Aurora
Chapter 1
Hitomi turned over in her sleep only to be accosted by a large tongue and a furry body pressed close against her. Groaning and pushing the offending object away she rolled to the other side of the bed only to be blinded from the morning sun. She rubbed her eyes viscously and turned onto her back, glaring over at the creature which had awaken her. "At least you didn't sit on me like last time."
Yuki, her white Siberian tiger, brought from Earth as a baby and raised in La Vallex, cocked her head to the side as if enjoying her annoyance, then dropped it's front paws of the bed, leaving the large room.
Deciding she wanted to go back to sleep, she turned and buried her head into the down pillows, her senses reeling as Van's earthy smell of grass and musk filled her senses. She smiled, sur pressing a giggle. She always slept on Van's side when she was in Fanalia, after he got up to go do some kingly duty after another. He once walked in on her doing the thing she was doing now, and he had teased her profusely for smelling his pillows.
Against her tired bodies displeasure, she realized that if she slept anymore she would be groggy all day. So, very slowly, she crawled out of bed, snatching up her night gown from the floor.
Once dressed, she moved over to the small mirror Van kept in his room. The mirror was there for Hitomi's needs, when she had to look nice for a meeting with delegates and such. But once or twice Hitomi had found Van trying to desperately flatten his stubborn hair, using a bowl of water and one of her combs, but the effort was always futile as it never stayed tamed for very long.
She now brushed her hair down, letting the long silky strands fall over her shoulders and down her back. She didn't want this long of hair before, but after her journey to the tomb and her transformation, she enjoyed it. It was heavy when wet, but fun to play with during important events.
Next, she took the strip of long gauzy fabric from it's spot on the decorated table and began wrapping it around her right arm, a routine she did every morning, covering up the black mark there. It made people nervous, so she kept it out of site during the day. The mark was a sign of her battle as her past self with the last King of La Vallex. Her past self which started the tradition of ruling women.
Halfway through tying it up however, she feel nausea attack and had to rush to the large adjoining bathroom, heaving up what was left of last night's meal and stomach fluids into the toilet. (AN: ok...they had toilets..because they do. Not toilets like we have mind you... but something similar. And don't say "They can't have toilets!' because it's quite possible. Pompeii had plumbing...) When she was done, she stood, though a bit shakily, and went to the sink, running water into her cupped hands to splash on her face, ignoring the fact the cloth she just put around her arm was getting damp.
The morning sickness had been going on for a few days now, and she had a good idea from what it was from. She just couldn't be sure yet.
Leaving the bathroom, she closed the door behind her and went to the wardrobe that held her clothes, next to Van's. As she was opening the polished wood doors however, a knock sounded at the door. Knowing it wasn't Van, he wouldn't knock on his own bedroom door, she wrapped her night gown tighter around herself and opened the door.
Josceline, her guard was standing in the hallway, and when she opened the door, he turned towards her with a small smile. "Good morning." His brown hair was unkept just as Van's always seemed, and his grey eyes piercing as always. She let out a small sigh as if to say 'it's only you' and moved over for him to enter the room. He did so reluctantly.
"I think I need to see a doctor." She told him absentmindedly, going back over to the wardrobe to fish for something to wear.
"Is it important." He was examining a bow that Van left leaning against the wall by the door.
Something in his tone made her turn towards him, the sleeve of a dress in the Fanalian fashion in her hand. "I can wait. Why?"
"You have an audience." He looked back up at her now, something strange in his gaze, as if he were irritated about something. "From the capital."
The capital being the city she lived in, in La Vallex. "Who is it?" She decided instead on a cottony dress in the style of her own country. She liked to dress in her own style when meeting delegates that came to talk to her as Queen of La Vallex.
"A group of Celestials." The Celestial Gates were people like Josceline. Trained and hired for protection. Sort of, in a way, like mercenaries. Her father had decided it would be best to bring them back into Royal escort instead of having them private owned by rich, crooked merchants who wanted protection from people they owed money to. Hitomi had given in, despite all arguments from the royal mages who hated the Celestials.
