This Slow Dance

A/N: So Van finally met up with Hitomi, though briefly... Part of this chapter will be told in Hitomi's POV. All will be revealed slowly but surely... lol! Enjoy!

Chapter 5

Asha Batrice, Dryden told me once I showed him the slip of paper, is a rich land owner who lives in the Zulan, and, as it turns out, is the "owner" of the show I saw with him.

Hitomi is a dancer, thus she is owned by him.

The thought makes me more then a little angry, but Dryden urges me to remain calm and insists that he can figure out a way to get her back. Me and Allen are a little more skeptical, and the other diplomats that ventured here with us could careless for her safety.

Dryden is reminding me for the hundredth time as we enter this Asha person's personal home inside the Palace City that I cannot, i cannot /i in any instant, use Hitomi's name and I hiss back at him that I know. Doing so could risk Hitomi's safety, even though I don't believe this man would do anything to risk the life of his star performer.

Unless of course, he was the one that was hiding her name all along.

He couldn't risk Hitomi suddenly disappearing again.

The building this man lived in was enormous. A private housing structure within the already high walls of the palace. Extravagant garden. A large wooden structure and a smaller building that houses the servants and another for the performers.

It takes all my will power to not go through the garden and into that building.

Allen and Dryden walk on either side of me, as if worried I will bolt at any moment, and I'm almost glad they're there.

A tall female servant with slanting gray eyes and tanned skin, dressed in bright yellow showed us into the a greeting room with a small table you have to kneel by and cushions all around like at the show. She poured us tea before bowing and excusing herself to stand in the corner of the room, never raising her eyes to us.

I felt even more angry at this, wondering if this man beat them or taught them it was wrong to look at people "above" her.

I can't help but clench the hilt of my sword, ignoring the small glances of warning Allen was passing me as he settled in beside me.

Dryden is the only one that drinks the tea. I wonder if he has some sort of death wish, or if he was just that trusting.

Asha Batrice is a rather handsome middle-aged man with long black hair he has pulled back in a wrap. His eyes are a deep brown, nearly black like his hair, and rather unsettling as he takes a seat across from the three of us and takes us in. His smile is even more unsettling, and with shame, I feel myself break out in gooseflesh as he indicates for the woman in the corner to pour Dryden more tea.

He pulls back the sleeves of his long, expensive robes as if he's getting down to serious business and places weathered hands on the table in front of him. "Well, what a surprise. I heard there was a party from the west here to talk with the Emperor... is this all of you?"

Dryden chuckles, but it's different from his normal ones. I can tell it's fake. "No, we're just the ones curious enough to land us here."

The man chuckles. His eyes don't show amusement. "Ah, so why do I have the pleasure of having the King of Asturia and the King of Fanalia as guests." His accent his strange, and hard to place. Perhaps a combination of many? He doesn't even acknowledge Allen.

"We saw your show last night." Dryden offers up right away, and I can tell he's already figured out how to go about this in advance. Ever a politician. Ever a merchant. "Quite amazing. I'd heard rave reviews about it, and see now that everything they've said it true."

Asha chuckles. "I should hope so. I spent good money to get it that way."

I narrow my eyes, and wish that Dryden would get to the point.

I can't stand this man.

"We were most interested in one of your dancers... the young women at the end?"

He smiles. A slow smile. I can picture myself running this man through. It would be so easy-

"Esmeralda."

"Pardon?" Dryden looks thrown off a moment.

"It means "Emeralds" in my native tongue..." He proceeded to say something in a language I've only heard snippets of in my lifetime.

"You're Resquiin."

"My mother." He sat up a little bit straighter. "A small island... I'm surprised you even know of it... though they say there is nowhere Dryden Fassa hasn't been."

Dryden laughs, in earnest this time, and I feel the need to hit him. "I suppose not." He seems to sober up. "And this... Esmeralda?"

"The young woman you ask of. Her name is Esmeralda. I paid a great amount of money for her. It was with great luck that I found her. She is quite stunning, is she not?"

I realize that Asha is suspicious of us. I tense.

"She is..." Dryden's voice is quiet a moment before he takes on his role again. "Her illusions are quite amazing."

Asha lifts his tea to his mouth and takes a small sip. He's smiling over the rim. "Yes...illusions."

I feel a weird feeling at the pit of my stomach at his words. At the look on his face.

"We would like to meet her." Dryden is smiling.

Asha is quiet. Sets his tea down before him and sits back from the table, as if to survey us from a greater distance. He suddenly isn't smiling, and I think we all feel a little tense at this point, though we know he can't do anything to us.

