Chapter 2: Moving Forward

"And I won't confess that I waited, but I let the lamp burn

As the men masqueraded, I hoped you'd return."

Peter, Taylor Swift

Hitomi had just finished lugging her suitcase up to her childhood bedroom. She had slept most of the way to the house and found being back eerie. Her parents had left it relatively untouched since she graduated from High School. Images of people she no longer spoke to dotted the walls, and her old teddy bear kept a dutiful watch from the bed. She could almost see the ghost of her younger self pouring her heart out in her journal at her desk. So much laughter and many tears had been shed in this room. She shook her head and wondered how long she could hide before her parents called her downstairs to socialize. She checked her mobile and saw a slew of messages from Janet. She grimaced; it would not go over well with her family if she had to work. Quickly changing into a pair of baggy black sweatpants and a sweatshirt from university, she headed downstairs.

Her family was gathered in the living room, laughing and joking. When Hitomi entered, a hush fell across the room. She looked at her family curiously. Her brother reddened slightly under her watchful eye.

"What did I miss?" Hitomi asked, trying to sound casual, although she had the distinct feeling they had been talking about her.

"Oh, Jennifer was just wondering about your plus one." Hitomi's mother said breezily. "And she was shocked when she found out you didn't have one! Your brother pointed out that it wasn't surprising, seeing as you never make time to date. Mamoru reminded us of the time you made up that fake boyfriend when you were in high school. Remember? You even made him a king of some made-up country!"

Hitomi's cheeks flushed, and she shot her brother a dirty look. They were talking about Van. They only knew about him because her brother used to snoop around her room and once read her diary without permission.

"Oh, don't be so sensitive. He only meant it in good fun." Kaede chided. "Anyway, the offer from Seki-san's son still stands. It would be good for your father if you'd accept."

"Ren is a good man." Her father interjected from his chair. "Seki-san went out of his way to offer Ren as an option to take you."

Hitomi hoped that her face was not reflecting how she felt at that moment. If she could crawl through the floor, she would. She shot daggers at her brother, who looked away innocently.

"You definitely should go with him!" Jennifer squealed, not reading the tense energy in the room. "Besides, you never know what can happen." She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"No, really, I'm fine. I don't need a date." Hitomi said, looking at the ground. She could not help but feel like she was being a difficult child.

"But I'm the bride…" Jennifer whined slightly and looked at Hitomi with what could only be described as puppy dog eyes.

"Fine, I would be happy to go with Ren." Hitomi sighed. She already had a sinking feeling that this was going to go poorly. She knew almost nothing about the man other than he was the son of her father's boss and was approximately her age.

"Yay!" Jennifer clapped her hands in victory.

"See, that wasn't so hard now, was it Hitomi?" Her father grumbled from his chair.

Hitomi wanted to flee from the room and hide upstairs. She tried to breathe deeply. This was only the first night, and there were many more to go before she could return to London and her life. Her fingers twitched for her mobile, wanting to escape to work. Hitomi fought these urges and settled neatly on the floor, listening to the rest of the conversation with mild disinterest.

Adrasteia was frustrated. She had been in Fanelia for about a week and had not spent more than a few hours in his majesty's company. When she left Zaibach, the importance of securing the king's affection was stressed to her. She knew how important it was for her country and Gaea that this match be secured. Yet, while the king was not unkind to her, he was distinctly ambivalent. Making her way to the mirror, Adrasteia scrutinized her appearance. Perhaps there was a flaw that she was not aware of, which kept him from paying attention to her. She was considered one of the great beauties of her realm. She was petite with waves of black curls. Large blue eyes, the colour of sapphires, were set against porcelain skin. Her full lips formed a perfect pout in confusion. If she had not heard the stories of the king and the seeress from the Mystic Moon, she would have believed that he was not interested in women.

