Author's Note: Hi! Sorry about the tardiness of this chapter. I told someone last Sunday, but that was before I realized how soon last Sunday was and that I really didn't have much. I don't know about this chapter. I like it and I don't. I've probably deleted more scenes and rewritten more parts of it than I've done for any chapter. Well, I'll let you decide. I hope you like it. Oh... and for Reviewer Response, someone told me that authors who did them were being pulled off. So I'm gonna include the section for this chapter, but for the ones after please leave an e-mail address or signed review so I can respond to your feedback :).
Enjoy :)
Chapter 19
His vision was hazy, but he could just make out the distant outline of a small white manor against the crystal blue background of the sky. Large trees provided a natural fence for the big house, giving it shelter from the hot sun beating over head.
What he wore was impractical for the heat. He could feel the sun's rays burning the bare skin of his arms and legs. Why in the world had he come outside dressed in short sleeves and... he gazed down at his legs briefly and did a double take... a skirt? He tried to raise his hands to rub his eyes and clear his sight– there had to be some mistake— but to his horror, he could not.
Oh gods. He tried again and once again; nothing happened. What was happening to him? Where was he? All at once, he realized he wasn't familiar with his surroundings. How had he gotten here?
The Madoushi! Had they taken him again? It was the only explanation for...
Someone was speaking and he had to concentrate to decipher the words; it was as if he was listening through a funnel.
"Celena, you're getting grass stains on your new dress! Honestly, I don't see why mother goes through the trouble to buy you anything new!"
Celena?
Dilandau's head turned--much to his absolute surprise for he hadn't issued the order-- toward the voice and his mouth opened to reply. The voice that came from his lips wasn't his.
It was high and... female. Female? -- a little girl's voice to be more precise.
"I don't know why either! I hate what she buys! I want pants like yours!"
"Little girls don't wear pants like mine. They wear dresses! Get up this instant!"
Dilandau couldn't even find the control to shiver. This was... eery. He had to be dreaming, but even in his dreams he could move, speak, something. Here, he was a spectator inside of... of Celena.
Why inside of her?–why not beside her or better yet, why not be outside of the bubble all together and watch the dream play out remotely?
He was standing... or rather, Celena was standing, rising to her full height which wasn't impressive. From what Dilandau could see, they were very low to the ground. A tall boy with shoulder-length, golden hair was coming toward them, a stern expression on his handsome face.
He grabbed Dilandau/Celena by the arm and whirled him/her around to stare at the backside of the dress. The boy groaned loudly in disgust. "I'm going to get in trouble for this, you know? You like doing this to me."
Dilandau/ Celena stood stock still in outrage as the dress was pulled over his/her head, ruffling his/her hair. Golden curls fell into their eyes. Golden curls?
Yes, Celena's hair had been blond, the same color as the boy's.
The frilly white frock was held out for them to inspect. "Just look at that!"
Dilandau wanted to squint so that he could better focus on the bright green stains on the seat of the dress. Shake your head, Celena. You couldn't have possibly known how filthy you were getting a white outfit. Why didn't you put on something darker for playing in the grass?
"Mother should make you wash this yourself." The boy was shaking his head. "Come on, lets go inside and find you something else to..."
Suddenly Dilandau/Celena was bolting across the large grassy courtyard away from the indignant shouts of the tall boy. Wearing nothing but a baggy pair of bloomers, they turned cartwheels and did handstands, falling into the soft grass laughing loudly.
Soft hands grabbed them around the naked waist and lifted them into the air. "You are a horrible little girl, Celena."
"I'm not a little girl today! I'm a little boy!"
The boy let out a long suffering sigh that sounded suspiciously like one of Dilandau's own. She was a little boy, huh? A quick look in the annoyingly large and itchy bloomers they were wearing could clear up that little ambiguity for her.
Hm... Now Dilandau was curious. Maybe Celena knew something he did not. Perhaps she was a little boy; after all, he was, and he was inside of her for the moment being.
"You are not a little boy." They were given a light shake. "I don't care if you want to be one."
Dilandau felt Celena pouting. "I'm more of a boy than you are!"
The boy snorted and at once, they were moving across the lawn, towards the fuzzy house. "I'll be sure to tell Mother that."
"You're a mean big brother, and I don't like you."
"Well, you're a bothersome little sister and I don't like you very much either," the boy said snootily. "I could have had a little brother instead, you know? You and he came out of Mother together, but you killed him. I think you were jealous."
Celena did not understand what was being said to her, but Dilandau seethed. How dare he say something like that to her...er...them!
"I have a little brother!" Celena blurted out before the rude boy could come up with anything else to say.
Dilandau would have blinked, and he was almost positive the boy had.
"No, you don't."
"I do too!"
"Where is he then?"
"He's in me, where you can't see him! He only talks to me, because he doesn't like you either! He thinks...he says..."
Dilandau was interested. Someone else was there besides him and he hadn't noticed? Hello?
The big house loomed before them, large and shadowy. The tall figure of a woman emerged and she came to stand on the porch. Dilandau studied her, wishing again that he could remove the dirty screen from his eyes. She was beautiful in a classic sort of way, her blond hair was bound back tightly in an elegant bun and her cornflower blue eyes were kind. She held out her arms for Celena.
"Well look at you, my darling. I probably should have sent you out in only this in the first place. Look at that dress..."
They were kissed on both cheeks and held close. Celena rested her head on the woman's shoulder, inhaling her scent for Dilandau to memorize.
Roses. The woman smelled of roses.
How does she feel, Celena? Touch her face, her hair... Dilandau wanted to know this woman more than he wanted to know anyone in the world. Help me, Celena, help me...
His cloudy vision began to swim, making surrounding colors leak into one another until he could distinguish nothing. Milk and creme washed over him as he was torn from that world, from Celena, and thrown back into the waking world.
Shivering and confused, he sat up, gasping and clutching at the thick quilt wrapped around his body. My gods, what had that been?
"Lord Dilandau?"
Dilandau let go of the quilt, grimacing at the dull ache in his fingers from keeping
them curled for so long. Running trembling hands through slightly damp hair and pulling a thick strand of it to be sure of its silver color, he looked to who had spoken to him.
Miguel was sitting up on the bed beside him. He looked as if he'd been asleep; he had pillow creases on his face and his eyes were misty. "What's the matter?"
Was he able to speak? He didn't want to try and fail; the idea scared the hell out of him. "Lord Dilandau?"
Miguel sounded more awake now, concern flavoring his tone.
He had been Celena in the dream. She had been a part of him when the Madoushi had created him, but was it possible that he had been a part of her before it all happened?
That woman... gods, he knew her. He knew he did! She had this look about her that reminded Dilandau not only of Celena, but of himself. The shape of her face, the way her lashes curled... Even that boy had reminded him vaguely of himself in his posture and the way he held his chin.
His shivering intensified accompanied by waves of dizziness and nausea. He moaned inwardly. Not again. He felt Miguel crawling closer to him and placing a cool hand on his forehead. There was a slight intake of breath.
