Ok, this is going to be a long one. I got sick of stopping just because my chapters reached a certain length. So, this time I'm not gonna stop till I think I'm done. OOOOOOOOOOO
Kaitlyn made sure to walk within the shadows of the palace. This way she could see everything and no one could see her. She doubted that the King would go strolling in the moon light but she would have kicked herself if she missed him.
A breeze fluffed Kaitlyn's dark hair as she stood still, listening for foot steps. She heard nothing and finaly decided to go back inside. Surprisingly the wind was starting to cool the night off quickly.
A tiny shiek of surprise escaped Kaitlyn's throat when she turned and came face to face with the Seer from the Mystic Moon. She was dressed in a night gown and robe. Both of which were unbelievably white in the moons light.
"Why do you want the throne?" Hitomi asked as she turned her gaze up to the two moons.
"I don't want the throne." Kaitlyn said at once.
"No, I guess not." Hitomi looked at Kaitlyn, "But your father does." Hitomi paused and looked Kaitlyn over, " I won't let you play whatever games you're thinking of playing. Van is a good man and smarter than you take him for."
"I never thought the King to be stupid." Kaitlyn straightened her back determined to win this little meeting, "You souldn't go around saying things you know aren't true."
"You have no idea what I know and what I don't know." Hitomi said evenly, "I came out here to tell you that if you or your father try to hurt Van there are many people here who will take offense."
"Are you threatening me?" Kaitlyn took a step back from Hitomi who seemed to be glowing softly.
"No." Hitomi smiled kindly, "I am informing you of something you should have thought of already."
And with that the glowing Seer walked out of the gardens.
OOOOOOOOOOOO
Hitomi walked back to her room with a bright smile. Being out in the moon light had felt wonderfull and she was now wide awake. Her smile got bigger as she approached the top of the stairs, knowing that Van was waiting for her.
"Where were you? I was worried." he asked in a hushed tone as he quickly pulled Hitomi into her room.
"I wanted to see the gardens." she smiled and he frowned.
"Did you see Kaitlyn?"
"Yes, but she didn't seem to happy to see me." Hitomi plopped down on her bed and watched as Van lit the candles.
"Did she say anything?" he asked, trying not to drip wax everywhere.
"Nothing much."
"And?" Van walked over and sat next to Hitomi, "What else?"
"The gardens are lovely at night." Hitomi kissed Van's cheek and crawled up to her pillows.
"That's it?"
"There isn't anything else to say." Hitomi said, pretending to yawn, "Now, my King. I fear I must get some sleep."
"I bet." Van smiled and left the room, not buying Hitomi's act at all.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Hitomi paced her room, wondering how she was ever going to fall asleep when a thought struck her. Without thinking she called a pen into her hand and the desk opened on it's own.
Hitomi wrote a few things down before pacing the length of her room again. Ever since middle school Hitomi had found that she thought better if she wrote things down. It helped to keep her thoughts moving in the right direction. And at the moment her thoughts were on her new talents.
What else could she do? She hadn't realy tried that much back in Japan for fear that some how someone would see her. But now there was no one to watch her and no fear of being caught. Weirder things had happened on Gaea before, she was sure of it.
Hitomi paced a few steps and then stopped. Paced and stopped. One thought taking up her mind.
Finaly she decided that the only way to know if she could it or not was to try.
Walking back to the desk Hitomi picked up her pen and held it straight out in front of her. When she let it go it dropped 6 inches or so before stopping in mid air as though it had been caught. Happy with that result Hitomi continued placing the pen on the air untill it no longer dropped at all but instead sat on the air where she let it go.
Hours had passed but it was still long before morning and Hitomi was wide awake, excited about her dicsovery. Deciding to take it a step further Hitomi concentrated on her feet and thought of walking on stairs. Sure enough, with enough thought she was able to step up onto thin air. Only to her it didn't feel thin. It was like walking on stone.
Hitomi let out a small squeel of excitement and sack back to the floor with a soft thud.
"Huh," Hitomi circled the stop where she landed then stepped back up on to the air, "No distractions or I fall. Easy to remember."
OOOOOOOOOOOOO
Van woke to Pennin opening the curtains to let in the sun.
"Morning." The blonde man smiled, "Did you forget that Lord Marlen and his two daughters are arriving today?"
Van groaned into his pillow before sitting up, "Is Hitomi up yet?"
