This chapter contains a lot of fluff, so enjoy! And a big thank you to all of my reviewers.

Chapter 6: Bated Questions

Gatti looked around the tiny village. People were running everywhere screaming at the hidden demons. He could hear the cries of children and screaming mothers as the men tried to fight the invisible monsters. 'Just like old times.' It would have been a picture Dilandau would appreciate, carnage at sunset.

"I think we have accomplished the fright mission." Came Chesta's voice over a speaker.

"Agreed. Alright Dragon Slayers time to break off and head to Castelo Fort." Said Gatti over the speaker.

The regiment left leaving the frightened people trying to figure out what had happened. A pair of dragons flew over the nearly destroyed village. Many people saw it as a bad omen, some questioned if the dragons had done this destruction.

Van and Allen had resorted to eating a quiet meal in his study since the girls were nowhere to be found around lunchtime. They figured since there was still some time left before their guests would arrive their time would be better spent on finding out if there were any old records about the strange acts of dragons. Sounds of giggling women broke the long silence. As the sound grew louder Van quickly put the book down and walked out of the room colliding with a soft object.

Hitomi was giggling while Merle chuckled at the little girls antics of royal people at a ball. She didn't see Van suddenly appear in her path until it was too late. Before she could start falling strong arms wrapped around her.

"Hitomi I looked every where for you." Whispered Van into her ear.

The tickling of his voice in her ear sent a flush to her checks as Van continued to hold her. Quickly hugging him back, Hitomi put a little distance between her and Van since they seemed to have an audience of three, but not letting his strong arms lose their embrace around her middle. Van quickly found himself lost in the depths of Hitomi's beautiful eyes; there was something slightly amiss, were they a bit red.

"We were out in the fields picking flowers and making necklaces." Said a happy Ilya completely ignoring the couples' current moment.

Van bent down to me more eye level with the little girl. She had definitely changed since she first arrived here. That sad child had been replaced almost instantly with a very happy one. He noticed a several chains of flowers around her neck along with one on her head.

"Those are very pretty flowers that you have used."

Ilya took off one of the larger chains and before he could protest found it around his own neck.

"That's a present from me." She smiled.

"Thank you."

"So what have you been doing all this afternoon?" said Hitomi avoiding the one question she really wanted to ask.

Thinking better to let his plans be told all at once Van avoided his own answers. "We have been looking for strange dragon signs."

"Any luck?" asked Hitomi hopefully.

Both Allen and Van shook their heads.

"Well, then we will help too." Said Merle decisively.

"All right, but all we have are old scrolls, some of them we can't read. Wait, Hitomi you might be able to read them." Said Van.

"Why do you say that, I can't read your writing." Stated Hitomi.

"But you could read the text on the wall in the Fortuna Temple. Some of it looks similar to that."

"I can try but I can't guarantee anything." Said Hitomi.

"Good!" Van led Hitomi into the room and sat her down on a couch. He then found some of the old parchments and set them down on in front of her on the table.

"Allen and I will continue looking through these records to see if we can find anything."

Van and Allen sat down at the small table pilled high with books. After a few hours of looking at dusty records Hitomi felt the warmness of the room make her eyes droop. Ilya had crawled into her lap and fallen asleep leaning her head against the arm of the couch it seemed as if for a while she tried to read too, but gave up. Merle had taken a position on the other couch where the sun had settled and fallen asleep in the sunspot. Ever once an a while a book was shut and a new one found from the two men sitting and reading. Hitomi could make out some of the words on the scrolls. Most of it was about the early way of life and about early wars deciding the royal families. Reading on about one war something finally struck her as very interesting.

"Van," whispered Hitomi earnestly not wanting to wake up the sleeping girl.

Van looked up from his search and walked over.

"I've been reading about this war that seems to have taken place in Astoria."

"What did you find?"

"Well, the new king recorded that the battle was over and that other fiefdoms were giving gifts to him as a sign of their loyalty. He states, well as much as I can make out, that when the people of the mines presented him their gift a bad omen passed."

"The older people always believed in bad omens though." Van said with a sigh.

"But listen to what the omen is. 'When the miners of Kasher came to show their wanted allegiance to the new Astoria their gift surprised me. It was a tall pillar with a statue of a frighten man. They tell me that they are giving this depiction from the fear that I cast into the hearts of my enemies. I don't know if I can take the gift as a good sign of our trust after I saw the bad omen of the dragons flying overhead. The last time I had seen them was during the battles thinking that the pairs of dragons were bad omens for his enemies so what kind of omen where they representing me now with the gift of the miners?"

Hitomi had stumbled through the text a few times, but she had read through it. After a while the information sunk in. Van looked over to Allen who was staring wide-eyed.

"So it has happened before." Allen said breaking the heavy silence in the room.

Hitomi rolled down the scroll further. "Look, here is a picture of the statue."

Van looked over Hitomi's shoulder at the sketched picture of the pillar. The pillar had a depiction of a man cowering in fear his eyes shut tight. There seemed to be some sort of writing on the bottom, but the king had not written out what it had said. Allen rose from his chair and stood in front of Hitomi.

"May I see the drawing?"

Hitomi handed Allen the scroll.

