Chapter Two
Scheming
Of all the people in Asturia, Van would never have guessed Princess Eries Aston would be the one most willing to betray her country. Of course he was surprised, but even more so he was pleased. Princess Eries would be of great use to them.
"You, Hitomi and Merle should flee Asturia tonight," Princess Eries was saying. "The sooner the better."
Hitomi nodded in agreement. "We have to be careful though, I have a feeling that the red eyed pyro guy might try to attack us. We have to plan carefully where the Escaflowne goes."
"But how am I suppose to get past the guards with the Escaflowne?" Van protested. "Escaflowne sure is strong but it isn't exactly petite."
A secretive smile played on Princess Eries' face. "Oh, I'll take care of that." Don't worry about that." Van and Hitomi stared at the princess suspiciously.
"Just what exactly are you planning to do?" Hitomi enquired curiously, leaning forward.
The princess tapped her nose knowingly. "Only time will tell,"
"Where will we go?" Van asked.
"Not Freid, that's for sure." Eries answered. "Zaibach has plans for Fried but I will take care of them there. But if Allen tried to follow you I will tell him that you headed for Freid. He may be an extra burden for you."
Van looked baffled. "Why would he want to follow us?" he asked.
"He just will, I know it," Eries replied, her eyes straying to Hitomi. Hitomi looked at her in mute horror. No way! Allen was after her?! Eries chuckled evilly. *Ah, Allen Schazaer, just wait till I meet you in Freid. I'll teach you for fooling around with Marlene AND Millerna. Though Chid is a pretty sweet kid*
"Is it such a good idea to let Merle come at the same time as us? Three people are easier to track than two." Van asked. "People would get suspicious if they saw me, Hitomi and Merle, right? If it were me and Hitomi, people may assume we are just a married couple travelling about Gaea."
Hitomi snorted. Married, yeah right! Who would believe she and Van were married.
"I guess," Eries said thoughtfully. "We'll just have to get Merle in on the plot."
"I'm already on the plot."
Hitomi and Van started in surprise as the cat girl spoke. Hitomi glared at her.
"WHAT are you doing here?" she demanded.
Merle sniffed, licking her paw delicately. I was worried about Lord Van so I followed you up here."
Van watched the exchange between the two girls. "So.what is Merle going to do?"
The cat girl smiled up at him. "Don't worry Lord Van, I'll find you eventually. Besides, I'm a great actress. I'll fool those Zaibach guys!" Hitomi snickered. Merle, an actress? Come on! Merle glared at Hitomi viciously.
"Ah hem," Eries coughed lightly. The two girls looked away sheepishly.
The princess smiled at them knowingly. "Prince Van, you and Hitomi had better go and prepare yourselves, but be discreet. Meet me at the back of the palace at midnight."
Van and Hitomi bowed. "Thank you, Your Highness,"
Merle leapt at Van. "I'll miss you Lord Van!" she cried, squeezing the life out of him. Hitomi giggled. Van glared at her.
"I'll miss you too Merle," he replied, patting her head lightly. "Well, are you going Hitomi?"
"Hm? Oh yes, sorry. I'll go right now."
Merle stuck out her tongue as Hitomi left the room. She didn't like the idea of Hitomi going off with Van ALONE, posing as a married couple. And it was Van's idea too.Hm, oh well. With Hitomi and Van gone, Merle could create a little bit of mischief. She happened to know that Allen liked Hitomi.
Van knew what the cat girl was thinking. "Merle, don't try anything I wouldn't do. Just try to be.good. Okay?"
Merle beamed. "Of course Lord Van! You know I will!"
The prince gave her a disbelieving look as he left the room. He had a feeling that Merle was up to something. Oh well, he had better things to think about. Like how to get Escaflowne back.
Hitomi, finished with her packing, wandered the palace, bored out of her mind. She just hoped that she didn't run into Princess Millerna. If she did, it would take all of her self-control not to strike the princess with her sword.
