Van was slumped in his chair, and no amount of chiding from his advisors was bringing him from his hungover and apathetic mood. His head rested tiredly on his hand as he listened to the terms of the treaty for the fiftieth time. He and Folken had devised a clever treaty that was ambiguous about the use of the airspace for those of draconian descent, something they knew would be undeniable to the Forbidden Kingdom and advantageous to Fanelia. It would be the key to getting Apollo to sign. Van knew he did not have to put much effort into the proceedings because a servant had gossiped to him that Apollo had been up all night with three young ladies from the court. The prince would undoubtedly sign and quickly retire back to bed. Folken eyed his young brother's posture with disapproval and bent down to whisper in Van's ear, his eyes glued innocently to the advisors that were reading the treaty to the gathered men from both nations.
"Allen tells me you were with Hitomi last night." The direct statement caused Van to freeze immediately in the position he was lounging in. He gave no sign that Folken's words had affected him in any way. His brother always trapped him into listening. Van's scowl deepened.
"You must be careful, brother. I have told Allen he was mistaken, that I put you to bed long before Hitomi and Apollo left the party. We will speak of this later. Do not leave without me." Folken straightened again, as if he had simply clarified the terms of the treaty to Van. Finally, the wax was heated and the Dragon of Fanelia and Prince of the Skies stamped in their country's seals. The treaty was approved.
Hitomi was laying on her stomach, watching the birds swoop in and out of view in the clear blue sky. She knew it was late in the day, but she did not anticipate leaving her room at all. Hitomi kept hoping one of the birds would be Van, swooping in to pick up where they left off last night. Hitomi smiled and closed her eyes as she thought of the satisfying picture Van had made as he enjoyed her work. Hitomi wondered if Van was thinking about her. The meeting was probably over, it was so late in the day.
Van refused to meet Folken's eyes; his brow was set in a stubborn frown. Folken was a patient man, but in this matter Fanelia could not afford to bend to its fool hardy king, even if he was the lordly Dragon..
"For Gods' sake Van, you know what you're doing. You know the consequences of your actions. You know how risky it is to deviate from the path we have devised! There is a time and a place for these trysts." Van rolled his eyes again, refusing to acknowledge that his brother was right. He was not ready to get into this topic with anyone, least of all with his brother.
"Folken, when I understand where this is leading I will inform you first of course! Until then I can observe discretion so long as you keep Allen out of it." Van smiled menacingly as he uttered his next words, "It would be best if Allen was kept away from Hitomi and I." Folken stared at Van. He was almost distraught with frustration at the ignorance and stupidity of his brother.
"You say these things simply to keep Allen away from Hitomi! That has nothing to do with discretion! That is a selfish request. You know that Allen would give his life to protect you, to protect Hitomi and both of your honors!" Folken was nearing his limit of exasperation. Was his brother so selfish? Had he learned nothing in his years as king and in all the hard lessons throughout Zaibach's rebellion?
Van had set his jaw. His eyes flashed. "If I am to rule this country, it will be on my own. I am no longer a boy, Folken. You must trust my way of doing things, and as advisor to the king, you must obey my order."
Folken would not back down, and his frustration had turned to anger at his brother's stubborn words. "You will not be allowed to twist the strings of your friends and protectors. It is none of your concern if Hitomi is interested in Allen or vice versa, you are powerless to impact any sort of relationship between them. And Van, if you are interested in gaining Hitomi's love, then you will respect her enough to trust that her interest lies with you; to trust that her intent is not to hurt you. That is the only way you will understand love and get what you want. In the meantime, observe utmost secrecy. This is the first incident that could have turned into a scandal. Luckily, Allen reports to no one except you and I. And luckily, I was the one who sent Allen to Hitomi's, no one else. As advisor, you must trust me and us. It is a dual pathway, my brother. Heed my words of wisdom; for in my age, I have loved. I have felt love, both true and selfish ." Folken's foot steps toward Van sounded softly on the carpet that separated the desk and the sitting chairs.
Van looked up into his brother's eyes as Folken spoke again, this time softly. "You have two loves at stake here. The love from your citizens and military, who are relying on you to do what is best for this rebuilding nation; and Hitomi. You will lose her forever if you are not cautious and put in place stability to protect you both from the reality of being a royal." Van's eyes were round now as Folken towered above him, as if he were a boy again. He closed his eyes as the memories began pouring in, the sounds in his head becoming louder-Folken's voice sliced through his thoughts and silenced everything. "I only want your happiness my Lord Dragon." Van felt ashamed now. He had been arguing simply because he felt his privacy and right as king had been invaded. Van sighed heavily and opened his eyes to meet Folken's steel gray ones; "You are right brother. I will heed your advice." Folken allowed his stern expression to relax as he studied his younger brother's face. It had lengthened, like his own, and pockets of weariness rested in Van's cheeks. He was no longer a boy, and had not been for some time. Folken had forgotten what it was like to mentor Van as his brother, and not as his king. Van stood suddenly and said, "I am tired of talking about love. I was hoping to avoid these thoughts and feelings for some time, but it is better to deal it with it now then later. This was ...nice. Awkward but thanks Folken." Van then strode out of the room, his back straight and head high. As any king should look when leaving a private meeting with his number one advisor.
A knock sounded on Hitomi's door. She sat up from her bed where she was reading, still in her robe, and sipping on bubbling water. Her intuition warmed her senses and blood, she could feel Van on the other side of the door. Happily, she opened the door and stared up into Van's sparking rust brown eyes. He stepped forward quickly, both closing the door behind him and sweeping her up into a firm kiss. Hitomi's eyes fluttered closed as he literally took her breath away. The door clicked behind him.
