Disclaimer: I don't own Escaflowne. I do own the characters I've created.
This is a sequel to "Even Angels Fall." I hope you enjoy it!
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In the garden of the palace, a lone figure sat upon a stone bench and stared at the flowing water erupting from the fountain in front of her. She wore a long, blue dress with a form fitting bodice and full skirt that was adorned with gold trim in the shape of a twisting dragon around the hem. Her chocolate hair fell down her back in shiny waved and, in such light, looked as if it had been streaked with fire. She turned her lavender eyes away from the fountain as a servant approached.
"My Queen," the servant bowed low, "I have been sent to inform you that lunch is being served in the dining room."
Adrina smiled at the young girl. "Thank you, Jenly."
"You are welcome, M'lady." The girl bowed again and hurried back to the palace. Adrina stood and smoothed out her dress, then began to follow the same path the servant girl had taken.
As she walked through the gardens, Adrina marveled at how quickly the plants had taken root after being completely destroyed. It had only been two years since Fanelia had been burned and already the gardens were more beautiful and lively than they had been before the attack. Likewise, the city was completely rebuilt and in most areas was better than it had ever been. The biggest change reconstruction wise in Fanelia was the palace. The former palace had been very small and plain for a palace, but when being rebuilt, Van decided he wanted a better residence than the rulers before him had inhabited. Many knew that the reason Van wanted a better palace was for Hitomi. He wanted to give her only the best, and he had. The palace was at least three times larger than the previous one had been and had taken a year and a half to finish. By the time it was completed, Van had decided her no longer desired to be King and had stepped down.
After Folken's return, Van began relying on him for all the important decisions that had to be made. Van married Hitomi three months after the end of the war and devoted much of his time to her. Then, eleven months after they were married, Hitomi gave birth to their son Golan. After the birth of the child, Van began to neglect his Kingly duties and spent every spare moment with his wife and son. In the meantime, Folken and Adrina had been married and Folken all but claimed the throne in Fanelia as his younger brother ceased to care about the country. Van finally realized he was not cut out to be King and abdicated the throne to Folken. Now Folken was the King of Fanelia and Adrina was the Queen.
As Adrina neared the palace, a rustling in the bushes along the path ahead of her caught her attention. She stopped and looked curiously as the bushes swayed and faint whispers were heard. She smiled when she saw two heads of hair, one short and green, the other longer and pink, and two sets of feline eyes. She looked away quickly as the eyes focused on her and continued down the path, past the spies. She sensed rather than heard the two of them leave the shrubbery and creep up behind her. They came closer and closer, until she could almost feel their breath on her neck. Now was her chance.
Adrina spun around quickly and yelled "BOO!"
Both cats stopped and screamed. Merle fell down out of fright while Zane stumbled back, surprised. Adrina began to laugh as the teenagers composed themselves and Zane pulled Merle to her feet.
"That's not funny, Adrina!" Merle insisted and narrowed her midnight blue eyes at her sister, "You scared me half to death!"
"Well, what were you going to do to me?" Adrina countered.
"That's different!" Merle shot back.
"Oh, I see," Adrina said, "it's okay if you scare me but not if I scare you."
"Exactly," Merle agreed.
"Well if the two of you hadn't been making so much noise in the bushes, I wouldn't have known you were there," Adrina informed.
"I told you we should have waited until she got closer and come over the wall," Zane told Merle. He motioned to the wall that started ten feet from their current location and continued on to the palace.
"And I told you that we would've made too much noise landing," Merle reminded.
"Not anymore than you made in the bush," Zane replied.
"I don't believe this," Adrina exclaimed in mock surprise, "A premeditated attack on the Queen. I could have you beheaded for that you know." She smiled and motioned to the cats' hair, "But in your defense Merle, I could've just thought you were a really loud watermelon."
The pink haired girl looked over at the green haired boy and then back to Adrina. "You'll pay for that!" Merle announced and pounced on her sister, knocking both of them to the ground. The two of them began to wrestle and roll around on the cobblestone walkway. They were brought to a halt when they collided with something. Adrina looked up and lavender eyes met mahogany ones.
"Folken!" Adrina cried and pushed Merle off of her.
"I thought perhaps you had gotten lost on your way to lunch and came to look for you," Folken told her with a smile.
"I was on my way but I was ambushed." Adrina glanced at Merle and Zane.
"Ambushed?" Folken questioned, the smile still on his face.
