Chapter Five: Chained to You
"Van-sama!" The door to the king's private chambers opened suddenly.
A flood of light spilled into the room. At the doorway stood a very tired and very annoyed cat-girl. Shutting the door behind her she relied on her cat eyes to see through the dark. To the unobserved eye, it would seem that His Royal Majesty had not been in his private chambers recently. However she could still smell his scent. She grinned as she automatically realized where he went to...
"Does your wife know where you hide to, Van-sama?" she muttered to herself. With practiced ease she vaulted out the nearby balcony and swung herself up on the roof.
Cold and heavy. That's how the pendant in the Draconian King's palm felt. A part of his heart felt that way too. For the longest time, it felt that way. The reasoning changed, however. Like the pendant in his hand, his heart was not always cold and heavy. It once felt warm, it once glowed. But as the months went by, his warmth died down, his natural glow dulled a bit. Soon, he felt like himself once a month, but it was fleeting. Just recently had he been able to regain his warmth, his glow. On some days, it would seem as if he was his "old self", as the servants would say. But on days like this, with the Mystic Moon so nearby, he couldn't help but feel like the pendant in his palm.
It bothered him that the pendant felt the way it did. It seemed to happen overnight. One day it was glowing softly and feeling warm against his chest, and the next day, it was like a dull rock. He had asked Hitomi a few weeks ago but she had no answer.
"Hitomi..." Van whispered. Hitomi's face appeared clearly in his mind. The image caused him to grip the pendant tightly. She was the reason he was standing on the roof of his study. It was his last private haven, save the skies above. But flying was his way to not think, to let his mind go blank and let his emotions run. He didn't want that tonight. No, he had a lot to consider. There was still much to worry about when it came to his kingdom's well being. The problem was he kept thinking of her, and how empty it felt when their last conversation ended a bit abruptly. Van hung his—no—her pendant around his neck and tucked it safely beneath his shirt. The coldness of her pendant against his bare skin caused him to shiver. His heart tightened, worried about the way things have progressed of late.
The past year had been a blur for the Fanelian King. With over ninety percent of his kingdom finally rebuilt, he was finally able to focus most of his energies on rebuilding Fanelia's political standing. The reason he even had a standing was obvious. If it weren't for him and the Seeress from the Mystic Moon, there would be no reason for politics. Everyone would've been under Zaibach rule. Still, it was tough for the 'little country' of Fanelia to be taken seriously. Their only constant ally was Asturia. Queen Millerna made sure of that. Freid would have been their ally too but alas the word of an eight year old Duke could only be taken so far.
Van couldn't help but shake his head at that thought. Chid, he knew, was a gentle child. It was unfair to be thrust into such a role at such an early age. And yet his council could only take light of what opinions this child would have. This was why Van and Millerna had taken it upon themselves to ensure that Chid was not to be taken advantage of.
Although all of Freid knew that Duke Chid was a remarkable boy, he was still just a child. It would be unfair to give full responsibility to him. Van felt a bit lucky in that respect. Vargas and the then council had taken care of most of the King's duties when he became the last of his line. It wasn't until his 15th birthday that he was given full responsibility. And just days after that, given his task, that led him to her.
As much as Van wanted to, his mind wouldn't linger on politics much longer. Instead they wandered to Hitomi. His other half. He laughed quietly. No matter what happens in his life, he'll always regard her as the single soul who could complete him.
He could suddenly hear Merle's voice in his head going 'Then why did you marry that woman?!' A chill went through him as the night wind picked up.
He wanted to reply to imaginary-Merle's voice by saying 'Because Hitomi's not here,' but that wasn't the reason. He proposed to Adele because she was the only Gaean whom he was able to be himself with. At least as much of himself that he felt comfortable with. And he proposed to her because he couldn't figure a reason why not. For the longest time, Van believed it would always be Hitomi and no one else. Then Adele arrived. It was gradual but he realized with her around, Hitomi's absence was easier to bear. With Adele around, it seemed like he could live a full life again. He married her because Hitomi gave no resistance.
"Ach..." Van doubled over slightly, in pain. 'Not again,' he thought, as he tried to will the burning sensation near his heart away. The pain spread, as always, towards his left shoulder. He quickly sat down on the roof. A few moments later, his chest muscles loosened. He let out a big breath of relief. His eyes, half slit, could detect in the distance a carriage arriving.
