Cintamani

It turns out I'm on a planet called Gaea, in a country named Fanelia...and I'm its new King.  How can any of this be possible?  I wish I knew.

Part One: Fanelia

Chapter Three: Unexpected Guests

"I think you should send Miguel and Chesta.  Miguel is very clever and resourceful, he will know what words will get him where."

"Fine, I can understand sending in Miguel, but why Chesta?"

"He is the youngest of the Slayers, and he has a certain appeal.  His misleading appearance will aid us."  At this the Strategos paused, knowing his next words would not go over half as smooth.  "A female should go as well."

"A female," Dilandau snorted disdainfully.  Then he actually looked at Folken.  "You're serious!"

"Always."

"No."

"Dilandau, the Dragon King will expect deception from Miguel and Chesta, he will not be looking for it in a woman.  Most men underestimate women---"

"And underestimating your enemy is the first step towards failure, yes, I know," the Dragonslayer said dismissively, but he still did not like the idea.  Court intrigues and plotted words were not his style.  He didn't have the patience for them, let alone the tolerance.  He preferred to collect the coin of his victory in blood, not betrayal.

"Send Soma, she will act as a sweet voice in the boy's ear.  And if she cannot win him with words...she has other uses."

Dilandau frowned.  He did not like messing with girls, they tended to distract and had no real place in war, other than as political hostages or casualties.  He supposed, if all else failed, he could fashion this as some sort of test for Miguel and Chesta.

"Fine," Dilandau agreed grudgingly.  "I'll go and inform my Slayers immediately.  You deal with the girl."  He turned on his heel and started stiffly out of the room.  Folken's deep voice called him back.

"Wait, Dilandau.  We want this to look as authentic as possible..."

¤ ¤ ¤

     "Hitomi!  You are still leaving your left guard open!"  And to illustrate his point Balgus whacked her good in her side with the flat edge of his bokken.  Not hard, but hard enough.

     Owww, she winced, throwing up her own wooden sword a second too late to actually do any good.  She pressed her free hand to her throbbing ribs, which were still sore from the last time he had hit her there.  And the time before that.  Teaching her was what he liked to call it.  Another word for it was 'torture'.

     It had been one long month since she had come to Gaea, and she still wasn't settled comfortably into her new life.  It was a far cry from what she had grown accustomed to back home.  Harsher in one way, more simple in another.  In the back of her mind she was still convinced that at any moment she would wake up and be in some bed back on Earth.  But at the same time the front of her brain had moved into accepting her impossible situation, and even beyond that to trying to make the best of it.  It was just that much more complex that her appearance in Fanelia ran parallel to Escaflowne's awakening.

     According to Balgus, long ago Fanelia's ruling family was chosen by the mysterious Dragon, and each King inherited the throne from the king before with Escaflowne's blessing.  For years things had been left to that bloodline, and the Dragon of Fanelia had slept peacefully.  Until a year ago, during Prince Folken Lacour de Fanel's coronation.  The Prince had sought the ceremonial acceptance from Escaflowne encased in stone.  The whole act was supposed to be symbolic and ritual more than literal, but Escaflowne had, much to everyone's shock, woke from his long sleep and denied the Prince.  Balgus had said Escaflowne then spent one full year searching for her, and that she was the new bloodline chosen for reasons only the Dragon could know.

It all seemed too fanciful for her tastes, and she told him as much.  His answer had been simple, "And a girl appearing from the Mystic Moon happens everyday?" 

     Said Dragon lay not thirty feet from her, his white body curled curiously like a cat.  His tilted eyes watched her as she moved awkwardly through the training that her advisor had pressed on her in concern.  'Her advisor', like 'her Kingdom'---so many words stuck in her throat the wrong way.  She should be at school worrying over her grades and marking track meets on her calendar, not thrust into a kingship she didn't want or particularly understand.  Or attempting to spar with a battle-hardened man that was more than twice her size.  Life was definitely full of unpleasant surprises.

     She fell back into stance and began again, this time taking extra care to protect her left side.  Of course, it wasn't enough; Balgus slipped right through and hit her again, this time on her right.  At least the bruises on her body were going to look properly balanced when she undressed.

