Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Heart of the Dragon ❯ Time for Death and Happiness ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter Five: Time for Death and Happiness

Seibu opened the door, the long thin knife in her hand ready. The sun was gleaming too intensely and it kept blinding her. She looked around, studying her rich surroundings. The carpet beneath her feet was immense and covered most of the wood floor. It was a dark green and white, traces of gold laced throughout it. The dark green curtains were opened and that was why the blinding light was coming through. She noticed the matching dark furniture pieces, the dresser and mirror, the washstand, armoire, the stands by the bed and the bed itself. She saw a partially opened large cabinet and she could barely see the armor hanging by the wooden hooks and the sun glinting off the gray metal.

Van and his little slut were lying curled up together sleeping peacefully on the dominating bed. She had dreamed about sleeping on that bed with him. But that girl was here now and ruined her plans. She would kill her and get Van back. Then her life would return to normal.

She crept to the bed; not making a noise for the rug padded her feet. She stood over Hitomi, her knife raised. She studied her a moment before she started to lower the knife. She wasn't anywhere near skinny now. She was almost too voluptuous, her breasts were nearly falling out of the top and they were straining against the material, as if the dress was too tight. She could just imagine how Van drooled over the whore. She felt jealousy infuse with her anger of being neglected and left to fend for herself when she should have been a queen.

The sunlight was blocked by her body, creating some sort of glowing halo around her. The dagger lowered and a distorted smile appeared on her face.

The light kept flickering in Hitomi's eyes, making her sleep disturbed. Her eyes flew open and she saw a woman with a knife in her hands. The woman stiffened when she saw Hitomi open her eyes. Then she smiled and hurled the knife down to her heart. Hitomi screamed and grabbed the small woman's hands, flinging her away from her.

Seibu saw Van jerk up in bed and look at Hitomi, a smile coming to his face. She felt intense anger flow through her and jumped towards Hitomi.

Hitomi threw herself on Seibu in mid-air and they slammed into the ground, grappling for the control of the knife. Seibu's twisted laughter floated through the bedroom.

Van stared at the fight between Hitomi and Seibu. What the hell was going on? Then he saw the small dagger and got off the bed, wondering what to do. He couldn't do anything in fear of hurting Hitomi because of the knife. He saw how Hitomi was ten times stronger than Seibu, but Seibu was desperate, making her have more strength and power. The laugh immerging from Seibu's mouth totally terrified him. Her purple eyes were glittering and she was grinning her face off.

Hitomi grabbed for the knife again but Seibu kicked her in the stomach, making her lose her breath. Hitomi was bent over trying to regain control of her breathing when Seibu jumped on her back, throwing her to the ground. Hitomi still didn't have her breath back and she couldn't do anything about it.

She wasn't a wimpy fighter like most girls. She had been in small fights before and she had won all of them. All of the girls had pulled hair and clawed with their nails. Hitomi threw her fist out and it smashed into Seibu's mouth.

Seibu screamed when she tasted blood and reached for Hitomi's hands, grabbing a hold of them. Hitomi bucked upward and Seibu fell off and stood up, the knife still in her hands.

"I'm going to kill you with my bare hands!" she yelled and ran at Hitomi, chucking the knife across the room.

Hitomi brought her knowledge of all the movies she had ever saw and jumped into the air, her feet hitting Seibu square in the chest. Seibu flew across the chamber and landed in contact with the wall, her head cracking against a candleholder.

Hitomi landed on her hip after she kicked Seibu and she watched her head collide with an iron candleholder. She didn't get up. Hitomi sighed and rested her head against the carpeted floor. She closed her eyes and sighed again, not believing what had just happened.

Van couldn't comprehend the move that Hitomi had just done on Seibu so he just stood there, still not knowing what to do. He had watched amazed when Hitomi had jumped into the air and kicked Seibu in the chest with both her feet, making her fly backwards and hit the candleholder on the wall. He shook his head and got out of his mystic abstraction. He went over to Hitomi and carefully touched her head, afraid that she was hurt.

Hitomi opened her eyes and she saw Van's worried look. She sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his hair.

"What just happened? I couldn't do anything because I was afraid I would hurt you in view of the knife," Van said and hugged her back. He set her away from him and looked her over, making sure she wasn't hurt. When he didn't see any signs of injury, he pulled her back against him.

"I don't know either. I woke up because all this light was flickering in my eyes and it disturbed my sleep. I opened my eyes and saw some woman standing over me with a knife raised above my heart. I screamed and grabbed a hold of her hands and threw her away from me. We jumped on each other and we fought, for what, I don't know. I was so scared," Hitomi said and stood up, Van's arms still around her.

