A/N: Man it's been a while hasn't it? Can't say much except I've been mad busy. But who cares, right? On with the story.
[Edit 03/30/19: Chapter edited by OfSilverRaindrops. Thank you so much!]
King of Anything
Act 1, Chapter 5
In which a door opens and Escaflowne calls Van out on something.
The secret for running efficiently, as Hitomi knew, was to transfer propulsive power from the upper body and arms to the legs. Granted, for long-distance runners endurance was most important, and they usually had the body to match. She was a sprinter though, and sprinters needed to be able to utilize the muscles above the waist too.
One of the cool things about Fanelia was that there was a tartan track around the inside perimeter of the wall. City planners had clearly not only been creative, but also kept the recreational needs of citizens in mind. Hitomi's favorite stretch was by the north sector, where the area around it was landscaped into a beautiful park, as opposed to the parts that were next to a road or behind tall buildings.
When Hitomi did her longer runs, the proximity to the wall was convenient for another reason: the electric fence way at the top. Its energizers continuously sent pulses through the various rows of wire, timed perfectly so that she could pace herself to exactly 180 beats per minute. One mid-foot strike for each click.
She preferred this to music from her headphones simply because it was difficult to relax with her ears plugged up. It made her feel like that kind of obstruction hindered the free flow of thoughts. After all, running wasn't just her favorite sport, it was also a good way to process certain things.
And one thing was for sure- she had a lot to think about as of late. Not only were the random encounters with the king on her mind, but she was still struggling to remember what had happened at the Mystic Moon in the later hours. She just couldn't let go of the suspicion that something weird had gone down before her friends had found her.
In addition to that, Yukari and Amano were pushing her to accept Allen's invitation on a date. He'd asked her earlier today, left her a message, but she'd refrained from responding so far. She wasn't sure why she was hesitating. Not like a bit of fun could hurt.
Allen was an awesome guy, as far as she could tell. His service to Asturia's royal family made him a prime example of patriotism and bravery. He'd certainly shown interest in her the other night and not just because she'd been conveniently available. Interested, but not pushy or butting in while she was having a conversation with Princess Millerna and King Van. Argh, there he was again.
That whole situation was becoming clearer again in her memory, but still seemed strangely surreal given the circumstances.
Anyway, she liked that in a man- the ability to let her do her own thing too. In the end, Allen had been there when she needed him most. He'd taken the time to bring her home together with Yukari and Amano to make sure she was okay. Something the king could've never done. Not like he'd have time for something so trivial.
What an insane notion, really. It would also insinuate that he cared about her, and they certainly didn't know each other well enough for that. Oh, no. No, no, no. What a crazy thought. It threw Hitomi off so much that she had to take a break from running even.
Slowing down, she came to a stop and braced her hands on her knees, catching her breath and savoring the effects the physical exhaustion had on this web of slowly untangling thoughts. Hitomi decided to walk for a bit. After all, she'd ran quite far already and still needed to get all the way back home.
Okay, no take-backsies. He'd planned this at the palace thoroughly enough. Van steeled himself behind the dense row of bushes the security door was inconspicuously located behind.
Everybody knew that there were doors in the walls in regularly spaced intervals, but they were concealed so as not to take away from the aesthetic of whatever was around it. They were also tightly locked, only to be opened by somebody who had a code—and only very few people had this code.
Anyway, now it was time for some doing. Van was a doer, not a don'ter. Not that he wasn't good at thinking too. Van was usually clever. But there's a catch. Sometimes when you stopped to think, like now, it was like opening up a can of worms. Because at that moment, you could ask yourself questions with no easy answer.
Such as this one: "What on Gaea do you think you are doing?!"
Wait, what?
He turned around in slow-motion, having recognized the voice but finding himself in slight denial.
Hitomi and Van stared at each other in disbelief. Out of all the people in Fanelia…
"What am I doing? What are you doing?" Van asked, completely playing down the fact that he was the one messing with the security door of the city walls, while she was the one doing something as normal as running.
The king was clearly out undercover again. He looked ordinary in a dark shirt, sweatpants, and a pair of sneakers. His mirrored shades were ever-present together with his mop of unruly, dark hair. Next to Hitomi in her running shorts, it looked like they were hanging out together to enjoy this nice, warm evening.
Except, Van had a sword hanging from a belt around his waist. A very important, unique sword which would have immediately raised suspicions.
Hitomi came closer, fully rounding the tall bush Van stood behind, then gaped past him at the large sentry close by. She paused- a solid five seconds' span of time in which she realized that the Guymelef, a robotic samurai in panoply next to him, was the famed Escaflowne. She'd never seen him in real life, never thought she ever would. After all, that would've meant she'd be near the king.
Considering that as a possibility would have elicited a fit of laughter from her just a week ago, but then she'd straight up tripped and fallen into kissing him. And since then, she'd not only been near him- she knew him in a way few others did. Or at least she assumed as much, given that the king wasn't exactly known for being a ladykiller.
Not that the female masses didn't yearn for him. It was just that high society folk weren't usually known for being discreet about their exploits with the other gender. He was an exception.
Hitomi shook her head, forcing herself to concentrate on the original question. "Don't distract me. You're the one sneaking around in a disguise about to open a door to the outside."
Van briefly scanned the surroundings for people before answering. "I'm not sneaking around. I have things to do, so please excuse me," he explained matter-of-factly, as if he was about to casually walk into a council chamber or otherwise go about his daily routine.
Hitomi's eyes grew wide. "Are you crazy? You can't just walk on out…there," she emphasized it with an open-handed gesture towards the wall, meaning the woods. "And in case you've forgotten, you still have a concussion!"
