Chapter 6
Van walked into the meeting room queitly, trying to ignore the many looks he was getting from the older men in the room. He was trying to ignore the stiff feeling he felt all through his body as well, hoping that they would ignore it as well. Hitomi had had her way with him last night, and that morning she asked to be taken again. Of course, he did so willingly. He was feeling up to just staying in bed all day with her, but of course it could never happen. Maybe after they were married... after this whole mess had been cleared up. After he had killed the bastard who hurt her and tried to take her away from him.
He settled into a chair, sitting forward to indicate he would have a part in the discussion, despite what they wanted.
Allen looked over from his spot near Dryden, watching him curiously before turning back to the king as he spoke. His temper seemed to have died down... so Van guessed that Dilandau was staying out of his way.
"As I was saying," Dryden passed an uncertain smile in Van's direction before continueing. "The merchants guild have refused to trade with La Vallex under the conditions, so the people need to get supplies right away. Whether we do that by removing the king, or by sending aid secretly..."
"What?" Van stared at Dryden. "The merchants refuse to trade with them because of the king?"
Dryden nodded, passing a caustious glance in Allen's direction. It appeared that they already anticipated his reaction.
"Do they not care about the people?"
Dryden rubbed his fingers together to indicate money, then shook his head. "You should know that by now Van."
Van flushed with anger. "They're being starved!"
"They are under control of a tyrant." Allen told him patiently.
Van made a sound of disgust and sat back in his chair again, crossing his arms over his chest, knowing full well that if Hitomi was sitting in on this meeting she would have a lot more to say on the matter. Since she wasn't, he had a strong urge to speak for her. "Only because we're allowing him to sit there, untouched."
"He won't be for much longer." Allen told him, a frown on his face. "The mages are restless... no doubtably because of Hitomi. They won't sit back well their queen is over thrown."
"There is still the matter of the baby." Everyone turned their attention back to Dryden, and Van felt the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. Did everyone know before he did?
"What about the baby?" He asked, his voice dangerously low. Allen shifted uncomfortably in his seat, but Dryden seemed completely unfazed by his tone.
"He'll come for his baby." Allen told Van carefully, not meeting his gaze.
Now Van was furious. "It's mine!" Allen blinked at him in shock, then he turned to Dryden in question.
The king of Asturia nodded. "Hitomi says it's Van's child... but..." He hesitated turning to Van. "Did she not tell you the whole story?"
Now Van felt the chill again. He felt suddenly very sick. "What?"
"She told the old king that the baby was his."
Van stared at him, his mouth slightly open. When he finally got a hold of himself, he shook his head. "No... she didn't tell me that."
Dryden sighed, a sound that was long and drawn out, indicated his exhaustion. "He will probably come for the baby... but the lie did save her at the time."
Van swallowed back his sudden nervousness and anxiety. "He can't have it."
"Of course he can't." Dryden stood then, and went over the table behind him, grabbing a pile of maps and dropping them onto the table. "And he won't if we do this properly."
He sat again, moving the maps around in front of him. "We need to do this now. The mages are impatient. Some may not trust them..." He raised his eyebrows and passed looks around the room, including one to Allen before continueing, "Including the people they are recruiting," talking about Dilandau, "but we need to join our forces to fight someone as powerful as this man."
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Hitomi sighed and traced her fingers over the fabric she had wrapped over the marking on her arm. The cold grass beneath her was a relief from the stressful morning she had just had. Upon crawling out of the bed with Van, very very reluctantly at that, she had breakfast with her mother and little brother. A very tearful breakfast resulting in her mother's breakdown. Millerna had to come and bring the older women some herbal tea she learned about from a local healers, saying it would calm her nerves. She and Josceline escorted the women back to her room well Yuuhi decided to let Selena and Dilandau give him a tour of the the noble's villas outside of the city.
Dilandau himself was a stressful part of her morning. It was weird enough to watch both Selena and him hit on the poor, out of place Josceline. But Dilandau actually being friendly to her was quite odd... He was very nice with Yuuhi, and was constantly asking Hitomi questions about the way the government in La Vallex worked. He was surprised to learn it was run by women, but, like most males, he didn't seem offended by the thought at all. Hitomi guesses his changes were due to Selena who was always sitting with him, watching him as he talked and laughing when he got too curious about something.
To top off her frustration, Dilandau wasn't exactly sure how he was brought back. Only said it was "magic". Though the way he spoke about magic made her a bit nervous... he spit the word out like it was poison. She couldn't really blame him.
Now she was sitting outside in Asturia's garden. It wasn't nearly as expansive and wonderful as the garden at her castle, but it was still enough to calm her nerves. She inhaled the sweet scent of sap and grass as Josceline stopped walking around her and plopped himself down crosslegged beside her, arms crossed over his chest.
It was a while before she spoke. Turning on her side, she surveyed Josceline before asking him a question she'd been wondering about for a long time now. "Every Celestial has their own unique sort of power, right?"
