Chapter 5: Love and Dishonour
The young princess looked at her surroundings haughtily. Her cherry red
lips curved up in satisfaction as the guards of Fanelia who had hailed
her arrival stole glances of hidden admiration at her, dazed by her
natural beauty. She was indeed beautiful, and she had been aware and
proud of the fact for as long as she could remember. Everybody had
praised her for that quality alone, and many bards in the lands of Gaea
had sung sweet ballads about her extraordinary beauty. She was the most
prized jewel in the land of Ispano - the greatest gift ever to be sought
by noblemen in the entire realm of Gaea, for whomever might have a
chance to win her shall be the sole ruler of the Ispano islands. She was
a perfect match for a king, namely the King of Fanelia.
She possessed the most exquisite, crystal-clear blue eyes and a
refreshing graceful atmosphere around her, which she flaunted with every
gesture she made. Her crimson full lips always curved up in a sinister
smile, and her hair was silky black curtain, falling to her back,
accentuated by diamond pins and golden headband. Her bronze skin was
shiny under the glare of Fanelia's sun, but the excitement that bubbled
in her chest made her oblivious of the heat. She had longed for her
first meeting with Van Slanzar de Fanel, the youngest king of Fanelia to
succeed the throne ever.
Her expectations were high, for she had heard many ballads praising his
legendary deeds and heroic attitude in stopping the Great War several
years ago. She had been a little girl of ten then, exiled in the
luxurious prison called a castle, while Zaibach Military Forces took
over what was left of Ispano. Fortunately, Ispano had been left
relatively undamaged by the last war, and as soon as Zaibach Empire
weakened, her father, the king, had led a rebellion against the empire
and come out the winner. Rebuilding was an easy task. Within two years,
Ispano had emerged as one of the most powerful countries in the
continent after Asturia.
She wondered how Van would look after several years had passed. His last
visit was about six years ago, and it was purely for diplomatic affairs.
The young king had requested her king father's aid in rebuilding
Fanelia, and in turn Fanelia would be Ispano's ally. Her king father had
generously offered his aid to the young king, hoping they could
reinforce any future relationship with her as his queen. The young king
had accepted Ispano's aid without hesitation, but somehow he managed to
steer clear from the old king's aspiration to forge a marriage union
between Ispano and Fanelia. The relationship didn't develop as what her
king father had expected before, for Fanelia had maintained some
politically safe distance from Ispano and refused to become involved in
Ispano's further political matters.
Ardine had admired the young king so much that she always trailed behind
him whenever she had a chance to talk to him. She was innocent and free
then as a child - free of her confining golden suite, free of the
restricting rules of a marriageable lady that was forced upon every
young Ispanian lady. Van would respond to her in a gentle, paternal
manner, or sometimes with sad longing in his eyes. Whenever she asked
him what had bothered him, he would only smile ironically and answered
politely, "Sometimes you can never put your entire past behind you,
indeed. You remind me of someone, little princess."
However, no matter how much that certain someone resembled her, she was
certain that she would best the person. No one could or would compete
with the mighty crown princess of Ispano. She wasn't born a crown
princess for nothing. In her, she carried the blood of her ascendants,
with the talent of sharp wit and a gift of cunning swordplay.
"Your highness," a man's dry voice awakened her from her daydreaming.
She snapped her head up in anticipation, but was very disappointed as
she finally had a good look of her attendant. He held out his hand for
her, waiting for her to accept it patiently. Clearly he was a man of
high rank with high familiarity of the proper protocol in the royal
family, "With your permission."
She had secretly hoped that Van would actually greet her himself. She
scrutinised the appearance of the man before her from head to toe as she
tightened her thin shawl around her perfect shoulders. She shivered with
mild fear as she noticed hostility in his inner countenance. Judging
from his whole attire, he was a general in rank, and perhaps one of
major noblemen of Fanelia Kingdom. His blond hair looked silvery under
the sun, and the patch he wore on his left eye increased the menacing
feeling he had emanated since the first time their eyes met. He
possessed the bluest eye she had ever seen, and his face was beautiful.
And despite her worries, his manner toward her was flawless and his
outer appearance was non-menacing at all.
Leaning a little bit more inside the coach, she gave him a measured look
and asked for his name in calm voice. The discipline of a princess that
her governess had instilled her since she was little forbade her to show
any hints of emotion in front of a total stranger. It was one of the
moments Ardine was thankful of her station as a princess.
"Who are you?" she asked him, her eyes half closed in scrutiny.
"Gaudi. Gaudi Jenaro de Fanel, Your Highness." Lowering his hand to his
side, he gave the princess a perfect bow, although his eyes never left
hers even for a moment. He had condemned the princess the moment he
learnt the reason of her existence inside the wall of Fanelia's castle.
However, honour had prevented him from acting on impulse, and respect
toward his king cousin made him struggle to treat the princess as decent
as possible. Nevertheless, She was a princess and a royal guest, and she
had every right to be treated as equal to any of Fanelia's other royal
guests.
There was a heavy silence between them before the princess calmly asked
for more details, "Any relationship to the current King of Fanelia?"
"I'm his cousin, Your Highness."
Brushing her silky hair aside, she nodded to herself and extended her
hand, waiting for Gaudi to help her step down. Quickly Gaudi intercepted
her hand, and the princess hopped down from the coach gracefully, her
flowing cape rustling behind. Smoothing her stylish hair carefully, she
turned to face the man beside her and remarked dryly, "I assumed that
your king would be present to greet me, the crown princess of Ispano,
but it seems to him that my visit is nothing of importance." With that,
she pursed her lower lips in annoyance and added, "What a shame."
"The king has more important matters to attend to, I'm afraid." Gaudi
replied coldly, a tight and cordial smile appearing on his stony face.
He had gestured for his men to help the ladies-in-waiting of Princess
Ardine and her other servants, along with numerous guards that she
brought from the land of Ispano, to settle down as quickly as possible.
Matching his steps with the princess' pace, he smiled graciously at her
indignant expression, despite the boiling emotions in his mind.
"I demanded that two of my handmaidens, Alia and Midia, are to be
stationed in the same bedchamber as I am going to be in. And I expect no
less treatment from the household of the Fanel." She haughtily
intercepted as she watched Gaudi giving out orders to his retainers, and
nodded in satisfaction as he complied to her order immediately. As her
private handmaids, she had never been separated from the other two
girls. They had been her private bodyguards as well as her friends.
