Chapter 13 : Siblings

A pair of aquamarine blue eyes were narrowed into two slits, the cold fire behind them blazing with unspoken vivacity as they swept the whole room with a vigilance of a wild tiger. A deep scowl appeared on lovely features, darkly emblazoning the fury that had been concealed beneath a cold mask of calm and indifference.

Planting one hand on her slender hips, Ardine smirked in derision as she eyed her would be assassins one by one, relaxing her stance despite their menacing attitude.

The soldiers were wearing copper coloured armour trimmed in gold with the red dragon insignia on the chest plate and pointy steel helmets.  The heavy swords were long and wide surfaced. Fanelian soldiers.

Fantastic.

Their eyes were sizzling, overflowing with the desire to kill. Or perhaps to accomplish other dishonourable deeds like torturing her before finally chopping her into pieces.

She couldn't blame them. As a matter of fact, she expected the incident to happen sooner or later. The Ispanian army had assaulted an unprepared Fanelia, driving many Fanelian soldiers and civilians to their ends. It was no wonder they wished for revenge.

Laughing humourlessly, Ardine folded her arms in front of her chest as she tilted her head to one side, waiting for the soldiers to open their attack. Quietly she signalled her two bodyguards to maintain their vigilance and ordered them to retreat behind her. She should have known better than lingering in the chamber longer than necessary, and followed the advice of her two female bodyguards. But what had she done? She couldn't believe her past war experience taught her nothing about survival. Granted, she was a little girl back then, but she had developed her own share of fears and as she witnessed the violence of war behind the gilded cage of her castle home.

Her nose flared as she sniffed the smell of singed corpses, her mind working its way out quickly as she followed a trail of black smoke entering her chamber, causing her to cough a little. The fire would soon engulf the room as well, and there was no way she would survive if she couldn't defeat the soldiers in quickly. Glancing outside briefly, she arched one fine eyebrow as she noticed the fire in the East Wing of the castle. It would spread out quickly, she was sure.

"And now, I am also a victim," saying the comment loudly at herself, the copper-skinned princess chuckled dryly and shook her head in amazement. She raised her eyes defiantly, the blue orbs sparkling as a confident smile appeared on her small lips, although grimness could also be noted there.

"Princess," A gruff voice of a soldier spoke up, vengeance barely concealed, "You bring all of this upon yourself."

Humphing, Ardine turned to look at Alia and Midia, and smiled bitterly when she saw them holding her weapons helplessly. They were afraid by the time they handed the scimitars over to her and the soldiers would attack. Alia and Midia need not have worried, for the soldiers would never attack them unless they were given a chance. And though the soldiers had this chance before them, their cowardice prevented them from meeting the regal piercing glare of Ardine, the proud Ispanian princess.

Clearing her drying throat, Ardine whipped her head back- a sheer act of bravado to mock her opponents, her braid bouncing on her back. She held her chin high, disparagingly haughty towards the armoured men before her. Showing her displeasure openly, she scoffed at them, her stance telling them that she actually believed they were nothing more than lapdogs, eager to please their king. She was aware of what was going on in their heads. They wanted reward; they wanted to be honoured.

Raising her eyes once again, she smiled sweetly this time, asking the men with a voice of a little girl, "At least you will let me to die with honour, won't you?" Cocking her head to one side, she widened her smile as she motioned Alia to bring her scimitars to her, "'Tis how honour works within the military."

Grinning, Ardine clutched both scimitars and crossed them before her chest, her slim legs pulled apart in a graceful fighting stance. Dancing, that was what she was going to do. And if she was going to perform the sword dance, she might as well draw some blood. But she was never afraid. Those people, older than she was, were pathetic. Cowardly. They didn't possess the guts to face a young princess single-handedly.

"I am ready. You may attempt to kill me."

The soldiers didn't need to be prompted twice. With ear-splitting war cries, they aimed for the slender bronze neck of the Ispanian Princess. They were going to win. They outnumbered Ardine's party twelve to three.