Van leaned a bit towards her, annoyed by her bossy attitude. "I'm not crazy, and I feel fine. I'll be fine."
There. That ought to show her. He'd be damned if he'd let her tell him what to do and not to do.
"You can't go out there!" Hitomi insisted again, unmoved by his attempt at displaying authority.
Apparently, she didn't care at all about who she was talking to and what the consequences could be. Now that agitated and amused him in equal measure.
His disguise made him feel less required to behave kingly. Together with her challenging tone, it prompted him to respond more like a royal pain than anything else.
Van shrugged. "Oh, yeah? Who's going to stop me? You? Besides, Escaflowne will be with me, so it's not like I'll be alone."
Hitomi was speechless for a moment. He did have a point. It wasn't like she could physically stop him,especially not if his iron bodyguard had anything to say about it. He was probably programmed to protect the king even if it meant murder. It made her a bit more cautious about her approach.
"What makes you want to go out there anyway? It's almost sundown."
Van chuckled under his breath before answering. "That's your main concern here?"
"Well, I haven't ranked them." Hitomi was still a bit out of breath from her run. Granted, she should have probably taken a few more moments to think through what she was going to say, but now it was too late to back down.
All in all, Van really was more entertained than annoyed by now, although he didn't show it. Did she really think she was capable of keeping him from going out there?
Here she was: a good head shorter than him and armed with nothing but her wits. Her hands were braced on her hips while she peered at him accusingly from under her short bangs. A bit confrontational but not completely sure about it. Kind of cute, actually.
But he had to stay focused if he wanted to accomplish anything this evening.
A little irritated by his thoughts of her, Van turned to face the keypad again and punched in the security code. The door unlocked promptly. "Do me a solid and pretend like you didn't see us. This doesn't concern you," Van said to Hitomi when she still made no move to leave.
"Absolutely not!" Hitomi protested.
Stubborn woman! Why was she making this so difficult for him? Why did she care if he went out there?
"Look, it's not like I need your permission. I'm going, and that's that." For a second, Van toyed with the thought of playing the royal card. He could order her to bugger off, but something told him that that was a thoroughly terrible idea.
While Van still considered this, Hitomi's face hardened. She'd made some sort of decision about this situation. "I'm coming with you."
Van whirled around to face her again, his eyebrows close together behind the rim of his shades, underlining his reaction. "Absolutely not!" Van repeated her own statement from earlier. "There are dragons. You can't even fight!"
Hitomi's concern was sincere now. "And you're the king of Fanelia. What if you get injured or die?"
"I won't, ok? I've been out there and fought a dragon before, in case you've forgotten. It's why they gave me the crown."
Yes, she did remember. He'd been sent out there completely alone, tasked with slaying a dragon using nothing but a sword—and had succeeded. Something only few people would be capable of. He could definitely take care of himself. However…
"And I'm a nurse. A nurse who's patched you up and examined you twice. If you get injured, you'll need medical attention."
"She's got you there!" Escaflowne interjected. The sentry had been listening patiently, usually mostly quiet when unknown individuals were around but couldn't resist to partake.
Van pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to stay calm. He couldn't throw the incident from the Mystic Moon, where he'd saved her, back in her face. He wanted to prove a point but knew she didn't remember everything.
He also refrained from mentioning that both times he'd needed her medical attention was due to her involvement in the first place. He didn't have time for this. Instead, Van directed his frustration at the sentry who'd elected to become comfortable speaking in the most irksome of moments.
"Are you really taking her side?" Van exclaimed, incredulous.
Escaflowne shrugged his massive shoulders. "Just the side of the more reasonable individual, considering that the king's wellbeing is at stake."
"Fine!" Van threw his hands up in a gesture of exasperation. "You can stay here then. And make sure she does too." He pointed towards Hitomi.
Her eyes narrowed in response to the patronizing gesture. "You're impossible!" Hitomi blurted out and then, not caring about who she was insulting, added, "Pigheaded, even!"
Van chuckled in vexation. He couldn't believe it.
"And you're overbearing!"
"…reckless…"
"…meddlesome!"
"…a royal brat."
Within seconds they were in each other's face, arguing heatedly. Escaflowne's head went left and right as they tossed insults back and forth.
"You can't go through the wall unless authorized. You'd be trespassing- breaking and entering!" Van looked inordinately pleased with his sound argument.
"Great, I haven't committed any felonies yet today. Anyways, it's more like breaking and exiting." Hitomi responded quite coolly, quickly wedging the door open far enough to slip through.
Van wasn't far behind. She could feel him thrumming with frustrated energy while shouting various other unconvincing arguments after her. "There are other things out there than just dragons! Like…bugs! Huge bugs!"
Hitomi snorted under her breath, not sure where her boldness and bravery were coming from but pressing on. "Oh, don't worry about me. I'm faster than you for sure. In a pinch, I can run."
"The sun is already setting. You said it yourself! It's going to be dark soon."
Roll of the eyes on Hitomi's part. Like that would make her turn around.
It was dark in the passage, but she could see daylight on the other end not far away. The walkway was just about tall enough for Escaflowne to fit through. There wasn't another door at the end, so the corridor could offer shelter to any unfortunate soul who may be stranded on the other side for whatever reason. Big enough for a person or a Guymelef but way too narrow for a dragon to follow.
Hitomi's resolve began to falter when she stepped out on the other side. The change in scenery was immediate and drastic. It was a jungle. She took two steps into the tall grass, hesitated some on the next, then stopped completely. For real. What did she think she was going to do out here?
"Changed your mind? It's alright. You've proven how serious you are. I won't give you a hard time about it, but you need to turn around and go back into the city." Van's voice was close to her. It had softened considerably, conveying sincere concern. "Go back, please. I don't want anything to happen to you." A hand settled onto her shoulder, heavy and comforting.
