Escaflowne: The Return - Ch.9

August 28, 2001

Vision of Escaflowne

"The Return"

by: The MOUSE.................................

Van Fanel's meeting with his Advisor, Balthus, had gone much quicker than he had expected. The pudgy man had literally thrown himself at his King's feet, begging for mercy for having made all the arrangements with Naporia before having consulted with Van. The young King had merely stood there and listened to his groveling Advisor. He had let him explain everything he had done, let him apologize for his error before speaking to him. The condition to his forgiveness was simple no matter which way one looked at it. It was Balthus duty now to inform the King of Naporia that there was a grave misunderstanding and that the Fanelian King had not been seeking a Queen. Balthus had to explain that his Lord Fanel already had a choice made for a Queen, but his Advisors had misunderstood his statement. Van told Balthus that he would agree to compensate the Naporian King for this wrong, but that he would not take the Princess Cadoma as his wife and that she had to leave Fanelia. From the corner of his eye he had seen Cadoma watching the proceedings from a corner of the room, vainly keeping to the shadows to remain hidden. A small perverted smirk decorated her face. Van had shuddered imperceivably at that. He hadn't been sure if this smile of hers was because she enjoyed watching Balthus begging for mercy as if Van would strike him down coldly, or if she had something else in mind. No matter what she believed she was sorely mistaken. One, he wouldn't kill anyone for such a simple mistake as Balthus had made. Two, his heart was firmly rooted with Hitomi. And three, nothing Cadoma ever did or said from that moment on would ever change his decision. The girl worried him. Somehow he knew she was dangerous. She had the same maniacal look Dillandau had sported each time he saw pain and suffering. The sooner she left for Naporia, the better for all of Fanelia.

Now it was late at night and the young King's mind was as far away from problems of state or any such worries. His breath was slow and steady as he slept. Only one vision dominated his mind: the image of his betrothed, Kanzaki Hitomi. He dreamed of how she would look like of their wedding day. No doubt she would be sublime. He would put his Kingdom's resources towards making sure she was a goddess. His goddess. He smiled in his sleep as his dreams took a turn for the better. She was standing before him in her wedding gown of rich silk and satin, a jeweled circlet sitting proudly on her head, the light of the twin moons shining down on her through the open curtains. A sweet and seductive smile adorned her glistening lips, her pale green eyes seeming to glow in the dim light. She had to be supernatural to be so painfully beautiful. As he gazed at her he saw her slim hands disappear behind her back. Moments later they return to her sides and the dress slides from her lithe form to the ground in a rustle of fabric. Van felt himself tremble and grow warm as he realized that her thin white slip was nearly transparent in the moonlight. He could just make out the curves of her hips, her breasts through the silk. He rose to his feet to go to her when her hands took hold of the straps on her shoulders, easing them off ever so slowly. He smiled. He dimly realized that she was going so slow to torture him.

Her body suddenly jerked forward, her beautiful features twisting in pain.

Van caught her as she crumpled in his arms, desperately demanding what was happening to her. A dark, sticky stain formed on the front of her slip. He felt the dark itchor against his hands supporting her back. This was when horror filled his soul. Raising his hands slightly he felt the hilt of a knife buried deep in her back. It confirmed his worst fears. His Queen had been stabbed. On their wedding night no less! It felt as if his entire being had been twisted into a knot at the sight of death claiming the one ray of light he possessed in his life. With each breath that drew her closer to her last his own breath seemed to leave the young King. He couldn't lose her, not now, not after everything he had gone through just to bring her home.

Looking up he saw the dark silhouette of a woman walking towards him, a low laugh in her throat. He couldn't see her face since she kept to the shadows, but somehow he had a feeling he knew who she was. Her hands were suddenly illuminated by the moonlight. Dark red blood covered them. She was the murderer, the one responsible for all of this. But rage just wouldn't come to the Fanelian King. He was in shock. Van looked down at the body of his beloved failing in his arms. His heart gave a painful squeeze.