They continued their walk through the main corridor of the castle, but
said nothing to each other. Each was too busy with their own thoughts to
be bothered with the other's presence. However, the silence didn't
continue for long.
Halting her steps all of sudden, she stared at Gaudi in annoyance
although she kept intact with etiquette. "I demanded that I meet him
now. I am here because of his invitation and..."
"I apologise for interrupting you, Your Highness, but the king is busy
arranging his...private matters right now." Gaudi couldn't help but
emphasised on the words private matters, "He will certainly finish soon
if you seek an audience with him. I'll inform His Majesty about your
arrival shortly after I walk you to your private suite." With that, he
resumed his pace, but the young woman refused to give up.
"I'm promised by my king father to Van, as his queen wife. I hope you
would not be as foolish as to dismiss this as merely an unimportant
visit. This visit carries some political weight too, I remind you."
Squaring her shoulders proudly, she began to prompt him further.
However, nothing could persuade Gaudi once he decided his stance.
Shaking his head in mock weariness, he bowed once more to the princess
and told her firmly, "Princess, I'm afraid I have to tell you this:
wife-to-be or not, the king is not to be disturbed. Now, let us go to
your suite, or show you around, if you wish."
"Very...well, then..." frowning to herself, she followed Gaudi without
another word. Sometimes silence was worthwhile. She was going to meet
Van soon. And she meant very soon.
She always got what she desired, and she would ensure that everybody
around her recognised her determined trait.
-----
"Gentlemen, I have an announcement."
Leaning heavily upon the council desk, Van scanned the whole room with
his alert ruby eyes, smiling ironically as he noticed the anguished
expression that his grand councillors wore. He was aware of their
restlessness since the day he announced that his choice of queen, but he
was determined not to be deterred by their disagreeing nature. Gaudi
stood beside him, arms akimbo. His face was cold and stony as usual. He
had just finished his duty of welcoming the royal guest of Ispano, who
had arrived on the same day, and arranged the accommodation for the
princess and her followers. He merely told Van that the princess had
arrived, and then went to his usual spot beside Van as he did whenever a
council was being held. Van smirked despite the anticipation that began
to heighten the tension in the room. The reason why he had valued Gaudi
so much was his ability to adapt to various situations. Like a
chameleon, Gaudi possessed the most ability to hide his emotions behind
his poker face, resulting in his brilliance in confronting diplomatic
affairs or even things like what he was about to announce.
"My queen," nodding in satisfaction, Van continued without the slightest
remorse, "will be a woman who satisfies my criteria. She shall be kind,
gentle, well educated and...someone that really supports my position not
only as a king, but also as a man." He straightened his back and
breathed out the last sentence he had prepared since the moment he
decided to propose to Hitomi a long time ago, "The one that could
understand my obsession, and most importantly, myself."
A hand was raised in the air, and Van nodded briefly to Gardia's
direction, granting him a chance to speak, "Yes, Gardia?"
Slowly the elderly man raised to his feet, wise and calm as ever,
"Forgive me for interrupting, Your Majesty, but it is presumed that the
prime candidate we're talking about is Lady Hitomi."
"That is indeed the fact, Gardia." Van nodded solemnly, and then lowered
himself back onto his seat. He observed the faces of his advisory board
one by one, attempting to catch any hint of confusion or of...guilt, but
he didn't see any. Either they concealed it perfectly or they simply
didn't feel anything.
Composed, Gardia looked directly into Van's eyes with his own massive
black eyes, holding secrecy of their own. "Hitomi Kanzaki," he slowly
stated, deliberately abandoning the use of honorific 'Lady' before
Hitomi's name, "is not of nobility, therefore she is not suitable for
the role of your queen, Sire."
Waving Gardia's comment off impatiently, Van defended his wife-to-be,
"There is no importance in the term 'nobility' in Hitomi's world,
according to her. Nobles or commoners don't make any difference. They're
treated all the same there."
"It does distinct from one another, Your Majesty," defiantly Gardia
interjected, "Nobles and commoners are very different in status. Hitomi
Kanzaki simply cannot perform the task of a queen because she doesn't
possess the one and foremost education that allows her to act as one,
and..."
"She is a charming, beautiful and intelligent lady, possessing heaps of
more qualities that made her position as a queen even more secured than
those damned giggling ladies from all over Gaea whom you've offered me."
Van retorted back almost vehemently. His eyes blazed with anger over the
fact that his advisory board had such a low faith of his own ability to
decide what was right for his life. They were apparently blinded by the
glory of social status and refused to acknowledge the right thing to do.
"And she once saved the whole of Gaea from destruction. The public would
love her image. " Van added his final touch, smirking in disgust at his
chief counsellor's stubbornness.
Gardia inhaled deeply and lowered his old body carefully, exhausted from
his recent arguments with his king. Boldly he shot Van an accusing look,
radiating his annoyance without hesitation. He had known Van since he
was a baby, and the boy would listen to him. He did and planned all of
this for the benefit of Fanelia, therefore he wouldn't have the young
king marry some girl from the Phantom Moon and ruin his whole plan. Van
had to marry the Ispanian princess. "We cannot guarantee that this
Phantom Moon woman will satisfy the benefit of Fanelia, Your Majesty.
You must remember mostly that you're the king of Fanelia. You cannot
turn your back from your own people. You have to marry for the sake of
Fanelia!" He said between his teeth, holding back his own anger.
Van leaned back on his seat; he looked exhausted as well. His eyes were
fixed on Gardia solely as he retorted back calmly, "I am doing this for
the benefit of Fanelia, Gardia. If I am not compatible with my queen,
therefore I couldn't possibly rule this country at my best, together
with her."
Another member of the advisory board raised his hand, asking him for the
permission to speak, and Van nodded in affirmation. He was a middle-aged
man named Edgiggar, one of the most respected members of the council,
for his wise advice was always valued highly by the young king.