Ardine laughed mirthlessly as she dodged her very first assailant, her braid whirling like the wind as she arched her body back and flaunted her catlike grace. She readied herself to thrust her scimitar upward to deliver a blow guaranteed to strike down her opponent.

However, her eyes widened as she noticed a disturbing little mark beneath the dark bangs of the man. It was a little crimson mark between his eyebrows, and Ardine knew what it meant.

It was a facade! 

Ardine saw through it, and her eyes widened in shock and anger.

Only her people wore red spots like those. They were all Ispanian in disguise, their skin had been powdered to conceal their identity, their battle technique polished and modified to match the Fanelian attires. But they were far from perfect.

Ardine's face was pale as she realised what this meant.

They were assassins sent from her very own country.

And the war…

It was only a scheme - an almost perfect scheme.

Clearly it included an assassination attempt on her life. That and may be something else, something that was part of an even greater design.  A design that she would not be a part of, thus necessitating her demise.  She couldn't help but wonder if her father planned all of this.

At the first clank of swords, Ardine whimpered as hot tears stung her eyes. 


Beads of sweat rolled down his cheek as Gaudi coursed through the corridor of the West Wing of the castle, his eyes darting to his left and right as he skimmed his surrounding, looking for that someone who might need his assistance. Just then, he encountered a group of ladies in waiting, apparently in the service of Queen Millerna of Asturia.  They were huddled together like frightened cats, holding each other and whimpering in fear. Obviously they had never been in a real war situation.

Smirking slightly, he quickened his pace and continued his quest as he heard another explosion a few miles away, thanking the Gods that the west part of the castle was still intact. He wondered how she was reacting to the commotion. Would she be nailed to the floor, mourning her misfortune before panic came over her- just like those ladies? Gaudi shook his head.

No.

The princess had more sense than she appeared to have.

She would've hidden herself by now, if he knew her well enough. She was not the kind to be scared off easily. In the end she would fight to the end.

He was deeply concerned about her well being. After all, the princess was an Ispanian, and as strong as her Ispanian bodyguards were, they would not be able to protect their princess' poor wretched soul if she remained in the den of Fanelian tigers. She was now in the enemy's camp. How unfortunate.

The assault might not be her fault, but she was part of it somehow. He had quietly stationed some spies to monitor all her movements.  Not a single day passed to find her sparing time to write to her father to inform him about her 'misfortune'. Apparently, as the heiress of the Ispano throne, she was well aware of the consequences if she decided to inform the king about Van's refusal to marry her. There could be a war between the two kingdoms.

What could have been was now a reality.

One was happening right now, at this very moment. Its aroma, a mixture of the smell of blood and smoke, caused his bile to rise to his throat. The sight of bodies littering the castle's granite floor made his head swim as his heart was engulfed in a white hot rage as he watched Ispanian guymelefs slaughter his men one by one.

But he planned to save the girl's life. Not out of sympathy, but because he was honour bound to protect her since their encounter in the part of Royal Garden where his parents' tomb stood. Something in her eyes moved him to make the rash decision. He was well aware that the whole of Fanelia would disapprove of his action; but again, he was the infamous rebellious duke long before his days of service to Van's Court. Dismissing their annoying criticisms was as easy as swatting the flies out of his way. He never gave a damn about them.

There was also something else too…in the girl's stance, and demeanour. Destined to be a genuine queen perhaps one day. And some part of him demanded to see what kind of a woman and queen she would be in the future.

He skidded to a halt and omitted a series of curses as he finally arrived at her bed- chamber and saw the door jarred open. He gritted his teeth as he ran behind the door and crouched low to hide his presence from his potential enemies, his stealth progressing to a higher notch of caution and readiness as he sharpened his senses. The soldiers had come faster than he had expected.

Tightening his hold on his five-foot-long sword, he pressed one ear to the door, listening to a conversation.  There were definitely more people inside, perhaps fifteen to twenty in all.  Narrowing his icy blue eyes into two slits, he grinned ferociously as he spied the princess and her two bodyguards facing the soldiers with a wary calmness.  To their credit they showed no fear.  He bared his fangs as he saw her prolong the conversation, silently praising the young woman for her courage. Other ladies would probably have swooned at the sight of twelve beefy seasoned soldiers.

