Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Behind Enemy Lines ❯ Code of Chivalry ( Chapter 2 )

Behind Enemy Lines

By: rainjewel

Chapter Two: Code of Chivalry

~*~

To His Majesty the King of Fanelia,

Van, I request your assistance immediately. Allen is slain. I need your help and Celena does too. Please, speak of this to no one and come as quickly as you can. I will explain everything once you get here.

Sincerely,

Sergeant Gaddes

Dilandau rolled the parchment up and tied it with a blue hair ribbon. Gaddes had such terrible writing. He set the scroll carefully with the outgoing mail.

Soon.

~*~

Goddamn Code of Chivalry.

Goddamn, useless, shitty, good-for-nothing, fucking Code of Chivalry.

Van was annoyed. Fanelia was only a week away from being completely rebuilt, and he had to leave. He had to follow the code. The code Allen had instilled in him at the destruction of the fort almost a year and a half ago. Though, Van did feel guilty for being so selfish. Allen was a good person and a great Sergeant. Despite their obvious differences and, uh, "That Hitomi Thing," Van and Allen were friends. Van didn't exactly want to admit it, but he felt bad that Allen was dead.

So now he was in a carriage on his way to the Schezar Manor, only an hour away from reaching his destination. When he had first received Gaddes' letter he didn't understand why his presence was required. But now Van had come to the conclusion that something was up. Something wasn't right with the situation. Gaddes didn't sound like Gaddes. It was like someone had dictated to the man while he wrote. People don't write letters reporting someone's death like that. Something was wrong.

In Dilandau's words, "It's all about that 'something.'"

But Van didn't know that. Right now his main concern was what was going to happen to Celena. You couldn't exactly expect Gaddes to take care of her, but Van didn't know what he was supposed to do about it. He knew he couldn't put her in an orphanage. He thought of sending Millerna a note. Van was sure that the princess would be delighted to take care of Allen's younger sister. However, that would mean Celena would have to be taken care of by Millerna. Van didn't wish that on anyone. Or there was always Eries. But then Celena would probably spend the rest of her life crocheting.

Van sighed. Too many decisions. Too many responsibilities. At least he didn't have Fanelia to worry about right now. Merle was taking care of things, and if she didn't know what to do there were a couple of advisors Van had personally picked out so everything should be running smoothly.

The carriage hit a bump and Van smacked his head against the roof of the vehicle.

"YEOWCH!"

Van rubbed his head gingerly. Damn driver. He should yell at the moron and fire his stupid ass. Van shook his head. Stop being such an irritated prick. You have responsibilities just like everyone else. Stop your bitching.

Celena.

His mind kept returning to her. Why in the hell is that? Van knew damn well why.

She was once Dilandau Albatou. Plain and simple.

Uh-huh. Simple was not the word.

Van hated Dilandau. He was bloodthirsty, insane, and (most importantly) he was the reason Fanelia had to be rebuilt in the first place. Granted, Folken was the one who ordered the conquest, but it was Dilandau who went up and beyond the call of duty, incinerating the entire country in lethal flames. Van would not, could not, forgive him for that.

He wondered if he could forgive Celena.

Through Allen's letters, Van knew that Celena had the body of a woman, yet the mind of a child. "Total innocence," Allen had written. She had no memory of Dilandau, and certainly none of his violent tendencies.

But, Van thought, that doesn't change the past.

Van hit himself on the side of the head. He shouldn't hold an innocent responsible for the actions of a madman.

And, he supposed if he could forgive Folken, who went willingly, he could forgive Celena.

He supposed.

~*~

A day passed.

Dilandau waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Dilandau did not like waiting. In fact, he downright loathed it. But there really wasn't much to do anymore. All his toys were gone.

He lay on her bed, cradling his bandaged right hand. Gaddes hadn't believed the story he had told about falling down the stairs. Dilandau didn't blame him. He probably wouldn't have believed it himself. Still, it had caused a problem. Gaddes had always been suspicious of Celena, even when the girl was truly herself and Dilandau was truly just a secondary personality that had yet to resurface. So Dilandau had to do a little minor modification with his plan.

