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Disclaimer: I... I... I... yeah... don't own Escaflowne or anything affiliated with it... so don't bother me...
With both Dilandau and Hitomi ready to leave, Dilandau gave Hitomi once last glance at the castle till he turned it around and sent the horse galloping off into the night. Hitomi, during most of the ride, let tears fly freely from her eyes into the cool night air. 'And so this is where it begins...'
Chapter 2: His Name is Dilandau
The night was long and throughout the silent meadows and trees, the horse trotted through. A heart stricken Hitomi had fallen asleep and Dilandau guided the horse with its heavy load to a hidden residence. The black mare, tired from its journey, snorted as it was slowed. When they stopped, Hitomi stirred from her sleep. After becoming aware of her surroundings, Dilandau dismounted the horse and started to take the load off, throwing it to the ground. Hitomi jumped down from the saddle once she was sure she was awake. Once everything was taken off the horse, Dilandau turned it around, pulling it by the reigns and gave him a friendly pat. He then took the reigns off so they wouldn't get caught on anything. Once satisfied, he struck the horse's back, making it gallop off back towards where they had just come.
"Why are you letting it go?" Hitomi asked him.
"I have no use for horses or animals of any kind," he replied simply. "He will find his way home. If not, someone else will find him."
Hitomi stayed silent and lowered her head. What was she to do now? She was stripped away from her fiancé and from her home. If she tried to run away, the man who took her away could kill her and Van. She would just have to trust his word that he would let her go once he was done with whatever he had brought her here for.
Dilandau's voice then snapped her out of her thoughts. "Are you just going to stand there or are you waiting for my attention to go somewhere else so you can slip away?"
Hitomi's gaze snapped towards his own. "You have my word that I won't try to escape."
"Even if you do escape, you'll never make it back alive on foot."
Dilandau then picked up some sacks that held her few items and threw them over his shoulders. As he started to walk, Hitomi didn't need him to beckon her to follow, she did that herself. Once she turned around though, she was surprised at what she saw. A little stone house that looked so perfect and serene stood within some trees. The grey and white of the stone was rough but each block was placed uniquely. Smoke from a medium height chimney escaped into the open midnight sky and a few candles could be seen burning through the open windows. Hitomi noticed that it was a two story home and that one side of the house had a balcony that extended from the structure towards a small pond set in the forest. The small dwelling was cozy and well hidden. To someone far away, it might have seemed like an omniscient haunted house, but in the shade of the trees, it showed age and beauty.
Hitomi marveled at the mini castle and forgot to walk. When Dilandau didn't hear her footsteps behind him, he turned to see her gawking at his residence. He was starting to grow impatient and huffed his breath through his nose to catch her attention. She looked at him and realized she was just standing there. Her gaze turned away as she muttered an apology. Dilandau just shook his head and started on his way again.
When the door at the back of the house was reached, Dilandau put a key into the hole in the wood and pushed it open. Both Hitomi and Dilandau made their way into the house, but Dilandau didn't give Hitomi any time to look around for he walked directly to the stone staircase that stood to the right of the entranceway. At the last step of the stairs on the top floor, an overlook of the entrance hall stretched across the length of the room. Off of the overlook there were two doors which were slightly laid within the wall and in-between the two single doors stood a pair of double doors, even more set within the stone.
Dilandau then walked to the furthest door and opened it. A draft of air came out, revealing a dusty, cold, unused environment. The room was dark and dust covered nearly all the furniture in site. A window on the far side of the room was covered by thick curtains. Dilandau placed her bags on the bed and walked over towards the window. Shoving the curtains aside made the dust fly off and fall down all around where he stood. Once they were aside, the latch that held a pair of glass windows was undone and the creaking wood frame was pushed open allowing the night's gentle breeze to fly into the room. The musty smell became less intense and now the room could be seen clearer with Gaea's two moons shinning through the open window. A full size canopy bed was pushed against one wall but it was bare. There were no blankets or sheets of any kind on the mattress and the posts were bare of any canopy. The furniture was all made of dark brown wood and by the look of it, it seemed as if it had been carved by hand and polished to further extend its beauty.