"Looks like we should have done a better job drying you off this afternoon..."
This afternoon? "This afternoon?" How the hell long had he.... "What time is it now?" He noticed for the first time how dim the room was. A single lantern cast light on both he and Miguel. He looked to the window to find the curtain drawn.
Miguel jumped and Dilandau almost laughed. "Gods, you scared me! It's after dark now. You fell asleep after we brought you in, and we couldn't wake you. We've already packed the Alseides and buried the Gorgons. Dallet even...well he knew how much you wanted him to at least go and talk with his parents, so he went to say goodbye. The village is waiting to see us off, but we can tell them to go back home. We shouldn't leave..."
Dilandau shook his head, very glad that Miguel was the one in the room with him. Miguel's calm voice was very grounding; it brought him from thoughts of dreams and discomfort to business. "Why shouldn't we leave?"
Miguel blinked, sitting back a bit and rubbing sleep from his slightly swollen eyes. Dilandau must have woken Miguel out of a deep sleep indeed. "You're not serious?"
Dilandau was silent.
"You're serious." Miguel frowned, then sighed softly. "All right then. I'll go and tell the others you're awake."
Dilandau watched him leave suspiciously. That had been much too easy. He threw back the blankets and swung his legs slowly over the side of the bed, trying to ignore the revolting feeling of weakness that coursed through every cell in his body.
He stood carefully and after steadying himself on the frame of the bed, he walked to the mirror, straightening his sticky clothing. He was still wearing the clothes Folken had thoroughly soaked.
I'm getting you back for this, Folken.
He glimpsed himself, sadly unimpressed by the thin, ghastly pale boy he saw. He had come to hate his reflection as of late, but he had to see. He studied his pale jaw, the shape of his eyes and the fringe of his lashes. He hadn't been hallucinating at all. The woman in his dream did favor him a bit.
Why?
His brow furrowed. There was a simple answer to the question, but his brain hurt too much to think about it, so he would ask Folken. Hm... and maybe Folken had discovered Celena's new location. He'd have to ask him about that too.
He wondered if Folken missed his questions? Probably so, or else he wouldn't have asked Dilandau to come to him. He shuddered to think about having to rub elbows with the likes of Allen Schezar and worse yet, Van Fanel–especially after he promised Folken he wouldn't lay a vengeful finger on him.
Damn promises.
He sighed and went to his closet, pulling open the sliding door and groaning at seeing all of his clothes gone–packed.
Well, where was his bag, because there was no way in hell he was showing up in Astoria looking like something the cat dragged in. He was about to storm to his door and yell for whoever had taken his things to return them, when he noticed a pair of pants and a shirt draped over his armchair.
He stopped mid-stride, changed directions, and marched to the chair. Thick, brown, cotton pants and a ruby long-sleeved shirt, they'd even left his brown boots out.
It was hard to be frustrated, when faced with such sentiment. Dilandau didn't like being treated like a child, but he also didn't feel like digging through a packed knapsack and putting together his own outfit. He peeled off his soggy clothes and grabbed a towel from the dresser to sponge the dampness from his body. He felt disgusting, but thoughts of a bath didn't bring him pleasure. He wouldn't have the time to heat the water, and he was too chilled to consider taking a cold bath.
The clothes slid on with little resistance. He was losing weight again. Folken wouldn't be pleased. Dilandau rolled his eyes as he could practically hear Folken's patronizing tone in his ears: 'Dilandau, you haven't been eating properly.'
Gods, he missed that voice.
Yes, Miguel, yes everyone who tried to argue with him that night, we are leaving for Astoria tonight. He gathered his wet clothes in one hand and looked scornfully at the state in which he was going to leave his room, but he didn't think he could straighten it up if he tried. This temporary energy boost from wanting to see Folken was going to get him to his Oreades and in the air. After that, auto pilot would kick in and he'd take another little nap.
Maybe he would get another chance to see through Celena's eyes. The thought put a dreamy smile on his lips as he went out to greet his Dragonslayers and what looked to be the entire village in the common area.
Enough with the dreams, enough with the coded messages... what do you want? What are you trying to tell me? Valeska was beside herself, pacing back and forth in her night clothes. The long satiny gown rustled between her legs as she took long strides. Stupid gown... Why did she wear it? She hated dresses and skirts, so why at night did she feel the need to be feminine? No one had ever reprimanded her for the way she dressed...
"Little girls don't wear pants.... They wear dresses!"
She twirled around, desperately seeking out the owner of the voice she'd heard. It was a familiar voice from her dreams, but she'd heard it aloud. She growled low in her throat. How she hated the wretched blond boy in her dreams. She even disliked the sweet woman who would hold and kiss her, because she tied ribbons in her hair.
For the love of the gods, ribbons!
She pulled at her hair, loosening it from its short braid. She paused in front of a full length mirror, glaring at the girl looking back at her.
You look like a mad woman, Valeska, the girl whispered.
"Because I am!" Valeska shrieked back. Gods...gods... she was mad. One day, two days, three had passed since she had returned to the floating fortress. Two days since her dressing down for losing so terribly to Dilandau and his Slayers, one day since the memorial of her Gorgons...
What would happen tomorrow? Would she get a new team? Would she be dismissed? How could they keep her?– she kept failing at everything they assigned and this time she'd lost her men, all of them. How had that happened? She'd trained them to perfection; there was no way they could have lost to the Dragonslayers, but they had.
And Dilandau– Dilandau had been a demon, just like Van. He was evil and... gods, what was this feeling? Whenever she thought of Dilandau, she got this rush, this exhilarating feel of... of... love?
Love? Valeska, in love with Dilandau? By the gods, she really was mad! She wanted to kill him. He had to die for killing her Gorgons, for scaring her...
Oh yes, she'd been scared of him. She was no longer ashamed to admit that to herself. He would have killed her, but something happened to his machine. It had shut itself off, it had looked like. Dilandau was...
There was that feeling!
Why? She was not attracted to Dilandau; she had never even seen him only heard of him! She gasped.
The mirror.
She'd looked into the mirror and instead of Valeska, she'd seen a handsome stranger as tall as herself with skin white as cream and eyes red as blood.
Dilandau? Was this Dilandau?
The image faded and only Valeska watched her from the looking glass. "Dilandau?" she spoke to the glass, trying to call him back. "Dilandau?" The boy ignored her summons.
Of course he had; he wasn't real! Valeska didn't know why she was letting such petty things as hallucinations bother her. After all, she was insane. Lunatics always saw things that weren't there. She ought to call someone in and instruct them to lock her up. Wouldn't they love to do that? Anyone on board would gladly volunteer to be the one to strap hateful Valeska down and swallow the key to her padded cell.
She was afraid she had no allies on board anymore without her men, and even they hadn't been truly faithful to her. She knew that they, if given the chance to betray her, surely would have. One of them would have gladly locked her away; so why did she care so much that they were gone?