In other words, "Bye, bye Gaddes."

Pain flashed through Dilandau's right arm. "SHIT!"

He really shouldn't have shot that bow and arrow with an injured hand. He knew better. But it was kind of fun. Dilandau would never forget the look on Gaddes face when a fun "game" of hide-and-seek in the Schezar garden turned into a fatal hunt. The guy didn't even know of his beloved commander's death. Too slow, too slow. Dilandau had no use for slow people.

*** Blood pooled from the wound where the arrow had penetrated Gaddes' chest, a centimeter above the heart. The feathered tip of the arrow pulsed with every beat of the vital organ. His hands were tied, his legs riddled with arrows. Dilandau would have preferred a moving target for the end, but his hand prevented him from getting in decent shots.

"Boss will get you for this," Gaddes said, looking up at Dilandau with hatred in his eyes. He didn't even seem to mind the fact that he was about to die because he had total faith in his "Boss."

"He has to be alive to do that," Dilandau replied with a smirk. Gaddes' jaw dropped. Dilandau took Celena's hand, the one with Allen's dried blood on it, and ripped the arrow downward, killing the Sergeant so quickly that Gaddes didn't even have time to scream. ***

Dilandau didn't understand how he was going to explain Gaddes', ahem, little "accident" to Van, but he figured that a well-played act of Celena's childish mannerisms would cover most anything.

But Van was not like anything Dilandau had ever seen. He had managed to cut his face. His beautiful, terrifying, warrior's face. Dilandau was untouchable! Van had broken rule number one. No one else ever had.

And as far as Dilandau was concerned, no one ever would.

The game had gone up a notch. The critical point of the situation was only a carriage ride away.

That and a reversion of a Fate Alteration. No big deal.

Dilandau let a high-pitched laugh escape his lips. Only Celena heard the nervousness it hid.

~*~

Van stepped out of the carriage the minute the vehicle stopped, much to the dismay of the coach's driver. The small annoying man reminded the Fanelian king of Dryden's mouse-man assistant. The look on his face was one of pure horror. How dare a King step out of his carriage without someone opening the door for him? What of his image? Van thought that if he couldn't get out of a carriage without assistance, well then he really wasn't suited for ruling a kingdom.

"Take the carriage back to Fanelia. I will call you when I need you," Van said in a no-nonsense manner. The man's eyebrows shot up, but he knew better then to go against the order of a monarch. Van wondered if the man (whose name he thought was Horstis, but he couldn't be sure) was going to have a heart attack worrying over the image Van presented.

"But there are only the two of us here. If I left that would mean that you would be by yourself, Your Majesty," Horstis stated, his voice trembling. The irritation Van felt was growing.

"Congratulations, you can count. My orders remain," Van said harshly. He reached up and dragged down his bag, then motioned for the opened-mouthed servant to leave. Horstis went as white as a sheet and shot up into the driver's seat of the carriage. He saluted and turned the carriage, driving the poor horses as fast as they would go.

I'm such a bastard.

Van sighed for the second time that day and straightened his tunic. He had decided to wear his old red shirt and tan pants, figuring Celena would be reassured by the familiarity of the clothing. Van liked it too. It was nice to slip back into nostalgia. It didn't matter that the clothes reminded him of a time where the world was at war, his brother a traitor, and his homeland destroyed.

They took him back to Hitomi.

Van, for a small second, forgot completely about his surroundings, Allen's death, and the problems at Fanelia. He closed eyes and imagined the face of the girl he knew he would love for the rest of his life. Green eyes and honeyed hair. Van fingered the pendant he always wore around his neck so that he would never forget. Like he could forget her.

