Adrina stood in the grassy field and let the slight breeze caress her skin and fan her chocolate colored hair around her face. Her ruby red dress blew around her legs as she gazed with lavender eyes towards the nearby castle. She was waiting for him. She knew he would be there, he had promised. Adrina was beginning to wonder what was keeping him when she saw him striding across the meadow towards her. Her face lit up with a brilliant smile as he reached her and took her hands into his own.

"I was beginning to think you'd gotten lost," Adrina teased.

"I got hung up at the castle," he informed, "but I told them I had something more important to do."

"And what was that?" Adrina questioned.

"Meet you, of course," he smiled.

He's so gorgeous, Adrina thought. As if sensing her thoughts, he brought her hands to his lips and kissed them both. He then dropped her hands and pulled her against him. Surprised by his aggressiveness, she blushed.

He smiled down at her. "What's wrong love?"

"Nothing," Adrina assured.

"Good." Folken pulled her even closer and wrapped his arms tightly around her, "I love you, Queen Adrina."

"I love you too, King Folken," she replied, "I always have."

Folken's smile widened and he leaned down, capturing her mouth in a heated kiss.

A knock on the door tore the dreams to shreds as Adrina was wrenched out of a deep sleep. She was disoriented for a second, but gathered her thoughts quickly.

"Who is it?" Adrina called and sat up.

"It's me." Folken's voice floated through the door. "It's time to wake up. Emperor Dornkirk is waiting."

"I'll be out in a minute," Adrina replied. She threw back the blankets and sprang out of bed. She hurried over to the chair where her uniform was, shrugging out of her nightgown as she went. She had examined the uniform before she had gone to bed the night before. The dress Folken had given her was black. The bodice was a corset-type that laced up in the front with ebony strings. The sleeves were long and tight, ending in a point that stopped just below her middle finger. The skirt was long and slightly billowy. It rested against her legs but allowed her room to move. The dress had been brought with a cloak that was black on the outside and dark purple on the inside. It was complete with a hood and hooked around the neck with a dragon-shaped silver clasp. The boots went to mid calf and buttoned up the side.

Adrina pulled the outfit on quickly and brushed her hair. She looked in the mirror and was surprised at how different she looked in the dark garments. The bodice was low cut and revealed a little more skin than she would've liked, but there was nothing she could do about it. Adrina turned from her reflection and hurried out the door.

She burst out the door and almost collided with Folken. Adrina skidded to a halt and smiled. "Good morning Folken."

"Good morning Adrina," Folken smiled slightly.

Adrina's dream came flooding back to her and she blushed a deep crimson. She saw Folken's questioning stare and she turned her eyes away from him. "We'd better go. We don't want to keep Emperor Dornkirk waiting."

Folken nodded and they headed down the corridors toward the communication room. As they walked, Adrina had the distinct feeling that Folken was staring at her. She looked up and sure enough, his eyes were locked on her.

"That outfit suits you," Folken complimented.

"Thank you," Adrina smiled.

They continued on until they reached the communication room. Once there, they entered the dark room. On the communication orb, Dornkirk's face glowed in an orangish light.

Adrina was suddenly very nervous. She was afraid that Dornkirk would see her and change his mind about her. It wasn't that she wanted to be a member of Zaibach, but the thought of being by Folken's side lifted her spirits and made her time away from Van and Merle a little easier to bear. She definitely didn't look the part of a Lady of Zaibach, even in the dark clothing. The two of them stopped about ten feet away from the screen.

"This is the girl?" Dornkirk asked and Adrina thought she detected a hint of skepticism in his voice.

"Yes Lord," Folken confirmed.

"What is your name child?" Dornkirk inquired.

"Adrina."

"Step forward, Adrina," Dornkirk instructed. She took a few steps closer to the orange orb. "Now then, do you promise to remain loyal to Zaibach and Lord Folken?"

"Yes, Emperor Dornkirk," Adrina replied.

"And do you swear to obey those in command, no matter what?" Dornkirk continued.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Then I hereby name you Lady Adrina of Zaibach," Dornkirk declared. His gaze shifted to Folken. "The sword."