From the looks of things the princess was more than capable of protecting herself. Good. That would make his job easier. They might even be able to cover for each other.

His expression settled on a satisfied smile as he picked himself up and readied himself to enter the battlefield just as the soldiers attacked; but again, he refrained from barging in as he witnessed the utterly shocked expression on Ardine's face.

At that same moment another explosion occurred not far away, causing stonewalls to rumble and chips to fall.  Some of them cut deep into his skin. Red blood blinded his eyes as he charged, his ears ringing from the screams of pain around him. He instantly dispatched several soldiers.  He zoomed past the rest to get to Ardine who was bent on one knee, one scimitar propped up to support her lithe form. Blood trickled down a big gash on her arm, and he could see the red stickiness that trickled down her lips as well.

Amidst the chaos, he could hear his own voice going hoarse as he shook her small shoulders and called her name over and over again. Greatly alarmed over her state of mind and body he hauled Ardine to her feet and dragged her along, swiftly hacking down more enemies as he forced his way out.

Only one thing crossed his mind. They had to survive!

No.

She had to survive, no matter what the cost to him.


Ardine yelped as the raging fire scorched her delicate honey coloured skin, leaving a long red burn mark. Gritting her pearly teeth, she hardened her resolve and advanced forward, following the man before her, bravely making her way through another wall of fire. She clutched her tattered robe closely together, hoping at least it would lessen the burning effect of the fire.

Looking at her surroundings, she gasped openly as she stared at the burning pillars and the groaning bodies around her, dying and helpless. She grimaced as the smell of burning hair reached her nostrils, and swiftly tucked her braid inside the robe to protect it from being scorched into ashes. She loved her hair, and she wasn't about to sacrifice it.

She let out a strangled cry when she sensed a hand reaching for her ankle. Whipping her body around, her aquamarine eyes went wide as she faced a man, clutching his heart with a bloodied hand and bore pleading eyes at her; a faint groan was the only sound he was capable of eliciting. Grinding her teeth together, she jerked her feet free and dashed forward, unable to turn around and look back at the desperate man. A tear stung the corner her eye.

Poor soul.

May the Gods bring rest upon him soon.

Ardine shook her head in silent distress and quickened her pace, soon catching up with Gaudi's more rapid steps. She shuddered in disgust as she witnessed Ispanian Guymelef, rampaging the castle flat to the ground. Ispanian…and Fanelian soldiers…slaughtering each other. But even worse, they also killed women. And children.

This is war, Ardine. She silently chided herself.

Yes, but she had never witnessed a real war. She lived during the Great Gaean War, but she could only watch it from behind the bars of her own castle prison. As much as she hated to admit it, she was pampered and sheltered, even in the midst of war. Her experience of war was nothing compared to that of most people around her. She had never been short of clothes, food, or even a little bit of entertainment.

And she had never witness people killing each other before.

Nor had she ever killed anyone before.

Her hands had been clean before, and she had been as innocent as a white rosebud . But today was different. Something opened her eyes to the real world extended before her. Now blood stained her hands...

And betrayal. It destroyed her trust, her naïveté. Her own father wanted to kill her, although why she didn't know.

Ardine's heart was heavy for she loved her father so much, and she naturally believed her loved her as fathers do only to discover he was capable of murdering her.

A single sob escaped her throat, drawing Gaudi' attention back to her. He slowed his steps into a halt, and turned around, gently placing his hand on the princess' shoulder.

"What grieves you so, Princess? " He had asked her, concern showing in his eyes. He didn't know what was bothering her, but she had been awfully quiet since the moment they escaped the angry soldiers who intended to kill her. He wondered what happened back there, in the short moment of the battle. She didn't seem to be hurt, but something in her eyes suggested shock and trepidation and sadness. But most of all, he saw anger and disappointment in those blue pools of hers.

