Disclaimer: Tenkuu no Escaflowne is property of Bandai and Sunrise, all rights reserved. I am in no way affiliated with these companies, and am not making a profit by writing this novel. Any similarities between my work and that of any other fan-author is purely coincidental. "Dare You To Move" song lyrics are property of Switchfoot, all rights reserved.
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"Broken" -— Chapter 9: Dare You To Move
By The Last Princess of Hyrule
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"Maybe redemption has stories to tell,
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell,
Where can you run to escape from yourself?
Where you gonna go?
Where you gonna go?
Salvation is here . . ."
-Switchfoot, "Dare You To Move"
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For all the parties concerned with the banquet that evening, everything went smoothly for the first few hours. Millerna had paid a well-known band of traveling minstrels to serenade the guests as they were served delicacies from a variety of countries near and far that traded with profitable Asturian merchants. Hitomi sat at a table filled with familiar faces, and several she didn't know but figured were somehow connected to the royal court.
After the meal was finished and the dishes cleared away, Millerna, who was the self-appointed hostess of the event and director of all the activities, announced that it was time for dance. The guests gladly broke off into couples and spun together around the open half of the Great Hall.
Hitomi watched the dancers for a moment, then looked down at her dress, a stunning deep crimson piece with a scooped, off-the-shoulder neckline with long sleeves and sprinkled with tiny sparkling gemstones. The fitted bodice spread out into thick layers of heavy red velvet embroidered along the hem with diamonds to look like a gentle dusting of snow. A small diamond necklace on a thin chain replaced her pendant for the night, and a hairpiece studded with diamonds and rubies held up the hair over her left ear.
As the first song ended, Hitomi considered pulling Folken, who was dressed in exquisitely cut black finery, away from the table to dance. She was eager to get away from the stiff, formal dinner talk, but of course, every time she tried politely to get away, someone asked her another question, forcing her to sit through another long discussion. To her dismay, the same thing happened this time just as she was reaching under the table to take Folken's hand and drag him away.
"So, Hitomi," said a young brunette seated beside Millerna, obviously one of the princess's many friends. "What was it like living in Egzardia? I've heard it's lovely there, but I've never been."
Hitomi tried not to sigh in frustration. "I was only there for a few weeks, so I couldn't tell you if you should live there or not."
"I heard the people there are absolutely dreadful," a raven-haired girl beside the brunette commented. "There are crimes and uprisings all the time."
"I don't think that's completely true," said Hitomi somewhat defensively. "Tenue is a lot like Palas, just without the ocean."
The young women looked thoughtful, and Hitomi went back to wishing for an escape. Then Van decided to speak. "Egzardia isn't anything like Asturia, except maybe in trade. Egzardia's government and stability are far ahead of Asturia's."
This comment caught Hitomi's attention for the first time that night. "What do you mean?"
For some reason, no one was willing to answer her question. She looked from Van to Millerna to Princess Eries, but all their faces were set with the same grim expressions that only served to confuse her more. There was obviously something in Van's words alluding to something important that no one had filled Hitomi in on yet. Off-handedly, she wondered just how much had happened in the last two months that she needed to catch up on.
"I'll tell you," Eries suddenly said, breaking the tense silence at the table. She leaned forward at the far end of the table to see around people and get a better view of Hitomi. "It all has to do with the little 'uprisings' we've been having since the war began. The people of Asturia haven't been too happy with King Aston since Zaibach attacked the country after Rampant."
"Van told me a little about that this afternoon, but he didn't give me all the details," said Hitomi, casting a look over at him that met with no reaction.
"Well, the first attack was about three days after you left, on a border village not far from Rampant," Eries began. "After the first battle, it was as if the entire Zaibach army came down from the north and started wreaking havoc on everything in its path as it made it's way toward Palas. Apparently, Zaibach figured out that Palas was acting as the base of operations for the Alliance, and decided to take us out with one decisive strike."
"Then that was why there weren't many soldiers in the Zaibach capitol when we were first there," said Folken suddenly. He turned to Hitomi. "It all fits. That's why we were able to walk around so freely."
