Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne.
She skirted a couple of men engaged in fierce combat, trying not to look as uncomfortable as she felt in the dusty training field. Of course she'd been near the barracks before to care for soldiers with injuries or those who'd fallen ill. But somehow it was different to be there in the presence of the Fanelian Prince. He was silent as he walked a pace ahead of her, leading her towards the encampment of makeshift tents behind the regular soldiers' barracks. He glanced back at her out of the corner of his eye to see that a match between Allen Schezar and one of the queen's guards captivated her. He snorted at that, frowning sullenly. The Knight of Caeli always seemed to cause a stir wherever he went. Isadora slowed as she watched the swordsman block a swiping blow from a sharp edged scimitar. He spun away to the left as another blade was immediately aimed at his side. She was stunned by his agility when blocking the precarious weapons. She was well aware of the damage the sickle sword could do having seen Egyptian soldiers training with them in that very courtyard on the palace grounds.
"Hurry up!" Van's voice quickened her steps again.
"I'm coming." She muttered under her breath. Her attention was once again focused on the sandals upon her feet. For the hundredth time she wondered why she had even agreed to the meeting. He had other servants to order around, didn't he? She sighed looking ahead again. When Van stopped in front of her, she made certain to not bump into him. She waited as he spoke to the guards outside the tent; doing her best to ignore the curious looks the foreign men eyed her with.
Isadora fell into her work despite the fact that at first she was so furious she could barely care for any of the wounded men without bruising them further. The girl apologized after the first couple times, reprimanding herself for letting the "brat prince" fluster her. After that she devoted her thoughts to her tasks, barely sparing a moment to contemplate the patience the young man was trying. Commanding her presence and then leaving her there by herself to care for his own men? Indeed, he was pushing at her last nerve, and she vowed to make that quite clear when she was given a chance.
A good two hours had passed before the opportunity arose, when he appeared at her side as she finished mixing a sleeping remedy. Feeling his presence she merely glanced at him, before getting to her feet and handing the bowl in her hand to a man.
"See that he is given this just before he sleeps, it should keep him from waking so often. Add only a pinch to a glass of wine, it's not a dangerous mixture, but still it's best if it's given in small doses," She informed the man, who nodded and took the offered bowl. She turned to a priestess who held a bowl of water. With a grateful smile she dipped her hands in the cool water, "That should be it for today, Neona, be sure that Korin's bandages are changed, and the poultice I made is reapplied. Thank you." The woman smiled and responded, before handing the young woman a towel. Isadora dried her hands and handed back the towel. Reluctantly she turned to Van who'd stayed silent, only shifting when she had.
Folding her arms across her chest unyieldingly she glared at him, "Is there anything else I can do for you, your highness?" His expression puzzled her with its calmness as he studied her for a long moment. She blinked looking away; it was all she could do to keep from fidgeting under his mysterious gaze.
"Yes," He finally said, his voice strangely quiet, "Come with me." His back turned to her she frowned in confusion. His eyes had been so still and clear, without any of the severe willfulness.
Strange. She followed him without protest, too tired to argue. Indeed she barely noticed her environs as they stopped beneath a shady palm in the eastern wing's garden.
Isadora smiled a little as the breeze touched her nose. Van watched with interest, as she seemed to forget about his presence and wander toward the fountain. Peering into the pool of tranquil water she was reminded of the last time she had spent a day lounging with her queen in that very garden. Serenity washed over her as she sat down on the cool marble, trailing her fingertips across the surface of the water, causing her reflection to waver. The whole sanctuary was steeped in late afternoon shadows, the sun half way hidden by the taller portions of the palace. Closing her eyes the scents of lotus, persea, and lily, enfolding her, she allowed the tension to flow away.
