Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne, nothing more to say.
Forgotten by Destiny
By Ryoko Porter
Part Eight
The entire hall 'awed' at the adorable kitten child dressed in white. But the attention seemed to frighten her, as her little body started to shake. The woman in black stood and bent to pick up the child, who immediately responded to the comfort.
Hitomi smiled at the scene, seeing her own future before her. 'Little one, would you like to come see the baby?' she offered.
Curiosity took over the child and she struggled to be let down. The woman obeyed, and as soon as the little feet touched the ground, the child was off. The kitten scurried up to the thrones and over the Hitomi. With the girl bouncing up and down, Hitomi realized that she needed to hold Loretta down lower.
The two girls studied each other with great intensity. Loretta's eyes had never been so wide as they were now, staring at the older girl. The other child smiled at the baby, her face maybe a bit too close. Then with an innocent casualty that only one so you could muster, she waved at the baby and said, 'hello little sister!'
Those that heard the child gasped, and a murmur spread around the hall. The woman in black stepped forward and begged forgiveness.
'What's your name sweetie?' Hitomi asked gently.
'My mommy says I don't have a name, daddy didn't name me.' The girl answered, she seemed to be getting nervous from the feeling of the hall.
'Then what do people call you? They must get your attention somehow,' Hitomi coxed.
'People call me Namir,' the girl said, her thumb edging toward her mouth.
'And what is your mother's name?' Van finally spoke; he was a little harsher than Hitomi in his questioning.
'Mommy,' Namir declared.
'Please your highness, her mother is a rogue we saved from slavery a few years back, along with the child. She is mad, your highness.' The woman explained. Van turned to her and got very close, silently promising harm.
'Her name, what is it?' Van demanded. Hitomi was puzzled by her husband's apparent anxiety to learn the name of this woman. She could only trust that he had some sort of instinct to follow through.
'Merle, your highness.'
The king and queen were both shocked. Hitomi hadn't expected her foreboding to be answered by a child. Could it be that the child spoke the truth? Was she really Van's daughter? Now that she thought to look, she could see that the two girls did look surprisingly alike. Such as they would if they had the same father. Then what did that mean? If it was true, it obviously meant that Van and Merle had shared a bed while she was gone. But then, when had Merle left? Why had she left?
'Take me to her,' Van ordered quietly. Then he bent and took Namir into his arms, carrying her as he left with the woman in black. Never looking at Hitomi.
End Part 8.