Chapter 3

Hitomi was getting changed into her night gown when Damis barged in. She slipped it on quickly, a sudden horrified feeling coming over her and she felt sick as she bolted behind the changing blind in the corner, breathing hard as she slipped on the house coat that she had left behind it last time.

However, he was suddenly behind the blind with her, grabbing her roughly by the upper arm and nearly dragging her out from under it. She gasped out in surprise as she was thrown against the side of the bed sliding down the comforter and sheets to the stone floor.

He was standing over her so quickly she hardly had a chance to move, but she now backed away from him now, trying to get as far away as possible from him, feeling terror rise in her as she bumped into the bedside table, causing the vase sitting on it to tumble off and smash on the floor beside her. She cringed away from it, trying not to touch any of the broken glass.

He ignored it, grabbing her wrists as she brought her hands up to her face.

"You've been hiding something from me, love." His eyes were terrible, blazing into her soul, making her skin crawl. She held down the urge to spit in his face or kick him in the groin.

"What have I been hiding?" She met his gaze evenly, fierce hatred in her emerald eyes.

"Your pregnant."

Hitomi felt her stomach instantly plummet, the fear rising in her so suddenly she felt light-headed. Just lie, Hitomi, lie. "So what?" She stuck her chin up. The only way to save her and her baby now was to lie. "It's yours."

He watched her for what seemed like a millennium, his eyes calculating, his grin annoying. He finally let go of her wrists, than laughed. The action sent chills up her spin and she looked away from him. "Mine?" he stepped away, turned to regard the city outside.

No one knew they were under rule of a horrible tyrant yet. He didn't allowed any of the servants to leave the castle.

"Mine?" He turned towards her again. She swallowed. Was he going to believe her? It was to soon if it was his and they had only done it once... but she wasn't a normal person, and he knew that. It was possible she could know right away.

She nodded. "Yes..." Then, even more boldly added. "Who's else would it be?"

He was quiet for a long time. He knew about Van from the Celestials... this was a huge risk. "That king from Fanalia."

She bowed her head. "The king of Fanalia and I were waiting until after our marriage." She nearly held her breath.

"Stupid women..." He left her then, slamming the door behind him as he left.

She felt the rage and frustration full force then.

Standing in a flurry, accidentally placing her palm in the mess of glass next to her, she stumbled into the bathroom, running the bleeding hand under cold water before picking up a bottle of perfume from the marble counter and throwing it at the mirror before her. It shattered, her image suddenly warped and distorted.

She was breathing hard as she examined the bruise already forming on her shoulder and her wrists which were red from his hold. He couldn't stay her. He would kill her. And when he found out the baby was actually Van's... if he even believed her in the first place. She wasn't sure, but she doubted it.

The man was powerful. Unbelievably powerful.

Carefully, she opened a box in front of her mirror, ignoring her still bleeding hand. The velvet lined box held only things. Her pendent, the red gem bringing her a strange comfort she never got from anything else, and the charm she got from her past self's tomb. The charm that turned into a staff if she needed it. These two she placed around her neck, fully intent on putting them away right away. She didn't want him to find them.

She was about to do so when she heard a faint scratching sound at the corner of the room, and in a small portion of the mirror yet unbroken, a stone block in the wall shifted with a grinding noise.

Her first instinct was to leave the room, but something held her in place.

When the stone gave way completely, and the stone directly underneath it on the floor began to shift away as well, falling out of sight, she stepped forward, her hand reaching for the charm necklace.

She was relieved beyond words to see two familiar grey eyes looking up at her. "Josceline?" She didn't want to say anymore, in fear she was just dreaming. She felt tears come to her eyes and gave into him completely when he reached up a hand to her for her to step in through the small hole in the ground.

Her legs scrapped against stone, and her knees made contact with the bottom as she lowered herself into a kneeling position, going onto her hands, hissing from the pain of her cut palm. All light was sealed off as Josceline replaced the large stones carefully.

She wanted to hear his voice. "Josceline?"

"Yes?" She could feel him next to her, then she felt his breath on her face. He was close to her, and was now guiding her, a hand on her shoulder moving her forward. A solid warm hand.

"I thought you were dead." Her voice came out in a whisper. She felt like she would start crying.

"Almost." His voice was calm, but she could tell he was just as relieved as she was.

"I'm so glad your OK." Now she couldn't keep the tremor from her voice as she spoke, and she now silently wept all the while moving along with him.

