"Always…"
IX: My Best Friend's Engagement
For the searche, King Dacian called upon the greatest of Men. The two missing children were deare to him, as unto a son and daughter of his owne seed. By King Dacian's side stoode Men of steel, of cunning, of loyalty, of resolve and --
"Unbridled enthusiasm?"
"That's not how the passage reads, Alucier," I sigh, snapping the book shut. Father's drifted back to sleep since the last chapter so there's no real need to continue. Old books glorifying the reigns of previous Asturian kings were never high on my reading list, though I can understand their appeal to Father. I'll never understand why the old languages insisted on tacking the letter 'e' onto the end of every other word.
"Keene fashione sense?" he guesses again.
Disapproval in these circumstances only encourages him. "You've read this book before, haven't you?"
"It's so obvious. Every group has to have a Stylish One."
"Do I want to know how you classify our circle of friends?"
"Please, as if I sit home alone coming up with cliches to call my friends. Now if you wanted to do it together, that would be different."
"Is that how Revius came up with Her Pinkness for my sister? A collaborative effort between the two of you?"
"Speaking of her majesty, the Princess Millerna," he says nimbly, "It's been what? Ten minutes since I've checked to see if she's returned yet?"
It's been a lot longer than that. King Dacian had only met those two soon-to-be-kidnapped children the last time Alucier left the room. I could have walked from the barn where Fanel keeps Escaflowne in the time it took for the tragic orphans to endear themselves to the stern monarch so deeply and publicly, Dacian's archenemy saw fit to launch an elaborate plan to steal the children away. I didn't read far enough to find out if the kidnapping was but one stage of a more nefarious scheme or if the man was simply being spiteful. Those types of revelations take place in the later chapters and I won't be getting to them for another day or two. Meanwhile, I need to find out if there's a nefarious scheme afoot in the present day.
Alucier and I slip out of Father's room, taking care not to disturb him. That stillness is contrasted greatly by the clamor in the guard tower. Most of it is high-pitched demands from Merle that somebody does something. The rest of it is Revius insisting there's nothing he can do with just a hint of Dryden trying to diffuse the tension by making a joke of why a young man and woman might want to be alone for awhile.
Merle, Dryden, Allen, Millerna and Gaddes have returned to the palace without either object of their search. The Moleman either wandered off from the company or was forcibly evicted. It was determined that Fanel and Hitomi had taken Escaflowne but the when, the where and the why of the situation are still unknown. Aside from Dryden's jesting theory, which Merle loudly dismisses on the grounds that no proud king of Fanelia would succumb to the corruption of a wanton Mystic Moon inhabitant (albeit in less polite terms), no one has any ideas.
There is a common fear. Allen says it first, bringing up Zaibach's recent activities and the possibility that the floating fortress Fanel destroyed wasn't the only one in the region. Assuming Fanel and Hitomi are still in the region. Allen goes one step further and reminds everyone that Escaflowne is capable of covering a startling amount of ground at high speeds, as it did when the three of them escaped from Zaibach.
"Ever the optimist, eh, Allen?" Dryden notes.
Merle is more hopeful -- adamantly so. "He'll come back! Van-sama wouldn't abandon me!"
"She has a point," Millerna says. "If Van were leaving for good, why wouldn't he have taken Merle with him?"
"Yeah, having a fuzzy, eighty-pound armband and being licked all the time never gets old," Revius mumbles. "The armband part anyway…"
"What's that supposed to…"
"SO…" Dryden interrupts Merle to prevent any exploration of the connotations of Revius' remark. "We all agree. They'll be back."
Assuming they're able to. I check my tongue lest I give Dryden reason to call me as pessimistic as Allen. Everyone else seems content to share Merle's belief that they've taken a short trip and will come back without a scratch. While the others joke that Fanel and Hitomi will probably wonder what we were so worried about, Allen continues to go on worrying. He takes look after look through the large window in the tower's east face, as if willing the two to appear in midair. Waits last so much longer when you let anticipation take you over. Longer still when you don't know when or if the exact moment you're waiting for is going to happen.
