Disclaimer: Yep, still own nothing T_T
A king's tale
3
Van looked up at his chief advisor and frowned. "Care to explain yourself, counselor? I'm not sure I understand where you're getting at."
His seemingly relaxed tone only succeeded in making the old man further uneasy. He was very much aware of his king's short temper, how one misplaced word would be enough to unleash his wrath, and it would be a lie not to admit he feared grave consequences of the outcome of that conversation.
"Well, sire… It has come to your council's attention that for the past few weeks… since your wedding day actually,… you have not…"
"I have not… what?" Van asked, clearly amused by his advisor's uneasiness.
"… You have not been seeking Queen Hitomi's company at all." He said in one breath.
To the old man's chagrin, Van laughed. "Is that all this is about?" He asked, leaning back against his chair; a mischievous grin appearing on his lips. "You mean you have finally come to scold me for being a bad husband? Well… it sure took you long enough."
His advisor sighed. He had hoped to be able to have a serious conversation with his king for a change. "Your highness, I strongly urge you not to make a light case of this matter. The importance of the peace treaty for our country…"
"I'm very much aware of the importance of the treaty to Fanelia, counselor." Van cut him off sternly. "Even if King Mamorou does not seem at all interested in keeping his end of the bargain… Have his troops not been spotted close to our borders this week?"
"One more reason to be in good terms with her majesty the Queen, sire! King Mamorou and his sister are very close. She is well known to exercise a great deal of influence over his decisions."
Not enough to prevent him from giving her away to a man she loathes. Van thought bitterly.
"Sire, you're council believes Fanelia would most benefit from the success of your union to your wife."
Van snickered. "I'm afraid though, that my council fails to realize that my wife would rather see me dead, than courting her."
Suddenly taken aback by his king's words, the chief advisor had no time to further plead his case, as a knock on the study's door signaled the premature end of their conversation.
"Go, old man." Van said to him, as Allen entered the room. "Tell my council to rest assured, I shall attempt the impossible."
"You have not come here to scold me too, I hope?" He asked the blond knight, as soon as the other man left the room.
Allen rolled his eyes at him. "By all means Van, I have given up on that years ago. You are far beyond salvation!"
His comment made the young king smile. He could always count on his friend to be blunt.
"To what do I owe the honor of your sudden visit, then?" Van asked, getting up from behind his desk. He had been cooped up on his private study the whole day, going through boring paperwork that sadly only him, as king, could deal with, and was in dying need of a break.
"The alpha battalion of the Cesarian army has put up camp outside of our southern borders."
Van leaned against the window frame, seemingly unimpressed. "Tell me something I don't know."
"They mean business, Van." Allen said gravely, while joining his side. "If they open fire at us, we will be forced to retaliate, and you know very well what that means…"
Van huffed, letting the silence reply on his behalf, while his eyes kept following the lonesome figure, slowly walking about the royal gardens beneath the study's window. A habit he'd recently acquired, despite himself.
One he liked to attribute to mere curiosity, although he was forced to admit, that in the last few days, he had found his gaze gravitating towards her more often, through the safety of those frosted windows; but only because she had begun to look uncharacteristically pale to him, or so he tried to convince himself.
Allen stared at his king's sudden brooding countenance, before letting out a heavy sigh. "You know, you could try talking to her, instead of just staring from afar, like some pathetic adolescent with a platonic crush… Have you even apologized to her yet, for your appalling behavior the other day?"
Van stared at his friend sideways. "I have nothing to apologize for."
Allen grinned. "Really? Then why are you so consumed with guilt right now?"
"…"
She moaned from pleasure, as he deepened their kiss; her hands clinging to his shirt as if her life and sanity depended on it.
Her breaths came out ragged, her chest heaving against the tight corset, as he finally parted his lips from hers, needing himself to catch his breath.
Blue eyes stared into lust filled ones, while her lips curled up into a seductive smile. "I missed you." She whispered into his ear, as her fingers started to fumble with the buttons of his pants.
"Millerna, no!" He warned, pulling her hands away from him.
"And why not?" She asked defiantly.
"I didn't ask you to come here for that." He sighed, pulling a hand through his hair. He was already starting to loath himself for letting the situation get to point where it was. He really had no resolve when he was near that woman.
And she knew it. Her sly smile, as she tangled her arms around his neck was proof enough of that.