As she sat there, looking as natural and enchanting as her surroundings, the prince wondered at the magic that touched her. It struck him that he had never believed in the supernatural until that moment, staring at her from beneath an Egyptian palm. He reasoned that it could only be a type of magic that could leave him so speechless. But then again he would've known it if she had woven a spell. He hadn't lied to her when he had told her upon their first meeting that he was more in tune to things than one would think.
No, no enchantments. He thought as his eyes narrowed, studying the young woman's face. It's something else…
"It's beauty." From nowhere the voice penetrated his thoughts, that voice that had been within him since he was a young boy, the one that guided him.
His mind trained on that one voice; he no longer seemed a part of any reality. And what is that supposed to mean?
"It means what it means. It's beauty, pure and simple. No strings attached. See it for what it is, young prince."
"Hmph," Van pushed the thoughts aside. His gaze flashed to a servant waiting patiently on the path of shells to his right. He acknowledged the man with a little nod, and then focused on the girl again. "Hitomi, are you hungry?" He called to her. Her head turned sharply as she opened her eyes to look at him.
"My name is Isadora," She insisted, her lips forming an indignant pout. Van only shrugged with boredom, his question standing. Her frown deepened as she said slowly, "You shouldn't trouble yourself. I can always go to the kitchens when we're finished."
"No trouble," He ignored her, glancing at the servant, "It doesn't much matter what it is, just find something, your choice." The man, who Isadora recognized as one of the palace's many stewards, nodded in understanding. He bowed to them and turned to slip from sight. A few moments of silence followed his departure as Isadora made a conscious decision to force Van to recognize her as she wished.
Looking at him sternly she stated, "My name, is Isadora,"
"Yes, you said as much not long ago," Van sighed, nonchalantly leaning back against the tree trunk. Mischief glinted in his eyes as he smiled at her, "Hitomi." She made a disapproving noise and looked away. Was he trying to bait her?
"Well you obviously didn't understand," She mumbled grudgingly to herself, she frowned at him again, "What exactly did you want, your highness?" This time he chose to pretend she hadn't spoken, instead of favoring her with an answer.
"You seem to know medicines quite well, I suppose that's because you've spent so much time with the priestesses of Apollo," He mused aloud. She meant to reprimand him for ignoring her, but she found herself shocked.
Slowly she turned to him, her green eyes taking on a soft look, "How- do you know that?" Her gentle tone had suddenly commanded his attention, and he found himself staring straight in those gems of emerald.
"I asked," Was his slightly husky answer. Was his heart beating a little faster? Shattered like the surf on the rocks, their moment's connection was broken as the steward returned followed by three other servants. Obscured from his view by the men setting a low table on the lawn, Isadora blushed her hands flying to the necklace she wore. She got to her feet watching as the table was set with several dishes of food, and cushions and pillows were placed around it on the ground.
For the first time ever she began to feel incredibly out of place in the presence of one so royal. As the servants retreated her eyes lingered on their slowly disappearing figures. A part of her felt as though she were betraying those men, and all others like her that were employed by the queen. Dining with royalty? Servants did not do such things. And she, she was a servant.
"Is something wrong?" He asked, breaking her from her trance. She looked down to see him sitting cross-legged on a pillow. Avoiding his gaze she folded her hands together in front of her.
"I- I was- well, perhaps you should dismiss me. Sitiah- might need me is all," She said quietly. When she looked at him, he was studying her with an unreadable expression. Blushing she explained, "I- just- I'm not used to any royalty- but my queen. I'm a servant."
"Perhaps, but you have a title, don't you?" Van spoke casually as though they were making small talk. Isadora bit her lip, and shrugged lightly.
She chuckled softly, "I guess I've never thought about it." Van gave her a quick smile, before he dropped his eyes to the table as he reached for a pomegranate.
As he pulled a dagger from his boot, and cut the fruit in half he said, "You've never used your title except around the palace, am I right? You've probably never taken any real liberties with it," He looked up stretching his arm out to offer half of the fruit to her. "It seems to me that you just don't know the advantages of having a title… So you might as well start now, Lady Isadora." She was speechless as she noticed the sudden shimmer of hope in his eyes. It was so subtle, and yet almost too obvious to her. For some reason the prince wanted her to stay.
