Beyond Aeaea

DISCLAIMER: The Vision of Escaflowne is not legally mine but the visions of this story are.

Note: Something went awry with the last update so I don't know if you were able to read it. Or maybe it wasn't worth reviewing much. Please do review this one, if you can. Thanks.

This is also to "celebrate" 09-09-09. One day. 9 posts (new stories or updates).

Another person's reaction to the upcoming Aston-Fanel nuptials.

Chapter Five

"I cannot believe you are going through with this," Millerna protested as she followed her serene sister, as they took a short break from their royal duties.

"Well, you had better believe it, little sister," Eries replied calmly, "because it is really going to happen."

Millerna frowned at this and folded her arms. She could not help but be frustrated at the nonchalant way her sister dealt with a major change in her life. Millerna herself would not have known how to react to such an arrangement.

Eries walked on and Millerna trailed her sister impatiently. The younger princess could still not reconcile herself to the idea that yet another one of her older sisters was getting married for the sake of political convenience.

It was not so much of her great concern for either Eries or Marlene but somehow Eries' impending doom/marriage was only a stark reminder of the fate that awaited Millerna. No doubt, she would be next in line for another "advantageous" match.

But no matter how many times she had tried dissuading Eries from her decision, Millerna had not even managed to get the smallest of concessions from her older, more sensible sister. The younger princess had not wanted to see Eries' talents in ruling the kingdom wasted on a marriage that would surely subordinate her position.

"But you don't love him!" Millerna blurted out, running out of coherent arguments to offer.

Eries turned to face her younger sister with a serious but slightly amused expression on her face.

Millerna immediately regretted having said something so rashly and racked her brain for a good apology.

"That doesn't really matter, Millerna," Eries replied with a small smile, "you ought to know that."

There were some moments when Eries was sorely tempted to confide everything in Millerna, to make the girl understand that there was so much more to this wedding than a mere political arrangement. But Eries would always counsel herself against it. She highly doubted Millerna would understand everything, or even believe it.

"But he looks so cold and unfeeling," Millerna continued, still unable to check herself, "and almost cruel."

"And how do you know that?" Eries asked, slightly piqued at her sister's estimation of Folken.

But then, Eries could not fully blame the girl. She knew what image Folken was constantly projecting to others. She herself was one of the few people who could stand up to him without feeling completely weak in the knees.

"The few times that I've seen Lord Folken, I've always felt a shiver down my spine. There is something about him, I don't know, that scares me. And I'm scared for you, too, sister. Especially you."

"I pray that you would not judge my future husband on first impressions and baseless hunches," Eries replied a bit defensively, "such judgmental habits are not becoming of a princess."

"I am sorry if I offended you, sister, by speaking so of your fiancé," Millerna answered apologetically.

"There is more to him than you think," Eries explained, "and I would have you know that I would never agree to marry someone whom I could not respect or esteem."

Millerna bowed her head humbly, ashamed of her outburst.

"I didn't know you thought so well of him, Eries," Millerna answered softly, "I will learn to respect him as my brother if you respect him as your husband."

Eries smiled at her sister, and laid a hand on Millerna's shoulder comfortingly.

"Do not be too sad about this, little sister," Eries consoled the other, "a wedding is a happy occasion. I would have you smiling and laughing as you always do."

"I will try," Millerna answered honestly.

Eries gave her a quick hug and turned to go as she had some business to attend to in another part of the palace.

Watching Eries walk further and further away from her in one of the palace's grand halls, Millerna felt that a great distance was being put between them by this wedding. Not that they had been very close to begin with. Millerna had always been more intimate with the less serious Marlene.

Nevertheless, she did not want to lose another sister to her father's manipulative schemes.

Millerna caught up with Eries and asked her some more questions. Eries listened patiently.

"How can you be so calm about this when Marlene had been so upset when she first found out," Millerna asked. She did not anymore mention that at least the Duke of Freid seemed less forbidding than the Strategos of Zaibach lest she offend her sister again.

"Marlene made an unnecessary fuss over a matter which she had no control over," Eries replied, "I am trying to be more reasonable. There is no call to waste so much energy over your inevitable fate as a princess."

Millerna looked away at this, knowing that Eries was referring to her as well.

Eries' expression softened. They were both grave as they remembered their deceased sister.

"But in the end, Marlene did learn to love her husband, remember?" Eries reminded her, "and she had a lovely little boy, a complete family. Marlene was happy even in her last days."

Millerna nodded, fondly remembering her beloved nephew. Eries was right. In the last few visits they had made to Freid, Marlene had looked as bright and vibrant as she had always been, so full of warmth and love for her family.

"I believe that I have the same chance of such happiness with Lord Folken as with any other man," Eries continued, a bit of her true feelings bubbling to the surface, "and when the time comes, I'm sure you too will understand my position."

Although never entirely, Eries added to herself silently.

"We will have opportunities to be happy," Eries continued earnestly, "although not always in the way that we expect."

Millerna looked once more at her elder sister's calm and sympathetic gaze. She immediately threw her arms around Eries affectionately.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused, sister," Millerna whispered, "and I congratulate you on your coming wedding."

Eries smiled as she returned the embrace.

But Millerna could not hold back a small sob as she held her sister tighter.

"I'm really going to miss you," the youngest princess of Asturia whispered to her only remaining sister.