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It was the middle of the night when Dryden heard it. Squinting in the dying candle light Dryden turned towards the wall that hid one of the few doors that led to safety. Every palace had it's hidden routes to ensure the royals have a chance to escape should their home come under attack.
No one but his wife, his wife's sister and Dryden himself knew about that door in the back of his study.
Another quiet tap on the door had Dryden reaching for the sword he had started carrying around. After the attack on Fanelia there was no telling what Zaibach would do or not do.
Slowly, so as to make very little noise, Dryden walked over to the door with his sword held ready.
"Dryden, please open the door."
He recognised the voice right away and nearly dropped his sword in surprise.
"Van?" Dryden hastily shoved books and papers out of the way to reach the lever that would open both the wall and the door, "I heard this morning that you and Hitomi vanished the other night. There are rumors flying everywhere that you'd been killed."
Finaly pulling the lever Dryden stood back to let his friend enter the room. What he saw made his queasy.
Van walked forward slowly, his sword at the ready. Dryden had never seen Van look so gone. The King of Fanelia's eyes darted around the room before coming to rest on Dryden. Very slowly, as though expecting an attack at any moment, Van lowered his sword and stepped all the way into the room, revealing Hitomi behind him.
Dryden was so happy to see that they were both alive that he almost over looked the stains on Hitomi's nightgown and her bare feet. They were alive, so what if they were filthy.
And then what Dryden first took to be a bundle of clothes held in the Queen's arms started to cry.
"O my." Dryden for once was at a loss for words as he watched Hitomi unwrap a tiny baby, "But-- when?"
"Two days ago." Van said, "We escaped Fanelia on an airship. Hitomi gave birth over the ocean of Tul. We were making our way to your palace when we were shot out of the sky. We didn't see our attackers. They never showed themselves. Of course it had to be Zaibach."
"Sit down, My Queen." Lord Christopher said, trying to lead Hitomi to the chair Dryden had been occupying only moments before.
Looking at the five men standing behind Van Dryden had to ask, "Is this all of you?" his eyes landed on Dilandau who's forehead seemed to had bleeding badly not too long ago. Not all of the blood had dried on his face yet.
"Yes." Van sighed, his eyes on his wife and baby, "The others died when the ship went down."
"I'll go get Millerna. She'll be able to fix you all right up." Dryden said trying to feel as confident as he sounded.
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Van sat in the hall as his wife and baby were being looked over by Millerna. Hitomi hadn't wanted to go first. She kept saying there were others hurt worse than her but everyone refused to be checked out if the Queen wasn't looked at first.
"So, what's her name?" Dryden asked as he sat down next to Van and handed him a glass of wine.
"Mai." Van smiled weakly, "Hitomi says it means brightness and beauty on the Mystic Moon.
"A perfect fit if you ask me. She is lovely." Dryden took a gulp of his own wine and then turned to look at Van, "How did the dilervery go?
Van paled and then took a huge swallow of wine, "Fine at first. Once Mai was born Hitomi kept having Visions so bad she was afraid to hold her own daughter. You saw the stains on Hitomi?" when Dryden nodded Van continued, "She started bleeding when we were forced to fly from the ship."
Van fell silent as the door opened next to him.
"They're both fine." Millerna said as she smiled down at Van, "Hitomi needs bed rest and I think it best if no one knows where you have gone. If you must you may send word back to your home. Send it to Merle, tell her you are all fine but don't sign it and don't tell her where you are."
Van nodded and looked up at his friend, "You're sure they are both ok?"
"Yes. Hitomi lost a fair amount of blood but she'll more than live. And little Mai doesn't have a scratch on her." Millerna smiled as Van quickly wiped at a tear running down his cheek.
"Thank you both for everything." Van said as he stood, "Kingdoms had been sending us men and woman to help rebuild and they did help but we don't know them. They were strangers and we couldn't be sure they weren't working for Zaibach. We were coming here just for a few days to let Hitomi regain her strength. Then we were attacked."
"You are welcome to stay as long as you like." Dryden placed a hand on Van's arm, "Now go let my wife fuss over you so you can join Hitomi and Mai in a bit of peacefull sleep."
"Thank you." Van followed Millerna into the room and heard the door close behind him.
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Hitomi woke to a small hand clutching at her nose. Smiling down at Mai, Hitomi sat up slowly. She had completely forgotten where they were. There was a small craddle next to the bed that Hitomi hadn't seen the night before. She wouldn't have used it even if she had seen it. After jumping from an airship with her baby, only a few hours old, in her arms Hitomi wanted Mai close at all times.
"Hello, my little angel." Hitomi whispered, seeing Van still asleep next to her.
