CHAPTER FOUR
"Why where you dancing with Allen for?" Van asked me with an annoyed tone of voice and his eyes looked at me strangely.
"He asked me and got me out of a tough situation." I said telling the truth. "Well this is a ball isn't it?" I asked and Van just frowned.
"I don't want you around him." Van said.
"What else do you expect me to do?" I asked in a hiss of a whisper. "Stand around and watch you dance the whole time?" I asked him angrily.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you." Van said with a sigh. "Let's just dance before the next girl has a chance to kill my feet even more."
"Some of them are that bad? You would think that these people would know how to dance." I said trying not to laugh.
"You'd be surprise. Most of these people aren't from Fanelia so they aren't use to the dances. I'm surprised that you have it down." Van said somewhat shocked.
"That's because Allen taught me." I said and Van frowned again. "I guess like I owe him one." Van said and tried not to shake his head.
I just smiled. "See, Allen-San isn't all that bad. I have to admit that it was sort of weird."
Van smiled. "I would imagine."
"What the heck is up with this crap about me being a messiah?" I asked suddenly and Van looked at me with a strange look.
"That was Dryden's doing." Van said bashfully.
I groaned, the next time I see Dryden, I would have to kick him for that. I didn't even notice that everyone's eyes in the room where upon us and I blushed fiercely. Van must have noticed since he gave me reassuring eyes. "Don't worry just keep doing what your doing and you'll be fine." Van said and I looked at him and wondered how he talked with out moving his lips. The song ended, and the whole room seemed to be clapping. I blushed as I curtsied and Van bowed. I tried not to frown when my turn was over. I moved to the side and Van began to dance again. I felt sorry for him, having to dance with a large number of single women, me included. I couldn't help but to blush as I remembered the caring look in Van's eyes.
"Wonderful dance Lady Hitomi." A man said and I turned to look who was talking to me. "Thank you sir." I said not knowing who he was.
"Forgive my sister, sometimes she doesn't think before she speaks and just says whatever it is she's thinking." The man said, he was young, older then Van, but still young enough, he would have been handsome if I hadn't already had my eyes on Van.
"Sister, whose your sister?" I asked curiously.
"The woman you where speaking with earlier, Princess Maiya." The man said. "I am Prince Sai of Kyion." The man said.
"Oh." I said feeling stupid. "Don't worry, I was wondering when someone would ask me that when I came here tonight." I explained. "People use to ask me that all of the time before."
"Good, thanks." Prince Sai said. "You know Knight Allen?" The man asked.
"Yes, we are old friends." I said not lieing. "And it seems as if we're family now." I thought.
"I'm surprised that…"
"What about me, Prince Sai?" Allen asked as he came over to Hitomi with Celena.
"That Lady Hitomi knows the greatest knight in Asturia." Prince Sai finished.
"Of course, who doesn't know me or hasn't heard about me?" Allen boasted.
"Oni-Chan, calm down." Celena hissed and Allen just patted her on the head. "I'm not a child any more Oni-Chan." Celena hissed again.
"Yes I know, it's just that you're so much shorter them me." He winced as his foot was stepped on. "That was uncalled for Celena, you should know by now when I'm joking with you." Allen said.
"Yes well you should know by now not to do that in public." Celena said and glanced over to Hitomi and Sai. "Forgive my brother he can be rude sometimes."
"No, there's nothing to forgive." I said. "He doesn't seem rude to me." I said.
"Then again, you wouldn't would you? Lady Hitomi?" Celena asked and I just stared at her wondering what she meant by that.
"If you'll excuse me I shall be going back to my sister now." The young prince said and excused himself and left.
"I don't like that man." Allen said softly to Hitomi. "I don't think you should be alone with him."
"Funny, Van said the same thing about you." Hitomi said trying not to laugh and watch as Allen frowned.
"That's Van-Sama, or his highness." Celena said.
"Allen gets to say just Van's name." I whispered trying not to loose my temper.
"Yes well Oni-Chan is…"
"No excuses Celena. You know, I have no trouble knowing who you where onced turned in to." I whispered to Celena. "But keep your nose out of my personal business. Who I talk to and how I talk to them is up to me unless if they correct me other wise. Until them I shall…" I felt a slap across my face.
"You people from the Mystic Moon are so rude." Celena said as she raised her voice some.
"I'm sorry I'm not the one who dragged you over here to come to me." I said as I tried to keep calm. "Rude, you people from the Mystic Moon?" I asked with my voice rising slightly to a dangerous level. "Do not even get me started on your behavior, Lady Celena." I said and watched as she shot me a dangerous look once again. "Those eyes of yours do not frighten me Lady Celena." I said and watched as she just looked at me with those same hateful eyes. "I have seen much worse."