You are ours now, King of Fanelia, a voice hovered through the air.

He knew that voice!

"No!" Van called out, bolting upright in bed.

It took him a moment to remember where he was. His curtains were closed, only a thin slit of light shining through them. His sheets were strewn all over the place from his fitful sleep. This was his bedchamber, it was late at night, and he was completely alone. Van felt the coolness of the air against his damp skin. He ran a hand through his unruly hair with a deep sigh.

"... just a dream..." he sighed. It felt so real! he pondered. A dream or a warning? I know that voice… Who was it? Why can't I remember that voice? He pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind to let his subconscious muddle it over. Well, there's no way I'm getting back to sleep tonight. Damn!

Throwing on a loose shirt, his sword always at his side, the young monarch left his chambers, aimlessly walking down his palace's numerous corridors. No one would wonder about his presence. He often roamed the halls this late at night, seeking solace in the solarium or merely going to the Grand Hall to practice some shadow fencing. Though, back then, his reason had been his sense of suffocating solitude. Now it was due to his nightmare. He had to clear his mind of this dream or vision. The last thing he wanted to see or remember was the look of death on Hitomi's face and feel the helplessness in his own soul at not being able to save her.

The corridors were empty this late at night. The only sounds that reached his ears were his own bare feet padding against cool marble floors. He didn't care how cold it was. To him, right then, it felt good. It occupied his mind, took his attention away from his fear. He slowed his aimless trek and looked around to get his bearings. A small smile came to his lips as he realized where his feet had taken him almost instinctively. He was now standing before Hitomi's chamber door. Beyond this door slept his beloved seer of the Moon of Illusions, a woman so full of life and mystery that any man yearned to simply stand at her side. He laid a hand against her door with a gentle smile.

Sleep well, my Love. I hope your dreams are better than mine were.

He heard what sounded like a light scuffling when he stepped away from the door. Van paused and listened more intently.

Nothing.

He shrugged and was about to walk off when he suddenly heard it, forcing him to jerk around to the door.

A muffled scream coming from inside of Hitomi's chambers.

Using his shoulder as a battering ram, Van knocked in her door and raced inside the chamber to the bedroom. Her screams were clearer now, as well as the sounds of intruders struggling against her, shouting at her to be quiet and that no one would hear her. How wrong they were. The warrior King burst into the bedchamber, his sword drawn and ready to defend his Queen-to-be. The light of the moons showed him three men dressed in black were fighting to restrain Hitomi to the bed and silence her cries.

Ninjas!

Mercenaries for hire.

A war cry broke from his throat as he rushed the nearest of these intruders. This one still managed to turn and duck in time to avoid the Fanelian blade aimed at his neck. The other two, seeing they were discovered, released the girl from the Mystic Moon and turned their attention to the newcomer, lunging at him only to pull back to avoid the swipe of the sword. Hitomi saw her chance and scrambled off the bed, swiping at the nearest attacker with a pillow to distract him from her rescuer. This one fell, stunned, his hand reaching out blindly to catch the girl's ankle. He missed. She ducked past the antagonists, finding temporary refuge behind her beloved King. Van kept himself between her and these men, daring them to try anything against her now that he was here to defend her, his sword held up at ready.

"Go get the guards!" he ordered of his betrothed. Then, when she didn't move right away, "Go!"

The Kanzaki girl blinked sharply, then bolted for the door to the corridors, calling for the Palace Guards at the top of her lungs. Meanwhile, inside the chambers, the Fanelian King managed to hold his own against the three attackers. Metal flashed in the moonlight, casting silver arcs in the darkness.

Thrust...

Parry...

Dodge...

Dodge...

Parry...

Lunge...

Parry...

Thrust...

Thrust...

Dodge...

The Ninjas' only weapons were short daggers against his sword, but they were trained in far more cunning fighting techniques than he had been. The Ninjas' advantage was that they were more numerous. When one tired, one of the other two would take over the battle. It tested Van's stamina to its very limits. A hard wall abruptly pressed up against his back. His teachers' voices echoed in his mind, chiding him, and he cursed viciously to himself.

