*Note: anyone having the OST of Rurouni Kenshin OAV might want to read this chapter while listening to "Sound of Snow Falling" and "Quiet Life". I was very much inspired by those two compositions while I was writing this chapter.  

Interlude 2: Fanelia

A gasp escaped Hitomi's lips as she reached out and realised the empty spot beside her. Her extraordinary sense told her that her husband was nowhere within their private living compartment. He had left their bedchamber, probably out of the castle. Closing her eyes, she tried to calm down her racing heart as she laid her body back on the mattress, thinking very hard of where her husband could possibly be.

Sighing, Hitomi stretched her body languidly and smiled as the cool moonlight caressed her face, the blueness of the aura so soothing and yet warming. She decided to stop worrying about Van once awhile, although she had not once slept a peaceful slumber since the day an attack from Ispano broke Fanelia's defence. Fear of Van's safety had prevented her to live her days like she normally would. Sometimes she even had to tell herself that Van was not a baby – he was a mature man who was able to take care of himself.

Three months have passed since Ispano's surprise attack. The life in Fanelia naturally continued to roll on as her people diligently gathered what was left among her debris and erected new walls and defence system. Within two and a half months, there was almost no evidence of the recent attack save a few constructions here and there. Fanelia Castle was rebuild completely. People started to live their lives as if nothing had ever happened at all.

Parnall had kept his promise. He really left Fanelia alone, perhaps until she recovered her strength. Then, as he promised, there would be another duel between countries.

Van could never cease wondering the motives behind Parnall's action. Soon he notified all of the allying countries about the attack and warned them about Ispano's possible tendency to initiate another war. One thing he claimed he never could understand. What did Parnall want to achieve by ambushing Fanelia only to let her stand on her two feet again and grow stronger? Was it all merely an empty bravado? Was it pride? Or arrogance?

However, things had been obviously too peaceful to Van's dismay. All of the spies he had sent to inspect Ispano's current situation reported nothing of significance. Ispano had assumed a quiet disposition – way too quite compared to the loud statement she declared by the attack. This was where Hitomi began to worry. There had been small political uprisings in some of Fanelia's provinces, and an anonymous aristocratic leader had formed a group of opposition to Van's rightful throne. Rumours had it that Gaudi Jenaro de Fanel had quietly provoked the uprisings, but Van brushed away all suspicious comments about his cousin and ceased the irresponsible sources with firm authority. Unfortunately, the opposition viewed this approach as Van's aversion toward the freedom of speech.

Ardine's presence in the castle as a protected figure helped to fuel the already heated political situation in Fanelia. The representative of the people of Fanelia demanded the princess to be treated as a prisoner. They wanted Van to investigate the true reason why the princess actually came to Fanelia. As a spy? Only the royal family knew the truth. They were willing to share the truth, but the people refused to believe.      

Stifling a big yawn, Hitomi wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and walked out to the balcony just the opposite of her four-post bed. Van had been quieter lately. He gently refused to discuss the problems raised by his advisors and his audience, preferring Hitomi to stay out of his way. At least that was what Hitomi thought. Sometimes she even was a little angry with her husband for trying to hide the truth from her. Van had underestimated her ability, so it seemed. Or it might also be because her husband was reluctant to drag her into political arena.

She didn't like that. She preferred the old Van, warm and more trusting, even in the time when his trust in her intuition somehow managed to drag them into several misunderstanding in the process, with her thinking that all Van cared about her was not her personality but her ability alone.

Hitomi let out an ironic chuckle and exhaled loudly as she leant her arms against the balcony rail. People might not exaggerate things when they told Van and her that they understood each other perfectly. In fact, she comprehended Van so well she became so protective over him like he over her, though they had shown their feelings in a different way. She worried a lot over Van's physical safety while her husband didn't want to weigh her with mind-boggling quandaries.

However, she disliked that kind of interaction. She wanted more from their relationship. It might seem greedy, but she craved for partnership between them, a complete joining that would let them finish each other's words without even asking.

Van was often gone from the castle at nights of late, gone to the place where even she had no clue. He was gone without telling a soul, but he would be back in their bedchamber in the morning, smelling fresh like grass and wild flowers. Hitomi had allowed the condition to go on for several weeks, but she missed the warmth beside her side of the bed. She was determined at least to find out the reason of Van's frequent disappearances if she was unable to prevent the bad habit.

So tonight, she decided to follow him.     

Putting on a decent gown and a robe, Hitomi crept out of her large bed and went quietly out of the chamber she had always shared with Van. A shiver ran through her back as the night breeze blew softly through the materials of her attire. She smiled as she inhaled the cool autumn night air and welcomed the refreshing effect it had on her mind.

Greeting some of the night shift guards along the way, she quietly treaded the shadowy corridors, following her path with the moonlight and the twinkling stars as her only guide. Closing her turquoise eyes, she closed her fingers around the teardrop pendant beneath her robe as her mind shaped the image of her husband.

Soon warmth flooded her heart. Her steps became lighter and lighter as she picked out her path in the dark, strolling out of the sombre castle to the open grass field, and into the king's forest. Never once she hesitated as she again entered the dark realm of the forest with the moonlight barely revealing her path.

She only stopped running when she finally reached a lake – the water was rippling and sparkling as if there were thousands of dear gemstones under the surface. Awe caused Hitomi to stand speechless as her eyes swept the beautiful view before her, her pink lips forming a nice little ring. Her conscience clouded, she approached the edge of the lake leisurely with both her arms stretched before her, as if reaching out for the dreams that suddenly filled her transfixed mind.