"Yes," Adrina nodded, "they pounced on me from the bushes."
"That's a lie!" Merle declared, "You scared us!"
"Only because you were going to scare me," Adrina countered.
"And that led to the two of you rolling around on the ground?" Folken inquired.
"No," Adrina admitted, "I did kinda tell them they looked like a watermelon in the bush."
Folken glanced at the pale cat boy and the darker cat girl and tried not to laugh. He held his hand out to Adrina. "We had better get to our lunch. The cooks will demand more pay if they have to reheat it."
Adrina took Folken's hand and he pulled her easily to her feet. He held his arm out to her. "Shall we, M'lady?"
Adrina smiled and looped her arm with his. "Of course, my King." She turned around. "Are you two coming?"
Merle latched onto Zane's arm and the two couples walked into the palace and to the dining room. As they entered, the smell of their lunch assailed their noses. The smell was more than Merle could bare and she let go of Zane. She ran to her seat and practically dove into her plate, which was already filled with food. Adrina shook her head as the others took their seats.
"Don't choke, Merle," Adrina teased as her sister shoveled the meal into her mouth.
"I won't," Merle managed through a mouthful of lunch.
The others began to eat as well. As she ate, Adrina looked at the two cat teens. Merle had changed a lot in the past two years. She had gotten taller and her hair had grown out. It was now down to her shoulders. She had abandoned the kiddie dress she was used to for a more adult look. Her features had changed as well. She was looking less like a child and more like an adult every day, which is obviously why she had caught Zane's eye. Zane had come to Fanelia from a nearby village to help with the repairs. While he had only planned on staying until the repairs were finished, he had changed his mind after developing a relationship with Merle. They had been instant friends and now they were almost inseparable. Adrina had been very happy when Zane and Merle had become so close. He helped Merle cope with Van and Hitomi's love and made her realize that there were other men in the world besides Van Fanel.
She turned her attention to Zane. She could definitely see why Merle had fallen for him as well. At sixteen, Zane was taller than Merle and well built. His fur was lighter than Merle's, almost white, and his markings were patches of dark brown instead of black stripes. His eyes were bright gold and went quite well with his forest green hair. His hair was short and spiky, much like Folken's had been when he was with Zaibach.
Merle saw Adrina staring at her and her boyfriend. "What are you looking at?" She stuck her tongue out, revealing a half-chewed portion of her lunch.
"Ew, Merle," Adrina cringed, "I'm trying to eat."
Both men at the table looked over at the younger woman. Merle quickly pulled her tongue back into her mouth and smiled innocently. Folken smiled.
"Oh," he said suddenly, "I almost forgot. I received a message from Van today."
"Really?" Adrina asked.
Folken nodded. "He said he, Hitomi and Golan are doing fine and that Allen and Millerna send their love."
Van and Hitomi had taken their eight-month-old son Golan to Asturia to visit Queen Millerna and King Allen. After the war, King Aston had not recovered from his illness and had dies shortly after. Millerna was named Queen after Aries turned down the throne. Millerna had still been upset by Dryden's departure and had turned to the man she loved for comfort. They had been married six months later and now ruled Asturia together.
"Did he say when they'd be back?" Adrina inquired.
"Within the next few months," Folken assured, "he said he promises they'll be back before Golan's first birthday."
"They better be," Merle stated, "Golan's first birthday has to be celebrated here." Merle was still very close to Van and babysat Golan for him or Hitomi often. She had cried her eyes out when they had taken him to Asturia.
The four of them finished their meal and Folken pushed back his chair. "I have some business to attend to in Rindus, but I should be back before dinner."
Adrina looked at the King and raised her eyebrow. He sighed. "All right, I will be back before dinner."
"That's better," Adrina smiled. Folken stood up and kissed her quickly. "Be careful!" Adrina ordered.
"I always am," Folken reminded. He waved to Zane and Merle, then left the dining table. A few minutes after he had gone, Adrina stood up as well.
"Where are you going" Merle asked.
"I'm going to change and go for a ride in the forest," Adrina answered.
"Sounds fun," Merle commented, "Can we come?"
"Sure," Adrina agreed. She left the dining room and made her way to the rooms she shared with Folken. Each brother was built a set of rooms in which to live that included a bedroom, sitting room and bathing room. Adrina went to the bedroom and pulled out her riding clothes, which consisted of a loose fitting white shirt, tight brown pants and black boots. She slipped out of the dress she was wearing and put it with the worn clothes the maids would take to be washed. She pulled on her riding clothes and braided her hair. Just as she tied the braid off with a ribbon, the door opened and Merle entered.
