Not Beyond Recovery

Disclaimer: None of the characters of Escaflowne belong to me.

Note:

'Tis the Ides of March!

But no one is getting betrayed or murdered in this chapter. I just wanted to post this on a historically significant date. It's a thing with me.

On that note, the next update might come really soon since Eries's birthday is on March 18. So you have that to look forward to.

This chapter deals with a significant confrontation, that of the Fanel brothers. It was both fun and difficult to write since I've never tackled a scene with them before. But hopefully, it's not too off the mark. They're both so awkward and hesitant that it can be in equal parts amusing and frustrating.

Hope you like it! Please do leave a review. Thank you.

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"So this is what you're up to these days."

Folken looked up with a start. He had been in the middle of a particularly tricky calculation and had been so concentrated on it that he had not noticed his visitor's arrival. That and Van's was the last voice he had ever expected to hear in his laboratory.

"Van!" he cried in surprise, unable to say anything else.

The king of Fanelia managed to meet his brother's eye for a moment before he turned away abruptly, focusing his gaze on the floor, seeming to have lost his nerve. It was clear that it had taken him an incredible effort even to just come to the laboratory. Having accomplished this feat was more than he had ever done in terms of reaching out to Folken, and he well could have simply walked away now, without saying another word. He had said something at least and that was an achievement in itself, by his standards.

But he had come this far and certain words about this being his "last opportunity" still rung in his head. It was a few days after his discussion with Princess Eries; a time period spent reflecting on everything she had said to him about Folken. He made the mistake (in his view) of mentioning this exchange to Hitomi who had reacted by eagerly supporting Eries' position and who urged him even more forcefully to follow her advice. So all things considered, he was practically acting under extreme duress.

He had actually been standing at the doorway to the laboratory for several minutes before he spoke. It had been a supreme effort to drag his feet towards that place and then it was even more difficult to find something to say. Fortunately, Folken had been so absorbed in his work that he had not seen his brother arrive. For a few moments, Van had contemplated leaving but then it would have been a waste of all his efforts. Besides, he did not want to seem cowardly. Why should he be intimidated by his brother anyway? Why should he feel compelled to flee when it was Folken who was practically the prisoner in the situation? These few motivational thoughts gave him the audacity to speak. But getting beyond that first line proved more difficult than he had anticipated.

Folken waited for his brother to initiate conversation, not wanting to push him away. And frankly, he was too shocked by Van's sudden appearance to say anything. He couldn't imagine what prompted such an action but he was grateful for it.

"Hmmm," Van said finally, glancing around the laboratory, seeming to examine its contents and avoiding his brother's gaze.

He feigned interest in some of the machinery and took the opportunity to approach Folken's desk carefully. He figured it would be less awkward to continue the conversation if he wasn't standing at the doorway.

Folken stood up and walked towards his brother but maintained a respectful distance. He knew that all of this was taking some great effort and he appreciated it. He still had no idea what Van planned to say or do but he simply wanted to savor the moment of being face to face to his brother in more or less neutral conditions. After all, there was no outward hostility in Van's manner then, unlike so many previous occasions and that was promising enough. The young king still looked sulky but that seemed to be his default mode.

"To what do I owe the honor of your visit?" Folken asked formally, deciding to take the lead in the conversation since his brother was having such obvious difficulty. He knew that communication wasn't exactly Van's strongest suit.

"I just needed to make sure," Van replied, secretly relieved that Folken had resumed the conversation he had clumsily started, "that you weren't up to anything suspicious."

"I assure you that I am not," Folken answered sincerely, "and you are welcome to take a look around and investigate if you have any doubts."

He was tempted to add: "I have nothing to hide" but felt that this might not be completely truthful. While he was definitely not planning any mischief, there was much he still kept to himself.

"Good," Van said curtly.

They both knew that it was a token gesture. Even if Van spent the whole day looking around or browsing Folken's notes it was unlikely that he would understand them or recognize any treachery going on even if it was right in front of him. But somehow, it was enough that Folken was willing to be subjected to scrutiny.

He took another glance around the laboratory with a serious expression on his face and seemed to nod with slight approval while maintaining an air of reservation.

"How else can I help you?" Folken continued, hoping to prolong the conversation as much as he could without seeming too eager.

He had longed for this moment for so long. And though he knew that a proper reconciliation between them was probably impossible, he still clung to the hope that they would part on somewhat better terms before he died. But he had believed even the chances of that were close to non-existent.

He had miscalculated Van's response when he had first revealed himself as the Strategos of Zaibach. And so he had made sure that this time, his expectations would be a bit more realistic. Seeing the cold looks Van shot him during the council sessions had all but extinguished all of Folken's hopes. And yet, here was a completely unexpected development and he was determined to make the most of it.

"You had best make sure you aren't lying to me and that you aren't going to betray us all," Van said though with less conviction and less harshness than he had expected.

"I am not," Folken said gravely, "as I have attested many times to the council, I have severed all ties to the Zaibach Empire and I am now committed to helping the alliance defeat Emperor Dornkirk."