"So 'freely' that we got thrown in prison," Hitomi pointed out.
"If the Alliance had any forces left, they would have come to your aid," Eries continued, a regretful tone coming to her voice. "Unfortunately, most of them were regrouping from the Rampant massacre up on the northern Asturia border. So when the Zaibach forces came south to invade, they went right through the brunt of the Alliance army. Only a few days after Rampant, our men never stood a chance."
Millerna shook her head. "It's true, we made some mistakes, Sister, but don't say their fight was in vain. Think how hard and how honorably they fought and died to keep this country safe."
"Their honor does not change the fact that we, the people that directed those valiant efforts, took foolish risks that cost us hundreds of valuable lives, not only in soldiers, but in kinsmen," Eries agreed.
There was a passion with which she spoke these words that Hitomi had never heard from her before. It made her realize just how little she knew about the middle princess of Asturia, whose love for her people was apparently much greater than she let on. If King Aston had listened more to his daughters than his generals when strategizing the Alliance attacks, perhaps the kingdom could have come out much more ahead when the war ended.
"Asturia was the frontward fighting zone for the next two weeks, and Zaibach had no pity," Eries continued. "They employed total war tactics, not hesitating to destroy homes, women, children, families, villages, and any other thinghostile or notthat stood between them and Palas. Fortunately, though Asturia was running out of soldiers, our allies sent more of their troops than originally planned to stop the massacre, and no Zaibach forces were able to make it to the capitol."
"But there was one floating fortress that made it to Palas," Celena interjected, who was sitting on Hitomi's right. She flashed Eries an apologetic look as she continued. "The Delate. I . . . recognized it from my time in Zaibach." Hitomi could tell from the way she said this that Celena meant Dilandau had recognized it, having probably served on it. "It burned through six towns between here and Zaibach, and no one could stop it. The Delate was one of the last of the empire's fleets, and it reached Palas about two weeks after the war actually ended."
Eries took over the explanation again. "After the empire fell, most of the armies were in such a state of shock that they just kept fighting, hoping to rebuild Zaibach after defeating the Alliance. There was no official surrender, so the Zaibach forces had no reason to stop fighting, especially since they knew they would probably be killed if they surrendered anyway. So they kept fighting, and we had no choice but to fight back, even though the war should have been over."
"I don't think I quite understand. What does all this have to do with the people of Asturia being bitter against the King?" asked Hitomi. "I mean, I understand that those who lost husbands and fathers and such in battle must be devastated, but that's what comes with war, and I'm sure Asturia is familiar with war."
"True," reasoned Eries, "but we've never encountered a war like this. When the Delate and its forces arrived here, because most of our forces were fighting at the front, they met almost no resistance. As you must have seen walking around today, they made short work of all our repairs from the last attack. "Naturally, the people blame King Aston for not forming a good strategy to deal with the possibility of the kind of thing happening when he planned the Alliance's attacks. In result, there has been a lot of tension and a lot of rioting. Father has asked the people what he can do to appease their losses, and he has met with representatives in conferences on the citizens' behalf, but their proposed terms are always too high. We can't pay for every family that has suffered a non-military loss or injury, because that encompasses almost the entire community."
Eries paused for a moment as a serving man with a bottle of wine came to the table and topped off everyone's glasses.
"What exactly happened in the attack?" Hitomi asked when he was gone.
Eries cast an expectant look at Van, but he ignored her, downing the rest of his wine in one swallow and announcing that he had something to take care of. Hitomi watched him disappear through the back doors leading out of the Hall feeling very out-of-the-loop.
"What is it with him?" Hitomi wondered aloud, a slightly bitter edge to her voice. "Ever since I got back, he's been acting so callous and rude. Did I offend him or something?"
"No, he's been like that since the recent attack," Allen informed her lightly from his seat on the other side of Celena. "We were here for the battle, but since you had Escaflowne, Van had to fight on the ground with the other soldiers, and . . . well, you know he isn't too good at that type of combat. He was injured, and he hasn't been the same since."
