Hemisphere
By: Sanctus-seira
An Escaflowne fanfiction.
Standard disclaimers apply.
Chapter Three: Delicate
"Really now, Nathaniel," Van said. "Pressure doesn't become you."
"Well, Van, if you were left by your king for four days without a single word as to where he was going to or who he was with or why he was going with everyone pressuring you for answers to the same questions you're asking and tasking you with the responsibility of keeping Fanelia running as smoothly as before while making sure that no rumors of the king's disappearance would leak from the palace, wouldn't you be as jittery as I had been?" Nathaniel replied, arching a brow in mock indignation.
"Infuriated even," Van humored him, taking a look at the young adviser. He saw that he was now more handsome compared to the night before, now that he was rested and comforted with the return of his King. Inwardly, Van laughed. He admired and respected Nathaniel for his skills and fair features, but the man was just not cut to withstand intense pressure. Undeniably though, like the majority of his council, he was smart. His intelligence would enable him to last for at least half a year without Van's steadfast presence and leadership, but longer than that, he would probably give. With his intelligence, however, he would debate with the oldest and wisest of Van's council with skill and effortless ease, earning him the admiration and respect of not only the council but even the king himself. Whatever job was given to him he accomplished to the best of his abilities. Also, he was a good swordsman, cutting Van once or twice in many a spar. But no one was good enough to actually beat Van face down in a battle yet. Unless, however, you count Allen Schezar who had once sent him on his knees more than a decade ago, but since then, has not succeeded again.
"It's good that we're both keen on that," Nathaniel answered.
"Of course we are. You aren't my adviser for nothing," Van grinned.
"I say, though, you're going to have to tell everyone who the lady is else you spread more rumors about your personal life," Nathaniel warned.
"And that's exactly what I'm going to do, but it's not just to quell any rumors that may arise. The recent rumors are ridiculous though. Don't they have anything better to do than wonder about me and my sexual preferences? Don't I look man enough for them?" the King curled his brows as he and Nathaniel walked down the wide hallway. "Honestly. I thought they trusted me."
"Ever the transparent King, I'm sure they trust you with running the country. But that doesn't necessarily equate to trust with 'running your self'. And about those rumors, I think everyone is just wondering how you could remain a bachelor with your good looks," came the flattering response. "Personally, though, my doubts about you have been settled."
"Oh, so you were one of them?" Van asked testily. "And may I ask exactly what settled your doubts?"
"A realization," Nathaniel replied simply.
Van frowned on his adviser and said, "Which was?"
"About you."
"Nathaniel, you're killing me!"
"Van, Van, not quite. I'm not yet killing you. I perfectly understand your situation. I know that a man subjected to pressure as intense as yours wants to break free once in a while and take a rest. A man like you needs excitement once in a while, and your days at Adom gave you just that."
"What? I don't understand you! But I do understand that you're getting even just now. And how you enjoy it," retorted the King.
"Oh no, no, my King, how could I ever enjoy torturing you?" Nathaniel teased.
"Oh yes, my royal adviser, how could you ever," Van grinned, shaking his head.
"You have a lot more to tell me Van," Nathaniel said.
"About what?" Van asked.
"About your past together."
"What do you mean?"
"You perfectly know what I mean."
"On the contrary, I don't understand."
"I thought you were smarter than that."
"Sorry to disappoint you."
"Well I'm not really disappointed --"
"My Lord Nathaniel," a page interrupted. "I apologize for the interruption, but there is something you forgot back at your study."
At this Nathaniel slowed a little and thanked the page for bringing the object to him, allowing Van to take a few steps' lead towards the end of the hall. The Great Chamber, the venue of the Fanelian Royal Council's meetings, was situated at the middle of the palace's western wing. Walking from the eastern wing, where the bedrooms were located, to the western wing, where the offices and function rooms were located, took a very long time. It would take a few more minutes until the pair reached their destination.