With a gurgling noise Mai shoved her fist in her mouth.
"Ah, hungry are you?" Hitomi laughed, shifting so she could easily feed Mai without getting up.
Hitomi watched Mai's every movement. Already Hitomi had noticed how Mai looked just like Van when she yawned. Mai had her father's dark hair and eyes but she had Hitomi's ears and nose. Her mouth looked like Hitomi's aswell but it was hard to get a good look while she was eating.
"You ok?" Van asked in a groggy voice.
"Yup." Hitomi smiled, "I'm weak but fine."
"And our little one?" Van asked sitting up and running his fingers over Mai's soft dark hair.
"She has a great appitite." Hitomi laughed.
"Always a good sign." Van laughed and felt a twinge of pain in his side. According to Millerna he had a few bruised ribs. He didn't remeber how he got them. Everything was rather blurry. It had all happened so fast and his mind had been on Hitomi and Mai and nothing else.
"When do you think we should go back?" Hitomi asked still gazing at her daughter.
"I think we should wait and see how your doing in a few days." Van didn't like how pale Hitomi looked, "Millerna said you need rest."
"And I'm not complaining. I feel like I could sleep for days." Hitomi shifted Mai and started burping her.
"Then sleep." Van leaned forward and took Mai, "I can do that. You rest."
Van got up to walk around the room but stopped when he saw the look on Hitomi's face.
"Just don't go far." she said quietly before laying back on the pillows.
"We won't leave the room." Van sat on Hitomi's side of the bed and kissed her. He then held Mai out and said in a voice that made Hitomi grin, "Kiss your mumma, Mai."
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As much as Hitomi hadn't wanted to admit it her body wasn't the only thing suffering after their narrow escape. Her powers were slow to react whenever she called on them.
So far most of Gaia believed the Fanels to be dead.
Zaibach hadn't so much as sent out a scout since the news of the airship was circulated. The news was that things were very bad on the other side of Zaibach's walls.
Hitomi sighed and rolled over to watch Van sleep. Mai slumbered on her father's chest. They'd been in Asturia for a week and not once had they left their room. Dryden had been carefull to give them a room that had nearly everything they could possibly need. There was a bathroom and full closet attached to the room and their meals were brought by Millerna herself.
The guards that had arrived with them, only six men (Christopher and Dilandau among them) had made an effort to remain unnoticed even by the local guards. They joined Dryden's personal guard which kept them inside the palace and close at hand at all times. Dryden being the bussiness man that he was explained away the new arrivals as a 'gift' from one of his father's old friends.
Mai's dark red eyes opened and Hitomi smiled as her daughter yawned and stretched. At only nine days old Mai's hair was already getting darker and thicker and her eyes were brighter and seemed to catch more of what was happening around her.
Hitomi extended her hand and without realy thinking about it used her power to lift Mai gently off of Van's chest and bring her over to lay next to Hitomi. When Mai's tiny body touched Hitomi's arm Hitomi realized that she had just successfully used her powers without any strain.
"I guess I am getting better." Hitomi smiled down at Mai, "Perhaps we can go back home soon."
There was a tap on the door before it opened and Millerna came in clutching a bit of paper.
Van sat up as Millerna quickly said, "It's from Merle. She sent it to me and after reading it through a few times I realized she had hidden a message in here."
Van held out his hand and took the letter, "What did she say?"
"It seems Lord Karth and Kaitlyn are the only strangers left in the palace. Everyone else has returned home." Millerna sat on the edge of the bed, "See here how she says she is deep in mourning, wearing black all the time?- Well the 'L' and 'K'are capital in black. I went over the letter and found all the capital letters. I came up with LK N K STL HR OTHR R GN."
"Wow. I'm impressed." Van looked very surprised as well, "Lord Karth aNd Kaitlyn STiLl HeRe, OTHeRs GoNe."
"Tina had a hand in this." Hitomi grinned, "She's more clever than she lets on."
"Well, when we get back remind me to thank them both." Van laughed, "Not that they will ever let me forget what they went through for us. At least Merle won't let it rest."
"As soon as you want to return to Fanelia just let us know." Millerna said seriously, "It won't be long before someone will step forward to try to take the throne."
"Tonight." Hitomi said, meeting Van's eyes, "It's time. I dreamed about it last night. I wasn't going to say anything about it but my powers are back and it is time for us to return. Fanelia needs us."
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A/N: Yeah me. OMG!- You guys wouldn't believe the week I've had. One of my best friends moved away saturday morning and saturday night my other best friend moved back! On the SAME DAY! It's wild. My head's still spinning.