Book Two: Return

Interlude: Autumn Moments part I

An Escaflowne Continuation by Louise Tjandrasjahan

In his fifteen years of his life, Chid Zar Freid had never felt so restless except perhaps when he first received the news of his father's demise, which had sent him right away to the unwelcome status as the ruler of Freid. He believed he had at least managed not to shame his late father in his attempt to uphold the same tradition and values in his reign. Thus, he supposed to be content with his life, but he couldn't help the dissatisfaction that had been preventing his mind to function well of late.

Sitting behind the sturdy oak desk that used to belong to his late father, Chid felt as if he was merely a child trying to fit into his father's shoes. The huge desk would compliment his father's frame but would make his own wiry frame shrink in comparison. Grumbling quietly, the young duke leaned his back on the high back of his chair as he drummed his fingers on the armrests discretely, his baby blue eyes resting on anything but the tall shadowy figure before him.

Voris had been concerned with his continuous mind-lapse in the past few weeks and chose the afternoon to barrage him with lecture. The stern public liaison reckoned it was imperative to at least keep up an appearance during the so-called public assemblies, therefore he had been mighty concerned when he found out that Chid had managed to openly fall asleep during the so much revered Morning Prayer routine. Granted, it had started before the sun even made appearance, but as the head of the Freid duchy Chid should have had half the mind to remember the significance of the Morning Prayer. So he had admonished Chid in what he hoped in a fatherly fashion. The tradition was one of the elements that helped Freid earning its religious and hardworking reputation.

Gnashing his teeth together, Chid had to fight down the urge to stomp his feet and voice out his protests. Apart of being a manner unfitting to his position as a ruler, it would just lengthen Voris' lecture. Still, he had to let Voris know that at least he had tried everything not to let his fatigue to rule over his sense of duty! Could his body be blamed for responding so well to the morning chants that sounded more and more like a lullaby as minutes passed?

Voris should have congratulated him for not running away ten years ago when he first found out he would become Freid's ruler while he had just barely been out of babyhood. Of course, he hardly had any choice as a child.

Sinking more and more into the safety of his cushioned high chair, Chid could only turn a deaf ear. Voris had the knack to repeat the advices that he had already sprouted in the past regardless the different mistakes Chid had unwittingly done. Chid had attempted numerous times to prevent Voris from repeating his admonishments, but it was simply useless. Chid had often wondered if Voris even remembered that he was actually of higher status than the old monk: even though Chid was the duke of Freid, he had always been the son that Voris would never have.

Normally Chid would let Voris rambled and rambled about his future, but at the moment he did not feel like playing the dutiful son. He was tormented with longing to actually say something that would cause Voris to stop talking for once.

"What about a celebration? We hardly organised anything like that since my mother passed away,"

That did the trick. Voris involuntarily clamped his thick lips almost immediately, his small dark eyes widened in shock.

"I beg your pardon, Your Grace?"

Waving his hands in elaboration, Chid was trying to emphasise his point, "Yes, a government's official festivity. I dare to wager our people will be happy enough to oblige."

Chid shrank deeper into the cushions almost instinctively when he noticed the dark look in Voris' already reddened face and quickly forced his brain to supply an adequate explanation to back up his sudden outburst just now. How thoughtless of him! Here Voris was, preaching about responsibility and he had the gut to mention 'celebration'. Cringing inwardly, Chid had to remind himself again and again that he was a leader and such display of fear towards his own subordinate would not win him any negotiation, no, argument. Still, one should not have blamed a fifteen-year-old for desiring some positive excitement in his life.

Clearing his throat noisily, Chid attempted to appear as relax as possible as he casually elaborated his point, although deep down he sensed that he was fighting a lost battle, "We have never had anything that we could call celebration since the day of my ascension to the throne. All I could remember is the lingering effect of the destruction by the last war – the ever grim mood."

Voris lifted his bushy eyebrows askance, and Chid took this as a good sign to continue. It was about time he used his privilege to voice his opinion, for in the last ten years, he had been on the receiving end of the advices.