"Thank You, m'lord," he nodded solemnly at Van, then continued to tell
him his opinion, "I only wish to express one thing. I think you're right
about charm and intelligence," Van's face brightened at this, "but let
us not forget that bloodline is also important. Of course, we don't want
to repeat what has happened twenty five years ago, Your Majesty." In a
flash of moment, Van thought Gaudi was stiffened, but he dismissed the
thought. He didn't really know about the story behind Gaudi's birth, and
he didn't want to know. He let his cousin keep his past to himself. All
he knew was that Gaudi would always be loyal to him, and it was enough
for him. He did hear bits and pieces about Gaudi's dark past, but he
never investigated it further.
"And please remember the conflict of the marriage between your deceased
father and mother, King Van." added Edgiggar firmly, addressing Van
purposely by his title, hoping that the young king would realise his
position and followed what his advisory board had to say. Pity. He
actually liked Hitomi very much; her charm and wit amazed him, and he
could sit together hours and hours only to talk about serious matters
the ladies of the court usually would avoid. However, Gardia was right.
It would be a grave mistake if Van took Hitomi as his wife. His image in
front of the eyes of other rulers in Gaea would be degraded by tainting
his own royal blood with the blood of a race unknown to this world.
Hell, they didn't even know the way people in the Phantom Moon lived. At
least they still could investigate the ways of Ispano since the land was
not as far away from Fanelia as the Phantom Moon was.
Inhaling deeply and hoping that his young king's hot-blooded temper
wouldn't be evoked 'til the very last moment, he added indifferently,
"There is enough of these mixed blood cases in the court of Fanelia."
Van shot upright from his seat, his eyes ablaze with fury, but he was
actually calmed down when Gaudi's hand held his shoulder's firmly and
forced him to sit back. He looked at his cousin askance, then nodded
when he saw something glinting in his ocean blue eyes. Relaxing his body
against the soft cushion of the seat, he once again regained his self-
composure and mocked, "Any other objection? Or perhaps useless advice?"
"Your Majesty, you'd better consider Princess Ardine from the House of
Ramzaz. She is the crown princess of the second most powerful country,
after Asturia, and unity with Ispano should give us a more secure
position politically and economically, or perhaps even in military."
said another member as the whole council nodded in agreement.
Slamming his fist on the table, Van's rage was unstoppable. Control was
what made him endure all the hardship that his advisory board had given
him. "That's enough!" he hissed, giving everyone a warning look that
clearly told them to be silent, "Not another word regarding this matter.
I will marry Hitomi in a few days and I order you to prepare the wedding
immediately. Is that clear?"
Some of them nodded hesitantly while the others looked at each other
with slight worries written all over their face. Van wondered what was
going on in their heads. He looked at Gaudi from the corner of his eyes
and saw his cousin snicker in amusement, although he knew that the other
tried to conceal it. The twinkle in his eyes told him that he enjoyed
the whole procession.
"Yes...Sire," Gardia murmured softly after a pregnant silence, giving up
the task of changing his young king's mind. He had no choice but obeying
his king's orders at the moment.
Wiping the sweat on his brow with the back of his hand, Van walked to
the door and opened it, ready to step out of the council room. He was
very surprised when he found a girl in her late teens, standing in front
of him with a stunned expression written all over her face. She must
have heard the entire conversation regarding his upcoming marriage.
Gaudi, following Van behind, gasped and rushed to the young king's side;
his face was suddenly in distress, exclaiming, "Your Highness, what are
you doing here?!"
Hands flying to her mouth, Ardine stuttered, "I...I am..."
Still somewhat dazed by the whole happenings, Van could only whisper the
princess' name, "Princess Ardine?" Then, somewhat still in his earlier
rage, he unconsciously bellowed at the princess, causing her to jump a
step back. "What are you doing here, eavesdropping in front of my
council room? This place is not for a young girl like you!"
"I...I..." Strange. Her confidence slipped easily in front of the tall man
whom all people regarded as King Van. However, something else started to
build up inside her mind. Anger. She had heard everything concerning
Van's refusal to marry her, and now she felt disgraced all over. She was
a crown princess and she didn't deserve this treatment. Didn't King Van
know that once an Ispanian lady was sent over to a suitor's place, that
meant...oh, she was very ashamed of herself, and she didn't know how to
face her own father and the people of her country. They would mock her
to death! Oh, that was better, no, they would banish her to an
uninhabited island and she had to survive on her own there.
"Please go back to your room. We'll meet again if you're up to an
audience, but later. Gaudi will escort you back." Van's icy politeness
was like a dagger to her heart, and she could almost hear her pride
scream in agony. "Van. Don't." She could hear Gaudi whispered in the
young king's ear and caught a hint of sympathy in his voice, but she
didn't care. Van had hurt her pride deeply by disregarding her and
choosing another woman to marry.
Bravely, the girl looked up with her icy blue eyes and swung her hand in
the air. The sound of her palm slapping Van's cheek was echoing
throughout the corridor, bringing the every present person to gasp in
horror.
"I am the Princess of Ispano!" Ardine growled slowly, but clearly; her
chest was heaving up and down. She was aware of the consequence of
slapping a king - for it was not only a huge breach of etiquette, but
might also result in war - but her pride urged her to do so. She
couldn't bear the humiliation. She ran away from the spot then, feeling
disgusted at herself and the people around her. Van only stood regally
at his spot, wiping a trickle of blood drawn when the impact of the slap
crushed his lips to his teeth. Quietly he looked at Gaudi, asking for
his opinion. His cousin was still looking at the princess' back, and his
eyes were somehow softened with sympathy. May be the princess did need
the sympathy.
"I will apologise to her," whispered Van before he whirled around,
leaving the whole council behind in bewilderment; his cape was rustling
behind him. Hearing that, Gaudi could only shook his head in amusement
and smiled. No matter what, he could trust Van to do the right thing. He
believed his king cousin could amend the relationship between Fanelia
and Ispano, although it was, by all means, not an easy task.
-----
Hitomi could see pain clouded Merle's features as she told her about
Van's marriage proposal several nights ago. It took some time for her to
decide whether to leak the news to the cat woman or not, although Van
had assured her that Merle would eventually be aware of this issue, due
to the official announcement of their future wedding. He also assured
her he would talk to Merle personally. Both of them were conscious about
the feelings the cat woman harboured toward Van. Nevertheless, Hitomi
chose to inform the other the news herself, simply because she had
considered Merle such a good friend that she couldn't stand the thought
of Merle in deep grief. She wanted to assure everything was clear and
all right for the girl, and she would do anything to lessen Merle's
burden.
