Disclaimer: Escaflowne does not belong to me.
While the Cat's Away
Chapter Two
Folken paced around his lab anxiously. He paid no attention to the bubbling potions and elixirs meant to increase his luck. It was not the time for science or magic. Now, all he could do was wait. Usually Folken was a patient person. Today he was anything but. All this waiting was nerve-racking. Everyday, it seemed he was waiting for something, many things actually. It'd been that way for the last ten years. This war had gotten the better of him. He hated it, no matter what they were fighting for. He just wanted it to end. But that didn't seem likely. Folken had hoped that once they had found the power spot, they wouldn't fight anymore. But they did, and still they fought. He knew the reason why, Dornkirk had stressed it over and over again: to capture the Dragon who was interfering with their plans. Folken wanted that almost as badly as Dornkirk or Dilandau, for his own reason. That's why he was in this right now, to get his remaining family back. Once that happened, once his brother was safe, it wouldn't matter any more. His battle would be over. Today very well could be that day. He hoped so. He wasn't sure if he could picture peace; they'd been fighting for so long. But it had to be better than this.
"Lord Folken," Folken stopped his pacing and looked up. Naria and Eriya entered the room. Eriya had a young red-haired girl slung over her shoulder. Naria bowed to him. "I'm sorry, my lord. We failed to capture the Dragon. But we brought another prisoner." She indicated the girl.
"Who is she?" Folken asked.
"One of the Dragon's companions," Eriya replied. "We figured you'd know what to do with her."
He nodded slightly, thinking to himself that he really didn't. "Set her down over there." Eriya placed her on an empty table in the center of the room.
"But didn't Emperor Dornkirk say," Naria began.
"No!" Folken said sharply, startling the sisters. "I will not allow another innocent child to be in the hands of those sorcerers, no matter what Dornkirk's orders." If there was one group he hated, it was the sorcerers, even though he was one once. He had heard stories about the things that they did to the children they captured, although he never saw it first hand. He swore he wouldn't let it happen again. "Naria, Eriya. Tell no one of this." They nodded. He walked over to the girl and rolled her onto her back. He gasped when he saw her face. Never in a million years did he think he would see it again. Not this close.
* * * Flashback * * *
"Folken, do you really have to?" Van whined.
Folken smiled at his little brother. "Don't worry, Van. I'll be all right. Right Merle?"
The little girl nodded. "Don't worry," she echoed. "He'll be fine. And as soon as he comes home, we'll have a party for his, um, corny nation?"
"Coronation," Folken corrected her.
"Right, coronation." She grinned at him.
"I still don't see why you have to kill a dragon," Van pouted. "It's mean."
Folken tousled his hair. "I know, but a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do."
Merle made a disgusted face. "Why do you boys have to act so macho? That's all you are, a boy."
Folken shrugged. "I guess it's sort of a "coming of age" thing. Meaning, when I kill the dragon, I'll become a man. One who rules an entire country, mind you, but a man nevertheless. It's tradition. I'd change it if I could."
"Not as long as I'm alive," they heard someone say. Balgus entered the room, followed by a very pale and nervous Queen Varie. He bowed to the two young princes.
"It's time for bed," Varie said to her sons. "You have a big day tomorrow."
He shrugged. "I know."
Balgus frowned at him. "You should be taking this more seriously, Prince Folken. You're taking a great responsibility. The whole future…"
"I know, the whole future of this country rests in my hands." He rolled his eyes.
"Folken," his mother scolded in the harshest voice she could manage, which really wasn't very harsh at all.
"Dragon slaying is a very dangerous task. You must uphold your family honor and become a proud warrior like your father."
"But I don't want to be a warrior," Folken blurted out. Although he had a great respect for him, more as his father's best friend than anything else, Folken and Balgus had very different views on war. Folken thought it was wrong. He hated his lessons in the art of sword fighting and other manly subjects that he had to learn. He would rather spend his time learning tricks with the court magician, or treating plague victims and finding a cure. Those were things he felt were interesting, or important. Balgus was appalled at his pacifist beliefs. He was an old warrior, set in his ways. He could never imagine a king that didn't fight.
