Sailor Moon Fan Fiction / Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Lightning Meets Dragon ❯ A royal duel. Who’s the victor? ( Chapter 4 )

Well I was planning on stopping it there but ff.net just turned into a snail so I'll continue because 1) I have a four day long weekend, and 2) I don't have to do actual work if I'm writing.

Chapter Five

A royal duel. Who's the victor?

After Setsuna left, Van, Hitomi, and Makoto were left in Van's office making idyll, unimportant chitchat. A maid came in shortly after and reported that a room was made up for Makoto in the royal visitors wing, and it was made up there because of Austuria's pending visit and the rooms were being made up in that wing anyway.

"Lady Makoto the servants will escort you to your room and take your baggage there, shall I meet you in the sparing room?"

"It's just Makoto, Lord Van, titles are so cumbersome and I believe they are a slight waste of breath." Van smiled at her.

"Then you may just call me Van it's nice that I've found someone in my kingdom that feels the same way I do."

"And you can just call me Hitomi, to tell you the truth I prefer Mrs. Fanel over Queen Hitomi." She cuddled up again Van, "And also I couldn't care less that Van's a king. I love Van for being Van." Makoto smiled at the cute couple.

"That's how marriages are supposed to be. I know my marriage was like that" she got a dreamy look on her face before winking at Hitomi, "They're also a lot more fun that way." Hitomi blushed and laughed

"They are aren't they?" Meanwhile Van was standing there looking confused until he finally got the idea and started blushing madly. Makoto notices his blush and adds,

"My husband used to do that too, I miss him so much, maybe next time we'll talk about this in private so he doesn't get so embarrassed."

"Maybe but he's so cute when he blushes." The servant arrived and escorted Makoto to her room, Hitomi accompanied her to show her to the sparing room.

~In the hallway the royal visitors wing~

"Makoto, how good are you with a sword anyway? I mean you carry that sword like you have all your life but you're such a gentle person. When did you learn to use it?"

"Let's see, I'm quite good with a sword and I've been using it for four or five years" (AN-since she can't tell everyone that's she's actually really old, I mean that every time she says a few years ex. Four or five years she actually means four or five centuries.)

"There was something else that I was wondering about when you were talking with Lady Setsuna you said that you trained all of your soldiers, is that true?"

"Yes I did I wanted to improve my fighting skills and by training and teaching others to fight in your particular style it improves your style because you can see potential weak spots and change the style to compensate for them. It's a great learning tool and it benefits both parties at the same time." Hitomi was about to ask more questions but they arrived at Makoto's room and she got out her training clothes with consisted of a vest like green shirt with quarter sleeves and long black pants, she also had some combat boots in her suitcase that she put on. A final touch was her sword that she strapped at her side.

"I'm ready, so where's the sparing room?"

"I'll take you there." Hitomi was about to say more when a servant rushed up to her and announced that Austuria's convoy would arrive on the Crusade in less than an hour. "I forgot they were coming today, you'll get to meet some dear friends of mine, your spar with Van shouldn't last over an hour should it?"

"Well we'll have to see, if Van is a good sword fighter it could take quite a while." They arrived at the sparing room and Van was practicing. Hitomi put her finger to her lips and walked quietly behind Van. Then she quickly ducked and he swung in her general direction where she was standing before, then she got up wrapped her arms around Van's neck and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Gotcha love." He picked her up and swung her around after sheathing his sword.

"So you did. Where's Makoto." Hitomi inclined her head towards the door where Makoto was standing. "Are you ready to spar?" She nodded her head and he threw her a sparing mask (AN-probably they wouldn't use these it's just it fits into what I'm going to end this chapter with.) she put it on and moved into the center of the room and got into a ready position.

"I'm ready when you are." She patiently waited for Van to charge and swiftly blocked it before going on the offensive, and then she took the defensive as Van stepped up his attacks. Hitomi stood in the doorway watching the two warriors reverse offensive and defensive stances, she stood there for almost an hour when the Austurian's arrived and came straight to the sparing room to see Hitomi standing motionless in the door way and Van fighting an opponent that no one recognized. Millerna was trying to get Hitomi's attention but was unable to until Van and Makoto's match came to an end. Van charged at Makoto and she flipped over Van's head and pointed her sword at his throat when he turned around. She had won. Hitomi snapped back to reality and noticed Millerna, Drydan, Allen, and Celena standing beside her.