"No, my King. She still sleeps." Pennin opened the windows and leaned out, taking a deep breath, "Where would you like Lord Marlen and his daughters to be housed?"
"How many daughters?" Van asked, already dreading the answer.
"Three. Lady Myra, Lady Arla, and Lady Tina." Pennin smiled as Van frowned, "That is them in order of age. 22, 18 and 15."
"Fifteen?" Van groaned and covered his face with a pillow, "Put them in the hall opposite Kaitlyn and Karth."
"Very well. Excellent placing My King." Pennin bowed and walked to the door, "They should be here by noon. Would you like to have a welcoming dinner in their honor?"
"No. We'd have about 5 other welcoming dinners this week if we did that."
Pennin nodded, "I thought as much but wanted to ask just in case."
"Thank you Pennin."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Merle walked the halls silently. She wasn't sneeking, she was just naturaly silent. Being a cat had its up sides- a lot of them actualy. Long before anyone saw her she heard their feet on the carpet.
Merle took a seat in the upper corner of the hallway and waited untill she saw the two figures come around the corner. Just as she thought- it was Karth and his priss of a daughter kaitlyn.
They were talking about the arrival of Lord Marlen and his daughters. Nothing too interesting. Though Merle did find it amusing that Kaitlyn seemed to be very annoyed that she would no longer be the only visiting Lady in the palace.
Her unhappiness made Merle's day much brighter.
The cat girl was about to make a sneeky exit through the window when she heard her own name mentioned.
"The pink haired one?" Karth asked.
"Yes! Her!" Kaitlyn ran her hands through her hair roughly, completely ruining the perfect style she had worked hard to get, "She is planning against us and getting in my way whenever she can. I want to get back at her but I can't- not with her being so close to the King."
"Then do it quietly and make sure nothing can be linked back to you." Karth smiled brightly as though they were discussing something as innocent as the sunny day.
"I've already had that thought, Father!" Kaitlyn snapped, stomping her foot on the carpet, "I just can't come up with anything short of poison that would be quiet enough and final enough to stop her!"
Merle crept out of the window and easily scaled the walls to Hitomi's balcony. Peeking inside she found that Hitomi was standing at the dressing table washing her face.
She knocked before opening the galss door even though she knew Hitomi was already expecting her.
"Kaitlyn wants to poison me." Merle said as she took a seat on Hitomi's bed, "I knew she was mean and selfish but that's going a bit far to get back at some one don't you think?"
"Yes." Hitomi said as she dried her face, "That is a bit much."
"Should I tell Lord Van?" Merle asked.
"No. Let's just keep an eye on her our selves. She's sneeky but not too bright I would think. If she goes about talking about poison where anyone could hear her- no, she isn't very smart."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Hitomi stood with her hands clasped behind her back and Van couldn't help but smile. She looked so cute standing there in her new dress and silk shoes. He could tell she was nervous.
More Ladies in the palace ment more discomfort for everyone, but Hitomi was fair and considerate and willing to greet just about anyone with a smile.
They waited, watching the carriage as it slowly approached the gates and Van suddenly had an idea.
"I have to meet with the council later, but after would you like to have dinner with me in my room?" he had leaned in, pressing his lips to Hitomi's ear so only she would hear him.
"Just us?" she asked without turning to look at him but he could hear the smile in her voice.
"Just us." he grinned.
"I would love that." Hitomi glanced at him then nodded towards Lord Karth ever so slightly, "We have an audience."
"I don't care what he thinks." Van felt reckless. He was about to be forced to spend most of his evenings with women who only wanted his power or title- he felt as though he should have a little bit of fun to see him through the days to come.
"Introducing Lord Marlen of Karnith and the Ladies, Myra, Arla, and Tina." Aidren announced in his clear voice as the wind wipped his dark hair about.
"I am very pleased to meet you all." Van smiled as three blondes curtsied before him, "Welcome to Fanelia and welcome to my home. I hope you will enjoy the the festivities and the trades that with follow in the next two weeks."
All three of the girls had turned a bright shade of red when they met his gaze but their father seemed to be rather comfortable already.
"Ah! Yes, younge King. We have come for the wonders and romance that Fanelia has promised us." Lord Marlen, a thin blading man in his early forties smiled and winked at Van.
"These are my guests Lord Karth and his daughter, Lady Kaitlyn and my companions Lady Merle and Lady Hitomi, Seer from the Mystic Moon." Van said, wanting to change the subject from Fanelian romance to something that was sure to catch everyone's attention.