This gave Van ample time to briefly look back at the events of the past four days, and how he would tell them to his council. As briefly and as quickly as he could, he ran through his mind everything that he would tell the majority. The words had to be carefully picked, worded and said.
Inwardly, the young king sighed.
I hate politics.
They had reached the Great Chamber's doors which were wide open for them to enter. There was a huge fuss from inside as the lords and ladies shuffled to go to their proper places, hushing one another to keep quiet about whatever gossip they had been talking about before the king arrived. Van turned to the guards positioned a few feet from him, receiving last minute instructions from their captain. The king called this captain and spoke to him in a hushed voice.
"Once we get in, check that all the men and women inside the Chamber are members of my council. Usher out all men and women who are not. If anyone tries to resist you, call my attention immediately," he ordered. "Then, close all doors, windows, and any other opening to the chamber people may use to eavesdrop on this meeting. Distribute your men outside those doors and windows. Let no one get in or out of the Chamber while you will stand outside the main entrance. Do not open any door, especially the main entrance, until you hear my voice telling you to do so. Understood?"
The captain nodded mutely and bowed. He then returned to his men and gave the king's instructions. Nathaniel looked at the king queerly, not quite understanding why he had not told him that it was going to be a closed door meeting. Come to think of it, there were so many things that he did not understand about the young king as of the moment, but he thought it wisest not to pester Van any further with more questions. After all, there was a limit to the man's patience, and he knew that he was almost exhausting all of it.
So the royal adviser cleared his throat and bowed politely to his king.
"Shall we go in, your Majesty?" he asked.
Van nodded and walked in. He was once more his usual self, being decked in full Fanelian colors and exhibiting his confident, overpowering aura. At his entrance, every lord and lady in the Chamber rose to greet him. No matter how many times the young king would enter the Chamber for their council meetings in the same, regal manner, they would never cease to be amazed of the elegance and authority the boy exuded.
Nay. He was no longer a boy. Many would nod their heads and agree that the boy who once fought as the Abaharaki's premier fighter was already a man. This man was the same King of Fanelia whom they had all pledged to serve. This man, despite the mystery behind his four-day disappearance, was the same king they would continue to trust and lay their life for.
Van approached his throne at the end of the Chamber, bowing his head in acknowledgement of the greetings his constituents had given him upon entering. He sat down and, after making himself comfortable, signaled that everyone else should follow. As the council of lords and ladies sat themselves, Van looked around to check that the captain of the guard had followed his orders to the letter. To the bewilderment of the many lords and ladies, the guards sealed all windows and doors – except the main entrance – to the chamber, while the captain of the guard made his rounds to check that his men were doing what they were ordered to do. When everything was set, the captain turned to the king and bowed, to which Van acknowledged with a curt nod. The captain then gathered all his men and left through the main entrance, closing it as soon as the last guard had stepped outside.
The huge wooden doors clicked shut yet no one dared to question the strange occurrence. Such was the king's power over his subjects. All of them merely sat on their respective seats, waiting from the explanation that would inevitably come from their leader.
"A good morning to you all," Van greeted.
A chorus of good-morning-to-you-too's followed promptly.
"I have called you all to this meeting because I have something of utmost importance to relay to you, the subject of my disappearance during the last four days," Van continued. "I'm sure that you have all heard from Lord Nathaniel that I have arrived last night with two companions – the Lady Merle and another woman, a woman most of you have not seen until now."
Whispers of the most unholy insinuations suddenly filled the room. Van decided to ignore this, but not without narrowing his gaze.
"I entreat you all not to make any judgment of my actions until you hear what I have to say."
Heads nodded in agreement. No one dared to speak. The room was deathly silent to the point that they could almost hear each other's heartbeats.
"I was called from the ball by one of the guards because according to him, someone with a very important message was waiting for me inside my study. I went there and found Ruhm of Adom, seated calmly, waiting for me. He had but one thing to say, that I must come with him immediately to Adom. According to him, there was no time to waste. And in order to convince me, he laid out a single item in front of my eyes: a pink gemstone hanging from a simple chain.