And there, in the middle of the lake, an angel stood, his sturdy white wings extended above his raven crown. Iridescent aura enveloped Van's figure, forming a mystical silhouette, strong and yet tender at the same time. He shook his wings firmly once and swept his raven hair back with his fingers, his back forming an elegant arch. The clinging droplets on his wings and his body fell around him like glimmering pearls, gentle ripples expanding as they came into contact with the surface of the lake.

Hitomi almost gasped as the angel's piercing ruby orbs contracted with her own turquoise ones. She commanded her feet to carry her away from the place and the angel, but her feet refused to follow her order. Instead she started to step forward inch by inch, closing the distance between her angel and herself.

As the angel swam closer and closer toward her, she was unable to shift her eyes away from his gentle gaze, so full of love and adoration. Slowly she descended into the water, barely feeling the effect of the freezing liquid on her skin. She smiled tenderly as their hands met, fingers intertwined. Van was the angel. He had always been her angel for as long as she could remember. The tonight's Van almost seemed like the fulfilment of her old adolescent dreams where she had been able to caress Van soft wing and bury her face in their feathers. Her fantasy came true, alive before her very eyes. 

Hitomi giggled softly as small puffs of Van's warm breath touched her skin and tilted her head, a playful smile playing on her lips as she gazed deeply into Van's ruby ones. Smiling at the unspoken request, Van descended his lips upon Hitomi's softer ones, showering them with butterfly kisses that seemed to fuel Hitomi's agitation as the seconds ticked by.

"Hitomi…"

Puff of white vapour caressed Hitomi's lips as Van breathed out her name, coaxing her lips to open as he caressed the velvety texture of her tongue with his own. A shiver ran through Van's back, echoing Hitomi's moan of pleasure. So sweet, the taste of her was.

Bestowing a chaste kiss on Hitomi's forehead, Van finally withdrew from his wife and regarded her from arm-length. Touching Hitomi's face with his fingertips, he quickly caught a teardrop before it rolled down from one of the corners of her eyes. A crease formed between his roughly handsome features as he inquired gently.

"What's the meaning of this?"

Shrugging lightly, Hitomi gave Van a wavering smile and said, "I don't know. Euphoria, perhaps?"

Laughing softly, Van lifted Hitomi's chin and kissed her again, a simple and close-mouthed one. Then he regarded her with serious eyes and asked her again, "Why are you out of your bed?" he paused for a while before adding with a chuckle, "Not that I mind."

Hitomi smiled and placed both her hands on Van's cheeks. "Don't you have to be in bed as well? Naughty boy. You can play in the water tomorrow morning. Now's time for bed."

A smirk and, "Look who's talking. I thought you'd understand, my dear Hitomi. Tonight is too warm for my liking." His smirk widening into a grin, Van pulled Hitomi until their body joined together, causing Hitomi to gasp and blush crimson at the same time. Under the water, Van wore next to nothing.

"Or…"

Hitomi held her breath, waiting for whatever blow Van was prepared to attack her defence.

"Was it you who found the bed too cold for your liking without my presence?"

"Van!" Hitomi exclaimed, embarrassed by the situation Van had put her in. Quickly she tried to push Van back, but Van's locking arms prevented her to move. Her embarrassment doubled, she pounded on Van's hard chest in protest. "Let go! I'm not here for this. I want to…"

Hitomi ceased her talking as Van's white wings surrounded and enveloped her figure in a gentle hug. She could only stood still and gazed deeply into Van's ruby eyes as he gently traced the outline of her face, his sadness apparent.

"Hitomi, my wife, my queen."

He moved to kiss each of her brows tenderly.

"My woman…"

Caressing her cheek, he smiled as he whispered into her ears, his hot breath teasing. Slowly he loosened his hold around her waist and detached himself from her. Taking her hands, her folded his wings and concentrated to store them. As they disappeared with a flash, he let go of Hitomi's hands and swam quietly to the edge of the lake, leaving Hitomi alone.

Perplexed, Hitomi was barely able to gather her thought. She snapped out of her stupor as soon as she sensed Van's warmth moving away from her, and cried out for him, "Van, wait!" Reaching out for her husband frantically, she clung to him dearly when she was finally able to pull alongside him and grab his arm.

The silence between them felt awkward, but Hitomi had no time to be bothered by simple things like that.

"What happened? You're like a stranger to me lately,"

Avoiding Hitomi's ocean orbs, Van merely said, "I only need to cool down for awhile. There's nothing to worry about."

"You make me more worried by keeping your silence." Hitomi told him firmly, tightening her hold on his arm in her fear that Van would leave as soon as she loosened her vigilance. "We're husband and wife, Van – partners for the rest of our life, whether you like it or not. If we don't clear up this misunderstanding soon, we'll…"

"Hitomi, please!"

Hitomi jerked back at Van's harsh voice and quickly let go of her husband's arm. Her chest tightened all of sudden as pain ruled her mind, clouding her logic and wisdom. She wished she could scream, stamp her feet, whatever would release the burden and the pressure in her heart. She didn't ask to be a wife of a king. She had tried to help, but Van had refused her assistance without even the slightest consideration. He had underestimated her.

She hated him so when he did that to her. It hurt. It hurt like hell.

"Hitomi, you're shivering!"

Van's worried tone and the sound of water flashing approaching her dragged her back to reality. Van was there, concern was in his ruby eyes as he wrapped his arms around her smaller frame and led her back to the lake's bank. She followed him without words, her countenance cold and unfeeling. Placing a hand on Hitomi's forehead, Van frowned as he checked on Hitomi's temperature.

"Not warm at all."

No other words were said between the two as Van helped Hitomi to get out of the lake. He smiled at Hitomi in encouragement and silently signalled her to return to their bedchamber alone, but cold shoulder was the only response he accepted from his wife. Thinking that she might wait for him to wish her goodnight, he finally said, "I still want to stay here a little longer to cool my mind. Goodnight, and I hope you dream about me in your sleep." Caressing Hitomi's wet strands, he tilted his face to bestow her a kiss on her lips, but his eyes widened when a tear fell upon his face.