"How did you do that jump kick thing you did? I didn't even know you knew how to fight. And you punched her in the face! All she didn't was grab your hair and scratch you! You kicked her ass! I wouldn't want to get in a fight with you!" Van joked. Hitomi smiled at him and straightened her gown. She gasped when she saw a rip right down her front in her favorite dress.

"Oh no. Now I want to beat her!! At least I have a reason to! This is my favorite gown!" she complained and stomped her foot. She tried to gather it up in front of her, but it was hopeless. Her shoulders slumped and Van laughed.

"What could possibly be funny? I could have died! And now my gown! Are you laughing because my chest is sticking out so far? Stop laughing at me!"

That wasn't the reason why he was laughing, but when she said it, it made him laugh even harder and he held onto his stomach, trying to stop.

Hitomi just stood there, her dress gaping open and her chest exposed for everyone to see. Van was just laughing at her, making her feel horrible. She walked over to Seibu, her face was swollen and bruised. Blood was drying on the sides of her mouth. Hitomi felt for the bump in the back of her head and smiled when she felt it growing larger by the second. She looked back over to Van who had calmed down, but was still occasionally suffering from small bursts of laughter. Hitomi grinned at him and ripped down the front of Seibu's gown.

Van stopped laughing immediately. Seibu wasn't wearing anything under her gown and he turned around, his hands blocking his peripheral vision. He heard Hitomi laugh and walked in front of him. She put the strip of cloth in his hands and started for the door.

"You knew she wasn't wearing anything under that didn't you Hitomi!!?" Van asked, yelling at her. Hitomi smiled and nodded, walking out of the door.

"Wait! What do I do with her? People will think I raped her or something!"

"You're the king, make up a story or tell the truth. Why wouldn't your own people believe you?" Hitomi asked and walked down the hall to her room. She heard Van yell in rage and come out of his room; the cloth still clenched in his hand. He came towards her and Hitomi ran for her door and locked it. She leaned against it and waited for Van to pound on it and order her to open it. When it didn't come, she relaxed and started taking off her ruined gown.

She watched the door and still waited for him to pound on it. She folded her dress and laid it on a white cushioned chair that she loved to sit in. She hoped her dress could be fixed, but she doubted it.

Next came her chemise and petticoats that she had trouble undoing because they were in knots and tangled from the fight. She pushed down the mess when it got too hard to untangle.

The door to the bathing area flew open and an enraged Van stomped through it. When he saw that Hitomi was naked from the waist up, his eyes widened and he stared, the cloth in his hands falling to the floor.

Hitomi just stood there not moving. She said calmly, "Hello."

Van blinked a couple times before what she said registered in his mind. When she didn't cover herself, he smiled and walked over to her.

"Oh no you don't!" Hitomi yelled and ran over to her bed, grabbing a blanket to cover herself. It was too heavy for her to take the whole thing off so she only had a corner to screen herself from his eyes.

Van still came at her and she clambered over the bed to get away from him. He grinned again at her attempt to get away from him. "Stay away!!" she screamed at him. He laughed and she looked at him, falling off the bed. She cried out and landed with a thump.

Van ran around the bed to see her scramble off the floor and stand up. She was breathing hard and her hand warded him off. He walked over to her and she backed up against the bed stand. "Stay away from me!"

Van moved her hand aside and pulled her protesting against his body. She fought him and he pinned her arms to her sides. She still had her legs, but he could deal with them. She quieted when she grasped the fact she wouldn't win.

Van held her, not moving. He studied her panicked features and smiled. "What's wrong? Do you actually think I'm going to hurt you? I could hurt you for actually thinking that!" Van said and let go of her. She tried to back away from him some more but the stand was still behind her.

"Then why were you looking at me like that? It, I don't know...scared me." Hitomi whispered. She tugged the blanket around her more.

Van smiled gently at her and chuckled. "If you were a man and you just happened to walk into a room with a half naked beautiful woman named Hitomi, I think you would almost drool too," Van said and smiled even more watching her reaction to his words.

"You...you think I'm beautiful? You don't think I'm too skinny?" Hitomi asked astonished.

"You? Skinny?! That's almost funny! If you...um, how should I put this. If you gained anymore weight, no, that isn't it. If you got any bigger, that is, in your upper works, you would be beyond overflowing. I would probably pass out every time I looked at you," Van explained laughing, holding up his hands and curving them in to emphasize his point. He watched Hitomi turn a bright red and he hugged her all the while laughing at himself.

"You're crazy," Hitomi said and giggled nervously.

"Ah, Hitomi, you have no idea. When do want to get married? Today? I'm really in the mood," Van whispered. Hitomi hit his shoulder and giggled again at the seductive tone in his voice.

"Today? But isn't it a little soon? Shouldn't we wait to see...well, alright." Hitomi said, giving up willingly.