"Even those of you who had been with me since the start of the Fanelian Restoration do not know what the pink gemstone means to me, and allow me to tell you all now. That pink gemstone Ruhm showed me was the same one used to call upon Escaflowne during the war against the Black Dragon Clan a decade ago. That pink gemstone appeared and disappeared with the Wing Goddess."
The same rush of whispers that filled the room just a few minutes ago came back with a greater intensity, some of them already loud enough for the king to clearly understand. The atmosphere was tense and a lot of people were agitated with the news. There was a faint wave of excitement taking over everyone, and the whispers began to get louder.
"There is more to tell."
The council settled down at the king's statement, and in the silence that ensued, Van told more of his story.
"You all know of my history as a warrior of the Abaharaki," he continued. "You all know of my comrades, most of whom are now powerful world leaders and trusted allies of Fanelia. You are also aware of my responsibility as the sole survivor of the Dragon Clan. The Wing Goddess, the girl from the Mystic Moon, lent me immeasurable help during the war by giving life to the armor Escaflowne and lending me its legendary power. She used the pink pendant to summon it, although most of the time, the jewel seemed to have a will of its own. Without her and her power, the war couldn't have been won."
He emphasized this last sentence a little too much for his own liking, but he knew that he had to impress upon the entire council the importance Hitomi played in the last war. It was a necessary measure…
"Yes, it's true. Without the Wing Goddess, the war couldn't have been won," Lord Ezra suddenly said. His gaze was soft and his lips were curved into a small, gentle smile. He looked like he was in the middle of a beautiful dream. "I saw it, ten years ago. The same time His Majesty flew down from the fortress, I saw the feathers, hundreds – no, thousands of them – fall from the sky the moment the Black Dragon Clan's fortress collapsed at Torushina. They were white and soft, as if freshly plucked from the wings of an angel. I'll never forget that sight."
"And like you with the feathers, Lord Ezra, I never forgot how the gemstone looked like when Ruhm laid it out before me a couple of nights ago, I was startled. I knew the hidden message that the stone wanted to convey: the Wing Goddess has returned. He then proceeded to say that he and Merle had found her unconscious at the Northeastern Peak of Adom three days ago, and has not woken since then."
"The Wing Goddess has come back?" one of the councilors suddenly said, albeit meekly. This was followed by another wave of whispers and side comments all about the Wing Goddess and her return. Van took a glance to Nathaniel's side and smirked ever so slightly. The young adviser scowled at him, reminding him of his manners.
"Yes, she has come back," came Van's slow confirmation. The whispers began to dissipate. "And I have also brought her back to the palace with me."
"To the palace?" was the same reaction from a group of lords and ladies towards the end of the hall.
"Then she must be welcomed with a celebration!" exclaimed one of the lords. This statement was immediately followed by the excited, yet hushed chatter of all the lords and ladies of the council.
"Yes! We must hold another ball!" a lady added.
"A masque even! And let us proclaim to the whole of Gaea that she is back with us! This is cause for celebration!" an exuberant youth cried to his colleagues.
Van was surprised, to say the least, upon hearing the reaction of his council. So much for his original intention of asking them to keep quiet about the matter at the end of the meeting.
"But why?" a lady asked, apparently piqued with curiosity. "Why, my Lord, has she come back?"
"I still do not know," was the monarch's honest reply.
"Neither does she?" the same lady asked.
"If she does, she doesn't tell me," Van replied patiently.
"Oh…"
"But we must celebrate, my King!" the Lady Verona cut in. "We must celebrate not just because she has returned to grace Fanelia, but also because of her efforts in the past war. If I remember correctly, we were not able to thank her properly ten years ago."