"Are you almost done?" Merle questioned impatiently, "Jeez, you royals sure take a long time to get ready."
"For your information, Miss Kitty," Adrina began, "I am ready to go."
"Oh, well let's go!" Merle urged, "I had the horses readied."
"Okay," Adrina smiled, "let's go!" The girls left the room and met Zane in the hallway, then continued on. They exited the palace and were met by two servants, each leading a horse.
"Your horse, M'lady." A servant walked up to Adrina and handed her the reins of her horse. She thanked him and mounted gracefully. Next to her, Zane and Merle did the same. Merle was never a fan of horses and chose to ride with Zane. After they had mounted, they nudged their horses forward and took off down the path to the forest. They rode past the tree and the gate and out onto the forest path. They rode for about ten minutes at a fast gallop before they reached a clearing in the trees. They stopped the horses and dismounted, allowing the horses to wander and graze at their leisure.
"I just love this place," Merle commented and collapsed onto the soft grass in the middle of the clearing. Zane sat next to her, basking in the sun. Adrina opted to sit in the shade under a large tree at the edge of the clearing. This place was where she and Folken often shared a picnic lunch or a late night stroll. An uneasy feeling suddenly came over her and she shuddered.
From across the clearing, Merle saw this and sat up. "Adrina, what's wrong?"
"I...I don't know," she admitted and wrapped her arms around her knees, which were pulled up under her chin, "I just got this really bad feeling all of a sudden."
"About what?" Zane asked.
"I'm not sure." Adrina's brow furrowed in concentration. "I was just sitting here thinking about the clearing and it just hit me." The cats stood up and walked over to her.
"I'm sure it's nothing," Merle comforted after seeing the worry in her sister's eyes.
"Yeah," Adrina agreed with a smile, "You're probably right."
The three of them stayed in the forest for a few hours. Adrina tried to forget about the feeling she had, but it just kept getting more intense. Finally she decided to head back to the palace. The three of them mounted their horses and rode back to the palace in silence. They were met by servants who took their horses back to the stables while the Queen and cats entered the palace.
"I think I'm going to take a little nap before Folken gets back," Adrina told Merle and Zane. They nodded and Adrina went to her room. She walked in and lay down on the bed, not bothering to change out of her riding clothes or pull off her boots. The bad feeling washed over her again and she shivered.
"What is it?" she asked herself, "What is going to happen?" She closed her eyes and fell asleep after few minutes.
She was awakened by Merle a few hours later.
"Adrina, wake up."
Adrina opened her eyes and sat up. "Oh Merle. I guess I slept longer than I had planned."
"Yeah," Merle agreed, "the servants sent me in here to tell you that dinner will be served in five minutes."
"Dinner?" Adrina repeated and the bad feeling from before came back. "Merle, is Folken back?"
"I haven't seen him," Merle answered, "Wouldn't he have come here if he was?"
"You're right." Adrina jumped off the bed and hurried over to her wardrobe. She pulled out a green dress and took it behind her changing screen. A second later, her riding clothes appeared over the top of the screen. She emerged a second later wearing the green dress. Merle noticed a strange look on her face.
"Adrina, what's wrong?" Merle questioned.
"He's not back yet," Adrina said, "he said he'd be back before dinner." She hurried past Merle and out the door, into the hallway.
"Adrina, wait!" Merle called and ran after her sister. She caught up with her down the hallway. "Adrina, calm down. So he's not back yet, so what. He probably got hung up on something."
"No," Adrina insisted, "he said he's be back before dinner. If something came up, he would've sent word. Rindus is only two hours ride from here."
"Maybe he did send word," Merle suggested.
"You're right!" Adrina's face lit up, "Maybe he did and the servants just haven't told me because I was sleeping." Adrina took off down the hallway once again at full speed with Merle right behind her. They turned a corner and ran past Zane, who watched them in surprise.
"Hey!" he called and followed after them. They ran down a few more hallways and suddenly, Adrina slid to a halt. Merle's reaction was too slow and she crashed into the back on her sister. Adrina stumbled, but barely noticed. Standing in front of her was a wide-eyed servant girl.
"Has Lord Folken sent word that he would be late?" Adrina demanded.