Folken walked up to Adrina and withdrew a sword sheathed in a scabbard. The scabbard was purple, as was the belt that held it in place. The gold hilt of the sword glowed faintly in the light from the communication screen. Folken handed the sword to Adrina.

"This sword is a symbol of you loyalty to Zaibach," Dornkirk told her, but she hardly heard.

Adrina grasped the sheath in her left hand and pulled the sword out with her right. The sword was lighter than Folken's, making it easier for Adrina to handle. Just above the hilt, instead of the crest of Zaibach, a single with feather rested in a purple background. Adrina's eyes darkened as she held the magnificent weapon in her hand.

"With this sword," Dornkirk informed, "You will protect the Empire of Zaibach, fighting to the death if necessary. You are assigned as Folken's personal bodyguard indefinitely."

Adrina tore her eyes away from the sword and sheathed it. "I swear, Lord, as long as I draw breath, no harm will come to Folken."

"Excellent," Dornkirk praised, "Now, the attack on Freid is about to commence. Folken, take Adrina to the control room and oversee the battle from there."

The screen went blank as Dornkirk finished talking. Folken turned to Adrina, "Come, the battle begins soon."

The two of them hurried towards the control room. Adrina strapped her sword around her waist as they went and hooked the buckle just as they reached the control room. They entered and walked up onto the platform.

Outside on the ground, large amounts of Zaibach troops had surround Freid in all directions. By Adrina's estimate, there were at least 20,000 troops for each front, totally about 80,000 troops in all. There were also about 2,500 guymelefs for each separate faction. This was in addition to the some two hundred floating fortresses, most of which were at least three times the size of the one she was on.

"Dragonslayers are in position!" A soldier barked.

"Hold your position for the time being," Folken ordered, "Dilandau, you will attack according to plan."

"Of course, Lord Folken." Dilandau's bittersweet voice floated out of the speaker.

Adrina watched as the Zaibach guymelefs employed their stealth cloaks and disappeared. A moment later, the Zaibach troops pounced on the city of Godashim, leaving a trail of death and destruction in their wake. Some of the soldiers had now congregated in the courtyard of the royal palace. Dilandau and the dragonslayers were among them. The sky was choked with smoke as several fires burned in Godashim. The destruction was all to familiar to Adrina and her heart went out to the people of Freid.

"Lord Folken," a soldier spoke, "the dragonslayers are holding position."

"Good work Dilandau," Folken praised, "It can't be easy to steal the secret treasure of Fried, which has been passed down since time immemorial."

Adrina looked up at Folken questioningly but decided that an explanation could wait until later. Adrina watched the raid in silence, hoping Van, Merle, Hitomi and the others were safe.

A huge cloud of dust billowed up as a building collapsed suddenly. With the building gone, several levi-ships were visible heading out of Godashim.

"They're fleeing the city," Folken observed, "I will meet with Emperor Dornkirk and see what his orders are." Folken hurried from the platform and towards the door.

"What about me?" Adrina questioned.

"Stay here," Folken ordered, "I'll be right back."

"Folken, wait!" Adrina called but he was already gone. Adrina's shoulders slumped and she leaned on the railing of the platform, watching the sky fill with smoke from the burning castle. She could barely see the troops on the ground through the black haze.

"Lady Adrina."

Adrina looked down at the soldier who had addressed her. "Yes?"

"The dragonslayers are returning," the soldier informed.

"Okay," Adrina acknowledged. Through the smoke she saw the red guymelef and a few blue ones lift off the ground and ascend towards the floating fortress. Adrian turned her attention from the guymelefs and watched the retreating levi-ships. She hoped that Van and the others were on one of those ships, safe and sound.

The Freid ships had dwindled to nothing but tiny specs in the sky by the time Folken returned. He strode up to the platform and stopped at Adrina's side.

"What did Emperor Dornkirk say?" Adrina inquired.

"The Freid escapees are heading west to the temple of Fortona," Folken informed, "We will follow them there and attack again."

"Again?" Adrina repeated uneasily, "Why?"

"We have yet to retrieve the secret treasure of Freid," Folken reminded, "until we have reasonable assurance that they will turn it over, we cannot withdraw our forces."

