The Legend of Liocorna
Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne. Would be great, but it's not so.... :´
Chapter 5: Good Bye
That dream again. That confusing and horrifying dream. Never stopping somewhere certain, never starting at the same place. A dream mixed together with visions from the past and the future but which exactly, she sometimes could not tell.
By the time that two days had gone by since the last attack, Hitomi was psychologically totally drained. She tried her best to hide if from everyone else, but sometimes the worry and the suspicion shone clearly in Van's eyes, she could tell. He didn't say anything thought and it caused the pain in her heart to grow even more. But Hitomi felt no knew (!!!) that if she told all about this, it would only bring him into more danger.
The inner turmoil was suffocating her. Her heart, mind and soul screamed for answers, wanting release from this powerful ache and pain. She had to find the answers to her dream and visions and better fast, before something happened again.
Well, there is at least one thing I can look forward to, Hitomi thought as she was still lying in bed (it was early in the morning).
Of course, Van had send messages as quick as possible to Freid and Asturia telling of Hitomi's return.
Sadly, Duke Chid couldn't manage to come. Just as Van, he still had to rebuild some parts of his country Freid had at least gotten as much damage as Fanelia, but some of his resources had been much lesser then there, like stone and copper. So it was taking al little longer for them to rebuild everything, but the were managing well. Although Chid couldn't come, there were still the Princess Millerna, the merchant Dryden and Allen Schezar with his sister Celena and his crew from the Crusador.
Hitomi nearly hadn't believed it when Van had told her, that Millerna and Dryden had re-married only five months ago and there were already whispers at the royal court in Asturia of the princess being pregnant. If she was lucky and it would be a son, he would be the next heir to the throne after Millerna and Dryden, since King Aston wanted to retire in seven months. Then Millerna would become Queen and Dryden as her husband would become King. Hitomi was sure that there was nothing to worry about when it happened. Millerna was perfect for a queen and Dryden with his merchant-skills could make Asturia flourish even more with his trading.
Allen, so had Van told, took most of his time for his sister Celena. She was rather shy and afraid of most people since she thought that everyone had to hate her, because of the things she did as Dilandau. Yes, she remembered nearly every detail Dilandau had done in his life and Celena now had to live up with it. They had tried to explain here over and over again, that it hadn't been her fault, but still she kept quiet and most times didn't speak a single word when together with the rest. The only one she really talked to was her brother and sometimes to the wonder of all, Gaddes. Gaddes always turned a rosy pink when she spoke with him and the usual calm second-in-command of the Crusador started to stutter. There was no point in denying that he was totally in love with her and she seemed to return most of the feelings. Only time could tell, what would become of the two.
Hitomi was pulled out of her thoughts, when a knock came from the bathroom door. She smiled. There was only one person who would come through that door.
"Come in Van", she called out to him as she got out of bed and made her way to the window to watch the sun rise. She soon felt a pair of strong, toned arms encircle her waist and she leaned back into Van's chest as he put his head on one of her shoulders.
Van was the first to break the silence:
"Morning. How was your sleep? Everything okay?"
"Yeah, it was fine", Hitomi answered him, not wanting to tell about the dream. She felt his grip tighten ever so lightly around her, pressing her a little more into his muscular chest. He placed a butterfly kiss on her cheek before going on:
"Excited about today? They will be arriving all together in about two hours I nothing came in between."
"It will be great to see everyone again. Do they have changed much?"
"Well, Dryden has mostly stayed the same. He's even still wearing the same sort of clothes like the last time and still sometimes speaks in riddles about certain things and he of course is a book worm like always.
Millerna now a day mostly wears skirts and gowns instead of pants. You don't know how relieved her father is about that.2 Hitomi giggled slightly and van continued. "She has already taken up some of the tasks she must do as a queen and seems to like it. And about the supposed pregnancy... you'll have to ask her for yourself. Allen and his crew have also mostly stayed the same, except..."
"Except what Van? Is it something bad."
"Not really. But Celena has complained on all the time about how that long mane of his didn't suit him well and ... you won't believe it... one day, she tied him with a little help from Gaddes and some other members of the crew to a chair. Then she took a scissors and just cut it of! It goes now just beneath his ears."
Hitomi couldn't help but laugh at that:
"I wish I could have seen his face. It must have been hilarious! Just imagine Allen all tied up on a chair, panic written all over his face and Celena standing behind him, scissors threatening near his hair."