"N..no my Queen," the servant stuttered, "King Folken hasn't been heard from since he left for Rindus early this afternoon." She paused, seeing the look on Adrina's face. "M'lady, is something wrong?"
"No," Adrina replied quickly, "but if Lord Folken does send word, I want to be informed immediately. No matter where I am, I want to be told. Do you understand?"
"Yes, M'lady," the servant nodded and hurried off. Adrina stood where she was for a while after the servant left.
"Adrina?" Merle touched her sister's arm. Adrina jumped and spun around to face her sister and Zane, who had joined while she was talking to the servant.
"Merle!" Adrina cried, "I didn't know you were there."
"Adrina, are you okay?" A worried frown creased Merle's brow.
"I'm fine Merle, why?" Adrina was surprised when Merle reached forward and wiped her cheek, leaving her fur wet. Adrina's hands went up to her face and she felt the tears she didn't even know had fallen. She wiped them away quickly.
"Don't worry," Merle comforted, "I'm sure Lord Folken is fine."
"I know," Adrina smiled, "I'm just overreacting."
"Come on," Merle urged gently, "we don't want to miss our dinner."
Adrina nodded and the three of them made their way to the dining room. They sat down to wait and five minutes later their food was brought to them. Adrina ate in silence while the cats tried to cheer her up. Throughout the dinner, Adrina waited for a servant to come to her with a message from Folken. The message never came. After dinner, Adrina was practically panicking as the bad feeling escalated.
"Adrina, everything's okay," Merle consoled but Adrina wouldn't listen.
"No, something's wrong," Adrina insisted, "he should've been back by now or at least sent word. Something happened to him, I can feel it." She stood up from her seat in the parlor and called for a servant. The door opened and a young girl entered.
"Yes, M'lady?"
"Jenly, send for Sir Chenley," Adrina ordered, "I must speak with him immediately."
"Yes, my Queen." Jenly bowed and hurried out of the room.
"Why are you sending for Sir Chenley?" Merle inquired. Sir Chenley was the head knight in Fanelia.
"If something is wrong with Folken, he should know," Adrina informed. A few minutes later there was a knock on the door. "Come in!" Jenly, the servant girl, entered and bowed.
"My Queen, Sir Chenley." Jenly stepped aside, allowing Sir Chenley entrance to the parlor, then slipped out and pulled the door shut behind her.
"Sir Chenley," Adrina greeted, "please forgive me for summoning you so late."
"Nonsense M'lady," the knight smiled, "I serve you day and night, no matter what time. What is your wish, my Queen?"
"Has there been any word from Lord Folken?" Adrina asked hopefully.
"No, M'lady," Sir Chenley replied.
Adrina nodded. "This may seem rash, but I want someone sent to Rindus to check on the King. I won't sleep until I know he is safe."
"I will send someone immediately." Sir Chenley bowed low and took his leave of the Queen.
"Merle," Adrina started, "it's getting late. You should go to bed."
"Are you going to be alright by yourself?" Merle questioned.
"I'll be fine," Adrina assured with a smile, "I'll probably just fall asleep soon."
"Okay, good night Adrina." Merle stood from the plush couch and left the Queen's Parlor. Once she was gone, Adrina retired to her bedroom and sat down in the window box Folken had had built specially for her. It was an indentation in the wall that was covered and cushioned like a couch. The window it was part of opened up onto the gardens. Adrina kept the window shut and stared out it, up at the two moons hanging in the sky. She felt scared and helpless and wished she had gone with Folken. She sighed and wondered where he was and what was going on.
"I wish Hitomi was here," Adrina whispered, "she'd know if anything was wrong."
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In Asturia, Hitomi kissed her infant son and pulled the blankets up around him. She smiled when she felt strong arms around her and she leaned back into his embrace.
"Did he finally go to sleep?" Van whispered in her ear.
"Finally." Hitomi turned in his arms to face him.
"I'm sorry I didn't help you put him to bed," he apologized, "Allen wouldn't stop talking."
"That's fine," Hitomi assured with a smile. She was silent for a moment. "You know what?"
"What?" Van asked and kissed her forehead.
"I miss Fanelia," Hitomi replied.
"I know," Van told her, "I promised everyone we'd be back before Golan's first birthday."
"I wonder what they're all doing in Fanelia?" Hitomi mused. Suddenly she tensed in Van's arms and her eyes lost focus.
"Hitomi?" Van called with concern, "Hitomi, what's wrong?"
"Oh no," she moaned and her eyes fixed on his, "Folken! We've go to help him!"
