Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne.
*** The chess game I mention here is an Asian game called "go", played with 181 black pieces and 180 white pieces. It is a traditional game in China, Japan and Korea.
Chapter Three Position of Delicacy
Millerna gingerly sets the breakfast on the table. Her face flushes into a red hue due to the fast running and her wavelike golden locks is entangled by the hasty wind. Feeling a little annoyed, she pouts her pink lips and mutters: "The Prince Residency is way too big. Who knows whether she wants to eat the food I brought with such effort!"
"Of Course I will eat it. I am very hungry." A silver-bell voice rings ghostly, frightening Millerna. She turns around and catches a pair of piercing jade eyes with a glitter of wits.
"Hime… Er… You got off the bed?" Millerna rushes to Hitomi, "I only left for a moment, why didn't you just rest more?"
Hitomi leaves the mahogany bedroom door where she relied on and slowly walks towards the table at the midst of the dinning room. Although her paralyzed legs keep on complaining at each step she makes, she still refuses the helping hands from Millerna. Slightly twitching her body, she reluctantly kneels at the table.
Millerna snorts while watching Hitomi's struggling. What a stubborn girl! It's really difficult to understand why Van Sama emphasizes to put her at his residency.
"What kind of tea do you want?" Millerna wrinkles her eyebrows.
"Chrysanthemum will be fine. It has some effect on healing hoarse throat." Hitomi replies calmly. She opens the wooden box and peeks into it. What a disappointment-spring rolls and taros pastries ONLY. She is quite surprised to see the average cooking skills of Royal Fanelian Chef. Moving her eyes to Millerna, Hitomi watches her pouring the hot water into the fine china cup WITHOUT ANY IDEA OF SADO.
Passing the cup to Hitomi, Millerna is aware of Hitomi's sluggish expression: "Does it suit your appetite?"
Hitomi doesn't want any arguments right now. She silently takes a pair of chopsticks into the breakfast box. With the cooperation of her delicate fingers, she sends a piece of tarot pastry into her mouth.
Millerna then has some time to observe the Princess of Kanza carefully. She often heard before that Princess Hitomi was the legendary treasure of Kanza and she just simply shrugged off the rumor. After all, Millerna was very confident about her own beauty. Possessing aristocratic blonde hair and violet eyes, she used to be mistaken for King Goau's daughter. In fact, she was only born from Van Sama's past nanny, Lady Ron. After Lady Ron passed away, Van Sama always took good care of Millerna, not pushing her into a role of handmaid. Compared to Millerna, Hitomi Hime's chestnut hair is definitely less flashy, but obviously assents to her natural beauty. With alabaster skin, Hitomi Hime looks very much like an innocent child. That pair of emerald eyes holds much courage, determination and charm, so lucid that they reflect wisdom of thousand years, which entices a faithful confession.
Millerna almost jumps when she hears Hitomi's call. "Oh my, did I stare at her for such a long time?" She mentally slaps herself.
"Are you all right? You look so far away." Hitomi's eyes radiate a sense of anxiety.
"I… I am fine." Millerna answers sheepishly.
"I just want to tell you that I am sorry."
"What?" Millerna almost falls off and starts to cough.
"I was not in a good mood and behaved rudely. I didn't mean to deport you out of my bedroom." Hitomi smiles faintly, trying her best to cover her sorrow. "Let us be friends."
Millerna doesn't believe her ears. Is it real? Even Merle Hime would not say the word "sorry". Doubling her eyes, Millerna stammers: "Hime… Er…"
"There is no need to call me Hime. I am a hostage after all. At least your master thinks that way." Hitomi's face flashes a glimpse of hatred upon mentioning Van, "I need your help."
"What is it, Hi… Hitomi?" Millerna swiftly changes the salutation, knowing there is no use to defy a princess, captured or not.
"From now on please only leave white and black kimonos for me so that I can mourn for my father. Also, there will be inconvenience if I step out of this residency. Some of the things must be trusted into your hands."
Millerna stares at Hitomi blankly: "Yes, I will do it for you." She crooks one eyebrow and casts a lopsided smile: "You know, you don't look like any Hime I met before. I really thought you would sob continuously for couple days and refuse to take any food. Whenever those noble ladies were unsatisfied, they would blow the whole residence."
"Oh." Hitomi thinks for a moment, "How long have you been here?"
"Six years. Van Sama and I lived in the palace before. My mother was his nanny and I practically grew up with his highness. When Van Sama turned into twelve, according to the Fanelian Law, he could no longer live with Heka. Therefore, all of his servants moved here with him."