Hitomi had found it in her room. It was hanging above the fireplace, a shiny masterpiece of gold and silver and oh so sharp. She just had to take it and try it out. Yeah so Hitomi had never used a sword in her life but back at home she had helped Yukari with some cheerleading routines involving a baton. So what if a baton was way smaller than a sword? It was close enough.
A cool breeze hung in the air, telling Hitomi that she was nearly outside. She hadn't realised she had been going up to the tower. Perfect. She could practise out there.
The instant she walked outside, Hitomi was greeted with the sound of swishing air. Blinking, she saw to her surprise that Van was practising with HIS sword. His face was set in concentration as he pictured an invisible target. He jabbed violently at the air, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. It would be such a shame to disturb him.
"I thought you were meant to be packing."
"Van's head snapped up instantly. He turned and glared at Hitomi, putting hit sword away.
"I could say the same for you," he replied, looking away.
"I'm already packed," Hitomi informed him.
Van looked very amused. "What, already? I thought it took hours for women to pack, so that's why Eries wanted to meet us at midnight. We could have been gone by now."
Hitomi's eyes narrowed to slits. Or maybe she wanted to meet us at midnight when nearly everybody would be asleep," Hitomi replied sarcastically. Van winced. She had got him there.
"So." Hitomi watched him adjust his gloves, as though it were the most fascinating thing in the world. "Why are you fencing by yourself anyway?"
"Because," Van said, "I am not going to lose to Schazaer again."
"Good." Van stared at her in disbelief
"Excuse me?" *I thought she liked Allen* Van watched her closely.
"Someone needs to deflate his ego a bit. I mean, he thinks he's God's gift to women. Only someone blind would fall for him."
Van blinked. "Whose God?"
"Ah, never mind." Hitomi replied hastily. That was something she did not want to get into.
Van just kept on staring at her. Then he started to laugh. "You know Hitomi, you're alright."
Hitomi smiled. "Thanks. But van, you're never going to beat Allen if you fence on your own."
She drew her sword slowly and pointed it at the prince.
"How about it? I have unimaginably strong powers. Think you can take me on?"
Van looked her straight in the eye, smirking. One hand went for his sword.
"You're on."
Scheming
Of all the people in Asturia, Van would never have guessed Princess Eries Aston would be the one most willing to betray her country. Of course he was surprised, but even more so he was pleased. Princess Eries would be of great use to them.
"You, Hitomi and Merle should flee Asturia tonight," Princess Eries was saying. "The sooner the better."
Hitomi nodded in agreement. "We have to be careful though, I have a feeling that the red eyed pyro guy might try to attack us. We have to plan carefully where the Escaflowne goes."
"But how am I suppose to get past the guards with the Escaflowne?" Van protested. "Escaflowne sure is strong but it isn't exactly petite."
A secretive smile played on Princess Eries' face. "Oh, I'll take care of that." Don't worry about that." Van and Hitomi stared at the princess suspiciously.
"Just what exactly are you planning to do?" Hitomi enquired curiously, leaning forward.
The princess tapped her nose knowingly. "Only time will tell,"
"Where will we go?" Van asked.
"Not Freid, that's for sure." Eries answered. "Zaibach has plans for Fried but I will take care of them there. But if Allen tried to follow you I will tell him that you headed for Freid. He may be an extra burden for you."
Van looked baffled. "Why would he want to follow us?" he asked.
"He just will, I know it," Eries replied, her eyes straying to Hitomi. Hitomi looked at her in mute horror. No way! Allen was after her?! Eries chuckled evilly. *Ah, Allen Schazaer, just wait till I meet you in Freid. I'll teach you for fooling around with Marlene AND Millerna. Though Chid is a pretty sweet kid*
"Is it such a good idea to let Merle come at the same time as us? Three people are easier to track than two." Van asked. "People would get suspicious if they saw me, Hitomi and Merle, right? If it were me and Hitomi, people may assume we are just a married couple travelling about Gaea."
Hitomi snorted. Married, yeah right! Who would believe she and Van were married.
"I guess," Eries said thoughtfully. "We'll just have to get Merle in on the plot."
"I'm already on the plot."
Hitomi and Van started in surprise as the cat girl spoke. Hitomi glared at her.