"If it's settled that they will be coming back, we hardly need to spend any more time discussing it. The guards have their duties and we've occupied their tower long enough," I say. No one is all that nonplussed by the abruptness. I didn't get the nickname 'Ice Princess' without making similar dispassionate statements before.
Revius backs me up by chastening the guards that are here for slacking off to watch us talk. Millerna suddenly remembers that they all missed lunch to go searching and hunger pangs descend upon the group as they decide in unison to visit the kitchens.
"I suppose you're right," Allen says and leaves with the rest.
Walking down the stairs, he almost misses a step from keeping his eyes on the sky.
***
At dusk, the king of Fanelia and the seer from the Mystic Moon do return to Palas. They are taken directly to Dryden's office where we interested parties have hurriedly assembled. Their homecoming is not celebrated as would be expected. Had they returned alone, they would have been told how much they were missed and how glad everyone was to see them. They've brought with them, however, a third person whose presence stifles warm sentiment. The only thing that should be offered to him is enmity.
Merle, quizzically, addresses him first. "Folken? Is that really you?"
How she knows him is beyond me, but she must not know everything about him if she sounds so hopeful. "His title is Strategos Folken," I tell her. "Of Zaibach."
He doesn't dispute it. He says nothing.
Dryden wasn't here for Strategos Folken's first visit but he has been briefed on how the man humbled the crown. The new regent knows to play this one cautiously. He also knows who is most likely to give him the full explanation this situation demands. "Hitomi, care to tell us what's going on?"
"Van…?" she asks, but there's no help impending from the king. Bringing the Strategos back with them obviously was not his idea nor has he warmed to it much.
"He's not with Zaibach anymore," Hitomi continues. "He's decided to defect. He knows how wrong Zaibach is and wants to stop them."
"Folken was really with Zaibach? Oh, Van-sama…" Merle whimpers.
Dryden voices my thoughts for me. "I'm missing something. How would Merle know a Zaibach Strategos?"
The answer has to be awkward as no one hurries to provide it. Finally, Allen says, "He's Van's brother."
"His brother?" Millerna says in shock. I'm surprised too. The Folken responsible for the attack on Fanelia is the same Folken Laquer de Fanel that could have been the country's ruler. I had thought the name was a twisted coincidence. It never occurred to me that the reality would be more perverse.
Staving off more startled outbursts, Hitomi restarts her story. She recounts the summons the beastmen relayed to Fanel to go to Fanelia. She cuts a part about dragons attacking short when she notices a look of alarm on Allen. "Folken knew how to get the dragons to leave. He saved us. Then he said he wanted to come with us to Asturia so that he could help us fight Zaibach."
She trusts him completely. But Hitomi will not be making any decisions about the former Strategos' fate. That decision will rest with the council and Dryden. "Is that so?" he says. "You're going to switch sides and give up the goods on your former team?"
"I formally request asylum in Asturia," Folken answers, "In exchange for information that will be of use to your military."
"Asylum, right. Because otherwise, we'd just throw you in prison and conveniently forget where we put the key."
"Dryden!" Hitomi chides, "He's being sincere!"
"You know my terms," are Folken's last words on the subject.
Dryden mulls those terms over but I have a feeling which way he's leaning. The line about throwing the Strategos in prison isn't really accurate. At most, Folken would stay in a cell during a brief trial with a foregone verdict and be executed before the court documents could be filed. Granting asylum would give us access to a wealth of information and save a man's life. Dryden's too much of a merchant to pass on the former and too much of an idealist to pass on the latter.
As expected, Dryden announces, "I don't yet have the power to grant you anything without running it by the council first. Now is a good a time as any. Get them after they've had a nice, big dinner and are in a good mood."
I gather the younger Fanel won't bother attending that meeting. He stalks away with Merle a few footsteps behind him. Dryden calls for a guard to escort him and the older Fanel to the council chambers. He sends another to rouse the council. Hitomi leaves with them, though which brother she's following is unclear.