A dresser with a mirror on top sat against the wall perpendicular from the bed and two circular end tables stood on each side of the bed, each with a set of candle tiers. Both were silver but tarnished; the five candles that should have sat on each tier were long gone. A rug was laid at the foot of the bed where across from the rug stood a fireplace. Hitomi took a closer look at the stone fireplace and noticed that a long object covered in spider webs hung from above in a set of hooks. Further examination was impossible at the time though because Dilandau called her attention.
"Your bedding is in this drawer here. The canopy is in the drawer above it; you can put it on if you so wish. I'll get some things to clean the dust and I can start a fire to get this room a little warmer."
He didn't wish to give any further instructions so he set off to do his task. Hitomi on the other hand started to get the bed ready. She took the linen that covered the mattress off and carried it as if it were a bag to hold the dust that lay upon it to the window. She threw part of it outside and shook it out. Torrents of dust flew off with each violent shake it was given. As soon as Hitomi was satisfied, the sheet was pulled back in and thrown back over the bed. Multiple layers were placed on the bed and it now looked comfortable and inviting. Each layer was an off-white color and a thick feather comforter, which was an emerald green, lay on top of them all. Pillows from another drawer in the chest were beaten, fluffed, and thrown onto the bed.
Hitomi would have gotten started on the canopy but Dilandau came into the room with many items. Wood was tucked under his arm and a pail of water hung on another. A few pieces of cloth were slung over his shoulders. The water was placed down and the splintered wood thrown. Into the fireplace it went next and soon sparks flew onto the wood and set it a fire. Dust that long sat within or near the fire shriveled away and burned. Heat crawled throughout the room and before a word could be said, Dilandau had already taken his leave.
A moist piece of cloth held by a steady hand glided through all the furniture and rapidly cleaned the floor soon afterward. After hours of work, Hitomi sat down to admire the clean area. The beauty in the room now glowed along with the gentle blaze of the fire. With drawers empty, her clothes were placed within the compartment of the old scented wood. The canopy was tied into place with much trouble and when all tasks were done, Hitomi crawled into the bed and fell fast asleep.
When Dilandau had given Hitomi all the supplies, he would have stayed and helped. What he had become though... it stopped him from staying in human company for long. Contact with humans was cut short in his younger years especially because of the hatred directed towards what he had become.
'Those memories should not be recalled. Everything happened nearly two- hundred years ago... though they all seem fresh in my memory.' Dilandau was pacing about his room now thinking of the situation he gave himself.
'The girl... she seems to have had some past with Allen. Their conversation was interesting none the less, but what exactly happened between the two I'm still uncertain. Her usefulness will show in a few days, but how do I get her to do what I ask and not ask questions? But then how do I keep her from being forced to switch to Allen's side? If she doesn't know what he truly is, then she may just become what I am today. That girl has a future... it should not be taken away because of my selfish plans of revenge.'
His pacing slowed and he walked towards a large window that faced the forest and small lake. It was still quite dark out, but to him it was daylight enough. Dilandau could see with excellent precision in the night's shadows and heard every sound around him. Yes... the curse of his being had its advantages, but the disadvantages were greater. If only he were still human...
"The past is only that... the past. I shall not dwell on it any longer! I could have done something so long ago to prevent the whole misfortune, but I did not dare. How pitiful I was... even now I regret what I had not done," he was talking to himself, though to himself it might have seemed as a conversation in his head.
Backing up a few steps, he stretched his arms to the sides, grabbed the cloth that draped along the sides and threw them shut. Complete darkness encompassed the room and Dilandau walked towards his bed. To anyone it might have appeared as a canopy bed, but when Dilandau threw himself on the mattress, a mechanism was released and the 'canopy' started to lower. The canopy was actually a box type cover that when in place, made the bed look like a gigantic coffin. Dilandau was at rest once the lid was in place.