"Today it is then," Van said and let her go. She crawled over the bed with the blanket still covering her. When she got to the other side, she realized she had to let go of the bedspread. She smiled wickedly at Van and dropped it. She sauntered over to her armoire, all the while giving him a show that made him start to shake. Hitomi looked behind her and saw him raise his hand. It was trembling and he took it in between his other hand to make it stop. It didn't work but he still held onto it.

"Is something wrong, Van?" Hitomi asked in a fake innocent voice. Van's head shot up and he put his hands behind him.

"Nothing at all. Why?"

"Just wondering," Hitomi answered and pulled out a light blue gown. Its neck wasn't as low and she would feel more comfortable in it. She wondered why the other gown was her favorite when it made her feel so exposed. Van appeared at her side and pulled out a white satin evening gown that she hadn't had a chance to wear yet.

"Wedding material, my dear," Van said and handed it to her.

It was plain, it didn't have any intricate designs or beads or other things in it like some of her other gowns did. Hitomi's eyes widened when she noticed that the neck was even lower than her favorite ripped gown. "Van, I don't know if I can wear this."

"Why? What's wrong with it? Cover yourself for heaven sakes! Do you want me to ravish you!?!" Van yelled at her. She just smiled and held the gown over her front. Van relaxed visibly and she smiled again. He dug through the drawers and pulled out various underthings that made Hitomi wonder if they were torture devices.

"What is that thing?" Hitomi asked when Van pulled out a piece of stiff white silk that looked worse than a torture contraption.

"A corset. I don't really want you to wear it, but we are going to be getting married and every woman would expect you to be wearing everything possible that a woman wears. Horrid mechanism. I can't believe someone came up with these things! Women should all just walk around naked. It would solve everything. Especially for me." He handed it to her and she walked over to the screen in the corner of the room, grinning. She hadn't noticed it before and wondered if it had even been there earlier. She said behind the screen as she pulled off the rest of the clothing bunched at her waist, "I could just imagine how it would solve everything for you, Van." She heard him chuckle and she smiled.

She pulled the thing on and noted how it had to be tied in the back. "Can you tie this thing for me, Van dear?" she asked primly and came out from behind the screen. Van smiled and told her to go stand by the bed while he dug out one more petticoat.

She sat on the bed and waited for him to come over and tie it for her. Van walked across the soft carpet and told her to hold onto the bed pole. Hitomi had no idea what he was going to do but when he pulled the strings as hard as he could, she sucked in her breath. "Van! What are you trying to do? Kill me?!?!" Hitomi yelled. Van didn't say anything because he was concentrating. He pulled more strings tighter, adjusting them, and tugged even tighter.

"Suck in your breath. I don't know what your going through, but I could imagine. If a woman were doing this, it would be ten times worse. They even use their feet to pull tighter!" Van said and waited for Hitomi to breathe in. He hauled harder and smiled when he heard her groan. He tied a little bow at the top and kissed the nape of her neck. She dropped her arms and sighed.

"Am I supposed to breathe?" she asked quietly when Van handed her a pile of stuff to put on.

"Apparently not. At balls and stuff, you should see some of the women. Their breasts are pushed so far out of their gowns it's a surprise they don't fall out. And their waists are so small you wonder if they are sick or starved. It's all because of that thing your wearing right now. Look at yourself! You look just like them!"

"Shut up! You made me wear it!" Hitomi yelled and sorted out the silk petticoats. She was going to be so hot it wasn't even going to be funny. She pulled them on without going behind the white and blue screen.

Van adjusted them when she was done and helped her push the gown over her head. He hooked her up in the back and pushed her over to the mirror to get a look at herself. Besides her hair, she looked like she was going to be getting married. She liked how the gown was square cut over her breasts and how it flowed all the way to the ground and brushed the floor. The only thing she didn't like was how her chest felt like it was going to pop out. Van was grinning behind her like a crazy lunatic.

He turned her around and kissed her gently, slanting his mouth across hers and letting his tongue run along her lips. Hitomi sighed and wrapped her arms around his neck and tangled her fingers in his hair. There was a knock on the door but they didn't hear it.

Allen opened the door to see Hitomi and Van in a passionate embrace and he cleared his throat.

Van turned his head in the direction of the door and spied Allen grinning at them. He didn't let go of Hitomi; in fact, he pecked her on the lips one more time for good measure.

"Ok you two. There is someone standing right here. You can calmly separate and walk this way," Allen said and opened the door wider to show them Yukari, Amano, and Merle waiting for them.

Hitomi suddenly remembered Seibu and said to Van, "Van, what about Seibu? What did you do with her?"

Van banged his hand against his forehead and called himself stupid. He let go of her and ran through the door to the bathing room. Everyone followed Hitomi into his room and saw him take off his shirt and put in on Seibu.