Picturing this scene in front of his inner eye, Van also had to laugh. A deep and soulful laugh. Hitomi loved to hear his laughter, feeling his rumble from within.
"Ridiculous! Totally ridiculous! Must have been the most horrible thing he had to get over. But I think you should get yourself now ready for breakfast, before everyone else arrives."
"Okay. I'll try to be ready as quick as I can with dressing. And I DON'T need any help with it! So out! Shhhooooooo..... and NO peaking! *g* "
"Who? Me?!? I would never..." *plop* Van had a cushion in the face and a giggling Hitomi shuffled him out of the room.
"Just give me a second." – "I'll give you even two, but not more. *e2eg* " - "How grateful of you your highness."
Van growled at the word "highness", but had no time to reply, as the door was shut in front of his nose.
When Hitomi had closed the door she leaned for a moment against it and exhaled deeply. Sure it was fun with him and he made her really happy. But every time she was around with him, she also had the feeling that she was bringing him into danger and she didn't want that.
Hitomi pressed her palms onto her heart. It was beating with a steady rhythm which was soothing and calming. Since the attack two days ago her body was feeling different. But not in a bothering or scaring way, more like she had found something inside herself she had been missing, because it was locked away.
She remembered Van outside the door and quickly got dressed to get down to breakfast with him. She put on a silvery-green dress she also had bought with Merle. It went a little lower then her knees, and had long, transparent sleeves.
She quickly brushed once through her hair and made her way out of the room to be let by Van down to breakfast.
~~~~~~~ A few hours later ~~~~~
"There they are! Look Lord Van! I can already see them!"
"I can see them, too Merle. They are just on time, like they had said. Look that's Millerna waving frantically at the window together with Dryden beside her!"
Van had to scream his last sentences, because of the wind the landing Crusador was making. Finally it settled down on the ground and the engines stopped. Before the latch was even fully open, Millerna had already dashed out and was hugging Hitomi to death:
"Oh Hitomi! I can't believe you're finally back! It's been so lonely without you. No one really to talk to and to go shopping with. We have to do that as soon as we have gotten the time!"
"And just look how you have grown already", came Dryden's deep voice from behind Millerna as he put one arm on her shoulder. "Millerna, dear, don't suffocate Hitomi or otherwise there will be no shopping trip and no one to talk to if you don't let her breath."
"OPSSS!! Sorry Hitomi. I didn't mean to", answered Millerna a little shocked and released a breathless Hitomi. She smiled and replied:
"Don't worry, I'm used to it from Merle. She has at least a so strong grip like you. I'm glad to see you, too. How has everything been going Millerna?"
"Oh it is just going fine. The whole city is one big hustle bustle everyday, crammed full of market-stands and merchants, but all is peaceful."
"Hello Hitomi! It's an honour to meet you again!" Allen, who really had short hair, had also come up to them and kissed Hitomi's hand making Van tense up ever so lightly. Hitomi noticed and gave him a reassuring smile before turning back to Allen and Celena, who had come to stand beside her brother, eyes mostly downcast.
"Thanks Allen. It's also good to see you again. I hope you have been doing fine. And what about you, Celena?"
Celena answered but still didn't look Hitomi directly into the eyes:
"I'm fine, thank you."
"It's great to also see you again, even if we didn't have much time to talk. But maybe we can make it up now. I want you to tell me every detail about cutting you brother's hair. Must have been fun."
Celena looked up: "You heard?"
Hitomi nodded: "Yes, Van told me about it. I wish I could have seen his face. You just gotta tell me al about it."
And for the first time, Hitomi saw a bright smile spread across Celena's face:
"I would just love to tell it to you."
Van stepped beside Hitomi, putting an arm around Hitomi and finally also speaking up: "How about we all go inside and sit down. It's not quite comfortable to stand here outside the whole day. Come on."
And so everyone made there way to the castle, but not before Hitomi had pulled Millerna a bit away from the others to whisper into her ear:
"I heard it from Van. Is it really true that you're pregnant?"
"Why, yes. The healers have only proved it one last time two weeks ago. I'm definitely pregnant."
"Does Dryden know?" – "He's also suspecting something, but I think, I'll let him hang there a little more longer. It's much to fun." And she smiled brightly.
