Disclaimer:  I do not own Escaflowne.

Summary:  (AU) The Great War happened, but Hitomi wasn't a part of it.  They won the war another way.  Van and Hitomi have never met, and Hitomi isn't from the Mystic Moon.  She was born on Geia.  Van still met the rest of the gang during the Great War, though.  Millerna and Dryden were married before the war ever begun.  They have a 5-year-old son named Aston and a 2-year-old daughter name Christina.  They are wealthy merchants, and Millerna is a doctor.  Eries is the Queen, not Millerna.  Allen and Eries are married, so that makes Allen the King of Asturia.  Celena was never Dilandau, and she and Gaddis married as well.  They are expecting a baby.  Van's father died when Van was 7-years-old.  Folken is the same story as before.  Varie, Van's mother, was alive during the Great War.  Balgus is still alive, as well.  Van completed the slaying of the dragon and was king of Fanelia during the Great War.  Now Van is 17, as is Hitomi.

"LEARNING TO LOVE"

-Prologue part 1

A tan hand put a handkerchief into a bowl of water and soaked it.  A second later, the hand brought it back up and wringed out the excess water.  The handkerchief was placed upon a tan forehead and slid down a face, wiping the sweat from it.

Varie Fanel was lying on her deathbed taking in ragged breaths.  Her son, Van Fanel, sat beside her, wiping the sweat from her face.  Every time that she would take in a breath, he feared it would be her last.  Balgus was on the other side of the great Queen's bed trying to comfort Van.  They knew she was going to die.  Everyone did. 

"My son," Varie said weakly, bringing up her hand to touch Van's face, "I must go now."

Van touched his mother's hand with his own.  "Please don't leave me, Mother."

Varie smiled despite her condition.  "I must, my son."

A tear rolled down Van's face.  Varie wiped it away.

"Please, do not cry for me, my son," Varie said, trying to comfort him.  "I fear that I cannot leave without asking you for a last request."

"Of course," Van said quickly, afraid that she might slip away from him and be gone forever.  "Anything you want, Mother, I will do."

"I ask that you marry the girl with emerald eyes," Varie requested.

Van could only say, "Who mother?"

"The girl with emerald eyes; the princess of sight.  Marry her, my son." Varie said. 

Van nodded, determined to grant his mother anything that she wanted before she left him.

Varie then turned to Balgus and reached out her hand to him.  Balgus took it.  "Teach them, Balgus.  Teach them."

"I will, my lady.  I will," Balgus promised her.

Varie turned back to Van.  "Love her, my son."  She was getting weaker.

Van gritted his teeth, so not to cry.  "I will, Mother.  I will."

With that, Varie turned toward the heavens and closed her eyes for her eternal sleep.