Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne. However, Minako and Yumite are my characters.
Chapter One Sword Wound
The pieces on the board game quivering, mingle with the fresh smoke from the hot tea to deliver an aura of anxiety. The green jade sword hanging on the wall adds more coldness to this simple but elegant royal chamber. White, only white. The delicate white silk bed cover and bed canopy, the white dressing table, the ivory zither, the white kimono dress. Shivering, Minako knits her brows. "Hime Sama..." Minako observes her mistress, and cannot stop worrying.
A pool of light chestnut long hair drapes over the shimmering fine silky dress. Concealing its pain, a pair of emerald green eyes easily moves onto Minako: "Yes, what is the matter?"
"I am afraid that it will not last long." Minako saddens.
"He will return to you. He promised."
Minako shamefully chides herself inside: "At this moment, when the kingdom is falling, Hitomi Hime must be worrying more acutely. But the only thing I can think of is Yumite Kun..." Her heart twitches. The war led by Fanelia has pushed the Kingdom of Kanza into turmoil. The old King went to the battlefield in order to protect his only blood heir, Princess Hitomi. Gaining all the supports from other countries, Fanelia frantically expands its land. "Oh, those bastard neighbors!" Minako whispers. Asturia and Zaibach have already cut the food line of Kanza. Now the Kingdom is totally isolated.
The galloping of horses is coming closer and closer. Accompanying the sound, black and white pieces on the board are quivering more obviously. No longer restraining herself, Minako cries.
"I told you to leave the palace. Maybe it is still not too late to leave now." Hitomi comforts Minako.
"No. I shall stay with Hime forever. Alive or dead..."
"You know very well that I cannot escape from here. All the enemies are familiar with my looking. If you insist remaining, you only find yourself death."
Minako sighs. The eye color of Hitomi Hime is fatal. Within the whole Kingdom of Kanza, Only the old King and the princess have emerald eyes and this royal sign cannot be covered by makeup.
"If only Father had let me go to the battlefield with him... I would rather bury myself with him." Abruptly irritated, Hitomi stares at the green jade sword on the wall. However, she quickly controls her temper. Gazing at the calmness of her mistress, Minako can only admire Hime's regal quality and feel ashamed for her own crying.
Suddenly there are footsteps resounding in the empty hallway. All the servants have already fled away. The resultant emptiness only strengthens the resonance. The footsteps stop in front of the royal chamber and in an instant, the door is open. Minako cannot help but squeak.
"Calm down, Minako. It's me..."
Upon hearing a familiar voice, Minako slowly moves her eyes to the door. Yumite Kun... Alive... No matter how many bruises Yumite has, she jumps to embrace him fiercely.
Seeing his beloved, Yumite feels a great joy rushing towards his chest. He growls when Minako's weight crushes his wounds. As soon as his eyes contact the ones of Princess Hitomi, he recovers his soldier's identity swiftly.
"Lieutenant..." As hard as steel, those wonderful green eyes fix onto Yumite's brown ones.
Yumite feels a chill at his back. Disgusting that he is the messenger carrying bad news, he cannot face that pair of flawless jade eyes. Deep down in his heart, he is very clear that his news will completely destroy the most beautiful and precious flower in the Kingdom of Kanza.
"Hime Sama, I am very sorry, but Heka... died on the battlefield." Lowering his head, Yumite prepares himself for the tearing sobbing. Yet, nothing happens. Carefully he lifts his head and once again collects his gaze on his mistress.
Hitomi's expression cannot be recognized. There is neither sorrow nor joy. But just within that second, Yumite catches a glimpse of tears at Hime's eye corner and they fade away instantaneously. Instead, her serenity and determination are immediately written on her face.
"Lieutenant..." Hitomi's ethereal voice swings in the chamber, " You have successfully completed your mission. Please take Minako away from here. This is my very last wish."
Minako reflectively leaves Yumite, with her brunette eyes widened: "Hime Sama, I cannot..."
"You have no rights to repel a royal command." Hitomi cuts Minako down, "Goodbye, Minako."
Yumite picks up Minako's lines: "We can escape together."
"Lieutenant..." Hitomi's voice rings like a silver bell, "Surely you are aware of the fate of royalties. Moreover, my special characteristic will only reduce your probability of a successful flee."
Yumite clearly realizes his responsibility as a soldier, which means he should obey the princess's command. Sighing, he deeply bows to Hitomi and drags a struggling Minako out of the room.
