Lady Knight

Dilandau woke with a start, sheets tangled around his form as he breathed deeply. Sitting up, he ran a hand through his short silver hair and stared around the room, trying to still his disorientation. He looked down to see his wife sleeping on solidly. He smiled fondly; Hitomi had always been a heavy sleeper. As pieces of his dream fell into place, however, his smile faded. Concern filled Dilandau's gaze as he looked down at Hitomi's sleeping form, the simple everyday pattern of their lives had been broken, and now he was the one who would have to tell her.

It's been a long while since my last update, but here's one finally! I promise I will be continuing this story, I've just been on a school/work induced hiatus.

Chapter 4: Dilemma

Sleep now seemed impossible to Dilandau. After a few moments of tossing and turning he slipped out from between the sheets, careful not to disturb Hitomi's sleeping form. He carelessly slipped on a housecoat and crept from their bedroom, silently closing the door behind him. He took a few steps down the hallway, pausing briefly to rest his forehead against the wall. The eggshell enamel paint felt cool against his forehead as the twisted images of his dream fell softly into place.

Gaea was in trouble. Fanelia in particular, but he felt no alliance to that country, despite what Celena's feelings were. And Van… King Van Fanel wanted to ask him and Hitomi for help. Dilandau let a ragged sigh escape his lips. His gaze lifted and settled upon the door just slightly to his left. He opened it gently, a slight smile warming his tightened lips. His son, only five years old but precocious as anything, lay sleeping; his short honey coloured hair spilled carelessly across his forehead.

Could Celena really mean to ask them to leave their lives behind here? Hitomi was a top political advisor, he had just managed a promotion in his company, and Ben was about to start school. Tiredly he massaged his temples with one hand; there was a choice of course. He could pretend that it had been just a dream.

A gentle hand came to rest on his shoulder as a warm arm wrapping itself around his waist. He could feel the warmth and slight pressure of Hitomi's slender body resting against his back. "What's wrong, my love?" She whispered softly, her voice husky with sleep and concern. Dilandau slowly intertwined his fingers with those that rested against his waist. Gently, he tightened his hand around hers. There was no getting around it, and Hitomi always had the better ideas anyway.

The sat in the kitchen, warm orangey light surrounding them in their breakfast nook where they each cradled a mug of hot chocolate in their hands. "I'm not sure I understand." Hitomi said slowly. "After all these years, after everything that happened, Van wants us to help protect Gaea?"

Dilandau nodded slowly. "That how Celena made it seem at least." He sighed heavily, a frown sitting heavily upon his lips. He tore his gaze from Hitomi's earnest face and stared into the mug. "I'll go." He murmured softly, though it killed him to say it. The thought of leaving Hitomi, of leaving Ben… was nearly too much to bear. But the thought of Hitomi's life in danger hurt too much more not to say it.

An oppressive silence filled the room for a moment. "Don't you dare." Hitomi suddenly hissed. Dilandau raised his head instantly, reacting to the harsh tone of her voice. "Don't you even dream of going anywhere without me. Especially Gaea." Her eyes flashed emerald fire. "Your life is still in danger there, no matter what Celena might say, or what protection Van might offer, which I somehow doubt would be very much. And they asked for both of us!"

Dilandau sat very still. "I don't want you to get hurt." He said softly. "And someone needs to stay with Ben."

Hitomi shifted in her seat. "Did Celena say what the state of affairs was exactly?"

Dilandau closed his eyes, attempting to sort through the fragments of dream that still lingered. "They want peace, rather than another war." He said slowly. "But they're on the brink of it." He opened his eyes to find Hitomi's intense gaze upon him. He sighed softly, he knew that gaze.

"But they want peace?" She prompted.

"They want a way to get all the nations on a level playing field."

"They need me, Dilandau." She said softly. "If anyone should go, it should be me."

He stared back at her, the fire in his eyes blazing for a moment, "I won't let you go alone. Not when if there's a war about to happen. You need…"

"Someone to protect me?" She finished bemusedly. "Dilly, neither of us has lifted a sword in months."

"Then we'll train while you set up peace talks."

"They'll need more than just peace talks." Hitomi said coolly. "They need a United Nations. Preferably one without the flaws of the one exists on this planet." She blinked. "And we'll need to sell it to them. Gaeans are terribly stubborn, remember?" Her emerald eyes danced.

"What exactly is so funny?" Dilandau replied, uncertain about the amusement in his wife's eyes.

"They really do need both of us." Hitomi said with a smirk obviously stolen from Dilandau's younger days. "I can't do it without you. I need you to advertise it, to sell the mission to them."

Dilandau stared at Hitomi, "And Ben?"

Hitomi gritted her teeth slightly. "Benjirou's smart. And we won't let a war happen."

"Great." Dilandau said dryly. "I guess it's a family vacation then." But secretly, he was amused. Hitomi's face lit up so beautifully when she was faced with a good challenge.

Preparations had been made, lies concocted, and just a few days after Dilandau's terrible dream, he and Hitomi sat on the couch in their living room. They had toyed with the idea of leaving Ben with Hitomi's parent's, but something about the idea of splitting up their little family had wrenched at Hitomi's heart. A feeling that Ben had to come with had permeated her very being, and she was determined to stand by it. While she had lost the "physic" abilities she'd harboured on Gaea, her gut reactions and intuition were famous among political minds. Nine times out of ten she could predict the course of events, who needed to be at certain talks, and just which eventualities could possibly arise.

She had learned to listen to such feelings.

The sound of light footsteps on the stairs shifted her gaze. "Can I bring my teddy?" Ben asked hopefully, his voice revealing his tremulous emotions. Hitomi had already made it very clear to Ben that they were bringing nothing that they couldn't wear or carry on their person. Her green eyes met her husband's, unease passing between the two worried parents, even as they reconsidered their course of action.

"Of course you can, honey." Hitomi said finally. "But you're going to have to hold onto him really tight, alright?"

"Are we going in the car?" Ben asked, shuffling his feet on the stairs, unsure of the direction his parents were taking on this most unusual of family trips.

"Not this time." Dilandau replied, a smile twitching across his lips as he got off the couch and strolled over to his son. "It'll be a rather unique way of traveling this time." His grin proved infectious, and Ben's young face lit up with excitement as his father swung him up into his strong arms. He turned to his wife, now standing beside them. "To the backyard?" He asked casually.

"Lead the way." Hitomi said softly, her eyes meeting Dilandau's in a look of trust and hope. In her tightly-clenched fist a pale pink stone began to glow.

"Can we do that again?" Ben's voice cried out in the exuberance of a child on an amusement park ride.

Wearily, Dilandau and Hitomi shook their heads. "Eventually." Hitomi promised, though her eyes were upon her husband, who was already warily eyeing the wide dirt path and thick forest that had replaced their backyard in a pillar of coloured light.

"There's someone watching us." Dilandau said softly, just under his breath. Mentally he was already cursing the loss of his warrior skills. He knew there were people watching, he just had no idea from where.