"Merle's returned..." He was about to get up to go greet her when he suddenly heard his wife's voice echoing in the gardens. He stayed put while he took in her voice. It wasn't melodious as his mother's or as emotive as his Hitomi's... He chuckled again at that thought. Adele's voice... It was throaty yet soft. In her voice, it felt like she could command and seduce an army.
As Merle's high pitched voice reverberated beneath him, he wondered why he hesitated to go meet his childhood companion. Was it because his wife was down there too? He shook his head, no reason to hide from her -- yet he was already, hiding that is. No, it was because he spent the better part of his evening brooding about Hitomi. He'd feel overexposed with his lingering thoughts of her, and that wouldn't be fair to Adele. Again he felt the pain. He groaned as he buried his face into his hands.
He didn't know what felt worse, the fact that thinking of Adele made his heart soar or the fact that thinking of Hitomi made it plunge. He loved them both, so why the guilty feelings?
"Why can't anyone explain to me why I feel the way I do?"
It frustrated and saddened the young cat-girl to see her childhood friend in such a state. She sighed and sat down next to him. "Van-sama?" she leaned her head against his shoulder.
Van smiled softly, staring at the night sky. "Welcome home, Merle." He gave her a sidelong hug and patted her head. "Sorry I wasn't downstairs to greet you."
Merle simply shook her head. "It's all right, Van. I returned ahead of schedule at any rate."
"All went well then?"
Merle's laugh was slightly bitter. "As well as I could make it. But it should do... At least until the conference." She heard her friend sigh. "That's not what's bothering you, though, is it Van?"
He simply grunted in reply. 'I remember a time when I didn't want to just think about politics,' he thought. 'But now...If it was the only thing I had to worry about...' Subconsciously, Van rubbed his left shoulder. It was just a few minutes ago that it had ached, along with his chest.
Knowing the thoughts that ran through the young King's head, Merle shifted from her spot and knelt in front of him. She didn't have to worry about balancing on the slope of the roof as her cat abilities kicked in. She took his hands in hers, getting his full attention. He looked at Merle with expectant eyes. When she asked, her voice became soft and caring.
"Why do you hurt?"
As the years had gone by since the Great War, Merle slowly but surely learned her place. She wasn't the jealous and over-affectionate 'brat' that would cling on to her liege constantly anymore. Even though Van and she grew up together, and he never minded her affections, she couldn't do that in public. She wasn't a kitten anymore. Of course, she couldn't stop altogether. That was not her personality to do so, and it would have troubled Van greatly to have his last close friend to become cold towards him. Simply because he was a king, and a married one at that. So on occasions like this when it was just the two of them, with no titles standing in the way, Van could vent out his innermost frustrations and Merle could be the companion he always counted on.
So here they were. A Draconian boy and a Feline girl having a simple conversation. The rest of the Gaean world knew, though, they are not simple but complicated figures of history. And those two knew that they weren't having a simple conversation. For nothing's simple when speaking of the heart. When it comes to that, people tend to do crazy things. Instead of being angry, they say they're okay, instead of saying no they say yes. In Van's case at this very moment, instead of crying, he laughed. This wasn't a laugh of bitterness or cynicism as Merle displayed earlier. This was a laugh of contentment.
"Van?"
The poor cat-girl didn't know what to do. One minute her companion was lost in painful thought about a certain girl from a certain moon, and the next he's laughing uncontrollably. She could handle the former; she had much more experience with that. The latter, however, was almost uncharted territory for her. As she was about to let go of his hands, he grabbed hers.
"Why do I hurt? WHY do I hurt? Because all is right in this world."
Merle sighed in confusion. "I don't understand..."
"Are we at war? Are we in financial instability? Is the Kingdom unhappy? Am I in love?"
Merle had adamantly shook her head at each question save for the last. She wasn't sure either way. So instead, and with great patience, she tilted her head to side and asked innocently, "Are you?"
"sigh Very much so." He hung his head low.
"With the Lady Adele?"
"Of course!" Although he said this with much affirmation, he still kept his head lowered.