     "You cannot drop your right guard in favour of your left!"

     She liked Balgus.  Truly she did.  It was just sometimes she wanted to bash his head in.  Stepping back for another breath, Hitomi let the blunted blade hang down to the ground and rubbed at the tender pain in her side.  Enough was enough.

     "I can't do this anymore," she wheezed pitifully.  She said the same thing every practice, and as always he gave her the same unrelenting stare.

     "You are not improving because you are not trying," he stated matter-of-factly.  "Now, come at me again."

Hitomi sighed, then lifted her sword and charged forward.  She was going to do it this time, even if it was only for the satisfaction of hitting him!

"Your Grace!"

Hitomi skidded to a stop as Romi came trotting from the direction of the castle.  Romi was her personal servant, and as 'mother-hen' as they come.  She was no taller than Hitomi herself, but had a soft, rounded body that always seemed welcoming and warm.  Her dark hair was usually impeccably pinned at her nape, with two curls falling to either side of her brown eyes.  But at the moment those curls clung to her rounded cheeks in wisps and a long trail of black had come loose from her bun. Hitomi ran out to meet her half way, already forgetting about the training she had been in the middle of.

"What is it?"

It took her retainer a moment to catch her breath enough to speak, but when she did it all came spilling out at once.  The words themselves seemed to draw Balgus to her side.  "A carriage has been detained at the City Gates, Your Grace.  They bear the crest of Zaibach!"

Zaibach?  That name meant nothing to her.  She turned instantly to Balgus.  "What do you know of this Zaibach?"

"Fanelia has no quarrel with Zaibach since the trade treaty was signed in the time of King Goau."

She frowned.  That was not what she had asked, but it did answer the question.  She was so new to all these confusing politics.  With her frown still firmly in place, she looked back to Romi.  "What about their intent?  Have they given any reasons for being here?"

Romi nodded, "They say the trade agreement is of some concern to them.  It is customary for them to renew their vows when a new King or Queen has ascended.  They also seek to strengthen the ties of the alliance and offer their support to the new King."

Hitomi glanced at Balgus in a silent plea for guidance, and he nodded at her imperceptibly, letting her know that this indeed did make sense.  She fully trusted his judgment; after all, he had successfully ruled Fanelia for the year that the country had been without King.  It was of her own personal opinion that he should never have turned the reigns over to her, but no matter how she tried she could not force him to see the folly in his ways.  He kept, unfairly, throwing the word 'destiny' at her.

"Very well," she sighed, "have them escorted in and taken care of.  I'll hold an audience with them at supper tonight, I am sure they are tired and hungry after their trip."

Romi dropped a bow, and then hurried off to inform those concerned and make preparations.  Hitomi watched her leave with an apprehensive flutter to her stomach.  It had been happening a lot since her arrival here.

Balgus settled the flat of his bokken against his massive shoulder, the late afternoon sun giving him a halo of amber that sat odd around his scarred face.  "It is standard procedure that all alliances and treaties be renewed, so this is expected," he explained quietly.

"Joy," she said, her voice indicating that the thought was anything but.

     It was three hours later that she had finally started for the Dining Room.  Romi had informed her that the three Envoys from Zaibach had been settled in without mishap and were awaiting her arrival for the evening meal. 

She was making them wait.  She had read enough books and seen enough movies to know that the Host always arrived last in these situations.  She even understood the thinking behind it, though she didn't particularly agree with it or like it.  But she didn't have to; she only had to play the courtly game she was still just beginning to learn.  No gesture was accidental, no word was idle.

That said, things as simple as dress were important.  It could be her first defense and shield, enticing, or intimidating.  Though she honestly doubted she could look intimidating.  The real question she had to answer was:  did she want to push distance between herself and her guests and demand respect, or did she want to set them at ease and give the impression of lowering her guard while they lowered theirs?  Since she seriously doubted her skills when it came to intimidation, she was opting towards the latter choice.

Pushing aside a forest of more expensive gowns, Hitomi pulled out a modest dress that was the same cream colour of the school uniform she had worn back home.  That was mainly her reason for choosing it.  It was floor-length, and edged with lace at wrist and collar, but it was probably the least feminine of them all.  It was formal enough for entertaining guests, but casual enough to be approachable and friendly.