"It's all my fault. He probably blames this whole thing on me for running off and taking Escaflowne. I sure picked a bad time to leave like that."
Much to her surprise, Allen laughed. "Sure, but you know how Van ishe blames almost everything bad that happens on himself, especially when it concerns you. Why, I figure he's probably forgiven you for running off, but maybe not for betraying him."
"Betrayal?" Hitomi looked at him in shock.
Suddenly, Millerna pushed her chair back and stood up. "You know, I feel like dancing. Allen, come dance with me." She walked around the table and held one dainty hand out to him.
"Very well, Princess." Allen surged to his feet and bowed to the remaining occupants of the table. "Excuse me." He turned around, took Millerna's outstretched hand, and led her toward the other dancers. As they walked away, Millerna turned around and, seeing Hitomi watching her, smiled and winked.
'Thank you,' Hitomi mouthed.
When they were finally gone, Folken expelled a long sigh and ran his fingers through his hair in a tired fashion. "Thank the gods. I thought he'd never leave."
Hitomi smiled and leaned against him. "I'm sorry."
Following Millerna's lead, her friends drifted away to dance with their attractive beaus from other tables, while Eries got up to talk to her father, leaving Hitomi, Folken, and Celena alone.
"I do love my brother," said Celena, "but sometimes I just have to agree with Dilandau: he really can be a pretentious fop."
Folken shook his head. "It's all right."
"I'm going to talk to him later," Celena went on, ignoring him. "I can't believe he would say something like that."
"Celena, it's all right," Folken repeated more insistently. "I'd rather not make a lot of trouble over this by angering one of the Knights Caeli."
Celena sighed. "Well, he didn't have to be so blunt, anyway," she muttered under her breath.
"You know, I think Millerna had the right idea," said Hitomi. She grabbed Folken's hand and stood up. "I'm sick of all this depressing talk. This is supposed to be a celebration, and Millerna planned it especially for us. Come dance with me."
"No, Hitomi, I can't dance," he protested. "You wouldn't want me to try."
"Yes, I do," she whined. "Come on, you can't tell me they didn't teach princes this kind of stuff in Fanelia. Please?"
"I told you, I can't."
"Oh, go dance. You can't be that bad," Celena encouraged, smiling. Folken gave her a plaintive look.
"Maybe you should find a better partner," he suggested. "Go on. I'll stay here and keep Celena company."
"I can keep my own company," Celena pointed out, tapping the side of her head. "Remember, there are two of us in here."
"Please, Folken?" Hitomi pleaded in her most pathetic voice, tugging at his hand. "Please, please, please?"
He sighed again, hanging his head, but Hitomi could see the smile on his face. Cute begging always worked. Reluctantly, he got to his feet and let her drag him out onto the dance floor.
The first number they danced went surprisingly well. It was a slow piece, and as they drifted among the other couples, Hitomi leaned against Folken's chest and whispered to him a few quick rules of dance. He followed her lead for the first half of the song, but it didn't take him long to find the rhythm and take over. It was a simple, consistent, mathematical pattern he could easily count in his mind and keep time with. Their second number was a faster promenade that Folken led her through without hesitation.
"I thought you couldn't dance," she whispered as the song ended.
He smiled down at her. "I guess I can learn." The minstrels took up their instruments again, and started to play a very familiar tune. As Folken recognized it, he laughed a little in amazement. "It's been years since I heard this song. This is a Fanelia song."
"Really?" Hitomi asked, more interested in the contemplative look on Folken's face than the music. "What's it called?"
"This is 'Waltz of the Atlantis Borne'."
They turned at the same time to see Van walking toward then, not paying attention to the couples who had to stop dancing and change direction to avoid running into him.
"Do you mind if I cut in?" he asked politely, watching Hitomi.
Folken shook his head. "No, go ahead." He turned and headed back to the table where Celena was sitting. For a moment, Hitomi considered chastising Van for his rude interruption and then refusing to dance with him, but as he pulled her into the colorful rush of movement, she decided to let it go.
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TO BE CONTINUED . . .
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