Not wanting to face the shame of going home a failure, Adrasteia snorted lightly and went to her trunks. She changed into an extravagant deep blue gown that matched her eyes and was deeply cut. She just needed to work harder at getting the man alone. She was not the type of woman who took rejection sitting down. The diplomatic meetings were on pause for the day to get the delegates to rest and enjoy Fanelia, leaving a perfect opportunity for her to try and corner the king alone.

Leaving her room, Adrasteia wandered the halls and pictured herself as the queen of Fanelia and lady of the house. She smiled, thinking how she could help bring Zaibach technology to Fanelia. She could enact real change in the small rural country. Between her drive and the reputation of Fanelia's king, she could see them becoming a match for the ages. The idea of going down in history as a great royal appealed to Adrasteia. It would also lead to the redemption of her own beloved country, which still suffered from distrust even a decade after the Destiny War. Sweeping her way down the hallway, she went towards the roof. She had heard rumours from the maids that the king liked to spend his free time practicing the sword up there.

Hitomi was curled up in bed with her laptop, doing some research. She had been 'home' for three days and had already worn through her family's tolerance for her work schedule. She had been banned from carrying her mobile during family time. She didn't need to keep checking her email as regularly as she was, but having a bit of a shield from her family was necessary. Her family, especially her mother, could be intense. With the near nuptials of Hitomi's brother, her mother had gone into overdrive. Everything Hitomi did seemed to upset her mother, from going for a morning run to how she styled her hair. Everything Hitomi did was wrong. Jennifer was a whole other kettle of exuberance that seemed to egg her mother on. Their newest fixation was Hitomi's 'date' for the wedding. The dress Hitomi had brought with her was wrong, and they needed to get her makeup and hair done professionally. Hitomi's style was split between a business professional and a university student, and neither was acceptable for the wedding. She was plucked, waxed, and tweezed within an inch of her life. Her hair was highlighted, and a new dress was procured. Hitomi felt alien within her own body with all the changes.

"Hitomi!" Her mother called from downstairs.

"Coming," Hitomi replied. Her solitude and research would need to wait.

"Honestly, I don't know why you are holed up in your room. You never come home, and I can't imagine wanting to spend time alone when your family is here." Her mother chided.

Hitomi resisted the urge to roll her eyes and mutter that she was holed up in her room because of her family. "Did you need something?"

"Well, I don't need anything, but Jennifer's bridesmaids are coming over to make centrepieces. She wanted to include you. Isn't that just so sweet of her?" Her mother continued.

Hitomi slowly realized that she had already been replaced as the favourite daughter in her family. "Yeah, so sweet."

She could hear a group of girls squealing from the living room. Breathing deeply, Hitomi mentally calculated the days until she could get on a plane and leave. She wondered if things had changed within her family or if the dynamics were always that way, and she was just too young to realize. She remembered being held to a higher standard than her brother when she was younger. Youthful shenanigans that would have been laughed off if done by her brother were sins against her. The only exception was her disappearance to Gaea, which her family seemed to ignore collectively. Her father viewed her explanation as a flight of fancy, and her mother refused to acknowledge it. Her brother took the hint that Gaea and Hitomi's belief in it was made up and a family secret. Unlike her diary, this was one family secret that her brother seemed able to keep.

Van smiled as sweat poured down his back. He had been able to steal himself away and practice his technique for the first time in a week. Swordplay always made him feel more comfortable. He may not always know what to do when negotiating treaties, but he felt completely confident with a sword. The delegates would go home in another five days, and his life would return to normal.

Adrasteia watched him silently from the shadows. Having spent several days in the presence, she noticed how much more relaxed he seemed with his sword than interacting with the delegates. His movements were smooth, and it looked almost like a dance. He was shirtless, and Adrasteia could not help but let her eyes rove over his muscular frame. Van was not overly tall but sturdily built and made of lean sinew and muscle. His eyes were of an intense brown that looked like they could pierce your soul. His unruly black hair was plastered to his face with sweat. Adrasteia flushed slightly at the sight. She was pleased with his appearance, having been initially worried that she would not find him attractive.