"And what of Hitomi?" As with her first question, the pink haired girl had thought she already knew the answer. Having thought she knew her liege very well. Now, she wasn't sure of his answer, almost afraid of it.
Van squeezed her hands tightly. Almost in a way that felt like he was in pain. "Yes."
He whispered it so softly that Merle wasn't sure if he said anything at all or if the breeze was playing tricks on her ears. She pretended it wasn't a trick of the wind. And then she grew bold.
"As much as your /wife/?" She kept her grip steady as he tried to remove his hands from her, as if he suddenly was burned. He struggled for a moment, part of him not really wanting to let go.
"More so," he began to regain his voice, it becoming a bit stronger. "But that's the not problem Merle."
She simply nodded.
"Everything is almost perfect. The current problems with the Kingdom are not so major. With the upcoming Peace Conference, we shouldn't have to worry much. My people are happy, my friends are living well, and you're here by my side. And to top it off, I have a wonderful Queen. A competent, independent thinker, who can easily make me forget my small worries."
"Except SHE is not Hitomi. And not all your worries are small," Merle responded evenly. She scooted forward, bringing their hands towards his heart.
He lifted his head slightly and stared into Merle's eyes. He was a bit surprised on how grown up she suddenly looked. She looked back at him intensely, and before he could say anything, she started up again.
"But that's okay...I know if you could have it any other way, Hitomi would be with us. She made her choice and you, yours. And you're happy right? Of course not at this moment, but even Kings need time for themselves and brood however long they want. You shouldn't feel guilty for being happy. This is the way the gods wanted it, and I know Hitomi will find her happiness too." Merle tried to stop the tears from flowing; there was no reason for her to cry, she thought. But seeing her Van like this saddened her.
She continued, "At least you still get to talk to her, right? Your love for her is so great Van, nothing will ever keep you two fully apart. You're too good hearted and stubborn to let that happen. And that's what I love about you..."
By this time, Merle had let go of Van's hands and instead wrapped her arms around him. He soon reciprocated his face in the crook of her neck. Even though his longtime friend didn't soothe all his burning questions, she was able to for a few. She was right, he shouldn't feel this way. And even though right now there was no status between Merle and him, he knew that in the end he was a King first, and a Man last. He had his duties and he should just thank his lucky stars that he found someone as wonderful as the Lady Adele. Not a girl from the Mystic Moon, but then again, they all couldn't be.
Knowing how late it was, Van finally let his last defense down. He needed to do this one last act before he stepped into his study to become Fanelia's King again. He was happy that Merle was back, but sad that it would still be a few more weeks till he could talk to Hitomi again. For the first time since his brother's disappearance, Van cried. He cried for all the emotions swirling inside of him. He cried for the inability to see what will lie ahead and not let go of the past, and for being forever chained to fate.
"Thank You...Merle..."
He cried, simply because he was just a boy with the weight of a Kingdom and its duties on his shoulders, and simply because he was with his best friend, his sister almost. And she cried, simply because she was just a girl with the weight of carrying this boy's burdens, her only family, on her shoulders. They were chained together, and they wouldn't have it any other way.
"Oh Van-sama..."
The bedroom door creaked open. Van silently cursed, wondering why he never had someone fix the hinges. Nevertheless, the current occupant of his room was not asleep as he had believed to be and so was not bothered by the high pitched sound.
"Had a nice chat with Merle?"
Van turned towards his wife. Like most nights when he would retire later than her, he would find her in her favorite chair, sitting by the window that looked out towards the south eastern mountains. And, as usual, she was writing a letter -- to her father no doubt. She didn't look up when she asked, but Van could still see the small smile on her face.
"Mmhmm," Van murmured. Although his first instinct told him to gather his wife in his arms, he pushed it away and decided to change into his night clothes. After Merle had left him in his study, he had taken a few moments to gather the rest of his wits. He was never one to hide his emotions to his closest companions but he felt it was necessary to be in good spirits when he returned to Adele.
Adele rolled up her letter, content to finish it another time. As Van placed the pendant in its usual resting place by his bed, he felt slender arms slither around his waist. Van stilled as he felt her speak through his back.
"How are you feeling, my King?"
Van turned around, embracing her softly. "Better."