A chorus of agreements to the suggestion began to fill the entire room. Everyone was excited about the idea, some of the ladies even going as far ahead talking about the dresses they would wear and the preparations their families would make. To say the least, both Van and Nathaniel were overwhelmed with the reaction the court was showing them. They hadn't at all expected this, except maybe in their wildest fantasies.
After much lively discussion among themselves on the celebration, a lord then asked Van what he thought about the idea. Van merely gave a small smile and passed the question to Nathaniel, who had been quiet all the time.
"I think, that too pompous a celebration would risk the security of our guest," Nathaniel answered. "If I remember correctly, many attempts have been made to kidnap the Wing Goddess because the enemy wanted to use her power for their own cause," he continued. "And that was even when not many knew of her existence, thinking her merely to be stuff of legends and myths that won't ever come true."
"But this era is a time of peace," an old lord reminded. "The few threats that we have are from groups of rebels and the usual robbers, and Fanelia has proven to be more than capable of dealing with them efficiently. I'm confident in our security forces' ability to protect the guests who will be attending the celebration, especially that of the Goddess'. Have we not had a few balls before? Weren't they all safe?"
"But I agree with Nathaniel," Van said. "And though the good lord has pointed out that this is an era of peace, we still cannot jeopardize the Goddess' safety. For all we know, there might be old allies of the Black Dragon Clan who would be intent on taking her life for revenge. They have, after all, wanted to claim mine for ten years now."
The hopes of majority of the council began to dwindle upon hearing the King's statement.
"I do not wish to hold a grand welcome for the Goddess, and trust me, she would not like one either," he began. Faces began literally droop in disappointment, and Van couldn't help but laugh inwardly at the child-like spectacle his council was exhibiting. "But we may, if you insist, have a more intimate celebration and invite old comrades from the Abaharaki that now reside in Torushina."
"True. True. That would be better," piped up old Lady Ethel.
"Indeed, my Lady," Nathaniel agreed. "I think that would be better too."
Merle was speechless. Her lips, now parted to form a pretty little circle, and her comical facial expression were becoming the subject of Hitomi's ardent laughter as the two girls sat on a bench in the middle of the palace's garden. The sun was high up in the sky, but thankfully the weather wasn't too warm. The air smelled sweet, the plants looked fresh from the gardener's latest watering, and the soothing sound of flowing water from the fountain in front of them was the perfect, final touch to the peaceful atmosphere of the palace garden.
"So let me get this straight," Merle finally said after a few moments of silence. "You run for a living? Like run 'put one foot forward and the other foot forward really really fast'? And people pay you tons and tons of money just to run a few stretches?"
"Yes," Hitomi replied as her laughter started to subside.
"That is what you've been doing for the past ten years?" Merle added, incredulously.
"Not really Merle," the other girl answered. "I've been to school. I finished university with a degree on Physical Education, and then I pursued running as a way of living."
"Oh. Okay. So you've been to school. How long did you study?"
"Some four to five years," Hitomi replied quite thoughtfully.
"So you've been running professionally for the past 5 years?"
"Yes. Professionally, 5 years. Non-professionally, another 5 years before that."
"So for the last ten years that we haven't seen each other, majority of them you spent running?"
"Yes," Hitomi laughed. "Is it so hard to believe?"
"Well no one does that here," Merle muttered, still unable to believe what Hitomi had told her.
"I guess it would be hard to do here," Hitomi said. "After all, without sponsors and sports leagues, I don't think an athlete here would be able to survive the way we do at the Mystic Moon."
"Is that what you're called back there? An athlete?" Merle asked curiously.
"Yes, that's what we're called," confirmed her companion. "But there aren't many people like me on the Mystic Moon. It really takes great skill and talent before someone can become a professional athlete. I had to work really hard to get to where I am now."
"And you like it, don't you?" Merle piped up.
"Of course I do. I wouldn't be running for ten years if I didn't. Running professionally is such an experience. I met so many people I wouldn't have met otherwise."
"Really? People like who? Like a special someone?" Merle teased.