But a shrill feminine scream broke through his brief reverie. Van's eyes snapped open and he went running to the door of the Schezar Manor. He pounded on the door twice and then grew impatient and broke it down when no one answered. He ran into the building at a breakneck speed, and then realized that he didn't have a clue where he was going. He stopped for a second, hoping to hear another scream. It came. Van darted down the hallway, turned right and went through a door that led to an outside garden.

"Celena! Gaddes!" Van called out. Another scream came. He ran to a small grove of apple trees. He ducked into them, wishing to the gods that he had brought his sword with him to the garden. He skidded to a stop as he came upon the scene.

In front of Van was Gaddes, lying in a pool of his own blood. At least, he hoped it was his own blood. Van could see the arrows protruding from the man's chest and legs. Kneeling in front of Gaddes, in between Van and the body, was a girl. Her back was to him, so all Van could see was the back of her pale-gold hair. He glanced to Gaddes and saw the look of pure terror upon the man's face. Van winced and looked away.

"Celena?" He questioned, stepping up to the girl and placing a hand on her shoulder. He could feel her sobbing, and knew that he had to get her away from this place. God knows what had happened to Gaddes.

At Van's touch, the girl screamed in terror and threw herself forward, landing on Gaddes. She clutched at the dead man's tunic with a bandaged hand and buried her head in his neck.

"Gaddes, wake up! Help me!" She begged to the Sergeant's deaf ears. Van winced. He crouched down on all fours, wanting to get down on her level. He also wanted to get her away from the gruesome sight. This couldn't be healthy.

"Shh, Celena. I won't hurt you," Van said slowly, speaking as softly and kindly as he could. Celena didn't reply, just sobbed into Gaddes throat. Slowly he made his way over to her. Gently he reached out and grasped her shoulder again. He rubbed her back, remembering how Folken did the same when Van used to have nightmares all those blissful years ago. "Come on Celena, we have to get out of the garden. My name is Van, I'm one of Allen's friends. You can trust me."

"B-Brother!" Celena exclaimed. She turned to Van and looked at him with ears in her eyes. Blue eyes. Then she launched herself forward, flinging herself onto him. "I miss my brother!" She sobbed, placing her head on his shoulder. Van instinctively wrapped his arms around her. He stood up and began walking, halfway pulling Celena with him for she only took steps when she remembered to walk and cry on his shoulder at the same time.

Van didn't have a damn clue what was going on.

Someone had killed Gaddes. Someone had killed Allen only a day before. Celena was all alone, and she was crying hysterically in his arms. The latter he really didn't know to deal with. All he knew was that they had to get out of the garden, for the archer who had killed the Sergeant might still be lurking around, though Van doubted it.

And then Celena collapsed.

Without warning, the girl went limp, falling away from Van like a dead leaf. He reached out and caught her, his reflexes catching on. Swiftly he lifted her up and looked her over, wanting to make sure that an arrow hadn't hit her. Celena was fine though, except for the fact that she was unconscious. Van decided that seeing Gaddes was just too much for her. He walked through the doors that led to the inside of the Schezar Manor. That took a little bit, since it required a lot of maneuvering to turn the doorknob with Celena in his arms. He was surprised at how different it felt then holding Hitomi. That, he concluded, was because Celena was a lot taller then Hitomi.

But Van didn't have time to deliberate over Celena's height. He needed to find her a bed. And he needed to find some answers.

~*~

"What happened to Gaddes, Dilandau-chan? He was all covered in blood. What happened? Please tell me!" Celena shouted, clinging to Dilandau's arm. He was sitting in the throne room of the Vione. At least, he was sitting on his surreal, "dream" throne on the "dream" Vione. Dilandau had managed to combine the random dreamland and his imagination. He was wearing his old armor, feeling all of his old pride, arrogance, and power. It was truly a stroke of genius to let Celena be the first to meet Van again. Let her give him that irreversible first impression. Too bad she had to see what had happened to Gaddes.

"Dilandau-chan, can you help Gaddes?"