The next morning, Hitomi woke early. Forgetting to shut the curtains at night, the morning sun gleamed through the window. She stirred in her sleep and reached around her on the bed as if trying to find someone. Opening her eyes, she inspected her surroundings and looked confused for a short time. She noticed that Van was not there with her in the bed but then again, the whole room was not the one she shared with her love.
"So it wasn't all just a dream..." she whispered to herself.
She sighed and lifted herself off the bed. Hitomi made herself presentable but was very wary about what she should do. Afraid to walk out of her room, she walked towards the window and leaned against it. The moist morning breeze woke her up a little more, but it made her get lost in her thoughts. The peacefulness made her forget everything and even where she was. A knock on the door came swiftly like an icy wind and woke Hitomi from her reserved peace of mind.
She turned to the door and beckoned the person to come in. The man who had taken her away just last night came through the door but did not walk any further into the room. "I am sure you don't wish to stay in your room for the rest of your stay. Allow me to show you the rest of my residence." After he said this, he gave her a little bow and held out his hand for her to take.
Hitomi was nearly shocked. 'He's such a gentleman... I would have never expected this. Could he just be acting? It seems like he's done this before though... as though it is normal for him.'
Not wanting to look hesitant, she nodded her head and walked forward, putting her hand atop of his. Getting her approval, Dilandau started to walk backwards out the door while saying, "Follow me."
Once out the door, he slipped his hand from hers and turned around. Both walked across the walkway and Dilandau spoke about each room as they passed. "This is my room here. The balcony you saw outside is connected to my quarters. Never go in there unless it is absolutely urgent but even before you enter, knock. This door leads to another bedroom," he talked of the room right at the top of the staircase. Both walked down the stairs and entered a doorless entry located almost behind the stairs. "To the left is the kitchen and to the right is a library or a study. Straight ahead is the door that leads outside towards the lake. Outside there are also some cellar doors which leads to the basement. There is some food kept down there that needs to keep cool. There is a lavatory outside... you won't have trouble finding it. If you wish to bathe, the lake behind the house has beautiful crystal water that is very clean. There will also be a water basin that I will put in your room. You are free to go anywhere you please, but I warn you now, do not go deep into the forest... especially at night. Never even go outside the house at night. Heed this warning with utmost care."
Hitomi gravely nodded her head and thought about the information she had just been given.
"Your name is Hitomi... correct?"
"Yes..." she responded. "Hitomi Kanzaki... soon to be Hitomi Fanel."
With that bit of information confirmed, Dilandau started to walk away until Hitomi called to his attention.
"Wait! I need to ask... why did you bring me here? Why didn't you just kill me? What happened at the party?" Her voice almost sounded desperate... needing of answers.
"I'm sorry... I can't answer those for you. I don't even know the answer to the last one myself."
"Why can't you tell me!?" she demanded.
"You will find out soon, but you must be patient for now. Let's just say that I didn't kill you because that would be pointless slaughter. Why I was going to kill your fiancé in the first place shall not be known to you."
Hitomi let out a frustrated sigh, "Well if you can't answer me those questions, answer me this. What is your name?"
Dilandau faced her and looked at her straight in the eye, piercing red meeting with emerald green. "My name is Dilandau... Dilandau Albatou."
~*~*~*~*~
AN: If anyone is wondering if I got the bed idea from Hellsing... well you're right! It is a great anime also! Watch it if you can! It's all based on vampires! Thanks for reading... and the next chapter won't be out for a while... I'll tell you that just because I am in the yearly musical at our school. This year it is 'Oliver' and I have a part. If anyone knows the musical, I'm Mrs. Bedwin... the housekeeper. Lol... I have talking and all that so it means more rehearsal time and practices which means no time for writing! Finals will me in about 2 weeks so I have to study for those. Busy life... and I'm really sorry for this long wait but our marching band went to Florida in November and I had to make up a wazzu of tests and work. Enough excuses! And another actually... I have had no motivation to write lately... so give me some if you please! And you know what form it's in? Reviews! Please review! Arigatou!