"Why are you covering her, Van?" Merle asked. They all walked closer to see what was going on. Van handed the unconscious Seibu to Allen.

"She tried to kill Hitomi and Hitomi kicked her ass in a fight. Hitomi jump kicked her and she flew across the room and hit her head on this candleholder," Van said and pointed to the candleholder above his head.

Everyone was shocked and didn't know what to say. Van walked over to his dresser and pulled out a drawer. "I have to get dressed, everyone out except Hitomi. Allen, bring her to some room and lock her in. I'll deal with her later," Van said and everyone obeyed him directly. He grinned at Hitomi and asked her to help him pick out what he should wear.

He pulled out a stiff white royal jacket embroidered with gold. The buttons were gold, the lining around the small pocket was gold, and the shoulders had gold plates with small gold tassel strings hanging off the sides.

"Wear that. You must look like the most sexiest being in the world when you show off in that," Hitomi said and stopped searching through his drawers. Van pulled out a matching pair of white pants and pointed to a silver jewel box on top of his dresser.

"Look in there. I need a stickpin for my shirt," Van said and undid the buttons on the stiff royal attire.

Hitomi walked over to the jewel box and opened it. Inside there were at least twenty different stickpins, not mentioning all of the rings and other trinkets inside. When Hitomi found the one she wanted, she turned around and saw Van buttoning his pants. She gave him an evil smile and walked over to him, dropping it in his awaiting hand.

It was a simple gold stickpin with a small diamond on top. "Good choice," Van said and kissed her cheek. She smiled shyly and smoothed his jacket down. He went back over to the box and opened it. He searched for a second and pulled something out and put it in his pocket.

"What did you get?" Hitomi asked and took hold of his snow-white sleeved arm. He covered her hand with his white-gloved leather one and realized she didn't have any on.

"Do you have any gloves?" Van asked instead of answering her. Hitomi nodded and walked back into her room. She came back with a pair of ivory lace gloves that looked like they would fall apart if not handled gently. She pulled them on painstakingly, not wanting to rip them. When she was done, she put her arm back through Van's and he covered her gloved hand with his own.

Hitomi took hold of her gown and lifted it up some so she wouldn't trip on it. Van said unexpectedly, "Someone should do your hair. I can go get a monk and you can have your hair done. Merle is great with that stuff."

"All right. I'll go find Merle and get finished and you make the preparations for our wedding," Hitomi said and let go of Van's arm. She walked carefully through the door and disappeared, leaving the door open. When Van went through it she was gone.

He walked down the corridors and saw Allen come out of a door with Amano. Amano's shirt was in tatters, destroyed with holes and pieces missing completely. Allen whistled when he saw Van.

"Nice jacket! What's going on? You going somewhere?" Allen asked and started walking with Van after he locked the door.

"I'm going to the temple. Why?"

They walked through the hallways and came to the hall which they exited through the front door. Van quickened his pace to the church and found several monks tending to the white flowers outside. A bent old man bowed low to him and smiled. His mouth was completely empty of teeth and Van blinked, wondering how he ate.

"Is there something that your majesty wishes?" the old man asked and bowed again.

"Yes, do you know where the diocesan is?"

"He is in his study right now, more than likely going over some scrolls," the man replied and walked back over to his brothers. He pulled a weed out of the ground and set it in a pile with other ones. Van thanked him and went through the wide thick doors. The temple was huge, more so than most on Gaea. The floor wasn't carpeted and you could hear every time someone took a step, even if the shoes were leather. The pews were a dark ebony and they lined all the way up to the front of the temple in two different rows. The space in between the two rows was large for maneuvering. The walls were a pure white with small glass windows. The front was the grandest out of the whole temple. A stand was set on the side were the bishop would talk. Candles were flaming everywhere and it made everything glow. The biggest stained glass window Van had ever seen was most of the wall in the front. It didn't have any particular design and it didn't matter because the colors were beautiful. Directly in front of the window were two large, high-backed chairs, festooned with red cushions and complex designs bedecked with gold. The front was covered in a dark red carpet that looked brand new. Grand tables for different things stood around behind the stand were the bishop talked and his and his soon-to-be queen's cathedra. One was completely covered in flowers of all colors. Another had bowls of water. Van didn't know about the other one so he went on.

They walked down the red carpeted floor and came to a side door that Van knocked loudly on. He came through it and saw a small old man sitting on a wooden chair, bent over some scrolls, just like the monk had said he would.

Van cleared his throat and the old man looked up. He gave Van a pleasant smile that actually had teeth and Van couldn't help but smile back at him. "Is there something your highness wishes?"

"Yes, I wish to be married today," Van replied and waited for the old man's shock.

The man didn't even blink. He stood up and shook Van's hand. "Who is to be the lucky woman, your majesty?"