Shaking Merle's shoulder slightly, she softly asked her companion,
"Merle, are you all right?"
The cat woman gave her a shaky smile and took her other hand in hers,
looking directly into her eyes. Unshed tears were brimming on her large
blue eyes, hollow with sorrow. "I knew he would choose you over me
sooner or later, Hitomi." She whispered softly, almost inaudible, "I've
always been aware of his innermost feelings all these years. He yearned
for you most of the time. I have no place in his heart as a prospect of
a new love." She made a gesture as if she was going to brush her fringe
aside, but skilfully wiped away the tears that threatened to roll down
unknowingly to Hitomi. "Besides," she added, her face was hardened with
resolution, "I know my place. I am a cat woman, and I am different from
Lord Van physically and in status. You would make a far better queen
than me, Hitomi."
"Merle, please stop..." Hitomi plead dejectedly as she gathered the cat
woman in her hands. Merle's confession wrenched her heart. Why should
they build their happiness upon the other's agony? Her heart screamed
for an answer. An answer that she would never have. She fully realised
that grief and sacrifice were part of the chains of life, that complete
happiness was a scarce and precious thing, something that people rarely
achieved. To be happy, sometimes she had to hurt someone. She merely
wished to be with Van. She never wished to hurt another.
Wiping her own tears away, Merle sank herself onto one of the benches
that were scattered around the royal garden, then whispered, almost to
herself, "I'll be fine. Really. I've prepared myself to handle a
situation like this long time ago." She lifted her face, then told
Hitomi, "It might take a little bit too long to heal, but I shall attend
your wedding. After all, both of you happen to be the best friends I've
ever had in this world."
Hitomi, smiling tenderly, opened her arms as Merle threw herself into
her arms and hugged the cat woman tightly. There was no hatred over a
lost love shown between them. What existed was merely a deep and bonding
friendship, reinforced by trust and honesty to each other. They knew
that, whatever happened, they would stay best friends until the very
end.
"Let's go back to the castle." Hitomi detached herself from Merle and
reached for her hand, guiding her to the direction of the castle.
Merle was about to open her mouth to answer Hitomi when her sharp eyes
saw a girl running toward them without noticing the path she took. She
was running toward Hitomi.
"Hitomi! Look out!" Instinctively, she pushed Hitomi out of the way, but
ended up colliding with the girl. She stumbled to the hard ground, but
managed to grab the girl's wrist and dragged her down as well. Her
feline instincts were what saved the cat woman from completely banged to
the ground. However, unlike her, the other girl hit herself pretty
badly.
Merle brushed the dirt off her skirt as the younger girl on her feet was
still nursing the impact of the crash. Hitomi crouch on the ground,
fussing over the unfortunate girl. "Are you all right?"
The girl, who happened to be Ardine, jumped to her feet and slapped
Merle across her face. Of course, her first reaction over the whole
situation was anger. "Idiot!" she spat as she rubbed her hand on her
billowy skirt, looking as if she was afraid slapping the cat woman would
tarnish her hand, "Someone must punish you for that one foolish action!"
"Why you little...!"
Merle was more than ready to scream back at the haughty princess, but
Hitomi extended a hand in front of her and motioned her to let the whole
commotion go.
"Are you all right?" Turning to face the princess once again, Hitomi
repeated her question and offered her a friendly smile. Ardine, never in
her life having someone talk to her in such a gentle manner, looked up
in curiosity and found a pair of eyes shining with worry...and tenderness
of a mother. And then...she found that she was looking into her own self.
She was gaping in amazement as she saw her own features carved on the
other's face, except that the latter looked older. Of course, there were
some major distinctions, but they still resembled each other.
The other woman's eyes softened as she saw confusion in her eyes, then
smiled profoundly as she offered her hand to help her up. From her spot,
Merle edged nearer to the princess and gave her a measured look. She
didn't like the way Hitomi treated the girl, after what she had done to
her. However, she kept her mouth shut wisely and let Hitomi handle the
situation.
Not knowing exactly what to say, Ardine darted her eyes around and
gasped inwardly once she had a good look at the woman she bumped into.
She was a cat woman! Never before had she seen a cat-human in less than
two feet of distance. Animal men were forbidden around the palace and
were only to be employed as lowly servants or slaves.
"Can you walk? Your ankle seems a bit swollen," her attention was once
again diverted back to Hitomi and nodded briefly. She took her hand and
got up slowly to her feet, her eyes never left the other's absorbing
ones. Strange, her confidence seemed to be gradually lessened and
lessened in front of the older woman. However, there was a strange warm
aura emanated from her that managed to bring comfort to the princess'
heart. Ardine decidedly thought that she liked the lady before her.
"What is your name?" she inquired without the authority that she usually
displayed when she questioned someone, but with the timidness of a young
girl.
"My name is..."
"Hitomi!"
Ardine whipped her head around to see Van trailing behind her, his fine
features darkened with grim expression. She was too stunned to run from
Van, so she merely stood by 'Hitomi' and decided to wait and see what
would happen.
"Van!"
Ardine frowned as she saw the happy expression that Hitomi wore on her
face upon Van's arrival and the way she addressed him by his first name,
not by his title, but she remained silent. Was she a noble woman? Or,
even better, was she a royal as well, Van's little sister? Even the cat
woman greeted Van with such an at ease manner that an animal-man in her
kingdom would not display toward the royal in normal circumstances.
She felt rather out of place all of sudden. Seeing warmth in the little
group made her nervousness grow inside her. She knew that she was a
stranger and possessed different customs, and...suddenly she felt
insecure. She didn't understand the reason, but her intuition told her
something would happen very soon, and it wouldn't be nice. Playing with
the end of her braid, she waited for Van to take a notice on her. There
were plenty of chances to escape, but she refused to run away. There was
no turning back. She had to know what Van had to say about his
relationship with this particular lady, especially when they seemed to
be close.
But...
She was afraid of the answer.
She was almost afraid of...her own reaction.
-----
Ok guys, I introduce my first antagonist here...hope you'll like her a
bit. Hehehe...^o^
Email me?