"I still can't believe his own brother would do that to Van, to everyone in Fanelia," Millerna says once Allen and the two of us are the only ones left in the room.
"I don't know why he didn't tell us before. The fact that Zaibach was ruthless enough to have a man order the destruction of his former homeland, that nothing is sacred to them, could have been used to persuade the council to act more decisively."
I didn't mean it as a rebuke against anyone but the knight who had the duty to report the knowledge as soon as he learned it apologizes for the lapse. "Forgive me, but when Van told me, I had the understanding that he was taking me into his confidence. Van will help us however he can with Zaibach, but anything specifically involving his brother, I think he regards it as private business that is his responsibility to deal with alone."
Allen would respect that. My sister and I are too well versed in family affairs being dredged through the public eye to disagree with him.
Millerna does wonder how far Fanel might take his perceived responsibility. "It didn't look to me like Van was the least bit receptive to the idea of asylum. Do you think he'll be able to live with the decision if we do go ahead and grant it to his brother?"
"He did bring him back here," I say. "Fanel's been in Asturia long enough to learn we can't resist a good bargain and the Strategos is making an intriguing offer. He had to know the high probability of us agreeing to it."
"But what Folken did… With asylum, he won't receive any real punishment for it. Van's so angry now. What happens after he's seen his brother walking around free for awhile."
"True. Fanel does have a hard time not expressing his hatred. After some fuel is added to that fire -- "
"Van can't hate him that completely. If he was that full of hatred, no one would want…" Allen stops his soliloquy when he realizes Millerna and I are both staring at him. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking of something someone once said to me."
It didn't sound like Allen. I've no doubt Hitomi Kanzaki was the original speaker. Her influence spreads.
Millerna embraces it, mostly. "I understand what you're saying and I agree, but still… It's going to be hard for Van to forgive him and I don't even know if he has a reason to do it beyond being his brother."
"Sometimes, that's reason enough."
It wasn't that long ago that Allen would have scoffed at that notion instead of putting it forth. That's the nature of mercy, I suppose. Give it once and it becomes more natural to give it again. I just don't how much should be given in this case. Providing us with intelligence won't give back any of the lives taken on the Strategos' order. It might, however, save considerably more. That alone makes it worthwhile. And, if Hitomi is correct and the motivation for Folken's defection lies in some newfound revulsion with Zaibach's methods, the conscience that prodded him to that decision won't let him rest. That punishment could be worse than anything our courts would mete out.
"Maybe," Millerna says. "But it takes time to forgive. And sometimes, it hurts more because it is family."
Hurt and forgiveness aren't always in proportion when it comes to loved ones. Crimes that are reprehensible for a stranger can be pardoned. A small disloyalty that could easily be forgotten builds instead into a raw wound that's ready to reopen at the slightest offense.
But what Folken Fanel did was reprehensible and it wasn't a small disloyalty. Fanel's wound goes deep. I've had differences with my sisters, but they were nothing like the thorough betrayal handed down from his brother. No one would judge Van Fanel if he loathed Folken for the rest of his life.
If he was that full of hatred… what a miserable life that would be. Even Merle would tire of him eventually. Another insight from a girl of fifteen that some adults never learn. Having heard Allen, of all people, repeat it, is the best proof that you should just let yourself heal.
***
The offer was too good to be refused. The Strategos is given the asylum he sought and, immediately, is called upon to live up to his obligations as set forth in the terms. He complies with the requests, keeping little -- if any -- of Zaibach's secrets. A flying guymelef used in the attack at the wedding is given to our scientists. He assists in the recovery of that floating fortress, the Vionne, from the ocean. Every last piece of Zaibach's technology that he has access to, he hands over so it may be picked apart and used against its makers. The military has questions to ask as well. They want regiment sizes and locations, guymelef and floating fortress weaknesses. They get them.