"You will see her in a little while. I just wanted to let you know so you could get prepared. I know it isn't the thing for a king to announce that he is getting married the day after proposing, but I couldn't help myself."

The head monk chuckled and shooed them out of the room. "I will be ready as soon as you are, your grace," the man said and walked them to the front door. Van thanked him and the old man bowed.

They hurried back to the palace.

"What's the rush, Van?" Allen asked, grinning at him, knowing the reason.

"I hate you, Allen. You have to be the most...smart man on Gaea when it comes to perverted things," Van replied bluntly. Allen laughed and punched Van's shoulder.

They came through the front door to see Merle run up the stairs, her gown held high up to her knees, a rare, beautiful sight that Allen admired very much. Van cocked an eyebrow in question and followed her. He stopped and said to Amano, "If I were you, I would change."

"I don't have anything nice though," Amano said and stopped in front of him.

Van looked at Allen and Allen dragged an objecting Amano to his room where he stayed when he visited. Van walked away from them and went up the stairs to Merle's room. He knocked on the door and started to open it when he felt someone throw their weight against it and lock it.

"You're not supposed to see her, stupid! We will be down in a little bit. Now why don't you go tell the town or something," Merle yelled through the door. Van smiled and heard Yukari and Hitomi laugh. He walked down the stairs and saw Allen and Amano emerge from a room. Amano was tugging at the neck to try to straighten it and Allen laughed at his attempt.

Amano guessed he liked what he was wearing. He wasn't used to wearing nice clothes and it felt weird. The last time he had worn nice clothes had been when he was in high school and wore uniforms. When graduation at college came, he would wear the robes and stuff, but other than that, he wore his normal crazy clothing.

He was clothed in a white and black suit, much like the one Allen always wore, except without the puffy sleeves. He had totally refused to wear anything even remotely resembling Allen's puffy sleeves. Allen had just laughed at him and told him the women loved them. Amano had laughed too, but he still refused.

Van clapped him on the back and told them they were going to town.

"Why? What do we have to go to the city for?" Allen asked and followed Van down the stairs and hallways and out of the palace. They walked to the stables and Van gave Amano one of his horses. Amano already knew how to ride a horse, compliments of his uncle with the cabin in the woods.

They tacked up and galloped into the city. Van gathered a small group of men whose job it would be to tell the people about the upcoming marriage ceremony. They all separated and came back ten minutes later. Most of the town was migrating to the temple and Van, Allen, and Amano cantered up to the temple with them. Van dismounted and handed Knight over to a monk who looked terrified of his horse. Van felt a moment of pity for him but walked over the thick green grass and through the front doors. Allen followed him because he was going to be his best man, and Amano sat in the front were all the councilors and administers from Van's war council sat proudly. Merle and Yukari were still with Hitomi. Van waited for everyone to sit and calm down. The monk handed him his crown and Van set it on his head. He was so nervous that he started to sweat. He rubbed his palms on his pants and adjusted the crown on his head. Allen smiled at him saying, "Cold feet?"

"Never."

"Ah, then why are you sweating and shaking like your going to be leg shackled to a shrew named Seibu?"

Van gave him a mean look and glanced over at the monk who was going through a book and organizing some stuff in it. He looked up at the assembly and signaled for the music to begin. It wasn't like Earth's, it was soft and lilting. Van didn't relax when the music started. He got worse. He took a deep breath and concentrated on loosening up. He was getting married to Hitomi, the woman he loved more than anything, even Fanelia. He should stop being such a moron and repose himself. He fixed the crown on top of his head again and frowned when he did so.

He felt Allen stiffen beside him and looked up to see why. Several small flower girls came through, throwing small white petals. It had to have been Merle who organized everything so quickly. Yukari and Merle came next, wearing two light pink gowns that didn't really match and holding small bunches of pink flowers that were hastily picked. They walked up to the alter and stood opposite of Allen and Van. Van took another deep breath, knowing Hitomi was coming any second.

When she came through the side door, everyone turned around and smiled at her, even though they had no clue who she was. They were so happy that the king was finally getting married and could provide Fanelia with an heir, that they didn't really care.

Van smiled and relaxed when he saw her. She was a vision. Her short hair was up with small white and light pink flowers through it. In her hands she held a bouquet of pink, light blue, and white flowers. Everyone's eyes followed her but she didn't notice them. She didn't take her eyes off him once. Van's smile got bigger as she got closer. She walked up the small stairs, holding up her gown as Van took her arm to help her up. Hitomi handed Yukari her bouquet of flowers and faced Van. She smiled at him and he grinned back at her. He grabbed hold of her hands and held them in between his. "Nervous?" he mouthed. Hitomi nodded and waited for the bishop to start.

