© December 2002
DISCALIMER: Yeah, okay. I don't own Escaflowne. Too bad, so sad. But this plot and new characters are mine! MINE!!! BWHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!! ::clears throat uncomfortably:: Read on.
All I Need
By Youjibaracuda
~*~Seven~*~
"Iri-sama?"
"Yes, Ero?" the woman turned to look at the red haired man.
"Where are you going?"
She frowned. "I must go have a conference with his Majesty," she said simply.
It was dark already, and Irishiko thought it best if she tried to approach the king under less…formal circumstances. It was not in her best interests to be caught before actually speaking to him. She just hoped that when she found him, he wouldn't directly turn her over to the authorities that wanted her captured.
She climbed onto her spotted mare and adjusted her mask and dark cloak. It was made of an unusually thick but light material, the color that appeared to be black, but shimmered green. Her black mask was simple and covered half of her face, her brown hair swept back and a dark burgundy 'do-rag around her head.
"I need you make sure no one follows me," Irishiko told her second in command.
Ero nodded, untying his own horse and mounting.
They silently made their way towards the entrance of the city.
"Make sure everything's ready for us to leave," Irishiko said to him quietly. "I'll meet you seventy paces off the main road on hour before dawn. I want us to be at the docks before morning." (B/N: in this case; one pace is approx. one ft.)
Ero agreed quietly and they said nothing more. He threw her a sidelong glance, debating with himself to take this opportunity to express his regard for her.
Don't be such a selfish jerk! his brain cried out to him. She's in no emotional state to deal with your confession right now!
The argument within his mind that then ensued didn't allow him to take note of the glaze that came over Irishiko's eyes as they were riding. Her pace never faltered, but it seemed as if she were off somewhere in her own thoughts, trying to deal with all the things that were going on in her life.
When they arrived at the city gates, they stopped.
"Good luck," Ero was able to manage.
Irishiko said nothing and moved into the city silently. Ero waited until she was a good way in front of him before following her. Korin's men were in Fanelia and if it was found out that Irishiko had gone to speak with the king, their plan might fail. He was to trail her from a distance in order to make sure that she was not followed.
The city was still had some activity, since it wasn't that late, but it was limited to taverns and such. Ahead of him the palace seemed eerily quiet and dark with the exception of a few lights here and there. All in all it was a peaceful night.
Irishiko arrived at the palace gates and then quickly disappeared from Ero's sight. He waited near a side street for a moment before turning around to make his way back to camp.
He hoped that all of this would work.
~*~
Irishiko narrowed her eyes as she looked around at the spot she had landed. It was harder than she thought it would be to scale the palace walls. It was bad enough that the Fanelian palace was elevated higher than the rest of the town (that slope was helluva hard to climb), but the slick walls made entering the palace all that much harder (but obviously not impossible).
She pressed herself flat against said wall, hiding in the shadows as she heard the sentinel walk by. She had to be careful not to be seen by the guards.
Her eyes scanned other the palace, searching for the room that belonged to the king. It wasn't too hard to figure it out, since out of all the windows that lined the palace, there was only one where there were two guards standing under.
Irishiko didn't think that getting past them would pose too much of a problem, but getting into the room would be another situation all together. The balcony to the room was three stories off the ground, and, even if she had rope, there was no way she could scale that wall.
She frowned as she prayed for a solution. Time was running out.
A triumphant smile played on her face as she noticed the huge tree that could easily lead her right onto the balcony. Praise Fanelians for their love of nature.
Cautiously she made her way up the first couple of branches of the mighty plant, being extremely careful not to rustle the leaves so that they would make too much noise. Thankfully, there was quite a bit of wind blowing over the area at the moment, so she was able to take advantage of a particularly strong gust to rapidly climb higher. She looked for a strong supporting branch that could lead her as close as possible to the balcony, and when she found it, she made her way across it.
Hanging on to another branch, Irishiko looked down at her target. She would have to make a jump of about three paces over and six or seven down. Making the jump was not the problem. The problem was landing without the guards below being alerted to her presence. She carefully pulled out a small little noisemaker that Jasper had given to her a long time ago, for when she ever found herself needing a distraction. It was small and round and would make a loud popping sound whenever it hit the ground. Though she was in an awkward position to be throwing anything accurately, she was able to throw the little ball a good ways away from the palace wall. Sure enough, the noise caught the guards' attention, and when they ran off to investigate, she jumped down to safety.
Irishiko moved rapidly away from the edge of the balcony and proceed to make her way inside.
Her eyes took in the finely built bedroom with the Fanelian insignia hanging over the fireplace. This was definitely the king's room…but he was nowhere to be seen.
Irishiko stepped inside and searched for the man, but he was nowhere. She silently cursed her luck. How was she supposed to talk to him if he wasn't where he was supposed to be?
Just then cold steel touched her throat.
"Move if you want to die," a deep voice spat from behind her.
Irishiko didn't move or say anything, but realized that she had made the mistake of letting her guard down.
"Who are you and what are doing in my bedroom?" the voice continued in a demanding tone.
Somehow she wasn't surprised that her assailant was none other than Van Fanel himself.