Hitomi vaguely recovers the memory of Fanelia history. Long time ago, there used to be an ambitious prince in Fanelia, who tried to patricide his father and poison his elder brother in order to seize the crown. Although the intrigue failed, some bloody murders were still unavoidable. From then on, every Fanelian Prince had to move outside of the palace court at the age of twelve. Hitomi discriminates this country famous for its violence. Contrasting to Fanelia, her own homeland Kanza is a little paradise of serenity and beauty. There are no such things as murders and robberies. It is trust and faith that actually maintains the running of Kanza. Kanza… Father… These prohibited thoughts once again surge to the front of her mind. Hitomi feels the sour moisture of her eyes and immediately commands herself to stop triggering the painful past. She shouldn't look back. Only weak people look back. No matter what, she will go on living not for herself, but for her country and her dead father. She clearly understands that Van Slanzar de Fanel spares her life not for nothing. Then she will take advantage of it to protect Kanza from every respect. It is a position of delicacy. With one chess piece going wrong, she will lose the whole game.
Sighing, Hitomi ends her muse: "Do you know how to play 'Go'?"
Millerna is quite surprised: "What? Oh… A little. Van Sama used to teach me. I'll get the game board and pieces."
Hitomi gazes at the silhouette of Millerna, thinking secretly: "The girl seems to be attached to Fanel. I just hope that she is not a spy sent by him."
Millerna opens the padauk cupboard and draws out the board and two rattan boxes of pieces. She exhales mockingly: "They are quite heavy." Putting the board at the middle of the table, she opens the lids of two boxes and passes the one with black pieces to Hitomi. Hitomi understands that Millerna is showing respect by giving her the black ones, so equally she repays the etiquette: "You can go first." Millerna takes one corner without any hesitation, whispering a "thank you".
Hitomi is astonished to discover that Millerna's skill is surprisingly in depth, which implies she got some valuable guidance before.
"Did anyone else teach you besides Fanel?"
"No. Van Sama is an excellent player."
"Oh… Then he doesn't merely know about sword fighting." Hitomi lightly takes away Millerna's surrounded white pieces.
"Hey…" Millerna knits her eyebrows together, knowing she is not as good as Hitomi. Suddenly a thought pops into her mind. Pretending to be unwary, she asks tentatively: "Do you by any chance hear about the name 'Allen Schizar'?"
"No. Did he teach you, too?" Hitomi is puzzled.
"Er, no… Nothing important." Millerna's face reddens.
Hitomi has completely ignored Millerna's facial expressions. Immerging in the world of black and white, she is confident that she will beat Millerna in the next ten movements.
*** The chess game I mention here is an Asian game called "go", played with 181 black pieces and 180 white pieces. It is a traditional game in China, Japan and Korea.
Chapter Three Position of Delicacy
Millerna gingerly sets the breakfast on the table. Her face flushes into a red hue due to the fast running and her wavelike golden locks is entangled by the hasty wind. Feeling a little annoyed, she pouts her pink lips and mutters: "The Prince Residency is way too big. Who knows whether she wants to eat the food I brought with such effort!"
"Of Course I will eat it. I am very hungry." A silver-bell voice rings ghostly, frightening Millerna. She turns around and catches a pair of piercing jade eyes with a glitter of wits.
"Hime… Er… You got off the bed?" Millerna rushes to Hitomi, "I only left for a moment, why didn't you just rest more?"
Hitomi leaves the mahogany bedroom door where she relied on and slowly walks towards the table at the midst of the dinning room. Although her paralyzed legs keep on complaining at each step she makes, she still refuses the helping hands from Millerna. Slightly twitching her body, she reluctantly kneels at the table.
Millerna snorts while watching Hitomi's struggling. What a stubborn girl! It's really difficult to understand why Van Sama emphasizes to put her at his residency.
"What kind of tea do you want?" Millerna wrinkles her eyebrows.
"Chrysanthemum will be fine. It has some effect on healing hoarse throat." Hitomi replies calmly. She opens the wooden box and peeks into it. What a disappointment-spring rolls and taros pastries ONLY. She is quite surprised to see the average cooking skills of Royal Fanelian Chef. Moving her eyes to Millerna, Hitomi watches her pouring the hot water into the fine china cup WITHOUT ANY IDEA OF SADO.
Passing the cup to Hitomi, Millerna is aware of Hitomi's sluggish expression: "Does it suit your appetite?"
Hitomi doesn't want any arguments right now. She silently takes a pair of chopsticks into the breakfast box. With the cooperation of her delicate fingers, she sends a piece of tarot pastry into her mouth.