The ceremony was longer than most because it was for a king and a soon-to-be queen. It took about fifteen minutes, and by the time he came to the part where Van put the emerald and diamond ring on her finger and was allowed to kiss the bride, Hitomi almost jumped for joy. Van lifted the single see- through veil that Merle must have stolen and stared at her glowing face filled with love and adoration for him. He lowered his head and kissed her lightly for they were in front of over five hundred people. Everyone cheered and clapped.

Next was the coronation of Hitomi. The monk left and the archbishop came in through a side door. To Hitomi, he looked like the meanest old man she had ever seen in her life. He set his gnarled, vein covered hand on top of her head and told her to kneel before him. She obeyed him quickly because he scared her to death. Van saw how horrified she was of him and almost burst out laughing.

The archbishop first did the entry, or recognition of the people to continue. Everyone readily agreed and so he did. Next was the royal oath. It took over five minutes for Hitomi just to say yes to all the almost ridiculous questions he asked. She almost giggled when he asked her if she would stay pure and true to her country and stay by her lord no matter what happened. She wanted to be smart and all but said, "No, I will not. I refuse to be true to him and I'm going to have my own harem of men."

She replied yes quickly and he went on to the crowning. He placed the small diamond and ruby crown on her head carefully and she heaved a big sigh when he told her to stand. He escorted her to Van and she sat down beside him on the two cushioned thrones in front of the stained glass windows. Hitomi didn't think it was fair that only their chairs were cushioned. Merle, Yukari, Allen, and Amano watched them from the front row and Merle and Yukari were making weird faces at her, and it took everything in her not to giggle. Van took her hand and brought it up to his mouth to bestow a kiss on it. He held onto it and rested it on the arm of her chair.

The archbishop next did the service of Holy Communion. It took over fifteen minutes and Hitomi started to sweat from how hot it was in the temple. Van kissed her hand again, letting his teeth nip at the tip of her finger when he set it down. He whispered in her ear how proud he was of her. Hitomi smiled lovingly at him, even though she was embarrassed about what he had done in front of so many people, especially when they were all glaring at them, and Van wanted to all but ravish her right then and there, in front of all the spectators.

When the service was done, everyone walked to the hall. Van hadn't known the servants had set the hall up for a banquet. Merle was magic sometimes.

An orchestra was stationed in the corner and started to play music after everyone filed in. The tables set around the walls were covered in food and Hitomi immediately went to them for she hadn't ate yet. Van left her to talk to Allen and Amano. Merle and Yukari followed her everywhere she went, Merle clinging on her arm and not letting go.

Hitomi started to wonder as three hours went by if Van knew how to dance or if he even wanted to. She was getting ready to find him when a slow dance started and she felt a tap on her shoulder.

Van bowed before her, his hand extended. She smiled at him and took his offered hand. He guided her out into the middle and rested his hand on her waist and took hold of her hand. He swirled her around in a wide circle and they moved across the floor, attracting everyone's eyes. The other dancers stopped and moved back so they could have room.

Van whirled her around again in another large circle. He brought her back against him and moved across the floor to the music, leading Hitomi for she didn't know the dance. She got used to it after a minute and felt comfortable dancing it with Van. Van stared into her eyes, watching all of the expressions on her face. He pulled her closer when everyone started to dance again. Hitomi heard Yukari laugh and saw her spin by in Allen's arms. Merle was dancing with Amano, who had gotten the idea of the dance also.

The dance ended too fast for everyone, but they all clapped for their highnesses first dance together. Hitomi curtsied and Van bowed. An even slower dance started and Hitomi grabbed Van's hands, putting them on her waist. He looked around, to see if it was appropriate, but Hitomi just smiled at him.

"This is how we dance on Earth," she said and wrapped her arms around his neck, pushing herself against him.

"Do you Earthlings enjoy dancing this way?" Van asked and followed Hitomi's slow sway back and forth in a circle. The people around them started to do it and Van heard an outraged cry from an elder woman.

"What do you think?"

Van gave her a big smile and lowered his head to her hair, getting even closer to her. "Do you think this dance is more pleasurable for the man or for the woman?" Van asked her after a going around a couple more times in their small circle.

"Depends on the song and who is leading and what the person knows. In my instance, it would be for you because I know what I'm doing."

"Ah. And what do you know?"

"Too much," Hitomi replied with a teasing grin. She whispered so only he could hear, "It wouldn't be fitting to do it in front of everyone."

Van's eyes glittered and he molded her against him. Hitomi's eyes flew up to his face and widened. Van gave her a wicked smile back in return to her stunned expression. She looked down to see if anyone could see and noticed how her gown covered them and no one would be able to see how Van was pressed up against her. She glanced back up and gave him a lopsided smile. She couldn't believe the feelings he was evoking in her as he pushed the hard length of his arousal against her.

