Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Escaflowne: All you need is Love, Isn't it?
Chapter 93
Near the Fanelia/Asturia border
"See the tower up ahead?" Van pointed off into the distance.
Hitomi nodded. "Does that tower mark the border with Asturia?"
"Yes, that's right," the king said with a faint smile, while still keeping his eyes on the distant marker.
The emerald-eyed girl shifted her gaze from the gate to the young man whose horse she shared. "And how much further will it be to the Asturian village?"
"The outpost of Madrio is a little over 5 kilo-cubits past the border. It should take us about two hours to get there," Van replied, picking up the pace slightly.
Hitomi leaned into him a bit more, tightening her hold around his waist. She wanted to rest her head upon his chest, but she knew it wasn't practical for several reasons. For one, she wouldn't be able to keep her head resting comfortably with the horse's up and down motion, and second, though her hair was still relatively short – just barely reaching her shoulders now – she didn't want it obstructing Van's view of the road.
Instead, she satisfied herself with the feeling of his warm, strong torso.
They rode in silence for nearly an hour until they came to the tower. It stood fifteen cubits tall and was seven cubits square at the base. It had three levels, at five cubits, ten cubits, and at the top of the tower with three sentries posted at the two lower levels, and five posted at the top.
"Halt! Who approaches?" A sentry called down from lower level.
"Van Fanel, King of Fanelia," he replied, coming to a stop and slowly turning his horse to allow the sentry a clear view of the other rider. "And this is the Lady Hitomi, my guest and traveling companion." He pulled out his sword and held it up. "This is the Sword of Fanelia, the sword of the King of Fanelia, no other can bear this sword. This is proof of my identity."
Releasing his sword, the sergeant made his way down the tower. A moment later he appeared from behind the large structure and walked up to the two riders. Taking a good long look at the sword, recognition flashed in his eyes and he got down on one knee and bowed. "My Lord, it is an honor to have the King of Fanelia enter our kingdom. What, may I ask, brings you to Asturia this fine day?"
Van smiled down at the soldier and sheathed his sword. Glancing up at the sentries still in the tower, he saw that they now were bowing as well. "We were on our way to Arzas but the earthen bridge across the river in my country has washed away. We need to cross at Tiirus before heading back. Will this be a problem?"
The soldier smiled and shook his head. "No, your Majesty, of course not." He stepped aside. "Have a pleasant journey, your Majesty." And the sergeant bowed low.
"Thank you, Sergeant." The King of Fanelia nodded towards the gentleman, then again up at the sentries still in the tower. Giving a snap of the reins, the horse continued its way along the path.
(000)
"So now we're in Asturia?" Hitomi smiled and looked about.
"Yes, can you tell the difference?" Van asked with a grin.
She looked about for a moment, then said, "The trees, they're different."
"That's right; here the Fanelus trees of the Vinsorii Forest mark the border between Fanelia and Asturia."
"You mentioned before an outpost called Madrio, but you told the sentry we were going to Tiirus?"
"Madrio is the fort which services this tower," Van gestured back with his head, "And five other towers just like it in this region. We should be able to pick up a horse for you there. From there, it will be another three hours hard riding to the city of Tiirus, where we'll be able to cross the river."
"I see." Lowering her gaze in pensive contemplation, Hitomi found herself lost in her thoughts. 'That was so stupid of me yesterday. But I have to admit, I like riding with Van like this. I wish we could ride all the way to Arzas this way, but I guess it's not practical. It's just so nice being this close to him. It makes me feel so…'
"A dracun for your thoughts."
"Huh?" Hitomi looked up at Van wide eyed.
Smiling at her, he asked, "What were you thinking about?"
Her cheeks turned bright red and she lowered her head to his chest. "Nothing, nothing really."
"Why don't we stop for a moment?" He smiled.
"We don't have to," Hitomi reassured him. "I'm fine."
"I'm glad, but my legs could use a stretch."
"Oh, sorry." She turned away, blushing more deeply.
