Author's Note: Sorry for the very long delay in bringing this chapter to you. Circumstances beyond my control have not enabled me to write in the last two months. However, I am back, more or less. Here's a summary of what happened so far in Thief of Hearts. Van and Hitomi have embarked on an adventure to find out who Van's assassin is, as well as solidify an alliance with King Amano of Lowenia. In passing they have stopped in Asturia where King Aston has provided information that is crucial to the country of Lowenia, the guardian country of the Inner Circle Alliance. Meanwhile, in the Outer Circle countries of Solaria, Ispano and Grolash things are unsettling. The country of Solaria invades Grolash, taking the twin cat princesses prisoners, and forcing the iron rule of Folken's reign on the people. Rumours of imminent war flood the land, however only Van's party seems to listen to them. After the king agrees to marry Princess Millerna, he receives an odd message from a strange woman telling him of a tale of destiny. Meanwhile, Folken sends Naria and Chesta on a mission to retrieve a book that will aid him in the quest of finding the "armours" However, Van does not believe the woman's tales and continues his quest to reach Lowenia and talk to King Amano himself. They stop in Freid, where the party is received warmly on the surface, but demons lurk in the shadows. A failed assassination attempt makes Van aware of the extent of the Outer Circle power. He and Hitomi decide to split up from the group, trying to find an adverse route into Lowenia. They are joined by Yukari and Dilandau, who refuse to leave the King and the thief to their plans. However, the small party is spilt up soon after, when their escape is discovered. In an attempt to protect Van, Hitomi injures herself, and the two are forced to take refuge in the temple of the moon, under the watchful eye of the Moon Goddess. While the two enjoy peace and quiet, things are stirring up in Solaria, where King Folken's past is somewhat revealed, as well as the indications of a new addition to the Royal Family. Now, to finish what I started:
Chapter 12 ~ Deceiving Deception
"Without order nothing can exist - without chaos nothing can evolve."
The chirps of birds softly echoed off the stone walls of the temple, filtering through Hitomi's dream world, and fraying the last remnants of a peaceful sleep. She twisted in her sleep, her hand reaching out to the spot next to her.
Empty…
The sensation registered in her mind, piercing the cloudy veil of dreams like a cold icicle, and implanting itself in her brain, numbing all other perceptions. For that sole second in time, there was no other conscious replica of her feelings, and she was entirely dominated by the one sensation.
"VAN!"
Hitomi's mind quickly recovered out of the surreal state between dreaming and consciousness. Her green eyes snapped open, and indeed the spot where Van was supposed to be sleeping was empty. Panic washed through her body, like a cold ocean wave, making her senses painfully aware. For a moment, she was conscious of everything around her. The rustle of the trees outside, the falling of the water in the shallow brook, the flutter of bird wings, everything seemed to close. It felt almost as if she could look through the walls of the temple, and see the entire world. At the edge of her consciousness, she felt something dark and frightening, that made her shrivel back into the cocoon she had crafted for her mind.
DANGER! Somethingwaswrong!
"Van!" Hitomi called out in a panicked voice.
The shuffling of his feet came from a distance, and she heard him climb the steps up to their resting-place. A few seconds later, the raven-haired king appeared in the doorway, a careless lopsided smile adorning his face.
"Hitomi, you're awake." He stated calmly, his voice somewhat different in itself.
There was something about the way her name rolled off his lips that made a warm fire spread through Hitomi. She couldn't help but grin at him, before becoming serious again. Her lips pursed together in a thin line, and she stood up, ignoring the fact that she was only wearing a see-through chemise.
"Something's awfully wrong. Get ready to get out of here." She announced.
"Well, good morning to you too. The horse is already packed." Van announced calmly.
"I'll tidy up here then." Hitomi told him, and reached for her clothes. She was getting ready to take off
the chemise and put on her shirt, when she noticed Van hadn't moved away from the door. Hitomi turned around, and glared at him, with a cold green glare meant to tell him he was trespassing on her privacy.
"Well… aren't you going to leave?" she asked, somewhat irritated.
"Leave? Why?" Van asked her innocently.
"So I can change, idiot…" Hitomi muttered. "Remember, you're engaged now. You wouldn't want your future wife to work up a scandal because you were looking at helpless changing maidens." She informed him.
"Oh, right…" Van mumbled. Within the next five seconds he had turned around and had gone back outside.