It marked her failure, yes, but there was something else, something inside that told her she should care. They were her men and she should have loved them.
"A Captain cannot be friends with his soldiers."
"That doesn't mean they can't like us."
What? The voices had belonged to herself and another, the tone very familiar. Who had she been talking to and when? She had no reverie of the conversation. She was growling again, stalking about like a caged jungle cat. She had to get out of here. She was positive this place wasn't good for her. She was seeing things, hearing voices, having dreams, and experiencing feelings that were not her own.
Escape Valeska, you must escape, but to where? Where could she go?
Where They promised. Where you were three days ago. Go to Dilandau; you're supposed to be with Dilandau. He needs you!
Go to Dilandau? He needs me? For what? Did the demon need more blood to sacrifice? Valeska, you are a certified crazy.
They lied.
Who is They?
You're supposed to be with Dilandau, at his side.
What...IS... this? Valeska nearly tripped herself, stalking back to the mirror. She grabbed it, holding it with both hands on either side, ready to smash it and screamed.
Her eyes... her beautiful lavender eyes... were blue.
Folken really hadn't been expecting a reply to his invitation, so when Pearce told him Dilandau had sent a return message of acceptance, he'd been taken by surprise.
Dilandau was coming, on his way in fact, but Folken didn't know whether to be overjoyed or nervous. Dilandau's message had been friendly enough, but there was a short side note about sprinklers that both confused and worried him. Sprinklers? What in Gaea had Dilandau meant by that?
"Lord Folken, Sir Allen requests an audience with you. Shall I tell him you're busy?" Pearce had entered the room without knocking and was watching Folken stew in front of his bedroom window with an amused look on his face.
Folken raised an eyebrow at the man. "Is he making it seem like a life or death issue, or is it something I can put off?"
"He believes it's important sir; I don't know how important it actually is. Are you still pondering over Lord Dilandau's 'sprinklers?'"
Folken started then composed himself. "I wish I knew what he was talking about, because he certainly seemed to think that I would."
"I'll protect you, sir," Pearce chuckled. "Now... what to tell Sir Allen...?"
"Tell him nothing; I'll meet with him," Folken sighed. He adjusted his garments with a self-conscious frown. It was strange not wearing his robes, and the cape he'd been supplied with just wasn't the same. He couldn't hide his ugly metal arm as well in a simple cape... but the robes seemed to frighten people more than his arm did.
"You look fine, sir," Pearce said. "You had better not let Lord Dilandau catch you preening."
Folken sniffed. He was not preening! "Make what you want of my actions Pearce. Where is Sir Allen waiting for me?"
"In the small conference room," Pearce said. "He's alone."
Folken nodded, then narrowed his eyes slightly at Pearce for the last added bit of information. Why would he care if Schezar was alone or not?
Perhaps he thought Folken would assume Van was with Allen. The knight and his brother kept very close company. There was a strange tightness in his chest whenever he thought about that. Van followed Allen like he used to follow Folken when he was little. He sighed, well Van had to look up to someone, and Folken certainly hadn't been there to claim the position. He should be grateful to the knight for being there for his brother; in fact, he would thank Allen.
He was walking past Pearce as the irony of the situation he was in struck him. Allen was watching Folken's own little brother, and Folken was expecting the person who was as close to a little brother as Allen could get in a few days so that he could take him back under wing.
How would Allen react if he told him?
He wouldn't believe it, Folken was sure. The concept of Fate Alteration was a foreign thing to Allen Schezar, and if he didn't try to hit Folken, he'd have him discredited as a lunatic.
No, he wouldn't be telling Allen Schezar anything out of the ordinary. Besides, he hadn't even told Dilandau yet and was highly contemplating if he should. Dilandau wasn't very fond of Schezar even before he met the man. That confused Folken greatly, but he'd never made any inquiries on Dilandau's feelings. He'd had more important things to worry about.
He stopped before the heavy, wooden door of the conference room, knocking twice before entering without waiting for a reply. The blond knight sat in a high backed chair facing the door, his head snapped up from the book in his lap and he motioned for Folken to sit down with a nod.
Folken sat across from the man, not speaking until he was spoken to.
Allen raised a blond brow at him. "Are you sure you're related to Van?"
Folken blinked. "Why do you ask that?"
"You haven't demanded to know why I've called you here yet," Allen chuckled lightly, his blue eyes were friendly but held an undercurrent of seriousness that made Folken refrain from joining in on the merriment.
Not that he'd wanted to.
He remained silent, waiting for the knight to continue.
"King Aston and his advisors have accepted you and fully believe you've joined our side. They trust you and your judgment completely, but I'm not sure if I do. I'm not sure if I like you Folken. Weeks ago, I could have definitely told you that I did not, but...you've done some things for us that we couldn't have done on our own. I'm grateful for your assistance."
But... Folken was waiting for the "but."
"But when I was told that you recommended bringing in..."
"Captain Albatou?"
"Yes. I've met the man once before, and he was a... a... I cannot find a polite word to describe him. I cannot work with a person like that, nor have someone like that around my men. And his men, the Dragonslayers or what not... they're almost just as bad."
Allen trailed off, studying Folken's bland expression, his face doing an odd dance on the borderline of anger and puzzlement. Folken wanted to laugh at how like Dilandau he seemed then, in his expression, the way he held himself, and even the way he clenched his hands into fists.
"Am I amusing you, Strategos?"
Even the tone of voice. This was the first time he'd really experienced a close encounter of any kind with Allen Schezar where they sat and spoke and he'd had a chance to observe him.
"No, Sir Allen. I'm sorry if my silence upsets you. I was simply thinking of the proper response to give you. Do not worry about Dilandau; he will be under my supervision and I assure you that he and his men will behave themselves accordingly."
Allen scowled. "I doubt that..."
"The Dilandau you met and the one that will be coming to join us are two different people, Sir Allen. I cannot explain the change to you in words, so you will simply have to meet with him."
Allen's severe expression did not lighten. "If any harm should come to anyone under my care because of that... that madman, I will hold you responsible! Do you find that amusing too?"
Folken blinked; he actually did, but he didn't dare say that. Any minute now he expected the blond man to throw something expensive and storm off in search of a box of matches and something flammable.
"No. I'm not teasing you. I am simply telling you that you have nothing to fear. So, if that's all...?"
"That is all," Allen said sharply. He looked back at the book in his lap rather pointedly, obviously dismissing Folken.
Folken rose, taking the dismissal in stride and fighting back a smile. He left the room, closing the door behind him. He wondered vaguely if Allen and Dilandau ever found themselves in the same room together for longer than a second, would they notice how similar they were in manner?
That would be amusing indeed.
Folken didn't hide the smile that blossomed on his lips outside of Allen's heated glare. He didn't know what it was about this place, but he smiled in this castle more than he had ever smiled anywhere in Zaibach.
The gods were trying to tell him something, but that something hurt him deeply. His place was with these people, outside of Zaibach, opposing it. Zaibach had given him life when the Fates had chosen death for him, but that life had been a mistake, an awful mistake.