"Hi guys. When did you get here?"

"We got here a little while ago and were told that Van was sparing in here. We tried to get your attention but you were too concentrated on the match." Millerna explained.

Hitomi turned bright red, "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry you guys it's just I've never seen anyone match Van's skill for over an hour before. Van, everyone's here." Meanwhile Van and Makoto were desperately trying to get their breath back before taking off their masks and reaching for their towels.

"Who was Van fighting?" Allen asked

"He was fighting a new friend of mine and Van's. This friend's arrival was foretold in an ancient prophecy." Makoto had chosen that moment to remove her sparing mask and graciously took the towel Van offered her.

"You're better than I thought you would be Van, I haven't fought anyone of your skill for a long time."

Van was still breathing heavily, "I haven't either we've got to spar more often." He turned to the door, "Allen! Millerna, Drydan, Celena, I hope we weren't keeping you guys for too long." At there apparent stares at Makoto he added, "This is Lady Makoto, she's a friend that's staying at the castle for a while."

"Hello everyone." Makoto greeted everyone with a small bow. She moved to the table near the door and placed her sword on it and began to check it for imperfections. Allen moved beside her and started to examine the sword himself and saw that it didn't have any imperfections.

"This is a beautiful sword. Are those real jade and emerald stones?"

Makoto looked up from the blade to see Allen looking at her. "Yes they are," she ran her hand down the hilt of the sword. "This sword was my husbands he said that the emeralds symbolized my eyes and the jade stones symbolized his. He always said that when he lost hope in a battle he had only to look at the stones and think of me and he always came home." Makoto laughed "I guess they didn't work the last time. Excuse me please." Makoto sheathed the sword and walked from the room.

"I guess she still isn't over what happened." Hitomi whispered.

"What happened?" Allen asked

"Her husband was killed in a battle, I saw a vision of it when I touched her sword. I don't think she's angry at you Allen it's probably just hard to think about it for her."

Allen barely listened to what Hitomi said, he was thinking of the beautiful woman with bright green eyes. Van cleared his throat, regaining Allen's attention.

"Did the servants show you to your rooms?"

Millerna spoke up, "No they didn't are they the same rooms we stayed in last time?"

"Yes they are. We are planning on serving dinner in two hours, is that enough time to unpack?"

"It should be fine. Thanks Van, we'll see you guys in a while. Hitomi do you want to come to my rooms and talk? We have so much to catch up on!"

"Sure, I'll meet you there I would like to talk with Makoto before dinner. She seems really stressed out."

"Okay, we'll see you later." Millerna, Hitomi and Celena left the room, leaving the guys alone to talk.

"Van how did you meet Lady Makoto?" Drydan asked

"She's a warrior foretold in a Fanelia prophecy believe it or not."

"Is that the prophecy talking about a 'warrior of power'?"

"Yes it is, do you know much of it?"

"I don't know too much about it, all I really know is that a copy of it somehow appeared in my study about two weeks ago."

"That's odd, Palos said that he didn't know of it either and that he found it about a week ago in the Fanelian library. And something that's stranger is that Makoto says she's had a copy for years, she also has the marking of lightning on her arm like it says the 'warrior of power' should."

"That is very strange Allen you and I should hurry if we don't get to the rooms soon Celena will unpack all of your stuff and you'll never find it without her help and Millerna will organize the closets to fit her wardrobe."

Van just laughed and said, "Luckily for me when Hitomi unpacks she places everything in the same place, as I would expect it here at home."

Allen wasn't really paying attention to everything that was said between the two kings that didn't concern Makoto, 'what is the true story about her I know she's hiding something.'

And this is where I'm ending the chapter AGAIN. I'll post this up hopefully Monday, I say hopefully because ff.net is having problems again. *Looks around for her muses* I guess they went to sleep already, I should probably go to.

Ja Ne!

PS-I love reviews!