Lechan: Thank you! I love hearing from new fans!
Leo: I promise I'm not stupid:) I just didn't explain everything as well as I should have. The dance they are doing resembles the waltz in the steps, not in the count and it's the count that throws Hitomi off. She steps forward at the wrong time and steps on Van. I'm sorry I didn't explain that well enough. Once I got your review I felt realy dumb because I've been studying music since I was nine. I just got ahead of myself and skipped some facts. I'm sorry.
Bradybunch4529: It is fun to watch the bad guys stumble, isn't it? ;) I think you will like this chapter very much.
Goddess-Hitomi: I'm glad you liked the chapter. This one will explain more about Kaitlyn's way of 'convincing'.
ann: I thought dancing would lighten the mood. I'm happy you liked it.
jossi-31: I realy like them dancing. I thought it was a cute idea, same goes for the hiding scene. ;) Van and Hitomi are 19 I know I already told you that but I put it here so others would know as well. Thank you again for your chapter ideas. You are great!
bianca: Thank you for the review!
xhiddenshadowx: Thank you for the suggestion and the review. Kaitlyn puking would be very amusing...I'll have to keep that one in mind. ;)
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Hitomi woke suddenly. Cold and covered in sweat, she climbed out of bed and looked out the balcony doors at the moon lit grounds. Everything looked so quiet.
According to the moon it was only 2 am. Hitomi moved slowly to closet and pulled off her sweaty nightgown before pulling on a clean one. It wasn't the first time she had had a nightmare but this had been the first she'd had since returning to Fanelia.
In her dream the palace was in flames. She was searching for Van when she found Merle laying in one of the halls. When Hitomi tried to help her Merle screamed at her that she(Hitomi) didn't know how to be Queen and that the fire was her fault. There was some running and more fire and more screaming people. Hitomi had awaken with an empty, guilty feeling in her chest. She hadn't found Van and it was all because she didn't know how to be a Queen.
It wasn't a vision. Hitomi was sure of that. It was just a nightmare from all the stress that she had been feeling.
Hitomi reached into the back of her closet and found the switch that would open the wall to let her enter Van's room. Not too long ago Hitomi had discovered that she could open the hiding places without the key Van had given to her. All she had to do was reach out with her mind and the lock would give silently.
Quietly, Hitomi pushed the wall open and then slid it shut behind her. Van was awake the moment she stepped into his room. It was just how Van was and he sat up as she walked over to him.
"What's wrong?" he asked, holding his arms open to her.
"I don't know how to be Queen." Hitomi wispered, tears sticking in her throat.
"Hitomi." Van smiled and kissed her face gently, working from her hair line to her nose to her lips, "You will be a great Queen. I wouldn't say that if it wasn't true."
"Oh, realy?" Hitomi asked, letting Van pull her onto the bed as he laid back down, "You'd just tell me I was there to look pretty and adore you?"
Van laughed and smoothed her hair away from her face, "No. I wouldn't. I would tell you that you'd learn and that many Queens have no idea what they are getting themselves into when they agree to marry a King."
"I love you." Hitomi smiled, feeling much better now that she had Van's arms around her, "Can I stay with you?"
"Tonight or forever?" Van asked with a grinn.
"Both." Hitomi laughed and kissed Van.
"I wouldn't have it anyother way." Van kissed Hitomi back before shifting to let her crawl under the blankets, "What brought all of this on?"
"A nightmare." Hitomi confessed as she snuggled into Van's chest. They had been sharing a bed off and on for over a week and she was always happily surprised at how nice it was to wake up next to him.
"Would you like to tell me what it was about?" Van asked as he started a yawn.
"No. I just want to sleep next you."
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Lord Karth threw the doors to his closet open, only to find what he already knew would be there.
Nothing.
He couldn't panic. That's the last thing he needed to do. If he stayed calm and laid a trap.
Yes, a trap. A big trap with bait. Maybe then he could regain control of what could turn into a very bad day.