"You're crying?"  Gently he wiped the wet track on Hitomi's white cheek. He hated it very much to see the woman he loved to cry.

"What's the matter?"

Taking Van's hand in hers, Hitomi placed it on her cheek as she leant closer to Van's ear and whispered softly, "Our paths. They always cross each other, and we never met in the middle."

"Nonsense." Van whispered back a bit harshly, "I need you. You're here where you belong. You're my support, Hitomi. You're the one that sustains my will to go on living!" Looking at her with a plea in his eyes, he finally said, "I cannot lose you again, Hitomi, but apparently you don't understand my fear."

Smiling sadly at Van, Hitomi thought back on the days where they both were still young, and had little to none of the understanding of the meaning of true love. But they had honesty between them, and they trusted each other well to the point they would trust their life in the other's hands without the slightest hesitation. They might be foolish and careless, but satisfaction coloured their relationship as they provided strength for each other. Her significant other had forgotten those old days when they struggled together to face the bleak future that the war had presented before their eyes. Van was the one who didn't understand.

Enough for the moment. She would stop pressing Van, not because she would drop the matter as if it meant nothing to her, but because she hated to see Van's forlorn expression. As he wished, tonight she would try to relieve him from the burden he had to endure on the day. Tonight, she would surrender to his need completely.

Laughing softly, she circled her arms around Van's neck and breathed against Van's skin teasingly. "But you left me alone once too often, Your Majesty. What a cold heart you have to let you queen spending her nights in loneliness! You're so cruel."

A playful laughter broke out as she fell into the water once again with a splash. Van had forcefully pulled her into his embrace and showered her neck with small kisses. Nibbling Van's earlobe tenderly, she permitted herself a satisfied smile as she heard him purr in delight, and continued her ministration until Van's purr gradually transformed into a groan of protest.

Jerking Hitomi's body in arm-length, Van gazed deeply at her slender figure, his eyes sated with raw desire. A knowing smile decorated Hitomi's features as she merely watched him gasping for air; his body shivered slightly.

"You're the cruel one, my queen. No one ever dared to tease the king of Fanelia."

With those words he suddenly ripped off the clinging material on Hitomi's skin and laughed mischievously as he listened to Hitomi's shriek. He caught her hands the moment he spied the woman's attempt to cover her nudity and gave her a wide grin as she glared at him defiantly. Her flushed face somehow added to his already heightened desire.

"Van!" Hitomi sputtered. She didn't know whether she had to be angry or happy with Van's sudden playfulness, "This is outdoor. People might see us!"

Van's features softened as he replied casually, " Who cares? What's more, you're the one who wants to spend the night with this handsome prince in the first place."

"You chauvinist --!!"

Hitomi didn't have the chance to finish her word when Van dived into the water all of sudden, bringing her down together without giving her an opportunity to breathe in some air. Panic caused her to cling onto Van's arms for dear life, forgetting the fact she could swim perfectly. Lack of oxygen caused her to struggle against Van, but the other held her down firmly, never letting her to swim up for even an inch. However, her struggle died down when Van's lips found hers. Before she realised her act, she started to kiss him back for what seemed to be forever. And as she opened her eyes, she was surprised to see her surrounding below the water to be so bright she was able to define Van's features easily. A magical lake, her mind decided.

Still under the water, Van kissed each of Hitomi's palms softly and smiled at her. There was a promise from his expression – a promise that he would never hurt her. But Hitomi didn't need any promise as long as Van remained by her side forever.

Gently guiding Hitomi to the lake's surface, he then told her when they finally emerged from the water, "My father and mother met for the first time near this very lake, and I found you floating down from your world for the second time here as well."

Sweeping away a dark strand from Van's forehead, Hitomi inquired him softly, "Is this place that important for you?"

Van nodded before lowering his head to kiss Hitomi again. Above their heads, the twin moons watched over them as the stars winked teasingly at each other. That night, the nature rejoiced as two people were joined, body and soul, with their spirits as pure as snow.

He saw a field. With the wind as sweet and the grass as golden, just the same as the one he had seen on the fateful day he lost everything precious in his life. Two figures towered over him, but the bright sun made it difficult for him not to squeeze his eyes shut. However, as he shifted around in his attempt to avoid the sunlight, both the figures and the sun seemed to adjust to his latest position, never allowing even a glimpse of their features.

He reached for his sword, and was surprised to find it vanished into thin air. Sleeping with his sword in his hand had become one of his most cherished habits, and vigilance always came naturally for him. No one would be able to steal his sword unless he allowed it to happen. But there he was, defenceless and without a sword. An invalid, he was, at the very moment.

The strangers' presence bore no negative disposition, but take the risk he never would. Balling both his hands before his face, he was prepared to face the inevitable, even empty-handedly. For a few seconds he concentrated his mind on the two strangers before him, but an uneasy voice in his head nagged him with a force impossible to ignore. As realisation started to seep into his consciousness, he began to be aware of what was actually happening.

His pale blue eyes widened as the reality became crystal clear.

His hands. They weren't those of a man, but those of a little boy, barely out of infancy. They were small and soft, devoid of any abrasions and calluses he had acquired during his eighteen years of sword training. Gasping loudly, he was even more surprised by the high pitch he produced in contrast to his usually deep and charismatic tone. Glancing at his surrounding, he finally realised that everything seemed to be bigger and taller, including the two figures in front of him. He had become a child once again.