Disclaimer: I... I... I... yeah... don't own Escaflowne or anything affiliated with it... so don't bother me...
With both Dilandau and Hitomi ready to leave, Dilandau gave Hitomi once last glance at the castle till he turned it around and sent the horse galloping off into the night. Hitomi, during most of the ride, let tears fly freely from her eyes into the cool night air. 'And so this is where it begins...'
Chapter 2: His Name is Dilandau
The night was long and throughout the silent meadows and trees, the horse trotted through. A heart stricken Hitomi had fallen asleep and Dilandau guided the horse with its heavy load to a hidden residence. The black mare, tired from its journey, snorted as it was slowed. When they stopped, Hitomi stirred from her sleep. After becoming aware of her surroundings, Dilandau dismounted the horse and started to take the load off, throwing it to the ground. Hitomi jumped down from the saddle once she was sure she was awake. Once everything was taken off the horse, Dilandau turned it around, pulling it by the reigns and gave him a friendly pat. He then took the reigns off so they wouldn't get caught on anything. Once satisfied, he struck the horse's back, making it gallop off back towards where they had just come.
"Why are you letting it go?" Hitomi asked him.
"I have no use for horses or animals of any kind," he replied simply. "He will find his way home. If not, someone else will find him."
Hitomi stayed silent and lowered her head. What was she to do now? She was stripped away from her fiancé and from her home. If she tried to run away, the man who took her away could kill her and Van. She would just have to trust his word that he would let her go once he was done with whatever he had brought her here for.
Dilandau's voice then snapped her out of her thoughts. "Are you just going to stand there or are you waiting for my attention to go somewhere else so you can slip away?"
Hitomi's gaze snapped towards his own. "You have my word that I won't try to escape."
"Even if you do escape, you'll never make it back alive on foot."
Dilandau then picked up some sacks that held her few items and threw them over his shoulders. As he started to walk, Hitomi didn't need him to beckon her to follow, she did that herself. Once she turned around though, she was surprised at what she saw. A little stone house that looked so perfect and serene stood within some trees. The grey and white of the stone was rough but each block was placed uniquely. Smoke from a medium height chimney escaped into the open midnight sky and a few candles could be seen burning through the open windows. Hitomi noticed that it was a two story home and that one side of the house had a balcony that extended from the structure towards a small pond set in the forest. The small dwelling was cozy and well hidden. To someone far away, it might have seemed like an omniscient haunted house, but in the shade of the trees, it showed age and beauty.
Hitomi marveled at the mini castle and forgot to walk. When Dilandau didn't hear her footsteps behind him, he turned to see her gawking at his residence. He was starting to grow impatient and huffed his breath through his nose to catch her attention. She looked at him and realized she was just standing there. Her gaze turned away as she muttered an apology. Dilandau just shook his head and started on his way again.
When the door at the back of the house was reached, Dilandau put a key into the hole in the wood and pushed it open. Both Hitomi and Dilandau made their way into the house, but Dilandau didn't give Hitomi any time to look around for he walked directly to the stone staircase that stood to the right of the entranceway. At the last step of the stairs on the top floor, an overlook of the entrance hall stretched across the length of the room. Off of the overlook there were two doors which were slightly laid within the wall and in-between the two single doors stood a pair of double doors, even more set within the stone.
Dilandau then walked to the furthest door and opened it. A draft of air came out, revealing a dusty, cold, unused environment. The room was dark and dust covered nearly all the furniture in site. A window on the far side of the room was covered by thick curtains. Dilandau placed her bags on the bed and walked over towards the window. Shoving the curtains aside made the dust fly off and fall down all around where he stood. Once they were aside, the latch that held a pair of glass windows was undone and the creaking wood frame was pushed open allowing the night's gentle breeze to fly into the room. The musty smell became less intense and now the room could be seen clearer with Gaea's two moons shinning through the open window. A full size canopy bed was pushed against one wall but it was bare. There were no blankets or sheets of any kind on the mattress and the posts were bare of any canopy. The furniture was all made of dark brown wood and by the look of it, it seemed as if it had been carved by hand and polished to further extend its beauty.