The young princess looked at her surroundings haughtily. Her cherry red
lips curved up in satisfaction as the guards of Fanelia who had hailed
her arrival stole glances of hidden admiration at her, dazed by her
natural beauty. She was indeed beautiful, and she had been aware and
proud of the fact for as long as she could remember. Everybody had
praised her for that quality alone, and many bards in the lands of Gaea
had sung sweet ballads about her extraordinary beauty. She was the most
prized jewel in the land of Ispano - the greatest gift ever to be sought
by noblemen in the entire realm of Gaea, for whomever might have a
chance to win her shall be the sole ruler of the Ispano islands. She was
a perfect match for a king, namely the King of Fanelia.
She possessed the most exquisite, crystal-clear blue eyes and a
refreshing graceful atmosphere around her, which she flaunted with every
gesture she made. Her crimson full lips always curved up in a sinister
smile, and her hair was silky black curtain, falling to her back,
accentuated by diamond pins and golden headband. Her bronze skin was
shiny under the glare of Fanelia's sun, but the excitement that bubbled
in her chest made her oblivious of the heat. She had longed for her
first meeting with Van Slanzar de Fanel, the youngest king of Fanelia to
succeed the throne ever.
Her expectations were high, for she had heard many ballads praising his
legendary deeds and heroic attitude in stopping the Great War several
years ago. She had been a little girl of ten then, exiled in the
luxurious prison called a castle, while Zaibach Military Forces took
over what was left of Ispano. Fortunately, Ispano had been left
relatively undamaged by the last war, and as soon as Zaibach Empire
weakened, her father, the king, had led a rebellion against the empire
and come out the winner. Rebuilding was an easy task. Within two years,
Ispano had emerged as one of the most powerful countries in the
continent after Asturia.
She wondered how Van would look after several years had passed. His last
visit was about six years ago, and it was purely for diplomatic affairs.
The young king had requested her king father's aid in rebuilding
Fanelia, and in turn Fanelia would be Ispano's ally. Her king father had
generously offered his aid to the young king, hoping they could
reinforce any future relationship with her as his queen. The young king
had accepted Ispano's aid without hesitation, but somehow he managed to
steer clear from the old king's aspiration to forge a marriage union
between Ispano and Fanelia. The relationship didn't develop as what her
king father had expected before, for Fanelia had maintained some
politically safe distance from Ispano and refused to become involved in
Ispano's further political matters.
Ardine had admired the young king so much that she always trailed behind
him whenever she had a chance to talk to him. She was innocent and free
then as a child - free of her confining golden suite, free of the
restricting rules of a marriageable lady that was forced upon every
young Ispanian lady. Van would respond to her in a gentle, paternal
manner, or sometimes with sad longing in his eyes. Whenever she asked
him what had bothered him, he would only smile ironically and answered
politely, "Sometimes you can never put your entire past behind you,
indeed. You remind me of someone, little princess."
However, no matter how much that certain someone resembled her, she was
certain that she would best the person. No one could or would compete
with the mighty crown princess of Ispano. She wasn't born a crown
princess for nothing. In her, she carried the blood of her ascendants,
with the talent of sharp wit and a gift of cunning swordplay.
"Your highness," a man's dry voice awakened her from her daydreaming.
She snapped her head up in anticipation, but was very disappointed as
she finally had a good look of her attendant. He held out his hand for
her, waiting for her to accept it patiently. Clearly he was a man of
high rank with high familiarity of the proper protocol in the royal
family, "With your permission."
She had secretly hoped that Van would actually greet her himself. She
scrutinised the appearance of the man before her from head to toe as she
tightened her thin shawl around her perfect shoulders. She shivered with
mild fear as she noticed hostility in his inner countenance. Judging
from his whole attire, he was a general in rank, and perhaps one of
major noblemen of Fanelia Kingdom. His blond hair looked silvery under
the sun, and the patch he wore on his left eye increased the menacing
feeling he had emanated since the first time their eyes met. He
possessed the bluest eye she had ever seen, and his face was beautiful.
And despite her worries, his manner toward her was flawless and his
outer appearance was non-menacing at all.
Leaning a little bit more inside the coach, she gave him a measured look
and asked for his name in calm voice. The discipline of a princess that
her governess had instilled her since she was little forbade her to show
any hints of emotion in front of a total stranger. It was one of the
moments Ardine was thankful of her station as a princess.
"Who are you?" she asked him, her eyes half closed in scrutiny.
"Gaudi. Gaudi Jenaro de Fanel, Your Highness." Lowering his hand to his
side, he gave the princess a perfect bow, although his eyes never left
hers even for a moment. He had condemned the princess the moment he
learnt the reason of her existence inside the wall of Fanelia's castle.
However, honour had prevented him from acting on impulse, and respect
toward his king cousin made him struggle to treat the princess as decent
as possible. Nevertheless, She was a princess and a royal guest, and she
had every right to be treated as equal to any of Fanelia's other royal
guests.
There was a heavy silence between them before the princess calmly asked
for more details, "Any relationship to the current King of Fanelia?"
"I'm his cousin, Your Highness."
Brushing her silky hair aside, she nodded to herself and extended her
hand, waiting for Gaudi to help her step down. Quickly Gaudi intercepted
her hand, and the princess hopped down from the coach gracefully, her
flowing cape rustling behind. Smoothing her stylish hair carefully, she
turned to face the man beside her and remarked dryly, "I assumed that
your king would be present to greet me, the crown princess of Ispano,
but it seems to him that my visit is nothing of importance." With that,
she pursed her lower lips in annoyance and added, "What a shame."
"The king has more important matters to attend to, I'm afraid." Gaudi
replied coldly, a tight and cordial smile appearing on his stony face.
He had gestured for his men to help the ladies-in-waiting of Princess
Ardine and her other servants, along with numerous guards that she
brought from the land of Ispano, to settle down as quickly as possible.
Matching his steps with the princess' pace, he smiled graciously at her
indignant expression, despite the boiling emotions in his mind.
"I demanded that two of my handmaidens, Alia and Midia, are to be
stationed in the same bedchamber as I am going to be in. And I expect no
less treatment from the household of the Fanel." She haughtily
intercepted as she watched Gaudi giving out orders to his retainers, and
nodded in satisfaction as he complied to her order immediately. As her
private handmaids, she had never been separated from the other two
girls. They had been her private bodyguards as well as her friends.