At this Hitomi blushed, but however slight the pink tinge was on her cheeks, it didn't fail to escape Merle's attentive eyes.
"So you do have a special someone at the Mystic Moon!" the cat-girl exclaimed. "Don't you? Hitomi, speak up! Do you or do you not? Come on. I want to know who's competing with Lord Van."
"Merle!" Hitomi cried out, embarrassed.
Some meters away, Lady Desteria was walking with her two handmaids under the shelter of the elaborate walkway that framed the perimeter of the palace garden. With most of her usual company attending the council meeting King Van had called that morning, she was left to find her own leisure by walking by the palace gardens. At that moment, she couldn't help overhearing the conversation of the two girls since they were talking at unusually loud volumes, especially Merle. Lady Desteria paused by one of the columns, drawn by the gaiety the two girls were exhibiting, and wanting some privacy of her own, she ordered her two handmaids to fetch a shawl she had left at her room in the other wing.
The two maids left and Lady Desteria was alone. Leaning against the same column, she listened to the intimate conversation the two girls were having. Even though their backs were turned to her, she was still able to see their heads and hear them well. She learned that Merle's companion was named Hitomi, that she was from the Mystic Moon, and that they haven't seen each other in a decade. Her interest was instantly piqued upon learning this, for she found it hard to believe that the girl whom Merle called Hitomi was really from the Mystic Moon.
Was it possible for someone from the Mystic Moon to come here to Gaea?
"Come on Hitomi! Tell me your story!" Merle persisted, taking hold of Hitomi's arm and shaking it quite violently. Hitomi merely smiled and clamped her mouth shut just to tease her friend, but as it turned out, Merle wasn't patient enough to last long.
"Hitomi! Get on with it! Or else I'll scratch you with my newly-filed paws!" Merle threatened, showing a newly-sharpened nail for added effect.
"Okay, okay Merle! I was just teasing," Hitomi giggled, not the least bit threatened by the menacing nail. "I'll tell you. I'll tell you. Now could you please let go of me?"
Merle agreed and settled comfortably at her original position, eagerly waiting for Hitomi to start.
"What do you want to know about?" Hitomi asked.
"Everything!" squealed the cat-girl. "His name, how you met, what you liked about him, what he looks like, and all the details, even the unnecessary ones!"
"Wow. Everything? Well… I guess. His name is Kaji, and we met during a sportsfest organized by a company for the benefit of the homeless children. That company plus some others gathered the top athletes of the country I lived in to participate in the events of at least 5 sports, I think."
"So you're a top athlete?" Merle cut in.
"Well, I wouldn't be in the National team if I weren't," Hitomi retorted. "Anyway, the sportsfest wasn't just a sporting activity because the hot shots of society decided to hold parties for both the opening and closing of the event. Naturally all participants attended these parties. I was there, and Kaji was there. A mutual friend introduced the two of us together, probably thinking that we would make a great couple. There. That's how we met."
"But how did you become 'it', Hitomi?"
"What do you mean?"
"How did he become your special someone?"
Hitomi paused for a bit to think over the question, grinning when she finally understood what Merle meant.
"Oh, that. Kaji kept on calling me after the sportsfest, even going as far as watching my meets even though I didn't invite him," Hitomi explained. "I was able to introduce him to my best friend, Yukari. You remember her, don't you?"
"Yukari… Yes! Yukari. I remember her. You talked about her before."
"I introduced Kaji to her, and since then, Yukari has been adamant about getting me and Kaji together. In the end it did become us… Actually, it's still 'us' even now. We haven't formally broken up before I came here. Besides, I didn't even think I'd come back."
"Why not Hitomi?" Merle asked.
"I just didn't think I would ever be able to," was Hitomi's soft reply.
At this the two girls fell quiet, and Lady Desteria's brows knotted in confusion as questions about Hitomi's identity flooded her brain.