"Hime Sama..." Hitomi hears Minako's desperate cry along the hollow hallway. Smiling faintly, she turns her concentration back to the board game. The trembling frequency of the pieces is now speeding up. Faraway, there is the sound of metal clenching and slaughtering.
Dilandau mercilessly chops off one Kanza soldier's arm. Unwarily he licks his tongue to revel the taste of blood. Turning his focus around, he sees the Prince of Fanelia, Van , is also enjoying this bloody business. Dialndau has to admit, Van is a swift executor without any hesitation. As a Zaibach general, he has never been infatuated by any sword art, but he is very surprised to discover that the Prince of Fanelia meets his taste very well. The sunrays are shining upon Van's steamy jet-black hair. His amber eyes glistens like ice. As he twists his royal Fanelia sword, it pierces through one more heart.
"Hey, the palace is ahead. Do you want me to reach there first, your highness?" Dilandau provokes Van.
Growling, Van finishes one more archer and rushes to Dilandau. They halt in front of the west wing of the palace. "I go to the north wing and you go to the south wing." Dilandau's crimson eyes long for blood hunting. Nodding slightly, Van walks at the south direction.
Unconsciously Van enters the royal garden. His tensed body contradicts with the soothing aura. He is quite disappointed that there are no people alive. He looks around and becomes extremely skeptical about the pavilion built at the midst of the lake. The windows on the third floor are open, reflecting back a strong glitter under the sun. Concentrated, he quietly lurks into the mansion along the stepping stones protruding in the lake.
White, white... Although he is over the edge of tension, Van is still capable of noticing the elegant decoration inside. With great decency and haughtiness, one side of the wall is covered with various swords and archery and the other side is covered with exquisite fans and embroideries. Van is astonished to face a perfect combination of strength and softness.
Finally he halts at the slightly ajar door at the end of the hallway. Depending on an instinct of an experienced warrior, he unsheathes his sword, rushes into the room and pierces the person inside. All is lightening, all is flawless, until a pair of emerald eyes strike his amber ones.
The pieces on the game board flicker to the ground. The long sandy hair drapes over Van's shoulder. Instantly the crimson blood permeates the fine snowy kimono dress. Standing shockingly there, Van lowers his head to see the figure he clutches so tightly. He drops his royal Fanelia sword spontaneously. Only two inches away from the heart, he almost murders an angel.
Chapter One Sword Wound
The pieces on the board game quivering, mingle with the fresh smoke from the hot tea to deliver an aura of anxiety. The green jade sword hanging on the wall adds more coldness to this simple but elegant royal chamber. White, only white. The delicate white silk bed cover and bed canopy, the white dressing table, the ivory zither, the white kimono dress. Shivering, Minako knits her brows. "Hime Sama..." Minako observes her mistress, and cannot stop worrying.
A pool of light chestnut long hair drapes over the shimmering fine silky dress. Concealing its pain, a pair of emerald green eyes easily moves onto Minako: "Yes, what is the matter?"
"I am afraid that it will not last long." Minako saddens.
"He will return to you. He promised."
Minako shamefully chides herself inside: "At this moment, when the kingdom is falling, Hitomi Hime must be worrying more acutely. But the only thing I can think of is Yumite Kun..." Her heart twitches. The war led by Fanelia has pushed the Kingdom of Kanza into turmoil. The old King went to the battlefield in order to protect his only blood heir, Princess Hitomi. Gaining all the supports from other countries, Fanelia frantically expands its land. "Oh, those bastard neighbors!" Minako whispers. Asturia and Zaibach have already cut the food line of Kanza. Now the Kingdom is totally isolated.
The galloping of horses is coming closer and closer. Accompanying the sound, black and white pieces on the board are quivering more obviously. No longer restraining herself, Minako cries.
"I told you to leave the palace. Maybe it is still not too late to leave now." Hitomi comforts Minako.
"No. I shall stay with Hime forever. Alive or dead..."
"You know very well that I cannot escape from here. All the enemies are familiar with my looking. If you insist remaining, you only find yourself death."
Minako sighs. The eye color of Hitomi Hime is fatal. Within the whole Kingdom of Kanza, Only the old King and the princess have emerald eyes and this royal sign cannot be covered by makeup.
"If only Father had let me go to the battlefield with him... I would rather bury myself with him." Abruptly irritated, Hitomi stares at the green jade sword on the wall. However, she quickly controls her temper. Gazing at the calmness of her mistress, Minako can only admire Hime's regal quality and feel ashamed for her own crying.