"What is the secret treasure of Freid?" Adrina asked.

"Within the temple of Fortona lies the secret of Atlantis," Folken replied.

"The secret of Atlantis?" Adrina gasped.

Folken nodded and turned to the soldiers manning the control room. "We are heading west to the temple of Fortona," Folken informed.

"Yes sir!"

Adrina saw the Zaibach troops retreating to the many floating fortresses. Some had landed in order to load the soldiers while others used their leading platforms to gather their troops and guymelefs. The fortress they were on began to move in the direction that the Freid convoy had escaped in. They passed over Godashim and continued on over the empty terrain.

"The journey to Fortona is about an hour in length," Folken told Adrina, "We've eaten nothing today. I think we should get some food while we can. It may awhile before we get another free minute. I can guarantee that once we get to Fortona, things will be hectic."

With the excitement of the morning, Adrina hadn't thought about food but now that things had calmed down the rumbling of her stomach was reminding her. "That sounds like a good idea," she agreed. The two of them left the control room and headed to the dining room.

In the dining room, Folken pulled out Adrina's chair for her and then sat down himself. They were silent as they waited for their food. As they waited, Adrina glanced over at Folken, who seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. He really was amazing looking. His eyes were such an odd color, but they were beautiful, almost hypnotizing. Adrina's eyes focused on the purple teardrop tattoo and Adrina remembered when she had told Folken the day he left to slay the dragon. Now the dream made sense. Adrina looked away quickly as Folken's eyes settled on her.

"Do you wish to ask me something?" Folken inquired.

"What? No," Adrina replied quickly, "Why?"

"I saw you staring at me and thought you wanted to say something," Folken stated.

Adrina's cheeks turned rosy. "Oh, no I just, uh..." Adrina struggled for an explanation, "...uh..."

Both of them turned towards the door as it opened and two serving girls entered, each of them pushing a cart laden with food, drinks and dishes. Adrina sighed with relief as Folken's attention focused on the newcomers. The serving girls quickly sat the table and ladled their plates full of steaming food. Once their purpose was served, the girls exited as quickly as they had come. Folken and Adrina began to eat after the servants left.

About five minutes into the meal, the dining room door burst open, drawing the occupants' attention. Standing in the doorway was Dilandau. He strode in, followed by the dragonslayers. They all found a seat at the table and sat down.

"How rude, Folken," Dilandau chided, "You started without us."

"I didn't know you had returned to the fortress," Folken said.

The door opened and once again the serving girls set the table and dished out food, this time for Dilandau and the dragonslayers. They left as soon as their task had been completed.

Dilandau absently picked at his food as he watched Folken eat. "Why do you insist on bringing the prisoner to meals? She should be fed scrapes in a dungeon cell."

Adrina saw a brief flash of anger in Folken's eyes, but it doused itself quickly as it had flared. "She is no longer a prisoner."

Dilandau's crimson eyes focused on Adrina and widened as he saw her outfit. "Why is she dressed like a Zaibach noble?" Dilandau demanded.

"Because she is a Zaibach noble," Folken informed, "Emperor Dornkirk named her as a Lady of Zaibach this morning."

"WHAT?!" Dilandau screeched, "This is ridiculous! She is a prisoner! She should've been executed, not accepted into the Zaibach Empire!"

"She saved my life yesterday when the Zaibach soldiers failed," Folken reminded through clenched teeth, "That is more than enough to prove her loyalty."

"Yeah, Dilly, calm down," Adrina taunted, "It's no big deal."

"What did you call me?!" Dilandau shrieked. Adrina smiled and said nothing. She glanced over at Folken and saw that he had a smirk on his face as well. Adrina turned back to Dilandau and saw that his eye as twitching uncontrollably. Without warning her screamed and swept his plate onto the floor, shattering it into a thousand pieces. He stood up from his chair and strode over to Adrina, challenging her. Adrina sprang from her seat and put her hand on the hilt of her sword.

"Don't push me," Adrina warned as her eyes darkened, " You'll be sorry."

Dilandau's eye twitched faster and he reached for his own sword. It was then that Folken stood up.