Shaking her head slowly, she tucked a strand of hair behind her hair and looked up into Gaudi's deep ocean blue eyes, her eyes narrowing into two slits as she scrutinised the man before her. Handsome, lean features. Hard, strong jaw line. Patched left eye. She wondered…oh, how she wondered if…he had also once felt a strong mixture of anger, fear and disappointment, just like her. He must've gone through a lot in his life. Already she saw grim lines in his face, despite his youthfulness.

"Nothing," she said blankly.

Her voice was but a whisper and trembled with tears unshed. Destroyed. Ruined. She was losing hope. She thought her father would love her whatever happened, but he ordered his men to kill her. Was she too much a disgrace to the family?

She took a long breath to calm her beating heart, attempting to restore her composure. But she failed. Looking down at her own hand, she smiled grimly as she noticed them trembling. She was afraid. But she had never been afraid before. What a shame. She had failed to control her inner turmoil, ending up showing it to a man barely her ally.

Ardine raised her face once again as she felt a smouldering ash touch her skin and she winced in pain.

Pain. She could still feel the pain.

Good.

Her lucidity was still intact. She was not going to be defeated yet. Maybe, just maybe, if she could find her twin brother everything would be alright. He would help her, and he would take care of everything for her. He loved her. He wouldn't want to see her killed. 

Gaudi stepped aside when the princess pushed him out of her way lightly, a smile vaguely playing on his lips as he noticed Ardine lifted her chin haughtily, her sky blue eyes shining with renewed inner power. Then again, he might be overreacting. He suspected the princess had never been involved in a real war before, judging from her age, but she seemed to handle the experience rather well.

Nevertheless, Ardine was still a child in Gaudi's eyes. And no matter how much Gaudi hated the Ispanians, his code of chivalry demanded him to rescue the princess from the irresponsible hands of vengeful Fanelian soldiers. She was a little girl he felt he had to protect somehow. He never wanted war to taint the innocent, and he never wanted to witness the same painful scars like his in those pools of blue crystal eyes. Those feelings were hammered into his mind since the beginning of the war, and he had been unable to chase them away since.

Motioning the princess to follow him, Gaudi hardened his expression as he told her, "We're heading to the East Wing. We might meet allies there."

Nodding, Ardine followed him silently, quietly sneaking from wall to wall, avoiding both Fanelian and Ispanian soldiers. She couldn't afford to be seen. Her speculation told her that not all Ispanian soldiers were ordered to kill her, but she couldn't let her expectation run to high. The Fanelians, on the other hand, might as well be ready to burn her alive at a stake.

"Let's go," she whispered softly. Reaching for Gaudi's outstretched hand, she let him guide her through secret passages and dark corridors, her eyes looking around in alarm. She never again wished for another physical confrontation. What was more, she didn't think she had the strength to lift her scimitars to kill another person. The sight of today's blood had made her sick.

She squinted her eyes as a ray of orange reflection invaded her eyes, the heat once again stinging her already reddish skin, a sheen of sweat shining on it. Wiping her drenched face with the back of her hand, she frowned when she noticed Gaudi stop walking.

"What is the matter? Gaudi," hesitantly she touched the sleeve of Gaudi's scorched white shirt in the hopes that she would gain his attention. Startled, Gaudi jerked his body back and put his palm on the princess' back, shoving her forward so she could have a better view of what had happened. Confused, Ardine frowned as she noticed the man seething in anger. Slowly she diverted her gaze to the spot Gaudi had pointed out to her and her eyes slowly widened in disbelief.

A young man, barely out of his teens, stood proudly before the king of Fanelia and his queen, his stance confident as he motioned the guymelefs around him to halt their action. He was beautiful, but his beauty contained lethal grace, strongly radiating from his agile figure. Ardine shuddered when she was confronted with an unfamiliar sight of a sardonic grin, splitting his face into an expression foreign to her.

Her hands flying to her gaping mouth, she couldn't help gasping the name of the person she had longed to see, in every day of her stay in Fanelia.

"Parnall…"    


The lack of air severely threatened an attack of nausea, but King Van Slanzar de Fanel willed himself to stand on guard, shielding his wife from any dangerous possibility. He was well aware that even a single strike would cost his wife her dear life. And now, they were not facing regular warriors, but several guymelefs with the height of ten feet.