"Stop, Lord Folken. It is a poor thing for a man who is about to become king of all Fanelia to hold such weak sentiments."
"Folken's not weak!" Van exclaimed. He certainly had no idea that the exact same thing would be said to him ten years later.
"Yeah, he's not weak," Merle echoed.
Balgus looked at her sharply. She bit her lip to prevent herself from saying anymore. "That's enough talk. Time to go to bed." He stomped out of the room.
"Balgus is right, darlings," the queen said wearily. She left for her own quarters.
"Come on you two, you heard the man. Bed time."
"Aw, do we have to?" the children whined in unison.
Folken laughed at them. "Yeah, you do. So do I. I'll read you a bed time story, okay?"
"Yeah!" They cheered. They took both of his hands and he walked them to Van's room. "Stay here," he instructed his little brother, "while I take Merle to her room. You're getting separate stories tonight." Van looked slightly disappointed at first, but then cheered up at the prospect of having his big brother all to himself. It was that that got him to let go of Folken's hand and climb into bed without protest.
Folken hoisted Merle on to his back and carried her piggyback to her bedroom, somewhere between Van's room and the kitchen. As she wasn't really a member of the royal family, her rooms were slightly smaller than theirs were, but, when one is living in a castle, you can't be too picky about size.
He tucked her in tightly so that only her head and the tip of her tail showed. She sat up almost immediately. "Story, story!" she cried, bouncing up and down on her bed.
"Shh!" he hissed. "Balgus gets very cranky if you disturb his beauty sleep." Merle giggled for a second then went back to chanting for a story.
"Okay, okay. I just want to talk to you for a second. Hold still." He pushed her into her pillow.
She hissed at him, her fur standing on end. "Hey! Why'd you do that?"
"Shh!" he repeated. "Just listen to me, all right?" She frowned at him, then closed her mouth tight and nodded. "I want you to look after Van, okay Merle?"
"Why can't you do it?" She asked, puzzled. Folken frowned, regretting having to do this. It was a bit much to ask of a three-year old and even more to explain. But Merle wasn't completely dense for her age. "Aren't you coming back?"
Folken nodded, his usually cheerful face was extremely grim. "If I have anything to say about it, I am." He tried to sound confident for her sake. But, truthfully, he was scared out of his wits. Folken had never been much of a swordsmen against a human, let alone a dragon. The chances were good that he might not return. Which wouldn't have been awful, except for what he was leaving behind. Not being king meant nothing; it was just his duty to him. But he couldn't bear being away from his mother and brother. And Merle, too, she was like the little sister he never had. That was the main reason why he didn't want to do this to her, but he had no other choice. If he died, his mother would probably too busy with her own grief to be able to take care of her son fully, at least at first. And Balgus, though trusted, wasn't exactly a warm person. Van would need someone closer to his age to lean on, not to mention a companion and playmate. Someone had to fulfill that roll, and without Folken, Merle was the only candidate. Being king would be full of hardships if it came to that, and he didn't want his brother to lose all of his childhood.
"Don't worry too much over me, Merle. Just be there for Van. Promise me you'll never leave him, no matter what."
Merle nodded vigorously. "I promise," she whispered. Then she threw her arms around him fiercely, sobbing into his shirt.
"It'll be okay," he said soothingly. But he knew inside that it was just a false promise. Nothing would be the same again.
* * * End Flashback * * *
Folken reached out to pat her hair. He couldn't believe it, but he was sure it was her. He'd seen her briefly with Van, but not close up. He laughed lightly. She hadn't changed much, as far as he could tell. Still a harmless little kitten. It was the first time since he'd joined Zaibach that he'd done so, really laughed. It wasn't just that wry, sarcastic laugh that he usually used around Dilandau, or the other people in Zaibach. It felt good doing so. The sister exchanged glances, then shrugged. It wasn't like him, but if he was happy, they were happy. They wanted his happiness more than anything, at least it seemed so.
Merle rolled onto her side. Her eyes blinked, adjusting to the rather dim light coming in through the upper window. She stifled a yawn and then looked up. She saw Folken standing over her and screamed.