     For one long moment she had genuinely considered putting on the black pants and pale green shirt she wore when she trained.  They were certainly more comfortable, if not quite presentable.  But 'the game' wasn't designed for comfort, hers or anybody else's.

     Completing her look was a pair of matching, soft-soled slippers.  Each outfit in her wardrobe had shoes to match, and if you asked her, it was a little too much.  She was of the opinion that you only needed three or so good pairs of shoes, but nobody had asked her when she had arrived, and she didn't complain.  She still had her grass-stained sneakers after all.

     And beneathe her collar, resting warmly against her breast was the pink stone she had carried back from the Dragon Forest.  A jeweler had strung it up on a fine gold chain for her, muttering all the while as he did.  After clasping it around her neck she hadn't removed it once.  Balgus had been surprised to see it when she showed it to him, but he had moved to explain his reaction quickly.  Closing her fingers over it, he told her it was a very rare gem in Gaea, and that she should keep it close to her flesh and heart.  The way he had spoken, with such quiet reverence, had made her wonder if it wasn't some powerful charm.  After all, dragons were real.

The doors to the Dining Room were tall and red-cherry-wood, she paused before them and nervously smoothed her hands down her sides.  She knew enough to know this was a test.  Not in the conventional sense, but in that this was the first time she would be acting as King on her own two feet.  Balgus would be there, as befitting a top royal advisor, but he would be allowed to do little more than meet her eyes.  And she understood that too much eye-contact on their part would be a failure in the minds of her 'guests'.  She had to appear to be confident and competent.  Even if she didn't feel it at all.

She took a deep breath, filling herself up with it then letting it out slowly.  Not waiting for her nerves to try and over-take her again, she grasped the smooth wooden handle and pushed down, pressing forward slightly.  She was only mildly surprised when the large right door silently slid open with almost no effort on her part.  From its size, one would expect to have to force their way in.

Four faces turned to her, only one familiar.  Hitomi held her head high beneath their perusal, when what she really wanted to do was wilt like a flower.  The long table was spaced for at least a dozen, with her end empty, aside from Balgus who was seated to the right of her place.  The opposite end, and the one closest to the door, was occupied by three very striking figures.  She took notice of the woman first, probably because she was sitting closest to her.

She was a beautiful woman, there was no denying that.  Her hair was ebony-brown, a warmer shade of black that had tones of gold and bronze.  It was combed back into one even plait that was wound tight into a bun atop her head, but many curls escaped and brushed flatteringly against her shoulders.  She was small in frame, slender, delicate, rounded well where a woman should be.  Her face was heart-shaped and her eyes were the same deep-burned shade of brown as her hair.  They swept over Hitomi, then turned dismissively back toward the table.

To the left of her sat a handsome young man, and the first thing she noticed about him was contrasts.  He had clear blue eyes and chocolate brown hair, and the combination of light and dark was very lovely on him.  He was tall, much taller than his Lady companion, but the height suited his build well.  Catching her gaze, he smiled at her politely.

Her study flicked to the third and last of the envoys.  And there was no way in hell that he could be older than her, though something told her that maybe he was in certain ways.  He had fine gold hair in a bowl-cut, and eyes the blue of a perfect sky.  His charming innocence instantly inspired trust in her, and that made her very wary.

She took all this in at a glance, standing just inside the doorway with two fingers of her left hand held loosely in the grasp of her right.  She nervously rubbed her thumb against her knuckles, then forced her hands down to her sides when she realized what she was doing.  Walking is easy, she told herself as she began her trek towards Balgus across the softly lit dining room.  She was just passing her three guests when an upraised hand stopped her.  The female envoy had lifted an empty glass and waved it absently at her.

"More wine, please," she said delicately, though those impressive dark did not turn back to regard her.  Hitomi raised an eyebrow and looked to Balgus, as if to say, can you believe this?

Quickly wiping the look from her face, Hitomi swept gracefully forward and picked up the decanter that sat not a foot from the woman's fine and noble hand.  She tipped a generous portion into the glass, fighting down the giddy urge to hum happily.  The brunette said nothing as she lifted it to her painted lips.