"Not engaging in a verbal argument… I wonder why..." Hitomi wondered, as she changed out of her night-gown, and into her pants and cloak.
In every human being there is an attachment to objects, a strange attachment they themselves cannot explain. Some are fond of jewelry, some are fond of household objects such as vases, or porcelain dolls, and some are fond of art. In Hitomi's case, she was fond of the ragged cloak that rested on her shoulders. It wasn't as much the comfort of the cloak, or the quality of the material, but rather its smell and way it wrapped around her. The cloak represented her personal shield, a wall of familiarity before the world. The same world Hitomi had desired to see, but ultimately came to despise beyond anything else. Amongst her few personal effects, one side the cloak contained her true nature and the scars of her past, while on the other it was the shield standing against anyone who wanted to look in. As she tied the final laces of her boots, the emerald-eyed girl pushed away the feeling of uneasiness in the pit of her stomach. Everything would be fine in the end. Smiling happily, Hitomi realised that she had had one of the most comforting sleeps of her life.
"How odd..." Hitomi thought, but gave the matter no more thought. Her head wound was faring nicely, and although sore, her muscles didn't hurt as much as she thought they would. "Ok Van, I'm ready." She called out to him.
"Here, get on." Van said, as he guided the horse to the temple steps.
Hitomi rose up into the saddle behind them, and the two began to move out of the forest, leaving the temple of the moon goddess behind them. The aura of protection they had felt the night before slowly started to slip away, as they plunged back in a world full of horrors they would have to defeat.
"Thank you." Hitomi whispered softly as they came out of the clearing.
"Hold on tight." Van warned her in a monotonous tone, a few seconds before he kicked the stallion into full gallop.
Hitomi tightened her grip on the Fanelian prince, the feeling of uneasiness still nagging at the back of her mind. No matter how much she tried to push it away, it just kept on coming back, stronger and stronger. Her arms tightened around Van's waist, yet she couldn't help but notice a difference. His muscles were tight and bulky, almost as if he was growing out of his boyish frame.
"He doesn't even smell like Van…" Hitomi thought wistfully, as she recalled the fresh field smell that accompanied the young king.
"Is anything wrong?" Van asked, turning around, and fixing his chocolate eyes on her emerald ones.
"No. Nothing's wrong." Hitomi whispered, tilting her head downwards and hiding her gaze.
For some strange reason, she couldn't bear to look in his eyes, almost as if the intensity of his gaze would tear a hole though her. The closeness she had enjoyed with the king only the night before was gone, and Hitomi felt as if they were on two shores of a tumultuous river.
"Why? Why am I feeling this way?" Hitomi tried to steady the beating of her heart, but her attempts were in vain. She was amazed at how hot the blood felt through her veins, and how dizzy her head felt. The pendant she was wearing around her neck was glowing a strange pinkish glow as it bounced on the thin golden string.
"We'll be at the village soon." Van shouted over the galloping horse.
Hitomi snapped out of her daze and noticed that they were descending through the thick forest, on a small-unpaved trail. On their left and right were the two mysteriously dark halves of the wood, equally terrifying and beautiful. She could see the mist rise from a hot spring and cling to the mossy fallen dead tree trunks on one side, while on the other thick bushes and tall sturdy trees faltered in the breeze. The trail seemed to be splitting the two personalities of the forest in two distinct entities, one menacing and scary, one soft and beautiful. Just which side was which? That was left for the humans to decide.
Hitomi just stared in awed amazement, for she had never been one keen on observing nature. For her the crowded stony villages meant life, and she had never stopped to look outside urban areas. However, as they were galloping through this forest, Hitomi felt a pulse of life, a heartbeat she had never known existed.
"Or is that the beating of my own heart?" she wondered silently, and gently touched her place where her heart was. Indeed it was beating furiously, almost as if it wanted to rip out of her chest. Hitomi closed her eyes for a moment, and the glowing of the pendant intensified.
~---Vision---~
"Where am I? Why is it so dark in here? Hello?"
The faint echoes of water dripping slowly were all that she could hear in the immense sea of darkness that surrounded her. On impulse Hitomi tried to make it go away, she held out her hand, and tried to push it back, but it slipped through her fingers.
"Is anyone here? Where am I?" she called out, her voice filled with an inexplicable fear.