Come back? Does she mean that she was here even before? When? How come I haven't seen her before? Who is she, really?
"What drew you to him?" Merle asked, breaking the silence.
"Physically, he's a very beautiful man with short brown hair, brown eyes too, and a fair complexion. He's tall, and has a very well-built body. He does play soccer after all," Hitomi answered softly. "He's also an affectionate man, never failing to let me know how much he loves me. He'd do anything for me, even the smallest things. And he appreciates me for even the smallest things. He told me once that he liked the special way I ate ice cream on a cone. I told him that there wasn't much difference in my manner of eating with anyone who would stand beside me, but he said there was, and that it was one of the things that made him love me."
"How sentimental."
"Yes, he gets too sentimental sometimes, but he's incredibly insightful. He was the only person who gave an entirely different perspective about the reason I ran."
"Well Lord Van's insightful too. He just doesn't talk as much," Merle muttered under her breath.
"You said something Merle?" Hitomi asked, brows knotted slightly.
"No! No. I didn't say anything. Ah, Hitomi, what did he tell you about your running? That Kaji guy?"
Suddenly Hitomi's gaze became wistful. She looked away from Merle as she replied, "He said two things; either that I was running away from something, or running after someone I was afraid to lose."
"Which of the two is true?"
"I don't know."
"Maybe they're both true."
"I don't know."
"What do you think?"
"I don't know."
"Sheesh, Hitomi. Nice answers," Merle feigned mockery.
Hitomi chuckled and returned, "I know Merle. I'm sorry."
"Nah. You don't have to be sorry. If there's one thing I know about love, it's that it can be a pretty complicated thing."
"Well, you seem to have grown up," Hitomi remarked.
"Of course! You weren't the only one who did some growing up during the past ten years. Everyone did; Lord Van especially. After the war, after you left, he had to rebuild his country all alone. Well of course he did have help from Allen and Dryden. They remain his good friends until this day. But the fact remains that he had to grow up a little too fast to become a good king to his people, and it's quite sad," Merle said softly.
"I'm sure Van is a great king to his people," Hitomi said. "I've always been confident of his abilities, even before the end of the war. I'm sure Fanelia must love him a lot."
"Oh, we all do Hitomi," was Merle's confirmation. "His council is extremely loyal to him, many of them having been with him ever since the foundation of Fanelia was first laid. He's a great king. He's a forward thinker, responsible for many of the reforms that have given Fanelia the edge over the other countries and made it in league with Torushina. He's just. He puts his people's welfare over his own, but sometimes he forgets to take care of himself because of that."
"He has been one to neglect himself. I see old habits don't die hard."
"His council says that he should get a queen soon. They said he needs one not just to produce an heir, but as a companion who can take care of him and make him live a little longer," Merle joked, eliciting a smile from Hitomi. "At the rate he's going, he's going to stay as a bachelor until the end of his days. Apart for the match-making attempts of the old councilors, Lord Van doesn't have much interaction with the female species. I just don't understand why he wants to be alone most of the time."
"Old habits never do die hard," Hitomi grinned.
"But really, I thought that he would change after the war," Merle sighed. "I thought he'd be more open to women after having met you. True he's more sociable now, but he's still the same Lord Van who wouldn't really approach a woman if he didn't have sufficient reason to do so. And come to think of it, he doesn't seem to like any of the women his council 'matches' with him."
"Maybe Van likes the women, but he just doesn't like them enough to have a lasting relationship with them," Hitomi replied softly. She was feeling slightly uneasy after hearing Merle's words, not quite understanding the reason why.
"I guess so. But still… Damn it he's too picky. It's not that the council didn't match him with good women. They were all beautiful, well-educated and belonged to the best families from all across Gaea. But he didn't want them," Merle sighed once more. After a few moments' pause, her face suddenly lit up with realization. Hitomi didn't miss the glint in her eyes. "Or maybe…"
"Or maybe what?"
"Maybe he already knows who he wants to marry, and he's probably just waiting for her to come back."