"Am I such an awful woman, to demand a little attention from my lover? We haven't seen each other in weeks after all."
"I am not your lover, Millerna." Van said firmly, although the only reaction his statement got from her was a bitter laugh.
"I guess that is true... After all, you are not capable of loving anyone, Van. You don't know the meaning of the word." She said with obvious resentment, already knowing that he wouldn't contradict the accusation… He never did. "Tell me then, why is it that you wished to see me?"
"…I want you to move out of the palace for a while." Van stated, finally managing to disentangle himself from her arms.
Her eyes widened in surprise. "And may I ask why?" She promptly demanded only to suddenly realize the obvious. "Oh, don't tell me you're afraid your little wife might find out about us?" She laughed. "Why, Van, you would have to rid this palace of half its women then, not just me… I'm not the only one to warm your bed, after all."
The icy stare he shot her, ended up hurting her more than his cold words. "She is your Queen, Millerna. Watch your tongue."
She snickered at him in return. "Well, well, who would have guessed? One week into your puppet marriage and you suddenly feel like playing the role of the devoted husband? Spare me Van, we both know very well the role doesn't suit you!"
She cooked her head to the side, eyeing him more intently; his unexpected behavior taking the best out of her curiosity, when suddenly a thought crossed her mind. It all started to make perfect sense to her.
"Oh, don't tell me you're trying to atone for your father's sins?" She smirked.
"Enough, Millerna!" He warned.
"Give it up Van. Fidelity is not a trade of the Fanels. It's best your wife understands that soon, otherwise she will end up withering away from grief like your mother did."
"I said, ENOUGH!" Van shouted, his hands griping her upper arms. "You will leave this palace, Millerna, and don't make me ask you again. I will not do it politely next time."
"Shhhh, Van, someone might hear you!" She hushed jokingly, looking around the garden and making him suddenly aware himself of their not-so-secluded surroundings.
He figured his apprehension might have been plain to her, because before he knew it, he felt her fingers lightly stroking his cheek. "Relax Van," she said in an apparently subdued voice. "…if such is my king's wish, I will bravely accept the burden of not being able to be by his side for a while."
Van controlled the urge not to laugh. Millerna was such a perfectly designed machine of lies and deceitfulness, the young king could only feel sorry for the poor bastards she would be preying on as soon as she left his side.
"I want something in return though…"
Van narrowed his eyes at her. He had been expecting some kind of demand. "What?"
"…A farewell kiss." She whispered, quickly closing the distance between them, before he even had the chance to deny her advances.
Their lips had barely touched though, when Millerna suddenly pulled away from him, gasping in surprise; her gaze focused somewhere behind Van. Confused, the young king turned around to face the source of her sudden alarm, and froze.
On the opposite side of the garden, among the freshly planted rose bushes, a young woman stood quietly staring at them. Her green eyes lingered only for a fraction of a second on Van, before she turned around, and as quietly as she had appeared, disappeared behind the foliage.
Hitomi sighed, placing her book down. She had finally resigned to the fact she would be unable to find the peace and quiet required to continue her readings in an enjoyable manner.
Her attention thus turned to the cup of cinnamon tea being poured in front of her by her chief chamber-maid Mirana, a lively and caring old lady, who had been serving the Fanelian household for two generations, and which had turn out to be one (if not the only) ally Hitomi had found in her new home.
"Are you feeling ill, my Queen?" Mirana asked, genuinely concerned. "Your complexion has been somewhat pale as of late."
Hitomi smiled, hoping to dispel her concern, although in truth she didn't really feel like it. "I am fine Mirana. You worry far too much about me." She reached out for the simmering cup, the familiar scent of spices instantly surrounding her, transporting her far away, back to the security of her country and her most beloved brother.
She bit her lower lip to prevent a treacherous tear from escaping her lid. A habit she had acquired as of late.
Mirana frowned. Her wise years prevented her from being fooled so easily. She knew painfully well that her Queen was not happy in her new home, and so had taken it upon herself to try and help her adapt to her new surroundings, so different from those of her birth country.
She was about to say some encouraging words to her Queen, hoping to lift her spirits, when the giggle fest, that had continuously been heard throughout the royal chambers that afternoon, broke through the air once again.