It was a familiar speech, one Folken had recited and Van had heard numerous times in the past days. And yet, never had it been more crucial for Folken to convince Van of his sincerity. There were no other witnesses, no allies to support him, no detractors to put him down. His harshest judge stood before him and he needed to accept Van's verdict.

"Hmm," the younger man replied, pursing his lips.

His expression was unreadable. There was neither censure nor approval in his tone. It was simply a necessary response to fill the silence. Though this reaction was non-committal, Folken was relieved to hear it.

Several minutes followed in awkward silence. They both seemed to have reached an impasse in the conversation. It was not that there was nothing to say; on the contrary, there was just too much to say, and no way to say it without causing them both pain. More than ten years of explaining could not be condensed in a single conversation. And considering the circumstances, they ought to have begun now and yet, it still did not seem like the right time. It was still too difficult, too painful to re-open old wounds or poke at more recent ones. They needed to talk but no subject seemed safe enough. Except maybe…

"This was Princess Eries's idea, you know," Van blurted out suddenly.

Folken stared at him incredulously. This was turning out to be an evening full of surprises.

"She was the one who convinced me to come here and talk to you," Van continued hastily, as if trying to shift all the responsibility for the confrontation to someone else, "she said something about the importance of communication to reduce discord."

"Did she indeed?" was all Folken could manage to reply.

"She is very wise," Van remarked, his confidence rising now that he had found a more or less neutral topic, "and I have a great respect for her."

"So do I," Folken agreed, "she is undoubtedly one of the most sensible people I have ever met."

There was so much more that he had wanted to say about her but he did not wish to reveal everything to Van.

"So it is to you that I owe all this?" Folken thought with reverence.

He was still reeling from the revelation that it was she who had managed to persuade his brother to talk to him when no one and nothing else seemed to have been effective in that regard. But then again, if anyone was to succeed in such a venture, it would be her.

He was grateful, more than grateful, honored to have been the object of her generosity once more, and this time, in a very significant way. He was truly touched that she had taken it upon herself to try and repair his relationship with his brother. He knew that she considered him somewhat responsible for having helped ease tensions between her and Princess Millerna but whatever part he had played in that affair was nothing compared to what she had managed to achieve for his own familial crisis. He had been grateful for her friendship before and now, he was in complete awe. How could he possibly repay such generosity?

"She seems quite concerned about you, I think," Van commented, interrupting Folken's reverie. He had noticed that his brother seemed to have been distracted ever since he mentioned Princess Eries and he wondered why.

"She is as kind as she is wise," Folken said earnestly, "constantly thinking of others before herself, truly a remarkable woman."

"Yes," Van conceded before suddenly remembering a part of his conversation with the aforementioned lady, "it is hard to see her look sad."

"What are you talking about?" Folken asked in alarm.

"Well, she looked sad when I told her about your black wings," Van said gravely and with some guilt, noting the crestfallen expression on Folken's face as he said this.

Folken closed his eyes and sighed.

"I thought she already knew," Van said, almost defensively, "I didn't mean to upset her."

"I'm sure she bears you know ill-will for telling her," Folken reassured him, "and it's my fault for not telling her sooner. She would have found out eventually."

A shadow had fallen over Folken's features and he turned his gaze to the ground. Van had thought it was impossible for his brother to look more melancholy but apparently, he was wrong.

"And now she knows," Folken whispered somberly, "perhaps that's just as well."

Van frowned. Their discussion had taken a dark turn, exactly the thing he had been hoping to avoid. Somehow even Princess Eries was becoming a difficult topic for them to talk about. Why was everything so complicated? Why had he come at all if he was only to leave feeling even more confused? What had this been all for? Had this even made a difference?

Yes, it has, a voice inside him said.

Somehow, in spite of the direction their conversation had taken, something had changed. They had not noticed it at first but it was as if the huge wall that had stood between them, hindering them from any sort of confrontation, had finally been demolished. This did not mean that any subsequent conversation they would have would come easily. But somehow, after this tricky first step, the road ahead was significantly clearer.

It had not been for nothing. Folken appreciated this even if Van had not yet realized it. This was progress neither of them had expected to make and it was all thanks to Eries's skillful intervention.

After a few moments, seeing that Folken had somehow recovered from his gloomy reflections, Van decided to take his leave. It had not been a long conversation but it had been taxing enough.

"I need to be going now," he said awkwardly, taking a few steps backward.

"Of course," Folken replied courteously, "thank you for taking the time to come here."

Van simply nodded in response. Folken noted, a flicker of hope surging within him, that despite Van's eagerness to leave, there was no finality in his tone.

Many things remained unresolved and Van looked like he would try and discuss some of these at a later date. It did not seem too ridiculous, therefore, to believe that this would not be the last time they spoke.

The young king turned to leave but as he did so, an idea occurred to him.

"You're very lucky, you know," he told his brother, "to have such a lady so concerned about you."

"I am well aware of that," Folken replied earnestly, "though I think you would say that I didn't deserve it."

"Well," Van answered after some thought, "I think Princess Eries is a much better judge of character than I am."