Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Between Worlds ❯ Prologue: Destiny Awaits: The Crown Prince of Fanelia ( Chapter 2 )

Prologue: Destiny Awaits

Crown Prince of Fanelia

He lazily fingered the dark bangs that fell into his face, bored and heaved a sigh. After glancing at the clock tower through the window again, he returned his attention to the large, hand-drawn map in the front of the room. A stiff, formally dressed old man stood there, lolling and droning on and on about geography and history.

The air was light with the coming spring and leaves were budding. Even at the time of day, the sun was still at full force, filling the air with a bright, golden aura. Birds were chirping and making new nests in the trees outside. In the distance he could hear the cheerful bustle of the marketplace. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the wonderful weather. Everyone, with the exception of him.

He frowned and puffed out yet another sigh.

Damnation! Why am I still here?! I can't stand listening to this tutor's ceaseless droning for another minute… I could be honing my sword techniques like all the other soldiers I know. There is so much I could do with that extra time, but NOOOOO I had to be born a royal prince and listen to this dimwit go on for hours. Even Father did not have to stand for this type of torture. Where are all the wars when you need them?

Father thinks that it's completely unnecessary for me to become a scholar. Only Mother insists upon it, "The Crown Prince of Fanelia must be educated in its history and its politics." I could learn politics by actually participating in them, but Mother doesn't like the idea of an innocent like me going into the harsh world. Father disagrees, of course, he learned politics by ruling, but when Mother gives Father the mother-knows-best look he backs down. Backs down without a fight! What kind of king of Fanelia backs down to his wife without a fight?! Albeit she is pretty scary when it comes down to her family… But that still shouldn't matter!

And then, whenever I protest Mother gives me that disappointed look and actually agrees with me. Caves in without effort on my part! Then I give in because I feel guilty and assent to this torture. I hate that. It should be illegalized. Guilt is by far the worst weapon of all time.

His frown deepened and riveted his eyes on the large clock tower in the window view.

Well, at least it's almost the end of lessons for today. Ten minutes and ten seconds... nine... eight… sev-

"Ahem, Lord Balin?" the tutor's monotonous voice cut through Balin's silent musing.

"Yes, Master Kepler?" Balin stopped counting minutes long enough to turn his attention away from the clock tower and see his tutor halfway through a bow. He then looked beyond him and saw…

"Mother!"

Balin leapt up from his heavy oak study desk and ran over to his mother, almost tackling her in the process. Hitomi was wearing a dress appropriate for her position (heavy, stuffy and stiff), so it was just slightly inconvenient.

"Whoa! Slow down there, kiddo," she says, laughing affectionately, "I'm not running away or anything!"

Balin was already a few inches taller than Hitomi, so she had to lean back to get a good look at him. With his flyaway, untamable ebony-colored hair and reddish eyes he looked like the younger Van that Hitomi had fallen in love with. She sighed contentedly. Balin noticed and tilted his head wondering the reason for the sigh.

"What was that for?"

"Nothing really. I was just noticing how much you look like your father and I thought that I must be getting really old," she said, smiling slowly.

"Heinous! You?! Never old!" he replied gallantly.

He hastily leaned forward and whispered softly in her ear, "Please let me out of here! Lessons are so boring today, I'm dying! I will beg, that in itself shows how desperate I am!"

Hitomi grinned at the fierce despair in his face and turned to the tutor, who had been waiting impatiently to the side for them to stop and allow him to continue his lesson. A haughty expression formed on her smooth pale face, a classic 'queen to peon' attitude.

"I think I shall appropriate my son from here." She paused a moment, "You are dismissed, Kepler," she said arrogantly and walked out the door, arms around her son's shoulders. This stunned the tutor beyond belief, to be snubbed in such a way, and Balin seeing this had to suppress a wild urge to laugh.

"I love it when you do that!" he said after they were out of earshot.

"Don't tell anyone, but I do too," replied Hitomi favoring her son with a fond look. Balin grinned and the resemblance between Van and his son became clearer than ever.