Clearing her throat, Adrasteia headed into the light. Van looked up but was unsurprised to see that he had company. He was surprised that his companion was Adrasteia and not Merle, who he had been expecting. Lowering his sword, he bowed slightly. All hints that he was annoyed to see her were masked under a thin veneer of civility.

"My Lord! That was impressive." She cooed breathily and lowered her eyes. Each movement was strategic in its intent.

"Lady Adrasteia, I trust you are having a pleasant stay in Fanelia," Van said. It took Adrasteia a moment to realize that he had made a statement of fact rather than a question.

"Yes, very much so, although I would love to see more." She said flirtatiously.

"Yes, that is why we designed a day's rest in the negotiations to allow our guests to explore," Van said evenly as he reached for his shirt.

Adrasteia flushed slightly. Looking back at him with willful eyes, she tried again. "I was hoping your Lordship would entertain me and show me the royal gardens. I have heard they are the jewel of Fanelia."

"I would say that the jewel of Fanelia is her people, not her flowers, but I can show you." Van smiled. It had been something he remembered Balgus saying before his death. Extending his arm dutifully, Adrasteia gently laid her arm in his and the pair headed towards the gardens.

On the wedding day, Hitomi awoke to a house filled with absolute chaos. She could hear her parents arguing about the order of events and when they needed to leave the house. Her mother was emotionally charged and kept sobbing that her baby boy was all grown up. From her room, Hitomi weighed the decision to go downstairs. She did want to be part of her brother's day, but at the same time, it was deafening. Breathing deeply, Hitomi grabbed her dress from the back of the door; at Jennifer's insistence, she would get her hair and make-up done with the bridesmaids. Steeling herself for a day of drama, she made her way downstairs.

The day had been loud and dramatic. Hitomi was mildly drunk on the champagne that the bridesmaids had given her. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she had not eaten that day. The bride hand-selected her dress, and even Hitomi had to admit she looked quite pretty. The dress was a tight-fitted burgundy with spaghetti straps and a thigh-high slit. Hitomi's hair was pulled into an intricate updo, and her lips were painted a deep red. The wedding would be a black-tie affair, and Jennifer wanted to ensure that Hitomi would fit in for pictures. Hitomi was ready to go, and the only thing left to do was to wait for her escort.

There was a knock on the door, and her father stood awkwardly behind it. It was strange to see her father in a tuxedo; he was more of a golf-shirt man. He looked as uncomfortable as she felt.

"Hitomi, Ren is here. You can drive over to the ceremony with him." Her father said before adding, "And Hitomi, be nice. This man's father is my boss and is doing us a great favour by escorting you."

"I'll be nice," Hitomi said mechanically, following her father toward her date.

"Ren!" Her father called to a man standing with his back to them. The man was tall and had dark hair. Hitomi was surprised by the familiarity between the man and her father based on her father's address.

Turning around, Ren Seki caused Hitomi to take a slight breath. The man was handsome. He looked like he could be an idol. He was taller than Hitomi and had a lean, muscular build. His eyes were a deep brown, and his face was angular. Hitomi flushed because she was staring. Bowing slightly, Hitomi smiled at her date, feeling hopeful for the first time all day.

Ren smiled at Hitomi, and his eyes crinkled pleasantly. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Ren Seki; please call me Ren. I'll be your escort this evening."

"The pleasure is all mine. I'm Hitomi Kanzaki, but please call me Hitomi." Hitomi stumbled slightly over her words. It was unusual for her to be caught off guard by a man, but Ren had her flabbergasted. Ren extended his arm to Hitomi, and she took it appreciatively.

Heading to Ren's black McLaren, he opened the passenger door for Hitomi. Settling in the front seat, Hitomi's head was swimming. She had never been in such a fancy car before. She knew the Seki family was wealthy, but this was beyond her imagination. In truth, Hitomi hated herself for this, but she felt like a princess.

"This is awkward, isn't it?" Ren smiled when he climbed into the driver's seat and pulled into traffic.