"I'm glad your OK. And I know several other people who will be equally happy."

Gods... Van. She felt sudden fear rise in her again. Not the fear she felt from Damis... no, it wasn't that bad... but a different fear. She was ashamed of herself. The realization that she might not be able to face the one she loved feared her most of all.

Josceline must have sensed her fear because he suddenly muttered, "None of this was your fault, Hitomi."

She didn't answer.

ooooooooo

It seemed like they were moving along that tunnel for hours, knees getting rubbed raw against the rough stone beneath her, her nighty and housecoat snagging on pieces of rock not smoothed down like the rest of the castle. Her hand was stinging profusely, and she knew by the time she got out of this place it would be infected. But she pushed such thoughts of her mind as she continued to move along. She was finally going to be free of that man.

Josceline hadn't spoken much. It seemed he knew her discomfort about the occurrences of the past few days. He was probably feeling certain discomforts as well. But every once in a while he would place his hand over hers in the dark and give it a reassuring squeeze. Not the hand that was in pain. He seemed to have already found out that she was cut by the way she supported her body mostly with her left arm.

Light broke into the tunnel, and as Hitomi and Josceline came to it, she squinted up at the tree tops and blue sky above, her eyes watering from the sudden lighting change. She heard laughter, and with some surprise realized it was coming from her as Josceline straightened and climbed out of the whole in the ground, pulling her up after him. The ground was moist and plush against her legs, a relief after feeling the hard stone for so long a period. She was sprawled on the ground a moment, relishing in the feeling and coolness of it before Josceline lifted her to her feet almost impatiently, allowing herself to straighten her dress before someone cried out her name.

"Hitomi!" Both her mother and brother came rushing forward from the group waiting for them. Giving her tight hugs which Hitomi returned, ignoring her aches and pains all over. She dropped to her knees, still clutching her family to her as they followed her down. Her mother was sobbing into her shoulders and her brother was crying as well, though was trying to hide it against her arm. She could feel his body shudder and his tears soak in through her thin night coat.

She noticed they had injuries on them as well. They were both pale, their lips parched, eyes red and puffy from obvious time spent crying, and their wrists were rubbed raw, showing signs of being typed up for some length of time. There was a terrible bruise on Yuuhi's face and Hitomi guessed that he tried to defy the Celestials, or even Damis himself.

"It's all right..." She tucked a strand of hair away from her mother's face, something that her mother often did for her. "I'm fine..." She looked past them to the others. Allen was astride a brown horse watching the exchange with sad eyes well Van stood near by, next to a covered cart and another more darker brown horse. Josceline was pulling back the cover of the cart and motioning for her and her family to come forward. They were all dressed as pheasants. She turned to the place she just came through and watched as Griffin came from somewhere behind her to place a camouflaged board over top of the hole. As it fell into place and he kicked some more grass over it, it blended in with the grassy area they were now in. Somewhere just out of the Capital she guessed. Probably on the other side of the hill beyond the castle. She was surprised there were no Celestials here.

She stood and made her away over to the cart, helping her mother into the back with her brother before beginning to climb numbly in herself. Nothing had really set in yet for her. Even as she felt the grass against her bare feet, and as Josceline gave her his hand to help her up. Or when she met Van's gaze for a moment before she had to turn away.

She didn't see his hurt look as she did so before the cart was covered with the worn brown sheet as Josceline climbed in next to her. She pressed her back further against the front of the cart to make room for him well she clutched onto her mother, Yuuhi at her side.

The blanket smelled of hay and old socks, but she tried to ignore the smell as the cart started forward, bumping along the grassy slopes to the road which was probably near by. She could hear the thumping of the horses hooves on the soil, and the soft conversation of Van and Allen. She couldn't make out what they were saying.

"Are we going to Fanalia?" She asked Josceline, keeping her voice quiet.

He turned to her, his familiar grey eyes piercing into her. "No... everyone is in Asturia." He didn't turn her gaze away however as she sat and thought.

She suddenly had an image in her head of a large humanoid type robot. She sharply took in air. "Escaflowne..."

Josceline was silent a moment, simply watching her, then nodded. "Yes... Allen and the Crusade came to Fanalia, and Van had them ship it to Asturia ahead of us. Allen choose to come with us."

Hitomi's heart was beating fast. "He's planning on using it?"