They continued their walk through the main corridor of the castle, but
said nothing to each other. Each was too busy with their own thoughts to
be bothered with the other's presence. However, the silence didn't
continue for long.
Halting her steps all of sudden, she stared at Gaudi in annoyance
although she kept intact with etiquette. "I demanded that I meet him
now. I am here because of his invitation and..."
"I apologise for interrupting you, Your Highness, but the king is busy
arranging his...private matters right now." Gaudi couldn't help but
emphasised on the words private matters, "He will certainly finish soon
if you seek an audience with him. I'll inform His Majesty about your
arrival shortly after I walk you to your private suite." With that, he
resumed his pace, but the young woman refused to give up.
"I'm promised by my king father to Van, as his queen wife. I hope you
would not be as foolish as to dismiss this as merely an unimportant
visit. This visit carries some political weight too, I remind you."
Squaring her shoulders proudly, she began to prompt him further.
However, nothing could persuade Gaudi once he decided his stance.
Shaking his head in mock weariness, he bowed once more to the princess
and told her firmly, "Princess, I'm afraid I have to tell you this:
wife-to-be or not, the king is not to be disturbed. Now, let us go to
your suite, or show you around, if you wish."
"Very...well, then..." frowning to herself, she followed Gaudi without
another word. Sometimes silence was worthwhile. She was going to meet
Van soon. And she meant very soon.
She always got what she desired, and she would ensure that everybody
around her recognised her determined trait.
-----
"Gentlemen, I have an announcement."
Leaning heavily upon the council desk, Van scanned the whole room with
his alert ruby eyes, smiling ironically as he noticed the anguished
expression that his grand councillors wore. He was aware of their
restlessness since the day he announced that his choice of queen, but he
was determined not to be deterred by their disagreeing nature. Gaudi
stood beside him, arms akimbo. His face was cold and stony as usual. He
had just finished his duty of welcoming the royal guest of Ispano, who
had arrived on the same day, and arranged the accommodation for the
princess and her followers. He merely told Van that the princess had
arrived, and then went to his usual spot beside Van as he did whenever a
council was being held. Van smirked despite the anticipation that began
to heighten the tension in the room. The reason why he had valued Gaudi
so much was his ability to adapt to various situations. Like a
chameleon, Gaudi possessed the most ability to hide his emotions behind
his poker face, resulting in his brilliance in confronting diplomatic
affairs or even things like what he was about to announce.
"My queen," nodding in satisfaction, Van continued without the slightest
remorse, "will be a woman who satisfies my criteria. She shall be kind,
gentle, well educated and...someone that really supports my position not
only as a king, but also as a man." He straightened his back and
breathed out the last sentence he had prepared since the moment he
decided to propose to Hitomi a long time ago, "The one that could
understand my obsession, and most importantly, myself."
A hand was raised in the air, and Van nodded briefly to Gardia's
direction, granting him a chance to speak, "Yes, Gardia?"
Slowly the elderly man raised to his feet, wise and calm as ever,
"Forgive me for interrupting, Your Majesty, but it is presumed that the
prime candidate we're talking about is Lady Hitomi."
"That is indeed the fact, Gardia." Van nodded solemnly, and then lowered
himself back onto his seat. He observed the faces of his advisory board
one by one, attempting to catch any hint of confusion or of...guilt, but
he didn't see any. Either they concealed it perfectly or they simply
didn't feel anything.
Composed, Gardia looked directly into Van's eyes with his own massive
black eyes, holding secrecy of their own. "Hitomi Kanzaki," he slowly
stated, deliberately abandoning the use of honorific 'Lady' before
Hitomi's name, "is not of nobility, therefore she is not suitable for
the role of your queen, Sire."
Waving Gardia's comment off impatiently, Van defended his wife-to-be,
"There is no importance in the term 'nobility' in Hitomi's world,
according to her. Nobles or commoners don't make any difference. They're
treated all the same there."
"It does distinct from one another, Your Majesty," defiantly Gardia
interjected, "Nobles and commoners are very different in status. Hitomi
Kanzaki simply cannot perform the task of a queen because she doesn't
possess the one and foremost education that allows her to act as one,
and..."
"She is a charming, beautiful and intelligent lady, possessing heaps of
more qualities that made her position as a queen even more secured than
those damned giggling ladies from all over Gaea whom you've offered me."
Van retorted back almost vehemently. His eyes blazed with anger over the
fact that his advisory board had such a low faith of his own ability to
decide what was right for his life. They were apparently blinded by the
glory of social status and refused to acknowledge the right thing to do.
"And she once saved the whole of Gaea from destruction. The public would
love her image. " Van added his final touch, smirking in disgust at his
chief counsellor's stubbornness.
Gardia inhaled deeply and lowered his old body carefully, exhausted from
his recent arguments with his king. Boldly he shot Van an accusing look,
radiating his annoyance without hesitation. He had known Van since he
was a baby, and the boy would listen to him. He did and planned all of
this for the benefit of Fanelia, therefore he wouldn't have the young
king marry some girl from the Phantom Moon and ruin his whole plan. Van
had to marry the Ispanian princess. "We cannot guarantee that this
Phantom Moon woman will satisfy the benefit of Fanelia, Your Majesty.
You must remember mostly that you're the king of Fanelia. You cannot
turn your back from your own people. You have to marry for the sake of
Fanelia!" He said between his teeth, holding back his own anger.
Van leaned back on his seat; he looked exhausted as well. His eyes were
fixed on Gardia solely as he retorted back calmly, "I am doing this for
the benefit of Fanelia, Gardia. If I am not compatible with my queen,
therefore I couldn't possibly rule this country at my best, together
with her."
Another member of the advisory board raised his hand, asking him for the
permission to speak, and Van nodded in affirmation. He was a middle-aged
man named Edgiggar, one of the most respected members of the council,
for his wise advice was always valued highly by the young king.