Hitomi half expected something to happen, someone to show up from the darkness and charge at her. Anxiety and adrenaline rushed through her veins sending her head spinning. She still couldn't understand how she could be riding a horse going down a mountain one minute, and end up in a dark room the other.
"Did the palace guards attack us? Is there something I can't remember? What is going on?"
Her own voice deafened her, and she fell to the floor clutching her ears in pain. It seemed as if her thoughts were spoken aloud, and for the first time Hitomi cursed her loud thoughts.
After the echo had died away, she slowly stood up, realising that the darkness was not so dark anymore. It seemed to have thinned out, and she was able to discern a figure in the far distance. It was small and unmoving, but nevertheless, Hitomi knew it was a living person.
"Who are you? Stay there! Don't move! I'll come to you!"
Hitomi began running through the long hallway, and it seemed that the harder she tried to attain her goal, the farther it got from her. She ran for what seemed like hours, until her leg muscles ached in indescribable pain.
Seeing that the hope of reaching the strange person was futile, Hitomi stopped running. She just stared down the hall at the small figure in the distance, her green eyes narrowed in deep thought.
"I wish I could get closer to whomever that is."
Immediately, the hall seemed to shorten, and she found herself in front of a cage. A set of thick iron bars separated her from the figure. From the little light in the room, she could discern that the person was male, for he had his upper body unclothed. A pair of torn, greasy pants hung from a belt on his bruised waist, with his bleeding naked feet dangling in the air. She could see the scars of a very recent lashing, still bleeding, all over him. He was suspended by two chains which held his arms immobile and stretched, while his feet barely touched the floor, chained again to two weights. The whole cell was dirty and it reeked of urine and other bodily functions. The polished bones of a skull glinted in the light, the hollow eyes and mouth almost laughing at Hitomi, telling her the futility of her quest.
"Are you all right?" Hitomi heard herself cry out.
He stirred a little, his body being too frail to actually move. She could see that he stifled a groan, and despite all the pain he had endured he willed his head upwards, to look at her. As he did this, Hitomi gasped in shock, and took a step back. A pair of velvety chocolate eyes shone in a pained expression from under a mass of unruly raven hair.
"Van! Is that you? What are you doing here! Van!" Hitomi exclaimed, and she rushed forward clasping onto the bars until all the blood was gone from her knuckles.
The young king did not seem aware of her presence. He just starred blankly ahead of him, the expression of utter pain carved into his features. Suddenly, his body went limp, and his head slouched to one side.
He had passed out.
"Van! VAN HOLD ON! I'm going to go get help! HOLD ON VAN!" Hitomi cried, as she spun around looking for a direction in which she could go to find help for the stranded king.
~----End Vision----~
"Hitomi! Hitomi! Snap out of it!" Van called out, his voice cold and calculated.
They had reached the village, and Van had dismounted when Hitomi had decided to slump and fall off the horse right into his arms. She seemed deep within some sort of trance, the pendant around her neck glowing a dangerous pink. The young king knew he shouldn't let her fall, for it would not have kept up appearances, thus he had come to the young woman's rescue. She was currently writhing and twisting in his arms, crying out in terrified urgency. He heard his name being called, and smiled oddly. She was quite taken with him. That would serve his purposes.
"Hitomi! Come on Hitomi! Wake up!" he exclaimed, and patted her cheek dispassionately.
Slowly, Hitomi came out of her trance, and through blurry eyes she saw the figure of the king looking down upon her coldly. She suddenly felt very cold inside her, and attempted to stand up.
"Van…" she whispered weakly.
"What happened?" he asked her.
"I, I think I just had a vision. I'm not sure, but… we're not safe." She told him, clutching her head between her hands
"You need rest." Van stated calmly, his hand gently patting hers.
Hitomi looked up at him, her eyes filled with confusion, and even fear. In a shaky attempt, she stood up, and held on to Van's arm for support.
"Where are we?" she asked looking around her, not recognizing the faded landscape and strange faces gawking at her.
"In the village. Come, let's go into the inn. We'll get a room, you'll rest and then we'll be on our way." Van told her, and Hitomi didn't feel like arguing. For once, she let him handle things his way.
The thief looked down the road, and saw the curious faces of the villagers. They seemed like a merry bunch, the women wore coloured dresses with pinked cheeks from the faint breeze and the men were somber and serious, like any male villagers. They were the bread earners and took their jobs seriously. Hitomi attempted a faint smile at everyone but trailed behind Van closely. The inn showed itself before her, as an imposing structure, with welcoming pine doors.