Hitomi wanted to turn around and look at him, but she was afraid he would see how scared she truly was. Instead, she squared her shoulders and, with deafeningly silent conviction, brushed his hand off and began marching into the gloomy forest in front of them.
Despite his frustration, Van felt a bud of respect blossoming and that irked him terribly.
"She's clever and brave, but her compassion could get her in trouble," Escaflowne commented.
"Yeah…that's what I'm afraid of," Van agreed quietly. "Remember, if we encounter any kind of trouble, don't interfere. Not unless I tell you to."
"As you command." Escaflowne had no choice but to agree with his master.
Hitomi was walking pretty fast for somebody who had no idea where they were headed. Pretty soon, the forest's canopy swallowed most of the daylight. Dense patches of fern covered the ground, and thick moss had hungrily taken over bark on live and fallen trees all around. There wasn't even a path of any kind.
She could hear Van close behind and Escaflowne's heavy, metal feet crush thick branches she'd nimbly stepped over. All in all, being on the other side of the wall was a lot different than she'd imagined. Of course, nobody did any landscaping out here.
What else had she thought it was going to be like? Even when flying into Fanelia, the bird's-eye view only gave a rough idea of what it was like outside the wall. Likewise, the short dirt road between the airstrip and the main gates for the armored vehicles was maintained by some Guymelef worker drones. It certainly wasn't an accurate representation of what the forest really looked like.
When she finally realized that it was pointless to stalk around the forest without aim, Hitomi stopped and one of the ferns tickled her leg as she stood idly, thinking. All of the sudden it felt really stupid to have run off like that. She sighed lightly before speaking. "Why are we out here, anyway?"
Funny you should finally ask.
Van snorted accusingly and crossed his arms. "We are out here because…"
She sent him a pointed glare hearing the tone in his words, and he caught it out of his peripheral vision. It made it all the easier to pretend like he hadn't seen it.
"…I'm looking for my brother."
He paused for emphasis while Hitomi turned fully and faced him, her heart clenching a bit. His brother was dead. Everybody knew that.
"Or what's left of him," Van finished the thought.
Okay, it wasn't like Hitomi had assumed; he was coming out here for funsies. Of course, there was a solid reason, but she hadn't considered for it to be such a sad one.
"I want to find out why he failed at the rite of dragonslaying. Finding where he fought the dragon could give me some clues." This seemed like a safe answer. She didn't need to know what had prompted him to go on this quest now, after nearly ten years. Although Hitomi had proven to be trustworthy so far, this was on a strict need-to-know basis, and she didn't need to know more than that. "So, I'll have to warn you. You might not like what you see when we find it."
"Little late for that," Hitomi answered quietly, fully aware that her spontaneous decision was getting her more of an adventure than she'd bargained for. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to accompany him. Not like she'd given him a choice. Well, too bad. She wouldn't admit that now.
"Is it alright with you if I take the lead now?" Van asked with a mocking undertone. "Because I know which way to go. Unless, of course, you've changed your mind. In which case Escaflowne will be happy to escort you back to the wall."
The look on her face when he said that. She didn't answer. Not verbally. Eyes narrowed, her spine and limbs became rigid, and she seemed to grow a few inches from sheer agitation. He was really getting to her.
"Lead the way," she said.
Van simultaneously uncrossed his arms and rolled his eyes, already turning to backtrack where they'd come from. Hitomi cringed a bit inwardly. He'd let her walk in the completely wrong direction, be stubborn as hell, and all without saying a word. She chewed on her lip nervously. Damn. Whether it was an attest to patience or him proving to her that she had absolutely no business being out here, she couldn't be sure.
A few minutes later he changed the direction, leading them west.
"Wait, but…how do you know the way?" Hitomi's curiosity won over her embarrassment.
When they passed the next tree, Van looked over his shoulder, then reached for a spot on the thick bark. He pointed at two notches about four inches in length. They could have been easily missed if one didn't know what to look for. His face took on a sentimental expression.
"Following these. This one," he traced the bottom notch, which looked newer, "was carved by me. And this one," he switched to the old, withered one, "was carved by my brother. Pretty simple. It's so we wouldn't get lost."
Hitomi's eyebrows rose in realization. Of course!
"When I was out here not too long ago, I followed my brother's trail. I wanted to search for the spot where he died and see for myself what happened but…"
"…you came across a dragon first," Hitomi finished for him.
Van nodded. "After that, I didn't have the strength or nerve anymore."
He didn't need to explain why he hadn't been up for a hike through the woods after battling a dragon—after suffering a pretty bad wound no less.
They kept on walking, sometimes having to climb over small boulders and branches or push through thick bushes when there was no way around. Ten, then twenty or so minutes passed from what Hitomi could judge.
Further and further away from the wall they went, causing her stomach to knot up. Meanwhile, Van seemed unimpressed. He ambled almost leisurely through the forest as if it was something he did every day. Sometimes he'd push a branch out of their way, holding it so Hitomi could pass before letting it swing back into place.
Escaflowne was right behind Hitomi, and every now and again, she'd turn her head to catch a glimpse of the robot. She wasn't sure if having him behind herself was eerie or supposed to make her feel safer. The giant didn't have a face, so it was hard to tell if he was friendly or not.
Hitomi was still puzzling over that until Van stopped abruptly. She nearly collided with his broad back but caught herself just in time.
"Why are we stop…oh...," she trailed off.
There, on a small clearing less overgrown by tall grass, they saw a sword. It was sticking out of the ground at an angle and a few thin vines were curled around it, using it as a support to grow. From where she stood, Hitomi could see the weapon's metal was dull and even rusty in some spots.