Adele looked up slightly to gaze into his eyes. Of everything she learned of her husband, reading his eyes was not one of them. Yes, she could easily drown in those pools of amber, but decipher said pools? Never. But, it was a challenge she was willing to take on. One she had hoped to conquer early on in the marriage.
Van couldn't help but smirk as he watched his wife trying to read him. She did it often, even when she thought he wasn't paying attention, he could tell. He kissed her forehead when she finally gave up and pulled away from him. He didn't react as she prepared for their nightly ritual, pouring two glasses of vino for themselves.
The couple wasn't the drinking kind, but it was on Van's doctor's orders. The vino was from a small village between the mountain ranges of Chatal and Floresta. It contained an ingredient that would help Van's chest attacks. He was still undecided whether it helped or not, but Adele partook in the drink so her husband wouldn't have to be the only one to suffer the tartness of it. Van visibly winced after the first gulp.
Adele suppressed a chuckle. "If anyone saw that look, they'd say I'm trying to poison you, Van."
He glared at his drink, trying to will it to taste better. "It's not you but the doctor that's poisoning me."
She gulped the rest of her drink down, making a worse expression than Van. "Must you be so melodramatic?"
"Only for you," he teased back while he took another sip. He leaned against a bedpost, and watched slowly, as Adele readied herself for bed. He amused at the length of her hair, remembering not too long ago it was a short bob. But now, her hair fell past her shoulders. Any longer and it was sure to curl. He liked it better long; it suited the lady of Mythark. 'The boy cut did not suit you,' he mused, remembering the day he first saw her.
"My Lord, Irini Village lies ahead!" The coachman called.
Merle grinned toothily at her riding companion and then yelled out the door, "Thank you Brantley!"
"Do you want to take a rest there Merle?"
"It's alright, Van-sama. I'll be visiting in a few weeks at any rate."
Van nodded. He stared at his cat-companion for a moment while she stretched on her seat. He gave a wistful smile and turned towards the window. 'We're home,' he thought as they rode into the familiar outlaying forests of Fanelia. It had been a good trip-- a long needed one at that.
It had been like a mini vacation, although officially King Van and Lady Merle went to Freid for political reasons. In reality, Duke Chid really needed some personal advice and wanted to spend some time with the Draconian King. Merle simply wanted Van to get away from his pushy advisers who wanted to throw yet another courting ball.
Van momentarily closed his eyes and sighed. Although he was happy to return home and go back to his normal routine, he didn't look forward to facing his advisory council. Believing he could take a short nap before arriving home, he was rather surprised when the coach jerked to a stop.
"Mrowr!!" Merle yelped as she fell to the floor.
"What the-?"
Van, almost falling to the floor himself, clutched onto the edge of his seat in surprise. He quickly helped Merle back to her seat, as she muttered curses under her breath.
"Brantley! What's going on? - Merle, you alright?"
Merle nodded.
"I'm sorry my king but there seems to be a commotion at the entrance of Irini."
"Commotion?! What kind of commotion?" Merle responded. She leaped to the window and stuck her head out to see.
Van was surprised to see Merle's tail straighten moments later. "Merle?"
She sat back down, "A party that was ahead of us is being attacked by bandits! The Irinians are trying to stop them but neither side is listening."
'Not good.' He opened the coach door and stepped out, hand already at the hilt of his sword.
"Van-sama?"
"I don't think this is a safe idea your Majesty."
Van ignored Brantley and headed towards the "commotion." He was glad he sent the rest of his entourage ahead when they entered Fanelian lands. It wasn't too often nowadays that he could directly help with his people's problems.
The young King quickly assessed the situation. Luckily, nobody noticed him despite being in half regal attire. 'Seven bandits keeping the crowd away from... their leader and a page,' Van concluded. The unconscious body next to the page appeared to be his liege. He would worry later about why they felt it necessary to attack this seemingly harmless pair of travelers.
With practiced ease, Van unsheathed his sword discretely and charged at the closest enemy. As the Irinians recognized their Lord, they swiftly moved out of Van's way, confusing the bandit they surrounded. Van exploited the opening, striking at the bandit's weapon hand. Van had no intentions of killing or even dismembering the men, but it didn't bother him much if they found they could never use that hand for holding anything heavier than a chopstick.