This is a sequel to "Even Angels Fall." I hope you enjoy it!
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In the garden of the palace, a lone figure sat upon a stone bench and stared at the flowing water erupting from the fountain in front of her. She wore a long, blue dress with a form fitting bodice and full skirt that was adorned with gold trim in the shape of a twisting dragon around the hem. Her chocolate hair fell down her back in shiny waved and, in such light, looked as if it had been streaked with fire. She turned her lavender eyes away from the fountain as a servant approached.
"My Queen," the servant bowed low, "I have been sent to inform you that lunch is being served in the dining room."
Adrina smiled at the young girl. "Thank you, Jenly."
"You are welcome, M'lady." The girl bowed again and hurried back to the palace. Adrina stood and smoothed out her dress, then began to follow the same path the servant girl had taken.
As she walked through the gardens, Adrina marveled at how quickly the plants had taken root after being completely destroyed. It had only been two years since Fanelia had been burned and already the gardens were more beautiful and lively than they had been before the attack. Likewise, the city was completely rebuilt and in most areas was better than it had ever been. The biggest change reconstruction wise in Fanelia was the palace. The former palace had been very small and plain for a palace, but when being rebuilt, Van decided he wanted a better residence than the rulers before him had inhabited. Many knew that the reason Van wanted a better palace was for Hitomi. He wanted to give her only the best, and he had. The palace was at least three times larger than the previous one had been and had taken a year and a half to finish. By the time it was completed, Van had decided her no longer desired to be King and had stepped down.
After Folken's return, Van began relying on him for all the important decisions that had to be made. Van married Hitomi three months after the end of the war and devoted much of his time to her. Then, eleven months after they were married, Hitomi gave birth to their son Golan. After the birth of the child, Van began to neglect his Kingly duties and spent every spare moment with his wife and son. In the meantime, Folken and Adrina had been married and Folken all but claimed the throne in Fanelia as his younger brother ceased to care about the country. Van finally realized he was not cut out to be King and abdicated the throne to Folken. Now Folken was the King of Fanelia and Adrina was the Queen.
As Adrina neared the palace, a rustling in the bushes along the path ahead of her caught her attention. She stopped and looked curiously as the bushes swayed and faint whispers were heard. She smiled when she saw two heads of hair, one short and green, the other longer and pink, and two sets of feline eyes. She looked away quickly as the eyes focused on her and continued down the path, past the spies. She sensed rather than heard the two of them leave the shrubbery and creep up behind her. They came closer and closer, until she could almost feel their breath on her neck. Now was her chance.
Adrina spun around quickly and yelled "BOO!"
Both cats stopped and screamed. Merle fell down out of fright while Zane stumbled back, surprised. Adrina began to laugh as the teenagers composed themselves and Zane pulled Merle to her feet.
"That's not funny, Adrina!" Merle insisted and narrowed her midnight blue eyes at her sister, "You scared me half to death!"
"Well, what were you going to do to me?" Adrina countered.
"That's different!" Merle shot back.
"Oh, I see," Adrina said, "it's okay if you scare me but not if I scare you."
"Exactly," Merle agreed.
"Well if the two of you hadn't been making so much noise in the bushes, I wouldn't have known you were there," Adrina informed.
"I told you we should have waited until she got closer and come over the wall," Zane told Merle. He motioned to the wall that started ten feet from their current location and continued on to the palace.
"And I told you that we would've made too much noise landing," Merle reminded.
"Not anymore than you made in the bush," Zane replied.
"I don't believe this," Adrina exclaimed in mock surprise, "A premeditated attack on the Queen. I could have you beheaded for that you know." She smiled and motioned to the cats' hair, "But in your defense Merle, I could've just thought you were a really loud watermelon."
The pink haired girl looked over at the green haired boy and then back to Adrina. "You'll pay for that!" Merle announced and pounced on her sister, knocking both of them to the ground. The two of them began to wrestle and roll around on the cobblestone walkway. They were brought to a halt when they collided with something. Adrina looked up and lavender eyes met mahogany ones.
"Folken!" Adrina cried and pushed Merle off of her.
"I thought perhaps you had gotten lost on your way to lunch and came to look for you," Folken told her with a smile.
"I was on my way but I was ambushed." Adrina glanced at Merle and Zane.
"Ambushed?" Folken questioned, the smile still on his face.
"Yes," Adrina nodded, "they pounced on me from the bushes."