She stormed off and Allen just sighed. "Sorry." Allen apologized.
"No Allen-San, she should be the one to apologize." I said as I tried to calm myself and watched as Merle walked over. "Please excuse me Allen-San." I said and he nodded and walked after his sister.
"What was that all about?" Merle asked me as she brought me to the side.
"It was nothing, just Lady Celena's lack of a sense of humor." I said and the cat girl frowned.
"Your cheek looks terrible, worse then that time when I slapped you." Merle said sighing. "Van-Sama will not be pleased about that you know." Merle said.
"I think she "likes" Van-Sama." I said and Merle looked at me strangely. "She seemed rather annoyed when I accidentally called him just by his name and that's how things got started.
"Yes well, it is rumored that you two love one another." Merle said and I could feel my whole face heat up. "She must have heard it."
"She got upset that I said that Allen-San gets to call Van-Sama just Van and she started on me." I explained.
Merle sighed. "If Van-Sama saw that or hears about that he's going to flip." Merle said shaking her head.
"I hope he won't hear about it and won't be told about it." I said and ignored the pain in my cheek. "It feels worse then the time when you slapped me a dozen times." I said and Merle just laughed nervously.
"Yes well I had a reason for that, she didn't. I could go uses her as a scratching post?" Merle suggested and I restrained a laugh. "That's fine, at least hopefully we won't have to see her very often." I said sighing and shook my head.
"I need to tell you something." Merle said and pulled me away on to the roof and I felt strange sitting there. "You know how hard it was to get up here? How do you expect me to get down?" I asked.
"No one saw us, no one usually comes out to the balcony during balls." Merle explained. "I'll help you down great Messiah."
"What is it that you want to talk to me about?" I asked annoyed. "Van will notice if we are missing from the ball." I said.
"Van-Sama still has a terrible obsession with you Hitomi." Merle said sadly. "I knew that I lost long ago after he realized his feelings for you and he has denied himself of love ever since. If you are not willing to stay this time with him then don't get close or anything."
I sighed. "It's a little too late for that Merle." I said and she gave me a sharp glance that would have hurt anyone who wasn't use to them. "Van has to choose a wife tonight and so I have lost. He knows how I feel but yet he invited me here." I said trying not to cry. "I had to be dragged here by Allen-San tonight just to come." I rested my head on my knees as I hugged them. "It's not fair, I finally get to come back and it happens to be the day that he has to choose a wife!" I wanted to throw something but found nothing but the roof and did not want to destroy that. "DAMN POLITICS!" I said loudly but not loud enough for the people inside to hear. It was at that point that tears came down my cheeks and I shamefully and selfishly let them fall.
"Believe in him, Hitomi." Merle said and I could hear my grandmother's voice in the back of my mind. "Believe in him." My grandmother had told me during my first visit here. "Believe in Van." I thought and whipped the last remaining tears. "I didn't give him up to let one of these damn snotty royals take him." Merle said. "They won't accept who he truly is once they find out."
I had liked his wings because my people believe in angels and he had reminded me of an angel. He was my angel, my knight, and my king. No one would have him but me as long as I stayed here. I wanted him as mine, I had realized this a long time ago. "Let's go back in." I said and Merle just looks at me. "I want to be there for Van, even if I have to watch him dance with all of those women."
"It should be just about over now." Merle said and I looked at her with wide eyes. "What?" I nearly shouted.
"I mean that Van-Sama should be done dancing with all of the women by now." Merle explained. "Let's get back down."
I still felt embarrassed about my clothing. MERLE was dressed better then me. I was wearing plain blue skirt and white shirt that could hardly be considered a blouse. I looked so distasteful against some of the elegant dresses that the women wore. I was still rather embarrassed every time I saw them. Me and Merle walked back inside and Van was sitting down on his throne, taking a short rest as the ball continued. It was nearly midnight when Van was forced to stand up and speak.
"I thank you all for coming to this ball to which my counsel has planned." Van said as if trying to hide his real emotions. "I know that some of you had come far to represent your country since this ball was arranged for me to choose the woman who I will marry." Van continued and could feel all eyes on him and he tried not to direct his gaze at Hitomi. "However, no matter how far you have come, there is one that has come even farther, the one who I had chosen from the start." Van said and managed to hide the blush on his cheeks. "Lady Hitomi Kanzaki, of the Mystic Moon." Gasps could be heard from the crowd and my cheeks burned and I knew that they must have been at least a hundred different shades of red if there where a hundred different shades. Van walked over to me since my body was still and could not move. Van took my hand and I stared at him. "Do you accept, Lady Hitomi?" Van asked loud enough for all to hear. My heart pounded and felt as if it might decide to fly out of my chest.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
If you're looking for a disclaimer, look on my profile page.. Or the last one or where ever it was I put it.