He jerked his robe free and shook his head free of the excess beady sweat, a hand raking ebony strands out of his eyes. He stiffened when he felt Hitomi's hand on his arm, and grimaced as a sharp pain shot through him, reminding him once again of their current predicament.

One hand encircled the hilt of his long sword. Van spat on the floor, his ruby eyes full of contempt as he hissed, "Coward!" Van unsheathed his sword, the metal screeching as it scraped against the edge of the sword scabbard. Grinding his teeth together, he clutched the hilt firmly with two hands, ignoring the searing pain on his left shoulder, and the warmth of his blood oozing from the opened wound. Dizziness engulfed his head as he shook his head feverishly. Determination was the only thing helping him to focus his mind.

He gasped in surprise when he sensed Hitomi stepped forward, obscuring him from the view. He wanted to scold her for such recklessness, but what she said next baffled him completely.

"Perhaps a negotiation could put all of this to end, Sir?" Standing proudly before five tall guymelefs, so small and fragile compared to the gigantic mass of the machines, Hitomi granted her adversary a grim smile, emphasising the word 'negotiation' as she forced her leg to step forward. She bit her lower lip and curled her fingers into fists to break off her tremor, her heart hitting rapidly against her ribcage. Trying to calm her stormy mind, she hoped her voice didn't waver when she talked with the stranger before her. She couldn't afford failure in this negotiation.

Sneering, the golden-eyed man jumped off his black guymelef easily, manoeuvring slightly before landing on the floor with a soft thud. His posture erect, he kept Hitomi's greenish blue orbs captive, gazing intensely into the depths of the ocean of her eyes. Hitomi held her breath as he advanced toward her. She couldn't remove her eyes from his. There was something enigmatic and hypnotising from the way he smirked and looked at her, his golden eyes shining in anticipation.

But what kind of anticipation?

Hitomi shuddered despite the heat around her. This person was dangerous. Everything, every gesture, every movement…they told her that he wasn't a person one could play with. His cat-like grace, while pleasant to the eyes, bore some lethal air every time he moved, reminding her of a panther, silent, strong, and agile.

She sensed the air stir as Van rushed to her side, gripping her arm painfully as he pulled her into his embrace violently, drawing a faint cry of surprise from her. Resting his cheek on the crown of her head, he hissed at her, although he didn't look directly at her, his eyes boring resentment into the walking figure before them.

"Eternal damnation!" he spat, his breath raspy, "He could have ordered his men to kill you!"

"No, he wouldn't," Hitomi whispered back, although she could feel her body growing colder and colder as the seconds passed, and cold sweat started drenching her forehead. What if her trust was misplaced? But this might be their only way of survival. And one shouldn't let go of a chance once it was spotted. Or created.

Shrugging Van's hand off her shoulder, she gave her husband an encouraging smile as she added, "and we are going to resolve something at least." She blinked twice at the doubtful expression etched on Van's face. Squeezing his hand gently, she laughed softly, though a desperate tone could also be noted there, "Don't look at me like that. I'm not going mad yet. When I said negotiate, that's what I really meant. We're going to negotiate."  Her confidence was faltering. Van didn't support her idea.

"Van, please." There was a plea in her eyes, already wet from the pressure. No, she wasn't going to cry now. Crying would only make matters worse. But she did need Van's encouragement. She couldn't do it alone. She needed her husband, at least to make her feel as if they were a unified front.

Giving Hitomi one last look of his disbelief, Van sceptically whispered from the corner of his lips, his voice strained and choppy, "This is not going to work. You are crazy. We are crazy."

Glancing briefly at her husband, Hitomi stifled the urge to scream at his face. Instead she focused on calming her breath and mind. She understood what Van thought, though, and understood that he had the best of intentions. He didn't mean her any harm. Inserting her point, she attempted to restore her faltering confidence, "But that's my job on Earth."

"What?"

"Negotiating." Hitomi told him impatiently. Her anxiety grew as the stranger approached them closer and closer, a smirk ready on his lips. "I'm a company's negotiator. Usually with the media and journalists. And I'm quite formidable."

