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Hitomi took the sword Van handed her and kept walking despite her father's constant questions. When they reached the main hallway just before the stairs Hitomi couldn't bear her father's stupidity anymore.
"Do you want to get us killed!" she snapped, "We told you there was danger here and if you keep talking you will bring it right to us. Now shut up or wait here."
His stunned expression turned to shock as Hitomi pulled her sword out and held it before her. It was heavy but thanks to Van's training she could defend her self long enough for help to come.
"Chiro, you and mum stick close to Van. Dad, you're stuck with me. We can't leave you alone because we don't knwo what's happened while we've been gone." Hitomi nodded to Van and they started down the hall slowly and silently, swords raised.
Hitomi felt people close by but she couldn't tell who they were. She was just happy Pennin had closed himself, Rosie and their baby in their bed room. Pennin was quick with a sword and Hitomi wasn't worried for them.
Van held up his hand to stop them and then pointed towards the dinning hall. Voices could be heard. One of them was plainly Merle but they had to be carefull. Van led the way over to the doors and pushed one open quickly, sword ready.
There was a yell and then a hissing noise before everyone realized that they weren't under attack.
"O, thank the Gods you've returned!" Merle lept at Van, wrapping her arms around his neck before moving to hug Hitomi. The cat froze when she caught sight of Chiro and Hitomi father. When her eyes met the older man's she hissed quietly before bounding over to where Tina was sitting.
"Dad, Chiro, these are our friends. Lady Tina is one of my Ladies of Court and the pink haired one is Van's adopted sister, Merle." Hitomi smiled, knowing that her father would have rathered be anywhere but there.
"But she's a cat!" Chiro said slowly and then when Merle glared at him he smiled, "Hitomi this place is so cool!"
There was a soft clearing of someones throat and Hitomi bit her lip to keep from smiling, "And this is Taridian." Hitomi saw her father flinch away as Tar landed on her outstretched arm.
"Very nice to meet you both." Tar said as he extended his neck to smell Chiro's arm.
Hitomi hugged Tar to her chest as her father stumbled towards the table, "I need to sit down."
Van glanced at Hitomi before continuing with the introductions, "Mr. Kanzaki these are some of my best friends and the best knight Fanelia has seen in many years. This is Aidren, Kailas and Tren. The tall blonde is Christopher, a lord from a neighboring country, he's quick thinking and trustworthy. He will be the one to look after you and your family while you are staying here."
Christopher nodded to Van before bowing to Hitomi's family.
"It's so nice to see you all again." Uchida smiled but she felt the tension in the room and stayed close to her daughter.
Van moved everyone to the table after sending Tren and Kailas to check the palace over for spies and to tell Pennin that he and his family should join them in the hall.
Once Pennin arrived with his wife and baby Van told everyone what had happened on the Mystic Moon and then fell silent as Tar went on to tell them what had happened in the throne room.
"So this was a trap of some sorts." Van said as he stared at the table top, "Only what were they hoping would happen? We were somehow followed to Earth and at the same time Tar overhears a conversation that was ment for him to hear."
Hitomi took Van's hand and gently ran her fingers over his knuckles, "I don't get it." she said looking around the room. Everything was as it had been and yet something was missing, "Van, where are the council members? Shouldn't they be here?"
"Tren will send them here once he makes sure that all of them are who they say they are." Van looked at Hitomi's confused green eyes then explained, "We can't be too carefull now that we've had two traitors right in the throne room. They were walking around in our home, Hitomi. From now on everyone will be looked at more closely. I won't have you in danger like that again. I should have thought of it earlier."
"It's not your fault. Things have changed and we can't be as trusting as we were." Hitomi smiled weakly at Van before kissing his cheek.
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Hitomi stood by the window as the councilors were filed in. Her back was too them so she wouldn't see their faces as she let her mind reach out and touch them one by one. It was hard with all the stress she felt from the day but Hitomi tried to push that all aside and look at the each man in turn.
She felt confusion and fear on each of them. They weren't afraid of Van or of her. That was a good sign. Pushing deeper, past the feelings Hitomi felt their thoughts. She didn't know what they were thinking but she could feel the basic things. It was just like feeling a person walking down the hall. She could tell if they were walking fast or slow, most of the time she could even feel if they were carrying something just by the way they moved. Now, she was feeling how fast their thoughts were moving.
When she let her mind drop away from the last man she felt her knees weaken. Holding onto the window frame Hitomi nodded to Van who sighed, relieved.
"I thank you all for your loyalty." Van said to the nervous men in the room, "But times are changing and we had to make sure we could still trust you."
Hitomi leaned against the wall and took a few deep breaths before looking at the men. She felt bad for going so deeply without their knowledge but she had no choice.