"I guess people who have never even heard of this dance can learn fast," Van said and pulled somewhat away from her. He hoped no one had seen what had gone on between the folds of her gown and also trusted no one could see his pants because he would be quite embarrassed.

Allen passed by him with a pretty small woman who couldn't stop staring at him. He gave him a very knowing look and Van reddened.

"Am I seeing things or are you turning red?" Hitomi asked smiling. Van got redder and he heard Allen laugh when he listened to what Hitomi said.

"Shhh! Be quiet!" Van whispered and stopped moving for the dance had finished. A fast paced country-dance started and he brought her off the floor.

Everyone around them was either covered in sweat or red-faced. Hitomi was surprisingly cool considering she had just danced twice. Van brought her over to a table covered in depleted food and gave her a cup of water. She drank it fast and handed it back to Van to give her more, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

Van filled the cup with some wine this time and handed it back to her. She sipped it at first and then drank the whole thing in one gulp. Van laughed and asked if she wanted another one. She nodded enthusiastically. He poured more into her cup and gave it back to her. He grabbed his own and took a sip. He wasn't going to get drunk. His wedding night would be a disaster. He remembered hearing stories about men getting drunk on their wedding nights and that their whole lives were ruined just because of one night. He smiled, imaging Hitomi being tipsy.

Hitomi didn't finish it for her stomach was full, not to mention the small tremors racking her body and her quickened breath from Van just standing next to her. Van stood by her for a few minutes and they watched the people dance. When Hitomi started to see everything in a wonderful haze, she asked him if she could sit down. He smiled and showed her to a chair. He sat down next to her and noticed how her cheeks were getting pink. He grinned and rested his head back against the wall in the corner of the hall. It wasn't as loud back here but you could still detect the music and laughter. Hitomi laid her head against his shoulder and thought about the impending night. Her eyes closed and she soon found herself asleep.

Van felt her drift off and he relaxed even more. He was so tired, he didn't know if he could stay awake.

Allen heard everyone start asking where the king and queen were and he searched for them. He found them sitting on some chairs in the corner of the hall behind some potted plants. Van looked up when he saw Allen but no expression came to his face.

"What's wrong? Tired wife on your hands?" he asked and sat on a chair next to Van.

Van nodded and closed his eyes. "I'm so tired," he yawned. "It wouldn't be the gentlemanly thing to do and fall asleep." He pointed to Hitomi resting peacefully on his shoulder.

Allen smiled and said, "Why don't you two go to bed? I'll carry her up to your room and you can tell everyone goodnight. It's about ten. It wouldn't be too improper."

Van smiled and waited for Allen to take her off him. Allen picked her up carefully and Van adjusted her head onto his shoulder. He walked off and Van went back to the main hall. He went up to his generals and told them he was tired and Hitomi had fallen asleep. Allen was carrying her up to their room right now and he would be up presently. The general's nodded approvingly and let him leave without reprimands.

Van walked up the white carpeted stairs and down the hallways. I am so sick of walking up and down these stairs, he thought and rubbed his eyes. He almost fell on the steps when he closed his eyes.

Allen ran right smack into him because it was so dark. "Sorry about that," Allen said and straightened. Van bowed his head and walked by Allen without saying anything.

Allen frowned. What kind of wedding night would he have? He was so tired, he would fall on his face as soon as he closed his door!

Van stumbled down the corridors like he was drunk. He smiled briefly remembering the one time he had been drunk and broke several pictures from running into them. He had promised to himself that he would only get drunk if it were an extremely horrible time and he wanted to escape.

He turned the handle on his door and he barely opened it enough so he could fit through it. He took off his stiff white jacket and threw it away from him. He grasped the bottom of the soft white undershirt and chucked it away from him also. He walked over to the bed and sat down, taking off his shoes and letting them land on the floor with a plop. He laid back on the bed, not even bothering with his crown. It dug into his head but he fell asleep too fast to get a chance to take it off.

Hitomi woke up and turned over on her side. She touched the top of her head to see what was hurting her so much and realized she still had her crown on. She lifted it off her head and set it carefully on the bed stand. She laid back down and saw Van spread out, covering half of the bed. His crown was lopsided on his head and was concealing part of his face. She clutched it and pulled it off. He murmured something and turned towards her. She set the much larger and heavier crown next to hers and looked back at Van, studying him.

He had his jacket and shirt off. He had curled up his legs when he had turned near her. She smoothed back the hair in his eyes and looked at the balcony windows when she felt a breeze waft over her. It was warm out and she didn't get up to close the door. The thick green curtains were pulled back and Hitomi could see the Mystic Moon. She didn't feel any longing for her home. No, it wasn't her home. Gaea was her home.