He began nodding his head, "I have seen this pillar before."

"Where!" said an exasperated Hitomi.

"It was placed just outside of the barracks in the castle. It served as a reminder to us to instill fear into our enemies. Yet this picture does not give you the same impression as it does standing in front of it. The pillar seems to haunt you with nightmares."

"It's too bad that we can't go and see it now. We'll have to ask Millerna about it later. Oh, and that reminds me."

Van looked up at Allen with a pleading look. Simply bowing Allen turned around and picked up Merle from her sleeping spot on the couch, putting her over one shoulder and then did the same for Ilya. Hitomi missed the little girl's weight on her lap, but soon found that she was alone in the room with Van.

"Is there some thing you wanted to tell me Van?" Hitomi's voice barely came out in a whispered. All of a sudden thousands of scenarios of Van telling her to leave pelted her mind. Not wanted to look at him Hitomi looked at her nervously twisting hands.

"Hitomi, I have to ask you something." Van paused until he felt it was right to move on not hearing anything from Hitomi.

"Hitomi did you listen in on the meeting with my advisors today?"

Hitomi slightly nodded her head.

Van felt a lump begin to form in his throat and pushed it down, "What did you hear?"

"I . . .I heard that you had to pick out a lady in waiting with royal blood." Hitomi suddenly blurted. Hitomi brought a hand up to her mouth as if to stop any more words from tumbling out of her mouth.

Van sat frozen for a while trying to figure out what would be the best way to ask her, finally he decided that there was no avoiding it in any fashion.

"Hitomi, I want to ask you a question." Van reached for Hitomi's hands and held them within his own.

"Yes." Hitomi blushed at the way Van carefully held her hands as if they would brake.

Staring at their joined hands Van continued, "Hitomi, you know I have to pick someone as my lady in waiting that is royalty, but the only one that I want to choose stole my heart a long time ago." Van took in a labored breath, "Hitomi, I don't know what your feelings are for me, but I don't want you to leave ever again because I could never love anyone as much as I love you."

Van looked up to Hitomi's shocked expression, he felt himself begin to panic. 'Did I say too much? What if she doesn't feel the way that I –' A small cough brought Van out of his thoughts.

"Do you really love me?" came her small whisper.

"Yes."

Hitomi suddenly and grabbed Van in a tight embrace. Stunned for only a moment Van returned the tight embrace.

"Oh Van, I have dreamt of you saying those words for so long." She whispered into his ear.

Van let the tension go in his body as he held Hitomi even closer. "So do you love me?" He lightly chuckled at his own question.

Hitomi released Van a little to look into his eyes. Her eyes were misted over with tears of happiness as the joy in her smile lit up her entire face. "Yes, Van. I love you and have for a very long time."

"Will you give me the honor of being my lady in waiting?" he asked, not fearing the question any more.

"Yes, I will Van."

Folken was walking in the forests of Fanelia wandering around old pathways that he had traveled many times as a child. Finally coming to his destination the dense trees opened up to a ruin of an ancient temple nearly covered from sight by the foliage. Sitting on one of the fallen pillars was a woman patiently waiting as Folken came closer. Her white blonde hair spilled all around her contrasting against her lightly tanned skin. She wore a sage green sarong that slightly billowed in the gentle breeze.

"Hello Folken." came her clear sweet voice.

"Ilissa, I thought you never wanted to see me again after I joined Zaibach." He said coldly.

Ilissa turned her face away from Folken, "You hurt me deeply, I didn't want to come."

Folken closed the distance between them, he reached up with his right hand and turned her chin to face him. Looking into her eyes he saw strength sparkle in her eyes along with something that he had not seen in years.

"Ilissa, you know why I joined Zaibach. I thought Dornkirk wanted peace."

"I warned you and you wouldn't listen." her voice turning from a sweet melody to stone. Ilissa set her lips in a firm line straightening her shoulders.

Folken sighed and released her chin, "I paid the price for it to, or so I thought."

"I didn't come here to talk to you about the past, Folken." Folken sat down on the pillar beside her.

"What are you here for then?"

Ilissa's face turned grave, "I came to give you another warning. Maybe you will be wise enough to listen.

"Lady Serra is close to constructing the gate to the last cry of the draconians. If she succeeds disaster will fall."

"What is it?"

Ilissa moved off of the pillar and started to walk away. Folken was quick to follow her. Grabbed one of her wrists he turned her around.

"Will you please tell me what is going on?"

Ilissa looked up at the man who stood a head taller than her. "I have given you enough already."

"Will I see you again?"

"I. . .I don't-"

"Please Ilissa," Folken placed his hands on her shoulders.

"You know it can never be, you had said it yourself."

Ilissa pushed out of his grasp and walked into the forest. Folken watched as she melded into the scenery and then faded away. Stirring from his dream Folken looked around his dark cell in the Kasher Fortress. Gazing at his right hand he saw the metal fingers curling and uncurling. He had touched her and felt her smooth skin against his own. 'You know it can never be, you had said it yourself.' Her words echoed. Folken shook his head trying to get rid of the haunting noise. 'Ilissa, if only I had listened to you."

Yeah! Another chapter! Please, please review.