"That's a lie!" Merle declared, "You scared us!"
"Only because you were going to scare me," Adrina countered.
"And that led to the two of you rolling around on the ground?" Folken inquired.
"No," Adrina admitted, "I did kinda tell them they looked like a watermelon in the bush."
Folken glanced at the pale cat boy and the darker cat girl and tried not to laugh. He held his hand out to Adrina. "We had better get to our lunch. The cooks will demand more pay if they have to reheat it."
Adrina took Folken's hand and he pulled her easily to her feet. He held his arm out to her. "Shall we, M'lady?"
Adrina smiled and looped her arm with his. "Of course, my King." She turned around. "Are you two coming?"
Merle latched onto Zane's arm and the two couples walked into the palace and to the dining room. As they entered, the smell of their lunch assailed their noses. The smell was more than Merle could bare and she let go of Zane. She ran to her seat and practically dove into her plate, which was already filled with food. Adrina shook her head as the others took their seats.
"Don't choke, Merle," Adrina teased as her sister shoveled the meal into her mouth.
"I won't," Merle managed through a mouthful of lunch.
The others began to eat as well. As she ate, Adrina looked at the two cat teens. Merle had changed a lot in the past two years. She had gotten taller and her hair had grown out. It was now down to her shoulders. She had abandoned the kiddie dress she was used to for a more adult look. Her features had changed as well. She was looking less like a child and more like an adult every day, which is obviously why she had caught Zane's eye. Zane had come to Fanelia from a nearby village to help with the repairs. While he had only planned on staying until the repairs were finished, he had changed his mind after developing a relationship with Merle. They had been instant friends and now they were almost inseparable. Adrina had been very happy when Zane and Merle had become so close. He helped Merle cope with Van and Hitomi's love and made her realize that there were other men in the world besides Van Fanel.
She turned her attention to Zane. She could definitely see why Merle had fallen for him as well. At sixteen, Zane was taller than Merle and well built. His fur was lighter than Merle's, almost white, and his markings were patches of dark brown instead of black stripes. His eyes were bright gold and went quite well with his forest green hair. His hair was short and spiky, much like Folken's had been when he was with Zaibach.
Merle saw Adrina staring at her and her boyfriend. "What are you looking at?" She stuck her tongue out, revealing a half-chewed portion of her lunch.
"Ew, Merle," Adrina cringed, "I'm trying to eat."
Both men at the table looked over at the younger woman. Merle quickly pulled her tongue back into her mouth and smiled innocently. Folken smiled.
"Oh," he said suddenly, "I almost forgot. I received a message from Van today."
"Really?" Adrina asked.
Folken nodded. "He said he, Hitomi and Golan are doing fine and that Allen and Millerna send their love."
Van and Hitomi had taken their eight-month-old son Golan to Asturia to visit Queen Millerna and King Allen. After the war, King Aston had not recovered from his illness and had dies shortly after. Millerna was named Queen after Aries turned down the throne. Millerna had still been upset by Dryden's departure and had turned to the man she loved for comfort. They had been married six months later and now ruled Asturia together.
"Did he say when they'd be back?" Adrina inquired.
"Within the next few months," Folken assured, "he said he promises they'll be back before Golan's first birthday."
"They better be," Merle stated, "Golan's first birthday has to be celebrated here." Merle was still very close to Van and babysat Golan for him or Hitomi often. She had cried her eyes out when they had taken him to Asturia.
The four of them finished their meal and Folken pushed back his chair. "I have some business to attend to in Rindus, but I should be back before dinner."
Adrina looked at the King and raised her eyebrow. He sighed. "All right, I will be back before dinner."
"That's better," Adrina smiled. Folken stood up and kissed her quickly. "Be careful!" Adrina ordered.
"I always am," Folken reminded. He waved to Zane and Merle, then left the dining table. A few minutes after he had gone, Adrina stood up as well.
"Where are you going" Merle asked.
"I'm going to change and go for a ride in the forest," Adrina answered.
"Sounds fun," Merle commented, "Can we come?"
"Sure," Adrina agreed. She left the dining room and made her way to the rooms she shared with Folken. Each brother was built a set of rooms in which to live that included a bedroom, sitting room and bathing room. Adrina went to the bedroom and pulled out her riding clothes, which consisted of a loose fitting white shirt, tight brown pants and black boots. She slipped out of the dress she was wearing and put it with the worn clothes the maids would take to be washed. She pulled on her riding clothes and braided her hair. Just as she tied the braid off with a ribbon, the door opened and Merle entered.