"By the way, what did you come to 'appropriate' me for? Did you want to assist your son in skiving off from royal duties? Accept my innumerable thanks if you did," asked Balin, still grinning with childish delight.

"Well, your father wants to talk to you and couldn't wait, so I had to be a page and get you," she replied smiling as he slipped his arm around his mother's slender waist and strolled beside her down the castle corridor.

They continued their conversation while walking through several hallways and passages, all too familiar to the both of them. Balin having grown up in these hallways and Hitomi having walked them hand in hand like this with her young son. Balin recognized every stone and rock in the floors and walls with ease. Hitomi thought of the way that Balin had wandered the halls, when he had been younger. Pressing his cheek against the cool stones during the hot summer and laughing as he trailed a stick behind him, drumming it against the walls.

Hitomi broke away from nostalgia and returned herself to the conversation.

"What would he want with me that was so urgent that he would need me now?" asked Balin, more to himself than to his mother.

"I have absolutely no idea. I guess we'll have to find out." They stopped at a large, heavily engraved wooden door and Balin opened it, allowing Hitomi to enter first and following after her. The enormous study was flooded with light, as the curtains were tied back. His father's back was toward them, as he stared out the window, but he turned around when he heard the door click shut. Balin couldn't help but to admire his father's impressive bearing. Van de' Fanel couldn't be less of a king if he wanted to be. Though his clipped beard gave him a devilish look, he was the most honorable of men.

Hitomi ran into his arms and playfully pecked him on the cheek. "Hey, you! Now can you tell me what you want to talk to our son about?" she asked, tilting her head sideways.

Van grinned rakishly and pecked her back on the mouth.

"No."

"Please?" She put on an exaggerated pleading expression.

Balin cleared his throat and although he was used to his parents flirting like this in private, but he wanted to know what it was his father wanted to speak to him about.

"Your father and I forgot all about you, way over there," said Hitomi teasingly, as she pulled out of Van's embrace.

"I must have failed to notice," replied Balin dryly, slightly sarcastic.

"Allow me to apologize ahead of time for interrupting your little argument-to-be, but I have something very important to talk to you two about," said Van, impatiently.

"Please proceed, Father." Balin's face smoothed out into a bland expression, steeling for the worst. But before bad news had time to break out, the loving mother broke in.

"Oh, no. Don't tell me it has something to do with an arranged marriage that you set up again, because if it is I think I'll have to strangle something," warned Hitomi, her fist clenching and unclenching. As Hitomi scowled, growing ever more agitated, Balin went bright pink.

"Hitomi, this is a serious matter," said Van, frowning. He had known that Hitomi would not be happy, but he'd hoped that she wouldn't be difficult about it, therefore simplifying things.

"And I was serious," said Hitomi, dangerously calm, "Serious when I told you to stay out of our son's love life."

"Hitomi, we've discussed this subject before and you were well aware that we had to set up some such thing sooner or later," he said his eyes hardening to glittering gems in the light.

"Yes, we discussed this when Balin was born, but I thought we both agreed that we wouldn't try it unless the situation was incredibly dire and Fanelia was burning at our feet. And if so, why can't this happen later instead of sooner, like when he's a little older and can make the right decisions for himself?" she asked stubbornly.

"It is the duty to the crown and the country. Duty. That is the life of a prince. In particular, a Crown Prince of Fanelia. Even I knew about this obligation to provide an heir to the crown when my brother disappeared. I knew and understood. Of course, back then it was the time of war, though, so I would have to have chosen a bride after defeating the enemy first. Survival was the first priority, of course, but I knew that the time would come to marry sometime." His voice was suddenly regal and stern, the proper voice of a king. Balin had only heard this voice used by his father in the court or when he was issuing royal orders. And though he'd heard it before, it never did cease to amaze him. Even more astounding was that this voice commanded legions of respect from the citizens the kingdom.

Except his wife.

"I understand that! I was there! And if you were in such a hurry, your Majesty, why the hell did you wait for me?" Hitomi demanded her eyes reflecting her hurt. "If it was such a priority, why didn't you marry some other princess of royal blood right after the war?"

