Leat was walking down the hallway then someone grabbed his hand and before he knew it he was running in an unknown direction. He managed to recognize the person who led him somewhere as Merle, but where exactly they were going and why was a mystery to him.
When she suddenly stopped and he bumped in her back Leat looked at the large door in front of which they were standing, but before he managed to ask the cat-girl what are they doing here Merle already opened the door and walked in pulling him by his hand with her.
To Leat's surprise king of Fanelia lifted his gaze from some papers on his desk and looked at them with interest.
"Is there something I should know Merle?" there was amusement in Van's voice and Leat silently thanked there was no way for anyone to see his blush.
"Can Leat stay a bit more Lord Van? I know Lord Borzan plans to leave this afternoon, but-"
"Did she asked you if you wish to stay or did she just kidnapped you without asking?" Van asked Leat intentionally ignoring Merle's sulking caused by his question.
"Last thing I remember is walking towards my room and now I'm here." Leat answered with a grin and Merle turned to him and sent him a death glare.
"Merle?" Van warned her when her claws popped out "If Leat wishes he can stay. But try to be so nice and actually ask him before you start to plan anything."
"Yes Lord Van." Merle said with a wide smile "Leat, what do you think? Will Lor-"
"Merle?"
She turned back to Van "Is there something else?"
"As a matter a fact there is. Would you mind asking him outside of my study? I got a tone of paperwork and need some peace and quiet."
Van sighed when the door closed with two cat-person outside and just lifted the paper when Merle's voice from the other side of the door screamed "Guess what Millerna! Leat will stay a bit longer!"
When a groan from inside the study was heard Merle once again grabbed Leat's hand and rushed towards the gardens.
It was late afternoon of the same day when the levi-ship took of for Basram carrying Lord Borzan home. But before he left he didn't missed to give the cat-boy some guidelines about what he needs to find out about Van; the most important thing being something that would get people to start doubt in him and his abilities as a ruler of a kingdom.
He headed back to his room when he saw Merle walking away across the inner garden towards the hill behind the palace. Being a cat-person he didn't know different than to follow her and see what she was up to. But he really didn't expect to come across the legendary guymelef from Ispano.
"I wanted to be alone." He heard Merle's voice but couldn't see her anywhere. He walked towards the gravestones when her voice stopped him "I'm up here."
"Something is bothering you." It wasn't a question so Merle hasn't even bothered to answer, she just sighed.
"I heard she send a message to Lord Folken and greeted everybody, but I wish I could have seen her myself. I wanted to see for myself that she was alright."
All that she got from Leat was "Huh?"
"You don't know about Hitomi, do you?"
Leat's eyes grew wide 'That name again. The name king Van mentioned. But what… why is Merle sad that this Hitomi person isn't here?'
Merle jumped down from her hiding place on Escaflowne's shoulder and sat down on the soft grass next to the guymelefs' foot. Leat sat next to her and they sat in silence for her minutes till the cat-boy gasped and turned to see Merle laid her head on his shoulder.
"I feel so guilty right now. I've treated her badly and she gave herself to save Lord Van."
"Herself?" Leat asked shocked.
"Escaflowne was damaged in the battle and his damage was somehow transferred to Lord Van and he would have died if the guymelef wasn't repaired. But only Ispano makers were capable to do such repairs cause the damage was… big."
Merle sighed and the silence returned for the few more minutes.
"They asked for fifty million-" she was cut of as Leat snapped "That's a lot of money!"
"We knew that, but Dryden was ready to pay when Hitomi kind of had a premonition and they… they changed their minds." Leat watched as Merle wiped the tears from her cheek "They asked for her to stay… and she did."
"She is with them now?" Leat was shocked at the lone thought of someone being prepared to do such a thing.
"It's been little over a year now."
When tears once more flowed down Merle's cheeks she didn't even tried to stop them or wipe them away; she simply let them flow. She felt Leat wrapping his arm around her and she leaned closer to him.
When her sobbing subsided Leat asked calmly "You mentioned premonition; was she… is she some kind of seer?"
"Yeah, I thing she was… is. But that wasn't what mattered. The most important thing is she did so much for the world that wasn't even hers."
Once more a "Huh?" was heard.
Merle chuckled a bit "Hitomi Kanzaki came from the Mystic Moon."
Leat sat strait and looked at her seriously "THE Mystic Moon?"
"Is there any other?"
"But how is that possible? And why didn't she left when the war started?"
"She didn't know how, and even if she did I believe she would have stayed. She cared for everyone here too much to leave us in danger when she could have help." Merle looked in the sky and sighed "She cared for Lord Van too much. She even said his wings are beautiful."
"As… a Draconian wings?"
Merle nodded and leaned back towards Leat and he hugged her "I'm so happy that Lord Van had Hitomi in his life, even though it lasted so short, cause she cared for him so much." Smiling slightly and hoping Leat won't notice her blush Merle added "And I'm glad you came to my life… I really need someone I can turn to."
"And I'm glad you came to my life… I really need someone I can turn to."
A smile spread on Hitomi's lips as the vision vanished and she found herself back in the corridor on the factory ship. Heading again in the direction she was walking before the vision came she giggled slightly 'You will change him Merle… I believe in you to show him friendship… maybe even something more…"
And as she walked in the main hangar another vision came…
Sneak peek in the next chapter... the vision will be about Gant and Leat and the breaking of the Fanel family