He straightened his shoulders and lifted his head higher, shaking the dark thoughts away. What was done was done and it couldn't be changed. He would not waste his time dwelling on things no longer in his control. He'd fix what he could.
He just hoped it would be enough.
For the first time in his life, Van cared about what he wore. He'd actually requested new clothes to be tailored to fit him properly. He'd traded in his faded pants and ill-fitting shirts for fine satin garments. The onyx pants were lose, giving the illusion of more meat on his petite frame, and the dark blue color of his new long sleeved shirt brought out natural chocolate and strawberry highlights in his black hair. He tucked the tails of his shirt into his pants and fastened the silver buckle of a large black belt around his waist
Well, he wasn't handsome like Folken had been when he was his age, nor was he as glitzy as Allen, but he kind of looked like a prince now. Did he dare put on the cloak the maid had brought in? He eyed the high collared, black garment thoughtfully, before shaking his head. No, he'd look stupid, and he didn't want Dilandau thinking he was anything less than intelligent.
Argh!
Why had he thought that? He was NOT dressing up for Dilandau! It was high time he started dressing like a person of his stature. It just so happened the day he'd chosen to wear his new clothes was the day Dilandau was scheduled to arrive.
He was NOT trying to impress Dilandau...
Ok, so he was, but he was trying to convince himself of otherwise. Besides, what could Dilandau be impressed about? Van may have been wearing the outfit of a prince, but he was still short and gangly with unruly hair. Dilandau was beautiful and by all means could be the prince Van was pretending to be...er... the king Van was pretending to be. Why would he look at Van twice when he had people like Avenger to talk to?
And then there was the fact that Dilandau probably hated him and might even try to kill him when they were alone. Van shrugged that off. If Dilandau wanted to kill him, it was fine. At least it meant Dilandau was thinking about him.
Oh, he was sick, absolutely sick! How could he have gotten so disgustingly obsessed with one person? Maybe living with Dilandau would kill his crush. Hopefully so. He prayed Dilandau would repulse him and he could turn away from all thoughts of the pale boy smiling at him, speaking to him kindly... touching him... forever.
But then what would he do? The obsession had ruled him for so long he couldn't think of a single thing he would do in his free time. He was drawn from his pondering by a timid knock at his door.
Probably another maid. "It's open!" he called.
The door opened a crack and Hitomi poked her head in.
Oh crud! He should have asked who it was.
"Hi Van," Hitomi smiled at him uncertainly. "Can I... come in? I don't mean to bother you; I just... well we haven't talked in a while...and with..."
Van tried not to roll his eyes and schooled his annoyed expression into one of indifference. "Sure. Come in."
Hitomi stopped stuttering immediately, slipping into the room and shutting the door. Van sat on his bed, peering at her. She looked slightly flustered as she neared him and stood before him.
"You... um... look nice, Van. What's the occasion?"
Van frowned. There was NO occasion! "No occasion. I just felt it was time for a new look."
Hitomi bit her lip and after a short moment of silence, invited herself to sit on the bed beside Van. "Really, Van? Everyone's been really curious as to why you're getting all... as Allen's men call it, dolled up. Allen dismissed it, saying it's about time... but I..."
Van narrowed his eyes at her.
"I thought... Van, this, um, this isn't about my being with Allen is it?"
Van's mouth fell open in pure shock as he ogled her. Of all the things to come blurting out of her mouth... but he supposed he had liked her at some point, so maybe she did have reason to believe.... Hell no! He wanted to yell, but... what better way to explain his sudden change in appearance, since he was now fully aware that everyone was curious about it. If he wasn't dressing up for Hitomi, then who could he possibly be dressing up for? There were other girls in the palace besides her that he could be interested in, but who could he name?
Did he have to name one? He'd make it an intriguing mystery! He was so smart, he grinned to himself.
"No, it's not about you and Allen. Believe it or not, I'm happy for you two."
"Oh," Hitomi looked surprised and maybe a little...disappointed? Why? Hitomi had been so head-over-heels for Allen, why would she want Van's attention? "Well... who then? I know there has to be someone special."
Van gave her a light smile and shook his head. "I'm not telling her name. I don't want it getting out somehow. You know castle walls have ears."
Hitomi blushed and gave a strange giggle. "Er... yeah, but Van really, would it be so bad for someone to know? Maybe...maybe I could help you. I... kind of feel bad for ignoring you and hanging around Allen so much. I know it's been hard for you with... well, your brother around, and now that crazy from Zaibach–what's his name– coming here today. Allen thinks Folken's insane, but the Dryden won't hear anything about it. Have you thought about appointing some guards for your door at night?"
Van made a face at her. "I don't need guards. I'm not afraid of Dilandau or his men."
She doesn't even know his name. How can someone not know his name?
"Well I am. He almost killed you and Allen, Van! I did a reading last night, and the cards show me death. If those men come here, someone's going to die."
Well gee, Hitomi. There IS a war going on.
"I thought you weren't using the cards anymore, Hitomi," Van said.
"I...I'm not, but last night I... I don't know! Look, I just thought you might want someone to talk to, but since you're fine..."
Van frowned. Of course he was fine, he hadn't been acting anything but. Perhaps Hitomi was the one that wasn't. He studied her, from her large red-rimmed, green eyes to her trembling mouth.
"Hitomi..."
A trumpet blared, announcing guests at the castle gates.
They were there! Van sprang up from his bed, jogging past Hitomi. "We'll talk later, ok!"
He nearly ran into Allen in the hallway. "Sorry!"
Allen stared at him strangely, raising an eyebrow. "What are you in such a hurry for? Are you going out to meet Folken's guests?"
Van nodded, hoping he didn't look too excited.
"Then we'll go together," Allen said flatly. "Dryden's a fool for letting those boys into this palace without so much as a backward glance."
Van hid a smirk. It was no secret Allen couldn't stand Dryden and Dryden made a game out of pissing him off.
"I'm going to make sure that brother of yours does a good job of informing Dilandau of his place in this castle," Allen was saying and Van nodded along.
Just keep talking Allen, you're making the time it's taking us to get to the entrance pass me by that much faster.
"We've landed just outside the city walls. Is there anywhere in particular you want us to store our Alseides, Lord Folken? Oh, and is there a way we can get into the castle without being stared at? Lord Dilandau's asleep and when he wakes, he's probably going to be disoriented and won't want anyone to see him in that condition," Gatty was speaking mechanically, his brain shifting into automatic as exhaustion set in. The trip to Astoria had taken much longer than expected due to Zaibach patrols, unstable weather patterns, and low resources.
"Stay where you are; I see your location. Marie, Pearce, and I are coming out to meet you in a carriage." Folken's voice was tranquil as ever, but Gatty's tired mind thought it discerned a smidgen of worry in his tone. "How is Dilandau?"
Gatty sighed, resting his head for moment on the communications console before answering. "Not so good. Kinda scaring me. I don't know."