He shrugged. "If he needs to he will."

ooooooooooooooooo

Yuuhi had fallen asleep resting against their mom in the corner of the cart before they came to Asturia, well Hitomi took to resting her head on Josceline's shoulder. He was reluctant at first, shifting uncomfortably under her, but after a sharp remark from her to stop moving around, he sat still and let her drift to sleep, ignoring the comments he made on her cut hand ("That's going to get infected" and "It looks like you still have glass in it" and "Why didn't you tell me?")

She could tell when the rolled into Asturia. The horses hooves clicked on paved roads, and the volume of conversation grew immensely as they travelled up the castle. Several times they had stopped briefly to talk with guards. But only briefly. Hitomi guessed that they had a whole plan worked out.

When the reached the back courtyard to the castle, the came to a halt. Hitomi listened as Allen and Van both unsaddled and passed their horses off to a young sounding stable boy. Then the sheet covering them was yanked back.

Hitomi had to blink several times to get used to the change in lighting. It was past noon, and the sun was very very bright in the uncovered courtyard. Griffin was smiling at her, clutching the sheet as he pulled it back further, motioning for them to step out.

Josceline stood and exited first, giving Hitomi and her mother a hand down from the cart. Before Hitomi had much time to do anything else, she was enveloped in a tight hug and blonde hair obscured her view.

Millerna stood back from her friend, watching her with worried eyes. She than gently took Hitomi's cut hand in her own, shaking her head and frowning. "We need to get this fixed..." She tried smiling again when she brought her face up to Hitomi's, but it didn't reach her eyes. Hitomi was suddenly very conscious of the fact she hadn't wrapped up the mark on her arm... Damis hadn't allowed her to. But briefly, she found herself thinking that if she wasn't still so shaken she would only see that Millerna was worried about her.

Millerna took Hitomi by the arm and led her back to the castle. "Merle is really worried about you." She told her in an undertone as she passed past the guards standing in the courtyard to assist the group. She then turned to Hitomi's mother and brother who were looking around curiously. They hadn't been to Asturia before. "I'll get someone to bring you to your rooms." She noticed their injuries, and she added, "I'll be up shortly to take care of those wrists." They nodded before she turned to Van.

He was standing, watching the pair well she pulled the bags at his feet up to his shoulder. He had a strange look on his face as his eyes fell to Hitomi, and, once again, she found she had to look away, turning so her hair fell against her cheek and shielded her face from his view.

"Van, Dryden is waiting for you and Allen in the throne room." Millerna told him as they passed. He nodded, then turned away, watching as Griffin approached him.

Josceline patiently fell into step with the two queens.

oooooooooooooooo

"Gods, Hitomi..." Millerna gently removed the glass; which had fit itself into her palm, with tweezers, then brought a warm cloth to her hand, wiping away blood and dirt. "He didn't do this, did he?"

She shook her head, snuggling more into the heavy blanket she provided for her. "No... I accidentally did it."

Their eyes met for a moment as Millerna tilted her face up to her friend. She was the first to turn away however. "I'm so sorry, Hitomi..."

"What for?"

Millerna put the cloth in the bowl of water next to them, then, sighing, she stood and went to a cabinet in the corner of the small room. "I don't know... not doing something earlier. I should have known something was wrong... when nobody from La Vallex was at the flood damaged areas... I didn't think much about it, but obviously I should have."

"You couldn't have known." Hitomi forced a smile, then shrugged slowly, staring off at nothing as she found herself so often doing lately. "I'm just glad they got me out when they did."

She came back over now, holding a bottle of ointment and bandages. "Your probably still going to have a small bit of infection, but I'll make sure it doesn't get too bad."

"Millerna?"

"Hm?" She was applying the ointment, Hitomi cringing slightly when it stung.

Hitomi took a big breath, "I need to tell you something else."

Without looking up she asked, "Does this have anything to do with you throwing up on the way here?"

"How did you-"

"Josceline told me." She looked up now, a deep frown on her face. "Well you were in the bathroom, he told me you were sick on the road." She put down the bottle of ointment and began to wrap the bandage carefully around her hand. "Are you sick like that often?"

"Yes..." Hitomi suddenly reached down and put her hand under Millerna's chin, bringing her face up to look at her. Millerna blinked at her in surprise. Hitomi suddenly looked a lot older. "I'm pregnant."

Millerna continued to stare up at her, not moving an inch, hands still posed over Hitomi's hand with the bandages. "It's not... his... is it?"