"I'm not an enemy, Your Highness," Irishiko said flatly, continuing to face forward, but with a relaxed, unthreatening stance.
Van moved around to stand in front of her, the point of his sword still at her neck.
"I don't really believe that," he said, "After all, you did come in here through the window."
Without warning he pulled back the hood of her cloak and a shocked expression momentarily crossed his features.
"And a woman no less."
Irishiko bit back the smart remark she was going to reply him with, but instead raised her hands slowly.
"If you allow me, I will show you I have no evil intentions in coming here," she told him.
He said nothing, seeming to consider her offer. He removed the blade from her neck, but kept it raised in front of him, ready for any surprise.
Irishiko slowly untied her cloak and placed it on the floor. Kneeling beside it, she removed her sword and placed it over the cloak as well as the dagger she kept in her boot and the tiny blade inside the cuff of her shirt (just incase she was ever captured and bound).
She stayed in her bowed position and kept her head lowered.
"I offer no harm to His Majesty," she stated, even though she hated having to grovel. She found it demeaning and awfully pompous, but she needed him to trust her right away.
Van looked at the masked woman that was kneeling before him. He had quickly discarded the idea that she was after his life because if she was able to get past his guards and into his room nearly undetected, she would have been able to kill him already had she wanted to.
He lowered his sword, but didn't sheathe it (he still had to be careful).
"Please, stand," he ordered her to which she quickly complied, squaring her shoulders once more.
"What are you doing here then?" Van asked her.
"I came to offer my assistance," she said.
Van raised an eyebrow at her. "Really? At night? By sneaking into my room? Couldn't you wait till morning?"
"I'm going to need you trust me."
"I find it hard to trust someone who won't show me their face."
"I must pay penance, milord."
"Penance? What could you have possibly done?"
"That, will all due respect, is none of your concern."
"Very well. Give me your name, then."
She hesitated for a moment. "Irishiko Maeo."
Something about that name sparked something in Van's memory. Then it dawned on him.
"Maeo…of the Akarui Kon." Van raised his sword once more. "You're pirates wanted in half of Gaea."
Irishiko inwardly groaned. This was not going as well as she had expected. Never the less his comment angered her.
"We are called pirates."
"Isn't that what you are?"
"What you are called and what you are are two different things," she replied coldly, "Just because you are called a demon, doesn't mean you are one."
Van was a bit taken back by her words. She was right. He had no right to be accusing her of something that he had no idea about. In fact, from what he had heard about the Akan, they were on the side of good.
Irishiko sighed, "I've seen your wife—"
"You're the ones that took her?!" Van placed his sword to her throat once more and got dangerously close to her. "If I find out that you've hurt her in anyway, so help me, I will kill you."
Irishiko clenched her jaw and met his glare. He was living up to his reputation of being short tempered, but her patience was beginning to wear thin. King or not, she wasn't about to put up with his attitude.
"I will have you know that the notion of me being a kidnapper is insulting," she growled at him. "Furthermore, if I had taken her, I wouldn't present myself before you now, would I?"
Van was in no type of emotional state to think very clearly, but the rationalization that she had brought up made his behavior embarrassing. There was no reason for her to be here had she kidnapped Sezarina, for it would rob her of anonymity that is essential to a kidnapper.
"If you didn't take her, how could you have seen her?" Van asked, still not moving.
"I would appreciate it if you took the blade from my neck and let me explain," Irishiko said.
Van reluctantly stepped back and lowered his sword, waiting for her to speak.
"The man who took your wife goes by the name of Korin. He's a wretch whom with I've had a rivalry with for years. He is adamantly opposed to the cause I fight for and has been looking for a way to defeat me. Unfortunately, Your Majesties were caught in the crossfire of this old dispute, which I'm ashamed to admit could have resolved long ago," Irishiko explained.
"Well then what does he expect to accomplish by taking the Queen?" Van asked.
"What he wants is a ransom," Irishiko told him.
"I can pay whatever he wants," Van responded.
The masked woman shook her head. "He isn't going to want money. He's going to want to keep you in his pocket. But more importantly, he's going to force you bring Fanelia to join the rest of Gaea's corruption. I can't begin to tell you the amount of people that would pay whatever it took to get their hands on Fanelia's natural resources. He'll ruin everything you've worked so hard to protect your people from and what'll make it worse is that he'll make it seem like it was your idea. You'll be hated even after you die."
Van took in a sharp breath. He moved to a chair in front of the fireplace and dropped into it, rubbing his temples, and letting his sword clatter on the floor. If what she was saying was true, this whole situation was going to get worse before it got better.
"You said you had seen her?" he asked after a moment.
"Yes, Korin let me see her when he baited me this afternoon," Irishiko fished something out of her pocket and made her way over to stand before him. "She's alive and well and I have no reason to believe she's in any immediate danger. But I cannot guarantee that the situation will stay that way for long. The one who has her is unpredictable."
She opened her palm and Van looked at the ring that lay within her gloved hand, recognizing it as Sezarina's. He just stared at the Fanelian insignia for a while before removing it from Irishiko's hand. The weight of the ring also seemed to bring with it the weight of reality; the reality that she was really gone and this was not a freakish dream.