He says he's fine, but Gatty personally didn't believe throwing up everything one ingests, including water, was fine. Nor did he believe it was normal for a fever to last more than a day accompanied by temporary losses of consciousness when making sudden movements.
A beat went by before Folken finally said, "We'll be there shortly. Is there anything you need right away?"
"The only thing we need right now are beds, baths, and real food; the order doesn't really matter to me at this point."
Gatty earned a light chuckled from Folken and the transmission ended. He smiled at the small reward and nearly let himself drift into a light slumber. He was startled awake by a transmission from Shesta.
"What did Lord Folken say Gatty? I forgot to tap into the line."
Some second in charge you are, Gatty grouched inwardly, but then again, Shesta had been the one to volunteer to rouse Lord Dilandau. He had probably been making the transition from his Alseid to Lord Dilandau's Oreades.
"He said to wait here. He, Dr. Marie, and Pearce are coming out in a carriage to get us."
"Good," Shesta breathed. "How about getting into the castle? Can we do that without be seen?"
"He didn't say," Gatty answered. "Are you with Lord Dilandau?"
"Yeah. I don't think I want to wake him, Gatty. He looks... I don't know, like he's having a good dream or something. He's smiling. Think Pearce and Folken would carry him down?"
Gatty felt his head drooping forward and snapped back into the conversation. "Of course, but why would we ask them? We can do it just as easily as they could..."
"Gatty, as dead as we are, we'd drop him and ourselves. I barely made it from my Alseid up here. When I find a bed, I'm going to die in it."
Gatty smirked, "Likewise."
The console beeped, letting him know he had another call. "It's Dallet. I think one of us better make a general transmission now."
"You do it; you've got more information than me. I'm going to take a cat nap; wake me when they get here."
Shesta cut the transmission, leaving Gatty to stare at his blank viewing screen and beeping consoles. He turned the sound off and sat watching the blue call lights in a daze for a moment. Shesta was taking a nap, and it wasn't fair. Gatty deserved a nap more than Shesta did for leading the group on the trip from hell, but Gatty knew if he shut his eyes it would be for good.
After a long yawn, he opened communications to the public frequency. "Lord Folken's on his way with a carriage. He wants us to stay put. Make yourselves as pretty as you can, we're about to go in and hobnob with royalty."
"What?" Miguel squawked. "You can't be serious! Not looking like this! How predictable is this! Just because Astorians don't mind looking like greasy pigs when they first meet someone doesn't mean other people don't have finer..."
"Geez Miguel! Act like you haven't slept in over 32 hours! I could barely understand a word you said. Speak slower, simpler!" Viole complained.
"Viole, just because I don't use the vocabulary of an illiterate toddler..."
"Illiterate toddler? Is there a such thing? Toddlers don't read..."
"I did!"
"Well then, just cause you're a freak..."
"Gatty, requesting permission to shoot crima claws at Viole!"
"Gatty! You can't let him do that!"
"Oi, shut up!" Dallet shouted. "My gods, I can't wait to get out of here. If I never have to hear you two yammering away again, it'll be too soon!"
Gatty rolled his eyes. "Knock it off. Lock down your Alseides and meet on ground."
He switched off his communicator and prepared his systems for shut down without running a standard diagnostic. He'd deal with any technical difficulties after a few years of sleep. He descended from his Silver slowly, noting that everyone was already on ground but Shesta and Lord Dilandau.
"... will not share another room with you, you pest! And is that my shirt? I've been looking for that shirt! You said you hadn't seen it, you no good thief! You sticky-
fingered..."
"Enough Miguel!" Gatty yelled. "You're not offending him in the least!" He waved a hand at Viole, who was rolling in the dirt, helpless with laughter. Miguel glared at Gatty through unkempt bangs and kicked at Viole.
Guimel had taken a seat on the sandy ground and had leaned his back against Dallet, who was still standing's, legs. Dallet's tired eyes watched Miguel and Viole's one-
sided altercation disinterestedly.
"Did Shesta want us to help him with Lord Dilandau?" Dallet asked, eyes still on Viole's lithe form trying to escape Miguel's stomping feet.
"Shesta's taking a nap; says he doesn't want to disturb Lord Dilandau's sleep, and he thinks we'll drop him if we try to get him down. Folken will deal with it." Gatty moved closer to Dallet and Guimel, dropping his body down beside Guimel's. He nudged the other blond's knee and got no response.
Gatty glimpsed his face, Guimel's head was tilted back, resting on Dallet's locked knees. He had fallen asleep. Guimel could fall asleep anywhere in any position. Gatty brushed a curl off his friend's forehead and leaned forward to place his elbows on his knees.
He must have phased out for a little while, because next thing he knew he felt the vibration of hooves stamping across earth and heard Viole's joyful exclamation.
A large, white royal carriage approached them, bearing the crest of Astoria. It stopped a few feet away and the double doors opened. Folken stepped out, looking as tall and intimidating as ever followed by the red haired Dr. Marie, and the placid Pearce.
"Lord Folken." Gatty rose and gave a quick salute, as did Dallet, Miguel, and Viole. Dallet gave Guimel a light bump with his knee to rouse him.
"Hm..." Guimel mumbled, cracking open one eye and bolting into a standing position when he saw Folken.
"Greetings... you all look very...tired," Folken assessed.
"No shit?" Viole breathed and Miguel pushed him.
"Did you make any stops along the way?" Dr. Marie asked, frowning at them all. "You look awful. I think I'll check all you over once we get inside the castle. Where is your captain?"
Folken raised an inquiring brow as well.
"In his Oreades with Shesta. Shesta didn't want to wake him, and we didn't want to try to get him down."
Pearce snorted. "Wise choice."
Gatty blinked. He didn't think he'd ever heard that man speak when not ordered to.
Folken was walking to the base of Lord Dilandau's Oreades with Dr. Marie trailing behind him. Gatty supposed he should have gone along too, but he was just too damn tired. He flopped back down in the dirt, not surprised when Guimel and Dallet joined him.
Miguel looked longingly at the carriage. "When we get inside the castle, will we have to go through hours of formalities or will we get to rest, do you think?"
"Rest..." Guimel moaned. "I'd sell my soul for a pillow."
"Since when do you need pillows?"
"Since I got a crick in my neck from sleeping upright with my head slumping over to the side," Guimel complained.
"Want a massage?" Viole offered. "I'm pretty decent at it, I think. I've only had one complaint... ok, well maybe two..."
"Forget it, Viole. You're not touching my neck."
"Guimel, do you think I'd hurt you? I'll be very..."
"Oh look, they've got him, but I think he's awake," Dallet interrupted Viole, nodding towards the Oreades. The hatch was open and Folken was leading Lord Dilandau down the stairs in front with Pearce supporting him in back. Shesta climbed out after them, looking apprehensive.
"I guess we should get up," Gatty said, rather reluctant to leave his reclined position. He took the hand Miguel offered down to him and pulled himself up, then extended a hand to Guimel.