Inside Lion Heart Inn was a huge receiving room that was also a restaurant. The structure was made of solid oak, and bricks, it looked more like a cozy cottage than an inn. A large wool carpeted stairway led up to the bedrooms, and behind the huge receiving desk stood a man that looked more like a rat than a man. He had a thin prominent nose, and a thin black mustache that looked like one long whisker. A pair of thick glasses decorated the nose, and two small black eyes regarded the two strangers coldly from behind the safety of the specks.
"How may I help you, young sir?" he asked Van in a snobby guttural voice.
"We would like a room." Van told him in the same toneless manner he had been using lately.
"One bed or two?" the man asked.
"One." Van told him.
"Two." Hitomi interjected. She had no desire to share her bed with the king again.
Van turned around and frowned at her, but Hitomi just stared him down, with one of her cold impenetrable looks. It was almost as if she was daring him to disagree.
"Two beds please." Van finally gave in.
"Room 313." The innkeeper told them, and handed Van a set of keys.
"Come Hitomi, this way." Van whispered gently, and he grabbed on to the young woman's arm. She jumped, startled by the contact.
"Everything about him is so cold. Why?" she asked herself, though her dream-like state.
The pair turned around, when the pleasant voice of a young woman echoed in the hall.
"Yes please. I would like this packed for the ride." She seemed to say.
Hitomi's fine sense of hearing jolted her senses instantaneously. "Yukari!" she exclaimed and stopped cold in her tracks.
Indeed, inside the restaurant, Yukari and Dilandau were getting ready to leave after a frugal breakfast, and Yukari was kindly happening to be talking to the waitress.
"Yukari!" Hitomi called out to her, managing her voice volume to go over the other chatter in the room.
The red head turned around quickly, and her expression changed to one of shock when she saw the sandy-haired young woman standing in the doorway.
"Hitomi! Van! How did you two end up here?" she asked breathlessly, as she leaped across the room to greet them. "I thought you were finished for sure!" Yukari exclaimed as she hugged Hitomi tightly.
Not for the first time since she had become acquainted with Yukari did Hitomi freeze with surprise. She had never been hugged like that before, nor had she ever imagined that her presence in a place at a particular time would cause someone happiness. It sent a warm tingle though her being, and twisted her lips in a genuine smile. Who would have known that she would make someone happy?
"Uh, well, we weren't, and uh, we're here now." Hitomi answered, somewhat unsure of what to say. Her arms wrapped around Yukari's shoulders in a hug, and again Hitomi was forced to step back and examine the situation.
"What am I doing? I thought my policy was no allies? Why am I tying myself to this woman in such a manner? That only brings suffering. First Nadya, now Yukari… what's going on with me?"
However, she couldn't bring herself to let go of Yukari. She was a warm presence in her life, in a way modeling all that Hitomi secretly wished she could attain.
"I've always wanted to be alone, haven't I? What is this new need I am feeling? Is my heart beating so fast because I am reunited with her? Would I miss her if she were gone in the same way she missed me? Is she even being honest about her feelings?"
The more she tried to examine the situation, the more questions she ran into, until the very existence of a conscious presence was being questioned. Hitomi could feel the trance-like state return, and she felt her knees go weak.
"Hitomi, what's wrong?" Yukari asked, as she saw the young woman pale visibly.
"She's just tired. We had a rough night, and she lost blood." Van stated coolly, pointing to Hitomi's head wound.
"Oh, that, it's nothing. I've had worse before." Hitomi answered faintly.
"Are you all right milord?" Dilandau, who had joined them in due course, asked.
"Yes. She needs rest. We head out before dinner." Van told them.
"Very well. I shall go make preparations." Dilandau said, as he turned around and prepared to leave.
"No. Stay. We will make them together." Van told him, and turned his cold brown eyes on Hitomi. "Rest now Hitomi."
She didn't dare argue, the order having been too firm for any argument. There was something about the Van she was seeing that was out of place. The same feeling of wrongness haunted Hitomi, and took away her desire to have anything to do with him.
Passionless.
Cold.
Uncanny.
Those were all words she could use to describe him at that moment. Silently, she bid farewell to Yukari, who winked at her knowingly, and followed the king up the stairs.
