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Chapter 7: A Warning from a friend
Celena was coming down the hall in a pale yellow dress, very similar to the dress that Hitomi wore during her time in Asturia during the Destiny War, just without the frills. Hitomi noticed that Celena's hair was still the same platinum sliver and length as Dilandau's, but her eyes were the same blue as Allen's.
"Hello, Lady Hitomi." She greeted shyly and curtsied politely.
"Hello, Celena." She said as the two girls walked in to the dinning hall, " You don't have to curtsy to me, I'm not royalty or anything, and you defiantly don't have to call me "lady," if everyone did that I'd go crazy in no time."
"Oh, I didn't mean to upset you in any way, it's just that if I get too familiar with anyone, I run the risk of Dilandau killing him or her." She apologized. "For he is aware if the things that I do during the day and he would surly like to take revenge every now and again."
"Really?"
"I pray that you not worry, for I have him under control. It's just that I do not want to tempt him to try anything." She reassured.
They walked passed a few members of the Crusade who called cheerfully out to the two girls. The guys had already started with their dinner and had already had a fare share of the Fanelian wine. Hitomi made a mental note that the Gaeain wines were stronger then the ones back on Earth, and that she should take it easy. She didn't want a repeat of the first time she had some Gaeain wine, aside of all the events that had happened, she had a killer hangover the next morning.
At the far end of the table Allen, Chid, Merle, and a blond cat man were all engaged in a conversation of sword technique. Merle looked quit bored.
"HITOMI!" Merle gestured to the empty seat next to her "did you have a nice sleep sleepy-head?"
"Yes, thank you." She said as she sat down, keeping her eyes on the blond cat man. Celena sat down on the other side of him, across from Allen.
"OH!" Merle exclaimed once seeing what Hitomi was looking at. "This is my husband, Jack, he's the captain of the palace guard. "
"Your servant, Lady Hitomi, Lady Celena." He bowed his head in courtly fashion to Hitomi and Celena.
"Oh, please just call he Hitomi, there's no need to call me 'Lady Hitomi'"
" It is not my place to be calling someone with a higher ranking then I with out addressing them properly." He argued
"I highly doubt that I have a higher ranking then you, or anyone for that matter. I'm just an average citizen back home."
"But hear you are a war hero, there is not a child in all of Gaea who has not heard of you great adventure, at least once."
"Ya, Hitomi you're one of the more famous, and favorite, fiction charters here in Gaea." Chimed in Millerna, who was settling down in a chair across form Hitomi, and Van who had come in with her was sitting down in his chair at the head of the table, next to Hitomi. "Well, you and Van."
"No" Hitomi said in disbelief.
"I'm afraid she's right." Assured Van.
"And every history book that I've read of the War at least mentions your name five times." Added Chid.
"What! That can't be."
"I'm afraid that Chid's right."
"But I didn't do anything special. I was just on the run with you guys and trying to keep us all alive."
"But you are from a different planet, and you could have just left us to our fate, but you helped us out. " Stated Celena.
"Well, I had to."
"Technically you didn't," continued Celena. "You could have gone home."
"But I didn't know how to go home… well not in the begging at least."
"And you did you home," Said Van. Hitomi quickly looked at Van and finally realized that she was sitting in the guest of honor seat. "And then came back, and helped us defeat Zaibach, that you didn't have to do."
"Van…" Hitomi started to say that she wanted to come back to help him get his kingdom back, but was interrupted by a servant bringing in some hot food for the old-time friends.
"And by the way, why do we always have the meeting on the Last day?" whined Millerna.
"Because when we officially became allies, we agreed that three days were enough, and after all of the formal stuff that needs to be done, the only time we have for the meeting is on the last day. Plus its not like any of us haven't spent more than the three days before, Aunt Millerna." Replied Chid.
"Yes, but I have to leave tonight to get ready for my coronation in three weeks." She pouted. "And Hitomi you are coming right?"
"I wouldn't miss it for anything in the two worlds." Hitomi replied happily.
"I expect to see you there, and you will be needing something a bit more formal than that, Hitomi." Teased Millerna
"Well, in my defense I would have, if only a had a chance to pack properly for coming here." Said Hitomi playfully. "As it is I'm stuck with my hiking cloths."
"That's prefect!" Merle exclaimed happily, and everyone's head turned questionably, at her. "I've been looking for an excuse to go shopping!"
"You don't have to, Merle." Hitomi tried to persuade.
"But what do you think that the people of Fanelia will think seeing you walking around like that? "
"They will think that the girl from the Mystic Moon is back." Replied Hitomi.
"If you say so." Said Merle who waved her hand in dismissal.
"Well at least some things don't change that much over time." Joked Allen; the two girls in question both gave him identical glares.
The conversation then drifted to old stories of the war, and stories of how everyone had spent the last ten years, and telling of embarrassing stories only to be the next victim - till near the end of supper. Which was brought to a sudden end when a young messenger around the age of eight dressed in Fanelian red, quietly walked up to Van and whispered something to the king. Who sighed in annoyance, and said sadly, "You must excuse me, there is some pressing matter that apparently cannot be resolved with out me." And with that the king got up and walked up and followed the messenger out the side door, and at that point in time Kain and Damasu thought that it was a perfect time to start a food fight at the other end of the table. Merle made as if to go and stop it but Jack stopped her by placing a hand on top of hers and gave her one of those maternal looks that said 'I'll take care of it', much to the relief of Merle.
"Well since I have an early morning tomorrow I think that I shall retire for the night." Yawned Millerna.
"Allow me to escort you to your room, Aunt Millerna." Offered Chid before Allen had a chance to.
"Why thank you, Chid," Said Millerna. The two said their good byes and headed out to the guests' wing of the castle. "And Hitomi, I expect to see you at my coronation!"
"Don't worry, I will, Millerna." Assured Hitomi.
"And I better make sure that everything is ready on the Crusade." Said Allen, "Shall you be joining me, sister?"
"Of course, brother." At this point the food fight was successfully stopped, and the two responsible for starting it were sent to bed. The two Schezar siblings said their good nights and left, followed by Gaddes.
The hall was emptying quickly, when Merle turned to Hitomi and said, "I expect that you'll want to go back to your room."
"Ah, yea…" said Hitomi who then realized that she had no idea how to get back to her room.
"Don't worry I'll show you to your room." Aid Merle with a hint of laughter in her voice, when she saw the look of helplessness on her friend's face.
As the two friends walked down the never-ending hallways and staircases Merle told Hitomi of a lot of the gossip and roamers in Fanelia. After a little wile they fell into a silence neither knew what to say, until they had gotten to Hitomi's door…
"I want you to stay away from Lord Van" Merle blurted, all of a sudden.
"What?"
"I said I want you to stay away from Lord Van, unless you're willing to stay in Fanelia. Because it's quite obvious that you still love him, and he–may the gods help him- is still madly in love with you."
"But-"
"The thing is," Merle interrupted "Van made a deal with the advisers after the death of his first wife that he would get five years to morn and find himself another queen. And if he didn't find himself a new queen by the end of the five years the advisers could choose one again for him. She died about four years ago." The cat-woman then glanced at her old friend to see her reaction, which was of total disbelief. "So unless your completely serious about staying, you better stay away from him, and you know that I love you like a sister, I will kill you if you hurt him like you did the last time. And the advisers will not choose you to be his queen." And with that she departed, leaving Hitomi standing in front of her door, staring after her in complete shock.
well what do ya think?
a thousand apoligise for my tardyness but i hope that its worth the wait.