Millerna then has some time to observe the Princess of Kanza carefully. She often heard before that Princess Hitomi was the legendary treasure of Kanza and she just simply shrugged off the rumor. After all, Millerna was very confident about her own beauty. Possessing aristocratic blonde hair and violet eyes, she used to be mistaken for King Goau's daughter. In fact, she was only born from Van Sama's past nanny, Lady Ron. After Lady Ron passed away, Van Sama always took good care of Millerna, not pushing her into a role of handmaid. Compared to Millerna, Hitomi Hime's chestnut hair is definitely less flashy, but obviously assents to her natural beauty. With alabaster skin, Hitomi Hime looks very much like an innocent child. That pair of emerald eyes holds much courage, determination and charm, so lucid that they reflect wisdom of thousand years, which entices a faithful confession.
Millerna almost jumps when she hears Hitomi's call. "Oh my, did I stare at her for such a long time?" She mentally slaps herself.
"Are you all right? You look so far away." Hitomi's eyes radiate a sense of anxiety.
"I… I am fine." Millerna answers sheepishly.
"I just want to tell you that I am sorry."
"What?" Millerna almost falls off and starts to cough.
"I was not in a good mood and behaved rudely. I didn't mean to deport you out of my bedroom." Hitomi smiles faintly, trying her best to cover her sorrow. "Let us be friends."
Millerna doesn't believe her ears. Is it real? Even Merle Hime would not say the word "sorry". Doubling her eyes, Millerna stammers: "Hime… Er…"
"There is no need to call me Hime. I am a hostage after all. At least your master thinks that way." Hitomi's face flashes a glimpse of hatred upon mentioning Van, "I need your help."
"What is it, Hi… Hitomi?" Millerna swiftly changes the salutation, knowing there is no use to defy a princess, captured or not.
"From now on please only leave white and black kimonos for me so that I can mourn for my father. Also, there will be inconvenience if I step out of this residency. Some of the things must be trusted into your hands."
Millerna stares at Hitomi blankly: "Yes, I will do it for you." She crooks one eyebrow and casts a lopsided smile: "You know, you don't look like any Hime I met before. I really thought you would sob continuously for couple days and refuse to take any food. Whenever those noble ladies were unsatisfied, they would blow the whole residence."
"Oh." Hitomi thinks for a moment, "How long have you been here?"
"Six years. Van Sama and I lived in the palace before. My mother was his nanny and I practically grew up with his highness. When Van Sama turned into twelve, according to the Fanelian Law, he could no longer live with Heka. Therefore, all of his servants moved here with him."
Hitomi vaguely recovers the memory of Fanelia history. Long time ago, there used to be an ambitious prince in Fanelia, who tried to patricide his father and poison his elder brother in order to seize the crown. Although the intrigue failed, some bloody murders were still unavoidable. From then on, every Fanelian Prince had to move outside of the palace court at the age of twelve. Hitomi discriminates this country famous for its violence. Contrasting to Fanelia, her own homeland Kanza is a little paradise of serenity and beauty. There are no such things as murders and robberies. It is trust and faith that actually maintains the running of Kanza. Kanza… Father… These prohibited thoughts once again surge to the front of her mind. Hitomi feels the sour moisture of her eyes and immediately commands herself to stop triggering the painful past. She shouldn't look back. Only weak people look back. No matter what, she will go on living not for herself, but for her country and her dead father. She clearly understands that Van Slanzar de Fanel spares her life not for nothing. Then she will take advantage of it to protect Kanza from every respect. It is a position of delicacy. With one chess piece going wrong, she will lose the whole game.
Sighing, Hitomi ends her muse: "Do you know how to play 'Go'?"
Millerna is quite surprised: "What? Oh… A little. Van Sama used to teach me. I'll get the game board and pieces."
Hitomi gazes at the silhouette of Millerna, thinking secretly: "The girl seems to be attached to Fanel. I just hope that she is not a spy sent by him."
Millerna opens the padauk cupboard and draws out the board and two rattan boxes of pieces. She exhales mockingly: "They are quite heavy." Putting the board at the middle of the table, she opens the lids of two boxes and passes the one with black pieces to Hitomi. Hitomi understands that Millerna is showing respect by giving her the black ones, so equally she repays the etiquette: "You can go first." Millerna takes one corner without any hesitation, whispering a "thank you".
Hitomi is astonished to discover that Millerna's skill is surprisingly in depth, which implies she got some valuable guidance before.
"Did anyone else teach you besides Fanel?"
"No. Van Sama is an excellent player."
"Oh… Then he doesn't merely know about sword fighting." Hitomi lightly takes away Millerna's surrounded white pieces.
"Hey…" Millerna knits her eyebrows together, knowing she is not as good as Hitomi. Suddenly a thought pops into her mind. Pretending to be unwary, she asks tentatively: "Do you by any chance hear about the name 'Allen Schizar'?"
"No. Did he teach you, too?" Hitomi is puzzled.
"Er, no… Nothing important." Millerna's face reddens.
Hitomi has completely ignored Millerna's facial expressions. Immerging in the world of black and white, she is confident that she will beat Millerna in the next ten movements.