Van dismissed the men and ran to his wife's side as soon as they were gone. She looked like she was going to faint.
"Are you alright? Is it the baby?" Van caught Hitomi as she drooped.
"No, I'm just tired." Hitomi frowned, listening to her baby's humming pressense, "Baby is fine."
Van picked Hitomi up and carried her over to a chair, shooting a look at her father, "Why do you look so surprised?" Van snapped, "You knew she was pregnant or is all of this finaly sinking in?"
Hitomi let her head fall back against the chair and watched her husband's profile.
"Our lives are in danger and a war is coming." Van glared around the room, realizing he had just told everyone about the baby. Before it had been only Tina, Merle, Rosie and Pennin. Now Aidren, Christpoher and the twins knew.
Tren was the first to meet the King's anger, "You should have told us! How can we protect her if we don't know everything?"
"A threat towards a pregnant woman is different than a threat to a Queen. Royalty always war but a baby changes things. Now the enemy has something else to focuss on. They'll want the child." Kailas stood next to his brother, their anger equal but different.
Tren was angry from being left out and Kailas was angry that Hitomi and the Baby would now be a target. Both were excellent warriors and despite their looks, they were completely different people. Together they covered every angle.
"They already want the baby." Hitomi said and silence fell, "That's why we haven't told anyone. Dilandau told me. He knew I was pregnant before Van and I did. Therefore Zaibach must know there's a chance of an heir. I don't think they're sure or they would have attacked."
"But they're getting restless." Tar glided through the window to land on the table in front of Hitomi and Van. He bowed to them, something he didn't usualy do.
"What have you seen?" Van asked him.
Tar had been perched outside the window, listening to the conversation in the room and watching what was happening around the yards.
"Nothing. Everything is quiet. I don't know if that's good or bad."
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Lately it seemed that all Selena ever did was pace. She had been told 2 weeks and already nearly 3 months had passed. She had a feeling the Master was testing her and her men. There had been whispers of run away soldiers but there were were over 10,000 men and women now. Who would know if someone had realy run off? And where would they run to? These poeple were traitors and couldn't return to their homes even if they wanted to.
Selena spun around, feeling eyes on her back and saw the one person that made her uneasy. The Master's personal pet spy, Marissa.
The dark haired woman grinned at her from her her spot against the wall, "The Master wishes to see the two of us."
"What for?" Selena asked, raising an eye brow. She'd never had anything to do with Marissa and her bussiness before now. She hardly ever saw woman around the fortress.
"That is something the Master didn't share with me. Shall we go?" Marissa pushed off the wall and walked off down the hall without waiting for the blonde's asnwer.
Growling beneath her breath Selena followed only because she didn't want to be on the Master's bad side. Normaly she would have told Marissa to stuff it. She didn't care if she was the Master's pet, she was an equal rank to Selena and therefor Selena didn't have to take orders from her.
Marissa held the door and let Selena walk in first. Selena had the horrible feeling that any second a dagger would be twisting between her shoulder blades. This was a woman she didn't trust and was being forced to expose her back to.
Selena's mood was darkening. It had started out dark andnow she was in a room with Marissa. Things could only get worse, in Selena's opion.
Once seated Marissa took the chair next to Selena and sat patiently in the silence.
"Report." the voice, just as it always did, came from the air itself.
"I was unable to get the mother." Marissa sat up a bit straighter, "They seemed to be expecting trouble and the King was there as well. Since I was following her I wasn't able to see the King untill he attacked."
"How did the mother escape?" the voice sounded calm but Selena knew this was a mask. A plan had gone wrong- anyone would be mad.
"The Queen saw me coming and pulled her mother out of reach." Marissa shot a glance at Selena and the blonde quickly closed her mouth.
Marissa had been to the Mystic Moon! Selena felt the floor slipping out from beneath her. How had they managed that? And to attack the Queen's mother! Were they trying to kill her or capture her?
"Pulled her?" The Master asked slowly.
"Yes. There was no use of powers. The king's attack made my power slip and I was pulled back here." from the look on the brunnett's face Selena was guessing the pull wasn't too gentle, "I returned to report that a child was born but there is no proof that it belongs to the royals."
Selena held her breath. She had no idea why she had been invited to sit in on this report and she didn't want to remind them of her pressense in case they decided she had heard enough.
"But there was a baby?" the Master sounded thoughtfull.
"Yes."
"And the Royals jumped into fight quickly?"
"Yes, Master."
"I believe we have waited long enough. Send men to the boarder. We will set out within the week." and then there was complete silence.
The master had left the room.
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A/N: At the end I so wanted to write, "Elvis has left the building." but then realiized just how dorky I am and refrained. Longer chapter for you all. Things are starting to move again. :)
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