What made her gasp wasn't just the sword but the various bones next to it. Bones decayed like anything else but more slowly so. In a climate as hot and humid as Fanelia, and if left exposed to water, insects, and air on peaty soil, bacteria and other microorganisms were easily able to invade the porous structure and tear it down over the course of years.
"Are those?" Van asked the nurse at his side.
"Yeah," Hitomi confirmed. No need to explain it. He knew.
"Escaflowne, scan the area for more of Folken's remains." The command was spoken with a severe lack of intonation, as if what he was seeing didn't affect him at all.
Escaflowne's eyes behind the visor lit up briefly and sent a red laser beam traveling across the ground around them, then further into the distance in all directions. Hitomi was torn between being impressed by the sentry and focusing on the gruesome scene before them. She had no idea what all the robot could do.
In the meantime, Van slowly walked over to the sword, carefully wrapped his fingers around the handle, and picked it up. The weapon rested in both his hands as he stood and held it. Hitomi thought she saw him shake ever so slightly.
"My lord, my scanners cannot detect more of Prince Folken's remains in the immediate area. It is likely that the rest of his body was dragged further away into the woods by the dragon or decomposed some time ago."
Van ground his teeth while still staring at the sword, then gripped the handle in both hands and raised it above his head, the pointy end facing down. With a single thrust, he pierced the ground and the sword sank into the earth about halfway. When he released it, it remained there in a similar fashion as they had found it- a memento to the lost Prince of Fanelia. A marker for a grave without a body.
He should have brought a shovel, but that couldn't be changed right now.
Hitomi took a deep breath and dared to come to Van's side. "How do you feel?"
Now there was a loaded question.
Even her own heart was heavy. Not just because Van and she were the first, maybe only, people able to mourn the lost Prince at the place of his demise, but because she was witnessing something significant and very personal. The man next to her had lost his brother in an extremely gruesome way, never in the clear about what exactly had happened, and was now face to face with his rotting bones. Something nobody ever should have to see.
Van exhaled audibly. He looked shattered enough to admit a personal thought but all he said was, "I'm fine."
That, for some reason, really irked Hitomi. King or not, nobody needed to pretend that seeing a scene like this left them cold. "That can't be true! How can you say that?"
Van clenched his eyes shut. "It's none of your business. Why do you care?"
Hitomi couldn't believe it. There they were, standing right in front of what was left of his brother, and he wasn't shedding so much as a tear. Okay, he didn't need to cry, but at least show some kind of emotional reaction. Pretending to be unmoved by it wasn't healthy.
She wanted to be compassionate, but his stubbornness made Hitomi angry. She huffed, "Why should I not care?"
Looking back and forth between the pile of bones, the sword, and Van, she then kept her eyes firmly on him. She was the very image of someone who wanted to keep her priorities straight while still being visibly shaken by the scene in front of them.
Van stood there for a moment in silence, then continued to speak, undeterred. "Because caring hurts more than a dragon's claws. It's like a wound that never closes or a bone you broke that never got set right. Caring is something that will keep hurting and never go away."
His answer, so calmly stated, nearly agitated her more than the words themselves. How could he say something like that?
Hitomi's brow furrowed and her lips pursed tightly. It had hit home. She prided herself in being compassionate even when it wasn't about her.
"Listen, he's been dead for nearly ten years. I wanted to know what happened to him, but it won't make me want to process his death all over again," Van said. It didn't mean that he wasn't devastated. On the contrary, he'd loved his brother, but by now he'd accepted it.
"You can't just pretend like everything is okay. You came here to find this place, and we did and now… now you act like this won't change anything? I don't believe it! You wouldn't have done this if it didn't mean anything to you."
Oh, it meant plenty. Only she didn't know that. It meant Van was right back where he'd started. He was too late. Without any idea as to why Folken had failed, although he had been so sure to succeed. He would never be able to make a connection with his brother's notes and the encrypted files in Escaflowne's memory. It upset Van more than seeing the rotting bones and the rusty sword. It upset him so much that his next words came out harsh and cold.
"Being compassionate…caring about something that doesn't concern you…it's foolish," Van added for emphasis. "It'd be better if you stopped caring so much. It's only going to get you hurt."
"What if I don't mind?" she shot back.
Van shook his head. "That's only because you have a choice. You aren't responsible for a whole country. Must be really nice to be able to play the good Samaritan when it's convenient."
"You're impossible!" Hitomi shook her head and, without even thinking about it, took off.
Foot insert mouth. Good job, King Van.
Hitomi was fuming. She stormed and stumbled through the underbrush as fast as her feet and the terrain allowed, and only stopped when she was out of breath and felt thoroughly lost.
Maybe she shouldn't have run off like that. She had, after all, no way of defending herself from anything. Stupid. Really stupid!
Van's words had made her forget all about where she was- as if it were normal to be out in the woods. The gravity of the situation only sank in when leaves rustled around her and the ground began to shake. Her bare legs and arms were immediately covered in goosebumps.
One thing was for certain: in the whole hour or so they'd been out here, never once had the ground vibrated beneath their feet or the leaves rustled around them. There was a complete absence of wind thanks to the dense canopy above and the foliage all around.
But why was the ground shaking?
It was almost like something big and heavy was close by. Something like…a dragon.
Actually passing one put her situation into sharper focus. There it was- suddenly mere feet away from her. The very fabric Fanelian nightmares were made of.
The beast was massive by human proportions. Its body was long but plump around the belly with a thick hide. Lizard-like, green scales adorned its backside while a leathery, yellow membrane covered the chest and a part of its long neck. Within seconds, the dragon was in her face. Its snout was slick with moisture, and the hot breath coming out of it smelled like soot.
