Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ESCAFLOWNE. Anything that was made up by the
creators of the anime is PURELY COINCIDENTAL! Please don't sue me!
Against the Wishes
Chapter Two
Van rubbed his head, muttering to himself as he trudged down the hallway to Folken's chambers. It only seemed to get longer as he thought about what his brother would do to him when he heard Van's say on this future "arranged" marriage between Millerna and himself. But how could Folken set this up for him? Just because he had once been in love, married the girl, and got his heart broken, doesn't mean that the same thing would happen to him. And even if it did, Van wouldn't fall into such pieces like his elder brother had. For Fanelia's sake, he had never even met the woman, and from what Folken had said, she had turned out to be a real wench.
"Van? What are you doing here?" Folken Fanel asked when Van opened the large iron door almost silently. "I thought you were with Allen? Where is that tomcat anyway? Probably out looking for the females I presume."
"Never you mind about Allen, Folken. We need to talk." Van's reddish- brown eyes had a serious shimmer hidden within them. But his emotionless face did not leave any hint of it what so ever.
Folken stopped and looked at Van curiously, "Is this about Millerna? What? You don't like her or something stupid like that?"
Van pursed his lips and kept eye contact with his brother, though very difficult to do. "No. Millerna is nice. In a polite way. And she looks alright. Princess or no princess, I just don't-"
"You don't what?" Folken tilted his head.
"I. . . . . I don't want an arranged marriage. I can't do it. I cannot marry someone I've met once. Why, I've barely know the woman!" Van's glare had now lowered to the ground, leaving him looking sad and pitiful.
Folken's eyebrows rose at the sight of his brother. "Don't tell me you think you're going to find love with a descent woman around here. I mean, there is no decent woman here. Besides, love is for wimps. A strong, wealthy, powerful king wouldn't need a pitiful woman to look after. Princess Millerna will take care of herself, so there would be no need really for you to be distracted from your future duty as the King of Fanelia."
Van sighed, frustrated, he said, "I don't care if needed I have to take care of my wife. I am only 15. I have 3 years to fall in love and get married to the one of my choice. But I really object to this."
"Van, you have no choice in this. You have no say. Don't get flustered over such a stupid opinion." Folken said, oblivious to Van's now clenched fists.
Anger flashed in his eyes like fire as Van's fists rose an inch from Folken's face," I don't need you to plan out my life. Just leave me alone!" And with that, Van tore out of the room, slamming the door, and causing the room to shudder.
Folken grabbed on to an object nearby. Looking around, he mumbled, "He's so young and naive. He'll get over this fit in a day or two."
***
Hitomi's eyes widened, her mouth dropping open. Her eyes almost pleaded for him not to tell the guard where she was. Allen sighed and closed the door on the guard's face, then leaned against it, while Hitomi sat, knees hugged up against her chest.
"What did you do that he was after you, Hitomi?" Allen asked. Hitomi felt as if his glare was burning a hole through her.
"I'm a thief. Well, that's what he thinks anyway. I simply went to speak with Folken. King Folken." She corrected herself.
"Why did you need to speak with him? Where are you from young Hitomi?" Allen asked, his gaze softening.
Hitomi felt a bit less uncomfortable but refused to answer. "I believe I've told you enough, considering I said I would tell you no more than my own name."
Allen laughed and got up. "I apologize for prying Miss Hitomi. But would you at least give me the honor of cleaning you up, maybe taking you out?"
Hitomi's eyes lit up with excitement and glee. "Oh, would you be so kind?"
Allen laughed again and nodded, holding out his hand. Hitomi's green eyes flickered as she looked at his strong hand. She let her arms drop from around her knees and she looked at Allen, then at his hand again.
"Hitomi, I'm not going to hurt you, I promise." Allen said comfortingly.
"You still haven't told me your name." Hitomi said, trying to stall from grabbing such a strangers hand.
"Well, pardon my rudeness. I am Allen Schezar. Respectful knight of Asturia."
***
Van stomped down the hallway, his anger obvious in his movements. As he was passing Allen's room, he heard a female voice. Stopping, he listened to that of the conversation that he could hear from behind the door:
'I'm not going to hurt you, I promise'
Silence.
'You haven't told me your name!"
From there on, Van heard nothing but mumbling and someone walking towards the door. Van changed from his tromping to stepping lightly as he moved from the doorway, worried that Allen might find him eavesdropping if he opened the door.
Sure enough, Allen peaked out to-what Van thought of as-see if anyone occupied the hallway. Obviously he didn't see Van looking around the corner, and was not near being discouraged to come out.
Van watched intently to see what Allen was being so conspicuous about. He noticed him take something with one arm-or with one hand..-and start to walk out of the room. Van was surprised. Not by the fact that the thing-sorry, person-that he took out of the room was a living, breathing, woman, but by the look on the girl's face. She was about Van's age, and he was wondering, with fury, about why Allen, being 21, would be holding this girl's hand! Especially with the look of worry on her face. But something about how she just looked at Allen, and then looked around, tugged at his heart a slight bit.
Besides the fact that he had never seen her around, he wondered how he could not know her. With his heart twisting within him, he walked away silently and decided to think no more of what he had seen. Though the girl's pretty green eyes stuck in his head.
