I'm so sorry it's taking so long to produce chapters xx I really do want to finish this story as fast as possible to I can start on the next one ;
Thanks to all my reviewers, for reviewing at all. You motivate me to do my best :3 THANKS A BUNCH! I'm so hyped up now, actually, because this is the first time I've hit 100 reviews! I'm so excited!
Chapter Nine
The moment Van reached the conference room, he immediately called the servants to retrieve all the advisors. He was going to call an emergency meeting. He sat down at the head of the table, reading the fine print on the marriage papers, when the first man came shuffling in, yawning. Five minutes later, they were all assembled around the table, tired, but at least somewhat attentive.
Van stood up, cleared his throat, and announced, "We have a problem on our hands."
He quickly ran an overview over the situation, and the advisors listened carefully. However, when he was finished, he received the reaction that he expected.
"That's simple, Your Majesty. Marry the girl, and save this country." The first advisor said with a smug look on his face.
"But I don't want to! I've proposed to Hitomi already, and I can't just turn back and break her heart." Van argued. "I love her, and I refuse to let her go!"
"Are you willing to sacrifice your country in the process? All for the sake of some peasant girl that you supposedly "love"? Tell me, Your Majesty, what would a king do? Certainly not what you're doing now. You're proposing sending our country to the dogs, while you enjoy a brief but happy marriage. We depend on their trade – it's what has helped us to flourish in the past few years. If it weren't for them, reconstruction would not have gone so smoothly." The second advisor said calmly. Van sputtered, and shook his head.
"No! You don't understand! That's not what I meant at all! First of all, I can't marry that…that whore! That's just going to ruin my country when they see that their respectable king has married some girl that offers herself to everyone everywhere she goes! Second, Hitomi is well respected in this country. The people love her – she helped saved millions, and without her, I don't think the land would have flourished as well. I, myself, would not be the person I am today, if not for her. What I'm asking is for you all to find a loophole. To study Freid's laws and customs to find some way around the system that they set for themselves. I'm asking not as a king, but as an equal. I want to revolutionize Fanelia. Arranged marriages will only cause disharmony, and a country cannot be strong unless they have a strong leader." He turned his head around the room. "Do we have an understanding?"
There were a couple nods, but a few grumbles here and there still remained. An advisor on his left threw down one of the marriage papers, and said, "But it's impossible. Just by looking at this, you can tell that they're weaved this so intricately. Surely, you don't suggest that we…"
"And you're wrong! Lady Eiko is a respectable princess, loved by her country as well!" An advisor cut in. A couple of affirmatives sounded around the room to show their agreement.
"So it's come to this, then. By a show of hands," Van asked, with a glint in his eyes, "How many of you have slept with Lady Eiko at least once on our visits to Freid?"
At first there was a silence, and none of the advisors raised their hands, but adverted their eyes.
"Answer me!" Van barked, and slowly, but surely, all the hands were raised. Van looked at the raised hands smugly, and continued.
"Now, put down your hands if you've only slept with her once." Van said.
The hands all remained raised.
"I rest my case. Now we know in exactly what way she is 'loved'." Van said, sitting down, and folding his hands. The advisors looked flustered at this sudden revelation of information. Of course, they had known all along about her behavior, but none of them were willing to readily admit that their beloved princess was…well…a slut.
One of the advisors tried to defend himself. "Well, she can be most convincing…"
One glare from Van shut him up immediately. "Now…" Van said, shuffling the papers. "Since we have that settled, I assume that there will be no problems with Hitomi?"
Reluctant nods and affirmatives sounded around the room, and Van smiled.
"Good. Let's get started then."
The meeting was dismissed promptly at lunchtime, to meet back again after the two hour break. They had made surprisingly good progress. Hitomi was in the kitchens helping the cook when Van walked in, stretching and yawning.
"Good morning, Van." Hitomi said, walking over to kiss him on the cheek briefly before going back to chop the carrots. "How was the meeting?"
Van smiled. "Surprisingly productive. You would not believe what those old guys can do when they put their mind to something."
"That's because you never gave them a chance before!" Hitomi said, rolling her eyes. Van laughed, and hugged her from behind. Hitomi cried out in surprise and almost knocked over the stack of chopped carrots. "Hey, watch it!"
"They were implying that I marry a whore." Van commented, pouting on Hitomi's shoulder. Hitomi chuckled.
"Surely, not literally?"
"As close to literally as you can get. Apparently she had already serviced my entire staff of advisors quite a few times already." Van said, wincing. Hitomi started in surprise, and turned around to face him.
"Are you serious?"
Van nodded grimly. Hitomi shook her head, and after tossing the carrots in, started washing the celery. The cook turned around and gave Van a strange look.