"Who…who are you?"  With fear suddenly gripping his heart, he winced as he sensed his confidence slipping away, leaving him cold and anxious. It was one of his nightmares, he realised.

He wanted to run away when one of the figures knelt before him, but his fear had drained all his strength. Trembling and whimpering, he shot his best glare as he awaited his fate. As the person's hand moved forward, he squeezed his eyelids together, expecting the man to strangle him to death. With the tender bone structure of a little boy, he would never stand a chance.

The touch was merely a gentle brush on his baby skin. Popping his eyes open, he knew then the person meant no harm. Slowly he braved himself to return the touch by smoothing the person's hair, removing the hood that covered half of his face.

Father.

Father was smiling before him, his expression calm and kind. Soon he found himself drown in his father's warmth as he spontaneously buried his face into the folds of the older man's cloak, seeking the shelter that had been denied for him for the last twenty years of his life. May be his whole life had been a lie, a nightmare. Here his father was, well and very much alive.

Soon the other figure joined them and he squealed in his childish delight as the hood revealed the face of his beloved mother. Her tender smile was enough an invitation for him to leap into her loving embrace, which he returned with the strongest hug a little boy could muster.

Her mother. She was alive as well.

Now his world was complete.

However, still…

A gasp escaped his tiny mouth when his mother engulfed him in an air-robbing hug, her bloodless lips whispering intelligible words against his smooth golden hair. Instinctively he shrank his already small frame as he witnessed his father drew his long sword from behind his cloak, and readied himself for the impending danger. Whatever came made the older man shaking in fear and anger at the same time.

White mist floated down, transforming the once beautiful plain into a sombre and menacing place. Several cries could be heard from behind the curtain of mist, getting louder as they came nearer. A group of fully armed soldiers surrounded the little plain; their grim countenance showed their reluctance to perform their duty.

"My prince, I request your cooperation to thereby trust the little boy into our care." The person who seemed to be in charge as the leader began.

An angry spat and, "You will kill him!" Father was furious, and it was against his nature. He never yelled or was angry with anyone.

Behind father's back, mother held him protectively as if she was protecting her very own soul. Touching the back of mother's head gently, father gave her something that seemed like an encouraging nod.

Afterwards, everything was a blur. He didn't dare to breathe as mother carried him, running away from the attackers who had already commenced their assaults. Father faced the countless enemies alone, and he fought bravely. A good swordsman that he was, but he was unable to fend off the entire legion all by himself.

And then he saw it. One of the soldiers stabbed father's mid section, his blue eyes shining in delight. He saw it. He saw everything. Mother threw a cloth over his face to prevent him to see his own father giving into a cruel fate, but witness it he did. And his heart froze as mother's high-pitch cry rang in his ears; the echo only stopped when both of them fell to the ground. He whimpered to see mother's detached head by his side and looked away, eyes searching for father's figure frantically. There was still hope as long as father was alive.

Suppressing the urge to sob, he scrambled to his tiny feet and dragged himself to father's body. However, no matter how hard he cried out for his father, the older man never woke up from his endless sleep.

As his fear increased, the person who had killed both his mother and father approached him, blood dripping from the tip of his sword. The man stopped before him and forced him to look up and into the eyes of his would-be executioner. He refused to back down, so intrigued he was by his own hatred toward the killer. As pale blue eyes contracted another pale blue eyes, he was very much shaken to find out that the actual killer was actually…himself.

There, before his young eyes, stood the older vision of himself, with the vigilance of a tiger and the eyes of a wolf spying on its prey. The cold and calculating expression scared him as he unconsciously scooted back further from his other self, although he was unable to tear his eyes away from the other.

His other self merely smirked at his terrified expression and walked away without words, only nodding at his father's lifeless body. Letting out a shaky breath, he finally gathered enough courage to really look at his father's bloodless face. Another numbing shock awaited.

For the face he had seen were not that of his father, but that of his beloved cousin, Van Slanzar de Fanel.

He did the only thing in his mind. He screamed.

Gaudi woke up from his sleep with cold sweat drenching his whole body. Glancing at himself frantically, he finally sighed in relief as he realised what happened the night before was only a dream, a blasted nightmare. In the nightmare, he was a child again, with his eyes playing the events of his parents' murder exactly as it happened in the past.

Leaping out of his bed, Gaudi put on his robe and reached for the wine goblet on his bedside table, draining the entire content in three big gulps. As the effect of the wine started to fog his mind, he stared far out of the balcony of his bedchamber with his eyes cold and empty.

It had been a long time since he had dreamt about that day. He thought he had forgot most of that day's memories, but the events floated in his mind everytime he closed his eyelids, as if it only happened yesterday. Massaging the bridge of his nose tiredly, he let out an exasperated sigh as he flopped down his mattress, the cover creasing under his mass. To conquer the darkness within him was indeed a hellish task. He had to master it soon, without delay. It began to consume even his waking hours minute by minute, showing no mercy for his plea so the past may stay where it belonged.

Taking a long deep breath, Gaudi reverted his gaze toward a grand portrait of a handsome young man, with hair as black as the midnight sky and eyes as black as the unbreakable granite. Gentle aura shone from the depth of his two dark pools, and a childlike and sincere smile decorated his kind features – the features that were so alike and yet totally different from Goau Fanel's, his brother and the already deceased king of Fanelia.

The kind and softhearted prince that Fanelian Court chose to ignore in favour of Goau's more pronounced existence, Gaudi mentally noted. His father was never befitted to his life and station as a nobleman, opting to live in his countryside estate and spent his entire life avoiding monumental parties or ceremonies, with his farm and prized stable to manage.