She blinked. "Dad must have sent them." He shrugged, but moved to leave the room so she could change.
ooooooooooooooooo
Hitomi received them in the throne room. She hadn't like the idea of using Van's throne room for her meetings, but he insisted she use the room whenever she felt she needed to. She would have much rather liked to meet in one of the large dens that were built around the castle, but she got Josceline to bring them to the large, high ceiling throne room anyway.
There were three of them, walking into the room with the same grace that Josceline held, holding themselves high with the obvious walk of a trained fighter. They, however, unlike Josceline, lost their usual grey long sleeves shirts and black apparel for vests and pants in the typical La Vallex style once they were pardoned and allowed into the service of the throne once more. Josceline still felt shamed for his kind from their history and remained in the usual Celestial garb, choosing to hid the blue markings that wound around his upper body and arms.
These one's markings shone brightly in the well lit room, light pouring through the skylights that were built into the roof. They bowed the normal Celestial way as they reached her; arms crossed loosely at their waists, hands hovering over the hilt of their daggers. Josceline came and stood beside her, watching them with distrusting eyes.
"Your Majesty, we come bearing information from your father, may we speak?" The one that talked was blonde, his hair pulled back into a low pony tail, his green eyes concentrating on the floor.
"Yes, please." She told them gently.
The both straightened enough so that they could see her, but did not stand all the way. "There is a problem with the merchants, and it would be best for you to return right away."
She furrowed her brows. "My father can't take care of it?"
They shook their heads. "He is busy with the flooding in the north."
She was quiet for a moment, than stood, causing both men to drop into bows again. "I'll go tell King Van that I'll be leaving then."
As she left the room with Josceline at her tail, she slowed considerably, a small pout coming to her face. "I'll never get to see him much before the wedding."
"You've been here for a few days at least." He fell silent, and did not speak again until after they passed the open kitchen doors. He didn't want the cooks and maids to hear anything that could cause gossip. "I don't understand why they're here though."
She turned to him, her brows knit together. "The Celestials? Why?"
"I just thought your father would send Corilith. She would come willingly."
"Corilith could be busy." They reached the section of the Fanalia castle where several meeting rooms were. She turned to him before knocking on a door. "If there was something wrong I would sense it."
"I suppose." He did not look convinced however as she knocked on the door, than stepped into the room. Van was seated in a comfy chair, his advisors seated around him hunched over documents and maps.
A tall, burly man stood as she entered and bowed deeply to her, a smile on his face. This was Marlo, Van's chief advisor. He ran the country in Van's place when Van was away, just as Hitomi's father does when she is. "Your Majesty." He straightened and turned to Van. "We'll leave you to your wonderful lady, you won't want to spend all your time with a bunch of old men."
Van laughed and stood, giving the taller man a pat on the back before he left with the other advisors, slipping past Josceline in the hallway.
"We were just discussing the floods. They're not only happening in La Vallex now, but in this country as well." He smiled to her before rolling up a piece of parchment. "It's not nearly as bad here though, so we'll be sending aid right away to your country." He pushed all the parchment into a pile in the middle of the small table and came towards her, placing a small kiss on her lips and nodding to Josceline.
"My father's there now." She told him, gently straightening out the collar of his shirt. "But because of that I need to go back for a little while. There is nobody to take care of the city."
He furrowed his brows. "That's strange... I don't know why he would leave." Josceline stirred behind them, but Van smiled again. "But you have to do your duty I suppose." He sighed, and ran a hand along one of her arms. "I'll take care of the wedding things here."
"And mom is doing it back home." She kissed him again softly on the lips, than turned to leave the room. "Don't get into any trouble well I'm away."
ooooooooooo
They left as soon as possible, taking a Fanalian carriage, Josceline at the reins guiding the horses with a Celestial at the front, rear and side. The ride wasn't long at the fast pace that Josceline was setting, but it was uncomfortable and boring. She hated riding alone. So she spent the whole hour watching the scenery pass, hoping for something interesting to happen. Bandits maybe? She hadn't ever seen the Celestials in action, though she doubted she wanted to. They never drew their weapons against an enemy without killing them. She didn't want any deaths on her hands.
She was relieved to see the farms and cottages of the fields, and tall buildings and crowded streets of the inner city and the castle which pierced to the sky, the harbour glittering in the sun beyond it. The capital of La Vallex, Celeste.