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Kaitlyn sat staring at the others who had joined the breakfast table. She hadn't realized just how many people had shown up for Fanelia's Summer's End.
Merle had been taking great pains to introduce Kaitlyn to everyone as they came into the hall.
So far there were the twins, Lord Christopher and Lady Ashlee arrived with their parents, Lady Tasha and her sister Debbie also walked in with both parents, Lady Anne came in with her mother, Lord Nathan walked in with his mother on his arm and his father not far behind, Lord Edward came in with his mother, Lady Nicole and her younger brother Lord Chase were waiting on their parents, and Lady Joleen sat laughing with her father. Their parents weren't the one's Kaitlyn was interested in so she had paid no attention to their names. In all there were 19 new people at the table.
More were to arrive in the coming afternoon and Kaitlyn couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. She had been making plans and with all these people she didn't see how many of those plans could be used. There were too many eyes and ears. Someone would be bound to see her.
Van entered the hall with the Seer not far behind him. Kaitlyn was ready to silently fume throughout the meal untill she noticed the look on Van's face. Something was wrong.
"I have some bad news." Van said slowly, making sure to catch everyone's attention, "The roads south of here have been closed due to an outburst of sickness known as the 'Travler's Wheel'. The Trades Conference has been pushed back a month." Van seemed to take a deep breath and hold it for a moment before forcing out a smile, "As it is most of you have come long distances just to be here for the Ball and the conference. I invite you all to stay the extra month to save you more traveling and fuss." Everyone clapped and Van held up a hand to quiet them, " You are my guests and I feel honored to have each and everyone of you."
As everyone began eating Van and Hitomi took their seats at the head of the table and talked quietly between themselves.
Many at the table couldn't take their eyes off of them. They seemed so happy.
The most annoying part of this (to Kaitlyn anyhow) was how many looked happy for them. There were one or two sulking faces but most just smiled and turned their attention back to the food set out before them- only stealing glances every now and then.
When breakfast ended Van, being agood host, invited everyone to join him in the library for a cup of tea. All of the younge ladies jumped at the chance and soon the room was full of Fanelia's guests. The only ones who seemed to be missing were Lord Marlen and Lord Karth.
Kaitlyn didn't know where her father was and realy didn't care. Karth always had a way of embarrassing them both by trying to impress those around them. Kaitlyn was a little more subtle. With confidence Kaitlyn took the seat to Van's right and watched as Hitomi took the one on his left.
Chatter came and went and more and more Kaitlyn was able to get conversations going with the strangers around her. Van ended up turning to talk to her more than once and Kaitlyn could easily see the looks on the girls faces around her. They thought there was something between them. True most had heard about the Seer and the Fanelian King but for the moment he was paying more attention to the people around him, mainly Kaitlyn, than to Hitomi. And Everyone could see it.
A few times Kaitlyn turned to look at Hitomi only to find her spacing out. The Seer seemed distracted and unconcerned with the political chatter going on around her.
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Hitomi first felt it during breakfast. Something just outside her abilty to See. It felt like a tickle, a feather tracing the egde of her thoughts.
With a quick sqeeze to Van's hand she was able to tell him that she was ok, just in thought. He seemed to understand that and carried on as though everything were fine. The sensation at the edge of her mind faded and then came back, faded and came back.
When they moved to the library the tickle became more constant. It was so close yet so far away. She could feel it but had no idea what it was.
Whatever it was it was close, physicaly close.
Suddenly feeling uneasy Hitomi reached out and placed her hand over Van's. He glanced at her and saw that something was wrong.
"Can you feel it?" she asked him in a wisper, opening her mind to him to let him feel what she'd been feeling.
"What is that?" he asked, looking around the room, that 'tickle' was too close and it felt dangerous.
"Van-" Hitomi screamed and everyone in the room ducked as something roughly the size of a large melon jumped straight across the room- directly at Hitomi.
Hitomi's mind slowed everything as she reached for her center- the one thing she knew would stop the attack aimed at her.