Hitomi's eyes flew open wide as fear knifed through her, and her mind blanked alarmingly. Her brain lacked the necessary processing power for a response, still busy downloading the required surge of adrenalin needed to power an escape.
As the dragon's head craned closer, some of its sharp teeth now visible, Hitomi was finally able to react in the most natural way possible. Slowly, her mouth opened and her chest expanded as she prepared to let out an ear-splitting scream, but it never happened.
One of Van's hands muffled the noise just in time. He was behind her with one hand pressed tightly against her mouth while quickly wrapping the other around her waist to keep her still. Hitomi began to breathe through her nose- frantic with fear. Her legs finally obeyed her again, but now she could neither scream nor run. Why wasn't he letting her run? Was he mental?
The beast blinked. It focused on them with both of its yellow eyes, the pupils shaped like almonds. Its tail hovered in the air not far away, the sharp bone spike at the end reminding Hitomi that dragons could cause damage to a human with other things than just their fire.
"Shhh. Calm down," the king whispered, his lips so close they were brushing against the shell of her ear. "Trust me."
She wanted to, but Hitomi's eyes were so focused on the dragon's looming form that she was beginning to shake uncontrollably. How was she supposed to calm down with a gigantic monster mere inches away from them?
Her hands, which had been clenched into fists at her sides, sought his because it was the only thing she could do. One flew to the hand that covered her mouth, adding an additional layer on top. She was doing a terrible job at being quiet and could hear herself weeping even through that. Her other hand grasped the arm he had wrapped around her waist, pulling it further around herself. It caused her back to push into his chest, fusing them together.
Hitomi was scared beyond her wits, and the king didn't think it necessary to try and get away. Unable to escape, she instinctively wanted to cover herself with a blanket like a scared little kid, except there was no blanket. There was only him and he seemed like an acceptable substitute at the moment.
"Easy. Just breathe. Don't let it get to you," Van kept talking to her calmly.
Sure. Easy peasy.
Hitomi's hands were clammy with fear while his were warm, a bit sweaty even, from their hike in Fanelia's roasting heat. He must have unsheathed his sword sometime before he found her, because it was clutched in the hand around her midsection. The pommel was digging into her ribs as he held it in a reverse grip, the steel of the blade cold against her upper thigh.
His heartbeat hammered against her left shoulder blade like a drum, strong but steady and way calmer than her own. Hitomi began to focus on that instead and forced herself to close her eyes.
She focused on that comforting pressure on her back every time his chest expanded and the subsequent puff of his breath on her neck. She focused on the words he murmured every now and again, promising her that he wouldn't let anything happen to her. And she even permitted herself to remember the last time they'd met, cooped up behind the curtain in the exam room, right after she'd found out that he'd been partly responsible for ensuring her safety while she'd been drugged.
Something told her that she could trust him. That nothing could ever harm her—not when he was near.
Hitomi's own breaths calmed, evened, and some of that tension left her. She allowed her neck to relax and rested the back of her head against Van's shoulder. Only now did she notice that his body heat rivaled that of the dragon's breath. Despite the evening's temperatures, it was different—comforting even.
While Van slowly felt the woman in his arms unwind, the dragon continued to stare them down and Van stared back, his mouth a straight line and his eyes matching those of the beast's in intensity. Escaflowne stood not far away, alert and ready to jump into action any second.
Another minute passed until the dragon blinked and then slowly retracted its long neck. It emitted a long, steamy breath through widened nostrils before taking a few steps back. Then it turned, more gracefully than expected for a creature of its size, and slowly disappeared the way it had come from.
Van let out a breath of relief of his own. He didn't know he'd been holding one. Hitomi's head was resting against his shoulder and her eyes were still shut. He looked her over from this perspective for a moment, then realized that he should probably let her go before things got awkward.
Hitomi still stood in Van's protective embrace, unmoving and unsure about what to do. She didn't have the sense to unravel herself, nor did she find herself wanting to just yet. What was that all about?
A bit reluctantly, Van's grip on her loosened first, freeing her. With that, the adrenaline subsided completely, leaving Hitomi standing on legs supported by nothing but joints made from Jell-O. The effects of what they had both just survived were finally catching up with her- the possibility that they could have died right then and there imbued with a terrible significance.
No big deal, was her final peevish thought before her knees gave away, and she slumped into a heap in the grass, relief glazing her eyes.
"Why…how…," Hitomi didn't know what to ask first, panting a bit from the still lingering adrenaline.
She heard Van step around her and first saw his sneakers, spots of dirt covering the white fabric, then his knees as he squat down in front of her. "Just… take a minute to recover. It's gone and it won't come back."
It was rather refreshing when Hitomi chose to follow his advice without the slightest sign of disagreement. She quietly counted to ten while breathing in through her nose and out through her mouth.
"Why didn't we run, or...or fight?" she finally asked, but quietly so.
Van flexed his empty sword hand. He'd apparently sheathed the weapon. "Because, first of all, it wasn't necessary. And second, attempting some wild escape or even engaging and injuring it to slow it down was out of the question."
Hitomi faced him, still supporting herself with both hands braced on her knees. "But…but why? Just standing there, we were so easy to kill. It could have toasted us in a heartbeat!" Her voice sounded strangled towards the end at the thought of a dragon enjoying some roast-Hitomi for dinner.
"Shh. Please chill. It's over," Van reminded her. "I couldn't risk agitating it while you were here too, okay? We were safer waiting to see if it would back off. If Escaflowne or I had tried to fight it, you could have gotten hurt, burned, or crushed. Fighting a dragon is messy…," he trailed off when Hitomi covered her face with both hands, her shoulders shaking.