What a pitiful bunch they made as they stood, waiting for the others to join them. Lord Dilandau was dead on his feet; Folken was practically carrying him along. Gatty watched dully as Folken and Pearce placed Lord Dilandau carefully into the carriage, and then got in himself.
The carriage was roomy and very comfortable. The seats were large and soft. It felt like heaven, and Gatty was ashamed to say that he couldn't remember most of the carriage ride. The doors closed and so did his eyes. When he awoke, they were being escorted inside the palace.
They took a servant entrance to avoid the crowd of people gathering to catch a glimpse of the infamous ex-Dragonslayers of Zaibach. Gatty had no idea they were that famous amongst other people. He would have blushed, if his brain was functioning well enough for him to truly process what was happening.
"I've arranged for you all to room in the wing, Marie, Pearce, and I share. You'll each have your own private bedrooms with your own baths."
"Oh my gods, I've died and gone to heaven," Miguel was murmuring softly.
They walked up a steep flight of stairs and Gatty had to hold the railing to be sure he didn't topple down. He shot a sharp look to Folken to see how he was getting Lord Dilandau up the stairs. Oh...
He was carrying him.
"I know you all are anxious to get to bed, but Lord Dryden, the heir apparent, wants to meet with you all in the small throne room."
There was a collective groan that Gatty couldn't trace the source of, but felt himself chiming in just the same.
"I'll make sure it won't take long. It's just a necessary formality."
The stairway ended and they made a turn down a well lit corridor where Folken set Lord Dilandau on his feet at his whispered request. A few armed guards lined the hall and stood at attention as they ambled past.
Good grief, how we must look to these men...
Folken kept a tight arm around Lord Dilandau's waist, supporting him. "How are feeling, Dilandau? Can you meet with Dryden or should I have Marie and Pearce take you to your room?'
Lord Dilandau shook his head. "I'll meet with the man in charge. Can't insult royalty, now can I?"
Gatty smirked. He quickened his pace to walk alongside Lord Dilandau. The captain was sweating and trembling noticeably. All this Lord Dryden had to do was take a good look at him, and Gatty was sure he'd let Lord Dilandau pass on the meeting without feeling insulted at all.
Folken placed his hand on Lord Dilandau's chalky face and shut his eyes. "The meeting will be brief. Marie, can you go ahead and set up to draw blood in Dilandau's room? And Pearce, can you get someone to draw a cold bath for him?"
"What about the Alseides, sir?"
"They'll be all right. I'll have someone sent out to watch them later on."
"Yes sir."
Dr. Marie and Pearce separated for the group and ventured in the opposite direction down the hall.
The Slayers, led by Folken, seemed to walk for an eternity before they reached two massive double doors with two soldiers standing at attention. The soldiers nodded to Folken and then stood aside, pulling the doors open.
The throne room was much different from Gatty was used to in Zaibach. It was bright and cheery, and the walls were lined with many colorful tapestries. A rich red carpet led from the doors to the double thrones at the back of the room where two people sat, a man and woman. The woman was young and beautiful, her long blond hair falling over the shoulders of her elegant gown, and the man... well, he was different.
The royal couple rose as a unit, the man giving a toothy smile. "Greetings Dragonslayers or do you go by a different name now?"
"Who the hell's this guy?" Miguel murmured to no one in particular, but everyone wanted to kick him to keep from snickering.
"Dragonslayers is fine unless you think someone might take offense to that," Lord Dilandau pulled away from Folken, drawing strength from an unknown fountain inside himself. His lord never ceased to amaze him. "I am Captain Dilandau Albatou formerly of Zaibach, and my men and I are at your service."
The captain probably would have knelt if he thought he'd have the power to get back up from it. As it was, the heir apparent seemed not to notice nor care.
"I'm sure Lord Folken has already briefed you on the responsibilities being bestowed on you, but to please the King and certain other parties, I must force you to sit through a few ground rules."
Uh oh. Please don't make him angry...
"One: You must pledge your allegiance to Astoria and her King. Two: You will wear Astoria's colors in public and on the battlefield. Three: You will not participate in anything that might result in destroying, damaging, or desecrating the palace, its grounds, or anything else within the capitol city. Four: You will not participate in any events that may involve provoking others to destroy, damage or desecrate the palace, its grounds, or anything else within the capitol city. And lastly five: You are welcome here and I hope you enjoy your stay."
Gatty was in awe. The man had said all that in one breath in a span of 15 seconds. He topped any record Viole had set.
"My liege, I find your rules more than reasonable, so I accept them on my behalf and on the behalf of my men. I pledge my loyalty to you and this country for the duration of this war for we have a common enemy and there is strength in numbers." Lord Dilandau spoke in his most diplomatic tone, giving a slight bow.
"Lord Dryden, with your permission, I will give Captain Albatou his assignment in the morning," Folken stepped forward, staring at the tall man dressed in the colorful robes of a merchant.
"Sure, Lord Folken, you are dismissed. I trust you will show them all to their rooms?"
"Yes," Folken nodded.
"Great." Dryden smiled, rubbing his chin and glancing down at them from his higher vantage point. "You all look like you've seen better days. Maybe you should give them more than just a night to settle in Lord Folken. Now if we're done, I do believe we should open the doors and let Sir Allen in."
"Dryden!" the blond princess exclaimed. "You didn't!"
Dryden beamed. "I didn't lock him out per say, I just told the guards that if the doors were already closed when he arrived..."
"You're absolutely horrible," the princess said, not quite able to take on a tone of disapproval through the smile threatening to crack her face. "He's going to be livid!"
Dryden chuckled. "He may not even be here yet. Lets go see."
Dryden descended the short, carpeted stairway, taking his princess's arm. The royal couple stopped before them, giving polite bows and smiles before walking past to the large double doors.
"I don't know what I want to do first, take a proper bath or sleep," Miguel was pondering aloud.
"Only you would be concerned about a bath right now, Miguel," Gatty grumbled. "Bed for me." He moved forward to catch Lord Dilandau by the shoulders as he swayed a bit on his feet. "Bed for you too, sir."
Lord Dilandau gave a soft moan of discomfort. Sometimes it hurt when he was squeezed too hard; Gatty loosened his grip.
"I don't get bed. Folken means to make a pin cushion of me tonight."
Folken actually grinned and Gatty almost fell over. He caught the wide eyed, open mouth gapes the others were giving as well. Folken was grinning? He could grin?
"You say that as if you think I'll enjoy it, Dilandau," Folken said. Gatty gave Lord Dilandau a light back rub, before giving him a push into Folken's awaiting arms. He normally liked being Lord Dilandau's anchor, but today he was in danger of falling over and he didn't want to take Lord Dilandau down with him.
"You probably will," Lord Dilandau said, leaning heavily on Folken. He looked up at the taller man, wine colored eyes a bit watery from pain and lack of rest. "I... I really don't feel good, Folken."
