AUTHORS NOTE:

I'm back! I'm sorry it took me years to be back… I've been busy with school and then work. But then I realized I missed writing so here I am. Back again and hopefully I'll be able to finish this one.

I have a new fanfic coming out soon… it was inspired by Twilight and Vampire Diaries! 

I hope you'll enjoy it as much as you enjoy this story.

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE REVIEWS AND YOUR PATIENCE!

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As soon as she arrived at her room she locked her door and placed a chair underneath the lock. * Better to be safe…* She thought. She removed her cloak as she walked towards the window. * Who is he? * She silently replayed again the scene in the tavern. * Dryden… I just hope he keeps his promise on not telling Allen * As she stared outside, her eyes widen. * Van!?! * She watched as he stood by the lamppost as a carriage arrived and he jumped in.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered. * Yukari…*

She backed away from the window and started packing her things. It is better to leave again tomorrow. * Where should I go!?! * She stopped packing and frowned.

"Damnit! They shouldn't be here!" A thought came to her mind and she silently smiled. * Fanelia... that's the last place he'll be looking. * She started laughing and fixed her things for tomorrow's adventure.

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"You are asking me to find you a ship going to Fanelia?" He looked at her with a grin on his face.

"Yes, Dryden. I'll pay you. Lady Luck already left for Palas yesterday and I couldn't find a ship to Fanelia." She said.

"And you think that Van will not likely look for you in Fanelia, am I getting this right?"

"Yes! He won't look there because he knows I don't want to get married to him!" She insisted. * If I had any other choice I would have never asked you, old man!*

He laughed and said. "This is getting far better than I thought! Well, Princess Anne I don't need to find you a ship."

"And why is that! I'll pay you!" She frowned at him.

"I don't need to find you a ship because I already have one. " He stood up from the chair he had been sitting and bowed at her.

"I'll gladly escort you to myship."

* What!?!? *

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"So? What do you think?" Dryden asked as they stood at the deck of his ship. It's one of the magnificent ships she had seen, huge and fully equipped.

"It's ok." She answered as she turned away and grinned.

"WHAT!?! I have spent most of my fortune just to create this ship!"

"Well… it's a fortune well spent Dryden." She turned back and smiled at him. He stood still, staring at her mesmerize. He smiled at her. "Now I know what captivated Allen…"

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing…" He left before she could even ask him again.

She stood there staring at the sky. For the first time in her life… she felt happy… contented. She felt free… as the sea air blew her hair away from her face. She couldn't help but smile. * It's as if it's a start of a new life…*

"Hitomi! Get inside now!" She turned as she heard Dryden approach from behind. She could hear crew running around.

"What's going on!?!" She asked feeling excitement coursed thru her.

"Zaibach…" Dryden whispered pulling her below to her cabin.

"Wait! Don't you dare lock me up! I want to fight with you!" as she tried to pull away from Dryden.

"Who said anything about fighting?" He hissed as he dragged her to her room. She tried to pull away to get outside but he stopped her by lifting her up and dropping her to the bed.

"Listen… you'll stay here. We'll welcome them but I don't want them to know that you're inside this ship. This is an opportunity they will definitely not pass if they saw you. They will take you and use you to gain alliance to your father. Do you want that?"

She stared at him as she contemplated what he just said. She knew he's right that this is an opportunity Zaibach will not pass but it is also an opportunity she could not pass.

"I will stay here but I want you to promise me one thing." She stood up.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Dilandau… if a man named Dilandau is in that ship I want you to tell me."

"Who is he?"

"No one you should know." She answered as she walked away towards the closed window.

She could feel the intense stare of Dryden at her back but she ignored it as she stared and clutched both her hands together.

* Dilandau… I will have your head… sooner or later…*

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"Welcome, my friends! Welcome to my ship!" Dryden greeted to the five uniformed man in front of him.

"What can we do for you?" He asked with a fixed smile on his face as his crew watched protectively from behind him.

"Hmmm…" the man with silvery hair started walking towards him touching the scar on his cheek. "And who might you be?" he asked Dryden. He stopped right in front of him.

"Dryden Fassa, at your service." He inclined his head in respect.

"A merchant I believe."

"You're quite right! We are on our way to Fanelia to purchase some of their finest woven cloth. And may I inquire who might you be, sire?"

"You need not know. Shester! Search the ship, I want to know if there's any lurking girl around here." He stared at Dryden and turned to leave.

"But why would there be any girl in a Merchant's ship, sire? We do not sell slaves."

"It's better to be certain, merchant. Shester! Hurry it up! I want to leave this stinking ship!"

"Yes, my lord!" The man named Shester started running towards the stairs leading him to the cabin.

* Shit! I should have told Hitomi to hide! * Dryden thought as he watched Shester disappeared below.

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* Stupid old man! This is stupid! I should be there looking for Dilandau! * She thought as she paced back and forth around the room.

She tried to listen thru the door but she could here nothing, no movement at all. She had also sneaked a peak but no one is around. It seems like the whole ship was abandoned.

* What if they have already been captured?!? And I am still here!?!? * She shook her head. She shouldn't be thinking of those things. Surely if there had been any fight she should at least hear something.

She jumped as she he heard footsteps outside. She instantly pulled her sword and placed her self beside the door. She could feel her heart beat coming faster. * Is it Dryden? Damn, he is scaring the hell out of me! * She took and deep breathed as the footsteps coming closer and closer. It stopped…

She stayed still as a stone as she waited, afraid of who might come in. * Oh God! Let it be Dryden… Let it be Dryden… * She closed her eyes waiting.

The door opened. She gripped her sword tightly prepared to attack. She watched as the man steps into the room walking towards the bed. She prepared to attack taking a step toward him when suddenly the man turned grabbed hold of her hand pulling the sword away from her. She was too nervous that she was not able to time her attack carefully.

"No playing with sword, my Princess." Her eyes widened as she recognized the man in front of her.

"You scared the hell out of me, Gadeth!" She pulled her hand away from and started pounding one of Allen's crew.

"What the hell are you doing here?" She asked.

"Later. We need to hide you." He pulled her to him and started walking out of the room.

"Where are we going?" She asked as they passed the rooms and started down the stairs into the armory of the ship.

"We go hiding. Stay quiet. One of Zaibach's men is searching for you. Well... they're actually searching for any woman in this ship. Hurry up, will you!" He pulled her harder.

They entered the armory and passed another room and into another stairs. They then entered the room where they keep all Dryden's merchant items.

"Hide behind that big box at the end. I'll be out for a minute. Don't you dare leave this room, you hear?" she could only watch him leave the room again.

"What the hell is going on …" She whispered as she walked towards the box and silently sat behind this.

"I hate hide and seek…" She muttered.

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"There is no one around, my lord" Shester said as he arrived up the deck.

"You are getting slower, Shester." The man with silvery hair said he slammed his fist against Shester's face making him stumble to the floor.

"Next time when I say hurry, do hurry or you might want to be more slower by me taking one of your feet perhaps?" Shester just shook his head holding his bloodied lips.

He then turned and walked towards Dryen.

"My… oh my… it seems you are telling the truth, merchant. I'll then leave your stinking ship for you to go on with your stinking business. But do hurry on leaving, I just might think of blasting your ship down to the core of Gaia." He left laughing.

Dryden watched them leave.

"Go find Gadeth and the Princess. We need to leave now." He ordered.