Chapter 9

It was the second morning in a row that Hitomi awoke in Van's room. Though this time it wasn't a barrage of kisses that had waken her, but the already bright sun that glowed behind her eyelids, making it hard to ignore, and the even harder to ignore pain between her legs that kept her from falling back to sleep.

She turned over onto her other side, trying to avoid daytime for at least a few hours more, wincing slightly at the pain the small motion caused. She found a nude Van lying beside her, his tanned chest uncovered with the thin sheet that lay over both of them. She grinned and turned onto her stomach, resting her chin on her arms as she watched him. His steady breath caused a lock of stray, black hair to shift across his cheek, and his mouth was set into a blank look, slightly open. He looked a lot younger when he slept, she noticed. And as she dwelled on the thought, she curled up to his side, placing her head on his shoulder as he turned his head in her direction, pressing his cheek against her forehead well planting a small kiss on her brow. He did not wake up.

She looked back on the night before, and, where she normally would have blushed profusely at such actions, she only smiled secretly and ran a finger along his collarbone in distraction. He had been so gentle with her... it had hurt anyway, that was true, but he still made it enjoyable for her. And after... when they were both exhausted, catching their breaths, thinking nothing but the sleep that await them, he had stayed awake and held her to him, playing with her hair and leaving small kisses on her face and shoulders until sleep claimed her.

She had dreamed. She remembered it now... something that surprised her. She felt like she had been in deep sleep all night, but small glimpses of dreams flickered in and out of her conscious as she lay, watching the steady rise and fall of Van's chest, and listened to the steady drumming of his heart. The dream didn't make sense. Filled with long dark hallways and that stone out in the garden. She dreamed of Escaflowne, and the Chain of 16. But an image of that stone plaque in the garden was the one that seemed to occur most.

She blinked and moved away slightly as Van stirred, rolling over so he could face her. His arm went around her waist and he traced his fingertips up the length of her arm in a loving way. He opened his eyes and, upon finding Hitomi right in front of him, smiled.

"Good morning." His voice came out hoarse, and the smile on his face turned from pure sweetness to tired in an instant.

She laid a gentle kiss on his mouth than the tip of his nose before replying. "Good morning, Van."

His smiled widened ever so, and he cuddled closer to her, placing his head near her collarbone. "I love how you say my name."

She blinked, than giggled slightly. "I didn't realize I was saying it any special way."

He nodded. "It sounds different coming from you."

She shrugged it off, running a hand through his hair. She shifted down further so she could see his face, but as she did so, the throb between her legs started again.

Van caught her wince and propped himself up on an elbow, looking down at her in worry. "If I'd have known I was going to hurt you-"

She place her hand over his mouth to stop him. "Don't worry about it. It would happen eventually, than it would just be the same thing." She shrugged, than took her hand away, placing a kiss in it's place. "I love you."

His look of worry stayed on his face for a few seconds before he smiled and visibly relaxed.. "I love you too."

oooooooooooooooooooo

They were the last to arrive for breakfast, resisting the call of day as long as possible before finally stumbling out of bed, making a side trip to Hitomi's room so she could get changed.

Queen Lorilae received her guests in the garden that morning. The sun was already shinning brightly and the garden had been tended to by early morning gardeners, giving it a fresh smell. Large colourful pillows had been laid out at one of the large gazebos that littered the expansive garden, and servants were standing watch, ready to serve whatever the Queen and her guests wanted. Guests including the Queen and King of Asturia, Allen, a knight of Asturia, Lady Selena, Lady Merle, and Yukari and Amano. Hitomi didn't know where her parents were that morning, but she guessed they had their own private breakfast with Yuuhi earlier.

Josceline and Griffin were there as well, and when Hitomi strode up to the group, dressed in a cute yellow sundress she had brought from home and attached to Van's arm, Josceline gave her a rather scary looking glare. He looked tired... Hitomi remembered his state last night and nearly laughed. He probably had a hangover.

Hitomi also remembered her little encounter with Griffin when he had opened the door from Merle's bedroom. She winked at him as she passed to which he looked just simply embarrassed.

"Glad you could join us, Hitomi." Her grandmother was lifting a cup of tea to her mouth, taking a small sip before lowering it with a smile in her direction.

"I'm sorry." Hitomi sat down, rather slowly, trying not to sit in any way that would be uncomfortable with the uneasy feeling down below. She settled on sitting on her knees, seeing as she was wearing a dress, it didn't give her much options to sit. She was extremely thankful for how soft the pillows were.