"Your Majesty, if you're going to come in here, please at least help out a little!" The cook said irritably. Van smiled, and proceeded to the cauldron to stir the stew. The kitchen was quiet for a while, filled with the sounds of chopping, stirring, and peeling. Wonderful scents filled the kitchen from the simmering stew, and Hitomi felt her stomach sound its own opinion tp the smell. She blushed, and coughed to cover it up, but if Van heard her or not, he made no indication, but continued to stir the stew and add ingredients.
In half an hour, the food was ready to serve. Hitomi was actually relieved – thirty minutes in a kitchen full of those wonderful smells was truly divine torture, especially since she could no touch any of it until it was served. She helped to bring out some of the plates, and some of the advisors seated at the table gave her strange looks. Hitomi ignored, and removing her apron, sat down adjacent to Van near the front of the table. Once everyone was seated, Van took the first bite, and then everyone began to dig in.
Right after lunch, Van disappeared into the room again with the advisors. Millerna was allowed participation, while Hitomi was denied, much to her annoyance. Merle was also curious to find out what was going on in there, so when everyone had gone in, she dragged Hitomi down the hall to a large painting. After making sure no one was around, she pulled it aside and pulled Hitomi down a secret staircase behind it. She motioned for Hitomi to be silent, as they neared their destination.
Hitomi could already hear the voices floating down from the vent in the ceiling above them. She realized that the vent was not for air circulation, but was actually a fake one. She was about to open her mouth and say something, when Merle clamped a hand over her mouth and gave her a stern look, motioning for her to be quiet. Hitomi fell silent, and began to pay attention to what was going on above her.
"…and their system clearly states that after a declaration of war, the declaring country receives a three day grace period to change their minds and keep the peace. Couldn't we use that to our advantage?" Van was saying.
"No!" Objected an advisor. "That's too risky. Besides, you don't know if they'll honor the old laws or not." The advisor suddenly sneezed, and he apologized quietly, pulling out a handkerchief, just as two sneezes quickly followed.
"They will." Millerna's voice said firmly. "That's a perfect opportunity. We can send a team to invade the palace, like we agreed before."
"So let me get this straight," Van said, "You intend on invading your palace using our forces, capture the advisors and your aunt and Lady Eiko and arrest them for treason, and take your place on the throne? Forgive me if it seems like there is a very small chance of succession. We would like to minimize the number of casualties. How do you even know if your country has not completely turned against you?"
Millerna pursed her lips, and sighed. "That's the thing. I don't know. But I do know that my people are smart enough to recognize when someone is manipulating them. Ever since my aunt took over that throne, the crops have been dying due to her impatience when they come to counsel with her. As a result, famine and starvation will soon break out. I can't do that to them, and have them believe that I have forsaken them already. My other sisters know not about this, since they've already been relocated to other countries with their husbands. I was the only one left who chose to stay…"
Van nodded, leaning back in his plush leather chair. He pressed the tips of his fingers together, and shut his eyes, his brow furrowing from deep contemplation. The room quieted, aside from a few advisors who were still researching and conveying their idea to others.
Suddenly Van cleared his throat and stood up. "Allen and I will head the invasion. Millerna, start a riot in your favor during the procession tomorrow. Dryden will make sure everything goes according to plan. As soon as they reach the Cathedral, we'll have them within our grasp. We'll head out tonight, two hours before dusk. That should give us enough time for preparations. Meeting dismissed. Thank you for making you best efforts today."
Hitomi listened to the rest of the room file out, and listened to Van shuffling some papers for a few seconds before she decided to head back with Merle. They had snuck out from behind the painting, and were walking down the hall, when Van came out of the conference room.
"Oh, hey, Van." Hitomi said cheerfully. "How did the meeting go?"
"I know you were listening." Van said, smiling slightly. The two girls almost jumped, but managed to contain their sudden surprise.
"What are you talking about?" Merle protested. "We weren't even anywhere near the room! We were just taking a short stroll around the palace when you walked out."
"Merle…you're a horrible liar." Van chuckled. "My advisor sneezed. You were in the hidden room under the room."
"So? Okay, so an old guy sneezed. You still have no evidence to back it up."
"Merle, he's allergic to cats."
"…"
"I thought so. So how much did you hear?" Van asked, frowning.
"A lot." Hitomi said quietly. "Please, don't go. You don't know what they'll do to you."
"I have a debt to pay to Millerna, Hitomi. She's saving this country from another war, and the least we can do is reclaim her title for her. Fanelia owes the true ruler of Freid that much."
Hitomi nodded, looking down. She was disappointed; She had hoped that he could find some other people to send in his stead.
"Van…please…" Hitomi begged. "That feeling of losing you…I don't want to feel it again."