Against the Wishes
Chapter Two
Van rubbed his head, muttering to himself as he trudged down the hallway to Folken's chambers. It only seemed to get longer as he thought about what his brother would do to him when he heard Van's say on this future "arranged" marriage between Millerna and himself. But how could Folken set this up for him? Just because he had once been in love, married the girl, and got his heart broken, doesn't mean that the same thing would happen to him. And even if it did, Van wouldn't fall into such pieces like his elder brother had. For Fanelia's sake, he had never even met the woman, and from what Folken had said, she had turned out to be a real wench.
"Van? What are you doing here?" Folken Fanel asked when Van opened the large iron door almost silently. "I thought you were with Allen? Where is that tomcat anyway? Probably out looking for the females I presume."
"Never you mind about Allen, Folken. We need to talk." Van's reddish- brown eyes had a serious shimmer hidden within them. But his emotionless face did not leave any hint of it what so ever.
Folken stopped and looked at Van curiously, "Is this about Millerna? What? You don't like her or something stupid like that?"
Van pursed his lips and kept eye contact with his brother, though very difficult to do. "No. Millerna is nice. In a polite way. And she looks alright. Princess or no princess, I just don't-"
"You don't what?" Folken tilted his head.
"I. . . . . I don't want an arranged marriage. I can't do it. I cannot marry someone I've met once. Why, I've barely know the woman!" Van's glare had now lowered to the ground, leaving him looking sad and pitiful.
Folken's eyebrows rose at the sight of his brother. "Don't tell me you think you're going to find love with a descent woman around here. I mean, there is no decent woman here. Besides, love is for wimps. A strong, wealthy, powerful king wouldn't need a pitiful woman to look after. Princess Millerna will take care of herself, so there would be no need really for you to be distracted from your future duty as the King of Fanelia."
Van sighed, frustrated, he said, "I don't care if needed I have to take care of my wife. I am only 15. I have 3 years to fall in love and get married to the one of my choice. But I really object to this."
"Van, you have no choice in this. You have no say. Don't get flustered over such a stupid opinion." Folken said, oblivious to Van's now clenched fists.
Anger flashed in his eyes like fire as Van's fists rose an inch from Folken's face," I don't need you to plan out my life. Just leave me alone!" And with that, Van tore out of the room, slamming the door, and causing the room to shudder.
Folken grabbed on to an object nearby. Looking around, he mumbled, "He's so young and naive. He'll get over this fit in a day or two."
***
Hitomi's eyes widened, her mouth dropping open. Her eyes almost pleaded for him not to tell the guard where she was. Allen sighed and closed the door on the guard's face, then leaned against it, while Hitomi sat, knees hugged up against her chest.
"What did you do that he was after you, Hitomi?" Allen asked. Hitomi felt as if his glare was burning a hole through her.
"I'm a thief. Well, that's what he thinks anyway. I simply went to speak with Folken. King Folken." She corrected herself.
"Why did you need to speak with him? Where are you from young Hitomi?" Allen asked, his gaze softening.
Hitomi felt a bit less uncomfortable but refused to answer. "I believe I've told you enough, considering I said I would tell you no more than my own name."
Allen laughed and got up. "I apologize for prying Miss Hitomi. But would you at least give me the honor of cleaning you up, maybe taking you out?"
Hitomi's eyes lit up with excitement and glee. "Oh, would you be so kind?"
Allen laughed again and nodded, holding out his hand. Hitomi's green eyes flickered as she looked at his strong hand. She let her arms drop from around her knees and she looked at Allen, then at his hand again.
"Hitomi, I'm not going to hurt you, I promise." Allen said comfortingly.
"You still haven't told me your name." Hitomi said, trying to stall from grabbing such a strangers hand.
"Well, pardon my rudeness. I am Allen Schezar. Respectful knight of Asturia."
***
Van stomped down the hallway, his anger obvious in his movements. As he was passing Allen's room, he heard a female voice. Stopping, he listened to that of the conversation that he could hear from behind the door:
'I'm not going to hurt you, I promise'
Silence.
'You haven't told me your name!"
From there on, Van heard nothing but mumbling and someone walking towards the door. Van changed from his tromping to stepping lightly as he moved from the doorway, worried that Allen might find him eavesdropping if he opened the door.
Sure enough, Allen peaked out to-what Van thought of as-see if anyone occupied the hallway. Obviously he didn't see Van looking around the corner, and was not near being discouraged to come out.
Van watched intently to see what Allen was being so conspicuous about. He noticed him take something with one arm-or with one hand..-and start to walk out of the room. Van was surprised. Not by the fact that the thing-sorry, person-that he took out of the room was a living, breathing, woman, but by the look on the girl's face. She was about Van's age, and he was wondering, with fury, about why Allen, being 21, would be holding this girl's hand! Especially with the look of worry on her face. But something about how she just looked at Allen, and then looked around, tugged at his heart a slight bit.
Besides the fact that he had never seen her around, he wondered how he could not know her. With his heart twisting within him, he walked away silently and decided to think no more of what he had seen. Though the girl's pretty green eyes stuck in his head.