Van dropped one knee to the ground to steady himself, much like that night at the Mystic Moon, and placed a hand around the side of her head.
"Hitomi. Look at me." His voice was gentle but demanding.
Warily, she uncovered her eyes, rubbing them in the process. She'd not cried, but the physical and mental exhaustion were evident on her face. A smudge of dirt on her cheek, together with hair tousled by sweat from hiking through the muggy woods, made her look like she'd been through quite the adventure.
Van absentmindedly smoothed down some of the hair sticking up on the crown of her head and wiped away the dirt on her face before speaking again. Hitomi watched him, mildly dumbfounded.
His expression was serious, but she liked to imagine that his eyes were soft behind the sunglasses, not being able to see them. "I promise I'll protect you with my life. I'll get you back safely, and nothing will ever happen to you out here. Not while I'm around. Do you understand?"
When Hitomi finally nodded numbly, he released her. Hotheaded as he was, never let it be said that Van Fanel was reckless when it came to the life of his people. After he rose, he extended a hand to help her stand, but she didn't accept it after all.
Stubborn. Frustrating. Was it because she suddenly remembered his harsh words? Thanks to his little speech earlier, she probably now thought he felt obligated to care, because she was living in his country. Not entirely wrong.
"Let's head back. Escaflowne, find the shortest way."
Van made sure to keep Hitomi between the sentry and himself. He hoped that the way back would not present any more unwanted surprises.
They hiked quietly, the only noises apart for their steps being the occasional song of a bird high up in a tree or the sounds of insects zipping past them. Due to the previous events, the relative silence was a bit unnerving.
Hitomi looked like she was fine, but deep inside her mind was probably still reeling. Van, for some reason, felt compelled to ensure her continued sanity. If only he'd chosen a different damn door, this all wouldn't have happened and he wouldn't be stuck feeling like crap about it. He observed the young woman in front of him for a moment, scanning her from the crown of her head down to her long legs. Her feet were clad in bright orange, minimalist running shoes.
"I've never seen shoes like that."
"Huh?" Hitomi turned her head for a moment, surprised about the randomness of the statement.
"The soles," Van pointed at them briefly.
"Oh," Hitomi nodded as she lifted one of her feet high in the back to let him see better. "These are running flats. They have hard plastic spikes that better grip on tartan tracks and dirt paths for cross-country running."
Instead of Van, Escaflowne responded out of the blue. "It's certainly fortunate that you seem to be better prepared for this excursion than Lord Van. Well equipped for escaping quickly, at least. Other than His Majesty, who refused to wear so much as a shred of armor before embarking on this quest."
Van glared at the sentry in disapproval. "Escaflowne!"
"Sire, I like a good adventure as much as the next Guymelef, but I feel compelled to mention that a more appropriate..."
"That's enough. Zip it," Van instructed him and, true to the command, the sentry did not respond.
Hitomi couldn't help but grin a bit. As serious as the king seemed, his bodyguard had lightened the mood. She had no idea Escaflowne had such a sassy personality. Really, she didn't know the machine had a personality at all.
To distract from Escaflowne's wisecracking, he kept talking to Hitomi in hopes that she'd soon forget the way his sentry had called him out.
"You like to run then?"
It worked. For now.
Hitomi was surprised that he was taking an interest in something so trivial. "Yeah. I was on my high school's track team. Competed a bunch but never broke any records. I still do it for fun and to stay in shape."
No kidding. Van chanced a quick glance down to her bare legs. The running shorts left little to his imagination. "I see."
She then slowed down enough for them to walk side by side as much as the terrain allowed. Two people having a casual conversation. Except it was in a dragon-infested forest. Maybe it was best to distract herself that way until they got back to the wall.
"Do you have any…uh…hobbies?" Hitomi mentally kicked herself for that lame inquiry.
Van brushed his hand against the scabbard of the royal sword. "Uhm…sword fighting?"
His head throbbed in affirmation, reminding him of the nice "sparring session" with Dilandau and the concussion it had resulted in. It really was a good thing he hadn't been forced to engage the dragon. Who knew to what degree the swelling in his skull would've impaired his hand-eye coordination under the stress of battle?
After a moment of silence, Hitomi asked, "That's it?"
This prompted an undignified silence from the dark-haired king.
Oops. She hadn't meant to call him boring.
Cautiously peering to the side, she could only see his eyes a bit through the gap between the sunglasses and his face. If he took some offense to what she'd said, he made no show of it.
"I suppose so. Looks like I'm pretty boring after all. Whenever I can, I hide in the study to read. Not like I have a lot of time for myself these days."
Or he spent it sneaking out of the palace for a cup of coffee, of course.
"Sometimes I hang out with my sister too."
Hitomi's face brightened. "I hear she's fun."
Van laughed quietly when a series of snapshots starring Merle flashed through his head. A day not long ago when she'd dragged him to the designer mall and nearly acquired an entire wardrobe's worth of colorful clothing was still fresh in his memory. She'd been so excited to have convinced him to dog along, even though there were few things he hated more than shopping.
"You could say that. Do you have any siblings?"
Finally, the conversation flowed a bit better.
"A younger brother. But I haven't seen him in over two years."
"Parents?"
"Yeah. My brother still lives with them in Asturia."
"Do you miss them?"
"A lot." Hitomi nodded, her face reflecting a distant longing for the moment. "But it's not like I can't ever go back."
Van nodded. "Must be nice to have a family to come home to after you're done with school."
Hitomi grew sad then. That's right. The king did have a sister, but the rest of his family was dead. "I'm sorry. I know your…"
"It's fine," Van quickly interrupted her. No need to let her fumble for an unnecessary apology. She most definitely didn't owe him an apology for having a loving family.