Van turned off the road and dismounted, then reached up to help Hitomi down. Placing his hands upon her waist, she slid off the saddle and into his embrace. For a moment she tried to pull away, but he held her fast. Staring up into his piercing eyes for a moment, she wrapped her arms around him and pressed her face into his chest, holding him tight.
"Hitomi?" Van's smile disappeared. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she whispered. "Just hold me. I feel so safe when I'm in your arms. Hold me, Van, just hold me."
(000)
Riding out of Ft. Madrio, Van and Hitomi rode north on the road that would lead them to Tiirus. Hitomi's new horse was a small mare, only two years old and very spirited, but Hitomi seemed to handle her with no problem.
"We'll need to ride pretty hard if we hope to make it to Tiirus before nightfall," Van informed her.
"I understand." She smiled. "Haa!" She snapped her reins and broke into a gallop. Van did the same and they raced down the path to the city of Tiirus.
(000)
Securing their horses at the public stables, the young couple walked into an inn called the Yellow Feather and approached the innkeeper serving guests from behind the bar.
"Excuse me, we'd like to secure accommodations for the night," Van said firmly but politely while dusting off his clothes.
The burly, middle-aged man looked down at the young teen with mild contempt. "Oh, you would, would you?" Then he looked at the young lady with him, raising an eyebrow at the unusual clothes the young girl had on. The man's piercing stare caused the girl to turn away in embarrassment.
Seeing Hitomi's reaction, Van's mood immediately darkened. "We seek accommodations, can you help us or shall we take our business elsewhere?" The king started to turn towards the door, bringing his sword into plain view of the innkeeper.
Taking one look at the simple yet well-crafted weapon, the man's tone changed instantly. "My apologies, good sir. Yes, of course we have accommodations. Would you prefer one room or two?" He smiled and glanced momentarily over at Hitomi.
"Two," Van replied, but feeling a tug on his arm, he turned to find the emerald-eyed girl staring up at him with eyes wide and watery and lips quivering ever so slightly. Turning back to the innkeeper, he changed his request. "One room will suffice."
"Very good, young Sir." The man wiped his hands on his apron. "And will you be taking your supper in the dining hall, or would you prefer the privacy of your room?"
Van raised an eyebrow but answered straight away. "Our room will be fine."
"Very good, young Sir. Yes, very good." The man licked his lips and wiped his hands again. "That will be… " He looked up as if calculating the amount in the air above him. "Thirty-five dracuns. Yes, thirty-five dracuns for the night and supper. Oh, that includes two mugs each of my finest ale." He smiled.
Van pulled at the strings dangling from the side of his pants and removed his change pouch. Opening it, he pulled out six gold coins and tossed them on the bar. "I assume that's more than enough to include a good bottle of wine instead of the ale, and to insure our privacy."
The man's eyes lit up and he quickly scooped up the coins. "Yes, my Lord. Without a doubt. I'll send my boy to retrieve the finest bottle in all of Tiirus this very moment. Just one moment and I'll see that your room is made ready." He grinned, then turned and rushed out from behind the bar, heading towards the kitchen.
(000)
"Woman! Come quickly!"
"Woman, indeed. I've a good mind to level these plates over your head if you call me woman one more time." A short, stout lady, at least as old as the innkeeper, snapped at him in return as she walked out of the kitchen with two large plates of food on each arm.
"Tame yourself. We have guests needing to be shown their room."
"So, show them. We have guests waiting for their supper," she rebuked.
"But they not be guests who paid with six gold pieces for one night's accommodations." He showed her the coins in his hands.
The woman gasped and nearly dropped the plates. Reacting quickly, the burly fellow grabbed the dishes from her and set them on the empty table next to him. "Now go quickly and prepare the large room upstairs, and heat some water." He looked over at his prized guests and saw them both still dusting off their clothes. "They've traveled a long way. No doubt they will would be looking to bathe before turning in for the night."
She nodded and looked over as well. "They're not from Asturia; not the girl, that is certain. Where do you suppose they are from?"
"From the look of his sword, I'd say Fanelia. At least the young lord."