A dresser with a mirror on top sat against the wall perpendicular from the bed and two circular end tables stood on each side of the bed, each with a set of candle tiers. Both were silver but tarnished; the five candles that should have sat on each tier were long gone. A rug was laid at the foot of the bed where across from the rug stood a fireplace. Hitomi took a closer look at the stone fireplace and noticed that a long object covered in spider webs hung from above in a set of hooks. Further examination was impossible at the time though because Dilandau called her attention.
"Your bedding is in this drawer here. The canopy is in the drawer above it; you can put it on if you so wish. I'll get some things to clean the dust and I can start a fire to get this room a little warmer."
He didn't wish to give any further instructions so he set off to do his task. Hitomi on the other hand started to get the bed ready. She took the linen that covered the mattress off and carried it as if it were a bag to hold the dust that lay upon it to the window. She threw part of it outside and shook it out. Torrents of dust flew off with each violent shake it was given. As soon as Hitomi was satisfied, the sheet was pulled back in and thrown back over the bed. Multiple layers were placed on the bed and it now looked comfortable and inviting. Each layer was an off-white color and a thick feather comforter, which was an emerald green, lay on top of them all. Pillows from another drawer in the chest were beaten, fluffed, and thrown onto the bed.
Hitomi would have gotten started on the canopy but Dilandau came into the room with many items. Wood was tucked under his arm and a pail of water hung on another. A few pieces of cloth were slung over his shoulders. The water was placed down and the splintered wood thrown. Into the fireplace it went next and soon sparks flew onto the wood and set it a fire. Dust that long sat within or near the fire shriveled away and burned. Heat crawled throughout the room and before a word could be said, Dilandau had already taken his leave.
A moist piece of cloth held by a steady hand glided through all the furniture and rapidly cleaned the floor soon afterward. After hours of work, Hitomi sat down to admire the clean area. The beauty in the room now glowed along with the gentle blaze of the fire. With drawers empty, her clothes were placed within the compartment of the old scented wood. The canopy was tied into place with much trouble and when all tasks were done, Hitomi crawled into the bed and fell fast asleep.
When Dilandau had given Hitomi all the supplies, he would have stayed and helped. What he had become though... it stopped him from staying in human company for long. Contact with humans was cut short in his younger years especially because of the hatred directed towards what he had become.
'Those memories should not be recalled. Everything happened nearly two- hundred years ago... though they all seem fresh in my memory.' Dilandau was pacing about his room now thinking of the situation he gave himself.
'The girl... she seems to have had some past with Allen. Their conversation was interesting none the less, but what exactly happened between the two I'm still uncertain. Her usefulness will show in a few days, but how do I get her to do what I ask and not ask questions? But then how do I keep her from being forced to switch to Allen's side? If she doesn't know what he truly is, then she may just become what I am today. That girl has a future... it should not be taken away because of my selfish plans of revenge.'
His pacing slowed and he walked towards a large window that faced the forest and small lake. It was still quite dark out, but to him it was daylight enough. Dilandau could see with excellent precision in the night's shadows and heard every sound around him. Yes... the curse of his being had its advantages, but the disadvantages were greater. If only he were still human...
"The past is only that... the past. I shall not dwell on it any longer! I could have done something so long ago to prevent the whole misfortune, but I did not dare. How pitiful I was... even now I regret what I had not done," he was talking to himself, though to himself it might have seemed as a conversation in his head.
Backing up a few steps, he stretched his arms to the sides, grabbed the cloth that draped along the sides and threw them shut. Complete darkness encompassed the room and Dilandau walked towards his bed. To anyone it might have appeared as a canopy bed, but when Dilandau threw himself on the mattress, a mechanism was released and the 'canopy' started to lower. The canopy was actually a box type cover that when in place, made the bed look like a gigantic coffin. Dilandau was at rest once the lid was in place.