After what seems forever, he motions for the young woman in the corner to come forward, and whispered something into her ear. She disappears from the room, sliding open the screen door to our left and disappearing into the darkness of the hallway beyond.

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Hitomi's POV:

I knew they would come. Not just to the estate tonight, but to this island. To this city. I knew that if I waited long enough they would be here. When I saw Van and Dryden at the performance, I wasn't surprised, just incredibly happy.

... And now they're here.

I slipped out of my silken night clothes and into a dress robe as soon as I saw them enter through the security gate. Laurette help me with my hair, twisting it into the elegant knot I like so much, not asking any questions as to why I was preparing myself for guests when I wasn't yet called.

I put pearls in my ears, a gift from a male admirer I'd gotten years ago and never worn, and the usual silver bracelets I wore for performances.

Soon, as expected, Analeigh showed up at my door, telling me that the visitors were requesting a visit. As I sneak past her and into the hallway leading out of the performers quarters and into the main house, she whispered to me with a smile that the guests were all quite attractive.

I only smiled as she fell into step in front of me.

I held my breath as she slid the door opened and bid me to enter, my heart pounding so loudly I worried someone may here.

There they were. Allen looking much the same, only older and more worn. His hair was shorter. He still wore his knights uniform. Dryden. Shaved and well kept. Very royal looking in the robes he had on, his wild hair loose.

...And Van. Beautiful Van. Sitting tall and rigid between the two men. Staring at me with those wonderful eyes I could simply loose myself in forever. The color of blood and anguish. The color of lust and love. His mop of black hair even more wild then I last saw of him. He looked just as fine in the native clothing as he did that night at the performance, only now his eyes were not clouded with the drugs most rich clients used during the performances.

I'd been incredibly amused to see like that, but hadn't been able to say a word.

I always pictured our reunion somehow a bit different. For instance, I was never a dancer and in a foreign country I'd never even really heard about during my last visit. In my dreams, I'd never been in this situation at all, or anything close to it. Just... naive thoughts about waking up in Fanalia with Van hovering over me. Holding my hand. Kissing my cheek shyly.

I wonder if we're past all shyness. After all we've been through.

I take a seat on the cushion provided. The table isn't within reach which is to be expected. I can't sit at the table with the men.

Asha eyes me up and down as if he expects I'm carrying a hidden weapon, and as his dark eyes seer into me I wish I'd carried something sharp with me.

The decorative pins in my hair aren't sharp enough to cause any real damage, though it doesn't take much to maim someone...

I force myself to stare at my lap, even though my eyes long to meet Van's again.

"My beautiful Esmeralda." Asha's silken voice causes me to instantly tense. I can imagine his hands sliding over my skin and I hold back a flinch, only tighten my grip on the fabric in my lap.

"She is very beautiful." Dryden's voice. I don't look up.

"Yes..." I can hear the smile in his voice. "Esmeralda... this is King Dryden of Asturia, and King Van Fanel of Fanalia." He didn't even introduce Allen, and I hear the knight shift uncomfortable. If from embarrassment or just anger I don't know, as I don't look up, only bow as what is requested of me when meeting royalty.

I feel their eyes on the back of my neck till I sit up. I think they might believe I will say something, but I hold my tongue. Turn my gaze back to Asha who I find is looking at me with hunger in his eyes and something like triumph.

I wonder how long it would take me to pull out one of my pins.

"She is not much of a dancer. Didn't dance at all until she was taught." He smiled, in what I guess he thought may look like an affectionate way, his dark eyes not reflecting it at all. "But her performance makes up for what she lacks."

I felt rather then saw Van and Allen tense.

Dryden spoke up again. "Her tricks are more then enough to get the crowd going."

Asha sets his tea down, as he'd been taking a sip and studies Dryden for a moment quietly. I take the opportunity to look at the strange, but comforting group myself. Meeting Van's gaze once more, as he must have noticed my shift in attention. He blinks and looked towards the table. I don't look away.

Asha speaks, his dark eyes sparkling slightly in a way I know by now is dangerous. " i Tricks /i are hardly what I'd call them, Your Majesty." His tone is slightly mocking. Arrogant. I tense. "I paid a outlandish amount of money for more then just tricks. The seller wanted to keep her, but I insisted."

I remembered very well how he insisted. Threatened the foul breathed man who had 'owned' her for a brief time with his life. He gave in after several threats.

"They're not tricks? Real magic?" I realize suddenly that Dryden is baiting him on.

I wish he wouldn't...

"You mock me, friend. But I assure you, her powers go beyond little tricks to drunk men." He passed a grin at me. Wolfish. Ugly on his attractive face. "She's an amazing creature. A whole new level of performers."

I think about how easy it would be to burn that handsome face with the tea on the table.