Of course, Kirkon de Fanel, his noble father and the King of Fanelia at that time, frowned upon him and deemed his day-to-day activity unworthy, but dismissed the prince's antics as something he would grow out of eventually. After all, although Thornade refused to participate in every official court ceremony, the law dictated he must be officially crowned and be an active participant of the court affairs by the time he reached his twenty-first summer. He had been nineteen then, young and carefree, but Kirkon believed his youngest son would eventually follow the trail of his older sibling and enter the world of politics, if not military. The old king put high hopes upon Thornade's shoulders, favouring his youngest's abilities in the art of diplomacy. His youngest would be the best aide to his heir and oldest offspring.

But releasing Thornade to the solitude of his estate might have been the biggest mistake the king had ever made, for he had never counted on the possibility of his son falling in love in his mind. At first Kirkon had been pleased, thinking that the lucky lady was a noble woman from the neighbouring estate, but he had been furious when he was finally notified of Marlion Castrata's existence.

Gaudi thinned his lips into a grim line as his ocean blue orbs regarded a smaller portrait of a lovely young woman, her smile so refreshing that it felt as if cool breeze redeemed all the anger in his heart only by looking at it. It was impossible for the young Thornade not to be attracted to Marlion's mass of golden locks, twinkling sapphire eyes, and her mischievous gales of laughter. His mother's exuberant and optimistic nature totally disarmed and mystified his father. Gaudi personally thought his mother's ability to survive the long hardship of being the outcast in the royal family stemmed from that spirit of hers. She attempted to look at everything in a positive light, even when she was well aware that the future seemed cruel and murky for her and her little boy.  

Still, life was not fair on her.

People said a man and a woman should only be united with love as its cause, and only then they could be happy. Thornade and Marlion's union, on the other hand, was condemned to eternal suffering as they had to face the fact that Fanelian noble society refused to accept Marlion and baby Gaudi.

Slowly but sure, what once was a beautiful flower lost its radiance and wilted as distress drained its strength. The optimistic spark was never entirely gone, but she never gained back her confidence after being mentally abused by the snobbish society until the end of her life.

And it made Gaudi believed love would gain nothing for him. And optimism…it was only for fools in the dark.

However again, he himself put his hopes on Van and wished for a better day for Fanelia each day, even after her people scarred his young mind deeply. He never forgot the faces of the people who had sinned against him and his family, and yet he was willing to continue his life and pretended nothing had happened in the past.

Smiling ironically, he shook his golden head rapidly and spoke to the empty room.

"I guess I am the biggest fool here." 

Hitomi woke up to the warm sunny day and the sound of the birds singing in her ears. Her body shivered slightly as the coldness of the damp grass penetrated her skin and reached over for Van's warmth, only to realise that he was not there by her side. At first she felt a surge of panic encompassing her mind as she looked at the unfamiliarity of her surrounding, but her heart was calmed as soon as she finally figured out where she was and contacted Van's presence in the other portion of the forest. She was not alone. She remembered the wonder of spending the whole night alone with her husband, and glowed as pleasant warmth creeping up her creamy cheeks.

Quickly she arranged her clothing and hopped onto her feet. Her eyes looked for the Van's figure, but the thick mist prevented her to see beyond twice the length of her arm. Draping the red robe that Van had left beside her, she started to explore the forest further. There was a feeling of familiarity as she advanced further; the mere thought of being there provoked the sense of nostalgia as her gaze wandered from place to place.

A memory surged up her mind as she arrived on a lush clearing, with a giant marble tomb erected in the centre. There, before the tomb, Van was on bended knees, his face solemn and tranquil as his lips moved slowly in silent prayer. For a moment the time stopped to flow as Hitomi stood breathless not so far behind Van, a tender expression floating on her face as she regarded Van's back sadly. Her grief increased when her eyes finally contracted the tall machine next to the ancient tomb, with its reddish eyes dead and dull without the energist to support its life. Sometimes she wondered if Escaflowne had merely been in deep slumber, and if it had waited for someone to come and revive it again in the time of chaos.

Slowly she made her way to Van's side and knelt beside him, careful not to disturb Van's solemn prayer. She failed, however, to notice a twig on the ground where she knelt and crushed it with her knees. There was no pain thanks to her heavy cloak, but she still winced at the breaking sound she had caused. She let out an uncomfortable smile as she watched her husband slowly turn to face her, a light frown marring his forehead.

"Good morning," Hitomi greeted him with an uneasy smile as she tried to hide her discomfort.

The frown on Van's forehead disappeared immediately when his ruby eyes met Hitomi's jade ones, an amused smile forming on his lips. "And good morning to you too, my queen." And then he winked merrily, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes, "Last night was a pleasure. I am hoping for some late night intervals like that amidst our future routines."

With the heat rising up her cheeks, Hitomi attempted to chase away the memory of their passionate encounter the night before, but a mere sight of Van's kissable lips and the bulging muscles under his silk shirt made her defence crumble into dust. A teasing smile accompanied her bantering as she reached for a lock of Van's dark hair and twirled it with her index finger, "You also seemed to enjoy my little ministrations."

This time it was Van's turn to laugh in embarrassment although he made no attempt to deny Hitomi's words. He did, however, pull Hitomi into his embrace and kissed her forehead softly, a smile forming on his lips as he leant down to touch Hitomi's nose with his own nose. "Naughty," he commented lightly, "Your personality seemed to be streaked with that nature, my queen."

His queen merely let out an impish smile, with her attempt not to be coquettish doomed to failure. Of course, he didn't mind. He just loved everything about her. Her wit, her smell, her beauty…the way she always seemed to find a way to banter…

"I've always been what I am. Unlike a certain someone who is moody and conceited at the same time…"

Giving her an expression of mock pain, he made a dramatic gesture as he answered to her remark, "Oh, like you didn't?"