"I guess she might be living in a far away country."
"Yes, a planet away to be exact.," Merle scowled, quite frustrated with Hitomi for not getting the point.
"Merle?"
"Do I have to spell it out for you, Hitomi? I thought you already knew! It was obvious to everyone that you and Lord Van shared something during the war," Merle said, crossing her arms over her stomach. "You were practically the only one he would speak a whole paragraph to, however long that paragraph was."
"That's not true. I think it was the opposite," Hitomi said, her unease growing by the second. "It was more like I was opening up to him. He still didn't say much, even when we were together."
"Hitomi, what matters is not the volume but the content," Merle answered. "Lord Van mightn't have talked a lot, but I'm sure he told you things that he didn't tell me or the others for that matter. I really think that you and Lord Van shared something special during the middle of the war, and that something special was what brought out the changes in him during the later days. He changed greatly after he met you. He began to smile more and talk more. He even suggested that we go back home to Adom after the war was over, and usually it was me who suggested those things! That much I can say Hitomi because, after all, I had been with him longest before you arrived. And you know what else I think?"
"What?" Hitomi asked, more out of the intention of humoring the girl than actual curiosity.
The cat-girl leaned a little closer and whispered, "I think you love each other."
Hitomi's eyes widened at the statement. Her heart skipped a beat, and her mind was recalling certain events she thought were of little significance to her. Flashed in her memory were scenes of the time she woke abruptly in the middle of the night at her home in the Mystic Moon, face perspiring from the dream she had about Gaea and Van. She remembered the words they spoke to one another at Adom the day she left to go back home, Sora's song filling the air as a pair of wings lifted her off her feet. She remembered the tears she shed and the embrace they shared at the same cliff at Adom the first time she saw him after ten years. She remembered Kaji and their conversations on the most random things about life, how in between she would suddenly see Van's image in him and suddenly feel uneasy. All of these and many other memories flooded her mind at that instant like clashing tides during a turbulent storm. And as the turbulence subsided, a single statement remained etched in her mind – a statement, said back then with youthful innocence, that suddenly seemed so binding.
"I want to be with you always…"
Hitomi bit her lip and looked away, much to Merle's confusion.
"Hitomi, what's wrong? Was it something I said? Is it wrong for me to think that you and Lord Van love each other?"
"No, no Merle. It's not wrong," Hitomi replied softly. "It's not wrong. Nothing's wrong with thinking that way. After all, I really do love him as a friend."
"You're missing the point again!"
"I'm not! Surely. I know perfectly well what you're getting at, and I tell you now that it will never be the love you mean it to be if it's going to be based on the events of the past Merle," Hitomi explained. "We're probably entirely different people now, Merle. We're probably strangers to one another after not having seen each other in ten years. There are so many new things about Van that I don't know, and so many new things about me that he doesn't know. Ten years is enough to set two people apart, and the events of the past might not just be sufficient for us to have the relationship you would like us to have."
"How about you Hitomi? Would you want to have that kind of relationship with Lord Van?" Merle asked slowly and softly.
At this, Hitomi closed her eyes and bit her lip once more.
"I honestly don't know, Merle. I honestly don't know," she whispered. "Besides, would he want to?"
Silence ensued between the two girls, but it was not of the awkward or uneasy kind. Clearly, the both of them were reflecting on what had just been said, and Merle suddenly felt guilty for badgering Hitomi the way she did a while ago. She opened her mouth to apologize when she suddenly spied a figure leaning against the column some few meters behind Hitomi, apparently watching them. She couldn't clearly see who it was, whether or not if it was a male or a female, since the refraction of the sun's light was blinding her.
"What is it Merle?" Hitomi whispered.
"Someone's been listening on us," Merle answered in a low voice. "I'll go check."