Suddenly there are footsteps resounding in the empty hallway. All the servants have already fled away. The resultant emptiness only strengthens the resonance. The footsteps stop in front of the royal chamber and in an instant, the door is open. Minako cannot help but squeak.
"Calm down, Minako. It's me..."
Upon hearing a familiar voice, Minako slowly moves her eyes to the door. Yumite Kun... Alive... No matter how many bruises Yumite has, she jumps to embrace him fiercely.
Seeing his beloved, Yumite feels a great joy rushing towards his chest. He growls when Minako's weight crushes his wounds. As soon as his eyes contact the ones of Princess Hitomi, he recovers his soldier's identity swiftly.
"Lieutenant..." As hard as steel, those wonderful green eyes fix onto Yumite's brown ones.
Yumite feels a chill at his back. Disgusting that he is the messenger carrying bad news, he cannot face that pair of flawless jade eyes. Deep down in his heart, he is very clear that his news will completely destroy the most beautiful and precious flower in the Kingdom of Kanza.
"Hime Sama, I am very sorry, but Heka... died on the battlefield." Lowering his head, Yumite prepares himself for the tearing sobbing. Yet, nothing happens. Carefully he lifts his head and once again collects his gaze on his mistress.
Hitomi's expression cannot be recognized. There is neither sorrow nor joy. But just within that second, Yumite catches a glimpse of tears at Hime's eye corner and they fade away instantaneously. Instead, her serenity and determination are immediately written on her face.
"Lieutenant..." Hitomi's ethereal voice swings in the chamber, " You have successfully completed your mission. Please take Minako away from here. This is my very last wish."
Minako reflectively leaves Yumite, with her brunette eyes widened: "Hime Sama, I cannot..."
"You have no rights to repel a royal command." Hitomi cuts Minako down, "Goodbye, Minako."
Yumite picks up Minako's lines: "We can escape together."
"Lieutenant..." Hitomi's voice rings like a silver bell, "Surely you are aware of the fate of royalties. Moreover, my special characteristic will only reduce your probability of a successful flee."
Yumite clearly realizes his responsibility as a soldier, which means he should obey the princess's command. Sighing, he deeply bows to Hitomi and drags a struggling Minako out of the room.
"Hime Sama..." Hitomi hears Minako's desperate cry along the hollow hallway. Smiling faintly, she turns her concentration back to the board game. The trembling frequency of the pieces is now speeding up. Faraway, there is the sound of metal clenching and slaughtering.
Dilandau mercilessly chops off one Kanza soldier's arm. Unwarily he licks his tongue to revel the taste of blood. Turning his focus around, he sees the Prince of Fanelia, Van , is also enjoying this bloody business. Dialndau has to admit, Van is a swift executor without any hesitation. As a Zaibach general, he has never been infatuated by any sword art, but he is very surprised to discover that the Prince of Fanelia meets his taste very well. The sunrays are shining upon Van's steamy jet-black hair. His amber eyes glistens like ice. As he twists his royal Fanelia sword, it pierces through one more heart.
"Hey, the palace is ahead. Do you want me to reach there first, your highness?" Dilandau provokes Van.
Growling, Van finishes one more archer and rushes to Dilandau. They halt in front of the west wing of the palace. "I go to the north wing and you go to the south wing." Dilandau's crimson eyes long for blood hunting. Nodding slightly, Van walks at the south direction.
Unconsciously Van enters the royal garden. His tensed body contradicts with the soothing aura. He is quite disappointed that there are no people alive. He looks around and becomes extremely skeptical about the pavilion built at the midst of the lake. The windows on the third floor are open, reflecting back a strong glitter under the sun. Concentrated, he quietly lurks into the mansion along the stepping stones protruding in the lake.
White, white... Although he is over the edge of tension, Van is still capable of noticing the elegant decoration inside. With great decency and haughtiness, one side of the wall is covered with various swords and archery and the other side is covered with exquisite fans and embroideries. Van is astonished to face a perfect combination of strength and softness.
Finally he halts at the slightly ajar door at the end of the hallway. Depending on an instinct of an experienced warrior, he unsheathes his sword, rushes into the room and pierces the person inside. All is lightening, all is flawless, until a pair of emerald eyes strike his amber ones.
The pieces on the game board flicker to the ground. The long sandy hair drapes over Van's shoulder. Instantly the crimson blood permeates the fine snowy kimono dress. Standing shockingly there, Van lowers his head to see the figure he clutches so tightly. He drops his royal Fanelia sword spontaneously. Only two inches away from the heart, he almost murders an angel.