"Thank You, m'lord," he nodded solemnly at Van, then continued to tell
him his opinion, "I only wish to express one thing. I think you're right
about charm and intelligence," Van's face brightened at this, "but let
us not forget that bloodline is also important. Of course, we don't want
to repeat what has happened twenty five years ago, Your Majesty." In a
flash of moment, Van thought Gaudi was stiffened, but he dismissed the
thought. He didn't really know about the story behind Gaudi's birth, and
he didn't want to know. He let his cousin keep his past to himself. All
he knew was that Gaudi would always be loyal to him, and it was enough
for him. He did hear bits and pieces about Gaudi's dark past, but he
never investigated it further.
"And please remember the conflict of the marriage between your deceased
father and mother, King Van." added Edgiggar firmly, addressing Van
purposely by his title, hoping that the young king would realise his
position and followed what his advisory board had to say. Pity. He
actually liked Hitomi very much; her charm and wit amazed him, and he
could sit together hours and hours only to talk about serious matters
the ladies of the court usually would avoid. However, Gardia was right.
It would be a grave mistake if Van took Hitomi as his wife. His image in
front of the eyes of other rulers in Gaea would be degraded by tainting
his own royal blood with the blood of a race unknown to this world.
Hell, they didn't even know the way people in the Phantom Moon lived. At
least they still could investigate the ways of Ispano since the land was
not as far away from Fanelia as the Phantom Moon was.
Inhaling deeply and hoping that his young king's hot-blooded temper
wouldn't be evoked 'til the very last moment, he added indifferently,
"There is enough of these mixed blood cases in the court of Fanelia."
Van shot upright from his seat, his eyes ablaze with fury, but he was
actually calmed down when Gaudi's hand held his shoulder's firmly and
forced him to sit back. He looked at his cousin askance, then nodded
when he saw something glinting in his ocean blue eyes. Relaxing his body
against the soft cushion of the seat, he once again regained his self-
composure and mocked, "Any other objection? Or perhaps useless advice?"
"Your Majesty, you'd better consider Princess Ardine from the House of
Ramzaz. She is the crown princess of the second most powerful country,
after Asturia, and unity with Ispano should give us a more secure
position politically and economically, or perhaps even in military."
said another member as the whole council nodded in agreement.
Slamming his fist on the table, Van's rage was unstoppable. Control was
what made him endure all the hardship that his advisory board had given
him. "That's enough!" he hissed, giving everyone a warning look that
clearly told them to be silent, "Not another word regarding this matter.
I will marry Hitomi in a few days and I order you to prepare the wedding
immediately. Is that clear?"
Some of them nodded hesitantly while the others looked at each other
with slight worries written all over their face. Van wondered what was
going on in their heads. He looked at Gaudi from the corner of his eyes
and saw his cousin snicker in amusement, although he knew that the other
tried to conceal it. The twinkle in his eyes told him that he enjoyed
the whole procession.
"Yes...Sire," Gardia murmured softly after a pregnant silence, giving up
the task of changing his young king's mind. He had no choice but obeying
his king's orders at the moment.
Wiping the sweat on his brow with the back of his hand, Van walked to
the door and opened it, ready to step out of the council room. He was
very surprised when he found a girl in her late teens, standing in front
of him with a stunned expression written all over her face. She must
have heard the entire conversation regarding his upcoming marriage.
Gaudi, following Van behind, gasped and rushed to the young king's side;
his face was suddenly in distress, exclaiming, "Your Highness, what are
you doing here?!"
Hands flying to her mouth, Ardine stuttered, "I...I am..."
Still somewhat dazed by the whole happenings, Van could only whisper the
princess' name, "Princess Ardine?" Then, somewhat still in his earlier
rage, he unconsciously bellowed at the princess, causing her to jump a
step back. "What are you doing here, eavesdropping in front of my
council room? This place is not for a young girl like you!"
"I...I..." Strange. Her confidence slipped easily in front of the tall man
whom all people regarded as King Van. However, something else started to
build up inside her mind. Anger. She had heard everything concerning
Van's refusal to marry her, and now she felt disgraced all over. She was
a crown princess and she didn't deserve this treatment. Didn't King Van
know that once an Ispanian lady was sent over to a suitor's place, that
meant...oh, she was very ashamed of herself, and she didn't know how to
face her own father and the people of her country. They would mock her
to death! Oh, that was better, no, they would banish her to an
uninhabited island and she had to survive on her own there.
"Please go back to your room. We'll meet again if you're up to an
audience, but later. Gaudi will escort you back." Van's icy politeness
was like a dagger to her heart, and she could almost hear her pride
scream in agony. "Van. Don't." She could hear Gaudi whispered in the
young king's ear and caught a hint of sympathy in his voice, but she
didn't care. Van had hurt her pride deeply by disregarding her and
choosing another woman to marry.
Bravely, the girl looked up with her icy blue eyes and swung her hand in
the air. The sound of her palm slapping Van's cheek was echoing
throughout the corridor, bringing the every present person to gasp in
horror.
"I am the Princess of Ispano!" Ardine growled slowly, but clearly; her
chest was heaving up and down. She was aware of the consequence of
slapping a king - for it was not only a huge breach of etiquette, but
might also result in war - but her pride urged her to do so. She
couldn't bear the humiliation. She ran away from the spot then, feeling
disgusted at herself and the people around her. Van only stood regally
at his spot, wiping a trickle of blood drawn when the impact of the slap
crushed his lips to his teeth. Quietly he looked at Gaudi, asking for
his opinion. His cousin was still looking at the princess' back, and his
eyes were somehow softened with sympathy. May be the princess did need
the sympathy.
"I will apologise to her," whispered Van before he whirled around,
leaving the whole council behind in bewilderment; his cape was rustling
behind him. Hearing that, Gaudi could only shook his head in amusement
and smiled. No matter what, he could trust Van to do the right thing. He
believed his king cousin could amend the relationship between Fanelia
and Ispano, although it was, by all means, not an easy task.
-----
Hitomi could see pain clouded Merle's features as she told her about
Van's marriage proposal several nights ago. It took some time for her to
decide whether to leak the news to the cat woman or not, although Van
had assured her that Merle would eventually be aware of this issue, due
to the official announcement of their future wedding. He also assured
her he would talk to Merle personally. Both of them were conscious about
the feelings the cat woman harboured toward Van. Nevertheless, Hitomi
chose to inform the other the news herself, simply because she had
considered Merle such a good friend that she couldn't stand the thought
of Merle in deep grief. She wanted to assure everything was clear and
all right for the girl, and she would do anything to lessen Merle's
burden.