"It's Van's." She felt very weird saying it out loud, and the feeling only increased when Millerna relaxed in her hold. Hitomi let go of her face as if burned, pulling the marked hand back into the safety of the blanket.

"Have you told him yet?" She continued wrapping the hand, a small smile on her face now.

"No..." The thought of telling Van seemed so alien to her.

"You should." She stood, examining her work from a higher angle as if it looked different that way. She went back to the cabinet to put away the supplied. "He might think it's that mans."

"Damis thinks it's his."

Millerna spun so quickly her golden curls fell around her, her grey dress swirling around her as she braced herself against the cabinet. Her eyes were wide and panicked. "What?"

"I had to tell him the child was his." She looked away from the obviously scared Millerna. "He would kill me and the baby otherwise."

"He will come after the baby." She stepped forward, placing her hands on her own stomach as if worried for her own child. She was beginning to show, her usually flat belly now with a slight bulge. "He will come after you."

"Then we'll just have to kill him before that." She turned back to the queen then, the hatred she felt for the man showing in her eyes, the pendent at her throat glowing a deep red colour. "I will kill him."

Millerna stopped short at her words. "You should go to Van." She motioned towards the door, suddenly feeling afraid.

Hitomi stood, dropping the blanket away onto the chair she was seated at. "I can't see Van right now." Her tone went back to normal and Millerna felt herself relax. Only sadness showed on Hitomi's face now. "I just want to be alone."

"And alone means with Josceline." Millerna told her, opening the door into the hallway.

The thought of Josceline actually comforted her, and she felt the feeling even stronger when she met with the Celestial Gate's silvery eyes. He was standing patiently in the hallway, leaning against the wall adjacent to the door. Hitomi knew the sense of comfort was due to the fact that she could be around Josceline without ever being expected to do anything... to say anything. And she knew he wouldn't ever do anything to make her feel uncomfortable. He smiled now at her as she stepped out into the hallway with Millerna.

"Take her to her room, she needs someone to stay with her, and she doesn't want to see Van right now." Millerna steered her towards him.

Josceline shot her a confused, surprised look before turning back to the other queen and bowing, his hands still poised over the place his daggers usually would be. "Of course."

Hitomi stayed silent as Millerna hugged her and told her she would talk to Van for her. She didn't say a word as she walked with Josceline to the room Millerna had given to her, her mother and brother in the next room over.

oooooooooooooooooooo

Selena sat on her bed, playing with the hem of her boyish shirt with her dainty pale hands. Her foot tapped against the carpeted ground as she suddenly smiled and laughed. "I really don't think you should come out. What can you do to help? A tyrant is running La Vallex, you really wouldn't help the situation." She stood, looking into the mirror she had placed beside her bed, her hands on her hips as she glared at the person looking back at her. A boy, with silvery hair like hers, and blood red eyes, dressed in the same clothes as her.

"You want that boy, don't you?" Dilandau smiled at her, a different smile then the ones he usually had. He pressed against the glass of the mirror, placing a hand against the barrier that separated him from the world he now found himself and hers. She placed a hand of hers over his, the same smile on her face.

"You don't need to get Josceline for me."

He shrugged, and moved away. "I want to help you."

"Do you? Actually?"

"Honestly, I don't know why you need this Josceline person. Aren't I enough." He was watching her now with amusement.

"Hardly..."

"We can use all the help we can get."

Selena gasped and stepped away from the mirror, then, thinking better of it, stepped directly in front of it, trying to hide the image in it.

Corilith stood watching her with a small smile on her face. She stepped into the room.

"Don't tell my brother." Selena's voice came out a whisper.

"Never child." Corilith motioned for her to move to the side. She did so reluctantly.

Dilandau was glaring at her. "Mage."

Corilith laughed and stepped forward, standing directly in front of the mirror. "You want to come out?"

"I don't trust magic."

"No... but it's the only way... unless you want to take over the only one you care about." He motioned to Selena who was watching her with wide eyes. Dilandau looked like he was going to protest, but shut his mouth, only to open it again.

"What do you propose?"

ooooooooooooo

AN: I'm sorry.. I had to bring poor Dilly back. But no worries... I won't make him a creepy psychopath... he will be nice dilly... but still bad boy... because he ish sexy like that.

cough-

anyways... All Van/Hitomi fans...not to worry... all will be well soon enough. You'll just have to keep reading.