My posts might be more frequent now. You see I'm on diet and I need to do something to keep my mind away from food. And right now my writing does the trick.

The next day all doubts and hopes that Merle and the wall guards were having problem with their eyes vanished into this air. An army was truly stationed in front of the city walls.

At one point during the morning Van walked out and asked why they are here. Only answer he received was laughter from the solders.

They were playing with him.

But unfortunately not only with him.

Many people came to the palace to complain about the solders keeping them from leaving the city and go to their fields. Van listened to each one of them and explained it was a part of the siege. But by the nightfall the mind-games his uncle was playing with him got him angry.

He was ready to storm outside and demand from Gant to face him. He had no right to put the people of Fanelia through all this just because of the grudge against him and his brother. And apparently a little innocent child too.

But the appearance of an unexpected visitor stopped him.

Leat was walking next to Merle towards him and they went in the study to talk. The cat-boy was visible exhausted but it was no real surprise. He needed to sneak past the whole army to get to Fanelia.

"It's my father's work, no doubt about that." He said after sitting down.

"What can we do about it?" Van asked strait out.

"Either you attack and risk the open battle or wait for him to make the first move." Leat practically said what Van already knew.

"I suggest you wait." Allen said walking in followed by Folken "We saw Leat arriving and decided to drop by." He joked but only earned a glare from Merle.

"While you were slipping next to them did you possibly hear something helpful to us?" Folken asked and everyone turned to Leat awaiting the answer on a really good question.

"I was getting to that." The neko answered "Some of the solders were gathered around the fire more left from the others. You know from the group. I figured there must be a reason for that so I hid and waited. Anyway one of them asked what they are waiting for and the other started to whisper something to him. I didn't heard exactly what cause some other solders started to jell, but what I did hear is my father awaits a levi-ship that would bring something."

"Guymelefs." Allen concluded "There are none outside, so they might be brought afterwards."

"Possibly." Van agreed "I guess I will have to wake up Escaflowne once more if it comes to that."

"Something like that should never be necessary." Folken mumbled.

"I agree; guymelefs exist only to bring destruction." Leat said sadly "I wish my father wasn't so stubborn. I tried to talk to him, but he is convinced I'm wrong and his is right."

"That's what fathers are for." Folken said surprising Van "What? Don't say father never made you think something you did or say was wrong even though it wasn't?"

The young king shook his head "I guess I was too young for that."

"What was he like?" Leat asked out of the blue.

Van and Folken looked at each other. How to answer that?

"Proud."

"Fair."

"Strong."

"Courageous."

"Like a kitten when mother was around." Folken said smiling and Van just nodded "He loved her more then anything."

"Accept maybe Fanelia." Van said honestly.

"Nah, if that was true he would marry queen Julliette." Leat interrupted their memories with a cold shower.

"Our father knew queen of Basram?" Van looked at the cat-boy sternly.

"I new she was familiar from somewhere, but I just couldn't place her." Folken mumbled "I believe I saw her around when I was a kid."

"Possibly." Leat turned to him "She was betrothed to your father."

Even Allen was shocked with that information "Are you sure?"

"Yes, but then he met lady Varie and married her instead. And if I may add, it was a really good choice." The neko joked.

"How old is she actually?" Merle asked and everyone turned to her.

"I'm not quite sure. The mass of makeup she uses makes wonder." Leat answered with a grin. Being among friends felt good and right now he was surrounded by four of those. Not to mention two of them were his close family.

"I did not expect to see you here." Gant said honestly when the flap of his tent opened.

"I'm here because of business." The visitor answered and moved inside.

"Things are going as planed." Gant grinned "Isn't that wonderful. And soon this kingdom would be mine."

"About that…" he stood up strait after hearing those words, he had a feeling he won't like what comes after them "There is a possibility of betrayal from the highest places."

Gant snorted "I don't believe in that. Julliette herself guaranteed me…"

"I'm afraid you might be deceived by her."

"She would not…"

"And why not?" it was a good question, and Gant really couldn't come up with a good answer.

"We are allies."

"I am you only ally. And I follow a different plan." The visitor moved closer and lowered his voice "Will you help me to reestablish the things as they once were? Before the unnecessary slaughter."

"What do I gain of it?" Gant asked strait out.

"If you're asking me to help you concur Fanelia the answer is 'no'. Your nephew already listened to what I have to say and I believe I can say he would be on my side once my plan comes out on daylight."