Never let the enemy get you against a wall. Your actions are limited then. You can't escape.

Van growled. He wouldn't let these three intruders win without a good fight.

For Hitomi, he swore mentally.

* * *

Kanzaki Hitomi, seer from the Moon of Illusions, cried out desperately for help in the empty palace corridors, not daring to go too far from her chambers. Who knew what was waiting for her in the corridors? More ninjas? Inside her room she could hear metal clashing against metal, and other items, as the battle raged on. Fear twisted her insides into painful knots. She was afraid for Van. He was outnumbered in this battle. She knew he was an amazing swordsman, but even then this seemed impossible for him to win. She wished desperately for him to live. He couldn't die. She had just found him again. She was going to be his wife. Hitomi loved him too much to have him die now.

The sound of rushing boots on marble reached her ears then. Around a corner a number of guards, led by Allan Schezar, came running in response to her calls, weapons already drawn. All five looked as if they had dressed in a hurry, loose shirts billowing out as they ran. Merle was a few stride behind them, her claws bared, her ears pressed back ready for a fight, her short nightgown not hindering her in the least. Hitomi waved them over quickly, pointing into her room before rushing inside to point to the bedroom. They followed her in and immediately heard the sounds of battle raging where she pointed. It was all the prompting they needed. They rushed away from the terrified girl, swords drawn to lend their help to the already fighting monarch. Feeling her terror for the life of her love rise, Hitomi curled up into a corner of the chamber, clasped hands to her lips in silent supplication for a favorable outcome.

Onegai, let him live! she prayed. Don't let him be hurt, I beg you!

As if feeling Hitomi's intense fear Merle turned from the battle, her wide scarlet eyes searching the room for her friend. The cat woman found her cowering in a far corner of the room, nearly hidden from sight by a table, green eyes fixed on the door leading to the fighters. Merle's demeanor changed at the sight of the girl, the fight momentarily forgotten. Her raised fur smoothed itself, her claws retracting away to leave gentle fingers. Even her ears perked up, making her a friendlier sight. Merle slowly crawled over to Hitomi in a very non-threatening way, a low purr in the back of her throat. Hitomi barely reacted to her. As a Mother would do for a child the lithe cat woman wrapped her arms around her trembling friend's shoulders, gathering her up close to rock her soothingly, petting her hair, her tail wrapping around her bare ankles.

"You have nothing to fear now, Hitomi. Van-sama will win, he always does." she soothed in a soft purr. "You'll see. Have faith."

Hitomi still didn't move, her eyes closing to the world around her as she struggled against her relentless fear.

The pair noticed the silence first. The room was so quiet it was deafening. Merle's sensitive ears twitched back and forth, searching for any sound. She barely heard heavy breathing from the fighters that remained in the other room, and pained groans from those who had lost. She smiled. Survivors meant that the intruders were not the victors. Ninjas were known never to let anyone survive them. It showed weakness. Killing witnesses also ensured no one could ever recognize them in the future. Still curled into a tight ball Hitomi heard the sound of men walking by where she hid, half carrying, half dragging what sounded like bodies. Then something metallic was being set aside on a nearby table, tired footfall nearing her and Merle. The soft scratch and hiss of a match being struck came next and a lamp was lit. A pale light became visible even through her closed eyes. Then someone sighed, a soft sound that Hitomi could recognize even in her deepest sleep. She blinked her eyes open, tentatively looking up at her savior.

Van's ruddy eyes were fixed on her. Fatigue and growing hunger glowed in their depths at the sight of his Queen-to-be, mostly at the sight of her wisp of a nightgown. It almost resembled the slip she had worn in his dream, barely covering her, it's light green color not quite opaque on her athletic body. It made him think suddenly. Had his nightmare actually been a vision warning him that she had been in danger? Whatever the case it made him thankful for having it. Without the dream he would have never taken his late night walk and he would have lost her to the intruders.

