Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Escaflowne: All you need is Love, Isn't it?

Chapter 64

In the castle in Fanelia

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As King Van lead his two female companions down an infrequently visited hallway, Merle became keenly aware of where they were heading. Her heart started beating a bit faster as her palms became cold and clammy. "Where are we going Lord Van?" She asked nervously. 'I hope I'm wrong.'

"Don't worry Merle." Her king reassured her with a smile. "Everything's alright."

Merle's concern brought a look of worry upon Hitomi's face as well. Van simply smiled at her and gave her hand a comforting squeeze, which brought a smile to the teenager's face.

As they reached an intersecting hallway, they encountered the head chambermaid, Sophia. "Lord Van," she curtsied. "You summoned me?"

"Yes Sophia, do you have your keys with you?" He asked.

"Y-yes my Lord, as always." She replied with a hint of trepidation.

"Good, follow me." The king instructed.

"Yes my Lord." She curtsied again and fell in step behind the king.

After a few moments, Merle turned her head and mouthed, "I told you so." The chambermaid nervously averted her eyes.

When they came to the door that Merle and Sophia feared they would stop at, Van turned to the chambermaid and said. "Sophia, will you open the door?"

"Y-yes my Lord." She pulled out her keys and quickly found the one specifically for that door. Once unlocked, she stepped aside to allow her king entry.

Van slowly released Hitomi's hand and walked into the room. A flood of memories came rushing back to him. Happy times when he was very young and he would crawl into bed with his parents. Proud times when he would sit at the foot of the bed and watch is father suit up in is battle armor. Joyous times when his mother would sit in the chair near the window with him on her lap and she would tell him tales of dragons and brave knights and even braver kings. Sad times when he stood next to his brother as they watched their father slowly die from an incurable illness and their mother weep inconsolably at her husband's bedside. Times of despair when his brother disappeared after going to slay the land dragon and his mother sat by the window of her room staring out into space, unwilling or incapable of responding to anyone, even him.

Van's eyes filled with unshed tears as he slowly walked around the room, letting the memories sealed away in the recesses of his mind to come flowing back to him. "This was my parent's chamber. I was born in this room." He stared at the bed. "My father died in this room." He turned toward the window and ran his fingers over the back of the chair where his mother used to sit for hours on end, waiting for the return of her elder son. "My mother slipped into despair in this room, waiting for Folken to return from doing battle with the land dragon." His voice began to tremble.

Merle and Sophia stood by the door, nervously waiting for Van to explode in a rage over the shawl. But Hitomi slowly walked up to him. Placing a gentle hand upon his chest, she drew him out of his muse and back to the present as she looked up at him with eyes filled with sadness and comfort for him.

"So much pain, so much loss. Van, I…" She didn't know what to say, so she did the only thing she could think of that could possibly bring him any comfort. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a loving embrace as she silently shed the tears he refused to shed. After a few moments of being held like this, feeling the gentle tremors of Hitomi's body as she cried, the young king could no longer suppress his own tears as they fell from his eyes. Hitomi tightened her hold on him and whispered softly. "It's alright Van. It's okay to cry." Hearing these words seemed to free the young king as he began to weep softly onto her shoulder. "It's okay Van, I'm here for you." She whispered.

Fear of their king's anger was replaced by an uneasy feeling of sadness and guilt. It had been years since either Merle or Sophia saw Van cry. Seeing him like this was quite unnerving for both of them. Slowly the chambermaid turned and walked out the door. Pressing her back to the wall next to the door, she pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes dry. Merle soon followed her and stood next to her against the wall as well, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. The maid offered the catgirl her handkerchief, which the catgirl accepted with a smile, wiping her eyes dry then blowing her nose with it. When she held it out for the maid to take back, the older woman said softly with a forced smile. "Keep it."

After several minutes, Van slowly straightened up. Taking a deep breath, he allowed a faint grin to play across his face as he looked down at the young woman in his arms. "Thank you Hitomi. Thank you for being here with me." He said softly as he carefully wiped her tears away.

She returned to him a loving smile as she duplicated his actions, wiping his tears away as well.

Taking another deep breath, Van looked around the room only to notice that the other two people in his company were no longer around. "Merle? Sophia?"

Merle poked her head in the door. "Yes Lord Van?"

"What are you doing out there?" He asked, confusion written across his face.

"Wellll…" The catgirl looked away, not wanting to admit him that she felt guilty for believing he brought them to this room to scold them for disobeying his orders.

"Never mind. Come in, come in." He insisted.

Both women entered the room cautiously.

Once inside, Van spoke. "Years ago I ordered this room locked and its contents never to be seen or used again."