"I guess so," She replied, her voice barely more than a whisper as she slowly took the pomegranate from his hand. Just the brush of his fingers was enough to make her heart shudder. "Thank you." Isadora cupped the fruit in her hands as though he had given her a diamond. He nodded, an amused smile quirking his boyish features. She couldn't help but to laugh a bit as she finally sank down on the pillows across from him.
"How are the families who lost their homes holding up?" Sitiah asked as she watched Ramses strut across her desk.
"They're tired of being in such close quarters, my lady, but other than that they seem to be getting along. The repairs are going well, it should be about a week before we can move some of them to new homes," Setepenre replied gazing over the scroll in his hands before rolling it up again.
"The grain rations are still holding out?" She looked at him with a meaningful raise of her eyebrows.
"For now, your majesty," He said equally serious. She frowned as she rose to her feet, picking up the cat sitting on her desk. Ramses settled into her arms comfortably as she scratched his ears. She sighed looking down into the golden eyes.
"The battle so close to the famine has cut our reserves. We'll have to find a way to stretch the grain until the next harvest," She shook her head remorsefully. Her eyes narrowed as she muttered to herself, "War is so worthless. Just like family." Setepenre took a breath as though to speak, but then stayed silent, unsure of himself. "Yes, general?" Sitiah looked at him with a knowing smile. He shook his head with a small smile. But soon he was perfectly grave again.
"Forgive me if this is out of turn, your majesty, but I feel a great conviction about mentioning that the exports to Fanelia are harming our economy. With the troubles that have plagued Egypt as of recent, I think it best if you leave off sending more grain to Fanelia for awhile." Setepenre watched her carefully. He was never one to hesitate in the presence of royalty. And it was not out of humility that he gauged her reaction so closely. He was not afraid of a reprimand. But he'd known Sitiah since she was a child, and was well aware of her sometimes-rash nature. She turned away from him to the wall, where a scene of the Nile was painted in light hues.
"You know that I value your opinion, General, and I thank you for your honesty," She slowly turned to him with a fond smile, "It's nice to have someone like you around who does not mince words," Her smile faded as she went on solemnly, "Since my father died, there have been very few men whom I can count on… I've considered the issue of the grain as well. And you're precisely right. We cannot ignore Egypt's plight…" Glancing at the scribe on the floor she continued, "Take this down Hadar… No more exports of grain will be sent to Fanelia until the time after our next successful harvest." The scribe took down her words, with quick smooth movements. When he looked up at her, a trace of greater admiration shone within his eyes.
"That's not a very wise decision to make without my approval, Queen Sitiah," He glared at her from the doorway. She felt his stare before she had glimpsed his face. But relaxed as always she smiled prettily.
"Good afternoon, Lord Strategos, your presence, as usual is unexpected," She replied warmly. Glancing at Setepenre she said more quietly, "Thank you, General, I'll speak again with you later," Then looking to the scribe she smiled, "Hadar, have the scroll committed to our records, thank you." The general bowed at the waist, as the scribe pressed his forehead to the floor. Setepenre caught the gleam in his queen's eyes before he turned and walked from the room. It meant that another battle was about to take place.
*Just thought I'd let you all know I have a knew email address: ArsinoeIX@aol.com
Okay, so there's no big change to it but I had problems with my last account so… Anyway, I'd like to make you aware that I just posted a new fiction call Chi-Town Nights. I've been really inspired in that area of writing, so do me a favor and check it out. I'd be so grateful! And also I hate to repeat myself, but please take a look at Seducing Setesh, because it takes a different direction. It looks at Egypt in the New Kingdom Era, when the country was still under Egyptian control. Please, just take some time to look at it and review! Thanks!