Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Escaflowne: All you need is Love, Isn't it?
Chapter 83
Shibuya
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As promised, Megumi's older brother, Miroku, chauffeured the six girls to Shibuya, where they spent the next four hours shopping. Each changed into a new outfit they had purchased, then took the rest of their stuff back to the car. While they could have spent hours more shopping, Megumi reminded everyone of the movie they all said they wanted to see.
Coming out of the theater, Megumi looked around her, then said, "Where is he?"
Yukari stretched her arms high above her head and asked, "Wasn't that a beautiful movie?"
"I know, it was sooo romantic," Hitomi agreed, clasping her hands together and smiling widely.
"I suppose, but I have to say, the heroine was so annoying," Akane declared.
"Yeah, what was with her?" Reiko asked.
"No kidding. First she can't decide which of the two heroes she loves, she practically goes to bed with the one before realizing she's actually in love with the other, and she never even kisses him." Yuri threw in her two-cents worth.
Hitomi couldn't help but blush more than just a little.
"Yeah, and what was with that ending?" Akane added.
"No kidding, she finally realizes she loves him and then she leaves him. UUGH!" Reiko groaned angrily. "I felt like slapping her."
"Well, but she was still so young. Maybe she just wasn't ready to throw away her old life, her family and friends. She had time still, she could always return to him," Yukari argued.
"I guess, but based on the last words she said to him before she left, they definitely give you the impression that she wasn't expecting to see him again for a very long time, if ever," Akane countered.
"She was so stupid. If it were me, I'd have stayed with him," Yuri said assuredly.
"Yeah, definitely. I'd have stayed too," added Reiko.
Hitomi turned away and struggled unsuccessfully to fight back her tears.
"What's wrong, Hitomi?" Akane asked, walking up next to the young track star.
"Oh, it's nothing, really. I just got something in my eye, that's all." She forced a smile.
"Well, I still think it was a beautiful movie. Isn't that right, Hitomi?" Yukari turned towards her friend, both asking for her support and offering her support at the same time.
"Well," the emerald-eyed girl hesitated for a moment, "I thought it was."
Her best friend gasped slightly as her heart filled with empathy for her friend.
"Don't let what these critics say get you down, Hitomi," Megumi said, coming up behind her and placing a reassuring hand on the girl's shoulder. "I thought the movie was wonderful myself." She smiled warmly.
"So where's your brother, Megumi?" Akane asked.
"He's on his way. He went to get a cup of coffee and lost track of time," the captain of the girl's track team explained.
And as promised a few minutes later, Miroku showed up in front of the theater. As the girls filed into the car, Yukari turned to her friend and asked, "Are you okay, Hitomi?"
The young track star gave the team manager a weak smile and answered, "I'll be okay."
"Okay?" Miroku asked. "Where to now?"
The four upperclassmen yelled in unison, "Club Twilight!"
At Fanelia Castle
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Van had spent the past six hours going over the information that Sir Baschan had brought from Asturia. The Asturian engineers offered several different possibilities, but the one that seemed to hold the most promise was the above ground aqueduct. It called for a system that would funnel water from up stream into a canal that rose three cubits above the ground. The plan called for the canal to be built out of the fanelus trees that were cut down to make the path for the aqueduct. The plan seemed sound except for the method for ensuring the water would flow up into the channel. During the rainy season, it wouldn't be a problem. The sheer force of the Vinsorii River would be enough to keep the water flowing all the way through to the city and beyond without any problems, but during the dry season, the river flowed quite gently and several cubits lower than normal. This posed a problem even the Asturian engineers could not solve.
Still, Van favored this approach and was hopeful that his envoys to Freid or Basram may provide the solutions to this problem.