Room 313 was just like any of the inn rooms; decent and clean. Two small beds were placed in either corner, each with its own nightstand. The door to the bathroom was on their right, and the in front of them was a large window through which the happy daylight spilled in like a river of molten gold.
Silently, Van dropped his things on the nearest bed, and went to close the curtains. When he finished, he walked towards her slowly.
"Van, it's all right. The light…" Hitomi began to protest.
"Shh, don't say a thing. You need your rest." Van told her, his finger gently, but mechanically pressing on her lips.
"But, it's really…" Hitomi began again.
His gloved hand moved from her lips to her cheek, caressing it slowly. "You're beautiful." He whispered.
Shivers like she had never known before went up Hitomi's spine. She froze, unable to move. The words weren't real. They just weren't. This wasn't the Van she knew, he would never say that. Or would he?
"Why does this feel so WRONG?" Hitomi's mind screamed at her, and she could feel the cold creep into her heart.
"Anyhow, get your rest." Van told her, and he slowly walked out of the room, closing the door softly.
A grin spread across his lips as he walked down the hall towards the restaurant.
Back inside the room, Hitomi let her cloak drop to the ground, and she just fell onto the bed, falling into a deep sleep almost instantly.
(The Night Before)
Princess Millerna Aston had spent a restless night in her sister's home. Thoughts of Dryden had flooded her dreams, up to the point where she gave up on sleeping. She hated deceiving Van, and she hated deceiving her father, despite the impossible situation he had put her in. The young king of Fanelia did not deserve a lying, cheating lowlife such as she, nor did Asturia deserve a princess that was incapable of performing her royal duties. However, Millerna was aware of the fact that her heart belonged to the young merchant that was currently somewhere in this vast world. She had never asked to be born a princess, but merely to do what she intended and that was be a doctor. Her father and her older sister Eries disproved of the fact that she wanted to practice medicine. They had always told her that she could help the people of her country by other means. Political means, treacherous means. Millerna hated the lying and the falsity of the whole affair. What was wrong with helping people in a just and honest fashion? She looked at her hands, and in the moonlight, and saw her veins, the red blood looking blue under the cloak of night.
"This damned blood!" She thought furiously fumbling with the handkerchief in her hands. It was wrinkled and somewhat dirty, but she didn't care. It was the only part of him that was still there physically with her. If it weren't for her bloodline, she could be free to do as she pleased. "I don't want royalty."
However, the question was not what she wanted, but what she would be willing to give up for her love. To simply say she didn't want to be a princess meant nothing, for she was molded in the shape of a princess, for the purpose of being on top of society. Could she give up the lifestyle she had always known for a strange and insecure future? Would she when the time proved right? Millerna sighed deeply. Was this truly what it meant to love? What if she would regret it later on?
"Do I trust him, or don't I trust him?" Millerna asked herself.
Immediately, she chided herself for the thought. Of course she trusted him! Was her heart so keen on forgetting all the times he had helped her pick herself up from where she had fallen? Had she so quickly forgotten how he had never encouraged her to be anything but herself? To him barriers did not exist. There was only the sky, and the two of them. Did anyone else make her heart skip a beat? Or the colour to rise in her cheeks? Or her heart to twist in such pain when she was separated from him?
"Of course I trust him! I love him!" Millerna burst, and hit the wall with her fist, a small curse becoming lost to the louder noise.
"Then what are you doing here? Go after him!" a voice echoed from somewhere in the room.
Millerna gasped, and turned around to spy her sister's pregnant figure in the shadows.
"I am not crying after Van Fanel you know." Millerna stated simply.
"I know." Came the simple reply.
"Do you still approve?" Millerna asked, her blue eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"You must do what your heart dictates." Marlene told her softly.
"Did your heart dictate to you to have this baby?" Millerna questioned.
"Yes. That is why you must go. You have no idea…" Marlene stopped in the middle of her sentence, letting the frayed silence hang between them.
"Where is he? I'm sure you know." Millerna whispered.
"Lowenia."
Millerna spun on her heels, for she was already ready to go. Grabbing her cloak, she trust it over her shoulders.
"This way. I shall let you out secretly. I prepared a horse." Marlene told her, and turned around, opening a secret door in the bookcase.
Millerna followed in silence, half awed, half suspicious of her older sister. She had never known Marlene to be so conniving and deceiving. When did she learn all of this?
"Life changes people." Marlene whispered, as she walked ahead of her sister, with a fuming torch.