"That is enough!" He told them, "This is a dining room, not a training ground. Dilandau, leave."

"What?" Dilandau asked, "Why do I have to go?"

"Because you already finished your meal." He motioned to the broken plate and scattered food. Dilandau started to argue but then thought better of it and stormed out of the room. The dragonslayers sat stunned for a second, then hurried out after their leader. Once they had all departed, Folken and Adrina sat back down.

"I'm sorry," Adrina murmured as she picked at her food.

"It wasn't your fault," Folken comforted, "Dilandau was foolish in challenging you as he did."

"So you're not upset with me?" Adrina asked sheepishly.

"No," Folken assured. Adrina smiled and they continued their meal.

About forty minutes later they sat sipping wine when a soldier entered.

"Sir," the soldier addressed, "We're approaching Fortona."

"Excellent," Folken said, "We'll be in the control room in a few minutes."

The soldier nodded and left. Adrina looked up and was surprised to see a smile on Folken's face. When he saw her eyes on him, his smile quickly melted back into the usual frown.

"Come," he ordered, "the next battle will begin shortly." He stood, as did Adrina, and exited the dining room. They walked down the hallways to the control room and congregated on the platform. Outside the window, Adrina could see Fortona, a temple surrounded on all sides by mountains.

"We will wait for the other floating fortresses before we attack," Folken informed.

"Yes sir," The soldiers agreed.

Adrina and Folken waited patiently as the Zaibach fleet slowly but surely joined them as they hovered over Fortona. After about three quarters of the fortresses had congregated, they received the order to prepare to attack. Folken relayed the message to Dilandau, who was still pouting from their encounter earlier. Nonetheless, he and the dragonslayers went to the hangar and boarded their guymelefs to await further orders.

The order came from one of the generals aboard another floating fortress and the Zaibach troops began to descend on the temple. Most of them were in guymelefs, but a few hundred infantrymen were sent in as well. The attack force was nowhere near what it had been in Freid, but it was still adequate enough to get the job done at Fortona. Adrina watched as the dragonslayers descended with the others.

"Don't you think this is a little overkill?" Adrina asked, "I mean, this is a temple, not a fort. Aside from the people who escaped from Freid, the place is full of monks."

"True," Folken agreed, "but among those who escaped Freid were Van and Allen Schezar. They alone warrant these troops. Also, when provoked, the monks of Fortona can be quite lethal."

Adrina nodded and was silent. On the ground, the forces began to form into battalion lines and marched towards Fortona. Adrina hadn't seen it before, but a small road led though the mountains into the enclosed temple. This was the road that the foot soldiers were taking, along with ten guymelefs. The rest of the guymelefs made a circle around the mountains, preventing anything from escaping by foot. Likewise the floating fortresses made escape by air impossible. Zaibach had Fortona completely surrounded.

As the ground forces made their way into the courtyard of the temple, a yellow guymelef exited the temple, followed by about a hundred monks armed with swords and sticks. The yellow guymelef swung it's sword at a nearby Zaibach guymelef and in the blink of an eye, the battle had begun.

As they watched the battle, Escaflowne and Sherezade joined the fray. The dragonslayers did also, focusing most of their attacks on Escaflowne. Dilandau, however, chose the yellow guymelef as his target. He pierced it with metal claws, shattering the control chamber and forcing the pilot out to it.

"That's the Duke," Folken told as a man jumped out of the useless yellow melef. He was ushered behind a group of monks as the fight continued all around. It appeared to Adrina as if the Duke was arguing with the monks. The monks stepped aside and the Duke stepped away from them. Almost immediately he was filled with Zaibach arrows. Adrina cringed and looked away from the battle.

"Dilandau," Folken called, "The dragonslayers are to fall back. Duke Freid is dead. This battle is over."

"The dragonslayers are returning," a soldier informed.

"Good," Folken said, "send a message to General Adelphus. In the name of Emperor Dornkirk, we will now enter peace negotiations."

"Peace negotiations?" Adrina exclaimed, "You just burned their capital city and killed their Duke. Do you really think they will make peace with you?"

"They have now seen what we can do," Folken explained, "they would be foolish not to make peace with us."