"We have been working very hard to re-establish the Duchy of Freid, so why don't we throw a little festivity to mark what we have achieved so far, and it would do good to boost our people's spirits!" he finished very quickly as he noticed the end of Voris' thick moustache twitched impatiently. He would hate it very much to have the old man interrupted his seemingly wonderful idea and transformed it into a puff of smoke.

Seeing no further reaction from his chief advisor and foster father, Chid leapt to his feet and gushed, "Yes, I think we all need that! Especially the noblemen under our sovereignty! I know that a celebration may not mean a lot for you and the other monks alike, but I dare say it will be like a breath of fresh air in between our strenuous everyday life routines. What say you, Voris?"

Voris didn't have the heart to voice his further concerns when he saw the excitement shining in his liege's eyes. All he could see before him was an ordinary fifteen-year-old boy, his countenance drenching with earnestness and curiosity, coupled with the restless adolescent energy. It was hard to deny that Chid was, after all, a mere boy who was still thirsty for worldly knowledge and adventure. 

The youngster stood regally with his palms braced against the sturdy surface of the desk. Behind such cumbersome piece of furniture, he appeared surprisingly diminutive and insignificant. The oversized windows, heavy curtains and the bulky chair assisted in reinforcing the image. Do not forget the heavy volumes of books and scrolls as well – neatly stacked in the bookcases that reached a ceiling almost three times of Voris' own 7' 6" frame. Chid's being in the office was definitely out of place.

It was true that the young duke had just begun his growth spurt, but his whole appearance was still that of a boy: tall and rather gangly, with baby blue eyes that still sparkled with naïve curiosity. He did not possess Mahad Dal's stoic beauty and ruthless judgement, and his built was definitely lacking for him to wear the late duke's royal armour.

Chid should still have been in school room, worrying nothing else but his study and enjoying his life with his friends instead of racing with time and balancing it between governing Freid and his own learning. He should have had more time to indulge in his interests and make more acquaintance with the young ladies in the court.

He should have been able to act his age.

Voris tightened his fists in resolution and gave himself a mental nod. Yes, perhaps it was time for Chid to gain more experiences outside the world that had already been familiar for him, to let him do what he really desired. As his sole guardian, Voris would have to loose his rein. Never mind about the government. Freidian court could afford functioning without its duke for the next two or three months. As Chid's public liaison, he would make sure everything work well for his noble charge.

Smiling ever so slightly, Voris kept his voice level even though he could sense the anticipation bubbling in his vein, "Chid, it's a very good idea, but I have a better one. How about a long stay in Asturia? After all, it's been a long time since you visited your aunts Queen Millerna and Princess Eries."

Surprise dawned on Chid's features the moment Voris mentioned Asturia. He swore he had never sounded so idiotic when he finally squeaked out, "Asturia?"  

"Yes, my lord. I daresay you could gain a lot of experience by learning under the tutelage of your aunt. I am also certain our ambassador in Asturia will be more than happy to take you under his wings,"

Chid cast a suspicious look at Voris, in which Voris could not help but guffawed in response, "I am serious, Lord Chid! This will also be a good chance to expand your connections and your diplomacy skill. I am sure your stay there will be pleasant!"

For a moment, Chid's response seemed to be that of the negative one. He crossed his arms before his chest and burrowed his eyebrows as he contemplated his options, plus trying to guess why the ever protective Voris was suddenly willing to grant him freedom. But an unexpected image crossed his mind.

Celena Schezar.

The reason of his mind-lapse. Truly meeting her in person was no longer a dream! Now he would be able to be acquainted with the lady that had been disturbing his sleeping and waking hours properly, to bask in her sweet disposition and to lift the veil of mystery around her. A thrilled grin spread out on his face as he finally gave his answer.

"This autumn, Voris. This autumn will be perfect."

Ardine had always recognised when things were not going to work for her, and this was one of those days. When her formal request to see either Van or Gaudi was refused, she decided to lodge her complaint by performing a little destruction to the objects in her so-called residential chamber (which felt more and more like a gilded cage to her). Of course, they simply ignored her. After all, her temper had somewhat become a legend. However, when she didn't appear to be mellowing down by day three, the guards and the staff assigned to her service decided they had had enough.