"I too will change." Millerna echoed.
The corridor was dark and damp. Millerna could feel herself choking the musty air that existed in the corridor. There were no other sources of light other than her sister's torch, and even that did not provide much help. It all had a sickening green shade, almost like moss seemed to be growing on the walls. The floor was rock, and their synchronized footsteps echoed softly on the lime stone. After a few more minutes of walking, Marlene stopped. "I go no further. Follow the corridor to the end. You will find the horse hidden in the bushes." She whispered, giving her the torch.
"Thank you, Marlene. This might be the last time I ever see you. I wish you and both your unborn baby and husband happiness." Millerna whispered, and she hugged her sister lightly.
Marlene just smiled, with glinting eyes.
No more words were exchanged between the two sisters, each having said good bye in their own way.
~*~*~*~
The cat woman entered the room quietly, making no noises as she traversed the uncarpeted section of the floor. She and her companion had checked into an inexpensive inn, posing as a newly wed couple. At first Naria had protested to the unnecessary measures of protection, but Chesta's reply had dissolved her protests.
"Are you afraid I'd touch you my little kitten? Don't worry, I prefer my women willing." He had said, at which she had done nothing but glared poisonously.
Now, she looked upon his sleeping form, and pondered how easy it would be to slash his neck.
"Don't think I didn't hear you." He told her, opening a blue eye and grinning at her.
"Where do we go from here?" Naria asked, letting herself fall onto the soft bed.
"Well, where do you want to go from here?" Chesta asked, raising himself so he was supporting his body on one elbow, and cocking and eyebrow at her. "Or are you offering some sort of… deal." He asked, lowering his voice a few notches.
"Aren't we the lecherous one?" Naria asked, unfazed by his boldness.
"Now, just because I lead a healthy life, there's no need to attach fancy name tags to me. I'd rather you'd take stuff off than put on more." He grinned.
Naria rolled her eyes. "I meant, you half wit, where do we find the Book of Knowledge."
"Oh, we have to find the Dark Druid of course." He told her, leaning back down on the pillow.
"Of course, how could I have been so foolish and not have guessed!" Naria said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Well, we've got a while to investigate the area. He's said to be living around here." Chesta told her.
"Then why all the mischief at the palace? Was it really necessary to show those Fanelian fools that we're after them?" Naria asked him. It wasn't the way she would have went about doing the job of keeping an eye on their enemies, but she had let him have his way, only because she had relished in the notion of him failing horribly.
"Of course not. However, in this case, the young king carried a few important documents about the Solarian Condition. If all goes well, they should have him by now." Chesta told her, turning on one side, with his back to her.
"I suppose that's right. Well, we better get some rest." Naria yawned thoroughly.
"Well, if it's rest you want, you've got it. You know where to find the rest." He chuckled softly, and then grunted, when Naria kicked him in the ribs.
(Present)
~*~*~*~
Hitomi's eyes snapped open with the creaking of the inn door. She felt footsteps on the carpet, and immediately reached for her crossbow. It wasn't there! She silently cursed her forgetfulness. Her small bag, which happened to contain her crossbow lay on the other side of the room. Hitomi closed her eyes, and pretended she was asleep. Maybe if the person got close enough, she could fight him or her physically.
"Hey, sleepy head. It's time to wake up." Van's voice called out to her.
Hitomi breathed a sigh of relief, and stood up in bed, blinking a few times repeatedly, when she saw the picture unfolding in front of her. There was the king of Fanelia, with his sword hanging by his side, and a tray with hot smelling food in his hands. It posed for a very amusing image, as the thief would have never guessed the king bringing her food would happen any time soon.
"Uh, what's all this?" Hitomi asked, confusion echoing in her voice.
"Oh, I thought you might be hungry." Van said, smiling at her.
"What time is it?" Hitomi asked, nervously looking down in her lap. The whole situation made her feel self conscious and nervous, and she didn't like the feelings rippling through her.
"It's dinner time." Van answered, and he came to sit on the side of her bed, putting her tray in her lap.
"It's good food. Trust me." He told her.
Hitomi looked at him, her green eyes meeting his brown ones, and again the same feeling of uncertainty settled between them. She didn't understand why she should feel that everything was so misplaced. All the words seemed to be driving her away from him.
"I don't trust you." Her mind screamed out.
Hitomi did nothing for a moment. She just sat and starred at the strange man she was seeing in front of her. He on the other hand, smiled at her, and his hand quickly found hers.