He blinked and looked down at her, startled. "Not all of us... it's actually fairly rare now."
"What's your power?"
He was quiet a moment, then shook his head, a wry smile on his face. "What makes you think I have one."
"I can feel it." He turned to her in surprise again as she continued, not taking her gaze off his face. "Ever since I met you, I've felt a strong power from you. I'm just curious what it is."
"Dreams."
She blinked and sat up, raising an eyebrow. "What?"
"Dreams... that's my power." He held out a hand to her, hesitating until she smiled at him, he placed his hand gently on her forehead, his fingers splayed against her skull. She closed her eyes as she felt a weird rushing sensation go through her, then she just felt calm, fuzzy.
"Mommy!" She turned quickly, finding herself in, not the garden of Asturia, but the large garden of her own country. She was standing in the beautiful white painted gazibo where her grandmother often met people for breakfast. She found herself smiling as a small girl and boy ran to her, both with identical midnight coloured hair.
The joy she felt in her heart only increased as she felt herself bend down to pick of the two toddlers, scooping them with a small grunt into her arms. They were twins, both with wide adorible grins. The girl with green eyes and the boy with one green, one the same colour as Van's eyes.
She kissed each one on the head before settling them down onto cusions on the floor, both giggling with delight as they rushed to pick up the toys lying about at her feet.
The little girl turned with a laugh and pointed at a man walking towards them. Hitomi followed her gaze and felt her heart leap to her throat. It was an older version of Van, still as handsome as ever, a thin goatee growing around his mouth. He was smiling as he approuched.
"Hitomi."
"Hitomi."
She blinked and stared up at Josceline in shock. During the quick session, she had come to rest her head on his shoulder. His hand wasn't on her forehead anymore, rather on her arm, lifting her off him. He was blushing slightly at the contact, but looked slightly anxious.
"That was..." She sat up, feeling dishorientated, but relaxed and rejuvinated all the same. "That's one hell of a power, Josceline."
He laughed. "It's fairly useless, unless I want to get an enemy to fall asleep and have sweet dreams."
She sat and just stared at the grass before them, remembering back to the small fregment of life she just had well sleeping. "It doesn't tell the future, does it?" She asked, uncertain.
He shook his head. "I don't think so... not yet anyway." He furrowed his brows at her. "Why?"
She shook her head. "I would be very happy if it did, is all." She smiled sweetly and turned towards the castle as a white tiger suddenly trotted towards her. She gasped in both happiness and shock, and when the tiger reached her she threw her arms around the tigers neck. "Yuki!"
"She's been worried about you." She looked up to see Merle approuching the group, Giffin at her heels. She hadn't seen either of them in what seemed ages. She smiled happily at them as they approuched, Merle sitting down next to Yuki and envoloping Hitomi into a tight embrace.
"I'm so glad your ok!" She told her, her head buried in the crook of the queens neck. She was purring, something Hitomi found quite amusing.
"I'm glad your all ok..." She turned to Griffin, patting the spot next to her on the grass. "I'm especially glad your ok, Griffin." She frowned as he sat down. "I thought the worse when I never saw you at the castle."
"I fled with Corilith." He told her, his voice heavy with emotion as he pulled her into a friendly hug as well. "I'm sorry I didn't talk to you on the way here."
She shook her head. "I understand why everyone was so anxious around me."
He looked uncomfortable still, but nodded.
"I heard your pregnant, Hitomi. Is it true?" Merle asked, her voice showing her worry, her fear.
"Yes... I am." She smiled to ease the cat girls worries. It seemed to help as Merle smiled slightly as well. "I just told Van last night."
She let out a sigh of relief. "So it's Van's."
Hitomi nodded. "Yes..." She thought back to the dream she had, back to the faces of the two little children she held in her arms. How sure she felt... it wasn't just a dream, she knew it. Either there was more to Josceline's powers then he thought, or his powers were warped when touched with her prophetic mind. She smiled, putting a hand to her stomach and passing a look to Josceline. "Twins."
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Van left the meeting room and headed straight the old hanger on the training grounds. Sliding the door open, he entered, standing the shadows of all the old guymelefs and war machines from the Destiny War all those years ago, where he had first met Hitomi.
At the end of the hanger sat Escaflowne. Like the rest of the guymelefs, it was kept always in top condition lest it be needed in an emergency.
Van felt a chill as he stepped up at the large machine, looking up at the green jewl that held the energist when powered. He sighed and turned away from the large humanoid machine. He didn't want to get back into the machine... but he knew he had to. But even still, he had an urge that never went away. An urge to feel the power of the machine below him, around him. He had cost so many lives in it though...
"King Van."
He looked up in surprise and watched as the elegant Corilith walked towards him, her blue eyes peircing, glowing an eery sort of light in the dark dusty hanger. She was smiling as she reached him, meeting his gaze before turning her head upwards to gaze at Escaflowne, a strange look on her face.