When they reached the castle, all was quiet. Nobody, like usual, came out to greet her, but she could smell the kitchen, the smell of that night's dinner drifting in from the open windows and chimneys.
Another site greeted her that surprised her greatly.
It wasn't the mages that waited for her at the castle doors, but a larger group of Celestials which the three that guided them joined after handing off the horses and carriage to a stable boy. She felt goose flesh rise on her arms, and Josceline's presence next to her. He was anxious, she could feel the tension radiating from him, and she was beginning to feel the same.
"This way, Your Majesty." It was the blond one that talked again, motioning for her to follow him into the large castle. All Celestials taking spots behind them as the entered. Six in total. Acting just as they always did, calm, collected and impartial
The castle was just as quiet as the courtyard. Her sandals clapped against stone until muffled by the rich carpets that covered the whole castle. The Celestials led her along, all the while Josceline right at her side, unmoving.
She was starting to get suspicious when they entered the rear part of the castle and the lush carpets began to fade into thinner more worn out rugs, and there were no more paintings and murals on the walls and roofs.
"Where are we going? Where is my family?" She asked, her voice demanding as she came to a halt. She felt Josceline's sudden movement as he hands came to the hilts of his daggers, and in a motion so fast she couldn't see it, they were singing out of their holdings and he had already had them raised above his head. However, the other Celestials were just as trained.
Hitomi was grabbed around the wrists and held back as Josceline was slammed into the wall by two others of his kind, they hit his wrists, causing him to hiss in pain and drop his only weapons to the ground. Another slammed his leg deftly into his stomach, causing him to reel over. They let him drop to the ground for a moment before hauling him to his feet again.
"Josceline!" She turned to the men around her, flicking her wrists around in the two men's hold, fire springing to life in her palms. "Don't- touch- him!" At every word she lashed out, pulling the men away from her and out of her range, the fire creating a barrier around her.
They had all backed away, except for the ones that still held Josceline when the barrier suddenly flickered and died. She gasped and took a step back as they advanced again. Josceline gave another pointless struggle before they sent him reeling back against the wall again.
They had taken a hold of her wrists once more and she found she couldn't use her newly gained magic. The endless amount of power she had felt within herself only moments ago and always, was slowly dying away.
There was someone else there.
And just as she was thinking this, a man stepped out from the steps leading down to the dungeon, the place they were led to without knowing it.
He was tall. Extremely tall. His long black hair was pulled back into a pony tail which was wrapped with blood red fabric. He was pale, as if he hadn't ever seen the sun, giving him a look of stone until he smiled. The smile not reaching his cold green eyes. It was more a sinister smirk than a smile, and it gave Hitomi the chills.
"Struggling is useless, you should know that already." His voice was as cold as his eyes and he walked well leaning against a cane but she wasn't entirely sure he needed the instrument.
"Who are you?" She was glaring at him, trying to remember this man. It was somewhere, deep in the back of her memory. She should know this person. This creature with the sunken eyes and pale, inhuman skin. And it suddenly clicked. "Your were the last king." Her voice was a whisper. She was suddenly afraid. Betrayed, and afraid in her own house and country.
He laughed, walking forward, examining the struggling Josceline with that cold look. "Were... still am. And thanks to you, I'm free again." He turned to her again, his eyes blazing. "Ironic... seeing as you put me there in the first place."
She opened her mouth to protest, than shut it quickly. He thought she was the first queen. The one that looked so much like her. The one that was part of her. She was the reincarnation. But this man didn't know the difference.
"Now, my dear Sahra..." He took Hitomi's chin in a cold, slender hand but she turned sharply away, watching him with disgust. This man she knew, but didn't. He laughed at the action. "You will change your mind towards me." He than turned and motioned towards the Celestials who began to drag Josceline down the stairs towards the cells below, the others dragging her along with the dangerous man behind them. She didn't want to loose sight of him, but he was out of her sight which filled her with more terror than she had ever felt. More terror than during the war even. This man was evil, she knew that. She heard the voice in the back of her head telling her this. The voice that was her own, but not.