"WHAT are you doing here?" she demanded.
Merle sniffed, licking her paw delicately. I was worried about Lord Van so I followed you up here."
Van watched the exchange between the two girls. "So.what is Merle going to do?"
The cat girl smiled up at him. "Don't worry Lord Van, I'll find you eventually. Besides, I'm a great actress. I'll fool those Zaibach guys!" Hitomi snickered. Merle, an actress? Come on! Merle glared at Hitomi viciously.
"Ah hem," Eries coughed lightly. The two girls looked away sheepishly.
The princess smiled at them knowingly. "Prince Van, you and Hitomi had better go and prepare yourselves, but be discreet. Meet me at the back of the palace at midnight."
Van and Hitomi bowed. "Thank you, Your Highness,"
Merle leapt at Van. "I'll miss you Lord Van!" she cried, squeezing the life out of him. Hitomi giggled. Van glared at her.
"I'll miss you too Merle," he replied, patting her head lightly. "Well, are you going Hitomi?"
"Hm? Oh yes, sorry. I'll go right now."
Merle stuck out her tongue as Hitomi left the room. She didn't like the idea of Hitomi going off with Van ALONE, posing as a married couple. And it was Van's idea too.Hm, oh well. With Hitomi and Van gone, Merle could create a little bit of mischief. She happened to know that Allen liked Hitomi.
Van knew what the cat girl was thinking. "Merle, don't try anything I wouldn't do. Just try to be.good. Okay?"
Merle beamed. "Of course Lord Van! You know I will!"
The prince gave her a disbelieving look as he left the room. He had a feeling that Merle was up to something. Oh well, he had better things to think about. Like how to get Escaflowne back.
Hitomi, finished with her packing, wandered the palace, bored out of her mind. She just hoped that she didn't run into Princess Millerna. If she did, it would take all of her self-control not to strike the princess with her sword.
Hitomi had found it in her room. It was hanging above the fireplace, a shiny masterpiece of gold and silver and oh so sharp. She just had to take it and try it out. Yeah so Hitomi had never used a sword in her life but back at home she had helped Yukari with some cheerleading routines involving a baton. So what if a baton was way smaller than a sword? It was close enough.
A cool breeze hung in the air, telling Hitomi that she was nearly outside. She hadn't realised she had been going up to the tower. Perfect. She could practise out there.
The instant she walked outside, Hitomi was greeted with the sound of swishing air. Blinking, she saw to her surprise that Van was practising with HIS sword. His face was set in concentration as he pictured an invisible target. He jabbed violently at the air, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. It would be such a shame to disturb him.
"I thought you were meant to be packing."
"Van's head snapped up instantly. He turned and glared at Hitomi, putting hit sword away.
"I could say the same for you," he replied, looking away.
"I'm already packed," Hitomi informed him.
Van looked very amused. "What, already? I thought it took hours for women to pack, so that's why Eries wanted to meet us at midnight. We could have been gone by now."
Hitomi's eyes narrowed to slits. Or maybe she wanted to meet us at midnight when nearly everybody would be asleep," Hitomi replied sarcastically. Van winced. She had got him there.
"So." Hitomi watched him adjust his gloves, as though it were the most fascinating thing in the world. "Why are you fencing by yourself anyway?"
"Because," Van said, "I am not going to lose to Schazaer again."
"Good." Van stared at her in disbelief
"Excuse me?" *I thought she liked Allen* Van watched her closely.
"Someone needs to deflate his ego a bit. I mean, he thinks he's God's gift to women. Only someone blind would fall for him."
Van blinked. "Whose God?"
"Ah, never mind." Hitomi replied hastily. That was something she did not want to get into.
Van just kept on staring at her. Then he started to laugh. "You know Hitomi, you're alright."
Hitomi smiled. "Thanks. But van, you're never going to beat Allen if you fence on your own."
She drew her sword slowly and pointed it at the prince.
"How about it? I have unimaginably strong powers. Think you can take me on?"
Van looked her straight in the eye, smirking. One hand went for his sword.
"You're on."