"You suppose he's Fanelian nobility?"
"Without a doubt. Now go, woman, let's not keep them waiting any longer!"
With that the innkeeper's wife darted across the room and up the stairs to the guest suite, which normally had as many as four double beds in it, but due to a visit from a wealthy Asturian merchant recently had only one king-sized bed.
"Boy!" the man called into the kitchen. A gangly looking boy, about twelve years of age with wiry black hair, looked up from chopping vegetables. "Come here quickly, and take off your apron."
The boy did as his master told him, wiping his hands clean before tossing the apron aside. "Yes, Sir."
"Here." The man held up a gold coin. "Take this and go to the winery across town, not the one near the city fountain, not Alorio's, he waters down his wine, go all the way to Franciscan Winery. Talk only to Master Winston and tell him I want his finest bottle of red wine. Nothing less will do."
The boy nodded enthusiastically, then grabbed the coin and rushed to the back door at the end of the kitchen.
"And I want a receipt, and my change back!" the man howled. He stood staring after the boy well after the door had closed behind him. Turning his attention to his cook, he said, "Erico, I need you to make something extra special for our two young guests. Something suitable for nobility."
"I'm way ahead of you, Boss. I'm making my speciiial-ity, lightly grilled venison with sautéed mushrooms and baby onions, and a very nice vegetable medley boiled in butter and seasoned just right, served on top of a bed of couscous," The cook replied while slicing the venison into thin filets.
"Excellent, Erico, excellent," the innkeeper said, then turned and picked up the dishes his wife was going to take to the dining hall. "Today is surely my lucky day," he laughed as he walked.
(000)
A few minutes later the stout, middle-aged woman came back down the stairs and rushed over to the young couple. Pausing a moment to gather her poise, "Right this way," she gestured, and lead the way. After a few steps, the woman hesitantly turned towards Van and cautiously reached for the saddle bags he had thrown over his shoulder. "Allow me to take those for you."
Van held up a hand in mild protest. "That's alright. I can manage."
"Oh, of course." The woman bowed low then continued to lead the way towards the stairs.
Due to the odd behavior of the innkeeper and his wife, Van and Hitomi found themselves being stared at by most of the occupants of the tavern which occupied the front of the inn. Being royalty, Van was accustomed to the attention and simply ignored it, but Hitomi was clearly bothered by the eyes and whispers directed towards her. So much so, she found herself frozen by fright until a familiar hand slipped into hers and a warm smile encouraged her along. Releasing a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding, Hitomi followed Van up to the room.
The room was about half the size of Hitomi's chambers at Fanelia Castle. It was well lit and had a king-size bed, a desk with a chair, and a small round table with two chairs. Being nighttime, the curtains were already drawn.
"Well, this is your room." The woman smiled and wrung her hands. "I hope you like it." She laughed nervously.
Van placed the saddle bags on the desk. "It's fine."
"Hmm, well, your dinner will be up shortly… but if you like, the bath is at the end of the hall. The water should be good and hot by now."
"Oh, thank you." Hitomi smiled. "I could really use a bath." She slapped at her jacket trying to get the rest of the dust off.
"I-If you like, you can leave your clothes in the bathroom and I'll see to it that they get cleaned before you leave tomorrow morning." The woman gave an awkward curtsy.
Van walked up to her and slid a coin into her hand. "We will be leaving quite early tomorrow, so please try to have it done before then."
The woman looked down at her hand. Her eyes sparkled nearly as much as the gold piece. "Yes, my Lord!" She curtsied again. "Thank you, my Lord. It will be done, I guarantee it, my Lord." She curtsied two more times then rushed out the room, slamming the door shut in her nervous excitement.
Van walked up behind Hitomi and ran his hands over her shoulders. "Why don't you go first," he whispered.
"Are you sure?"
"Mmm hmm." He worked the muscles along the back of her neck, eliciting a gentle sigh from the girl. "Take your time and enjoy the bath. We have a long ride tomorrow so you should try to relax while you can."
"Mmmmmm, I suppose you're right." Hitomi lowered her head, allowing Van better access.