"Your hesitant to fight again?" She asked suddenly, turning her gaze to him again, startling him with the intensity there.
He nodded, not sure what to say.
"You will do good, dragon... believe me. You have the power to help stop this. You with Hitomi, just as before."
He was silent, watching as she moved to his side, facing the opposite way, her dress hems brings up dust from the floor as she moved. "The man can't die."
"No... but there are other ways to stop him." She turned away then, walking out of the hanger. He followed behind her, not knowing exactly why he did so.
Out in the sunlight she turned to him again. "Hitomi must fight." She said it in such a way, he was almost not about to argue with her.
"She's pregnant." He told her carefully.
She nodded. "Yes... but she must fight."
Van shook his head, and opened his mouth to argue but she cut him off, her voice stern and controlling.
"I stood beside Queen Lorilae for nearly her whole life, Van... and never have I seen someone so determined... until Hitomi came along." She stopped, looking back towards the castle. "She is stronger then Lorilae... I see it now. She helped during the Great War, and she will help now. She is the reincarnation of the greatest queen to ever live... and it is so embodied in her, it would be our deaths to make her sit back during this fight."
Van glared at the women now. "I will fight for her."
"You will fight with her. Along side her." She began to walk away. "You'll come to see the need in time Van."
He stood, glaring at her back as she walked slowly away from him, then headed back into the hanger for a while longer.
ooooooooooooooo
Josceline walked quietly throughout the castle, not quite knowing what he was going to do. Van came to get Hitomi awhile back. He had entered the garden well they were all sitting there and offered to take her for a walk. She had gone with a huge smile on her face, one that made her feel slightly lonely.
He had been nervous about showing her his power, unsure what she would think. It doesn't always bring dreams. Several people have been giving terrible nightmares. He was worried that one day he would accidently put someone into an infinite dream or nightmare, one they would never awake from. His mother had always warned him about it. She seemed ashamed that it was his only power, telling guests and stuff that he had the power of speed and agility, just like all Celestials. He did have those powers as well...
At the same time, his mother always said it was a wonderful gift, to be able to bring happiness to people.
He stopped short and visibly paled when a certain pair came around the corner in front of him. Both put on identical smirks at the site of him. Josceline had to fight the urge to just turn and run. Celestials didn't run. Instead he counted to 3 and took big, deep breaths to calm himself.
They walked forward, and Selena grabbed his hand, a flirtatious smile on her face as she led him down the hallway with her. Despite all his best efforts, he felt his heart speed up at the smile. If she kept doing such things to him he was going to have a hard time trying to hide his reactions. Especially if she were to press herself to his front.
"We were looking for you Josceline." She told him, her voice playful, her blue eyes dancing.
He sighed and turned to Dilandau who had fallen into step with them, a smirk of amusement on his face, his red creepy eyes dancing the same way Selena's did.
Selena had told him that morning that Dilandau was her brother. Josceline had been shocked and nearly mortified to find her 'brother' hitting on him with the same zest she always did. Now he turned away from the young man with a blush on his face. Hitomi had explained the situation with Dilandau already. He wasn't liking the albino anymore likeable then Van was.
Then again, anyone who had almost killed Hitomi in the past he couldn't like very much.
"Where are we going?" He asked dryly when she had steered him out of the castle and across the grounds.
"We're going to go shopping."
He blinked down at her in surprise. "What?"
"Shopping." She motioned towards the clothes he was wearing. The dull greys and blacks he always wore. "You need some more sexier clothes."
He blanched. "More what-"
"Would you rather she have her way with you?" Dilandau spoke up from his side, his voice a low drawl.
Even though the thought of that was pleasing to his male mind, he shook it off, blushing feriously. "No."
"Then let her get what she wants." He told him, a smile on his pale face, his hair falling into his eyes as he surveyed him. "If you make her mad I'll have to hurt you."
"Dilly." Selena turned around suddenly, glaring at him, still clutching tightly to Josceline's arm. "You won't do any such thing."
He shrugged and turned away, seemingly interested in the buildings they were passing, a very bored look on his face.
Josceline passed an unsure look down at the girl, but she only smiled up at him, that same butterfly in the gut feeling he got whenever she did filling him. He had the urge to run his hands through her wavy hair, but shook it off.
He honestly had no idea why she was effecting him so. No other girl had done such things to his body or mind. Not even Hitomi. He had wanted to hold Hitomi on several occasions... but that was a more protective reflex then anything sexual. He knew he didn't love Hitomi.. but he was still confused. He didn't feel love for Selena... his body only indicated lust.
But that seemed about all the girl expected from him. She was pushing him over the edge intentionally. And her 'brother' was helping her do it. Making it so they have to be close together.
He sighed as she led him towards a clothing cart, her hand hot in his own, their fingers intwined as she led him along well he obeyed like a puppy.
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AN: Not a very long chapter... but neither was the last one I don't think.
Hope you liked it