"Anything else I can do for you, my Lady?" Hitomi asked honey-sweet, setting the bottle back in its place on the table.

"No, that is all."

Hitomi gave a deep bow, "As you wish, my Lady."  Straightening, she set upon her previous path with lighter steps.  They couldn't make a fool of her, not if they had already made one of themselves.

Approaching Balgus, he instantly stood up and bowed, then stepped back to help her into the 'King's chair'.  The silence that followed her movements was so thick that she could hear the cloth of her skirt rustle against the floor, the cushion beneath her creak, and someone's sharp intake of breath.  Making a show of situating herself and thanking Balgus, she hid her amusement behind an engaging smile.

Many interesting reactions passed between the three foreigners.  The two males seemed to take it all in stride and even humor.  The Lady looked down-right lightning-struck.

"May I present to Her Majesty, the Lady Soma Royo, Miguel Ayako, and Chesta Hataike, Official Ambassadors for the Nation of Zaibach."

Hitomi didn't care for such formalities, she already had the upper-hand, and now she wanted to worry it like a bone.  "Good evening," she said before anybody could reply, smiling at each.  Then she glanced purposefully to the female and said, "Oh my, you look a little flushed, my Lady!  Perhaps you have had too much wine?"

"N-no.  I'm fine, Your Majesty.  I was just led to believe that Fanelia had crowned a new King, not Queen."

Hitomi frowned prettily.  "So sorry about that.  It's an unfounded rumour running rampant through the middle classes.  I don't really know how it started."  She made sure to smooth her hair back behind her ears, bringing attention to its obviously boyish cut.  Truth was, they had all been expecting Escaflowne to choose a male, and her and Balgus had done nothing to dispel such rumours.  King was her title, by right of ceremony.  It wasn't considered wrong to call her that, but she could see how outsiders may get confused.  And she was beginning to see how she could use that confusion to her favour.  Well, well.

Soma's mouth tightened, but she tried to hide the annoyed expression by lifting her wine glass to her lips.  The two boys smiled, openly amused.  The rest of their dinner flowed pleasantly around Soma Royo's suspicious embarrassment.

TBC...

I made up the Slayers last names.  I can't remember if they were ever said in the series.  I think Miguel's may have been?  I need to watch my discs again and refresh myself on the story.  I'm sure I'll have time to do that after the fifty million other things I need to do. :-D

I'll be glad to get part one done, or at least to the end of it.  All of this setting-up/politics is NOT my forte.  Passion, angst, and violence---that's my usual cup of tea, and you can bet there will be plenty of all three in future chapters!  Anyway, please review!  If the feedback for this chapter is pretty good, next chapter will be out a week from now!  Yes, I will be prompt this time!  :-D  But only if you guys let me know that you want it!  Thanks for reading, and lotsa thanks to those who have and will review! ^_^

Reviewer Responses

Macky: Merle will definitely be in this story!  In fact, she will be coming in right around the beginning of the second part.  I haven't read the boys manga, but I would like to.  I wonder exactly how many different versions of Escaflowne there are?  The anime, the movie, the shounen manga, the shoujo manga---and that's just the official ones!  Anyway, thanks for stopping by and leaving a review, I hope you like this chapter as well! ^_^

ponchita:  Yep, Hitomi is King.  It's more like, Fanelia expected a King to arrive, so when the next ruler did arrive they got a distant look at Hitomi's hair and clothes (she's endearingly tomboyish, after all), and jumped the gun.  Then she and Balgus just let the rumour ride, for reasons that were touched upon in this chapter.  Besides, according to tradition, Escaflowne is to choose Fanelia's King, so by law Hitomi is actually expected to claim that title (I've created an entire system of rituals and laws for my version of Fanelia, but I'll only be including what is absolutely necessary).  The gender confusion, however, is based solely on rumour.  Van comes in during the second part, but he does not have as big a role as he does in the anime, not to mention his personality is based more on the movie.  Personally, I'm itching to get through this part and move on to the second.  When I wrote my out-line I had no idea it would take this long to get everything moving in the right direction.  But I'm trying so hard not to gloss over several events and jump to the scenes I really like.  Longer?  *falls over*  J/K! ^_^  I'll try, but I'll probably be keeping most of the chapters round about 3000 to 4000 words.