After kneading her neck a few moments longer, Van allowed his hand to slide down her spine and slip away.
Lifting her head slowly, she rolled it around once. "Mmmmmm, that felt good." She turned towards him. "Promise me you'll do that again before we go to bed tonight?" She tenderly placed her hand upon his chest and kissed him. "I'll be back in a little bit." Then she turned and walked to the door.
As she reached for the door knob, Van called out, "Hitomi!"
Turning, she offered him a gracious smile, but it quickly melted away upon seeing the concerned look on his face. "What's wrong, Van?"
After a moment's pause, he replied, "Actually, I was going to ask you that very question."
Hitomi felt her heart tighten. "What do you mean, Van?" She gave him a weak smile that quickly faded away.
Walking up to her, he gazed into her eyes, searching for a reason for her unusual behavior. Raising his hand, he caressed her cheek and smiled. "It's nothing. Go take your bath. I'll be here when you return."
She gave him another weak smile. "Alright." Then she turned and walked out the door.
Van sighed and headed back into the room. Sitting at the desk, he pulled off his boots and tossed them to the side. Leaning back on the wooden chair, he took stock of the events of the past few days since Hitomi's return to Gaea, of her desire to have him spend the night in her bed, how she reacted after he saved her when she fell into the river, how she offered herself to him last night, and how she seemed almost reluctant to have her own horse when they arrived at the fort.
"Not to mention wanting us to share a room rather then have her own." Van ran the back of his hand over his chin a few times. "Not that I'm complaining about any of this. Being this close to Hitomi is…" The king smiled broadly. "Well… " He took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "But this isn't how Hitomi normally acts." His smile gradually faded. "I wonder what might have happened to bring about this change in her?" A stoic expression formed upon his face as he stared pensively towards the door.
(000)
Setting all her clothes in a neat pile on the chair near the door, Hitomi tip-toed across the cool ceramic floor to the metal tub and carefully slid in, drawing in a deep breath and slowly letting out a long sigh as she settled into the tub. "Mmmmmm, this feels so good." She closed her eyes and smiled, running her hands over her arms and shoulders. "Van was right. I could really use this chance to unwind." She let herself slip down till her nose was so close to the water that even her breathing caused ripples. Taking a deep breath again, she lowered herself down until her whole head was under the water and stayed like that for about ten seconds, then let out the air in her lungs and slid back up. "Waaaah!" She wiped the water from her face, inhaling sharply and giggling. "Maybe I can get Van to give me a real massage after dinner." She smiled, but slowly the smile faded as she recalled Vans inquiry.
"What's wrong, Van?"
"Actually, I was going to ask you that very question."
She sighed and pulled her knees up to her chest. "What's wrong with me? Why am I acting this way? I'm not some helpless heroine in a cheap romance novel… but that's exactly how I've been acting since I returned to Gaea." She crossed her arms over her knees and placed her forehead upon her arms. "Why… why?"
(To Be Continued)
AN: I'm so very sorry for taking so long to get this chapter written, but after I lost my job in February, I was struck with a bad case of writer's block, probably due to my fear of not finding a job in time to keep us from falling badly into debt. Fortunately, I'm working again and writing again too.
I hope you liked this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I was a bit confused as to which direction I wanted to take this after chapter 92, and after a couple of failed attempts, I came up with this. It feels right and leads nicely into what I want to have happen next. Also, it helps clarify some of Hitomi's strange behavior recently.
Sorry about the mIRC. I set it up and let everyone know in my last chapter that the channel name was #Esca(underscore)ANL but I forgot to include the server, which is undernet. I should be online each evening from 8 to 10 pm CST, from June 27th to July 1st. I hope at least some of you will sign on. I'm looking forward to answering any questions you might have about my story.
As always, I'd like to take a moment to thanks my totally awesome and incredibly cute beta-reader, Janice. Thanks Janice!
And I'd like to thank each and every one of you who've read my story, and especially to those who've also taken the time to review it as well. Thanks you all so very much.
A. Amishi