Mirana's eyes were fuming with rage as she turned to a group of ladies-in-waiting gleefully leaning over an open window; completely absorbed in whatever scenery was displayed outside.
"Why you insolent girls!" The old lady retorted angrily. "Have you nothing better to do, than to spend your youths in such an idle fashion? Go find something useful to do with your time, and spear her highness of your futile presence."
Satisfied with seeing the young girls put in check, she turned to her Queen only to find her smiling openly at her. "Now, now, Mirana! There is no need to be so hard on them. Let them enjoy themselves."
Joyful to sense her Queen on their side, one of the girls pulled her tongue out at the chamber-maid, making the later even more angry with the situation.
"But your highness, you know very well, the only thing these impertinent ladies do all afternoon, is spy on the training sessions of the royal army."
"Oh, don't mind them, Mirana. There is no harm in looking. Besides, it is my fault they spend most of the time inside these chambers after all. It wouldn't feel right to take away from them their only means of diversion." Hitomi said, while getting up from her seat.
"Who is it this time, ladies? I must say you are particularly loud this afternoon. I'll have to agree with Mirana on that." Hitomi asked while approaching the window herself; her ladies-in-waiting suddenly panicking. "Don't tell me Knight Schezar is training the troops again?" She asked amused, while they blushed crimson.
"Well, I wonder who could it be this tim-…Oh!" The smile died on her lips.
In the sunbathed courtyard below the window, a group of men gathered around in a large circle, cheering and shouting, as two other men in the middle, carefully faced each other, swords in hand.
The match must had been going on for quite some time, as even from the distance Hitomi could see their naked torsos covered in sweat, their muscles glistening in the light with every clash of their swords.
It was with a tingle of apprehension that Hitomi noticed the unmistakable sight of blood that like a thin cut, marked general Hideto's upper arm, but it was clear who was the crowd's favorite in that battle.
Every thrust and block performed by his opponent, for now apparently unscathed, was followed by a wave of cheers. Van was clearly dominating the match, seemingly to only want to prolong it for the sake of fun and the other men's cheers.
For a split second, Hitomi wished for the blade cut to be on his arm instead.
"O-Our deepest apologies, Queen Hitomi." The voice of Merle, the newest of her ladies-in-waiting, and not arguably the most air-headed, brought her mind back to the room. "We shall immediately return to our duties!"
Hitomi noticed Merle didn't dare show her face to her as she bowed, no doubt attempting to conceal her inappropriate blush. It was not like she had to, though.
The young Queen was well aware that more than half of her ladies-in-waiting, either of Fanelian or Cesarian descent, harbored a secret love for the king of Fanelia, no doubt hoping to one day be fortunate enough to be one of his chosen lovers, if only for one night.
The thought of being forced to call such a type of man her "husband" made Hitomi sick to her stomach.
She turned her back to the window immediately, ignoring the last wave of cheers that erupted outside, signaling the king's triumph.
The letter had arrived by a special messenger.
It was getting harder for Cesarian officials to cross into Fanelia freely, now that the animosity between the two countries had reached a new peak, with the Cesarian troops stationed so close to the Fanelian border, for their scheduled 'routine exercises' as they had been officially called, but still the messenger had been able to discretely penetrate the borders and deliver its precious missive to its intended recipient.
Hitomi had practically ran to the safety of her private garden, the only place she could truly feel at ease inside the palace gates, clutching the letter tightly against her chest, and had spent the last hour reading and re-reading every line her brother had written her, trying to draw some much needed comfort from his words.
"Letter from home?" Someone cut through the silence behind her.
Hitomi's eyes widened in panic, her first instinct telling her to hide the letter in fear it might be taken away from her, but she decided to remain calm and composed as she turned around to face her speaker.
Van stood behind her, shirt unbuttoned, sword strapped loosely around his waist, hair clinging to his face as if he'd been sweating under the sun. She quickly figured he'd probably been sparring with his troops again, and mentally kicked herself for not remembering he sometimes cut across her garden at that time of day, in order to get to his private chambers while avoiding most of his advisors along the way.
"I hope your brother is well…" He continued, taking her silence as a 'yes' to his first question.
Hitomi frowned at his comment. "Do you really mean that?"
"Well… not really." He smiled. "But I wouldn't want the letter to cause you anymore distress than you already have been subject to."