"Are you almost done?" Merle questioned impatiently, "Jeez, you royals sure take a long time to get ready."
"For your information, Miss Kitty," Adrina began, "I am ready to go."
"Oh, well let's go!" Merle urged, "I had the horses readied."
"Okay," Adrina smiled, "let's go!" The girls left the room and met Zane in the hallway, then continued on. They exited the palace and were met by two servants, each leading a horse.
"Your horse, M'lady." A servant walked up to Adrina and handed her the reins of her horse. She thanked him and mounted gracefully. Next to her, Zane and Merle did the same. Merle was never a fan of horses and chose to ride with Zane. After they had mounted, they nudged their horses forward and took off down the path to the forest. They rode past the tree and the gate and out onto the forest path. They rode for about ten minutes at a fast gallop before they reached a clearing in the trees. They stopped the horses and dismounted, allowing the horses to wander and graze at their leisure.
"I just love this place," Merle commented and collapsed onto the soft grass in the middle of the clearing. Zane sat next to her, basking in the sun. Adrina opted to sit in the shade under a large tree at the edge of the clearing. This place was where she and Folken often shared a picnic lunch or a late night stroll. An uneasy feeling suddenly came over her and she shuddered.
From across the clearing, Merle saw this and sat up. "Adrina, what's wrong?"
"I...I don't know," she admitted and wrapped her arms around her knees, which were pulled up under her chin, "I just got this really bad feeling all of a sudden."
"About what?" Zane asked.
"I'm not sure." Adrina's brow furrowed in concentration. "I was just sitting here thinking about the clearing and it just hit me." The cats stood up and walked over to her.
"I'm sure it's nothing," Merle comforted after seeing the worry in her sister's eyes.
"Yeah," Adrina agreed with a smile, "You're probably right."
The three of them stayed in the forest for a few hours. Adrina tried to forget about the feeling she had, but it just kept getting more intense. Finally she decided to head back to the palace. The three of them mounted their horses and rode back to the palace in silence. They were met by servants who took their horses back to the stables while the Queen and cats entered the palace.
"I think I'm going to take a little nap before Folken gets back," Adrina told Merle and Zane. They nodded and Adrina went to her room. She walked in and lay down on the bed, not bothering to change out of her riding clothes or pull off her boots. The bad feeling washed over her again and she shivered.
"What is it?" she asked herself, "What is going to happen?" She closed her eyes and fell asleep after few minutes.
She was awakened by Merle a few hours later.
"Adrina, wake up."
Adrina opened her eyes and sat up. "Oh Merle. I guess I slept longer than I had planned."
"Yeah," Merle agreed, "the servants sent me in here to tell you that dinner will be served in five minutes."
"Dinner?" Adrina repeated and the bad feeling from before came back. "Merle, is Folken back?"
"I haven't seen him," Merle answered, "Wouldn't he have come here if he was?"
"You're right." Adrina jumped off the bed and hurried over to her wardrobe. She pulled out a green dress and took it behind her changing screen. A second later, her riding clothes appeared over the top of the screen. She emerged a second later wearing the green dress. Merle noticed a strange look on her face.
"Adrina, what's wrong?" Merle questioned.
"He's not back yet," Adrina said, "he said he'd be back before dinner." She hurried past Merle and out the door, into the hallway.
"Adrina, wait!" Merle called and ran after her sister. She caught up with her down the hallway. "Adrina, calm down. So he's not back yet, so what. He probably got hung up on something."
"No," Adrina insisted, "he said he's be back before dinner. If something came up, he would've sent word. Rindus is only two hours ride from here."
"Maybe he did send word," Merle suggested.
"You're right!" Adrina's face lit up, "Maybe he did and the servants just haven't told me because I was sleeping." Adrina took off down the hallway once again at full speed with Merle right behind her. They turned a corner and ran past Zane, who watched them in surprise.
"Hey!" he called and followed after them. They ran down a few more hallways and suddenly, Adrina slid to a halt. Merle's reaction was too slow and she crashed into the back on her sister. Adrina stumbled, but barely noticed. Standing in front of her was a wide-eyed servant girl.
"Has Lord Folken sent word that he would be late?" Adrina demanded.
"N..no my Queen," the servant stuttered, "King Folken hasn't been heard from since he left for Rindus early this afternoon." She paused, seeing the look on Adrina's face. "M'lady, is something wrong?"