"What is he doing?" Hitomi's mind asked, as she felt warmth over her palm. Her body seemed to be frozen, it seemed to not be responding to her desperate please for movement.
"I've always wanted you." Van whispered, as he leaned in capturing her lips in a demanding kiss.
Hitomi froze in shock, as his lips met hers. The kiss was nothing like she had imagined, his lips being cold, passionless and demanding. The young woman did not oppose his demands, when he forcefully opened her lips further. No, Hitomi was trapped in a single moment, far away from the physical realty. Her glowing pendant brought forth the folds of another vision, more terrifying than the first. This time, the flashes were violent, and she had to struggle to remember them.
Morning… temple… Van… smile… outside… surrounded… monsters… no… doppelgangers… fight…. Defeat… new Van?!?
The vision ended, bringing Hitomi back to the reality, to Van's demanding hold of her lips.
"You're not VAN!" Hitomi's mind screamed and she used all her force to push him away from her. Breathing deeply, she wiped her mouth and grimaced in disgust.
"Who are you?" she asked calmly, collectively.
"What are you talking about? I'm Van, Hitomi. I'm the King of Fanelia." The creature in front of her answered.
"NO! NO! NO, NO, NO, NO! LIAR!" Hitomi's mind screamed out.
"Liar!" she spat through clenched teeth.
"Are you all right? Is your head ok? Hitomi what's the matter? I'm Van, don't you recognize me?" he asked, in the most innocent voice possible.
"Right, Fanel, now tell me, what's the name of your Weapons Master back in Fanelia? You know, the one that's getting married with your sister Merle soon?" Hitomi asked him.
"Balgus. The wedding is set for Blue, 5th Moon, you know that, it's all over Fanelia." Van told her nonchalantly.
A wide grin spread over Hitomi's face. He had fallen into her trap, now it was time to pay the creature back for the humiliating kiss she had received. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, Hitomi smiled back at Van and stifled her rage.
"Do you believe me now?" He asked her quietly.
"Of course Van." Hitomi told him calmly, as she stood up from the bed and walked towards him. "That vision must have taken a lot out of me. I... had bad dreams." She told him, her hand gently pressing onto his chest.
"It's ok, Hitomi. I'm here now." He answered her, pulling her into a strong embrace.
"Of course you are, but you won't be here much longer." Hitomi grinned, as she pressed her face into his shirt, letting out a mock sob. As a woman, she had to learn how to act in certain situations, and as a thief deceiving actions were a must.
Grinning evily, Hitomi turned to look up into Van's eyes. They showed all the concern of a lover, although behind the fake expression, Hitomi could see the ice and the abyss of the creature's mind.
"Amazing, it's mimicking him perfectly!"
Gently, Hitomi's trained hands reached for the sword on his side. He seemed to be lost in her eyes, and not for the first time since she had become free of her master's chains, did Hitomi stop to appreciate the power of womanly charms. They seemed to keep men wrapped around a woman's fingers. All the better for her, she figured, as she continued lifting the sword out of the hilt. Three quarters out already, and Van had no intention of moving. Instead, he angled his head to capture her lips in another kiss.
"No." Hitomi whispered.
"What was that? What did you say?" he asked her, straightening his back.
"I said, no. I won't let you use me again, you doppelganger!" Hitomi exclaimed passionately.
The fake Van took a step back, in shock. The sword of Fanelia, came out of the hilt all the way, and it rested in Hitomi's hands, the crest carved in the handle seeming to burn in Hitomi's skin.
"Hitomi? What's wrong with you?" he asked her, in a scared voice.
"You don't fool me, I know who you are. The king of Solaria sent you to capture Van. Then you took his place, to lead the others into deception. I will not stand for this. You monster." Hitomi's eyes were cold, eyeing only her opponent.
The whole room seemed to fall away, and only the fake image of Van burned in Hitomi's field of view. The one that had humiliated her, the one that had stolen a kiss from her. The one who had made her subdue to a man's will.
"Prepare to die." Hitomi announced him coldly.
Van just laughed and dismissed her with a wave of his hand. "I'm the real Van. I don't even know where you got such a crazy story. We're on our way to Lowenia to warn and ask for King Amano's help. Now, I'm going to walk out, and you're going to let me." He told her.
