Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Beyond the Moon ❯ Fanelia ( Chapter 2 )

Wow! So many awesome reviews! ^.^ Haha! The best kind of encouragement. *does a jig* Alright. I made this one a bit longer than the last one, and in case you didn't know, the last chapter was updated and an ending inserted. You should read that first. Anyways, I put in some of the things you nice people asked for. Enjoy.

Beyond the Moon

Two

It would be a lie to say that Van hadn't changed drastically in our years apart. From the shadow the moons cast upon him, all I could distinguish were his broad shoulders, distinguished cropped, black hair, and the royal patterns ornately decorating his jacket and sword.

The way he had hugged me... His strong arms had held me close to him, allowing me to feel his significantly firmer chest through the soft cotton of his undershirt. His hands had clung to my shirt possessively, as if I were going to be swept away by the light breeze that blew past. I could feel him inhaling the scent of my hair, my eyes closing as I held onto the buttons of his jacket and hugged him back.

What Van had done next caught me by surprise the most. He had delicately placed my old pendant around my neck, letting the ancient ornament dangle on my chest. It felt so strange to have it back... My fingers clenched it unconsciously, my eyes drifting ahead of us.

Van held me now sitting in front of him in the saddle. One hand lay loosely on the horse's reins, the other wrapped possessively around my waist. His chin leaned against my head; I could only assume that he was tired at such a late hour. The horse plodded at a constant, boring speed, the sound of its hooves connecting with the ground becoming louder as we progressed onto the cobblestone streets of the Fanelian capital.

Van was no longer a boy, that much I knew. Even now, he carried a royal air, the boyish features of his powerful arms and hands gone. He had been worn down by the responsibilities of his position, but I could tell it had also caused him to grow. I smiled to myself, leaning against the warm comfort of Van's chest. Burying my face into his coat, I could see the rebuilt houses of Fanelia from the corner of my eye. The place looked as if it had never been burned to the ground by a mad pyromaniac.

I don't remember drifting off to sleep, but waking up was another matter altogether. I opened my eyes, feeling the warm comfort of a thick, heavy blanket wrapped around me. I must have been exhausted, for it took some time for the world around me to come into focus.

"She's awake!" I blinked, seeing a familiar head of pink hair in front of me.

"...Merle?" I asked sleepily. In response, I was pulled into a big hug.

"Oh Hitomi!" Merle cried, hugging me. I coughed a bit, and a gruff voice instructed Merle to let me breathe. Released, I lay back down and glanced up at the pink-haired cat girl.

She was definitely no longer a girl. She wore a formal sky blue dress, which fit well around her bust and hips. Her once wild pink, curly hair was now long and tame, pulled back into a fashionable bun with a few curly strands decorating her forehead. Her skin was as dark and tan as ever, making the light colored dress look a little silly on her frame. She smiled at me, her eyes soft and tamed from the last time I had seen her. A silver locket hung from her neck and I noticed an inconspicuous gold ring on her wedding finger.

"Lady Narano, we should give Hitomi some breathing room. She's had a rough night," a deep, familiar voice instructed. Merle nodded and bowed. "Take the servants with you."

"Yes, Lord Van," she replied, waving to me and leaving the room. The door closed softly behind her.

Shifting my vision, I stroked the soft quilt that lay over my abdomen. The room was bright with natural light, and the delicate beauty of the canopy bed was only emphasized when I looked up to see Van standing only a few feet away.

His hair had flattened out a bit and darkened in color, if it was possible, and fashionable bangs framed his forehead. His eyes were darker and more serious than they had once been, and his face was more shapely and angular than I remembered. He wore a red formal jacket, and his pants reminded me much of what Allen used to wear. I smiled at him, hoping silently that he would come closer. His proximity made me feel at ease, my constantly nerve-racked, worrying mind suddenly resting.

Van watched me for a moment, his straight face beginning to worry me. Suddenly, he broke out into a wide smile, and closed the distance between us in one stride. I let out a small "eep" of surprise as he pulled me into his strong embrace.

He held me close to him, squeezing me with everything he had. I heard his muffled voice in my ear as he pushed away the quilt with one hand so he could sit beside me.

"Oh Hitomi.. I missed you," he mumbled as I buried my face in his chest.

"I missed you too, Van," I said as I pulled away. He smiled at me, his arms still around my waist. "How did you know I was going to be here?" I asked, running my fingers through his black hair. He looked at me thoughtfully, playing with the material of my shirt.

"I don't really know. I just did," he replied. He stood up, taking my hand in his. I blushed, much in the same way I always used to when he touched me. "Come; you must see the palace. A lot has changed in eight years." I nodded, allowing him to pull me out of bed. I was glad I had worn comfortable pants, for sleeping in regular jeans was never a pleasant matter.

We left the soft warmth of the guest room, Van leading me by the hand into the hallway. The walls were high and richly decorated; windows lined along the ceiling allowed for the entire thoroughfare to be filled with rich, golden sunlight. It played across the walls, reflecting the polished wooden frames of the paintings along the wall.

"Van, I meant to ask you; Lady Narano? Is Merle married?" I asked as we walked past the beautiful landscape watercolors hung from the walls. I had always thought that Merle was in love with Van; I guess she grew up.

"She is. She was wedded to Sir Gaddess Narano two years ago. I believe they're expecting," Van added, winking at me. The devious blush once again crept onto my cheeks.

"That is wonderful! She has certainly grown up since I've been away," I commented, smiling. Van nodded silently as we approached two massive doors at the end of the hallway.

"Everyone's changed," Van said quietly as he pushed open the wide oak door. I nodded at his insinuation; I didn't know what to expect.