His unexpected words surprised her. Unable to say anything in return, an awkward silence fell between the two of them.
"I-I'll leave." She finally said, starting to rise from her bench.
"Out of the question." He immediately added, shaking his head. "It was I who imposed on your privacy. Please stay as long as you wish. Also, I'll give word for no one to disturb you while you remain here."
His comment baffled her to silence once again.
"Well then," Van said, bowing slightly, not wishing to prolong her uneasiness any further. "I wish you a good evening."
But as he went past her, Hitomi noticed the red stain on his shirt.
"You're hurt!" She stated with more alarm than she wished to show.
Van stared in confusion at her for a moment, before remembering the light sting on his arm. He lifted his sleeve to reveal a thin cut crossing his forearm.
"Oh this! It's nothing really." He chuckled, almost in embarrassment. "General Hideto finally got his revenge on me that's all. Oh, but rest assured he shall not live to boost about his treacherous act for long. My infamous wrath shall descend upon him swiftly. "
Hitomi shook her head, dismissing his words. "The blood is already dripping to your hand. You'll stain the floors inside if you do not cover it properly. Here, wrap your wound with this." She said, taking a loose sash from her gown and giving it to him.
Van hesitated for a second, before accepting her gift and clumsily trying to cover the wound, only to succeed in staining the sash far more than his shirt already was.
"H-Here, let me do that for you." She offered hesitantly, taking out a new, clean sash from her gown, while Van placed his injured arm within her reach.
He eyed her expertise with genuine interest. "You're very good at this."
She smiled slightly. "I grew up with four brothers, who were very fond of sparring with each other. With the amount of wounds I've treated from them, I could probably get myself a nurse's degree."
Van laughed. "Please be kind to me, and tell me that your brother Mamorou was the one who lost more often".
Hitomi grinned at him. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, your highness. But my brother remains till this date undefeated in every match he has ever played." She stated, while she finished tying the sash around his arm.
"Thank you." Van said, and she bowed respectfully at him, turning around in the direction of the bench.
He watched her retreating figure, the quiet display of grace of movements he had grown accustomed to watch from afar and suddenly felt impelled to speak. "I am truly sorry you had to be dragged into this conflict… You deserve better."
She stopped, but did not face him again.
"I'm afraid that I have recently behaved toward your highness in a way which is not proper both of my position and education. I should be the one apologizing to you..."
Van chuckled under his breath. "If you are referring to having slapped me, rest assured, I bear no ill feelings on the matter… I deserved it, after all."
He recalled the scene she had witnessed just a few days ago, and suddenly felt disgusted with himself. "Actually, if you wish to slap me again I will not turn away. I have not treated you with the respect you are entitled to as Fanelia's Queen… and my wife."
This time it was Hitomi's turn to chuckle. "Your highness, please do not think of me as a helpless fool. I knew very well the sole purpose of our marriage when I agreed to it, and so did you. I cannot expect or demand anything else apart from what was agreed on, in the treaty that sealed it, and that was to ensure peace between Fanelia and Cesario, nothing else."
Her calmness surprised Van. He had expected her to be angry, bitter even, he had even half-expected her to slap him again. He was hoping that she'd slap him again, perhaps his guilt would be assuaged, if only a little bit.
"You are free to live your life as you wish, your highness, and with whom you wish. I will not impose on it in any way." She added, hoping her voice had conveyed a firmness, she was well aware was not truthful.
Minutes later, Van leaned his back against the door of his private study and sighed, as the voice of his chief advisor echoed through the hall outside, frantically calling out for the royal physician.
He guessed his advisor hadn't been convinced by him saying that a cut on his arm couldn't actually kill him.
He even tempted with the idea of going after the man, before the whole palace would start thinking that their king was on his death bed, but then he noticed Allen sitting on the window seat beside him, his face uncharacteristically grave. This couldn't be a good omen. Van thought to himself.
"What is it?" He demanded.
Allen lifted an envelope in his hand, so that his king could recognize its royal seal immediately.
"We intercepted this message a few hours ago, from a Cesarian soldier trying to cross our border. Our scribe has already confirmed it to us. It's signed by king Mamorou himself."
"Spare me the small talk, Allen."
The blond knight sighed heavily.
"It's a warrant for your death, Van."
(hope you enjoyed the chapter!^^ now i shall retreat back to my cave)