Dilandau brought his arms around Celena's waist and pulled her into his lap as if she were but a small child. She leaned against him, resting her head against the smoothness of his black leather jacket. He left his arms around her frame, loosely bending them.

"I can't help him."

"Why not?"

"He doesn't need any help. It was his time."

"Time for what?"

"For death." Celena nodded, accepting everything as a child would.

"Are you going to die?" Dilandau smiled. He bent his head and kissed Celena's golden head.

"No, you're going to help me live. You and Van."

Celena frowned. "Is that that boy who found me in the garden?"

"Yes," Dilandau replied. He lifted Celena off his lap and sat up. Immediately their surroundings changed to that of the stark abysmal plain of their shared mind. "I have to go meet him now. You stay here and sleep. You've had a long day."

Dilandau conjured up a plush bed in his imagination. He took Celena's hand and walked her over to the bed and pulled back the covers. She obediently climbed in and he pulled up the sheets, tucking her in. He put a hand over her eyes, closing them.

"Angels on your body," Celena whispered. It was an inside saying between the two of them that meant basically the same thing as wishing someone good health. Or good luck. Good something.

"Angels on your body," Dilandau repeated, then opened his eyes.

Dilandau looked around his surroundings. Van had put Celena in her actual room. He wondered how long it took the boy-king to find it. And, unsurprisingly, he had kept a vigil at her bedside.

Van Fanel was sitting in a chair, no more then a few feet away from his greatest enemy of all time. Dilandau could barely breathe. Unfortunately (for whom, he didn't know yet) Van was asleep. His feet were resting on a suitcase Dilandau assumed was his own, and his head was tilted to the side, his raven-colored hair falling over his eyes.

What does he do? Cut it with a lawn mower? Probably not, since Fanelia doesn't have lawn mowers.

Dilandau rose silently. Quickly he stepped out of the bed. He walked over to Van, resisting the urge to kill him. He had to have him alive for the separation to work. Dilandau crouched down beside him, taking the other boy in. Van had grown since he'd seen him last. And he had filled out, but only a little bit. He wondered vaguely what his own body would look like now. Van was 16 now, as well. Dilandau still had a color and a half to go. It was hard to believe that the King was older then him. Oh well, Dilandau was still taller than Van. Celena wasn't, but he was-would be.

His heart was pounding.

He could kill him now. Make Van pay for everything he'd ever done to him. The boy would never even see it coming.

Which is precisely why Dilandau wouldn't do it. He wanted to fight Van face to face. He wanted to see the horror on Van's face as he fell, death taking him in her black clutches.

Carefully Dilandau took a hand and brushed the hair out of Van's eyes, revealing most of the king's right cheek. A scar would look nice there. He rose to his feet. It was time to work again.

"Hello."

Van's eyes snapped open.

~*~

Blue eyes, not green.

Golden hair, not honey-brown.

Celena.

Not Hitomi.

Van had just opened his eyes to greet not his ladylove (which he had been dreaming about and was just getting to the good part…ahem) but Allen's younger sister.

I do believe this is the part where I groan.

"Hello, you're Van, right?" Celena asked. She stood above the King, her pale blue dress stained with Gaddes blood.

"Yes. I was sent here by…Gaddes. What happened?" Van asked, standing up. As he rose, he expected Celena to take a step back so that he could have room to stand, but she did not. The two stood, noses almost touching as if she were challenging him. He looked uncertainly into her eyes. "Total innocence" lay in them.

Van kicked his chair back, stepping backwards to get some breathing space.

"Gaddes," she said softly. She turned her head away, looking out the window towards the twilight-streaked sky. "I don't know. I simply found him there."

Something was not right. When Van had come to the garden, this girl was hysterical. She was incapacitated with frightened delirium. And now it was as if nothing was wrong.

Celena turned back to him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong with me!" Van replied defensively, his voice harsh. Celena's eyes widened. "Sorry. Are you all right? I mean, you're all alone."