Irishiko stood in an uncomfortable silence, part of her knowing that she was wasting time by just standing there, and the other part of her trying to be compassionate with the man before her that was obviously in shock.
Deciding that there was no time for pity, she broke the silence. "I have been able to form a plan. What Korin wants is an inventor that has been taken by the CeJalii. The condition was that I bring to him the inventor in exchange for the Queen, and he has given a period of seven days. If I have not completed the mission by then, it is probable that she will die."
Irishiko keeled down in front of him before he had a chance to say anything. "My plan that can have us back here in about five days with the inventor. I don't plan to give Korin his way, and that's all I can tell you for now. However, it is important that you come with me."
Van didn't understand. "You want me to come along?" he echoed.
Irishiko nodded.
"Why?"
"The only way Korin can't get to you is if he can't find you."
Van thought about it for a minute. It was reasonable. Besides, he couldn't just sit around and do nothing but wait. At least this way he would feel that he was doing something to get things back to normal.
"Alright, I agree to come with you. But I have children, you know," Van told her. "I won't leave unless I know they are safe."
"How many do you have?"
"Three."
Irishiko paused for a minute, surprised. She hadn't expected the king to have more than one. This complicated things a little more. It was harder to hide three kids than just one.
"They cannot be found in the castle," she stated. "Is there someone who can trust absolutely whom they can stay with?"
Van nodded. "Yes, I'm sure I can arrange it."
Irishiko stood up and moved to replace her weapons in their proper place and drape her cloak over her shoulders once more.
"No one must know about your departure," she told him. "Not your council, no one."
"I understand. When do we leave?"
"Immediately."
Van raised his eyebrows at her, but said nothing.
He got up from his chair and made his way over to the door that lead out to the hallway. After signaling Irishiko to stay out of sight, Van opened the door.
"Bring Lady Merle here immediately," he told the guard standing outside.
The man complied, going out in search for the cat woman.
Van made sure the guard was gone before motioning Irishiko towards him.
"I have to make all of the arrangements first, but this is your chance to get out of here unnoticed," he whispered to her. "I can meet you in two hours."
"Outside the main gates, then," Irishiko said.
He nodded in silent agreement, and Irishiko slipped into the hallway and disappeared.
Van closed the door once more and then moved over to a desk where papers were scattered. He shoved them aside and picked up a blank piece of paper and began to scribble away on it.
Just then the door of his room opened and a tall form slipped inside unnoticed.
"You wanted to see me?"
Van nearly jumped out of his skin.
"Merle! What have I told you about sneaking up on me like that?!"
Merle shrugged, having the same mischief that had always played in her midnight eyes.
"What's up, Van-sama?" she asked, ignoring his earlier comment.
Van's face became grave. "I'm going after Sezarina."
Before Merle could say that she would accompany him, he held up his hand to stop her.
"You're not coming. I need you to take the kids."
Merle swallowed hard. "You're going after her alone?"
"No, not really," Van said as he sealed the letter he had been writing with the royal seal. "It's complicated, and I don't have time to explain."
"But, Va—"
"Just trust me, Merle."
Merle shut her mouth, knowing better than to stand in Van's way when he was resolved to do something. And from the looks of him, Van had a plan. She would just have to trust that her friend would be alright.
Van stood up and placed both hands on her shoulders, looking into her eyes. "Don't tell anyone else what I've told you okay? It's important. Promise me?"
Merle silently nodded.
Van smiled meekly at her, and grabbing her wrist, led her outside and down the hallway.
He pulled his advisors out of their beds and into an emergency meeting.
"This is what is going to happen," Van said when they had all gathered in the council room, most of them rubbing the sleep from their eyes. "I want the heirs of Fanelia out of the line of danger. I will take them to a location that will be unknown to all but my steward, Lady Merle and I. Things around here are to continue as if nothing has changed so there will be no suspicion from anyone that we are gone. After a week's time I will return, though the children will stay there until this whole thing has been resolved. During that week, all communication with me will go through Lady Merle alone. I will give her instructions to give to you, and you will respect them. Nothing will be done unless I give the order. Is that understood?"
There was a chorus of "yes"-es, which was a real shock to Van, considering his council argued everything.
"Very well. We will be gone by morning," and with that Van dismissed them all.
"Maybe you should have midnight council meetings all the time," Merle giggled behind Van.
~*~
TBC…
::giggle:: Baracuda here. Okay, first of all thanks to all of you that have reviewed this story. You people rock! Yeah!
\ m /
\__. ß my little "rock on" figure
okay, so I'm going to try to update this at least once every two weeks…even though I have finals coming up this week and the next….i have two term papers to write (which I haven't begun) and a Japanese oral and written final…@.@
But I have everything ready with this story, with twists and turns and a couple of surprises that wait only to be written!
Next chapter: The mission commences! What are they going to do? Will they make it in time? ::biting her nails:: just wait and see!!!
See ya latta, my skittles! ^_^
--Youjibaracuda
"Son, someday all this will be yours!" ::gestures out the window::
"What? The curtains?"
---Monty Python and the Holy Grail