"At least you were conceited when I first met you." Hitomi told him with a smile. She always loved it when Van scrunched his nose whenever she said something he didn't agree. "Remember the dragon? The first time we saw each other on earth? Just think of the way you tried to 'thank' me at that time." Oh, she could just shudder at the way Van had looked at her as if she was a creature of a lower class and offered her a reward for forewarning him about the dragon's attack.

She waited for another bantering from Van, but she didn't get any.

Instead, Van settled on resting his arms on Hitomi's waist and breathed deeply as he kissed the crown of her sandy brown top, smiling as his little ministration was rewarded with Hitomi's purr of pleasure.

"You're so easily pleasured, my queen." Van said against the skin of Hitomi's creamy neck; his hot breath trailed a path down to Hitomi's collarbone. He merely chuckled in amusement as he felt the awakening of the last night's passion as Hitomi pressed her own body urgently to him, seeking any form of contact, no matter how small and light it was.

"But we're before the tombs of my parents and my brother. I believe it is inappropriate for us to indulge in our earthly pleasure at the moment, my dear."

My dear.

Hitomi smiled despite her urge to hit Van upside his head for awakening her desire in a hardly appropriate time. But he had called her dear. He had been cherishing her all along. She was his, and she felt safe in his care. She was happy despite what happened in the past few weeks.

She turned around to face Van, still enclosed in his embrace, and rested her each of her arms on Van's broad shoulders, drawing him nearer. Van merely looked at her questioningly as she rested her head on his chest, her features suddenly gentle and melancholic at the same time.

"I want children."

Silence was what ensued. Amidst his surprise, Van couldn't find his voice to answer.

"I'd really love to have your baby."

Taking a deep breath, Van raked his own fingers in Hitomi's tresses as he considered his answer, "We're at war – it's not right to talk about children right now."

"I know, but what if I suddenly fell pregnant in the middle of the war?"

Leaning away from her, Van's eyebrows met in the middle as he scrutinised her from head to toe. No way. She didn't seem to be, but…

"Are you? Right now?"

Smiling, Hitomi merely asked back, "Why? Aren't you happy?"

Shaking his head, his face became serious as he said, "Of course I will be happy! But if it really happens now, that means…"

Smiling again, Hitomi merely shook her head as the answer. Then she rested her head back. "No. It hasn't happened. Yet."

Lifting a thick dark eyebrow, Van merely shrugged the whole matter off and resumed his caressing Hitomi's silky hair. He prayed the time would stop and let them together like that for an eternity. However, he was also painfully reminded of the duty he had carried as a king as he observed the ruins that used to be his castle.

Taking a deep breath, he let his eyes wander to the spot where Escaflowne knelt down melancholically, with the ivy growing all over the machine and the red eyes staring back at him lifelessly. It may as well be time to awaken Escaflowne once again.

To protect.

To honour.

To cherish the life of his people.

"It is time." He whispered softly against Hitomi's hair, earning a look of confusion from his wife.

"Nothing." He had answered, but deep down he knew. It wouldn't be long before he required the assistance of his old tin friend.

Humming to her own existence, Ardine propped her chin with both her hands as she stared silently out of the window of her bedchamber, hoping for a little bit of excitement to happen. She had behaved extremely well in the past few days, staying in her room the whole day to avoid commotions with the hateful Fanelian people. Even with her brother abandoning her to the mercy of the Fanelians, they tended to regard her with hatred and suspicion. After all, she was the cause of the recent war. At least it was what people had seen from her.

On the other hand, the solitary gave her time to contemplate her future options. Going back to Ispano was definitely not a good choice, since he brother would only slice her neck as soon as she touched the soil of the Ispanian land. Leaving Fanelia was also not a wise option, since she was simply not trained in the art of survival. Besides, Parnall's people would certainly track her down and kill her on spot.

A sudden fear gripped her heart, and suddenly she saw a vision of her brother's golden eyes, glittering in his pleasure of killing. Her hands flew unconsciously to her bandaged neck, forever a reminder of her nightmare. The white scar that resulted from the gash would stay there forever, haunting her every waking hour with the memory of the hate in her brother's eyes. Never before she witnessed such hatred. His brother had always been kind and gentle, and he had always treated her like the princess she was, with care and love.

She still remembered the day she departed for Fanelia. He had been worrying over her since she told him her decision to accept the invitation. He had hated being separated from her the whole summer. And she had hated to leave him as well at that time.

But her brother was not going to be there for her anymore. She was alone, without friends or companions. Alia and Midia were dead. Their bodies were found near the place where Gaudi had rescued her from the explosion, having bravely fought their enemies until the last drop of their blood. She had noone anymore.

She was an Ispanian, and yet she had no country.

She was an outcast. She had lost everything

She would have felt better if she could cry, but even her own tears denied her.

So there she was, alone, staring with empty eyes at the damaged garden of the Fanelian castle. Loneliness enveloped her heart as she inhaled the cool breeze, secretly longing for the past to return. She had hoped she didn't accept the darn invitation to visit Fanelia, but she also realised the war was bound to happen sooner or later. The question was whether her brother would stay the same like the brother she had left behind in Ispano or whether he would still change into a cold-hearted man.

Sighing melancholically, Ardine trudged back to one of the chairs available in the room and sank her whole mass into the soft cushion, her countenance thoughtful as she drew both her feet up. Would he come as well today? He had visited her everyday and made sure she would return to her good health. Sometimes, when his mood was good enough, he would even keep her company and talked about himself a little bit. He was even kind enough to inform her what happened outside the door of her bedchamber, since she was forbidden to step outside even an inch.