Gatty felt his stomach clench at hearing Lord Dilandau admit to not feeling well aloud and he felt Shesta shift closer to him. He felt the fine tremors of exhaustion and worry running through Shesta's body reverberating his own.
Lord Dilandau was going to be fine... just fine. Folken was here. Dr. Marie was here.
Lord Dilandau's going to be fine...
"I'll take care of you, Dilandau," Folken said reassuringly. He held Lord Dilandau a little tighter and the boy leaned a little more. "Come on, we're going to your rooms now. You all need rest."
They all began to walk as a unit, passing through the double doors as the royal couple had only to be intercepted by Sir Allen Schezar and his ever faithful stooge King Van Fanel.
Joy.
Did this mean they couldn't go to bed yet?
From the look on Sir Allen's face, Gatty predicted a negative answer to his question.
Damn.
Allen was infuriated by the sheer amount of traffic crowding the foyer area where the Dragonslayers had undoubtably been welcomed. Nosy peasants. He pushed through servants and common soldiers off duty, excusing himself but not really meaning it. He should have stationed himself in one of the towers today, so he could have spotted the Slayers before they'd even reached the gates.
Van followed on his heels, keeping up with Allen's long-legged stride astoundingly well. Allen bet Van was probably more anxious than he was to confront the Slayers, Dilandau in particular. After all, they'd burned his country, and according to Hitomi, Dilandau had personally tried to kill Van in a sword fight. Van always seemed vaguely guilty about the latter though.
"Hey Boss!"
Allen stopped abruptly at hearing his name and Van crashed into him from behind, forcing him to take a small step forward to avoid stumbling and looking clumsy. He turned his head slightly to skim the bland faced audience for the voice he'd heard.
Reeden suddenly stood beside him and Allen took in a sharp quiet breath at his sudden appearance. "What is it?"
"The Pretty Bastards and Lord Van's creepy brother are in the King's throne room already. Folken said he predicted the crowd that was going to gather, and he had those pansy boys already in route to the throne room before we knew they landed. Parked their fancy guymelefs out front though. They got some new ones for each of em' and they managed to drag in 5 more of the old ones we're used to seeing without pilots."
Allen pressed his lips together in silent outrage. Someone could have told him about the plans to meet with the Dragonslayers in the King's room instead of having him out there rubbing elbows with every palace servant and common man in the castle alike. He normally didn't mind mingling, but right then he had more important things to do.
"Thank you Reeden," Allen nodded to the man, then turned on his heel and marched right back through the crowd on a trek to the King's throne room, Van in tow.
"What do you think made everyone so interested in coming out to meet the Dragonslayers?" Van asked Allen, when they'd freed themselves of the crowds and ventured down the unpopulated back hallways.
"They're nosy. Most people who work in palaces make it their business to know everything that goes on inside."
"Is that so?" Van hummed, not really sounding interested in Allen's answer at all. Allen tossed a look over his shoulder at the boy, noting his sharp choice of dress with approval. It was about time the boy started dressing like a lord, but why now? His thoughts flashed briefly to Hitomi, wondering if she had anything to do with the change. Allen always suspected the boy may have been jealous of Hitomi's choosing Allen over him, but that had been weeks ago... and well... Frankly, Allen didn't think his and Hitomi's relationship was anything to covet. Sure he liked the girl, but when he really evaluated the nature of the relationship he found himself wondering why he'd ever pursued it. Perhaps it was because of Millerna and Dryden...
No, no, he shook his head. Millerna had been a dream. He never could have been with her, not after Marlene and especially not after that conversation with Eries that he'd had many nights ago.
So if it hadn't spurred from rebound, then what had pushed him that day to kiss her? He shuddered lightly, shaking his head. Whatever; the relationship would be over soon enough. He had no intentions of leading the girl on any further, and Van could have her. If, of course, that was indeed what he wanted, but looking at the lad, Allen didn't quite think so. Something or someone else had his attention as of late, not even as of late, but for a while. What Allen had always assumed was a crush on the girl from the Mystic Moon was and had probably always been a crush on someone else.
Who? he wondered. A light smile shaped his lips, and his dark mood brightened a bit. It was nice to have something as normal as a mystery crush going on in the midst of so much chaos. He would have to encourage the boy to come to him about this. He could give him some pointers.
Two guards stood idle at the entrance of the throne room, quickly snapping to attention and saluting at the sight of Allen and Van. Allen saluted back and waited for them to open the doors. Strangely, they did not.
"Lord Dryden is already in meeting with Lord Folken and his charges. He asked not to be disturbed."
Allen saw red. He asked not be disturbed! But who did he think would disturb him besides Allen, who he knew would get there late because he wouldn't have known where the meeting was to take place!
He wished he was alone so he could kick something. Damn Dryden! He and that bastard Folken had gotten together on this and conspired against him!
"Allen?"
Van was frowning at him and Allen imagined the look on his face must have been quite interesting.
"Yes, Van?"
"We can just wait for them to come out. Dryden wouldn't have let you speak anyway. You can request a private meeting."
Allen narrowed his eyes. That sounded perfectly sound and rational, but that wasn't what Allen wanted right then. He wanted to kick in the doors and slap the stupid smirk he knew would be residing on Dryden's long face right off, along with those dumb glasses of his.
"That's a fine idea, Van. We'll wait."
He'd given the more appropriate answer, but from the odd way Van was eyeing him, he was sure his face betrayed his inner desires.
"What are you planning on saying to them anyway?" Van asked as he and Allen quietly took plush leather chairs against the wall.
Allen sighed, careful not to slouch in the chair. He didn't know. Something along the lines of, if you bring about the destruction of this castle I'll show you no mercy? He was more concerned over the fact that he didn't know how these people operated and how they were going to effect his daily schedule. Dryden said they were being brought in to train or retrain soldiers and to enhance Astoria's defenses. It was pure arrogance on Folken's part to believe that these boys from Zaibach were so much better than the Astorian forces that they could train them. Grown men to be trained by boys, please. And Dryden, what a fool for obliging him! True, Dilandau and his men were good, but they were not any better than Allen and his crew.
Allen could train soldiers as well as anyone. Why wasn't he given the job? He hadn't even been alerted that training was an issue until recently.
The doors were opening and casual chatting could be heard. Dryden was exiting with Millerna in tow, looking quite pleased with himself. He dimpled at Allen as they passed.
"Good afternoon, Allen," Millerna said politely, "Van." She and Dryden resumed their conversation, giggling amongst themselves and turning away from Allen and Van to proceed on down the hall.
Millerna hadn't so much as winked at him and her smile had been warm, but superficial, the kind she'd give to anyone. Allen wanted to chase after them, yank Dryden's ridiculous ponytail and take Millerna by the hand to ask why she was ignoring him.
Well Allen, the girl is married now; she can't very well flirt with you like she used to, especially not in her husband's presence. But when had she and Dryden gotten so comfortable with one another? They were... giggling and talking about something too important for her to even blush in Allen's presence.
