the bell so a servant would bring them some drinks.
When the drinks arrived, Leo replied, "Who knows? I might even marry her someday..."
After this statement, Daren spit his juice all over his companions.
"Hey! Watch the water works," a drenched Ria complained.
"WHAT?" Daren asked Leo.
Leo looked puzzled at Daren's reaction. "I said I might marry her."
"Why? She's just a baby!"
"I mean when we're older." Leo explained to the naïve Daren.
"But that would make you brother!"
"I suppose it would." Leo replied.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"I also wanted to discuss our children's futures. I thought a betrothal between Leonzar and Varomi would be beneficial for our kingdom's futures." Milerna stated.
"Milerna! I'm surprised at you! You had a betrothal yourself, and you and I know how bad they can turn out!" Van exclaimed.
"But it's for the good of our countries!" Milerna whined.
"I'm thinking of the good of my daughter." Van calmly replied.
"No betrothal contracts will be made out at this time." Van continued as Milerna excused herself, saying she needed to return home.
"Leonzar!" She yelled, "Time to go!"
"Alright mother!" Leo replied.
"Bye Daren! Bye Ria!" And he ran towards their carriage.
"BYE!" They called back.
"Strange boy," Ria commented.
"No, just lonely." Daren replied.
"Well, he won't be lonely any more with you as his friend." Ria replied, licking Daren's face.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"It's odd." Van commented to Hitomi.
"We forget what it's like to be a child. I remember how mad Milerna was at her father when he betrothed her to Dryden, and now she's trying to do the same thing to her own son."
"Yes, it is quite odd." Hitomi remarked, sipping her cup of tea, she remembered well...
You can't stop me!" Said the teenage Milerna.
"I've made up my mind."
"You're abandoning your country, you're helpless on your own!" Said her elder sister, Princess Eries.
"Why do you and father always have to be like this? You constantly make my decisions for me without asking my permission first."
"But it's for your own good."
"Including making me give up my medical studies?"
"Honestly, what use does a princess have for such things?" Eries commented.
"I wanted to help people... is that so wrong?"
"Royalty should use its position for the sake of the people. Don't you understand Milerna? Such egotism is an insult to your people!"
"You don't understand, I love Allen." Milerna answered as Eries gasped.
"Goodbye sister." And Milerna left.
"I believe you made the right choice." Hitomi said as she kissed him, "And I think Varomi thanks you too!" She handed Varomi to Van, who cradled her affectionately. 'It's a better future for you darling, a better future for you.' He told her mentally as she fell asleep in his arms.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
A/N: I introduced you to the three new kids, aren't they kawaii?" ^_^; Well R&R! Arigato and Sionara! ^_^
~Trunks Gal~