Just like that, they both reached a dead-end and exhausted their need for idle chatter for the remainder of the trip.
Instead, they were left to their own observations about each other. Hitomi wondered how she was supposed to keep pretending like her life had been anything but normal as of late. Similarly, Van was busy puzzling over how it was possible that this woman had somehow kept popping up in the most random of moments.
Their interactions had all been so candid, especially today. Everywhere except for the evening at the Mystic Moon. Part of it was, of course, because Van had shown up as his official self. Anytime he was under the scrutiny of the public eye, he couldn't be himself. She was one of the few people outside the palace who was beginning to know him as few others did, although by sheer accident.
Likewise, Hitomi was in deep thought, wondering how many people had the chance to talk to Van Slanzar de Fanel the way she did. How many women could say that they'd been around unsupervised? How many of them he'd kissed or even… Halt. No. Why was she wondering about that again?
Lucky for her, the last rays of the setting sun were strong enough to warrant an excuse for flushed cheeks. Hitomi glanced at Van, capturing again the image of the dark-skinned king's tall frame right next to her.
When they reached the wall and emerged on the other side of the security door, Hitomi placed her hand against the metal structure. The lock settled back into place with a reassuring, soft click.
She finally felt at ease and began to fully process what all had happened out there. New questions formed. Questions she hadn't thought to ask before but which presented themselves as relevant for her reasoning.
"How did you get through it?" she asked.
Van's face was blank.
"The…rite of dragonslaying," Hitomi clarified. "How did you do it?"
Van's hand instinctively went to the handle of his sword, remembering the day. Slim chance he'd ever forget it. Specifically, he'd never forget how it'd felt to ram his sword into the dragon's belly and hit solid bone underneath. Of course, he'd been asked that question by press officials right before his coronation, but had he given them a thorough explanation?
No way. He hadn't wanted to talk about this with anyone. Not even Merle or Balgus.
Moreover, he detested interviews and only consented to give them if absolutely necessary. He hated the attention, but sometimes it got people off his back for a while. With practice, he'd become quite skilled at non-answers, but this time, with just Hitomi facing him, it was different.
Considering this for a moment, he gave in. "Fear, years of training, and my duty to Fanelia kept me going even when I wanted to run the other way."
"That's it?" Hitomi looked at him inquisitively.
Van shrugged while staring at a particular spot on the ground. He wasn't usually comfortable talking about his thoughts and feelings. "Well, yeah. That and you never know how strong you really are until being strong is the only choice you have."
Slap that quote on a magazine together with a picture of him, and you got yourself a story worth a Pulitzer.
Given the little adventure they'd just been through, how shaken she was, and the fact that he'd offended her earlier, Van considered saying something more. He wanted to make sure he didn't have to worry about her anymore after they parted ways shortly.
He blinked a few times and then reached for his shades, propping them onto the top of his head. The inextinguishable fire that were his eyes was now fixed on her, but his voice was gentle and the tension between them palpable.
Van's eyes grew remorseful. "Listen. I'm sorry you got dragged into my shenanigans today, and…all the times before too, but especially today. I never wanted to involve anyone, but there are some things I need to take care of for my own peace of mind."
This prompted a look of concern from Hitomi. She reached out and placed her own soft hand on the one he had still wrapped around the handle of his sword. "Please, whatever it is, don't… don't put yourself in danger."
She'd rendered him speechless for the moment, imploring him with those emerald orbs of hers. No. Not again with the compassion. He didn't want her to worry or- even worse- pity him. His safety didn't need to be any of her concern.
"Stop doing this! The last thing I need is for you to worry about me." The words spilled from his mouth thoughtlessly. "Let's just forget anything ever happened." It was probably better this way. And good thing she really didn't remember the steamy kiss she'd stolen from him at the Mystic Moon. It would make everything even more painful.
Hitomi retracted her arm as if electrocuted, then nervously fidgeted with both hands, just like that day at the coffee shop. It was a habit she just couldn't shake.
"Right. I should get home before Yukari calls the nearest guard post," Hitomi said hurriedly. Before Van could respond or either of them was forced to utter an awkward goodbye, she turned on her heels and was gone.
Van stood there for another minute, staring after her retreating form in the dim evening light. It was nearly dark by now. Just as dark as the thoughts that were sure to follow.
"What a fine young lady! Although a bit unrefined." Escaflowne deemed this as a most appropriate time to disregard the no-speak command from earlier. "If I may recommend, courtship should be ceased until further notice. It appears that your words have upset her."
"There will be no courtship." Van choked the handle of his sword and repositioned his sunglasses with the other hand. He then turned the other way and followed the back alleyways to the castle.
Dilandau crammed his fists deep into his pockets after exiting the Vione. It was one of his favorite evening hangout spots during the week. The quiet wine bar was close to the palace as well as the villa the Zaibach embassy staff occupied. It was a few side streets away from the fancy part of town and closer to where normal folks lived, so the chance of stumbling into a fellow stuck-up diplomat or one of their spoiled daughters was minimal.
While turning the cellphone in his pocket over and over, he brooded. He'd watched the video of the king and that woman a few times, thinking about how to most effectively use it. His allegiance to Zaibach, of course, dictated that he share it with his boss. Such evidence was worth its megabytes in gold for blackmailing purposes.
If only he didn't enjoy seeing Gain gripe about the lack of progress so much. It was the only thing he took more delight in than causing chaos.
His original intent with the stroll about town today had been to get away from Gain. Since day one, the guy had been a bag of flaming dogshit on the porch of his life. Despite that, he was bound to report sightings of interest like the video, especially when he was the only one privy to them.