Even in total abeyance of our wishes though, Folken retains that aura of cold professionalism that lent him the menace necessary to intimidate a king. He never utters an unneeded word, never waivers from an even tone of indifference. The few hours of the day when he isn't being interrogated, he spends sequestered in the room we've given him in the palace cellars. The staff gossips about it being turned into a strange laboratory with our guest playing the mad doctor role to perfection. None of them would dare speak a word of it near Folken. If they did, I doubt it would matter. Nothing provokes a visible reaction from the man.
No, there is one person that earns sidelong glances, though that person makes an effort not to react. Blood is thick, but Van Fanel's grudge runs thicker. He has as little to do with his brother as possible.
As little as possible is, unfortunately, a lot with the summit that we've scheduled. In coming to realize we can't ignore Zaibach any longer, we've also realized we can't fight them alone. We need allies, especially allies with large militaries. To that end, we've invited dignitaries from the strongest nations on Gaea to Palas to convince them not to make the same mistakes we did with Freid. The delegates from Basram arrived this morning. Egzardia's are arriving now.
I had the choice of either greeting the dignitaries at the dockyard with Alucier or assisting with preparations for the lead address of the summit with the men who will be presenting it. Since the main topic of that address is Fanelia, those men will be Van and Folken Fanel. I did not take long to consider. I'm acquainted with all of Egzardia's royal family and their politics. Dealing with them will be far easier than negotiating the tension between the Fanelian brothers.
At least, I thought I knew all of Egzardia's royal family. The woman that steps out of the royal leviship looks familiar. I recognize the high cheekbones and long, mahogany hair. The sensible braid it's wrapped in isn't entirely implausible, but the crisp, formal, all-concealing military uniform is just… wrong. For the woman I'm thinking of, anyway.
I'm not alone in my confusion. "Is that…?" Alucier stammers.
The Egzardians advance towards us. The young man in the plainest uniform walks ahead of them and, with an announcement, confirms that yes, that is. "May I present to you, the eldest princess of Egzardia, her majesty, Marqesita Verlan--"
"She knows my name. Someone like you screams it at her every time I come to Asturia," the eldest princess of Egzardia, her majesty, Marqesita Verlana e' Egzard sniffs. "And," she adds as she points to the page in front of me, "She's Eries Aria Aston and her guard's name is Alucier Maerzen. So you don't have to bother either. Why don't the two of you take some time off from relaying information everyone already knows and go to a bar somewhere. You can complain about your jobs and how terribly rude I am."
"Yeah, okay. Now I believe it's her," Alucier whispers.
"I welcome you to Asturia," I say. "Though I wish the reasons for your journey were more felicitous." Someone should maintain some proper etiquette, I figure.
Marqesita plays along, with an emphasis on 'play'. "Yes, it is the onus of all great nations to be ever vigilant against the threat of war. Even when one great nation thinks the other great nation is being overly dramatic but doesn't want to say that outright so they send a token royal to that other great nation so it still looks like they actually care."
"You're just being overly dramatic, right? Egzardia is taking Zaibach seriously?" Alucier asks. I hope he's right.
"Egzardia…" Marqesita sighs, "Egzardia has problems of her own at the moment."
She doesn't elaborate and the uncomfortable looks exchanged between the men behind her make it clear that I shouldn't ask her to. I haven't heard any rumors about her country, but affairs at the palace have been so focused on Asturia only that I might have missed them. I'll have to listen more carefully. Marqesita's words and appearance suggest something significant.
"But you are here," Alucier says, "and you obviously aren't being so dismissive."
She cocks an eyebrow. "Obviously? Whatever makes you say that?"
"Uh, well, it's just that you're…"
I do believe the words Alucier's looking for are 'wearing more clothes than jewelry for once' but I'm curious to hear his translation into more polite language.
"You're wearing a military uniform."
"Really? My! I hadn't noticed. If only that page had yelled that information at me!"