Still, she had had to restrain the string of curses that was ready to jump out of her mouth when they had sent for Gardia instead of Gaudi. Ardine swore she would have mauled the guards' heads if she had not been imprisoned. They should have known whom it was that she had wanted after three days full of rants. Apparently they were quite determined not to let her enter the vicinity of their king. However, unless she knew what was going on, how could she assess her current situation? What's more, despite her hatred towards Van and Gaudi, they were the only people whose words she could trust. She had considered requesting an audience with Hitomi for some time, but rumours about Van and Hitomi's strained relationship stopped her. If the rumours were true, an association with Hitomi would not do her favour in the eyes of the king. She needed to survive and the king's support was the only thing she had been counting on from the beginning.

However, at the moment what she thought of Hitomi was hardly relevant. As she looked around to inspect her recent throw of tantrum, she was able hear Gardia's wizened voice outside the door, probably discussing her most recent outburst with one of the guards. Would he torture her with a series of lectures and suggestions? How inappropriate. All she wanted to know was some information about Parnall and the possibilities of her returning to Ispano. She had thought about this option quite a lot lately. She knew the consequence of going back, but she was the rightful heir to the throne of Ispano and she needed to prevent a deranged leader from destroying her kingdom. She may only have seen Parnall in his crazed state once, but she was no fool. Parnall truly hated her and had tried to kill her, his own twin sister, for whatever reason unknown to her.

But of course, it was impossible even to escape the confine of her room. The guards had employed extra vigilance since the day she had sneaked out so easily and met Hitomi in the library. She had hoped to meet Van there, but alas, her luck had eluded her. In the end, fate had brought her that Gardia boar instead.

Ardine didn't have to turn her head to know that Gardia had entered the room. Keeping her eyes focused on one particular spot outside her window, she greeted the elderly councillor icily, "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Your Excellency?"

She bit her lower lip and debated silently whether to maintain decorum or not when she heard the person behind her clearing his throat. Obviously he wanted her to respect him by looking at him in the eye as they spoke. Well, if she was to do that, what was the point of her rebelling? He just had to simply accept her attitude. In any case, it was actually him who had thrown her life in chaos by inviting her to Fanelia. She had known this fact firsthand from Gaudi, and Gaudi would never lie to her.

There was a long pause. It seemed that the grand councillor had decided to assess the damage that she had caused before opening the conversation. She wondered how long he would stay around in this particular visit.

When there was still no response, Ardine couldn't help but sneer, "What's the matter? Afraid that I will eventually detonate the whole castle into rubbles?"

"Not really. I am just thinking that perhaps the dungeon is more suitable for your recent endeavour, Princess."

Ardine whirled to face the source of the familiar deep penetrating voice, her eyes saucer wide. She restrained the urge to gasp, although she was certain that Gaudi noticed her shock. So she had been mistaken the tall handsome man before her for the insufferable old councillor. Still, she was positive it was Gardia's croaky voice she had heard outside and not Gaudi's.

There was a dull ache in her chest, something that she had always sensed whenever she saw Gaudi in the eyes. Suddenly an overwhelming emotion swept on her, and she could feel her tears threatening to spring. Something blossomed: joy? At seeing Gaudi's face?

Blinking away her tears, she straightened her spine and gathered her composure. Nodding cordially to the person before her, she finally found her courage to speak. It was raspy with emotions she was unable to define, "I am glad someone in this castle has not forgotten that I am still alive."

Somehow Gaudi found this comment amusing, for he remarked, "Everybody who stands ten feet away from your bedchamber will be aware that you are still very much alive, Princess, with all the rackets you've been producing recently."

Ardine knew she should have been angry with Gaudi for saying such things about her, but she found herself wish not to disrupt the peace between them for some reasons. She would even endure his snide remarks if he would stay to accompany her for at least an hour. She couldn't stand speaking with herself or the walls for another day.