"Hitomi you looked so beautiful last night!" Yukari moved a bit closer to her best friend, beaming. "I'm sorry I left early."

Hitomi shook her head with a smile. "Don't worry about it."

"You did look lovely, dear." Her grandmother placed a gentle hand over one of Hitomi's. Hitomi didn't know why her grandmother was telling her this when she already said so the night before. But she soon got her answer. "Don't you agree, Van?" She turned towards Van with a motherly smile.

Hitomi expected Van to shy away from the question, but instead, to her complete surprise, he passed a smile in her direction than turned back to Lorilae. "Yes, she did."

Merle made a small sound that sounded very much like a squeal. Hitomi shot her a glare.

"Now, Hitomi dear..." Her grandmother poured a glass of tea, than passed it to her granddaughter. Hitomi took it willingly. "Today, I want you to attend a council meeting with me. It will be short, so you won't get bored too easily." She smiled. "You need to learn what it's like before you are pushed into the position and have no other choice."

Hitomi took a slow sip of tea, than nodded, feeling suddenly sick to her stomach.

"It's really not that bad." Millerna spoke up, smiling very strangely at Hitomi well passing a quick look at Van. Oh gods... did everyone know? "I always just sit there and wait till the council members figure things out on their own."

"Or you get me to do it." Dryden was lounging very comfortably in his large amount of pillows. He had discarded his usual large amount of garments and was now dressed in the typical noble wear of La Vallex. A tunic vest over baggy pants. Hitomi smiled at him. She had always liked Dryden, and was glad that Millerna and him decided to finally get married in the end. He seemed good for her.

Yuki sauntered around the building and brushed against Hitomi, startling her. Putting the cup for tea down she scratched the large cat behind the ears, feeling her warm fur. She must have been lying in the sun than decided to come into the shade. Hitomi was glad for the tiger's presence. She continued to listen as her grandmother spoke.

"And Corilith said you were wandering out the burial grounds yesterday..." Her grandmother wasn't looking at her, rather pouring herself another cup to tea. Her voice was lofty, uncaring, but Hitomi could tell she was lying. "It's not safe around there Hitomi... I know that she told you so, but I just wanted to press the matter further."

Hitomi narrowed her eyes suspiciously, than passed a look to Yukari who simply shrugged. There was something going on here. Her grandmother had never acted this way so far.

"What's buried there?" She asked suddenly. Everyone around her seemed to perk up, curious to here the answer as well, whether it applied to them or not. Griffin seemed to step further away from the gazebo for some reason, and Josceline was watching the Queen intently.

The queen took a big breath, than brought a smile to her face. "Ancestors."

"Oh..." Hitomi picked up her tea, intending to take another sip, but stopped as her grandmother spoke again.

"Very dangerous ancestors." The queen looked down at her hands, than back up at the group with a smile. "I wouldn't get Corilith to guard that area if I didn't think it dangerous, Hitomi. So don't go near there." Her looked turned suddenly serious. "And don't ask anymore questions."

Everyone fell silent. It was Lorilae who broke it again. "Anyway, Millerna, I hope you aren't stressing yourself out to much, stress could cause a baby harm."

Hitomi turned to Millerna with shock. She had a modest blush on her face and had placed a hand on her stomach. "How did you..." She stared at the older queen.

Hitomi grandmother laughed. "My dear girl, it's just a simple bit of magic." Hitomi saw Allen flinch ever so slightly at the mention of magic, and Selena tense. "Do you wish to know the sex, or do you want that secret?" Millerna shook her head.

Hitomi stared at her. Nobody else was saying anything, so she guessed that they already knew she was expecting. "Your going to be having a baby?"

Millerna nodded. "I'm not that far along..." She smiled at her old friend, well Hitomi enveloped her into a hug.

"Congratulations!"

"Hitomi, dear, I really must start you on lessons right away." Hitomi turned back to her grandmother who was watching her with a smile.

"Lessons?"

"Developing your abilities, yes."

Hitomi felt cold suddenly, and she automatically placed a hand to her throat. It was a surprise to feel the pendent sitting there against her skin when she hadn't felt it there for four years prior. She saw enough of the future as it was... she didn't want to develop her skills more.