"The Seer?" Marlen hastily bowed even though he seemed to have no idea who he was bowing to. His daughters dropped to their knees at the same time and Hitomi turned to see Merle laughing behind her hand.
"You owe me." Hitomi growled at Van before decending the stairs to formaly meet the the younge Ladies.
Van watched as Hitomi smiled and greeted them all as though she had known them for years.
"Wow." Merle said as she took Van's arm, "Ask her to marry you now- she was born to be a Queen."
Van couldn't think of anything to say to that because a similliar thought had just entered his own mind.
OOOOOOOOO
Lord Marlen's daughters were all very nice and Hitomi spent the afternoon with Myra and Tina.
"Arla thinks she needs lots of rest to stay younge and beautiful." Tina laughed as they walked through the gardens.
"Be nice Tina." Myra scolded but she was also laughing, "She will get over the whole trying to stay younge thing once she meets a man who loves her just as she is."
"That'll be the day." Tina laughed.
Hitomi decided that she realy liked these two and hoped that the others who would be arriving over the next few days would be just as nice and pleasent.
Tina seemed to be the talker and Hitomi couldn't wait to see her and Merle alone. Myra was taller and thinner than her two sisters and seemed to be the peace keeper and easy going one.
"These gardens are lovely." Myra said, turning her gaze back to the rose vines that covered one of the many stone walls, "Do you spend much time out here?"
"I haven't been here that long." Hitomi smiled, "This is my my second time out in the gardens. It's a lot bigger than I remember."
They walked in silence for a while just enjoying the cool bright day. Every now and then Hitomi would spot Kaitlyn not far behind them. She seemed to be spying on them. Hitomi found it amusing that she could actualy spot her. She knew she was there from the moment they had stepped outside but she hadn't expected Kaitlyn to be so bad at staying unseen.
"Why don't you join us, Lady Kaitlyn?" she finaly called out.
After a moment of silence Kaitlyn stepped onto the path and walked over to where they had stopped.
"I was looking for you Ladies." Kaitlyn smiled sweetly and brushed an imaginary wrinkle out of her red dress.
"We were just enjoying the day." Myra smiled, "You must have enjoyed walking the gardens these last few days."
"Oh, yes. They are very lovely and a favorite of the King's." Kaitlyn smiled at them before turning and walking ahead of them.
They followed.
"Have you been out here with the King?" Tina asked, hiking her pale dress up to keep it from snagging on anything.
"Only once for breakfast but he said he would like to give me a tour- privately."
Hitomi smiled and just barely held her laughter in. Kaitlyn was trying to make her jealous. Obviously she didn't know that Van told Hitomi everything. Thinking of Van made Hitomi think of their dinner tonight. She was excited-it felt like a first date.
"But he's going to marry Hitomi." Tina said brightly, "It's what all the rumors say."
"Rumors?" Hitomi asked, "Just how many rumors have you heard about me?"
"Just you?-not many." Tina grinned and pushed a blonde curl behind her ear, "About the two of you and your everlasting bond after the war- tons."
"Realy?" Hitomi laughed, hardly containing her urge to go ask Merle what she had heard.
"Yup. The rumors go like this- you guys fell in love at first sight and have promised to spend the rest of your lives together. Fate brought you two together to bring about great changes to everyone's lives." Tina tucked her hands behind her back and went quiet when she saw how hard Hitomi was laughing, "Did I do something?"
"I'm sorry." Hitomi gasped, "It's not you, I promise." She took a few deep breathes and looked at the three staring Ladies, "Van and I didn't get along when we first met. There was no love at first sight- running and screaming as the dragon came at us-yes but no love."
"When did you realize you liked him?" Myra asked.
"I'm not realy sure." Hitomi shrugged, "Besides I'm not sure I should be telling all of this to women who's fathers want to marry them off to Van."
Myra laughed and linked her arm through HItomi's, "I already know who I want to marry and I've known him since I was ten. My father forced me to come."
"Same here." Tina smiled, happy now that she knew Hitomi hadn't been laughing at her, "Well, not exactly. I don't have a guy I want to marry but I was forced to come. I dont' want to marry now."
Hitomi Sqeezed Tina's arm, all too aware of Kaitlyn's silence and haughty look.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
A/N: Ok, I'm done. I promise the dinner part will be first thing in the next one.
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