*** "Jajuka! Don't leave me alone!" ***

Celena began to shake uncontrollably. Damn, Van thought. Wrong thing to say. He tensed himself for a collapse that wouldn't come.

"Allen's dead," Celena spat, clutching her hand to her breast. Her knees bent briefly, and then she drew herself up. "Red," She whispered, her head bowed. Then her head snapped up and she looked at him, a resolute strength glowing in her eyes. Van knew that her strength was not her own, but belonged to someone far more insane. He backpedaled furiously, but forgot about the chair behind him and tripped over the legs of the damned piece of furniture and fell into the seat.

"Dilandau," he whispered, looking up at Celena with…well, not fear, but something he couldn't name. Something close to hatred.

"I am not Dilandau!" Celena screamed loudly, causing Van to raise his eyebrows practically off his face. She walked briskly over to where he sat and threw her hands onto the arms of the chair. Van hastily moved his own arms away, placing them on his knees tensing to defend himself. But if Dilandau was truly in there, Van knew that he couldn't hurt Celena.

But why the hell not? I don't even know the girl. I have no ties with her.

Of course, that goddamn Code of Chivalry.

"Do you see him in my eyes?" Celena asked, her voice high and shrill. She thrust her face close to Van's, so that this time their noses actually did touch. Van didn't even need to look in those blue orbs. He could feel Dilandau's rage. "Just like everyone else. No one believes me. I don't blame them," Celena whispered, her eyes softening. She sighed and stood up.

Van reached out and caught her wrist.

"What are you talking about?" He said brusquely. Celena didn't even look at him, but returned her gaze to the window she had been looking out of earlier.

"Allen's dead. Gaddes is dead. Dilandau's…Dilandau's all I have," Celena whispered. She pulled her wrist away from the shocked Fanelian King. "He's all I've ever had."

Van thought frantically. She couldn't mean…she wasn't going to help him.

"No!"

Celena turned to look at him, her eyes seeing him for what could have passed as the first time. "What?"

"You are not bringing that monster back!" Van commanded, standing up.

"Monster. Allen…Gaddes, I'm sorry," The girl sad softly, looking to Van in a way that reminded him of a lost child.

And then it clicked. Dilandau had done it. He had killed both of them.

Oh God.

Celena saw the spark that Van felt in his eyes, and nodded, her eyes pleading.

"You shouldn't be sorry for things you didn't do," Van said softly, not knowing what else to say. What could you say to a girl who had (but really truly had not) killed two men, one her own brother?

"Why not? I did do it. I'm sorry just the way you are," Celena said, folding her arms. It wasn't a show of defiance, just a comforting motion, as if she were holding herself up.

Van frowned. "What am I sorry for?"

Celena looked up with such disgust in her eyes it almost made Van jump.

"You're not sorry for the Dragonslayers' deaths? For Jajuka's? You're not sorry for letting her go?" Celena asked, jabbing Van with each question. The last one hurt the most. Especially under the conditions…Van wouldn't think about those conditions.

"I am sorry," he said slowly, truthfully. Still, sometimes late at night, he would see their faces as he killed them. Especially the one boy, the one that looked like a cherub with his blonde hair and blue eyes. It was the same one that Allen had captured to retrieve Van that day on the Vione so long ago. Celena saw the look on his face, and she softened her own features. She gave Van a look that reminded him of a child sizing some stranger up. She stepped closer to him, closing the distance between them. Then, as if it were the most normal thing to do in the world, she bowed her head, letting it rest on his shoulder and clutching at his shirt with clenched hands.

"Help me. Please, help me," Celena whispered softly. Van, stunned at the sudden turn of events, stiffly raised a hand and patted the girl's back.

"H-how?"

"I need your help later, but, for now-I'm so sorry-could…would you…just…hold me?" She whispered, her voice fading with each word, so that the end of her sentence was barely audible. Van didn't reply, he didn't even wonder what "help" he might have to provide later. He simple put his arms around Celena, letting her relax in his grasp. This was simple; this was easy…this was something he could do. Celena's situation was way beyond his control and way over his head. Folken should be here.