After dealing with affairs of state and analyzing the plans from Asturia, all the young king wanted to do was go to bed. Since he started communicating telepathically with Hitomi, he had finally been able to get to sleep. Hearing her sweet voice in his head and seeing her loving face in his mind's eye had helped put Van's troubled heart at ease. Knowing his true love was doing well filled his heart with joy, and while he longed to hold her in his arms again and kiss her soft, supple lips, he took comfort in imagining himself holding Hitomi in his arms as they both drifted off to sleep. They communicated with each other at least once a week, sometimes twice. But he knew tonight probably wouldn't be one of those nights. He knew Hitomi would be spending the night at her friend's, and though he was tired enough to fall asleep already, he had other obligations to attend to.
On this day began the week long Yellow Moon Dragon Festival, which was kicked off with a gala celebration held in the palace courtyard. Not only was Van the host of the festivities, but he was also expected to dance with several of the young women from the more prominent families within the kingdom.
Despite the young king's objections, his priests were very insistent.
"You must entertain the young ladies, my Lord. It is a Fanelian tradition. Even your father partook in the tradition," one of the three priests insisted.
"But my father was much older than I when he first met my mother and fell in love with her. I already know whom I love, whom I will marry. There is no reason to give these girls false hopes of someday becoming the Queen of Fanelia," the King insisted.
"But it is those hopes that ensure the continued support of these families," the High Priest insisted.
"And what will become of that support when I announce my wedding to Hitomi Kanzaki three years from now?" Van asked.
"Three years is a long time, my Lord. Anything can happen between now and then," the priest replied.
Van scowled at his priests and responded sternly, "This is a dangerous game you play, both with our lords and with me." He turned to walk away, but hesitated for a moment. "I will entertain the ladies this one time, but be warned, I intend to present Lady Hitomi as our one true love at the next festival," the King pronounced.
Now dressed in his formal royal attire, the young king made his way to the courtyard.
"Lord Van!" He heard a familiar voice call out. Turning, he smiled and replied, "Merle, you look positively beautiful."
"You think so, Lord Van?" She twirled around in the dress she previously wore to Queen Millerna's coronation.
"Mmm." He nodded as he extended his arm to her. "In fact, I think you look even more beautiful now."
Wrapping her arm around his, the petite catgirl got in step with her king and smiled happily. "Thank you, Lord Van."
As they made their way towards the courtyard, a serious expression crossed the young girl's face. "Are you really going to dance with those other girls, Lord Van?"
Nodding slightly, the King replied, "Yeah, unfortunately it is my royal obligation."
After considering this for a few minutes, Merle's ears perked up and she smiled. "Will you save a dance for me, Lord Van?"
The young King smiled. "Of course, Merle."
"Really?" The prospect of dancing with her king made the catgirl giddy with excitement.
"Mmm." Van smiled. "In fact, I'll save both the first and last dance for you, Merle."
Stepping out of the castle and into the courtyard, Merle's eyes went wide as she marveled at the festivities: performers of all type breathing fire, performing acrobatic maneuvers, and singing and dancing, chefs from throughout the kingdom preparing their most famous recipes on quantities large enough to feed hundreds, and throngs of people all dressed in their finest festive wear.
"Oh, Lord Van, I wish Hitomi could be here for this," the catgirl sighed.
"So do I, Merle," he replied, "so do I."
AN: Well I had hoped to get this chapter out much sooner, but things don't always work out the way we want them to unfortunately. One of the things that definitely has not worked in my favor is my work. For reasons too stupid to even go into, it is now my company's policy to require all salaried employees to work 10 hours a day. For me that really means 12 hours, since it takes me an hour to commute each way. Add to that the time I spend with my family and the need to get to bed earlier now in order to get into work earlier, and that leaves very little time for writing. But fear not, I am not abandoning this story, ever. It will just continue to take a bit longer to get updates posted. And every opportunity I have, I will write. I promise.
I'd like to say a very special thank you to all my readers and reviewers. It just warms my heart to have received so many wonderful reviews these past few chapters. I'm especially thankful for the number of new readers to my story. Thank you for taking the time to join in on the adventure. I hope I'll be able to continue to make it worth your effort.
As always, a great big thank you to Janice, my wonderful beta-reader and dear friend. Thank you, Janice.
Thank you all for reading, I love you all,
A. Amishi