The other six lost concentration and turned to see their companion fall to his knees in anguish. This distraction was enough for some of the more headstrong villagers to knock a few of them down. In a matter of seconds Van was left only needing to fight three of the bandits. Having now lost the advantage of a surprise attack, Van's plan shifted to getting to the leader as quickly as possible.
The first glint to his right caused Van to duck immediately as a sword came rushing by. He quickly swung his sword around at an angle and hit the enemy's sword down towards the ground. The enemy lost his balance and fell. Van rolled over the fallen body and stabbed up towards the next man. He didn't make contact with the other's sword or body. Instead, the tip of his sword caught the man's tunic and by twisting his wrist just so, the flat of the sword was flush against the tunic which Van then thrust down. The man, like his companion, fell, but before he could hit the ground, Van punched him, ensuring he would remain unconscious. The last one kept his distance, shouting at his leader for new orders. The leader, however, paid no attention and instead kept trying to get another good slice at the page. The young man, though fumbling with his liege's sword, was able to successfully keep his opponent at a distance. This frustrated his opponent. "Why don't you just give up?"
"Unlike your goons I'm smarter than that!" the page responded hoarsely as he dodged yet another blow.
Like them, Van and the final bandit were circling each other, one easily dodging the other. Van, while focused on his combatant, eyed the other two. Although the page was holding his own, he could tell that he was quickly tiring. I can see negotiating won't work here. I need to finish this quickly, concluded Van.
The young King decided on a risky move; he left himself wide open. Of course his opponent took the advantage and charged with intent to spill the Fanelian's guts. Van knew dodging or dropping to the ground would not work this time. Instead, taking a cue from years of watching Merle's antics, he vaulted forward, missing the blade by centimeters. He crashed into his opponent's chest, grabbing his shirt while they both tumbled to the ground. From the corners of his eye, he spotted the leader and the young man and propelled the final follower in that direction.
As the leader had foolishly kept his back towards Van the entire time, he couldn't fathom why his victim was suddenly wide-eyed until a body smacked into his backside, rendering them both unconscious.
Van got up, wincing slightly as his body decided to tell him how taxing the fight was. "Are you alright?"
The young man opened his mouth to speak but opted to bow and nod instead. It was this point that his "master" woke up.
"Nnggh... My Lady, are you all right?"
Van cocked his head to the side. "Lady?" He stared at the person before him, finally noticing the subtle curves and slender limbs that most "men" at his age shouldn't have.
The Lady sighed as she straightened herself, caught between being amused or annoyed that she was found out this way. She looked at Van and smiled. "I, Adele of Mythark thank you for saving us, Highness," she curtsied, "It's not every day you get rescued by a King."
--------------------------
"Van, why is she wearing men's clothes?" Merle half-whispered to her King as he and the two rescued ones entered the carriage.
"Hush," Van muttered as he sat next to her.
Lady Adele smiled at Merle, "I'm in disguise. Rather, was in disguise."
Merle made a face. "Why?"
"A diversion," Lady Adele's companion replied.
Merle turned to scrutinize him. "And you are..?"
"Merle..." Van inwardly groaned, hoping that Merle would remember her manners.
"Thomas, her personal escort." Thomas straightened himself.
"Hmph... Some escort...Mrow!"
"Forgive her. She has a disease where she can't stop from saying what ever's on her mind." Van apologized, while keeping his hand over Merle's mouth, hoping this time she won't bite back.
Lady Adele chuckled. "That is okay. Yes, he is my escort. We were completely caught off guard as we truly had thought our plan had worked." She looked at Thomas with some concern.
"Plan?" Van asked as he finally removed his hand, ignoring Merle's patented glare.
The young woman closed her eyes momentarily, "I'm sure you've have heard about the serf uprising in the west?" Taking a deep breath she continued, "Well it finally reached Mythark. We were hoping that Lord and Lady Tsukimi would be able to come to an agreement with them..."
Seeing how much it pained her, Thomas interjected, "However that was not the case. They and other Lordship families were hunted down."
Both Van and Merle stared in shock. "Oh no! You two were the only ones to escape?" gasped Merle.
They nodded. "...Yes, we were."
"Unscathed?"
"..." Lady Adele turned toward the window.
"It was the young Lady's idea to travel this way. I agreed believing that they would not figure it out. We thought we could make it safely to Daedulus in a few days time."