If only the group of Egzardian officials weren't close by, Marqesita would be in a more competitive contest of bon mots. She's their princess; she can say whatever she likes in front of them. A well-behaved Knight Caeli does not have that advantage.
He is not completely defenseless though. "It is such a change from your normal attire. Of all your… talents… I did not know being a military commander was among them."
"Oh, I suspect that's true for you Asturians. You don't allow your women to serve in your defense, but we Egzardians are proud to let all of our citizens fight. Well, figuratively anyway. Egzardian women may serve as officers and such but we can't pick up a sword and actually go into battle. Frankly, I don't see any reason to complain about that part. What do you think, Eries?"
I do not want to get in the middle of this.
"I think she is pleased to see her friend so committed to a cause. The time it must have taken to remove all of your bracelets alone…"
"Tell me, Alucier. Do you often contemplate how long it takes for me to undress?"
I really do not want to get in the middle of this. Marqesita sent her page away before he could introduce the commanders that accompanied her. I should learn their names. They look like they want me to learn their names.
The older man with the white beard is General Dasloven. He's served in the military since the age of fifteen. He probably has hours of anecdotes and advice to share. I ask him to get started because just about anything is better than listening to Marqesita purr, "I bet I can get out of this drab thing long before you even get that cravat undone. I'll give you odds."
***
This first meeting of the summit is going well. Since I have yet to be reinstated to the council, I technically shouldn't be here to judge. Sneaking in wasn't difficult; Marqesita and I acted as if we were engrossed in conversation while she was being seated and I 'accidentally' forgot to leave when the meeting started. I wish I could be seated closer to our council to better gauge their reactions, but if the only way I could attend was to sit in the back with the Egzardians, I'll sit in the back with the Egzardians. I wasn't going to idle away my time in my room while a meeting that literally will effect the future of Gaea takes place.
The two Fanels are the main reason things are going well. Before they took the floor, most leaders were grumbling and whispering among themselves on much the same lines as what Marqesita said about her country. After they were through, everyone sat in a moment of pensive silence and then they started speaking all at once on what to do about Zaibach.
The brothers stand apart now. Folken remains at the central podium, fielding what questions he can pick out of the din. Van has retreated to the door. He leans against it with his arms crossed over his chest, looking up only to take occasional glances at the door on the opposite side of the room. The doors were kept open to let air circulate into the room. Tempers will be raised as it is without the extra summer heat. Periodically, a pink head will peer around the second door and a tail will swish into view.
The guards don't seem to care much about Merle's presence. Fanel would have had trouble getting a thirteen-year-old catgirl into the meeting itself but would have been able to leave orders that she wasn't to be touched as long as she stayed outside and didn't interfere. So far, the most she's done is to smile and wave excitedly when one of the delegates used a direct quote from Van's address to illustrate his point. I thought I saw the young king lift his hand lightly in acknowledgement.
I'm sure Merle's morale support helped him get through his speech, but ironically enough, I thought it was his brother who made that speech more effective. It worked the other way too. The brothers complimented each other, reinforced each other's strengths and took away the weaknesses. Van Fanel is no trained orator. He spoke plainly, with brief flickers of anger, as he laid out the bare truth and spared no description of the carnage he had seen. When Folken followed with his clinical delivery of the facts, he built methodically on everything Van said. It turned a speech that could have been dismissed as the ranting of a bitter, young man into a candid statement of the dire consequences that await us should we fail to take action. Yet if Folken had spoken alone, there would have been no passion with which to animate the audience. Van Fanel may not want his brother, but they needed each other.
The meeting goes on long past the scheduled recess. I lose track of Merle and Van Fanel as I write up questions for Marqesita to ask on my behalf. She fits them in between questions of her own. I'm surprised at how seriously she's taking this. I never doubted her intelligence, but I sometimes did question how she applied it. A few hours ago, she was making lascivious comments to Alucier. She's now drawing parallels between the current situation and several previous wars fought on Gaea, including an obscure war that occurred centuries ago and resulted in the decimation of the Gerwalt kingdom and culture.