Instead, she gestured to the only chair intact in her living quarter and silently offered him a seat. Gaudi did as she bid without removing his good eye from her, an amused smile gracing his lips as Ardine settled herself on the stony ledge of the arching window, unusually informal in her posture as she gathered up her knees and hugged them tightly against her chest.

"How can I be of service, my lady?"

A brief glance and, "What use of me asking? You will just simply refuse to comply."

Gaudi lifted one of his eyebrows knowingly and prodded more "Ah. Why don't you try me?"

Focusing her eyes on the bed of flowers below the window, she heaved a loud sigh as she answered, "I want to get out."

There was a long pause. For a moment Ardine thought Gaudi would not answer her question, until she finally heard him saying, "Princess, when I talk to you, please, face me."

The young princess slowly turned her head upon the gentle command, earning a look of surprise from the general – it was very curious indeed that Ardine had decided to follow one's order today. While the memory of the spoiled and rebellious Ardine was still fresh in his mind, he couldn't deny the growing change in the way she regarded others around her. The old Ardine would have stared hard at him with the aura of defiance oozing out of her very posture, but the Ardine before him instead merely looked expectantly at him, as quiet and docile as a meek little lamb.

And then Gaudi started to notice something else. Ardine's skin, although darker than the normal Fanelian standard, was paler and less radiant than the way it used to be when she had first arrived. Her aquamarine blue eyes had lost her usual brilliance and her raven black hair was dull and limp. She was devoid of her usual supply of headpiece and decorations, and her declining weight became more apparent as he noticed the lack of the healthy blush and the hardness of the cheekbones that was never present before.

Odd. This way she looked less similar to Hitomi. It was still fresh in Gaudi's memory, the peculiar tableau before his eyes as he saw both women standing side by side for the first time – small wonder the council had thought that Ardine might have been able to melt Van's heart. Of course, the similarities that he was talking about only extended up to Ardine's physical appearance.

"General Gaudi?"

A clear voice rang true in his ears, halting his train of thoughts. Cursing silently, Gaudi gathered his thought and considered the princess' request. The practical answer to Ardine's request was obviously a no, for he believed Ardine roaming free on the castle ground would have worsened the already darkening suspicion over the royal family's inclination towards Ispano. The people's memory on Ispano's last attack was still fresh, and any favour shown to the Ispanian princess would only succeed to fuel the feelings of hatred and insecurity. He understood the nature of the princess' request, but he just couldn't allow her the short-term luxury that would destabilise the government even more. Of course, Ardine would have been riled up by his answer. How could he rephrase it so that it would sound more acceptable?

Nevertheless, he was startled to find tears shining on the brim of her eyes when he finally decided to raise his eyes. The crystalline blueness burnt brilliantly under the fierce afternoon sun, and Gaudi found it almost impossible not to squirm under such intense scrutiny. His heart sank immediately – he could almost hear its crashing sound as he sensed his mental defence stripped down layer by layer.

Something about the intensity of her gaze reminded him of his own youth. He could almost see his past self, standing next to Ardine with his confronting gaze as he forced the truth about his parents' demise from the mouth of his king uncle. At that time he had been in the same position as Ardine was, for everyone around him had shunned him, denied him the truth.

Then he had decided: the girl needed a respite. He would see to it right away. He realised he may have given Ardine a chance to escape, but he was confident Ardine would not attempt the foolish move – the girl had nowhere else to go and besides, he was going to accompany her. God knows he needed a break himself. 

Without further ado, he extended one callused hand toward the princess, a grin apparent on his handsome face. Her bewilderment was evident in her eyes as he laughed openly, pulling the princess' hand unceremoniously as he dragged her behind him.

 "Let us go." He had told her, a secret smile gracing his full lips as he stole a glance to the perplexed princess. Shock turned into surprise, surprise into simple delight, the young lady bounded behind him, a small smile brightened her clouded features.