Van closed his eyes, and let himself soften in Celena's grasp. In his mind's eye, it wasn't Celena anymore, but Hitomi. It wasn't the musk and vanilla smell of Celena's perfume in his nostrils, but Hitomi's sandalwood and rain-like scent. This is what he really wanted. He wanted Hitomi in his arms, relying on him, not the other way around. How he wished that she wanted him, loved him; wanted to stay with him.

But some wishes never come true.

~*~

Van stood on the roof of his palace, late at night. He stood on the roof for it was the closest thing to the Mystic Moon. To Hitomi.

Van knew he was a lovesick fool. He also knew there wasn't a way to get around it.

Slowly he drew the picture of Hitomi in his mind, along with her pendant, which he had clasped in his fingers. Those funny shoes, the bunchy socks, long slender legs-Van blushed-the short skirt and silly jacket…and then her face, with those huge green eyes and honey-brown hair. She was beautiful.

And then the connection hit.

Van?

Yes? Van whispered in his mind. His thoughts had reached hers again!

You have the worst timing. It's three o' clock in the morning over here.

Oh, sorry. Were you sleeping? Stupid question. He could feel Hitomi shaking her head.

Yes. What's wrong?

I never said anything was wrong.

I can tell there's a problem. What is it?

I, well…Fanelia's almost rebuilt and the people...

The people… Hitomi prodded him gently.

The people want me to marry. I knew this was going to happen! They want an heir as soon as possible, so that in case something like the burning of Fanelia ever happens again, they won't be left stranded. I never knew how many hopes were riding on me during the Great War. Me, of all people. But I obviously don't want to marry anyone besides…besides you.

Hitomi was silent.

Hitomi?

Van, I…

I'm so sorry Hitomi…

I knew this was going to happen as well. And I think that you…you should…

Van felt her crying. Or maybe it was himself.

You should do it.

Van's heart lurched insanely. That was not what he was expecting at all!

Hitomi! What are you saying? I am not going to marry some foreigner whose name I can't pronounce! Hell no! I want you, not anyone else!

I can't come back Van. You know that as well as I do. My wishes, my wishes have too much power on Gaea. You have to do what is best for your country, and if that is to provide an heir, then provide an heir.

I love you. Van knew now that the tears were his.

I love you too, Van.

I won't do it.

Yes, you will. You need to continue on with life over there, and I…I need to get on with my life here.

What do you mean?

I mean…I mean that I'm going to go out with boys over here and be just like everyone else! Like a normal 16-year-old girl would! I love you Van, but it hurts so much, so very much. I think we should not keep touch anymore. Just forget everything and not remind ourselves of a love that would never work.

Van was struck. He couldn't believe his ears-his mind. Hitomi was actually trying to say goodbye, forever.

Hitomi, you don't mean that! You can't just give up like that! That's not fair and it's not right!

I can't handle this anymore, Van. I was never as strong as you were. You'll get over it, I promise. I will, eventually. But I can't let you go if I know that I can reach out and fall back on you whenever I want to! It's a burden for you and it's harmful for both of us. So I'm going to say goodbye now. Please, please don't try to contact me again.

"Hitomi!"

Van screamed into the night like a wounded animal. Furiously he beat against her mind with his own, trying to get through to her. But there was a wall there now, a wall that he couldn't break down.

Hitomi was gone.

~*~

A/N: So, how are you liking so far? I'm trying to keep everyone in character, but I'm afraid everyone has gone OOC (Out of Character) already. *Sigh* I guess you can't do everything! Oh, I just want to let you all know that I have begun to watch the anime "The Slayers." Just so you know, I find Lina Inverse annoying and tiresome, though she does have her good points. Gourry is an Allen carbon copy, and Zelgadis kicks ass! Those are all the characters I know so far, so don't spoil me! I am pure, damnit! *grin* Please R&R!

~*~