Her grandmother stood up suddenly though, not talking about the subject more. "I'll let you all visit. I have business to take care of. Meet me after noon, Hitomi, in the meeting room. Griffin will show you where it is." She left them. Griffin, Josceline and all the servants bowed to her as she left with Yuki in her wake, well Allen, Merle and Selena all got to their feet and bowed as well. When royalty was in the presence of other royalty, it wasn't necessary to bow, so Hitomi, Van, Dryden and Millerna all remained sitting well Yukari and Amano didn't know quite what to do.

Griffin took a seat next to Merle when the queen was gone, but Josceline remained standing, crossing his arms over his chest as he stood in the shadows of the tree overhanging the structure. As Griffin sat, he grinned at Hitomi. "She's something, isn't she?" He meant her grandmother.

"She certainly is that, yes." Hitomi sighed and turned towards Millerna again. "How far along are you?" She asked, beaming.

"Four months."

"Wow..." Hitomi smiled. "And I'll be here on Gaea for the rest of it." She grinned happily to herself, than, turning to talk to Yukari, caught Van's eye. He was watching her with a weird expression on his face, something she hadn't seen from him yet, but when he noticed her watching, his look changed to a smile. Hitomi brushed it off and turned to Yukari. "I knew there was something more to that place we found yesterday."

"What place is this any way?" Van asked, reclining into pillows, watching her curiously.

"Me and Hitomi found this plaque thing in the garden yesterday, all covered with grass, and it had some weird writing on it."

"When did this happen?" Amano asked, his eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement. Hitomi noticed that Allen stirred slightly as Amano spoke, and Hitomi suddenly remembered just how much the two looked alike. She hadn't really thought they would ever meet before. She had missed their first meeting though, she would have liked to see their reactions.

"You weren't there yet." Yukari told him.

Hitomi turned away from them to the rest of the group. "It had writing from Atlantis on it."

"Atlantis!" Dryden suddenly sat up, all attention on her now. Millerna gave an exasperated sigh and gave an annoyed look in Selena's way who only grinned at the Queen. Hitomi suddenly realized she'd never really even talked to Selena yet.

"It would make sense, Dryden, seeing as the royal family here is decedents of Atlantis." Allen spoke up, annoyance in his voice. Hitomi held back a laugh. So the knight and the merchant's son still didn't get along.

"Two friends who are decedents of Atlantis..." He grinned. "I should put more study into this... Your grandmother would know a lot about it wouldn't she?" Now Hitomi heard Van sigh in annoyance. She had a feeling that Van had already been questioned intensely by Dryden for his research before.

"Dryden, save it for later." Millerna gently nudged her husband in the ribs, than motioned for Hitomi to go on.

"A women came, Corilith, and told us it was dangerous around there." Hitomi shrugged. "And it turns out she's one of the Chain of 16."

"Mmm... interesting how these things work, isn't it?" Griffin was grinning, but there was something about the way he said it and the way that he was watching her that gave her the creeps, something she never thought she would get from the carefree, happy cat boy.

She felt Josceline stir from the side, and when she turned towards him, he was watching her too.

"Every country has it's secrets." She turned towards Van who was watching her as well, but the creepy vibe she was getting was shred into pieces when he smiled sweetly suddenly. She felt the urge to cuddle up into his side and stay there forever.

Hitomi sighed and played with a spoon in her tea. "And now my grandmother wants to teach me magic..." She mumbled it more to herself, frowning down into the dark coloured substance she was stirring.

"You don't want to learn magic?" Everyone turned to Josceline with surprise. He had uncrossed his arms and was looking at her with surprise.

"Not overly..." She trailed off, feeling a blush come to her cheeks. "I'm better off without it."

"But-" He shook his head, his stare turning to a frown, "I've never heard someone of the royal family say that."

"Besides," Everyone turned to Griffin now, he was leaning forward, tracing small circles on the ground with his claws. He was smiling, but not looking at any of them. "You already have magic, Hitomi."

She opened her mouth to protest, but shut it.

"Hitomi's psychic, not magic." Yukari told them, giving Hitomi a small pat on the shoulder. "Aren't you Hitomi."

Hitomi shrugged. "I don't know. I wouldn't even call myself that." Her frown deepened and she looked away from her friend.

"You have visions and can read people's futures... like a fortune teller." Yukari continued, but Amano caught her arm and pulled her back closer to him. Yukari didn't say anything else.

"Hitomi saved our lives many times." Millerna said, either reminding them, or just telling Yukari.