"Hitomi." Her name was a possessive statement, and he said it as if he was confirming she was in front of him. His hands closed around her face and Hitomi was surprised at the intensity of the mood. Hitomi's heart pounded fast as she read the emotional turmoil in Van's eyes. She felt her heart breaking as Van's emotions rose to the the surface and tears slipped from the corners of his eyes. "Van...What is it? What's wrong?" She reached up and placed her hands over his on her face, her voice soft. In a flash, a vision came to her.
"Folken will not be allowed to be seen outside the palace walls with her. I will not allow it."
"She is a source of happiness for him. Perhaps she will be the one to tie him to Fanelia, finally."
"Varie. That boy will not be tied for any reason. In this matter you must trust me. Fanelia's royalty is not permitted this luxury of exploration."
"But -"
"BUT WHAT!"
At this loud outburst, Hitomi noticed a young Van running from the throne room in fright.
She turned back to the exchange between the standing King and his seated wife Queen.
"I knew I was meant for you before I knew you. Our love was never questioned, even when Fanelia refused to acknowledge the existence of Draconians." The King stopped pacing and stood with his back to his wife.
"I was so old when I met you. Everyone had given up hope that I would accept any of the princesses offered to me. You know we have entertained many offers to seal Folken's wife and future heirs. Allowing him to consort with her would be political and military suicide for Fanelia. And if not Folken, then Van will have to enter a marriage contract. And if he is not to wear the crown, there is no reason for a contract."
Varie shook her head sadly. "No. I will not have young Van Slaznar bound to any one from Gaia..."
Hitomi gasped sharply at the realization and looked up into Van's face. His eyes were burning earnestly, not wanting to say any of what Hitomi now knew. She drew her hands away at how horribly complicated things were going to get. "Do you understand?" Van's voice was a low growl. Hitomi's eyes narrowed in sudden anger. "No Van. I don't understand anything. All I know is that if we were on Earth we would be dating. And I would be able to hold your hand in public, or kiss you when I felt like it." She turned from him, her cheeks burning at his unwillingness to express his feelings. Embarrassingly, Hitomi also felt tears stinging. The day had started so beautifully. Why couldn't he see that?
"Hitomi. You promised you would stay with me." Van wanted to reach for her, and did not know how to soothe her temper. He could not talk to her the same way he did his advisors. She was like no one else.
"I did that for myself. Because I knew what I wanted and could give. Because I wanted you to be happy, in that moment...and..." She hesitated before closing her eyes, "And I want you to be happy, always." Van took two steps and instantly was at her side. This was two people confirming their loyalty and love to him in one day, he could not let his pride stand in the way of such grace. He snaked his arms around her firm waist and tucked his chin into the space between her shoulder and neck. "Gods, you are frustrating." Hitomi attempted to pull away again in annoyance, but she knew she would not budge Van's strong arms. "Hitomi," Van's voice dropped to a low growl again as he bent his head to her face, "My heart. My love." Hitomi froze as Van kissed her softly, "You will stay with me." Hitomi shuddered in his embrace, her earlier anger forgotten. She looked up at him and whispered, "Are you in a wedding contract?"
He kissed her deeply, "No." His lips moved from her mouth to her throat, as his strong hands kept her pressed against him. Hitomi could feel her robe sliding away, "Will we have to be married right away?" Van's hand slid down her back and rested above her rear, "No, that is up to you." Hitomi could feel her control slipping away as Van untied her robe and lazily stroked her hips and lower back, still kissing her neck. She gasped as he sucked on a particularly sensitive area below her ear that he had discovered last night. "Did your mother ever speak of me to you?" Van paused and pulled back to look in her deep emerald eyes. Her eyes were like secretive, dark pools of ocean tide water. "Yes. She used to tell me a bed time story when I was very young. It was about a young dragon, who flew to his favorite beach on the ocean. He would always look into one tide pool, and see a beautiful red fish swimming around. The dragon loved the fish very much, but they were from two different worlds and would never be able to come together. My mother said that one day, the fish would make a wish, and the dragon and the fish would be able to love one another forever. But that is always how she told the story...'One day.'" Van knitted his brow in regret and sorrow at the memory; "One night I grew tired of the story, I had started sword lessons that day and felt too grown up for the fish and the dragon. I asked her why she ended the story as 'one day' and not happily ever after like children were supposed to hear. She replied that she could not forsee past the fish's desire to make a wish. That it was up to me to ensure the fish's wish was granted."
Hitomi's eyes were wide, and she wondered again at the connectedness of Gaia and Earth. She and Van had been prophesied, just as his parents were. The events that caused them to get to this point flashed quickly through her brain: crashing into him in his full dragon armor; witnessing the horror of Fanelia burning and Balgus' murder; the terror at encountering Dilandau and the other mech warriors for the first time; the confusion during their travels across Gaia; the utter hopelessness she felt when Van was in danger of dying due to his blood pack with Escaflowne. From her very first moments with Van, he had always protected her.
"Van, I stayed in Gaia because I love you. I care for everyone here in Fanelia, but whatever surrounds us, I will always love you. I understand why you had to keep us secret, but you don't have to protect me from your kingdom." Van hungrily pushed his face into her neck, breathing her in as if she sustained him, "You are my kingdom, Hitomi." Hitomi flushed bright red at his words and submitted when he roughly pulled the rest of her robe away to reveal her bra and boy shorts. His left hand caressed her breast as his right guided her back to her bed. They kissed and kissed, until the sky grew dark and Van whispered to her, "Hold this moment dear, because all hell is about to break loose."