Hitomi had been in the kitchen all morning, trying her hand on Fanelian cooking and for once having a great opportunity of being acquainted with the lesser rank of Van's household staff – an act that would have made the council grimace in distaste, for they disapproved this kind of display of familiarity from the queen. Still, Hitomi threw all caution to the wind as she laughed gleefully at her success in smearing a handful of flour on the face of one of the younger maids. Barefooted and covered by flour from head to toe, she certainly lacked the intimidating air the previous queens possessed.

At least the kitchen staff had seemed to think of her that way.

Of course, at the beginning they had been downright shocked, petrified even, for one would not expect the highest ranking lady of the kingdom to pop her head into the kitchen oh-so-casually with a careless "What's cooking?" Their carefree chatter immediately subsiding, their first reaction had been to scramble to their feet at the same moment and bow their heads before the divine presence, only to realise that the queen…may not have been very divine after all.

Upon witnessing the overt display of reverence, Hitomi merely lifted one of her eyebrows in amusement and spoke in a voice wavered by laughter, "Well, I can see that you are reluctant to share the secret of your cooking by the way you are flocking ever so tightly in front of the stoves and the ingredients."

One of the male cooks, a man in his early thirties, whipped his head up in shock upon hearing the remark and had the grace to blush as he quickly took up representing the others, "Never, Your Majesty! You know that you are always welcome to visit this lesser part of the castle." 

Again, Hitomi couldn't help lifting her eyebrows at the statement. "Lesser part? I've never seen a place so warm and lively as this one. Moreover, this place has the best view of the garden as well. No even my room has this kind of luxury. I'm so jealous!"

The people before her started to murmur among themselves in what seemed to be half delight and astonishment. They had never expected the queen to refer to the kitchen as 'warm and lively', not to mention having 'the best view of the garden', but the queen's words made sense. Subconsciously they began to relax and acknowledge Hitomi's presence in a more positive light. Before long, they had included her in their activity. They welcome her into their inner circle, sharing the juiciest of their kitchen gossips and eventually jested with her as if she had been truly one of them.

Iriza the head cook – a plump grey-haired lady with the sweetest disposition Hitomi had ever known, had been bold enough to single her out from other queens as being friendly, even from Varie, who apparently had treated the lower ranking staff with such gentleness that was lacking in the other queens' conducts in the past. Hitomi merely laughed as she half listened to the older lady's compliment, having struggled with beating the pastry dough into an acceptable substance.

"So you've been working in this castle for the past forty years and served two of the past queens." Hitomi concluded as the head cook seemed to end her story, curiosity evident in her voice. "That means you served Van's mother. Tell me, what does she do all day in the castle?"

A warm chuckle entered her ever ready ear as Iriza commented in a motherly fashion, "Why, My Lady, do you feel restless in all of these fineries?" Hitomi's eyes twinkled at the comment, but she refrained from answering. Instead, she merely displayed an impish smile that spoke volumes. Yes, she did feel bored after awhile, with only studies of Fanelian culture and written language to fill her days.

It was suggested that she was to take her place in the solar and create some embroidery together with her ladies-in-waiting, but she considered herself too clumsy for that kind of activity. She did join their activity once in awhile for Van's sake – for the sake of developing good relations with the wives of Van's courtiers, but she found their conversations and rigid manners too stifling after awhile. As a result she buried herself in the library as Van was too busy to accompany her during day time, and already she was gaining a reputation of an odd queen (and woman).

"Not that I can blame you, Miss." Hitomi had to smile as she noted the cheeky expression in the young maid next to her. "I would be dead before I was caught preening and swooning like those prissy little ladies."

"Would you show extra care for your words?" another maid to her opposite hissed to her in horror, and to her credit, the younger maid blushed becomingly as a collective laughter erupted in the background.

Suzuran, as Hitomi later learnt her name, had taken the liberty to address her as a mere 'miss', knowing that the young queen would prefer it that way. She, too, was working on the dough before her, her flushing cheeks puffing from the effort. A patch of her red shoulder-length hair was powdered by the flour despite her effort to cover it up with a piece of cloth, thanks to the game Hitomi and she had played earlier. Hitomi couldn't help an indulging smile towards the younger girl. Suzuran had reminded her of Yukari, and she had foreseen a great camaraderie despite the difference in their status.