"I guess you're right," Adrina agreed. So many lives had been lost already, who in their right mind would refuse peace now? Adrina hoped the answer was no one. She had had her fill of carnage for one day.

In Fortona, the Zaibach soldiers all retreated form the battlefield and returned to their respective floating fortresses. Likewise, the monks of Fortona made their way back to the temple, as did Van and Allen. Now the courtyard and surrounding area were empty except for a few guymelefs.

The sun was just beginning to sink low in the sky when General Adelphus replied to Folken's message.

"General Adelphus says Prince Chid of Freid has agreed to peace negotiations and want to meet with you at once," the soldier relayed.

"Excellent," Folken smirked, "assemble the guard. They will accompany Lady Adrina and I."

"I'm coming too?" Adrina asked.

"Of course," Folken said, "if by some chance this turns out to be an ambush, I'll need you there to protect me."

Adrina nodded and the two of them went to the hangar to wait for their entourage. Within five minutes, one hundred Zaibach soldiers had gathered in the hangar to accompany them to Fortona.

"We're descending to the courtyard," A voice boomed over the speaker.

All were silent as the fortress lowered to the ground. A few minutes later, there was a slight vibration as the fortress landed. A second later the hangar door opened, revealing the orange rays of the sunset. Near the temple, a congregation of monks knelt behind a small blonde boy.

Folken and Adrina led the way as they exited the floating fortress. Folken stepped about fifteen feet from the boy and the monks. Adrina stopped next to him and the soldiers situated themselves behind them. Once the soldiers were in place, Folken and Adrina walked forward and bowed in front of Prince Chid.

"I wish to pay homage to your valor, Prince Chid," Folken began, "This senseless fighting has finally come to an end."

Adrina stared at the child in front of her. He was Prince Chid, the ruler of Freid? He was just a baby! Adrina felt sorry for this small child, trying to be brave and rule his country in the wake of his father's death.

"Lord Folken," Chid addressed, "You will promise to keep you word, won't you?"

"If your Majesty would be so good as to give us a token of his friendship," Folken assured, "we won't interfere with the airship Crusade until such time as she leaves the Duchy of Freid. Now then, your token of friendship?"

Prince Chid lifted a sword above his head. The sword was notched down a portion of the blade, much like a key. "The ruler of Freid, Chid Zar Freid, now entrusts the sacred seal sword unto the Zaibach Empire as a token of our friendship."

Adrina heard a noise in the sky and looked up to see the Crusade leaving Fortona and heading over the mountains. The sun disappeared behind the mountains as well, casting long, dark shadows over the land.

"Prince Chid," Folken began after taking the sword that was offered to him, "if you don't mind, I'd like to use this token of friendship as soon as possible."

"Of course, Lord Folken," Chid agreed. He turned and walked back towards the temple. Folken and Adrina picked themselves up and followed the boy into Fortona.

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Folken and Adrina stood in the dark chamber and gazed up at the rock formation hanging from the ceiling. It reminded Adrina a lot of the place Escaflowne had rested before Van had awakened it.

"All that's left now is to break the seal," Folken commented.

Adrina turned her attention as a soldier walked up between them.

"Lord Folken," the soldier whispered, "Dilandau took the dragonslayers and is chasing the Crusade."

"Damn it!" Folken breathed, then said no more as the soldier hurried away. Adrina could see that Folken was angry and he had good reason to be. If Chid found out about Dilandau's betrayal, he might take back the sword.

"Are you ready?"

They turned around and saw Prince Chid had come back.

"Yes," Folken answered. He handed the sword back to Chid, who took it and placed it inside the mouth of a bear-like statue. The mouth closed and the statue moved into the floor. The room began to rumble and blue lightning surrounded the rock formation. As they watched, one rock descended from the ceiling while another rose from the floor. The two rocks connected and the lightning grew brighter. A blue light suddenly surrounded the rocks and illuminated the room.

"So this is the power of Atlantis," Folken mused.

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I was very VERY tired when I typed this, so don't be surprised if there are a lot of typos. I'll try to proof read it soon, but if you want to note any mistakes in a review, I would be much appreciative.