© December 2002
DISCLAIMER: I don't own Escaflowne. I know, it's a bummer, but if I've learned to live with it, then so must you. Read on.
All I need
By Youjibaracuda
~*~Eight~*~
Sezarina tried to get comfortable on the small cot that was in her cell. She had been trying to get some sleep for the last few hours, but to no avail. She had been captured only this morning but she felt like she had spent an eternity in this four walled room. She was fuzzy on the details of her getting here, but she did not recall ever meeting her captors. She was confused, but surprisingly enough, she was not afraid. Just bored and…lonely.
Loneliness was a feeling she had gotten used to over the years. Being married to a person that you don't love means being lonely. It didn't bother her as it once did, the reason probably being her children. At this moment she missed them terribly. Kiross' strong will was her strength, Gavin's loving heart was her spirit, and Varie's quiet gentleness was her hope. She never thought she could possibly love anyone as much as she loved those three and she longed for nothing more than to have them in her arms once more. Surely her husband would find a way to bring her back safely as soon as possible, she had complete faith in him.
Van…
She hadn't expected him to change her life the way he had. There wasn't anyone she felt closer to and yet at the same time he was a complete stranger. Their relationship was very…complicated. He confided in her completely and she always made sure to be there for him whenever he needed her. She cared about him deeply and she knew that she was a special part of his life, yet she knew she would never be loved by him in that special way.
No, he had Hitomi for that.
Sezarina didn't complain though. She and Van were family, and together with the kids and Merle, they formed a happy little circle within the confines of the castle.
When she had first come to Fanelia to marry the king, they were both only nineteen. It was a very uncomfortable situation for her, since he had lived a very sheltered life, being the daughter of the Count of Kanbrim in Cezario. Her father had sent her away to the other side of Gaea during the War of Fate to stay with a distant relation that took it upon themselves to educate her in 'the proper way to be the mistress' of an important house. She had never had the chance to find a romantic type of love and wasn't even exactly sure how to act around a man because, being an only child, she did not have any brothers to gain understanding with. On top of all that, she had heard the stories of the war. She was well aware that she had been chosen to be King Van Fanel's wife for the simple reason that she resembled the seeress from the Mystic Moon. Sezarina had been told the story of the love between the girl Hitomi and the Fanelian king. Van himself had told her the exact details of it all the very night of their wedding.
Sezarina had felt an enormous amount of sympathy for him then. There he was, a young man who had sacrificed everything he wanted for the sake of his country. She had told him on that occasion that he should do whatever he believed necessary to make their situation less strenuous and that she wouldn't mind it at all.
So it was that Van continued to have a long distance relationship with Hitomi.
Van had told his wife about the communication between himself and Hitomi. She understood that the Mystic Moon girl was the sole owner of his heart. She knew that there were times when Van would look at her and he would compare her to Hitomi. That he would lock himself up in his study for hours just to think about her. It didn't bother Sezarina that when he held her he was imagining her to be his dear love, or that the name on his lips at night was not her own.
So it was that loneliness was not a new or unfamiliar feeling for her. She had almost come to cherish it as an ever-present companion in her life.
Such were the thoughts running through her mind as she looked up to the starry Gaean sky she could see from the tiny hole in the high ceiling.
Just then the door to her small cell opened and a man slipped inside quietly shutting the door behind him.
Sezarina sat up quickly, a thousand terrible thoughts running through her head as the man approached her.
"Oh, you're awake," he said gently. "I thought you might have gotten to sleep already."
He moved closer to her and bent over to peer into her face.
Sezarina calmed down when she saw his soft honey colored eyes that held kindness within them.
"I didn't frighten you I hope," he continued.
She smiled sheepishly, "Just a little bit."
He smiled back at her, "I'm sorry about that. But I want to let you know that I mean no harm to you. I was sent to check up on you. You're not hurt in any way are you?"
Sezarina shook her head. "No, not really. All I have are some bruises here and there, but nothing too bad."
"Good. Here," he said, holding up something to her, "I also brought you a little something. I didn't think they would have given you much for diner."
It was true. She had only been given a piece of bread and a glass of water for supper, so she gladly took the fruit that the man had brought for her.
"I wish they would have treated you better," he said looking around at her accommodations. "My cell is a lot nicer than this."
Her green eyes went wide. "You're a prisoner here?"
He smiled at her surprised expression. "Well, yes and no. I am a slave to Korin, the man who had you brought here. In a way I am free to go about this place as I wish, but I am a prisoner because I cannot ever leave. It's a complicated situation."
The queen nodded, somewhat understanding. Fanelia outlawed slavery, but it was not an uncommon thing elsewhere on Gaea.
"That's my lot in life I guess. I just wonder why it is you were brought here, I—"
The young man, who looked to be in his early thirties, seemed to have remembered something suddenly and grabbed her by her shoulders.
"Tell me do remember drinking anything earlier that might have made you feel a bit queasy?" he asked urgently.
Sezarina was surprised at the question, but now that he mentioned it, she did recall feeling a bit nauseous after drinking that water, but it had passed quickly so she had thought nothing of it. She told the man this and he released her, cursing to himself.
"I'll be right back," he then told her as he slipped from the room once again, seeming to be able to find to open the door from the inside without much of a problem.
The queen was not sure what to think of what had just happened. It was all very strange that this man had suddenly come to see her, but she felt that she could trust him, and that he meant her no harm. It was good to find someone like that in this awful place. Maybe he could help her escape.
He returned quickly with a tiny vial and a glass of water. He handed her the items and intruscted her to drink both as quickly as possible.
Seeing her puzzled look, he explained, "Korin most likely gave you a poison of somekind. This is an antidote to the all of the poisons that Korin can make. There aren't many he can make, but they are deadly and extremely painful. Fortunately I know he also was able to make one antidote for all of them. I was able to slip some of it out for you. He won't notice the difference until it's too late."
Sezarina felt an awful sensation in her heart when he mentioned that she had been poisoned, but immediately took the remedy offered to her.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked him after, finishing the water.
He smiled gently at her. "I've been watching you for a while, through there," he pointed to a spot in the wall where the one way window was, "You remind me very much of my wife. I know I wouldn't stand it if she was treated this way. You don't deserve to be here. The least I can do is make it better for you while you're here."
"You're very kind. But, can't you get me out?"
The man lowered his gaze to the floor. "I'm sorry. I can't."
With that he turned around and was making his way out.
"Good night," he said to her over his shoulder as he opened the door.
"Wait!" Sezarina called after him. "Can you at least tell me to whom I owe my thanks for saving my life?"
He looked into her eyes with a sort of regretful sadness.
"Mohku. My name is Mohku Maeo."
~*~
TBC…
::gasp:: am I evil or what?
Baracuda here. I'm *so* sorry. Sucky chapter, not nearly long enough, but there you go. I've been out of town w/o my computer so I've had no time to write. I was barely able to get this out at all. ::sigh:: hopefully the next part will be up soon. Check back at the end of next week. Till, then, have fun, stay somber (or at least as close as you can), and long live anime! LOL ^_~
--Youjibaracuda
"My way is not very sportsman-like."
---The Princess Bride