The main throne room was gargantuan. The ceilings rose high above me, and the walls seemed to go on forever in every direction. Ornate windows filtered in colored lights, shedding soft amber shadows on the smooth, stone floor. Advisors shuffled about, chatting and debating amongst themselves. As the pair enered the room, the light hum of conferencing came to a sudden halt as all heads turned.

"I, King Van Fanel, presents the royal court of Fanelia with Lady Hitomi, of the Mystic Moon," Van announced, lightly pushing me forward into an emerald pool of light. I couldn't be sure whether the silence in the room was shock or respect; some of the looks I was given told me neither. One man, with a unfashionably cut wig, walked past me as if I didn't exist and approached Van.

"Your Highness, not to question your morals, but... her? This little event could be taken many ways by the kingdom," the man said, putting his nose in the air and giving me a foul look. Van kept his face emotionless.

"Sir Ruro, I assure you that the Savior of Gaea will bring good things to Fanelia," he replied, suddenly focusing his glare on the arrogant advisor. Sir Ruro blinked, looking back at me. Sure enough, I carried the King's pendant around my neck.

"Your Highness... please excuse my ignorance! Th-the kingdom shall welcome Lady Hitomi with open arms," he amended, taking a few steps back and shooting me another glare and retreating to another group of men on the other side of the throne hall. Van nodded, approaching me.

"Lady Hitomi, as much as I would like to give you the grand tour, I am unable right now. I have some duties I must attend to. Lady Narano can show you around," he said, smiling at me. I nodded.

"Thank you, Va- er, Lord Van," I replied, stumbling over myself. He winked and walked towards the large yet humble throne on the far end of the room.

"Na'i, show Lady Hitomi to her room," Van instructed a young page who I noticed had been standing beside the throne all along. He nodded, approaching me.

"Follow me," he said, smiling warmly. I nodded and followed him out of the throne room and into the hall.

***

"Well, things seem to be much like the way they were before Fanelia was destroyed," Hitomi commented, following closely behind Merle. The two were led by Gaddess, who glanced back at his wife every few seconds, it seemed.

"That's how Lord Van intended it," Merle replied. Gaddess had grown a mustache and now kept his chin and sideburns closely shaved. He wore an informal outfit, allowing him to blend in a bit more than Hitomi and Merle. The maids had searched for hours before finding a suitable dress for Hitomi, and even now it was a bit tight around the chest.

"Merle, I was wondering," Hitomi began, as the three stopped to sit down in a small park. A few saplings decorated the small patch of grass. Merle glanced at Hitomi, Gaddess playfully lacing his arm through his wife's.

"Yeah?" Merle encouraged her on.

"How.. how is everyone else? You know.. Allen, Millerna, Dryden.." Hitomi let it hang, looking back up at the cat woman. Gaddess looked away, and Merle cleared her throat.

"Oh.. Well.. We could go visit them!" she suggested enthusiastically. Hitomi looked up, smiling.

"Really? That would be wonderful!"

"I'm sure Allen would love to see you," Merle added, a tinge of something else in her voice. Gaddess nodded.

"And I'm due for a visit.. I still insist you should live in Asturia with me, love," Gaddess said, kissing Merle on the cheek. She blushed, looking back at Hitomi. The other woman merely giggled and stood up.

"I can find my way back to the castle myself, I'll leave you two to yourselves," Hitomi assured Merle, smiling.

"Sounds great. I'll discuss a trip to Asturia with Lord Van later," she replied, waving and snuggling into the black-haired man who now had his arms possessively around her middle. Hitomi nodded, waving her hand briefly before setting out back to the castle.

***

Van sighed, leaning on his arm, which was propped up on the arm of his throne. The sun was setting, and he assumed that Hitomi and Merle were still romping the city. His worries were lessened slightly by the knowledge that Gaddess was with them. Nevertheless, despite their eight years apart, he missed Hitomi when she left for more than a few hours. He snorted at where that train of thought was going.

Luckily, he was brought out of his reverie by one of the large oak doors opening slowly. His advisors had slowly filtered out, leaving Van with a treaty to read over and a proposed tax legislation sheet. A small, brown-haired head peeked in, green eyes turning a dark gray in the setting sunlight. Van smiled, watching Hitomi slip inside and the close the door behind her with not much more than a light FOOM.

"Van?" she asked quietly, smiling when she saw him looking at her. Hitomi glanced around, and seeing no one watching, hop-skipped across the throne room towards him. Van stood up on the top of the two steps leading up to his throne, Hitomi stopping below him. She looked up and grinned.

"Did you three have fun?" Van asked, sitting down again. Hitomi stepped up in front of him, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

"Well.. we did get mugged and have to defend ourselves with our nails, but other than that, it was a blast!" Hitomi giggled, watching Van's expression change rapidly from a grin, to a slack-jawed look, then back again.

"You haven't changed a bit," he said in a soft voice, standing up once more. He smiled down at her, running a hand across her cheek. Hitomi blushed, as usual, and lowered her eyelids.

"And you are still the same old Van," she replied, her face dominated by a lopsided grin. Without warning, Van wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her towards him.

"Hitomi," he began. Hitomi gulped. "You have no idea how much I missed you." His hands ran up her shoulders and beneath her chin, tilting her head so his eyes were locked with hers. Hitomi felt a blush creep once more across her cheeks as he leaned forward, eyes closed, and planted a soft kiss on her lips.

In shock, it took Hitomi a few moments to close her eyes and kiss back, her arms finding a nice niche around his neck. Van broke the kiss, pulling her into an embrace and burying his face in her hair.

"Don't leave me again," he said.