The next morning, Hitomi woke early. Forgetting to shut the curtains at night, the morning sun gleamed through the window. She stirred in her sleep and reached around her on the bed as if trying to find someone. Opening her eyes, she inspected her surroundings and looked confused for a short time. She noticed that Van was not there with her in the bed but then again, the whole room was not the one she shared with her love.
"So it wasn't all just a dream..." she whispered to herself.
She sighed and lifted herself off the bed. Hitomi made herself presentable but was very wary about what she should do. Afraid to walk out of her room, she walked towards the window and leaned against it. The moist morning breeze woke her up a little more, but it made her get lost in her thoughts. The peacefulness made her forget everything and even where she was. A knock on the door came swiftly like an icy wind and woke Hitomi from her reserved peace of mind.
She turned to the door and beckoned the person to come in. The man who had taken her away just last night came through the door but did not walk any further into the room. "I am sure you don't wish to stay in your room for the rest of your stay. Allow me to show you the rest of my residence." After he said this, he gave her a little bow and held out his hand for her to take.
Hitomi was nearly shocked. 'He's such a gentleman... I would have never expected this. Could he just be acting? It seems like he's done this before though... as though it is normal for him.'
Not wanting to look hesitant, she nodded her head and walked forward, putting her hand atop of his. Getting her approval, Dilandau started to walk backwards out the door while saying, "Follow me."
Once out the door, he slipped his hand from hers and turned around. Both walked across the walkway and Dilandau spoke about each room as they passed. "This is my room here. The balcony you saw outside is connected to my quarters. Never go in there unless it is absolutely urgent but even before you enter, knock. This door leads to another bedroom," he talked of the room right at the top of the staircase. Both walked down the stairs and entered a doorless entry located almost behind the stairs. "To the left is the kitchen and to the right is a library or a study. Straight ahead is the door that leads outside towards the lake. Outside there are also some cellar doors which leads to the basement. There is some food kept down there that needs to keep cool. There is a lavatory outside... you won't have trouble finding it. If you wish to bathe, the lake behind the house has beautiful crystal water that is very clean. There will also be a water basin that I will put in your room. You are free to go anywhere you please, but I warn you now, do not go deep into the forest... especially at night. Never even go outside the house at night. Heed this warning with utmost care."
Hitomi gravely nodded her head and thought about the information she had just been given.
"Your name is Hitomi... correct?"
"Yes..." she responded. "Hitomi Kanzaki... soon to be Hitomi Fanel."
With that bit of information confirmed, Dilandau started to walk away until Hitomi called to his attention.
"Wait! I need to ask... why did you bring me here? Why didn't you just kill me? What happened at the party?" Her voice almost sounded desperate... needing of answers.
"I'm sorry... I can't answer those for you. I don't even know the answer to the last one myself."
"Why can't you tell me!?" she demanded.
"You will find out soon, but you must be patient for now. Let's just say that I didn't kill you because that would be pointless slaughter. Why I was going to kill your fiancé in the first place shall not be known to you."
Hitomi let out a frustrated sigh, "Well if you can't answer me those questions, answer me this. What is your name?"
Dilandau faced her and looked at her straight in the eye, piercing red meeting with emerald green. "My name is Dilandau... Dilandau Albatou."
~*~*~*~*~
AN: If anyone is wondering if I got the bed idea from Hellsing... well you're right! It is a great anime also! Watch it if you can! It's all based on vampires! Thanks for reading... and the next chapter won't be out for a while... I'll tell you that just because I am in the yearly musical at our school. This year it is 'Oliver' and I have a part. If anyone knows the musical, I'm Mrs. Bedwin... the housekeeper. Lol... I have talking and all that so it means more rehearsal time and practices which means no time for writing! Finals will me in about 2 weeks so I have to study for those. Busy life... and I'm really sorry for this long wait but our marching band went to Florida in November and I had to make up a wazzu of tests and work. Enough excuses! And another actually... I have had no motivation to write lately... so give me some if you please! And you know what form it's in? Reviews! Please review! Arigatou!