Both Sophia and Merle nodded.

"Well, thanks to one or perhaps both of you, Hitomi is now in permanent possession of one of my mother's shawls." He added.

They both looked down at the ground in guilt.

"I thank you both."

Their eyes shot up in surprise.

"I had forgot how beautiful my mother's belongings were. I thought by locking away my parent's things, I could lock away the memories of them. But no more, Sophia, this room is to be cleaned and made into a guest room."

"And your parent's possessions my Lord?"

"They shall go to Hitomi and Merle. Whatever they want that is." Van smiled.

"Van?" Hitomi looked up at him in surprise. "Are you sure you want to do that? Perhaps you shouldn't be so hasty." She cautioned.

"It's alright Hitomi." He ran his hand over her cheek. "Seeing you in my mother's shawl last night made me realize that this is the way my mother would have wanted it. For so long, my parent's things were items that could only bring back sad memories but in your hands, they'll be able to create new, better memories."

Smiling her understanding, she raised herself up onto her toes and as she brought her lips in gentle contact with his. Separating a moment later, they stood staring into each other's eyes, rejoicing in the love they shared.

Without taking his eyes off his true love, Van said. "Sophia, I believe most of my mother's most precious belongings are in the chest. Are they not?"

"Ah, yes my Lord." She walked over to it and kneeled down in front of it. Carefully, she opened the chest.

"Come. Let's see what we will find." The young king took the emerald-eyed girl's hand and walked over in front of the chest.

Reverently, Sophia took out one item after another. Showing them to both Hitomi and Merle. Hitomi marveled at the beauty of each item. While not nearly as extravagant as the royal apparel in Asturia, Queen Vari's wardrobe was much more colorful and brilliant than typical Fanelian clothing, which tended to be more earth tones. And while Merle found each item as beautiful as Hitomi did, she relented and let her friend have every article of clothing Sophia had pulled out so far.

As time passed, the catgirl's attention drifted from the chest over to a small table set in the corner of the room. Staring at the table and the mid-sized mirror that sat upon it, the feline's mind began to fill with memories of when she was just a small child.

~~~~~

"Lady Vari, have you seen Lord Van anywhere?" The little catgirl asked the queen as she brushed her hair at the table.

"No Merle, I haven't. I thought he was playing with you." The queen replied as she continued to run the silver-handled brush through her hair.

"Well…" She young feline came and kneeled down next to the queen. "He was, but…"

"He is hiding from you again, isn't he?" The queen stopped for a moment and turned to smile at her young ward.

Merle nodded. "I don't think Lord Van likes me very much." She hung her had sadly.

"Oh Merle," The queen set the brush down, bent over and picked the small child up, setting her on her lap. "Van cares for you very much. We all do. It's just… well, sometimes young boys have a difficult time expressing their feelings, so they pretend they don't care."

"You really think so?" The small catgirl asked hopefully.

"I'm certain of it." The queen smiled and gently ran her hand across the young girl's face. "In fact, I bet Van is feeling pretty sad right now for having left you alone."

"Really!" The feline's eyes lit up with excitement. "I should go find him." She started shifting on the queen's lap in an effort to hope off.

"Why don't we wait and let him find you for a change. This way he can't make up any excuse about wanting to be alone." Vari smiled as she picked up her brush. "Here, let me brush your hair." And she started running it over Merle's short orange locks. As the queen ran the brush through her hair over and over again, the young feline began to purr softly. After a few minutes the queen asked. "You love Van very much, don't you Merle?"

"Mmm hmm, someday I'm going to marry Lord Van." She said absentmindedly. The instant she realized what she said, she eyes shot open in shock and she slapped her hands over her mouth, as she seemed to shrink more than just a bit on the queen's lap.

"That's all right Merle. There's nothing wrong in dreaming and hoping for what you believe will make you happy." The Draconian reassured her. "Perhaps, someday, when the two of you are old enough and if you both feel the same way for each other, maybe you will marry. Just remember, if that day doesn't come, it is not the end of the world for you. Van will always be your friend. Of this, I am sure. And sometimes, just sometimes, it's better that way." She set the brush down and kissed the young catgirl on the top of her head. "There, all done."

Just then, she heard her door open.

"And just in time." She smiled.

"Mother, have you seen Merle anywhere?" The young prince asked sadly, facing his mother's back.

Merle turned her head to look at the queen, who held her finger to her lips. The catgirl pressed her fingers over her mouth to stifle her laughter.

"Why do you ask Van?" The queen asked.

"I've been looking everywhere for her, but I can't find her anywhere." The boy said sadly.

"Perhaps she thought you wanted to be left alone for a time." She added.

"Well, I did earlier. Folken went to practice with Balgus and the other samurai but father made me go away. He said the training room was no place for a child." Van pouted.

"So why didn't you seek out Merle then?" The queen smiled at the catgirl.

"Because, she would have wanted to cheer me up and … well…" He tapered off.

"And you wanted to feel sorry for yourself." The queen replied.

Looking down at his feet, the young prince whispered, "yes."

"And now you want Merle to play with you and make you feel better." His mother continued.

Again, the prince whispered, "yes."

The queen gave her young ward a wink and a smile as Merle grinned happily up at her. "Well, it just so happens I know exactly where Merle is."

And with a small nod from the queen, Merle jumped down from her lap and ran over to her young friend. "Here I am Lord Van!" Merle smiled up at him.

Van stared at her in shock. "You-you were here the whole time?"

"It's okay Lord Van." She took his hand. "Let's go play." And she ran out the door with the young prince in tow.