"You asked for help from a demon?"

"I asked for help from my future ally if things work out as planed." The answer didn't made Gant pleased at all.

"And if not?"

"That's not an option." The man answered seriously "He has to be stopped!"

"Alright. Talk." Gant sighed. His visitor, his friend better had a really good plan how to work things out "But I will not stop my attempt to get Fanelia."

The man gave up "What you do in your free time is your business."

A solder outside of the tent grinned and kept walking towards the fire where his comrades waited for him, and for the news. The horseman that arrived shouldn't be here, and they knew it.

He sat next to the older solder and whispered for only the men around the high fire to hear "The suspicions were correct. He will try and act. Fanel will probably assist him."

"Which one?" the older solder asked.

"It's possibly both of them." The solder send to spy answered.

"Let them do as they will while they can. Our secret weapon will arrive less then ten days, till then Gant will keep pressure on Fanelia as planed." The older solder grinned widely. He was obviously leader of their little group because the other solders listened to him carefully and agreed with his every word.

It's been a week since the siege started and things were quiet for the moment. The last night was the last attack on the palace. Today more guards were posted through the hallways to keep everyone inside safe.

No one knew exactly how the enemy solders managed to get inside the city walls and all the way to the lower level where the palace is unnoticed, but they did and that concerned everyone.

"How are they?" Van asked Merle who walked in his study.

"Shaken but physically well. No serious wounds, just few scratches and bruises." Merle reported.

Van was angry. Last night, after they once more proved the palace isn't safe enough the attacker set fire in several houses closes to the wall. It was pass midnight so not many were awake to help extinguish them, so the houses were quite damaged till the help was organized. Luck was with them then, the rain started to fall and it still hasn't stopped.

Those who lost their homes in the fire were how in the palace till the houses are rebuild.

"And you?" he asked concerned. Merle was the only one in the palace who got hurt. Nothing serious but Van was worried never the less.

"I'm fine lord Van. Mamoru and Leat helped me yesterday." She smiled answering "I hurt myself more when I fell over the mess in my room then in the attack."

"Your dress was ripped."

"I can always get a new one."

Van opened his mouth to worn Merle never to be that careless ever again when the doors opened in a flash and Folken stormed in and toss an item to his brother. Young king didn't exactly know what it was till he caught it. It was a drag-energist he got in the dragon-slaying ritual. It was Escaflowne's heart.

He lifted his gaze to his older brother. If Folken wanted him to wake up a guymelef then it must be serious. He got up from the chair and walked to the window. He couldn't see it clearly but the large blue item could only be a guymelef. Nothing else could come in consideration.

"I know we both believe waking up Escaflowne should only to be done if there is no other opinion." Folken said seriously "I can only say today they left up without that other opinion."

"I know." Van mumble and walked pass his brother and out of the room.

Merle watched him leave knowing waking up the dragon would bring back memories. Folken must have thought don the same lines cause he turned to his adoptive sister and comforted her "If they knew any better they would never get Van to wake it. Because now the memory of Hitomi will come on the surface, as will the pain and guilt of losing her. So when he faces who ever is in that guymelef…"

"…who ever it is will regret ever believing he has a chance against Van." Merle finished for him.

People lifted their eyes towards the sky as the large white dragon flied over their heads towards the enemy waiting at the door. They had faith in their king and his abilities.

The mode of the Ispano guymelef changed and now two guymelefs stood opposite of each other both ready to strike. Van eyes his opponent; he never saw that kind of design with the energist placed on the waist. Its lines were making it look like humanoid more then the usual guymelefs. But there was something familiar on it, something Van could swear he saw before but just couldn't see it.

It didn't mattered at the moment though because his enemy striked. Van was obviously the better in sword fighting and could easily keep up with how ever was in the blue guymelef. The other pilot's movements were rough and sometimes slow so it was quite obvious he was older then Van, a fact that didn't leave many possible pilots. In fact it could only be one.

A mocking voice was heard once Van pushed his opponent away after another useless attack. The voice made him angry, as was probably the plan of the whole thing "You are all alone now. No one to help you; to warn you where I am. You are blind king Van."

"What are you talking about? You are right in front of me." Van was a bit confused but that changed in the next moment.

A cloak appeared from behind the blue guymelef and covered it completely making it invisible. Van gasped. That was Zeibach's technology that wasn't used since the Great War.

His enemy laughed "Am I really?"