"Why Daedulus?"
Thomas placed a hand on his liege's shoulder. "My Lady has a relative that resides there. Her estranged father, to be exact. If it were possible we would have taken a ship but alas time was not on our side."
"Then it is settled."
The Lady looked at Van quizzically. "What is settled?"
It took seconds for Merle to realize Van's intentions. "Van, you're not--"
He ignored her. "You'll stay at the castle until you can send word to your father of your arrival."
Adele and her escort were more than surprised. In a rather unladylike way, her mouth hung opened. Partly to Van's quick generosity and partly to how simple that was.
Thomas recovered quickly. "We don't want to impose more than we already have, your majesty."
Merle agreed. "He does have a point Van--"
Van raised a hand, not only to hush Merle for the umpteenth time, but to also indicate there would be no further discussion. He smirked as Merle quieted and his guests nodded. Sometimes it was good to be the king.
.:A Few Months Later:.
"You do know what you're saying, Van-sama, right?" Merle stared at her King's back. They were in the castle gardens, enjoying their moment of peace between meetings and more meetings. That's when Van announced he wanted to court the former Lady of Mythark.
He turned slightly towards her. "Yes. Do you think I'm crazy?"
A small part of her wanted to claw Van back to his senses; another wanted to scream a protest to his suggestion. Instead, she counted to ten.
"I haven't decided yet."
Van smirked and shook his head, "You're being a lot calmer than I thought you'd be."
Merle ignored his observation, "Adele has visited you how many times?"
"Twice, and then I, needing to settle a few agreements in Daedulus, visited her once." Van finally had the courage to turn around and face his best friend. Outwardly, he noticed, she seemed calm, but he could tell by the twitching of her ears, she was all but calm. He could tell that she was battling with what to say, and he wasn't surprised when he was assaulted with a torrent of questions.
"And during those times, did she even indicate she fancied you? If she did, how do we know she's for real? She could be like those other 'noblewomen' who only want to benefit from you. Why now? Why suddenly her, Van-sama? Have you even mentioned her to Hitomi? Does she know about Hitomi? Isn't it too soon? Or did the council finally get to you?"
With each question, the cat-girl stepped towards Van until she was looking straight up at him. Van felt mildly intimated by her, though anyone else would have been downright scared.
"Why aren't you in my Inquisitorial Squad again?"
"Because they can't handle me, and you're not getting off that easily," she poked him in the chest.
Van raked a hand through his hair and groaned. "I don't even know where to begin, Merle." He sat down on a nearby stone bench.
"Well, at the beg-"
"Yes, yes, I know. I just still can't wrap my head around it Merle. And no, surprisingly, there was no pressure from the council. I guess they thought if they tried something, they feared I'd back away on principal."
"So then she flung herself on you!" Merle began to seethe, "Why that little--"
Van stood up, almost knocking Merle to the grass, "She did nothing of the sort!" Van suddenly grabbed Merle by the arms, not to shake her, but to stop himself from shaking. "I wish I could explain it. I mean, it's nothing like how I felt around Hitomi. No annoyance, no slight animosity, no aching when she's not around...but..." The King looked away with a slightly pained expression.
"But what Van-sama?"
"Don't get me wrong, I still love Hitomi. I don't think I could ever stop. But... We both know she's not coming back, and I would never abandon my people. And when I'm with the Lady Adele..." Van looked straight into Merle's eyes, "When she's around I feel... alive."
The scene was picture perfect. A King and his Queen enjoying a picnic in the gardens. Their little boy being chased by a "ravenous" cat-woman. Shrieks of laughter in the air. Unbeknownst to them, a young woman watched from a balcony, invisible to all. She turned away from the scene; her already wounded heart was breaking into a million pieces. She tried to will the tears away, but to no avail. When the shrieks of laughter turned into shrieks of terror, she snapped her head back to the family and gasped in horror. The cat-woman--Merle!--was on the ground, a pool of blood forming around her. The young boy ran to his parents as the King went for his sword. She couldn't see the enemy; no one could, at first.
But then beams of light surrounded them and out stepped shadowed soldiers. By the look on the King's face, he did not recognize them. The Queen scooped up her son; held him protectively. The King stood in front of them, shouting at the enemies. So worried about his family and only looking at the enemies around him, he did not notice the one falling--no--flying down towards him, sword ready to strike.