She had been annoyed at first, having one of her enemies visited her every day, even if he happened to be her saviour. She was well aware that without that person, she would be dead body then. But then she began to anticipate the time of his arrival, for he was her only link to the outside world. He was the only person ever talked to her since the incident, and she longed to listen to people talking to her. She was glad, even if they may end up arguing in the end of his visit. At least the debates kept her spirit and her will to live high.

Both her ears pricked up as she heard the soft creaking sound of the door being opened and closed. A knowing smirk started to grow out of the corners of her tiny mouth as gentle footfalls echoed against the surface of the crimson carpet. It was the catlike grace, she decided. This person, her companion as well as her enemy, was worth killing after she found a way to escape her current prison. He would be the first she would take her revenge upon.

Lightly she turned to him, causing a few dark strands to float in the air and fall gently on her shoulders. Excitement shone in her eyes despite her earlier disposition. For the time being, she would let the friendship grow. She would need his assistance if she wanted her freedom back in the future.

In the end, a genuine smile appeared as she addressed the man who leant on the inner door of her apartment, a smirk plastered on his handsome features.

"Gaudi. Welcome back,"

"It's been three days, Your Highness." Gaudi addressed her respectfully, executing a perfect bow as he probed Ardine's eyes with a flash of genuine amusement. The princess had changed her attitude. She had regarded him with hostility only a few days ago, but her quick mind quickly adjusted to her present situation. The princess was no fool indeed. She knew that she was not the guest of honour anymore. "All alone for three days. I hope you're not lonely without my presence."

Or not. Haughtiness seemed to be very much the part of her personality.

Snorting in an unladylike manner, Ardine scrunched up her nose in distaste. "I am your king's prisoner. I could do nothing if he decided to confine me in this prison called bedchamber. I have nothing to do but to amuse myself to keep my sanity."

Crossing his arms in front of his chest, Gaudi regarded Ardine with an amused chuckle and said, "With my assistance, of course. I'm the only person allowed to talk to you directly beside the king and the queen themselves."

"It doesn't matter." Ardine removed her eyes from him and resumed whatever activity she had been doing before Gaudi arrived – watching the sun, watching the grasses swaying under the force of the wind. "I'm still very much a prisoner here. Besides, he must be worried of what I am capable of doing to his queen after learning the personal dispute that existed between her and me."

Lifting one of his fine eyebrows, Gaudi made his way to the nearest window and asked conversationally, "Why? Do you still harbour ill misgivings toward her?"

Ardine merely shook her head.

Leaning down to level his own eyes with Ardine's, Gaudi frowned as he asked, "Are you certain?"

Again, he merely received a sigh, merely an ambiguous answer.

For a long time silence enveloped the room. Ardine was smirking when she decided to speak once again, "You'll be the first I will kill."

"Only that you didn't have enough skill worthy to oppose me in the first place." He told her a bit too pleasantly, both anger and amusement existing in his saccharine smile.

"Someday I'll return to Ispano, and it'll be a glorious moment when I could crush you between my thumbs." Ardine replied back, her eyes still refusing to look at Gaudi.

"Return and get killed?" Gaudi pointedly stated his opinion, "What's the use? You're forgetting about your brother." Smirking knowingly, he took the liberty to pull a chair and sat beside the princess. His smirk widened as he saw Ardine went rigid upon sensing his intention. She was afraid of him, but refused to show it. A strong girl indeed, the princess was. Worthy of being the spouse of the most powerful man in Fanelia, the king himself. Pity Van fancied Hitomi over her. If not, all of the commotions did not have to necessarily happen.

Placing a hand on Ardine's lithe shoulder, Gaudi gently asked, "Are you afraid of me?"

Ardine answered without looking at Gaudi in his eyes, "I refuse to respond to that one."

Shaking his head in wonder, Gaudi merely chuckled as he continued by himself, "I will not come if that is what you desire, Princess."

"And let me die of hunger?"

Again, Gaudi could only laugh at her naïveté. Did she really think that was the only reason of him visiting her? His laughter only stopped when his eyes finally contracted Ardine's azure ones, the depth was filled with sadness and humiliation.

"Don't laugh." She had said with the most authoritative tone she was able to muster at first, but then deterred as she realised her position. "…Please." She had added hesitantly, her voice faint.

Gaudi smiled despite the ache that began to build in his chest. What did he actually see in the princess that he dared to defy the authority of the grand council? Or even Van? What made him rescue her?

He had hoped it was love, but he became bitter as he came to a realisation. The girl was an asset for Fanelia. There might be sympathy when he first set out to defend her, but he began to realise that it was his instinct that guided him to protect what was precious for Fanelia. People who wanted to kill her might not realise it at the moment, but she would be of use in the future, although not by all means as a hostage. In fact, she should have been a free man.

And that knowledge made him guilty. The princess was barely out of teenager, and yet he had dragged her into the tangle of political web and war. She would suffer greatly in the future. And he was using her, even as he spoke to her at the moment.

"Gaudi,"

The sound of Ardine calling his name startled him out of his reverie. He mustered his every effort to regard her gently as he inquired back, "Yes, Your Highness?"

"Why do you rescue me back there?"

Forcing an exuberant grin, Gaudi didn't try to dodge the question and answered it in the only way that he knew, "To be honest, I don't understand myself."

The princess chuckled bitterly at herself, before answering the question for Gaudi, "We both know that I am valuable."

Gaudi's eyes widened in surprise, but he said nothing. Denied nothing. His heart however, felt cold when he suddenly noticed the hardness beneath the surface of Ardine's face. She was hiding under her mask again, an unbroken mask. It was hard to predict what she thought with the mask on, and he hated conversations that lacked clarity. Perhaps, it was time for him to withdraw, for the time being.