Seeing Merle stand up and leave Hitomi so suddenly made Lady Desteria panic into thinking that Merle had seen her eavesdrop, and she immediately hid behind her own column to avoid being seen. The Lady, however, had no real cause to panic as Merle went in the opposite direction. That meant that there was another person aside from her looking on the two girls, and she began to wonder who it was.
"Who is it?" Hitomi called out.
"No one," Merle replied, visibly disappointed at not finding out who it was.
At that instant, the two girls and Lady Desteria heard footsteps and voices from the hallway that led to the Great Chamber. The meeting Van called with the council had already ended, and strangely, a lot of the lords and ladies were very excited over something as they walked to their respective destinations.
"Look, the council's ended," Lady Desteria heard Merle say. "That means Lord Van's probably at his study! Hitomi, come! Let's go visit him."
"What?" came the startled response.
"Yes! Let's go visit him! Come, Hitomi," Merle pulled her to her feet and was about to sprint in the direction of the king's study when Lord Ezra and Lady Minda, together with a few other lords and ladies, approached Hitomi and began talking to her. Lady Desteria, however, could no longer hear their conversation as her two handmaids arrived with the shawl she had sent them to fetch. Nathaniel, who was walking down the walkway, spotted her and greeted her a good morning.
"Good morning to you too, Lord Nathaniel," Lady Desteria cordially responded. "I trust that the council had a productive meeting with the king today?"
"Indeed it was productive," Nathaniel replied, a knowing grin spread across his face. "Everyone is most excited with the preparations for the upcoming celebration, and even though they promised to make it less elaborate than the recent ball, I highly doubt it would be the case."
"Celebration?" Lady Desteria repeated. "When and what for?"
"A fortnight from now, my lady," Nathaniel answered. "And it is to celebrate the return of the Wing Goddess to Fanelia."
"Wing Goddess?" the lady frowned. "My lord, I am confused! She has returned?"
"Yes, my lady. She's been in Fanelia for a few days now, in fact, and has arrived at the palace just last night."
"Has she? How come I haven't seen her?"
"Well, my lady, she's standing right beside Merle over there," Nathaniel said, pointing to the girl beside Merle who was talking amiably with the Lord Ezra, Lady Minda and many other lords and ladies at the palace garden.
"The lady with short, brownish-gold hair is the Wing Goddess?" Lady Desteria asked.
"Yes she is," Nathaniel confirmed. "She is the same Wing Goddess who had won the war with King Van ten years ago."
"I see."
"If you would excuse me, my lady, I have some business to attend to," Nathaniel bowed.
"Yes, of course. Thank you my lord," Lady Desteria curtsied, with her handmaids following in suit. From this Nathaniel took his cue and left the lady to her own thoughts about the conversation she heard between Merle and Hitomi.
"So she's the Wing Goddess," she whispered to herself. Turning to her handmaids, she said, "Come, let us go to the King's study. I would like to seek an audience with him."
"Yes madame," they both curtsied. They then followed their mistress as she proceeded to walk to the King's study.
TO BE CONTINUED
Author's Notes:
Sorry for the long wait! I've been quite busy with school and stuff, so I've made the chapter much longer than usual to make up for it. And just in case you don't see the horizontal lines that separate the scenes in this chapter, you may go visit my website at s1mon3 dot blogspot dot com for the better formatted version of this chapter and the previous ones. Also, please don't forget to review! I'd love to hear from all of you. And if you have any questions, please feel free to ask. I'll be sure to answer them once I release the next chapter. However I am not sure when I'll get to release Chapter 4... grins Depends on when I get to finish it (because I've already started it... now that's a first!), and when I get to decide on certain twists I'll be including in this story. And speaking of twists, since I'm not really that decided on what to include and what not to include, this story is subject to editing anytime. Updates might not be in the form of a new chapter but a newly-edited chapter, so please don't be surprised when that happens. I'm open to suggestions too, just in case you have something in mind.
Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! :D I hope you guys have enjoyed the chapters so far and will continue reading until the end. See you guys around! :D