She finishes to strong applause. The members of the council are among those clapping the loudest -- impressive because she's the only other female in the room besides me and because that last example was diving deeper into the history books than most of them have read. I feel a tiny twinge of envy. I can't recall them ever supporting me that vocally when I sat in with them.
Marqesita turns the floor back over to Folken with one of my questions. I'm not envious, but amused when Lord Millay proclaims he was concerned about that precise issue.
"Looks like we've got a very strong consensus going," Marqesita says.
"In this room, yes. But what about the rest of Egzardia? You said they sent you here as a token royal."
"My brothers either thought this would bore me or were too stupid to understand how important this summit really is. In any case, they underestimated my desire and ability to pledge Egzardia's support. Won't they be surprised when I send a messenger back with a proclamation that we're at war?"
"Do you have the authority to do that on your own?" I doubt her brothers would give her the right to do whatever she wanted with Egzardia's military. Curious that she didn't mention her father.
"Actually…. No. But I've got more influence than they realize. And he," she motions towards General Dasloven, "is definitely on our side. He was trying to persuade me to help you all on the trip here. The soldiers would rather listen to him anyway. We royals just send the men off to fight. He's the one trying to keep them alive."
And that is the inescapable truth of war. Gathering our allies together, making them aware of the threat and getting them to agree to work with us are the easiest parts. Our soldiers will be the ones bearing the real burden. They'll go out to the battlefield and the noble notion of good versus evil will devolve into a gory mess of men slaughtering each other as efficiently as they can in the hopes that their families won't suffer the same fate as the people of the Gerwalt kingdom.
Asturia's won a battle today, but there's so much more to come before we can claim any kind of victory.
***
The last conference of the summit was held today. The nations of Gaea have decreed an alliance against Zaibach. Some expressed reluctance but no one held out. Dryden, with a sad shake of his head, signed the official treaty for Asturia. The word 'war' doesn't specifically appear in any of the paragraphs and subsections but it lurks behind every nice word about unity and peace. No one is kidding themselves. Euphemisms and political speech conceal the problem; they don't cure it.
The inevitability of war is already drawing our allies' armies towards the far corner of Asturia that borders Zaibach. Everyone knew where the summit was headed after the first day. Better to get this over and done with before Zaibach can pick off any more individual countries, as with Freid and Fanelia. The armies should be ready in full in a week or two. Tomorrow, the early arrivals will see how well we all can get along when the planning for the first strike begins.
Tonight, we are supposed to be celebrating the treaty. Instead, we go through the motions. Asturia is a poor host as Dryden stays holed up in his office. Millerna tries to compensate for his absence but her age and attire make it hard for her to deliver convincing strong talk to a group of men gearing up for war. Still, she's doing a better job than Dryden would have done if he had shown. He hasn't been quiet about his anti-war opinions. It's a difficult stance made worse by no one listening to him. Economic sanctions and diplomacy don't play so well against the horror stories of ravaged nations.
The celebration was meant to be subdued. Outside of a cluster of generals emulating battle formations by lining up silverware, it's turning out to be dull. Take away the dancing and the alcohol from these affairs and you aren't left with much else to do. Guests slip out by the minute. Millerna uses two departing Cessarians to cover her escape less than an hour into the evening.
I'm one of the few people to notice. Less than that care. Marqesita yawns and says, "Your sister has the right idea."
"Should we follow her lead or at least try to make some sort of formal exit?"
"And what? Wake everybody up?"
Marqesita does make the effort of relieving her guards for the night and borrowing a Caeli guard to match mine. In theory, Revius is her pick but he walks beside me while my guard walks ahead with Marqesita. Her side of the conversation is, for a change, entendre free. That doesn't alleviate Revius' need to bounce speculation off of me about what exactly is going on between the two of them. His roommate has been an awfully sparse source for that kind of gossip over the years and he must feel the need to make up for lost time.