Frowning in confusion, Van opened his mouth to ask her what the hell she had meant with journalists, media and company, but decided against it. He decided to trust in Hitomi's ability, which might be the only means for them to escape death, if they were fortunate at all.

"Well, well, well…my dearest King Van…preparing for an embarrassment already? Afraid that your queen is unable to handle the situation well?"

Van snapped his head up and restrained the urge to slash the man's face with his small dagger. His ears reddened, he settled on holding Hitomi's hand tightly. Instead he glared at the other man, deliberately showing his silent threats.

"Long time no see, Prince Parnall." Van executed a stiff greeting, nodding his head curtly as he glared at the prince, and added sarcastically, "Pity the circumstance will not allow us a friendly chat."

Ignoring Van completely, Parnall instead turned to Hitomi and gave her an amused smile as he regarded her from head to toe. She was pretty, but she wasn't beautiful enough. He wondered why Ardine was unable to take her place, especially since the princess and the new queen resembled each other. The queen, though, appeared to be more mature.

Her stance rigid and proud, Hitomi held her chin high and regarded the younger man defiantly, her body language betraying no sign of nervousness. She was, after all, the Queen of Fanelia, and she refused to be degraded by a man possibly several years her junior, noble man or not.

But she was not prepared for the prince's next move.

Hitomi gasped in shock as Parnall swept her off her feet and pressed her body next to his own, glittering beads of sweat trickling down her face as she gave him a wide-eyed look. Behind her, Van snarled, his ferocity triggered as he witnessed his enemy manhandle his wife. Blasting off his position, he held his sword with his one good hand and swung it to attack Parnall, but the prince proved to be faster.

He swiftly drew and flicked his own sword, blocking Van's attack while at the same time attempting to disarm his opponent. The fact that Van was injured helped him. The clash sent Van's sword flying, spinning through the air in a violent rush before finally landing on the ground with a loud clatter. Crying out his frustration, Van gritted in pain as he attempted to reach out for his sword. He grimaced when he felt his wound pulsing, its throb drumming the back of his head like a thousand hammers.

His blood was frozen as he felt the cool tip of Parnall's thin sword touch his neck. He seethed. Humiliation marred his usually stubborn expression, tarnishing it with silent wrath. 

Behind Parnall's back, the guymelefs roared to life, the soldiers inside the machines ready to defend their prince's life. Raising his hand the prince stopped the advancing soldiers, feeling confident he was able to handle the pair of monarchs himself. He smirked in satisfaction as he noticed the roar of engines die down eventually, focusing back on the task in hand.

Cursing, Van glanced at the prince and his face hardened in renewed hate as he noticed the coldness in the younger man's eyes. Parnall wouldn't hesitate to kill him at all. And if he killed him, he would not hesitate to kill Hitomi as well. Biting his lower lip, Van tightened his fists and decided to lay low, waiting until he encountered a good chance to turn the table.    

"Van!"

Hitomi cried out, her hands reaching for her husband, but Parnall's arm tightened around her waist securely. He refused to release his prey just yet. The fun would have just begun.

"Let go of me! You…"

Hitomi's words ceased as Parnall covered her lovely lips with his own, his golden eyes drooping in pleasure as he savoured the sweet taste of the inside of Hitomi's mouth. She tasted like honey. She smelled like the first flowers of spring. She was a flower herself. True she was not a rose, poignant and beautiful. She was more of a daisy, pretty and dainty, but strong in the current of the wind.

Hitomi tried to push the man away, but the arm that held her back was a deadlock, not allowing her to shift even a bit. Glancing about frantically, she could feel her pulse racing in fear, for a moment regretting her decision to negotiate with the man. Behind her Van was cursing as he turned away, his blood boiling. Witnessing another man kissing his wife cut him to the quick.

With panic and shame gnawing away at her mind, she forced her brain to think as she attempted to shove Parnall away without avail, until a mad resolution appeared in her head. Parnall snarled and shoved Hitomi to the floor, his hand flying to cover his bloodied lower lip. Hitomi, her eyes widened in daze, crawled to Van's side and knelt beside him. A tear rolled down her cheek when a sharp pain shot through her shoulder. The shove she received jarred the nearly dried wound and reopened it.