Hitomi felt her breath lock in her throat. She remembered having seen Van shirtless on more than one occasion, but they had both been younger then. He had looked nothing like now. He had the well-balanced, understated build of a man who acquired his musculature through constant hard work rather than visits to the local gym, with the implication that he had honed his dexterity along with his strength. A film of perspiration clung to his bronze skin. She blushed. To her eyes he was a god.

The young King's thoughts were abruptly broken at the sight of the deep red hue coloring his betrothed's cheeks. Curious as to why she was blushing he knelt before her and cupped her cheek. She felt so warm under his fingers.

"Are you alright, Hitomi?" he questioned gently.

Her green eyes began to blink, snapping out of her reverie at his query. She sucked in a hard breath, the events of only a moment ago finally sinking in, and she threw herself against his chest with a silent sob, her form trembling. Van responded immediately, wrapping his arms around her frame protectively, tenderly stroking her short hair. She clung to him desperately, never wanting to let go, afraid to let go. She just wanted to lose herself in the strength and security of his arms.

Merle kept her distance, watching her past love-interest cuddle and comfort the woman she had grown to call her friend. A tiny twinge of jealousy touched her heart, but she stamped it back hard. Van-sama was infinitely happier with Hitomi. Her place was not to be jealous. His happiness was all that counted. She just hoped that someday she would find someone who could make her as happy as Hitomi made Van-sama.

"Shhh." the young monarch soothed. "It's all over now. They're gone. Everything's alright now."

"See, Hitomi? I told you Van-sama would win." Merle smirked smugly.

The girl from the Mystic Moon actually chuckled. "Never had a doubt."

Feline eyes regarded her friend carefully. "You want me to stay the night and keep you company?"

Green eyes looked to Merle and then to Van in silent debate. Van smiled at the question she didn't dare ask him. "It wouldn't be proper if I stayed, Hitomi, even if nothing happened. Besides, I would be far too tempted to do more than just hold you."

"And we can't have that until you two are married." Merle piped in with a grin. "So, I'll stay instead and make sure nothing happens to you."

Hitomi smiled. "A man would have to be foolish to do anything with you around, right?"

"Right!"

"Arigatou, Merle, to you and your claws."

Merle merely beamed proudly.

"Allan and I will question those men in the morning to find out who hired them." the monarch stated as he helped his soon-to-be-wife to her feet. "And I'll assign you a personal escort to watch over you."

"I wouldn't want to impose…" the seer protested.

A tender smile touched his lips. "Never an imposition to protect the woman I love."

She smiled at him adoringly and lightly kissed his lips in thanks. He cupped her face between his hand in response, placing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"Get some sleep." he told her. "Tomorrow is a busy day. I want you to be well rested for it."

* * *

Dressed in her darkest robes, concealed in a shadow, Cadoma spied the happenings within the chamber through the door that had been left open. The Fanelian King was holding the witch protectively. He had rushed to save her life. Cadoma fumed silently when the couple kissed. The King left the room shortly afterwards, leaving the lowly cat female to watch over the witch. Her plan had been ruined.

How hard is it to kidnap the wretched witch? She is such a frail creature.

You failed.

We know! she growled inwardly. She is being protected by that cat tonight. We cannot try anything more this night.

He will announce his impending wedding to her in the morning. How will you stop him?

Let Our King announce his wedding. He will never see her attend it.

She turned away and stalked back down the corridor towards her chambers. She quickly took out some paper and scribbled a hasty message in black ink. Then she approached a caged winged creature she kept as a pet.

"You have served Us before, little one." she spoke to the half bat, half bird creature. "We call on you again." She tied the folded piece of paper to its leg and walked over to her window, opening it. "You know who We wish this message to get to. Fly fast and do not fail Us." and she released the flying creature to the night.

You tread a fine line between love and loyalty, Cadoma. If you are caught...

We will not be caught! We will see this King as Our husband even if it takes Our last breath. And Sheahan will see this happen for Us.



To Be Continued...