We eventually meander back towards the guest quarters. Revius is trying to tell me a story Damise told him about Alucier and some girl from back when he still lived in Dunhaven but people watching is a convenient distraction. I don't think I need to hear a story Revius finds interesting and apropos to Marqesita's flirtations.
Parts of it force themselves on me because there aren't all that many people to watch. The heightened security for the summit has caused a lot of people to limit their nighttime activities and stay indoors. A few delegates are straggling back from the main hall but not enough to keep me from hearing about an angry herder and his daughter. Hitomi Kanzaki's appearance keeps me oblivious to the rest. She's out on a balcony, enjoying the view of the moons. Or maybe she's thinking of her home.
Marqesita spots her too and remarks, "I can't believe that girl is really from the Mystic Moon. She's nothing like the fairytales. According to the most popular Egzardian myth, she should have longer legs and a bigger chest --"
"I love Egzardian mythology," says Revius.
"--and long, coarse hairs all over her body," Marqesita concludes.
"I hate Egzardian mythology," says Revius.
"From the few talks I've had with her, she's a very polite, very earnest girl," I tell Marqesita. "She has some 'peculiar' hobbies. She claims she can read a person's future by looking at this odd deck of picture cards she brought with her from the Mystic Moon."
"Ooo, exotic," Marqesita gushes, "Any truth to it?"
I've yet to decide myself but I repeat the testimony Van Fanel and Allen have given me.
"That could either be very creepy or a lot of fun," Marqesita says. "Regardless, it would be interesting to try. I wouldn't mind having a cute skirt like she's wearing too."
"You like it? I'm astounded," Alucier says. "The jacket is probably too much for you."
"That reminds me, I never did get a chance to settle that bet with you. This is the last night I'll need to wear this bulky uniform so why don't we send it off in style? My room's right where Mystic Moon Girl's standing. We could say hello before turning in."
"We?"
"Really, Alucier, I would get the girl to spell out your future for you but I'm afraid she's too young to be exposed to such scandalous material. I wouldn't want to corrupt the poor dear."
"Maybe you wouldn't…" Revius coughs.
Three necks crane in unison to see what he's talking about. Hitomi isn't alone on the balcony anymore. Allen is beside her. He leads her inside and they stand directly in front of Marqesita's door.
"You didn't tell me your knight had adopted a little friend, Eries."
"He's not 'my' knight, Marqesita. And from what I understand, he and Miss Kanzaki are very good friends."
"If you say so…" Marqesita shrugs and walks towards the stairs.
It takes some prodding to get Alucier and Revius moving. "This isn't going to be awkward for you?"
No.
"This doesn't bother you at all?"
No.
"I could escort Marqesita on my own…"
"No! Gods, how little the two of you know me after all these years! Do you really think I'm a fragile child who can't handle seeing an old friend play with a new one?"
"No," Alucier treads carefully, "We think you're a… willful… woman who can, on occasion, have strong negative reactions to things she doesn't like."
"And if you listen to the latest palace gossip… Which of course, you don't," Revius backpedals.
I've already been through this with Millerna. I should have invited them in to hear that talk to save myself some time. I don't want their protection. I don't need it.
It wouldn't be of any use anyway when we get to the second floor.
"I don't know, Allen," Hitomi's saying. Her cheeks have turned pink and she's fumbling through her words. "Fifteen… I know it's not that young in Asturia, but… Fifteen is really young at home and marriage is forever and I can't be sure if I know what my forever is…"
"You proposed to her!?" Revius shouts.
Alucier has the decency to look embarrassed with me. Marqesita just looks amused. Tact wouldn't stick to either of them with a lake of glue.
Hitomi is crimson now; Allen is a bit flushed too - though more from anger than embarrassment. "This is a private discussion. If you don't mind -"
"That's so sweet!" Marqesita plows ahead. "Did you get inspired by the moonlight or is this one of those 'I might die in battle tomorrow so I should get some today' kind of things?"