Van took her hands in his, and kissed her fingers. He held her left hand out for her to see, the ring glittering in the light. "This is why I have to come back. So I will. I promise."
Hitomi nodded, and leaned up to kiss Van. "Just be careful." She whispered hoarsely.
Van nodded, and left her. Allen soon joined him, and they proceeded to the Military Strategy Room. Hitomi wandered back to the kitchen, and helped wash the dishes, much to the displeasure of the cook. Merle was helping her, and more bubbles landed on Hitomi and Merle then on the dishes. They were both laughing and giggling, when a messenger came by.
"Sir Allen requests your presence at the Military Intelligence Room." He paused. "Lady Merle, only.
Hitomi sniffed indignantly, and turned her head away, pretending to not care. Shooting Hitomi an apologetic look, Merle allowed herself to be led out of the room.
Upon entering the room, Merle noticed immediately Allen's grim expression, and she knew that this wasn't a time to be fooling around. Fanelia prided itself in the prevention of many casualties.
She stepped boldly up to the map, and instantly, she recognized it.
"This is where I grew up." She murmured, running her hand over the map in distant recognition. "Before I met Van, of course," she added hastily.
Van nodded, smiling. "From what I understand, a cat girl remembers many things, even those that she assumes to have forgotten. All she needs is a kick-start," He gestured to the map, "to trigger the memories locked away."
Merle raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, you're expecting an awful lot from me."
Van sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "We have no other choice. We need someone who's familiar with Freid enough to recommend the fastest shortcuts to us. We want this to be quick – get in, get out. No lives lost."
Merle looked at Van for a second, hesitant. "Does she know about the plan?"
Van shook his head. "She doesn't need to be burdened with the details. I'm afraid it would kill her to know that-"
"I understand." Merle cut him off, waving her hand nonchalantly in his direction. Facing the map now with a serious expression on her face, she began.
The next morning, Van departed early, making sure to make his leave as discreet as possible. They set off at 4am, quieting making their way to the stables, wordlessly loading the horses. Merle was assigned to go along and guide them along the more complex passages.
By 7am, just as the sun rose, the large group arrived at an open meadow. Merle leaped off her horse, landing gracefully on the ground. Walking to the edge of the field, she brushed away the thick grass that grew there, and brushed off the thick dirt. Beneath, there was a trap door.
"Allen, Gaddes, and everyone else." Merle commanded. "You'll be coming along with me in these passages. They lead directly into the wine storage room of the castle." Seeing the expression on Gaddes' face, she added, "And if I catch any one of you taking a swig, I'm personally see to it that it'll be your last."
Brandishing her claws menacingly, she slipped down the trap door with unbelievable speed. The rest of the group looked at each other, gulp, and proceeded to follow.
Van and Millerna watched them leave, and covered up the trapdoor enough to hide it. Then, they got back on their horses and continued the rest of the way. As they reached the gates, Van heard rustling, and knew that by the time they reached the castle, they would be well informed of their arrival.
Millerna gave Van a reassuring smile, and nodded. Van smiled weakly, and nodded back. He didn't like the plan, but there was no other choice – he had to do it.
In the wine cellar floor, out suddenly popped five heads, one with well defined cat ears. One by one, they emerged, wordless, careful not to make more noise than necessary. Then instead of heading for the stone stairs that led up to the heart of the castle, they headed towards the side of the staircase. Merle pushed a selected stone inwards, and the wall silently spun to its side, revealing a dark and narrow passage. With a quick gesture to follow, Merle bounded down the hall, her group hot on her heels.
On and on they ran, until they stopped suddenly. Pulling at the ceiling, Merle pulled down a trapdoor, and wiggled her way up into a brightly lit study. Strolling over to the desk in the middle of the room, she shuffled through the papers as quietly as she could, extracting many choice papers, before passing them down to Allen.
Her head spun around suddenly, as she heard the murmur of incoming voices. Quickly slipping down the trapdoor, she pulled the trapdoor cleanly shut, just as the door opened in the room above.
The moment Van stepped foot into the front gates, Lady Eiko ran out, and jumped into his arms.
"Oh, Van, darling! I've missed you so!" Lady Eiko cried, kissing him soundly on the cheek. Grabbing his arm, she half-led, half-dragged him into the castle.
Millerna huffed, and followed Van towards the gates. She had chosen to stay behind and walk a little slower. She could hear the murmurs of "It's Princess Millerna!" and "Oh, it's a shame she'll never be queen again…" resound around her, but she ignored it all, and continued.
Inside the royal hall, a stern faced woman looked them over, and smiled a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
"So you've come to close the deal?" The old queen rasped, taking a long drag from her opium pipe.
"I have. If it will save Millerna's future, then I will do whatever it takes. She is an old friend, and there are debts that shall be repaid." Van said calmly.