wayfarer-redemption:  Thank you so much!! So sorry I kept you waiting, I didn't mean to!  Blame it all on work, that's what I do! ^_~

SabineballZ:  *grins and nods*  Yep, Hitomi is the new King of Fanelia.  One of the things I changed when I decided to write this fic was Van's role, so he's not King, and Escaflowne is not at his beck and call.  I've created a whole new history for him, that we will be getting into later.  I hope that clears up the confusion a little?  Thank you for reviewing!  ^_^

NeverEndingQuest:  I completely agree.  The Celena/Dilandau pairing does not appeal to me at all.  It really does seem like incest, IMO.  I mean, they even LOOK like twins.  But I like Celena, and she actually becomes a very major character later in the story.  I think I portray her a little differently then most fics---all the ones I've read at least.  The main pairing?  Wellllllllll, I guess it's time to finally fess up.  I've decided to go with a challenge and write H/D.  If it's done right, I like that pairing.  And I am going to put forth my best effort in doing both these characters justice, together and apart.  I wonder how many people just sneered and hit 'close'?  Hehe, oh well.  ;-D  Thanks for reviewing! ^_^

SilverQuick: *continues to blush*  Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!  And thank you for putting my story on your favourites list, it means a great deal to me!  ^_^ Ohhhh, an albino dragon picture, I definitely would like to check that out!!! *loves all things albino, too.  And dragons*  Very true about the details, but I just felt that I should do a small warning about that, since I've had complaints from people in the past.  Hey, if you do draw Dilandau, let me know, please?  I would really love to see it!  I've actually been thinking about drawing a banner for this story, but I dunno.  Hmmm.  Anyway, if you're interested, here's a link to the Dil picture I drew: http: // img11. photobucket. com/ albums/ v35/ LadyWar/ Dilandau.jpg

You know the drill, remove all the spaces...I have no idea why ff.net doesn't allow web urls.  So sorry you had to wait for this chapter!  I promise the next one will not be so long in coming!

Ferai:  Thanks so much!  I'm glad I could surprise you! ^_~  Yeah, I like Escaflowne a lot in this story, too!  He's got his own personality and presence here, whereas in the series I always felt like he was just one of Van's accessories, a weapon.  Oh, I am very inspired!  But now, with the new job I just started, I  have to find the time to write!!  Not so easy...

Nemo:  So glad I could make your day better!  Here's hoping this chapter finds you having a better day than the last one.  *shudders*  I know all about bad days...it seems like the last two weeks have been nothing but one continuous bad day...Anyway, thanks for reviewing! ^_^  P.S. You said one of my favourite words!  Huzzah!

ReViEwEr:  Er, wrong story!  ^_^  Yes, I know I've been neglecting ICE.  I've got half of the next two chapters written, but I'm having trouble getting through them.  I'm waiting for inspiration to hit me in that genre again...

tamuril telrunye:  Thanks so much!  And don't you worry, lotsa chapters will be forthcoming!  I have outlined at least twenty-three chapters, and that only takes me up to the middle-end of the second part.  So far it looks like there is going to be 3 to 4 parts.  And one helluva epic tale...

Feathers of Snow: Honeypot: Thanks!  I will try my best to update in a timely manner!  Ha, I like the part about Hitomi being King, too!  Anyway, thanks for your praise, I hope you like this chapter, too! ^_^

Hopeful: hehe...that's two people who have reviewed this story only to ask about ICE.  I know that fic is probably one of my most popular ones...I'm not sure when I'll update ICE, I have half of both of the next two chapters written, (strange, I know), but then my muse completely deserted me.  Don't worry I will get going on that one again, but I can't point out a time when.  Especially since I'm working an insane amount of hours at my new job, then basically coming home to crash.  I hope to soon get a balance in my life again, then begin updating most of my fics.  I've really missed them all, and my readers...

Thanks for reading everybody, and thanks for your patience.  Just a few more chapters before we get into the heavy action of the story, I promise! ^_^  Then we can get started on the fun stuff!  Ya know, the passion, angst, and romance!  Yay!  *jumps up and down eagerly*

Review please!  Thanks! ^_^