"What powers are you talking about? The ability to read minds and such? Tell the future?" And he laughed, and all of us looked at him. Van had a scandalized look on his face, while Allen was glaring. I must have been doing something between both.

Asha didn't look amused.

He doesn't know about the visions, he's talking about the other stuff.

The man turns to me suddenly, and I feel as I always do when caught in his attention. Fear. Uncertainty. Absolute hatred. "Show them."

I lower my head, the hair not pinned back falling to shield my face from the others. I don't want to show them. I can't show them. They already think I'm weird, this would only make it worse.

Besides, I didn't want to give in to Asha in front of them. My friends. My love.

"Show them." He repeats it this time, with more force and I peek up at him. My hatred for him must be there on my face, but I know it only amuses him.

He knows exactly what he holds over me.

He's sitting back now, looking at me with his eyes dark. All the ease of a giant cat ready to sink it's clothes into whatever is moving...

He suddenly makes a quick movement, and I notice, just as I notice the tea kettle flying towards me, as if everything is suddenly in slow motion, Van move to stand up, his sword half out of his sheath. Allen moves as if to knock the kettle out of midair. Dryden's shocked face. Analeigh standing in the corner.

And suddenly, there is silence.

The teapot is suspended in front of me, the lid just near my shoulder, blobs of suspended tea sitting there in front of my face as if suspended there by string. The kettle in a state of frozen horror.

I'm breathing so deeply. My heart is pounding. My shoulder heave with the effort to get enough oxygen to my brain, and I feel tears sting my eyes, as a concentrate hard enough to get the tea back into the kettle. The lid securely in place. It slides through the air, back towards the table.

Smashes on the ground, as I've lost my concentration upon seeing everyone's faces.

They all look so shocked. Horrified? I don't know. Probably.

Asha doesn't care about the broken teapot. The silence is broken by his bark-like laughter as he sits back, putting his weight on his hands and grins at me.

Dryden is forcing Van back to his seat with a hand on his shoulder, and I meet Van's eyes a moment, as if to apologies.

He doesn't look away, but he closes his mouth which had been suspended like the tea kettle in disbelief.

I beg him, with my eyes, not to hate me.

"See! Real magic! Worth every penny."

I'm too horrified and to angry to look at him, but I can't bring myself to look at Van any longer and turn my gaze to the floor.

I don't see the way Asha is looking at them, but I can imagine the satisfaction in his eyes. The grin on his face.

"You came here to buy her off me?"

Dryden must have made some sort of movement, or affirmation because he continued.

"As you can see, she is one of a kind however, Your Majesty, and not for sale."

I concentrate on the fine design on my dress robe and try to stop my hands shaking. The tea is spreading along the wood floors.

Not for sale.

"No huh?" Dryden's voice is quiet. I know that he doesn't want to be persistent, or he will seem suspicious.

There is nothing they can do.

A silence engulfs the room and I know that Asha must be studying them all.

Then suddenly he's addressing Van, and I look up in surprise.

"King Van... it seems you've had your eye on her all night. You liked her performance."

He swallows. I watch his throat move with the action. His shoulders are balls of tension, but he doesn't say anything. He realizes that he has more authority than Asha. His eyes are narrowed dangerously, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Asha stands and Analeigh quickly bustles over to him. I know that once he leaves the room she will hastily clean up the spilt tea and I will apologies for the mess over and over.

Tonight, however, would be different.

Before leaving the room, he addresses them again. His eyes are on Van. "You can take her for the night. Let her entertain you for an evening. I'll send someone over in the morning to fetch her."

He makes an elegant, deceit filled bow and walks to the door, taking care to grin down at me in a most unpleasant way before disappearing.

Analeigh is on the tea before we've all left the room. I follow them quietly out of the building and towards the waiting two-seated, uncovered carriages in the drive.

Van looks back at me before climbing into one of them, unsurely holding his hand out to help me up while Allen and Dryden quietly clamber into another one.

I don't know where we're going, as I don't know where they're staying, but I feel fine with it, as I carefully sit down next to Van and smell his familiar natural smell, and feel his leg against mine as we are pulled out of the estate. I feel safer the further I get away from Asha.

I catching little glimpses Van passes me, and as we leave the palace city and enter into the upper class Houin district, we both look towards each other at the same time and can't help but smile. Just a little.

I know that everything isn't this simple, but I can't help but be happy that we're finally close to one another again.

After a pause he finds my hand and gives it a small squeeze, as if to let me know he's really there.

I feel free for just a moment, even though my worries remain back in the estate.

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A/N: ha! another chapter before Christmas. Go me! HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE! I love you all :D