Circling a protective arm around her shoulders, Van cast vengeful eyes at Parnall, promising a slow and painful death once he was able to lay his hands on the other man's neck. His abhorrence doubled as he witnessed a smirk appearing on Parnall's classically handsome features.

Amused. Surprised. Outraged. A jumble of emotions played in his mind alternately as he looked at the couple without even a hint of sentiment. Cocking his head to one side, he lifted his fine eyebrows as a thought flickered through his mind. He knew why Van chose this woman over a princess. A passionate woman, she was.

She would make a fine wife for Van. She would make a fine wife for himself-or any man for that matter.

And she was definitely and gloriously a woman.

Her smell, every curve of her body, everything about her screamed that she was a wonderfully responsive female.

She was a woman of chaos, a woman worth fighting for.

She was a pleasure unseen within Pandora's Box.

And she dared to defy him!

Smirking, he spun on his heels and left the perplexed couple. A chuckle rumbled in his chest, freeing its way out of his throat, the resonance echoed in the dark east hall as bitter laughter escaped his mouth. But, his laughter died away the moment he sensed something.

He sensed fear.

He turned around, his golden eyes wide as he was confronted by a willowy figure of a girl.  Dark skinned. Sparkling aquamarine eyes that stared at him with a look of longing, disbelief and anxiety in her eyes.

At that moment their almond eyes met he cursed softly. His people had failed in their mission. They let her go. No, it wasn't them. She was getting away. He should know it would come to that. He forgot one fact, one fatal fact.

She was a remarkable with a sword.

Of course she was, she was his sister, and it would be a disgrace to have a powerless being for a twin sister.  Touching his forehead in Ispanian salutation, he smiled ever so slightly and greeted the emerging shadow.

"After being parted so long from your presence, it is good to see again the female version of myself! Hello twin sister of mine! You appear to have walked through the flames of hell!" He said in mock concern.


Hello Guys!

Finally, we could see each other again. This chapter is waaaay long overdue, I'm very aware of that fact, and I'm sorry. The reason why I can't write these days is because I'm finishing university this year, and I need to work hard if I want to graduate with a good mark. Afterwards, you know what happens. My assignments are endless; there are tons of them even as I write this. So, I thank you for your patience as I've been neglecting you for awhile. You guys are wonderful! Thanks for all the support. Sorry for the unanswered emails, I hope you understand my difficulty to write back. I'll try to write back, but I don't know if I can. Anyway, I hope this little rambling is enough of a reply for those whose emails I haven't answered yet.

I know there are not a lot of Van/Hitomi scenes in this chapter, but at least I try inserting them in every chapter, even if it's only for a brief appearance. I try to obscure as many details as possible about this war, but maybe some of you can already guess where this story is going. Oh, don't worry, I still have a few surprises in store… *grin*. I introduce Ardine's twin brother here, Parnall, please be nice to him, (although I think he wasn't very nice here…)

I think Ardine develops a step further here. I hope you can see it. There's another side of her that is not shown before in the other chapters. The Ardine in this chapter opens the side of her, which resembles that of a young teenage girl, I think, with all her fears and worries. Gaudi's attitude to her resembles that of an older brother in this chapter. Hope that marks a significant change from his part, too. And hope it also opens further aspects of his personality.

As for Van and Hitomi, I don't think I could do anything drastic about them right now, it would make them out of character without strong reasons. I could only outline their reactions toward the situation they were in right now. But I do hope Van acts more mature than when he was in the TV series (he has to! He's an adult now, anyway…) and that Hitomi doesn't seem weak despite the fact that Parnall grabs and…(shudder!) kiss her right in front of Van.

I think that's it for now. I do hope you enjoy this chapter, and I hope I will have the war concluded by the next chapter. I consider three chapters of war is too long already, anyway. * grin *

Thank you for anyone's supports and suggestions, anyway. You guys are great!

Yours truly,

Louise Tjandrasjahan
10th September 2000
4:26 a.m. Western Australia time


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