Chapter One
Knightly Worries
Hitomi Kanzaki could barely restrain herself from throwing the contents of her cup over a certain princess and Knight of Caeli. Under the table her fists were clenched together and she could barely retain a mask of calm. Just who did Millerna and Allen think they were? A handmaiden! How dare they!
Feeling somebody watching her, she looked up to see Merle smirking at her. Hitomi narrowed her eyes at the cat girl and turned her head away only to find the gaze of Princess Eries upon her. The icy blue eyes of Eries seemed to pierce right into Hitomi, searching inside her. The princess' face had no expression upon it and Hitomi could only guess that she was being judged.
Okay, this is very freaky, Hitomi thought nervously. Why is she looking at me like that?
Eries smiled suddenly, startling the Mystic Moon girl. She turned her head towards Van who was standing by the windows lost in thought. Very subtly the princess turned back to Hitomi and tilted her head towards Van.
Hitomi got the hint.
"Excuse me," Hitomi stood up and dropped a small curtsey to the princesses and the king. She could feel their gazes on her back as she walked away.
"HSSSS! Where's she going? She better not go anywhere near Lord Van!" Merle hissed from the table. Stupid cat girl, Hitomi thought.
"So Allen, just how did you meet that handmaiden anyway?"
Hitomi wanted very much to turn round and say something rude to the young princess but thought it prudent to ignore her. She stood beside Van and touched his arm lightly. There came a hiss from the table as she did this.
"Van?"
The Prince of Fanelia stirred and looked at his companion in surprise. "Hitomi! Is something wrong?"
Hitomi shook her head slightly. "Princess Eries seemed to want me to come over here."
"Oh, I see." Van turned to look back out the window, not attempting at any conversation. An uncomfortable silence hung in the air between them. Hitomi tugged at the reminiscence of her dress, trying to express her thoughts.
"Actually, there is something I wanted to say," Hitomi said quietly, not meeting his eye. She did not realise that her hand was still on his arm.
Van looked up at her in interest. "Oh? What is that?"
"Van.I." Hitomi tried to find the right words. "Van, I think we should leave Austuria at once," she blurted out.
The king looked slightly surprised and Hitomi could have sworn there was disappointment in his eyes.
"Why do you want to leave?" Van asked gently.
"I can't really explain it," Hitomi replied, struggling for words again. "It just feels so uncomfortable with Zaibach knowing that we're here. They could do anything to us. And.I feel that something bad is going to happen."
Van looked at her sharply. "Are you sure?"
"Positive," Hitomi confirmed, nodding. "I have a strong feeling that it would be wiser to leave here."
Van looked thoughtful. "We'll, you were right about the attack on Allen's castle and you managed to find the floating fortress. And.I trust you are right. But how exactly are we meant to leave here without being noticed?"
Hitomi looked towards the dining table and noticed that Princess Eries had long ago excused herself.
"I think that somebody has already planned that. Come on, come with me." Van took her arm, allowing himself to be lead to this somebody. It looked as though he was to take no part in the planning this time.
Allen Schzar watched as Van and Hitomi left the dining hall arm in arm. There seemed to be something important going on between the two of them. They both looked very sincere and serious. What could it be? Then it hit him: Van wanted Hitomi. It was obvious that Van was trying to win Hitomi's affection. This was bad news for the Knight of Caeli. He had never lost a girl to another guy before. Wow, this was definitely serious. He had to do something before he lost Hitomi to Van. "Allen dear, are you listening?" Princess Millerna looked at Allen, looking slightly irritated. "I'm sorry Your Highness, do carry on." Allen took a sip of his wine, trying to compose himself. It looked as though he would have to wait till he could deal with Van and his Hitomi. "I was just asking," the princess babbled on, not noticing Allen's discomposure. "Where on Gaea did you meet that handmaiden? And whom exactly does she work for? I didn't quite understand earlier."
"Van."
"Allen."
Gaddes and Merle looked at each other, Merle looking very annoyed. Van belonged to HER only. She wasn't going to share.
"She works for Van," Gaddes said finally. "She arrived with Van at Allen's castle."
"HMPH!" Merle looked away, sulking. She knew that she could not deny that otherwise Hitomi's cover would be blown and Zaibach would be hot on Van's trail. Damn Gaddes!
Millerna watched the cat girl in fascination. She wondered why Merle was so jealous of a handmaiden.Oh well; she would just have to question Hitomi later. She had other things to attend to.
"So Allen, how long are you going to stay here this time?" Millerna asked, leaning towards the knight, smiling brightly. "There are so many things we have to do!"