Hitomi shouted out. "Vaaan!!!" But her voice died out as Van looked up only in time to be pierced through the heart. Hitomi braced herself against the balcony crying out to him and all went black.
---
Hitomi believed she had woken from the nightmare. She was glad she didn't cry out to awaken Mikael...Her left hand felt for him but his side of the bed was empty. She furrowed her brows as she reached for her robe. Slipping it on, she padded out the room and down the hallway. She almost called out for him but then saw the bathroom lights on. Sighing in relief, she opened the door and fear once again clutched at her heart.
There was her Mikael standing in front of the mirror, dressed in a ceremonial kimono. His hands, she noticed, were bloodstained, and clutching a stainless steel bracelet. The one she never saw him take off. He looked at her through the mirror.
"You look beautiful," he whispered, sadly.
"Nani?" She looked at her reflection. Gone were her PJs, in its place a near full bridal kimono--missing only her headpiece. She felt her face grow hot; it never occurred to her that she may one day marry this man. Then Hitomi remembered his hands.
"What's going on Mika-kun? Did you hurt yourself?"
Mikael shook his head. "It's these chains Hitomi," he showed her the bracelet. Seeing her confusion, he gave her a rueful smile. "I am forever...We are forever..." He shook his head again.
"Please make me understand, Mika-kun. Am I still dreaming? Or is this a--?" she couldn't bear to say it. It's been too long since she's had one, why now?
"Yes, we are still dreaming."
"We?"
"But soon the dream will end and the chains...they will destroy everything he loves, everything...Everything we love."
A shock of cold metal against her wrist; she looked down and saw a manacle--not at all like his bracelet--attached to her. Etched into the metal were red feathers. 'No...' She touched the etching and realized it, she, was bleeding. 'Van!'
Soon, her own hands were covered in blood. "Mikael..." She looked at him for reassurance but he only mirrored her frightened expression.
"Did you--did you do this to me?!" Hitomi threw herself at him, forced him to turn around and look her. The bracelet clattered to the floor.
"Hitomi--I would never! You must believe...Please just believe... "
"Then help me! If you truly love me, help break it--these chains!" she crushed her lips against his in a desperate kiss. 'Help me save Van and Merle!'
He broke away first, tears staining his face. "I...can't..."
"Doushitanda?!" Why was he doing this? She searched his eyes for the truth. She only saw her reflection. It felt like the world was crumbling apart. Soon, the bathroom began to crumble, and he began to fade away.
"Because, mi linda...I'm already dead."
Glossary:
Irini Village: The place where they found young Merle, her hometown.
Mythark: "Fictional" province in Gaea.
Nani What?/Huh?
Doushitanda A rather butchered slang way of saying "Why (the hell) not"
Mi Linda Spanish for "My Darling"
Author's Notes: Really do hope that you guys stick around till the end. I hadn't actually expected this story to become an epic but as each chapter goes by, it's becoming more and more obvious that it will. After this, Van shouldn't be as hated as he's been... ll What's odd is that I've been wanting to write this chapter for a long time and now that it's come upon me... It was hard to do it. Van had to seem just right. But you know him, he's not one to follow orders or do what's right. ;; Well I hope you like this slice of Gaean life as we fast forward in time. Why write the current events at all? One day it'll make sense. Just not today. heh.
I'm sorry it took way too long for this chapter to come about. I got caught up with HP fics for a good time and then that evil thing called life got in the way. I'm hoping with this release I'll be able to be a bit more frequent in my chapter updates. There are some HP fics that need to take precedence for a while (which you can find on my LJ) but I will write this when I can. So much thanks to my editor/fic writing partner in crime Eni for suffering with my paranoia on scenarios and looking over this and assuring that it is good. XD
Oh! I wasn't completely devoid of writing Esca; I've written a companion piece to this fic which is a one-shot about Merle. It is lighter and set somewhere between Van marrying Adele and the most current time we're in. I'm thinking of writing another companion piece, with Van & Adele... What do y'all think?
Well most of the hard part is over. With the exception of a few more scenes with our villains, we're pretty much past the introductory arc. Much more exciting things to come.