"Just a little," Hitomi smiled at him.

"I've wanted to meet you for years; I've seen your picture on your father's desk and been completely intrigued. Of course, I've heard about you through the Ryan case, but I'm a little intimidated to meet someone so beautiful and smart." Ren confessed, a slight blush creeping across his perfect features.

"You read about the Ryan case?" Hitomi looked at him curiously. Her cheeks were flushed a delicate pink.

"Of course, it was all over the news. Fascinating!" He replied enthusiastically. "Incredible work, by the way."

"Thank you so much! It was a highlight!" Hitomi smiled. She thought that maybe this date wouldn't be so bad after all.

They spent the rest of the car ride discussing their careers and ambitions. They discovered they had a surprising amount in common, from their favourite book to their favourite television show. Hitomi found that she hadn't laughed that hard in ages. She was almost sorry when they arrived at the wedding venue but was relieved they would spend more time together. She tried to ignore the flash of Van she saw through the car window while exiting the car.

The wedding was beautiful. Her brother cried when he saw Jennifer in her dress for the first time. Their vows were sweet, innocent, and sincere. The ceremony focused on their love story and had a simple message of finding love in dark places. Ren placed his hand in Hitomi's during the more romantic segments and squeezed it. Hitomi was so glad for his presence. Her foolish heart slightly flitted when he touched her. She was staying in Japan for another week and hoped to spend more time with him. It was unusual for her to click with someone so quickly. She found herself looking forward to the reception, where they would get to dance together.

The reception was held at a fancy hotel where they would dance, eat and drink the rest of the night away. The room was decorated to the nines with white roses everywhere. Mood lighting hit the walls, creating the perfect atmosphere. It was dark but not too dark, open yet intimate and must have cost Jennifer's parents a fortune. Hitomi walked Ren into the reception, hand in hand. She was surprised by the bubble machine and pleasantly pleased to see an open bar. Ren left her briefly to bring her some champagne.

"A toast to the bride and groom." He smiled as he handed it to her.

"They aren't even here yet, you goof." She laughed but gratefully took the drink anyway.

"Well, we will just have to toast them again when they get here, " he said wickedly.

She laughed and took a long sip of her champagne, "I guess we will."

Van was tired; he had spent most of his day with Adrasteia. After the gardens, she wanted to see the market, so she asked him to escort her. The market was busy, and he always enjoyed his time there. It proved that Fanelia had survived the Destiny War and was thriving. He found it ironic to be spending his day there with someone from Zaibach, but the past was the past.

She was not an unpleasant companion and asked interesting questions that allowed him to talk about his people and country. He mentally compared her to Hitomi, as he did all women. Hitomi was light, whereas Adrasteia was dark. Adrasteia was flirtatious and well-versed in the arts, whereas Hitomi was confident and athletic. The list continued in his mind, and he wished to shut it off. He did not even know what kind of woman Hitomi was now, let alone her preferences and behaviours. Her ghost well and truly haunted him.

He leaned back in his chair and considered the marriage proposition again. Maybe it wasn't such a terrible idea. Adrasteia was very beautiful, and they got along well enough. It would also benefit Fanelia; he could only argue that he was married to his crown for so long. He had heard the whispers of his people as he walked through the market with her. Each whisper was a version of 'What a lovely couple.' His people wanted him to find a wife, and he could do worse than Adrasteia. Maybe he will speak to his council tomorrow and let them know he was prepared to proceed with the wedding. He'd need to talk to Merle first, as she would never forgive him if he made such a big decision without consulting her first. He felt surprisingly calm with his decision. He thought his heart would have felt more than it did. Instead, he found himself feeling a little numb. Turning towards the window, he looked up at the Mystic Moon. Taking the pendant Hitomi had given them on their last meeting from his neck, he turned to place it in his desk drawer when the air crackled. Light began to form around him, creating a vortex of air. Still clutching the pendant, he was swept away.