He executed a final bow, and was preparing to leave the chamber when Ardine's hand shot out and grabbed his robe with such power Gaudi never dreamt a girl like her could muster. The hand that held onto his robe was trembling, but determination showed clear in his face.

"You need me if you want to win the war," then looking back at Gaudi, the girl spoke with such clarity and confidence only existing thanks to her blue-blooded nature.

"I am the tool of war that you want."

Just for a moment, Gaudi fixed his sky blue eyes with fascination on Ardine upon seeing the willpower that the girl before him exuded. The crown princess of Ispano indeed, she showed none of the trauma she had experienced upon witnessing her twin brother's cruel nature.

"Use me. That way you can defeat Ispano easily, for I'm the only one who knows Parnall best."

Reverting back to his common sense, Gaudi gathered his wit and asked, "Why?"

A slow, genuine smile appeared on Ardine's features after being absent for quite a long time, "I am blood indebted to you. And I am an Ispanian – blood debt is thicker and more important than revenge. You saved my neck once and it's time to repay you."

Smiling, Gaudi placed his palm gently on Ardine's smooth cheek, but the smile soon disappeared as he suddenly held his hand high in the air and struck her hard on her cheek. His expression was cold as he merely looked at Ardine being thrown off her chair and landed none too gently on the alabaster floor. Her blood trickled down the corner of her lips, crimson and sticky as she licked it clean.

"Haardiyaj…" she insisted on telling him despite her pain, wheezing as she attempted to rise back to her sitting position, "my father's concubine. She will help you…" she let out a sharp cry as Gaudi's grip found its way to her shiny dark strands, making her whimper in pain.

"Do you think this act of selling yourself all of sudden work, my princess?" his voice was icy as he regarded her in disgust, "Blood indebted indeed. Why the change of attitude? For all the gods of Gaea, remember, you're still an Ispanian! Do you think we will just trust you after all what your brother has done to us? We haven't known yet whether your being here is also his scheme or not!"

"Bastard!"

It wasn't the cry that really surprised him, but the look in her eyes. It was wild and ferocious, but also painful. Sensing his moment of hesitation, Ardine used the chance to free herself from his grip and lunged at him as she snarled every curse she happened to remember. It should have been easy for Gaudi to dodge her assaults, but for some reasons Gaudi was unable to refrain from gazing into Ardine's fiery eyes. She retaliated like a wounded animal, and it was the first time a mere girl ever had the upper hand over him.

But most of all, he saw honesty. Bare honesty. Ardine hid nothing from him.

And the feeling was rather refreshing, especially after the trick and treachery that he had to face from day to day in the court daily life.

Gaudi groaned as his head hit the stone of the floor, feeling darkness enveloping his vision all of sudden. Embarrassment started to dominate his mind as the realisation of a general being defeated by a mere girl dawned on him. But he did nothing even as Ardine used her weight to pin him down, with her face merely inches from his own.

"Bastard…" she whispered as she started to sob, unable to contain the burden she had loaded in her heart since the war that had ended every tie she possessed with her birth country.

Gaudi forced himself to retaliate upon seeing her weakness, but once again found himself unable to do so. A image appeared upon seeing Ardine's teary face. It was Van's younger face. Once, a long time ago, Van had also looked at him with his teary face, ferocious anger shining in his eyes. The image started to blend in together with Ardine's crying face, creating a feeling of nostalgia in Gaudi's mind.

It's been a long time, Van…since that day. Since the very day I vowed to be your loyal servant, forever and ever.

He braved himself to touch Ardine's midnight strands, earning her surprise in return. Ardine merely returned his gaze in confusion at the beginning, but as she revelled in Gaudi's caressing hands, she began to relax and sob faintly into Gaudi's chest. And Gaudi just laid there, unmoving, his eyes working their ways to the rising twin moons in the west – an unreadable emotion crossed his face in a fleeting moment.            

Hi! It's been a very long time indeed since the last time I finished interlude one. A lot of things happened. For instance, my web host kicked me out again, so no more website for me. I'm tired of having my butt kicked, so I decided to give it my all at www.fanfiction.net. My nick there is babyshampoo, so please look for me there! I will post most of my old fics there. I guess that's the most reliable place I could find at the moment. Besides, my postgraduate studies prevent me to make a new website.

Anyway, this chapter is extraordinarily long, in my opinion. It's my gift and my apology for you, for being neglecting you all in the past year. There's a lot of Hitomi x Van sap there, so I hope those of you who love romance enjoy this interlude. This part is intended to explore the relations between the main Fanelian characters, and as you can see, I divided them into two groups – Van x Hitomi, Gaudi x Ardine.

There's also a little clue as to where this story will continue in the future if you're attentive enough. =D This is my gift for the romance lovers, since a lot of people ask me to write a romance scene for Hitomi and Van. It's my attempt of being romantic without being too cliché. I hope my attempt works. I tried to create a sense of déjà vu in the theme of this time's romance, so I use the lake where Van's parents met for the first time as the setting.

Also, there's a part where I begin to reveal Gaudi's past a little bit. Everything will become crystal clear as the chapters unfold.

Ok then, happy reading. The next section will be an interlude about Asturia and Freid. Hope everyone enjoy this part!

Yours,

Louise Tjandrasjahan
15th November 1978, 12:47 am
Western Australia Time

PS. For those who own a copy of Rurouni Kenshin OAV soundtrack, how does the music match the whole mood of the chapter? Hehehe…

PSS. I hope it's not too sappy, I hate pure sappiness…Anyway, I simply have to live with it if it is indeed very sappy. However, I did try to induce erotic mood in the story. The Van in the TV series never showed his sensual side though, so it was up to me to create this side of him…hope it satisfies you readers. I wish to include playful and passion in his sensual side.

Email me if you have any comment at mistyorb@hotmail.com