The old raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then how do I know once the deal is signed, that you won't betray me?"
"We've traded with your country for years. Is that not proof enough of my integrity?" Van asked, frowning.
"Not quite." The old queen said, smiling coldly. "The rumors do circulate, you know. How you plan to marry that old...peasant girl with nothing to her name. Why not have princesses, instead?"
There was a moment of silence, as the two rulers regarded each other with determination. "What do I have to do?" Van asked, gritting his teeth.
"Bed my daughter." The old queen said, no trace of emotion in her voice.
"WHAT!" Van exclaimed. "That's outrageous! That would be truly dishonorable! We aren't even married yet!"
"Well, you will be eventually, so why not have a little fun before the ceremony?" The old queen said, winking. "Unless of course," Her tone turned menacing, "you're not planning to marry my daughter?"
Van could only glare, but there was nothing he could do. "Alright."
The old queen smiled, and gestured for a guard to bring them papers. Van signed them, and the guard began to lead them to a room. As they were being led away, Millerna walked up the steps and into the room. Van stopped, and watched.
"Ah, Millerna, my dear. How shameful for you to be showing your face around her again. You're such a spiteful little girl. What evil have you been speaking about me?"
"Nothing, dear Aunt." Millerna said, bowing. "I brought the young king, as you asked. Nothing more."
The queen remained skeptical. "Yes, I see…I had a feeling that he would agree to save you, so I had the papers ready and signed for your title."
Millerna smiled, and began to speak, but suddenly a guard grabbed her roughly be the arm. "What-!" Millerna started.
"Yes. You need to be made an example of. Spreading rumors about my daughter being a whore! How dare you!" The queen walked down from her throne, and sharply slapped Millerna across the face. Millerna winced at the pain, but made no sound.
"Scream, Millerna dear. I want to hear your suffering!" The queen slapped her again, but again Millerna made no sound.
The queen narrowed her eyes. "Perhaps you need to be made an example of. My guards, take her to the balcony, and execute her right away! In public! It's time they fully realized who was in charge!"
"NO!" Van yelled, running towards Millerna, but the escorting guard grabbed him and held him back.
Millerna was dragged by her long hair to the balcony, where another guard had an axe ready. A crowd gathered to watch, as her head was placed before the ledge. Whispers of fear ran through the crowd, as they wondered,
What horrible deed had she done to deserve this?
"THIS!" The queen announced sharply, her voice traveling easily over the large crowd, "IS WHAT HAPPENS TO SCUM WHO DISOBEY ME!"
"Power hungry, aren't you?" Millerna gasped out. "I am only ashamed."
"Ashamed at your own audacious behavior, I suppose?" The queen asked, amused.
"No. Ashamed at my people. Ashamed that they would stand by and allow this to happen. Ashamed that they would let their personal desires come before their kingdom's well being. Our country is dying, can't you feel it? Because no one would open their eyes, and come forward. Because no one, even now, will stand up for what is right." Millerna said defiantly.
"Get those last words out while you can, darling. You can't say them when you're dead!" The old queen said gleefully.
"I'll gladly die," Millerna cried, "Than be a princess under your rule! I'll die happily, knowing that you'll meet your fate too soon, and when you do, the gods will deliver what punishment is due."
"Why you-" The queen sputtered, by her words were cut off by a roar from the crowd. A group of men were raiding that castle, and before she knew it, they had pulled the gaurds off of Millerna and were helping her up.
"Get the papers!" The queen cried. "They're all we have left!"
"They're gone!" A voice called back, followed by a loud cry as a spear was driven though his body. The queen ran for her throne, her one place of solace.
"No one can take it from me. NO ONE!" She scrambled for the golden scepter, her wand – anything that signified her power – and held it close. Her eyes flitted around wildly, and as she ran towards the nearest exit. But a second later, it was over.
The queen's scepter dropped to the ground with a loud clatter, as her dead body slumped over on the blade of the large spear. In her panic to get out, she had run right into her death.
The villager dropped the spear, and everyone turned to look for their true Princess, for Van, for everyone. For Eiko even, for they needed to hear what they had so blindly ignored.
But they had disappeared without a trace.
LOL I deserve to be kicked -.-; How long did it take me to review this time? Three months, four? AHHH I'm sorry xx; Biology was hard on me. And that one month after? Well I had to get ready for school, and my friend and I bought a new domain, so we were making the websites and stuff. I had an art site to draw for, and my art takes forever to draw because I have such limited time on the computer as it is -.- So I apologize. But I wanted to get another chapter out, because people have been saying "update, update, update!". Yeah,thanks for your patience. I hope this chapter was up to your standards, and I'll do my best to see that the next chapter will be out faster. x3
Kyoko