~~~~~

Merle giggle silently as she suddenly found herself standing in front of the table. Looking at it now, it was actually quite simple in design. Not nearly as elegant as the vanity table from Asturia she now had in her room. But as she ran her hand over the dusty wood, her mind returned to that warm, wonderful memory so long ago. Slowly, she pulled the single drawer open and inside she saw what she had hoped for. Only a single object sat in the drawer. Merle reached down and pulled out the brush. The silver was dark and tarnished but in Merle's eyes, it was still as beautiful an object as it was when Queen Vari brushed her hair with it so long ago. The catgirl clutched it to her chest and closed her eyes as a joyous smile crossed her face.

Van walked up behind her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't you want any of my mother's items Merle?" The king asked.

Merle turned her head to look at him. "Your mother's clothes are the clothes of a queen, Lord Van. They rightfully belong to Hitomi. But if you don't mind." She held up the brush so he could see. "I'd like to have this."

"My mother's hairbrush?" Van reached out and gently took it into his hands. "I remember watching my mother brush her hair with this brush and thinking she was the most beautiful woman in all of Gaea."

"She was Lord Van, she was." Merle smiled up at him.

Returning her smile, Van handed the brush back to her. "Here you go Merle, it is now yours."

"Thank you Lord Van. Thank you." She smiled broadly.

As time passed, and the women finished going through the chest, they moved on to the cedar closet where the bedspreads and the queen's more formal dresses were hung. After awhile, Van made his way over to the bed and sat at the edge, looking out toward the window. After about an hour, Hitomi came by and sat next to him.

"Are you all right Van?" She asked, tilting her head in his direction.

He turned his head toward her and smiled. "I'm fine. It's just…"

"What?"

"Well, to be honest, such things" He gestured toward Merle and Sophia, "don't interest me."

Hitomi tried to suppress a silent laugh. "You're bored."

He turned away suddenly. "Sorry, I know I shouldn't be this way."

"That's all right. You can't help it if that's the way you feel." The emerald-eyed teen gently placed her hand over his. "I was wondering. Do you really want to turn your parent's room into a guestroom? Shouldn't it still be the room for the king and queen?" She turned toward her lap, as a faint blush rose in her cheeks.

Smiling, Van replied. "Actually, I assumed, when the time came, we'd make your room the our room." He looked about the room, "It is larger room and much nicer."

Hitomi looked about as well. "I guess you're right." Then turning back toward him, she asked. "What about your room?"

"My room?" Van almost laughed.

"You know, I've never seen your room." Hitomi realized.

"Would you like to see it?" He asked.

"Yes, yes I would." She smiled.

"Fine." He smiled back, turning his hand over, under hers so their palms met; he stood up and helped her off the bed. Turning his attention to the other two women in the room, he said. "Merle, Sophia, we'll be back in awhile."

"Very well, Lord Van." The maid curtsied.

"Not a problem Lord Van, we've got everything under control." His childhood friend smiled.

With that, Van and Hitomi left the room hand in hand and walked down the hallway in the direction of his room.

~~~~~~~~~~

AN: Well, I hope you liked it. Apparently, where Van took them should have been a big surprise for everyone since no one guessed correctly. ^_^ I hope it made sense to you as it did to me to have Van do this. I felt after their romantic dinner the night before that he was ready to finally let go of the ties that bound him to the sad memories of the past.

I look forward to reading what you thought about this chapter. ^_^

Thank you for your reviews and comments of my last chapter. I'm so glad to see so many new readers of my story over the past few chapters.

I'll be gone this weekend so I really look forward to reading lots of reviews when I get back. ^____^

Thank you all,

A. Amishi