Jealousy was not a pretty thing, so Allen was not jealous. He had Hitomi after all... Folken emerged with Dilandau at his side followed by six other young boys, some of their faces he knew better than others. Hadn't there been more of them?
He cleared his throat as they attempted to walk past him and they stopped.
"I'd like to meet with you all in my quarters, if you don't mind," Allen said firmly, meeting Folken's eyes and holding them. This is not a request, he made his body language broadcast in the rigidness of his posture and the steel set of his face and eyes.
"Sir Allen, I do apologize, but my wards have had a very long trip, and they are very tired. All briefing for them will be taking place tomorrow by approval of the heir apparent; therefore, all business meetings will be postponed until tomorrow as well." Folken stared Allen down, not backing away from his intimidating stare.
Allen choked back a growl.
Dilandau was silent at Folken's side, and Allen was a little surprised. The boy liked to jeer and taunt and tease. Why was he being so quiet? Looking more closely at him, Allen noted the deep lines of exhaustion in his young face and the dark hollows beneath his eyes. The friendly arm Folken kept around his waist seemed to be all that was keeping the boy upright.
The others looked to be in better shape than their captain, but not by much. What Folken had said was true, but it didn't help to appease Allen's frustration at not getting what he wanted–ever!
"Fine," Allen said with a sigh. "Fine, we'll meet tomorrow. I want to talk about your positions anyway, and it will be better if we do it after you learn what they actually are."
"Good day, Sir Allen," Folken said smoothly, turning with Dilandau and his new charges in tow.
Grumbling to himself and making sure Van was following him, Allen completely missed Dilandau's collapse and Folken's swift dip to catch him.
Author's Note: So what's the verdict? Like it?-Hate it?- Don't care either way? Let me know! Please review! Just in case you didn't catch the Author's Note, someone told me fan fiction. net is pulling authors who give reviewer responses (They just keep getting weirder, soon we won't even be able to leave reviews!). So anyway for future chapters, including this one, please leave an e-mail address or signed review so I can respond to your feedback :). Thanks!
Reviewer Responses:
FettoIsiris: Lol! An A? I haven't gotten one of those since high school. Thank you! I'm really picky about what I read too, so I'm honored I got your attention lol. I hope you read and enjoyed the new chapter. Thank you for reviewing and I hope to hear from you again! Take care!
Pocketfirefairy: Lol, so you'll never tell me to stop. Ever? Lol, ok. I hope you liked this chapter girl; thanks for reviewing! Take care!
Jhaylin: I think I like the action chapters most of all, but they are so few and far between. I'll have to fix that in the upcoming chapters :) I'm glad you found Dilandau's predicament amusing. I'm still trying to figure out what he's going to do to Folken to get even :). I hope you liked the update! Thank you for reviewing and take care!
Kaitourei: Lol, and I thought I was going too far with the acne line! It came out of no where and I had to type it ;). I'm happy you liked the scene between Dilandau and Valeska. It was fun to write and I look forward to writing more confrontations between them. Yes, Miguel is happy to get a decent bath in Astoria, but he won't be thrilled with present company ;). Dilandau's confrontation with Folken will fully take place in the next chapter when he's a little more coherent :). Yes, Van is obsessing. Will this be yaoi? We'll find out together lol! Thank you so much for reviewing and take care! Hope you liked the chapter!
Kou-Kagerou: Hello! This chapter is 21 pages, and it didn't even take a trip to Louisiana to get it lol. Though another out of state trip might have made it come out a bit faster. Maybe I'll come visit you, lol ;). You didn't find ANYTHING to correct? Whoa... well get out the red pen for this chapter lol. I wrote it in so many different sittings and did the brunt of my editing late, late at night.
No, I don't think Folken and Pearce would have liked the stuff served at the Slayers' party, lol. I don't think anyone would like it actually (except my crazy, lush of an ex-roommate). Drunk Miguel's are funny; I'm gonna have to get him sloshed again and put him in an embarrassing situation. Oh, I actually saved my deleted scenes and revealed in one is the fact that Guimel DOES have higher tolerance ;). And I agree with you; I wouldn't have wanted to be that slapped Dilandau awake either lol.
The fight between Dilandau and Valeska was fun, and I can't wait for another encounter either. The taunting amused me a little too much I think, though. No! I have not forgotten about the transfusion Dilandau needs or his current state of health. In the village, he was feeling a bit better, but most of it was show for his Slayers ;). To keep the story moving, I neglected that subject a bit, sorry about that. I already e-mailed you about the last part of your review ;).
Ok, I think that about covers it. Damn look at this response lol. It's a chapter in itself. Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter; I look forward to getting your input, and maybe we'll chat again sometime! Take care! Thank you for reviewing :)
Macky: Thank you so very much. I hope you liked the continuation. Thanks for reviewing! Take care!
Nikku: Lol, look! See! It's up! Lol! I am so very sorry, impatient one; I know I told you Sunday, then Monday, the Tuesday, and now it's Friday. I hope that answered question made it up to you :). Why is Miguel dancing so funny? Do you think he can't? Lol... hmm..now that I think about it, hehehehhe! Well, he dances better than Viole ;). The line between commander and soldiers is virtually gone lol, except in battle. One of these days, they'll stop calling him "Lord."
Sorry about the lack of Viole/Miguel. I'm afraid there wasn't room for much of it in this chapter either. I hope the bickering was enough to tide you over until next chapter. Van's conversation with Folken on Dilandau isn't going to be as amusing as... Oh wait, can't tell you that (Muhahaha!). And no, Guimel slapping Dilandau was very brave, hehehe! He won't be doing it again anytime soon though.
Glad you liked the battle. Valeska was a little disappointing when put up against Dilandau; maybe she'll do better next time ;).
Folken's method of control was common sense lol. He's one of those geniuses that got the best of both worlds in some respect, lol.
Well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and it was worth the wait. It did end up being 22 pages :) Take care and thank you for reviewing and sending me "annoying" e-mails ;) lol!
Skippys Cat: Glad you like long chapters, because this one turned out to be rather lengthy too. I didn't think it would be quiet as long as the others until last night actually lol. But I guess if I take a month to update, it's only fair for the chapters to be a bit longer ;).
Did the wine taste like battery acid?– Bet battery acid tastes a bit better. Potent as Everclear?– Haha! Probably so!
Emperor Dumbshit? Isn't that his name? ;)
Glad you liked the strategy meeting. It was rather unconventional, but they got things accomplished.
You're mean!-- Laughing at Dilandau's misfortunes like that! If you couldn't find your hands, you'd worry too, lol! Yes, it's a good thing for he and Folken to reunite. I don't think the Slayers could have dealt with Dilandau's problems for much longer on their own.
Yes, Folken is going to hear about his "Dilly safety" devices lol. That will be fun. And no, Valeska is one of those people that have to have things beaten into them time and time again. Yes, Zaibach has hit an all time low, lol!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I love hearing from you! Take care and thank you for reviewing!