"No, seriously," Hitomi decided to pursue her initial topic once the laughter died down, "What does a queen suppose to do?"

"A queen usually embroiders among her ladies-in-waiting in her solar," Hitomi rolled her eyes at that one.

"She plans festivals," chirped an unknown source.

"…And try to look beautiful all the time, which Your Majesty really doesn't need to…"

Laughter roared from the scene behind her, and Hitomi had to fight off the urge to make a smart retort. Chewing her lower lip in concentration, Hitomi tried to blush upon hearing the open flattering remark that obviously came from one of the male attendants. The remark was a bold one, but she supposed it was harmless.  

"Well, thank you." Hitomi nodded graciously at the grinning man, and grinned in return. She was glad she decided to abandon her readings for once and seeked out the warmth of their company.

Slapping the dough on the wooden table and kneading the substance expertly, Iriza lifted her eyebrows knowingly as she finally contributed her piece, "Queen Varie saw to all the household matters, Your Majesty. She made the steward report everything to her every morning. She was a lady of good taste, and a sharp mind for keeping the royal coffer full." She studied the young queen from the corner of her eyes as she added, "She made up for what the king generally lacked, like smooth talking. She used to be a great presence in the castle."

"Oh." was Hitomi's only reaction. She had heard that the late queen had had troubles adjusting to life in Fanelia, but perhaps she was wrong. Perhaps these people actually had viewed Varie differently from what the former queen had originally thought. Hitomi was drowning in her thought as she attempted to envision Van's late mother, but to no avail. Finally, curiosity winning over her, she dared herself to ask, "What was she like?"

"Tall, graceful, raven haired, with eyes as intense as his majesty King Van. It's a pity the Great War has destroyed the few remaining portraits of her. She was very calm, of course, and the only time we saw her being frantic had been when King Goau has died and Prince Folken has disappeared."

"How did young Van react?" Hitomi hadn't meant to ask the question, but it was rushing out of her lips before she was able to prevent it. Guilt danced freely in her mind, for she actually despised prying into her husband's past behind his back.

There were a few collective murmurs, and the once-friendly folks had decided to avoid her eyes and resumed their works, leaving her without answer. Only Iriza seemed to retain her composure as she quietly relayed her story, "His majesty has always been a strong lad. He handled his emotions wonderfully, and he refused the people around him to fuss over him. He saw to it that he remained a strong presence, a strong chain link that would eventually continue the legacy of his ancestors." She regarded Hitomi with her gentle brown eyes before continuing her story, "But we all noticed, Your Highness. There had been a care that your king husband had never possessed in his face before his mother's disappearance, and although we had tried so hard to ease his burden, we were all helpless. He was too good at masking his reasoning from us. It is difficult to understand his motive, now and then." 

And that is where the conversation ended. Hitomi made no other inquiry as she concentrated on the work at hand, while trying to absorb the new information about her husband's past as best as she could. She was unaware of what had shaped Van's characteristics in the first place. Living together with Van had revealed that he was actually a different man from the one whom she had known eight years ago, or the one whom she thought she knew.

Hitomi had been so deep in thought that she didn't realise the people around her turned around to face the entrance of the kitchen, their upper torsos were bowed in respect to the newcomer. The uninvited guest had signalled the gentle folks to keep silent as he stealthily tiptoed behind his unsuspecting queen, delighting in the shivers of anticipation as he brushed his lips on the crook of Hitomi's neck.

Hitomi's reaction didn't disappoint him. She whirled to face him the moment he had bestowed that kiss, her eyes alight with indignation as words of reprove were readied at the tip of her tongue. Nothing compared with the pleasure of seeing her cheeks turned pink becomingly as she half opened those lush kissable lips of hers invitingly.

Normally it was uncommon of someone of his status to show open affection before some common eyes, and he was sure the council would condemn this careless conduct, but Van didn't care. He didn't think any hot-blooded male within his vicinity would be able to resist the temptation to embrace the flour-covered, barefooted enchantress.