"You know why, Hitomi." His ruby eyes softened and he raised a hand to her cheek. "I met you. I knew I loved and, when I could, I married you." Hitomi's blue-green eyes shone with tears.

"Oh, Van…"

Balin, of whom his parents had forgotten completely, sighed and wondered silently to himself, why he of all people had to deal with the foolishness of parents. And when his parents did not give any sign of ceasing the idiocy (or at least he thought so) and romance of the moment, he cleared his throat loudly, destroying it for them.

Van and Hitomi broke apart abruptly; Van looking annoyed and Hitomi surprised. "I apologize for any inconvenience, but if you will continue with the main point, Father?"

"Of course, Balin." She seemed apologetic and Balin nodded, automatically forgiving her. Then, his mother turned to the king, the horrible mother-knows-best look fabricating onto her face. "And Van, I will not let our son get married off to some unknown princess, even with his consent. That idiot is your son through and through and he'd do any dumb thing to save his country, even sacrificing his life to do it."

At those words and that expression, Van immediately backed off the subject. Balin, however, did not and pressed his luck, refusing to accept a life sentence made for him without his input.

"But a princess of royal blood would never dare hurt me, Mother. What in the world do you mean about sacrificing my life for my country?" Balin raised an eyebrow, being deliberately obtuse.

"You're not old or experienced enough to understand my meaning of sacrifice, Balin dear." Hitomi glared at her husband, as if everything was his fault, and Van glared back.

"Try me," said Balin testily, interrupting their glaring contest.

"Well, I mean that if you were to marry someone you did not love, you would be throwing your life away, and I just can't let you do that. I won't anyone I love do that, as a matter of fact." His mother's look of fierce protectiveness forced a resigned sigh out of Balin. Van frowned and he stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"Hitomi, if you don't like the idea of arranged marriage what are we going to do then? Our allies are becoming nervous because Balin doesn't have some type marriage agreement set. They think that if I die and leave Balin as the king with him without an heir, it will be the Great War situation all over again." He folded his arms across his chest, frowning.

"But he's only fifteen, Van! He's still a boy! And that's ridiculous! You are perfectly healthy. Balin won't need to be king until he's-"

"Fifteen is the pivotal age. He is now considered a true heir and a man. My brother was only fifteen when he set out for the dragon energist in order to be crowned king. I was only fifteen when I became king."

"And if you need to think of it logically, there's always-"

"Ahem."

"Yes?" Both Van and Hitomi turn their heads to look at their son.

"Beg pardon for interrupting, sir, ma'am. But, Father, as much as I appreciate your concern for my welfare, I hardly think that it's necessary. I consider myself perfectly capable of finding someone, who will be my match for life," said Balin, politely rebuking his father's effort for meddling in his life, receiving a resigned expression from Van.

"My point exactly," said Hitomi, smugly.

"And Mother?" Balin continued, turning to Hitomi.

"Yes?"

"You butt out, too."

"What?!"

Van had to stifle a sudden urge to laugh at the look of outrage, indignant, and shock on his wife's face.

"By your leave, Father?" Balin was very calm in spite of the fact that his queen mother looked like a teapot ready to explode. He left the room and as Hitomi was about to follow him, Van caught her arm and turned her so that she was facing him.

"Leave him alone for a little while, Hitomi. I have a feeling he needs a little time to himself," said Van knowingly. Hitomi sighed, but stopped herself from chasing after her son.

Standard Disclaimer: have not, do not, and probably will not own the Visions of Escaflowne, however, the new guys r mine (so don't steal 'em!)

* Author's Notes *

hey all!

Okay, this is Gaea's view of the story. Yup, I'm trying to explain duty and all that other fun stuff of the Crown Prince of Fanelia, my lovable lil Balin. Hehe, *blush* I wrote this a while ago and have not gotten around to editing it, so it's a little- er -not my current style. Eh, well, that's basically what happens. Next chapter we get to the good stuff *grin, wink*. That's all for now.

-w.r