She turned back at Van and suddenly wondered why she still had her gown on. She climbed off the bed and started to take the flowers and stuff out of her hair. She could only see from the light of the Mystic Moon. She walked over to Van's dresser and took his brush and started combing her tousled hair. When she was done, she tried to undo the buttons on the back of her gown. When she decided she wouldn't reach them, she pulled her arms out of the tight sleeves. She yanked them off in frustration and tugged the heavy gown off her. She stood in her corset and about a million petticoats. She pulled the straps down from her corset and twisted it around to untie the beyond strained strings. She felt relief run through her and she could breathe right. She stripped off her petticoats and looked around for something comfortable to wear. She saw Van's fine white shirt and grabbed it, pulling over her head. It went only to the top of her thighs but she could deal with it.

She went back over to the bed and sighed when she laid back down, dozing off as soon as her head hit the pillow.

 Van sensed his face grow warm and he opened his eyes only to be completely blinded. He sighed and flipped over onto his stomach. He felt something digging into his hip and he jerked Hitomi's hand out from underneath him. He held onto her hand and brought it up to his face. He studied it, how white and soft it was. He turned back over and cursed, the sun blinding him again.

He jumped out of bed and went over to the curtains. He closed them tightly, so that no light came through. He walked back over to the bed and laid back down, sighing. It was still early, but he knew he wouldn't be able to fall asleep again.

Hitomi listened to Van move over to the windows and close them. She felt the bed shift under his weight when he laid back down. She had woken up when Van had laid on her hand and pulled it from underneath his hip. She kept her eyes closed, wondering what he would do.

Van watched Hitomi's eyes move from underneath her lids and knew she was awake. He smiled and leaned towards her, his fingertips running along her jaw line. He followed the column of her neck to see what he noticed was his shirt. It gaped open at the neck and he could see the top curve of her breasts. His hand went over her breast and he lowered it. He felt her nipple harden and watched her eyes fly open. The green color of her eyes darkened until they were almost black.

He levered himself up over her and kissed her gently. He parted her lips and let his tongue slip in, kissing her more fully. He pulled her against him carefully, not wanting to scare her.

Hitomi wasn't frightened at all. She already knew what was going to happen, unlike the other maidens of Gaea. She felt Van's fingers raise up the bottom of her shirt and she lifted her shoulders so he could get it the whole way off. Van stared at her, consuming every inch, not getting enough. When he was done looking his full of her, which wasn't really enough, he lifted his head and smiled at her. Hitomi smiled shyly back at him and sat up.

Van's fingers kept stumbling on the buttons on his pants and he almost yelled in frustration. He looked up at Hitomi and saw her ready to laugh. She jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and making him fall backwards, his fingers still trying to undo his white pants that he had worn at their wedding. He grinned while her lips touched his and forced them open.

Hitomi buried her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer. She pressed herself against him and he groaned, getting more enraged at his pants. He ripped the button off and laughed at himself. Hitomi lifted her head when he laughed and gave him a funny look. Van raised his hips while Hitomi was still on top of him and tugged off his pants. He threw them over his head and settled Hitomi back down on top of him. Both of their eyes widened, the contact of their bodies making burning heat rush through them.

Van smoothed back the hair in her face and looked into her eyes. She closed them and he raised his hands to take hold of her head and lower her mouth closer to his. His tongue ran over and around her lips, making her want to kiss him more than anything, but he wouldn't let her.

Hitomi tried to kiss him again and again, but he kept retreating. His tongue slipped in between her lips and pulled back when she tried to kiss him once more. Hitomi moaned, almost in pain.

Van smiled and didn't move. Hitomi opened her eyes and stared back at him. "Van," she whispered. "Please."

Van let her kiss him, plunging his tongue inside for he had been torturing himself just as he had been her. He flipped her over, their heads at the wrong side of the bed. His hands pursued her body, resting at her breasts and cupping them. He lowered his head and took a nipple into his mouth, circling it and grazing it gently with his teeth. Hitomi's eyes widened and she arched her back, moaning and reveling in the warmth washing through her body. Van went mad at her response and his hands were all over her, everywhere he could reach. His fingers drifted downward and she stiffened, wondering what he was going to do. He comforted her nervousness by giving her a long kiss that had her aching for more, plundering the sweet depths and molding her even closer to him. She closed her eyes to the flood of raw emotions that went through her when he touched her. She gasped when he proceeded further, driving her to heights that threatened to explode.

Hitomi knew something was going to happen to her, and when it did, she cried out with the pounding and scalding heat going through her. She lurched up, her hands fisting in his hair as she shuddered and cried out.

Van left her and he pulled her legs apart, easing into her gently. He sucked in his breath at the feel of her and thrust deep, moaning. His mouth covered hers when she cried out again, her body bending off the bed. He grabbed a hold of her waist, his movements becoming more forceful as he kissed her.

Van's control snapped, feeling the aftershocks of her climax. He gave up and gave himself to her.