~~~~~~~ In the evening ~~~~~~
It had been a wonderful day for Hitomi. They had at first sat all together, talking about the old times and what thy had done in the past year since Hitomi's absence. Then Millerna and Merle had pulled Hitomi together with Celena to the market once again to go shopping. Hitomi had to have a mysterious spell around Celena, for she was much more open then usual and giggle along with them all the time. Then after their return they had had dinner together. Now everyone had retired to bed and all was quiet. Hitomi decided to see Van once more and so she made her way through the bathroom and was just about to knock, when she heard voices come from the other side of the door. It sounded like Van and his adviser, Asgoth:
"... But you majesty. Just think about it. In the first attack, six of our guards had been killed by only two men and just a day later you are wounded because of another three!"
"And what has that got to do with Hitomi putting me into danger. She can't be blamed for it happening."
"But if there will be more of these attacks, Fanelia will soon not be save anymore for it's inhabitants! Maybe you could send her back to..."
"What? Do you want to say, that I should send her back to the Mystic Moon? Maybe even let her be captured there from these... these... whoever they were? It would be much to dangerous for her and who knows what they'll want with her, once they have her!"
"And what if she goes into hiding? It would probably take only little time to get their thoughts away from her and then she can be safe and..."
"Do you really think they would give up like that, if she went into hiding? They came extra to the Mystic Moon to get her and made two attacks in two days!! And where do you want to let her hide without anyone finding out sooner or later?"
"Well...I... I...."
"That's enough! I don't want to hear thins anymore! I told Hitomi would protect her and that no harm would be done to her here. Leave this room right away if you don't want to scrub the kitchen floor tomorrow!"
" A-a-a-as yo-you w-w-wish, your h-h-hig-highness."
The last thing Hitomi heard was the sound of a door opening and closing before she made her way back to her room. She crept into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin and also closed her eyes. A few minutes she heard a light knock on her door, but she didn't respond. She didn't even move when the door was opened and a figure carefully seated itself on her bedside. She felt a hand brush away a stray strand from her face and a soft whisper.
"I'll never let them harm you ever again, Hitomi. I swear that I'll protect you, even if it costs me my own life. I love you."
The last thing Hitomi felt before Van went to his room again, were soft lips pressed onto her cheek. When the tiny click of the closing door was heard, she opened her eyes again tears spilling out of them.
"Oh Van..." was all she could whisper before she started to sob into her pillow.
After the flow of tears had stopped she prushed the rest of them harshly away with her hand, a determine look on her face. She finally knew what she had to do. Even if it brought her into more danger. Even if she got captured or died. Even if it meant leaving all she dearly loved behind. Even if it meant leaving Van.
~~~~~~~~~ Late at night ~~~~~~~~
Later, in the middle of the night, a figure dressed in a dark cloak emerged from one of the room in the Fanelian castle. The figure wandered through the halls and made it's way towards the garden. It made it's way to an old oak tree near the castle walls and waited until the coast was clear. The climbed carefully onto the tree and managed to jump onto the castle walls and down the other side. As fast as the figure could, it made it's way away from the watchful eyes of the castle guards, down the streets and somehow made it through the city-gates as shift was made. Upon entering the near forest it turned one last time towards Fanelia, the moon showing two emerald-green eyes from under the cloak.
"Good bye Van. Maybe we will see us again someday. Fair well for now. I love you."
And with one swift movement, the figure disappeared into the shadows of the forest.
~~~~~~~~~~~ The next morning ~~~~~~~~
It was early in the morning when Van was very unpleasantly woken by a screaming Merle:
"VAN! WAKE UP EMEDIATLY! SOMETHING AWFUL HAS HAPPENED!!"
At once Van was wide awake and opened his eyes to look at a merle who was at the brink of tears:
"What's wrong Merle? What happened?"
"I-I went into Hitomi's room to look how she's doing and wake her up, but... but... but she was not there!" The tears finally started to spill and Merle flung herself into Van's arms. "She's gone! I can't find her anywhere!! She... She left this note for you."
She handed a letter to Van and his face lost all his colour as he read the few lines Hitomi left behind.
Dear Van,
I am very glad and thankful for you helping me make it through all this so far, but I finally decided, that I have to find out the answer to my questions. I have been having a strange dream all the time and I know, that I can find the answer with it. I also decided to go alone. I don't want you getting into such danger because of me. You have seen what those men are cable of and seeing you being hurt again by them or even killed would make the pain in my heart only grow more and more. Please don't go after me. I will try to return if I can someday. Please tell all the others how I miss them already. But I miss you the most. I guess this is good bye for know. I love you, Van.
Hitomi
Chapter end....