Shaking Merle's shoulder slightly, she softly asked her companion,
"Merle, are you all right?"
The cat woman gave her a shaky smile and took her other hand in hers,
looking directly into her eyes. Unshed tears were brimming on her large
blue eyes, hollow with sorrow. "I knew he would choose you over me
sooner or later, Hitomi." She whispered softly, almost inaudible, "I've
always been aware of his innermost feelings all these years. He yearned
for you most of the time. I have no place in his heart as a prospect of
a new love." She made a gesture as if she was going to brush her fringe
aside, but skilfully wiped away the tears that threatened to roll down
unknowingly to Hitomi. "Besides," she added, her face was hardened with
resolution, "I know my place. I am a cat woman, and I am different from
Lord Van physically and in status. You would make a far better queen
than me, Hitomi."
"Merle, please stop..." Hitomi plead dejectedly as she gathered the cat
woman in her hands. Merle's confession wrenched her heart. Why should
they build their happiness upon the other's agony? Her heart screamed
for an answer. An answer that she would never have. She fully realised
that grief and sacrifice were part of the chains of life, that complete
happiness was a scarce and precious thing, something that people rarely
achieved. To be happy, sometimes she had to hurt someone. She merely
wished to be with Van. She never wished to hurt another.
Wiping her own tears away, Merle sank herself onto one of the benches
that were scattered around the royal garden, then whispered, almost to
herself, "I'll be fine. Really. I've prepared myself to handle a
situation like this long time ago." She lifted her face, then told
Hitomi, "It might take a little bit too long to heal, but I shall attend
your wedding. After all, both of you happen to be the best friends I've
ever had in this world."
Hitomi, smiling tenderly, opened her arms as Merle threw herself into
her arms and hugged the cat woman tightly. There was no hatred over a
lost love shown between them. What existed was merely a deep and bonding
friendship, reinforced by trust and honesty to each other. They knew
that, whatever happened, they would stay best friends until the very
end.
"Let's go back to the castle." Hitomi detached herself from Merle and
reached for her hand, guiding her to the direction of the castle.
Merle was about to open her mouth to answer Hitomi when her sharp eyes
saw a girl running toward them without noticing the path she took. She
was running toward Hitomi.
"Hitomi! Look out!" Instinctively, she pushed Hitomi out of the way, but
ended up colliding with the girl. She stumbled to the hard ground, but
managed to grab the girl's wrist and dragged her down as well. Her
feline instincts were what saved the cat woman from completely banged to
the ground. However, unlike her, the other girl hit herself pretty
badly.
Merle brushed the dirt off her skirt as the younger girl on her feet was
still nursing the impact of the crash. Hitomi crouch on the ground,
fussing over the unfortunate girl. "Are you all right?"
The girl, who happened to be Ardine, jumped to her feet and slapped
Merle across her face. Of course, her first reaction over the whole
situation was anger. "Idiot!" she spat as she rubbed her hand on her
billowy skirt, looking as if she was afraid slapping the cat woman would
tarnish her hand, "Someone must punish you for that one foolish action!"
"Why you little...!"
Merle was more than ready to scream back at the haughty princess, but
Hitomi extended a hand in front of her and motioned her to let the whole
commotion go.
"Are you all right?" Turning to face the princess once again, Hitomi
repeated her question and offered her a friendly smile. Ardine, never in
her life having someone talk to her in such a gentle manner, looked up
in curiosity and found a pair of eyes shining with worry...and tenderness
of a mother. And then...she found that she was looking into her own self.
She was gaping in amazement as she saw her own features carved on the
other's face, except that the latter looked older. Of course, there were
some major distinctions, but they still resembled each other.
The other woman's eyes softened as she saw confusion in her eyes, then
smiled profoundly as she offered her hand to help her up. From her spot,
Merle edged nearer to the princess and gave her a measured look. She
didn't like the way Hitomi treated the girl, after what she had done to
her. However, she kept her mouth shut wisely and let Hitomi handle the
situation.
Not knowing exactly what to say, Ardine darted her eyes around and
gasped inwardly once she had a good look at the woman she bumped into.
She was a cat woman! Never before had she seen a cat-human in less than
two feet of distance. Animal men were forbidden around the palace and
were only to be employed as lowly servants or slaves.
"Can you walk? Your ankle seems a bit swollen," her attention was once
again diverted back to Hitomi and nodded briefly. She took her hand and
got up slowly to her feet, her eyes never left the other's absorbing
ones. Strange, her confidence seemed to be gradually lessened and
lessened in front of the older woman. However, there was a strange warm
aura emanated from her that managed to bring comfort to the princess'
heart. Ardine decidedly thought that she liked the lady before her.
"What is your name?" she inquired without the authority that she usually
displayed when she questioned someone, but with the timidness of a young
girl.
"My name is..."
"Hitomi!"
Ardine whipped her head around to see Van trailing behind her, his fine
features darkened with grim expression. She was too stunned to run from
Van, so she merely stood by 'Hitomi' and decided to wait and see what
would happen.
"Van!"
Ardine frowned as she saw the happy expression that Hitomi wore on her
face upon Van's arrival and the way she addressed him by his first name,
not by his title, but she remained silent. Was she a noble woman? Or,
even better, was she a royal as well, Van's little sister? Even the cat
woman greeted Van with such an at ease manner that an animal-man in her
kingdom would not display toward the royal in normal circumstances.
She felt rather out of place all of sudden. Seeing warmth in the little
group made her nervousness grow inside her. She knew that she was a
stranger and possessed different customs, and...suddenly she felt
insecure. She didn't understand the reason, but her intuition told her
something would happen very soon, and it wouldn't be nice. Playing with
the end of her braid, she waited for Van to take a notice on her. There
were plenty of chances to escape, but she refused to run away. There was
no turning back. She had to know what Van had to say about his
relationship with this particular lady, especially when they seemed to
be close.
But...
She was afraid of the answer.
She was almost afraid of...her own reaction.
-----
Ok guys, I introduce my first antagonist here...hope you'll like her a
bit. Hehehe...^o^
Email me?