"No," Adrina replied quickly, "but if Lord Folken does send word, I want to be informed immediately. No matter where I am, I want to be told. Do you understand?"
"Yes, M'lady," the servant nodded and hurried off. Adrina stood where she was for a while after the servant left.
"Adrina?" Merle touched her sister's arm. Adrina jumped and spun around to face her sister and Zane, who had joined while she was talking to the servant.
"Merle!" Adrina cried, "I didn't know you were there."
"Adrina, are you okay?" A worried frown creased Merle's brow.
"I'm fine Merle, why?" Adrina was surprised when Merle reached forward and wiped her cheek, leaving her fur wet. Adrina's hands went up to her face and she felt the tears she didn't even know had fallen. She wiped them away quickly.
"Don't worry," Merle comforted, "I'm sure Lord Folken is fine."
"I know," Adrina smiled, "I'm just overreacting."
"Come on," Merle urged gently, "we don't want to miss our dinner."
Adrina nodded and the three of them made their way to the dining room. They sat down to wait and five minutes later their food was brought to them. Adrina ate in silence while the cats tried to cheer her up. Throughout the dinner, Adrina waited for a servant to come to her with a message from Folken. The message never came. After dinner, Adrina was practically panicking as the bad feeling escalated.
"Adrina, everything's okay," Merle consoled but Adrina wouldn't listen.
"No, something's wrong," Adrina insisted, "he should've been back by now or at least sent word. Something happened to him, I can feel it." She stood up from her seat in the parlor and called for a servant. The door opened and a young girl entered.
"Yes, M'lady?"
"Jenly, send for Sir Chenley," Adrina ordered, "I must speak with him immediately."
"Yes, my Queen." Jenly bowed and hurried out of the room.
"Why are you sending for Sir Chenley?" Merle inquired. Sir Chenley was the head knight in Fanelia.
"If something is wrong with Folken, he should know," Adrina informed. A few minutes later there was a knock on the door. "Come in!" Jenly, the servant girl, entered and bowed.
"My Queen, Sir Chenley." Jenly stepped aside, allowing Sir Chenley entrance to the parlor, then slipped out and pulled the door shut behind her.
"Sir Chenley," Adrina greeted, "please forgive me for summoning you so late."
"Nonsense M'lady," the knight smiled, "I serve you day and night, no matter what time. What is your wish, my Queen?"
"Has there been any word from Lord Folken?" Adrina asked hopefully.
"No, M'lady," Sir Chenley replied.
Adrina nodded. "This may seem rash, but I want someone sent to Rindus to check on the King. I won't sleep until I know he is safe."
"I will send someone immediately." Sir Chenley bowed low and took his leave of the Queen.
"Merle," Adrina started, "it's getting late. You should go to bed."
"Are you going to be alright by yourself?" Merle questioned.
"I'll be fine," Adrina assured with a smile, "I'll probably just fall asleep soon."
"Okay, good night Adrina." Merle stood from the plush couch and left the Queen's Parlor. Once she was gone, Adrina retired to her bedroom and sat down in the window box Folken had had built specially for her. It was an indentation in the wall that was covered and cushioned like a couch. The window it was part of opened up onto the gardens. Adrina kept the window shut and stared out it, up at the two moons hanging in the sky. She felt scared and helpless and wished she had gone with Folken. She sighed and wondered where he was and what was going on.
"I wish Hitomi was here," Adrina whispered, "she'd know if anything was wrong."
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In Asturia, Hitomi kissed her infant son and pulled the blankets up around him. She smiled when she felt strong arms around her and she leaned back into his embrace.
"Did he finally go to sleep?" Van whispered in her ear.
"Finally." Hitomi turned in his arms to face him.
"I'm sorry I didn't help you put him to bed," he apologized, "Allen wouldn't stop talking."
"That's fine," Hitomi assured with a smile. She was silent for a moment. "You know what?"
"What?" Van asked and kissed her forehead.
"I miss Fanelia," Hitomi replied.
"I know," Van told her, "I promised everyone we'd be back before Golan's first birthday."
"I wonder what they're all doing in Fanelia?" Hitomi mused. Suddenly she tensed in Van's arms and her eyes lost focus.
"Hitomi?" Van called with concern, "Hitomi, what's wrong?"
"Oh no," she moaned and her eyes fixed on his, "Folken! We've go to help him!"