Knightly Worries
Hitomi Kanzaki could barely restrain herself from throwing the contents of her cup over a certain princess and Knight of Caeli. Under the table her fists were clenched together and she could barely retain a mask of calm. Just who did Millerna and Allen think they were? A handmaiden! How dare they!
Feeling somebody watching her, she looked up to see Merle smirking at her. Hitomi narrowed her eyes at the cat girl and turned her head away only to find the gaze of Princess Eries upon her. The icy blue eyes of Eries seemed to pierce right into Hitomi, searching inside her. The princess' face had no expression upon it and Hitomi could only guess that she was being judged.
Okay, this is very freaky, Hitomi thought nervously. Why is she looking at me like that?
Eries smiled suddenly, startling the Mystic Moon girl. She turned her head towards Van who was standing by the windows lost in thought. Very subtly the princess turned back to Hitomi and tilted her head towards Van.
Hitomi got the hint.
"Excuse me," Hitomi stood up and dropped a small curtsey to the princesses and the king. She could feel their gazes on her back as she walked away.
"HSSSS! Where's she going? She better not go anywhere near Lord Van!" Merle hissed from the table. Stupid cat girl, Hitomi thought.
"So Allen, just how did you meet that handmaiden anyway?"
Hitomi wanted very much to turn round and say something rude to the young princess but thought it prudent to ignore her. She stood beside Van and touched his arm lightly. There came a hiss from the table as she did this.
"Van?"
The Prince of Fanelia stirred and looked at his companion in surprise. "Hitomi! Is something wrong?"
Hitomi shook her head slightly. "Princess Eries seemed to want me to come over here."
"Oh, I see." Van turned to look back out the window, not attempting at any conversation. An uncomfortable silence hung in the air between them. Hitomi tugged at the reminiscence of her dress, trying to express her thoughts.
"Actually, there is something I wanted to say," Hitomi said quietly, not meeting his eye. She did not realise that her hand was still on his arm.
Van looked up at her in interest. "Oh? What is that?"
"Van.I." Hitomi tried to find the right words. "Van, I think we should leave Austuria at once," she blurted out.
The king looked slightly surprised and Hitomi could have sworn there was disappointment in his eyes.
"Why do you want to leave?" Van asked gently.
"I can't really explain it," Hitomi replied, struggling for words again. "It just feels so uncomfortable with Zaibach knowing that we're here. They could do anything to us. And.I feel that something bad is going to happen."
Van looked at her sharply. "Are you sure?"
"Positive," Hitomi confirmed, nodding. "I have a strong feeling that it would be wiser to leave here."
Van looked thoughtful. "We'll, you were right about the attack on Allen's castle and you managed to find the floating fortress. And.I trust you are right. But how exactly are we meant to leave here without being noticed?"
Hitomi looked towards the dining table and noticed that Princess Eries had long ago excused herself.
"I think that somebody has already planned that. Come on, come with me." Van took her arm, allowing himself to be lead to this somebody. It looked as though he was to take no part in the planning this time.
Allen Schzar watched as Van and Hitomi left the dining hall arm in arm. There seemed to be something important going on between the two of them. They both looked very sincere and serious. What could it be? Then it hit him: Van wanted Hitomi. It was obvious that Van was trying to win Hitomi's affection. This was bad news for the Knight of Caeli. He had never lost a girl to another guy before. Wow, this was definitely serious. He had to do something before he lost Hitomi to Van. "Allen dear, are you listening?" Princess Millerna looked at Allen, looking slightly irritated. "I'm sorry Your Highness, do carry on." Allen took a sip of his wine, trying to compose himself. It looked as though he would have to wait till he could deal with Van and his Hitomi. "I was just asking," the princess babbled on, not noticing Allen's discomposure. "Where on Gaea did you meet that handmaiden? And whom exactly does she work for? I didn't quite understand earlier."
"Van."
"Allen."
Gaddes and Merle looked at each other, Merle looking very annoyed. Van belonged to HER only. She wasn't going to share.
"She works for Van," Gaddes said finally. "She arrived with Van at Allen's castle."
"HMPH!" Merle looked away, sulking. She knew that she could not deny that otherwise Hitomi's cover would be blown and Zaibach would be hot on Van's trail. Damn Gaddes!
Millerna watched the cat girl in fascination. She wondered why Merle was so jealous of a handmaiden.Oh well; she would just have to question Hitomi later. She had other things to attend to.
"So Allen, how long are you going to stay here this time?" Millerna asked, leaning towards the knight, smiling brightly. "There are so many things we have to do!"