Torn between the fear that it would be misinterpreted and the intense desire to flee, I wonder how conspicuous it would be if I started slinking backwards down the stairs. I wouldn't be alone. Alucier's already inched his way over and Hitomi is about a foot closer to the stairwell from where she was originally standing. These things do tend to look better when done in groups.
Chivalry demands that Allen defends Hitomi against Marqesita's colorful remarks. With courtesy, naturally. It's appalling for a knight (at least the version of a knight Allen fancies himself to be) to defend one woman's honor by attacking another's.
"I'm sorry, my lady, but perhaps it's best if Hitomi and I continue to talk in private."
Marqesita winks at him. She *winks* at him. "Private. Of course. No better way to celebrate an engagement. By some rumors though, you've been engaged quite a lot."
Revius chokes trying not to laugh. The stairs beckon. Allen draws upon every lesson on decorum drilled into him and replies briskly, "A lady should not always listen to rumors."
"To be honest, I find learning how to listen to the right ones to be an art. No one ever said a lady should be misinformed. For instance, when you and Eries visited Egzardia, I was under the impression -"
"Marqesita!" I say brusquely. "No one wants to hear about other people's holidays. Weren't you about to retire for the night?"
"Um, you know," Hitomi quivers, "I think maybe I should get some sleep too."
"Hitomi…"
"I need some time to think, Allen. I'll have an answer for you when you get back tomorrow."
As she lopes down the hall to her room, Alucier moves to prevent certain princesses from opening their mouths again. "We all have long days tomorrow. You in particular, Marqesita, with your return trip to Egzardia scheduled so early."
"Yes, we must be mindful of early mornings. Goodnight, all. And to you, Sir Knight," she says to Allen. "Congratulations. If she says yes, that is."
"Yeah…" Revius drawls, "I think we all have early mornings scheduled. Well, Alucier has a busy day of following Eries around planned but some of us are scheduled to head to Rampant for practice maneuvers. Right, Allen? So why don't we compare assignments while Alucier wraps up this particular day of following Eries around?"
"Actually," I say. "I would like to have a word with Allen. Alone."
The three Caeli exchange alarmed looks as if I've started prancing around the hall with my skirt up over my head. I am about to expose myself, but I'll be showing more than skin. I don't know what I'm going to say. I'm not even sure of why I want to say anything. I just know I'll regret it if I don't.
Alucier and Revius depart, walking slower than I've ever seen them go. I check Marqesita's door to make sure it's completely shut. To be sure, I usher Allen out on to the balcony.
On another moonlit night, just a few doors down, I sensed this coming while Allen denied it could ever be.
"I guess this means you've decided to forsake your vow? To never love again…"
"My vow? Yes… I suppose."
"I always thought you made it too rashly."
"It felt right at the time."
"But now, it… you… feel differently."
"A lot of things have changed."
"I'm sure they have. And I'm sure Hitomi Kanzaki has played a large part in that."
"Yes. She's become very important to me."
"I would say, if you've proposed to her. If, you're in love with her…?" It's phrased more like a question than I intended, but I did phrase it. Funny that I can state succinctly his feelings for others.
"Yes, your majesty."
An answer just as succinct, if I could say for sure what it was a reply to. I won't ask him to clarify; it all comes down to one point anyway.
"After this war, the people will be happy to celebrate the wedding of one of their Caeli. Will one of our Caeli be as happy?"
Another 'yes, your majesty' looms briefly before Allen pulls it back into a thoughtful pause. With candor I haven't heard from him in months, he says, "I think I could be."
Not the definitive answer a bride-to-be might want to get, but the hope behind it is what I've been wanting to hear. He believes he can be happy. He *wants* to be happy.
"I wish you well, Allen Schezar."
***
Next up: To use an overused expression, just when Eries thinks she's out, they pull her back in. The third disappearance of Hitomi and the reappearance of a certain long-lost sibling bring Allen right back into Eries' life in… still untitled. I can't find a satisfactory pun on a book or movie title. :(