Fucking fine then. Time to do it.
The cellphone vibrated in his pocket. It had done so a few times over the course of the night, but he couldn't be bothered to pick up or even check who was trying to reach him. Just when he was about to finally pull it out and flip it open, an extremely familiar woman passed him.
She passed him so fast he almost missed it. He turned, looking after her, then quickly started walking. It was her. Undoubtedly. The short hair. Not many women had short hair like that. Similarly built, too. Definitely the woman in the video! He wasn't sure why he was following her, but something told him it'd be useful to know where she lived.
And Dilandau didn't even have to chase her for long. She passed a small corner store, then jogged down the walkway of an older apartment building and entered it.
Location duly noted. Dilandau smirked. Time to report back to base. Fifteen minutes later, he entered the foyer of the villa and retrieved his cellphone from the jacket before tossing the garment onto the coat rack.
He hadn't even gotten around to slipping the cellphone into his pants pocket before somebody descended the steps soundly and pried the device from his hands. Dilandau came face to face with a tall, older man. Despite his age, he had a strong build and the brown mustache made him look even more stern.
Gain narrowed his eyes in annoyance. He squeezed Dilandau's wrist tightly and took the phone from him, flipping it open and shoving the screen into his face.
On the locked screen, it said, "7 Missed Calls".
"You know, when your phone does this ringing thing, it means I'm trying to talk to you. We have a problem."
Okay, so the guy had been looking for him. This much was clear now.
But the frosty welcome made Dilandau reconsider. Maybe he'd hold on to that video for some time longer. Just to spite him.
Hitomi made it home just in time for the encroaching twilight to darken the city's skyline. Just as soon as she closed the apartment door behind her, she heard Yukari's voice.
"Hitomi, is that you?" her friend asked from the living room.
"Yeah, I was out for a run."
"Must have been a long one. You were gone for almost three hours," Yukari commented while Hitomi was toeing off her running shoes. Dirt and grass had stained the mesh more than a normal run would.
Nobody, probably not even her best friend, would believe what she'd actually ended up doing. Not that she felt like giving anybody a play-by-play. Right now, she wasn't even sure what she'd say or what part of the story she'd focus on.
That she was now one of the very few people who'd been outside the wall without a damn good reason? That she'd gone there with no one else but the king of Fanelia himself? That they'd encountered a dragon and lived?
Would she mention that they'd argued like little children at first, but then, later on, he'd oozed bravery beyond measure, assuring her that her safety was his responsibility even after she'd idiotically decided to follow him out there?
"Yeah, I ran far," Hitomi answered vaguely. "I'll get in the shower right away. I'm pretty worn out."
"Heard that," Yukari agreed while Hitomi disappeared into her room to grab some clean clothes and a towel before making her way to the bathroom.
She took her time in the shower, rinsing off sweat and dirt and feeling the need to scrub twice as well as normal. She couldn't tell whether her nose was playing tricks on her or if she really smelled like scorch from exposure to the dragon's breath.
Whilst shampooing her hair, she remembered how close the king's head had been to hers, calmly whispering words of reassurance into her ear. It made her heart skip a few beats, but she immediately scolded herself for being an idiot and wanting to remember that particular detail.
It wasn't like it meant anything. He'd have done the same thing for anyone. He'd said it himself. He had a duty to protect Fanelia and her citizens. But then, his last few words came back to mind.
Now that she had time to think about it, the way he'd talked to her in the end had made it sound like he regretted having ever met her. She plucked his words apart one by one. It made sense, especially considering his condescending attitude about her willingness to care- to help others.
Hitomi left the bathroom clad in a pair of jammies. At least she was comfortable on the outside. Much less so on the inside where she still fought a wave of disappointment despite wanting to keep it real. What else did she think would have happened? For her and the king to become friends? Start hanging out casually?
Not in a million years. It was better for it to end this way. Then she wouldn't have to wonder or care about how he was doing. Ha! That's exactly what he wanted, right? That's right. She didn't care one bit.
When Hitomi came into view in the hallway, Yukari flashed a bright smile at her from the couch. "Hey, guess what!"
Hitomi stretched her arms while passing the couch and stopped near one of the empty sofa chairs next to Yukari. "What?" she asked lazily.
"Huge news!" Yukari waved one of her high-gloss magazines through the air. No doubt fresh off the press.,
"Oh, yeah?" Hitomi said only with mild interest. High society news wasn't of much concern to her but this time Yukari seemed even more excited than normal.
"Yep. Unbelievable! It's about the King and Princess Millerna," Yukari spoke with an ominous voice.
This made Hitomi's eyes open a bit wider. "What about them?" she asked, her stomach already twisting in sick foreboding.
"It wasn't supposed to be announced until Princess Millerna's birthday party at the palace in a few days. She didn't just come to visit. She came so the court could announce their betrothal. Hitomi, King Van and Princess Millerna are going to be married! Isn't this so cool? They are, like, the perfect couple!" Yukari squealed, full of excitement.
Hitomi inhaled through her nose. Towards the end, Yukari's words became fuzzy and almost inaudible. She slowly plunked down on the sofa chair.
Why was this so shocking to hear? Really, anybody should have seen it coming. It only made sense, but why did it cause Hitomi to feel so oddly deflated? She'd just decided not to care.
It's not like there was anything between them at all. She now knew that he didn't want to be compelled to care deeply about anything or anyone. They were basically strangers who just happened to have met a few times.
…and kissed. A small, annoying voice reminded her.
Hitomi's mind was reeling, and for some reason, this news pained her more than she could bear to contemplate. The web of thoughts she'd previously been working on untangling instantly knotted itself back together, further even, into an impossibly tight ball.
Tbc…