"In your dreams…" Hitomi thought angrily. However, a small disloyal voice inside her asked the question she dreaded. What if he was the real Van and she was hallucinating? What if it both of them had fallen prey to the doppelgangers, and they had been drugged to behave this way? What if she was actually killing the real king of Fanelia?
"NO! NO! I know I'm right. I have to be! There's no other way!" Hitomi's mind screamed, as the sword shook in her hand.
"What's wrong with me? Am I doubting myself? For a man? When have I come to value someone else's safety above my own? When? How? NO! I will kill him. I ill kill him for disgracing me, for humiliating me. For lying to me. I will kill him because I know that is not Van. Van is not like this. The Van I know is not like this." Hitomi told herself, breathing deeply.
She could kill, and this wouldn't be the first time. There were many other sins hanging from her name. One more death would not damn her soul any more. However, this death could actually be usefully. It could help others. Wouldn't the orphans suffer if the war began? Wouldn't the whole world suffer if the war began? Wouldn't Gaea as she knew it change forever? Would she be able to survive in the blood soaked universe that will follow?
"I am not a saviour. I'm only watching out for myself." Hitomi told herself. A raging cry escaped her throat, and she charged the fake Van. The ivory blade of the sword pierced the skin of his back, the red hot blood flowing out with a sickening gushing noise. Slowly, Hitomi pushed the sword down, to his bowels, splitting the young king in two pieces. The pink flesh, pushed outwards by the flowing blood, flashed revoltingly in Hitomi's eyes. She, with her determined emerald eyes, finished the deed, standing in a puddle of red blood, with a dripping ivory sword, as Van's lifeless body collapsed. Blood droplets stained her face, but Hitomi didn't care. She just looked down at the corpse, her eyes cold and expressionless.
Van's body on the other hand, began to change, and shift into its original form. The pink flesh turned to a dark shade of brown, his features morphed into that of a faceless monster, two lifeless eyes starring back at Hitomi. The doppelganger was larger than Van, almost two times his size, however, it now lay dead at the thief's feet.
"See you in hell." Hitomi said, as she stepped over the body calmly, and exited the room.
Authror's Note: I live. Yes, I know I have been in cloaking mode in the past two months, but that is because life demanded it I be in cloaking mode. I passed the year with great marks, and I'm currently enjoying my summer. Which means I am back to writing. That's when I don't have writer's block. Heh, my muse is an unreliable little thing, but hey, what can I do? Anyway, thank you for sticking through with me, and still reading/reviewing/emailing me. I get lots of emails asking me to continue, and I hope this chapter has not disappointed you. I'm working on 13 as we speak, so I should have it out soon enough. *sighs* Now, I received a few complaints about the last chapter that I would like to address. First of all, through that chapter I dug into Folken's past and motive of behaving as he will be behaving. I have also hinted at a lot of things and basically ripped out his conscience and layed his heat on the table for all of you to see. I do not want Thief of Hearts to be another simple romance story. No, I would like to deconstruct the nature of human characteristics and the motive behind emotional attachment. It makes the story much more interesting in my opinion, and I think it could show a lot about the world we live in, a world of which all of us must be acutely aware. Ok, I sound like a d@mn psychology textbook here, and I do not want to scare you away from the story. It's going to be fluffy, it's going to be cute, it's going to be intriguing, but aside from building the plot, I would like to give the Van and Hitomi I portray here (as well as the other characters) real substance. Something tangible that we could all relate to, and admire. It's the only way to build a realistical and believable character. *breathes deeply* how many of you have I scared away? Basically, what I'm saying is that if you didn't like the last two chapters of the story, I don't know how much you'll enjoy the rest of it, because it will all follow a certain similar style. Umm, and last but not least, I would like to thank you all for your reviews and emails. They mean a lot to me. You guys have no idea how many times during these last two months I got emails from people urging me to write and telling me how much they like my stories, and I felt my fingers itch for the keyboard, but instead had to turn to a boring textbook. I love writing, it's been in my blood ever since I learned how to. I dedicate this chapter to all of you who have helped me with criticisms, enocouragements, and even flames. You've all helped improve my writing, and you've all made me realise how important it is to produce something of quality. To all my readers who read this but stay on the silent side, thank you for sticking through, and remembering about my senseless blabbering about the world. I'm sorry for my long absence from writing, but I assure you I am alive. I hope you have enjoyed reading the chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Nite for now, and cya on the flip side!