With yell she threw the dark shape back at the wall with her mind. The thing fought her as she tried to hold it in place but Van's dagger pinning it to the wall was something it couldn't fight. Van had throw his dagger as soon as he saw the fear and strain on Hitomi's face. The dagger was one he always kept in his right boot, hidden from all but him. He was happy he hadn't grown lazy and content. If he had- the dagger would have been in his room and Hitomi may have been killed.
Chaos broke out once everyone was able to get a look at the thing pinned to the wall with the King's dagger sticking out of it's bleeding middle.
Van waited for the Ladies to leave the room before he walked over to examine the mountain spider. The thing was nearly as large as his head and it's many legs ended in poisonous barbs. If it missed with it's huge fangs those barbs would have burried themselves deep into Hitomi's skin.
Pennin ran into the room with Aidren right behind him.
"Take care of that and find out where it came from." Van nodded at the spider then turned to see Hitomi standing, staring at the dead spider in horror. Kaitlyn was also still in the room, looking just as shocked and revolted as the other Ladies had.
"Go back to your room." Van said quietly as he passed her.
"My King-?" Kaitlyn looked at him in confusion.
"Go." Van picked Hitomi up and walked out of the room.
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Hitomi cringed and ran her hands up and down her arms, "That thing was hunting me! That's why I felt it in my mind."
"Mountain spiders hunt with with their minds. They attack their prey's mind, or try to. I guess it couldn't get into your mind so it went to stage two of it's attack. It was going to poison you." Van ran his hands violently through his hair as he saw, not the walls of his room but the library wall with the spider pinned to it.
"Van?" Hitomi asked from the bed, "Will you come sit with me? I just want to be near you. I keep thinking that there'll be more of those...things."
"Of course." Van walked over to the bed and wrapped his arms around Hitomi, thankfull that she was alright, "There won't be anymore spiders. I'll make sure of that."
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Karth paced his room, nervously smoothing out his already wrinkle free shirt over his large stomack. The King had asked to see him in the throne room. Kaitlyn had also been asked to join them. He said he had some news to share. Karth was hoping it wasn't his death that was going to be announced.
A light tap at the door told Karth that the door man had arrived to escort him to the throne room.
Aidren looked calm as he stepped aside to wait for the Lord to walk ahead of him but his eyes were dark and when Karth made contact with them he was the first to look away.
The throne room was full of the visiting Lords and Van sat upon his throne with a gold circlet on his brow. As Karth entered he saw Kaitlyn standing to the left of the Lords with her head down.
"Mountain spiders are dangerous and illeagal to have in one's possession." Van's voice carried easily through the silent room, "I know you and your daughter are the ones who brought the spider into my palace. Don't insult me by pretending you didn't." Karth was frozen looking up at the King, listening to the controlled anger in his voice, "I am going to give you another chance. You and your family have always been a large part of the Conference of Trades, but if anything else should get loose in my home I will personal escort you to the border and leave you with a ban. You and your's will never be allowd near my lands or the people I love. Do you understand me, Lord Karth?"
"Yes, My King, but if I may- the spider was to be a gift." Karth spoke quickly, "They have been used for years against armies and spies."
"They are illeagal!" Van shouted and every man in the room flinched, all except Aidren and Pennin who stood guard at the doors, "Now, as the events of the day have been less than pleasing, this evening will be a celebration." Van said more calmly, as Pennin and Aidren opened the doors and the visiting Ladies walked in and took their places by their husbands, sons or (as it was with the younger, unmarried ladies) brothers and fathers, "I have asked the Lady Hitomi to marry me and she has agreed." Van actualy smiled at this, "Tonight we celebrate and ease the day's troubles!"
Hitomi walked into the room wearing a circlet of her own and was glowing in a pale rose colored dressed. The ring on her finger shone in the light of the evening.
She was beautiful.
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A/N: Details of the celebration will be in the next chapter. REVIEW!