She could only stare ahead of her as she watched Josceline's head roll to the side against his shoulder as his brotherhood carried him down the stairway. He knew something was going to happen, but she hadn't listened. Now it looked as if he might be dying.
The dungeon was cold and musty, smelling of mold and soil. In the cell directly at the bottom of the stairs, two huddled figures sat in a corner, and as they neared it, the pair looked up. Hitomi recognized them.
"Mom! Yuuhi!" She tore from the Celestials' grip, but they did not stop her, as she ran towards the bars of the cell, pressing against them to reach her mother who moved to her quickly with her little brother at her side. Her hands just managed to graze her mother's fingertips before she was violently ripped away from the cell and nearly tossed backwards. She stumbled, then regained her foothold, glaring at the man who was silently laughing.
She remembered his name. "Damis, where is my father?" She advanced towards him, knowing she didn't have the power to stop him if he attacked. She saw, behind him, the Celestials dropping Josceline in a heap against the wall. Anger was pulsing through her. Her mother was sobbing in the cell, holding her son to her breast who was also crying.
"He was in the way." Was the simple reply that passed through the horrible man's lips. He shrugged, as if the death was nothing, and turned away from her.
Hitomi's heart nearly stopped, and she stared, aghast at him. She wanted to kill this man, she wanted to maim him, hurt him, but she couldn't, and she didn't want to try. What if she was pregnant? "Your disgusting." There was a deep tremor in her voice, and she swallowed down her sudden sickness.
"You locked me in your tomb, my love... I would classify that as a disgusting act as well."
Hitomi stopped, holding herself perfectly still, her shaking passed as pure shock replaced it. The tomb... She had been the one to let him out. When she went down there to try and save her grandmother. Her grandmother that passed away anyway. All was for nothing. Her father was dead, her mother and brother now prisoner, as would she be soon. She passed another look to Josceline. He was very still.
"But all is passed." He stepped forward, watching her with sick sadistic eyes. "You will be my queen, as it was meant to be."
She shook her head and back away from him, but she couldn't go far. The stone wall was suddenly pressing against her back. "I will never marry you."
"You have no choice." He motioned to her mother, his smile never leaving. "I will kill them as well if you refuse."
She stood straight, but the trembling was back. "And Josceline, will you spare him."
"I won't lock him up, if that's what you mean." He turned to regard the pathetic being slumped against the wall with clear distaste. "I've never heard of a Celestial Gate being slave to a women before. He will have his own punishment."
She knew she was going to throw up soon. "If you'll let my family go, I'll do it."
"I won't let them go, but I'll let them live." He took another step closer to her, then all of a sudden, he was right in front of her, though she hadn't even seen him move. She gasped as he took her right arm and held it up to his face, nearly ripping the cloth away from the dark mark there. He grinned at it. "Beautiful work of magic isn't it?" He kissed her arm and she wrenched her hand away as if she had been stung.
"Don't touch me." She glared her hatred up at him. A feeling so strong she had never ever felt this way before. She loathed this man. Never in all her life had she wanted someone to die so badly.
"I will touch you all I like."
oooooooooooooooo
Hitomi was nearly throne into her own bedroom, but she recovered quickly and threw herself at the door which closed in her face. She banged on the wood as hard and she could, hearing a lock being drawn. She banged until her fists were bleeding, until she broke down in tears thinking of her father and mother and brother who had done nothing to deserve this. And of Josceline who was only doing his job to protect her. He could be dying at that moment! And most of all, she thought of Van. She would not be able to marry him. She would maybe not ever see him again.
She would kill herself before she ever married this man. But, from what she had seen of his power, he probably could prevent even that from happening.
Exhausted, and still sobbing, she slid down to the floor and let her body circum to sleep.
She dreamt of La Vallex burning and Escaflowne... and the cloaked man pulling her tightly against him. The man that wasn't Van. The man that pulled his cloak down to reveal white flesh and sunken green eyes. That sick sadistic smile...
ooooooooooooooooooooooo
AN: I know...it's darker than the last story. But don't give up hope, there will be more Van/Hitomi stuff soon. He just needs to save her.
And don't worry... Josceline is not going to die. I love him too much
If you have any questions I'll be happy to try and answer them
Aurora