"What are you doing here?" Hitomi blurted as one hand flew to her chest, feeling her quickening heartbeat. Van's sudden appearance had given her a fright, but the unwelcome feeling soon transformed into curiosity and curiosity into pleasure as she noted the laziness in Van's posture. Her husband was in a lighter mood, which was very rare nowadays, knowing the unpredictable state of Fanelia-Ispano relationship.

Ignoring the people's stares at his back, Van kept a respectable distance from her wife as he eyed her from head to toe. Amusement was clearly evident in his ruby eyes as he chirped, "Nothing." Chuckling to himself, he wondered about Hitomi's appearance loudly as he wiped the excess of flour from her nose, "But it looks as if you are having too much of a good time here and forgot to include me in your game."

"This?" Grinning broadly, Hitomi gestured to the result of her labour – a beautifully decorated fruit pastry, "Since you decided not include me in your daytime activities, it is only fitting that I create my own schedule as a queen." Pouting her cherry red lips, she continued with mild accusation in her voice, "You haven't been very specific about my duties, so I had to ask these people about them."

It was Van's turn to grin, "Did you?"

Hitomi merely raised a pale eyebrow.

They had challenged each other's eyes for a whole minute before finally breaking into laughter at the same time, the tensions in the past few months seemingly forgotten. Extending her arms forward, Hitomi approached her husband and placed her hands into his ever-ready ones, never even once diverting her gaze from Van's dimpled smile. Squeezing his hands lightly, she threw Van an expectant look as she spoke to their audience in crystal clear voice, "It appears that my visit will end too soon. I thank you for your hospitality."

Murmurs of assent rose in the air as each of folks bowed low before the king and the queen as they made their way out.

Author's Note:

Dear readers,


I believe it has only been two months since I last uploaded my 18th chapter! I am quite surprised myself I can actually write this quick. Okay, I can't actually say that two months is a short time, but considering the interval between the writing processes of chapter 17 and 18…

I didn't actually plan this interlude, but I feel I need to clarify more about Chid's way of thinking and Ardine and Gaudi's relationship before proceeding further into the story. I also would like to use the interlude as a means to lessen the strain in Van and Hitomi's relationship, which in my opinion, becomes rather tiring. While I have to say that the problem between Van and Hitomi will not be greatly diminish, I want to at least create beautiful memories in their marriage (other than sex) in order to give the couple more motives to work harder to understand each other.

I hope this chapter is not boring – at least I want it to be informative. I don't want my characters to interact among themselves only – I don't think the plot will propel forward that way. I think one of my biggest flaws in writing this story is to rule out interaction with minor characters. By including the minor characters, we would be able to see how the Fanelians actually see Van (despite the rumours) and how Hitomi fit into Fanelian society.

The part about Chid is actually a crucial one, because it is the one that actually set the foundation for further development. As we have learnt in the earlier chapters, Chid does have some (unhealthy) interests in Celena. Of course, Chid is unaware of their blood ties, and will have to face the reality some day. However, at the moment he is only reacting to his gut feeling, and his feeling tells him to pursue his growing attraction to Celena. He is, after all, still a teenager. Despite his heavy responsibility as a duke, he is unable to resist the throes of first love. Then again, I don't think we all really get over our first love. *cheeky grin* His journey to Asturia would be an eye-opener, and maturity would come naturally to him as the story progresses.

Ardine and Gaudi's relationship will also affect how the story will turn out in the end. I reckon their pairing is even more important than Van and Hitomi. You will understand what I am talking about in the later chapters.

By the way, I divided this interlude into two parts. I meant to publish it in one chapter, but I abandoned the idea once the chapter went pass 17 pages (and it's not even finished yet)! The second part will contain more about Ardine-Gaudi and Van-Hitomi. I consider writing something about Hitomi's friends on Earth, but I think it will make a separate long chapter.

Ok, that's it from me at the moment. Please enjoy what I currently have. Do not hesitate to comment on the plot or ask me questions about the characters.

Awaiting your comments,

Louise Tjandrasjahan

13th of October 2003, 01:37 AM

Perth, Western Australia

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