"I also put you all in danger many times." Hitomi shook her head, than moved hastily away from the tea in her hand as if it had burned her. The dream from last night suddenly coming back into her head. She sucked in a breath quickly and stood up, Griffin standing as well. "I don't want to learn more! I don't want to hurt anyone again!" Without another thought, she turned and left the gazebo, ignoring their calls for her to come back.

Griffin made to follow, but Merle pulled him back down, shaking her head. Josceline was already on the young heirs tail, keeping behind the girl as she ran out of the garden and around the corner of the castle.

Van watched her go sadly, than sighing, sat back in the pillows well running a hand through his mop of hair. He knew better than to follow her at that time. She needed to be alone. Yukari seemed to understand that as well as she stared at her hands rather than get up to follow her friend.

ooooooooooo

Hitomi, having exhausted herself out, and not being able to take the pain in her abdomen any longer, finally collapsed at a fountain in an inner courtyard to the castle. She leaned forward with her head in-between her knees, breathing fast as she stared at the smooth cobblestone at her feet. She felt tears sting her eyes, but she rubbed them away with frustration. Part of her dream she did not remember that morning had come to her in the gazibbo.

She had been standing on a cliff... watching as La Vallex burned to the ground. Than she had watched as a man emerged from the darkness behind her... watched as he wrapped his arms around her and whispered into her ear... a cloaked man. She couldn't see him, but... she knew it wasn't Van.

She tensed, but did not move from her hunched position when she heard boots clicking against the cobblestone. She felt, rather than saw, Josceline take a seat next to her at the base of the fountain.

"That's a strange way to act around your friends." His soft voice cut into the silence, blending well with the echoing rush of the small fountain.

Hitomi sniffed loudly and sat up, not looking at him still. "I know, I shouldn't have done that."

"They seemed used to it actually, they didn't move from their spot."

Hitomi turned and glared at him. But suddenly wished she hadn't. He was watching her with a worried expression on his face, something she had yet to see from him. "I used to do that the first time I came to Gaea."

"Girls are too emotional." He smiled slightly, causing her to laugh and nod. "I'm sorry if I made you upset. I didn't mean to pry like that, I really shouldn't."

Hitomi shrugged. "It's all right." She nudged him slightly. "Guys aren't emotionally intellectual enough to understand."

He smirked and looked away, seemingly eyeing the statue of a women and her child all draped in robes.

"It seems whenever I'm on Gaea, something bad will happen." He looked back at her as she spoke, a look of confusion.

"The Great War wasn't your fault."

"No... but I did make things worse. People died because of me... and things only escalated faster with me there." She looked down at her lap.

"And... what's going wrong now?" His gaze seemed to darken.

"I had a dream... or a vision" She trailed off, watching him unsure. Would he believe her?

"About what?" He looked honestly interested, but she wasn't sure.

Taking a deep breath, she decided to answer. "About the destruction of La Vallex."

Josceline was quiet for a long moment, before he shook his head and watched her levelly. "And your dreams come true?"

She nodded, biting her lip. "They have always done so before. Unless I change them..." She remembered back to the many times she saved Van using the information she knew from her visions. She waited as Josceline seemed to take the information in. "I can't be Queen, Josceline, I cause too much pain here." Damn it, she felt like she was going to start crying again, her quivering voice made it sound like it.

Josceline seemed to notice as well because he suddenly smiled reassuringly at her, and patted her hand awkwardly. "You will be queen, like your suppose to be." He stood up, and reached down, offering her a hand up. "We'll just have to make sure nothing bad will happen, don't we?" He looked like a god. There was no other way to put it. The sun shone through the open space above them, causing him to loom in shadow from his position, the blue markings visible as his extended hand hit the light. His tousled hair bright on top like a halo or crown as the light hit the highlights just right. She briefly pitied in any girl who came his way. He wasn't able to marry or be with any women, but someone could fall for him easily.

Hitomi allowed him to help her to her feet. "Thank you, Josceline."

He just nodded, and led her gently away from the courtyard and back into the castle without another word.

oooooooooooooooooo

AN:

Alright... another chapter... -sigh- nothing much happens in this one except the dream. I should have gone more into detail with it. -shrugs- she'll have it again. Dun dun duuuuh!

Anywho.. I've decided I'll call this a Romantic/action-adventure flick, just so it can be anything really. Mystery can be incorporated into that, and I'm not too sure where I'm going with this exactly... meh.. I'll figure it out

If you have any suggests put it in the comments, or just email me All is loved!