Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Reflections Of The Heart ❯ Enter the Dragonslayers ( Chapter 3 )

*OK, everyone, upon reading the title, I can see you all are getting excited. Yes, the slayers will be in this chapter, yes, our favorite pyro will be too. Yes, I have figured out what to do for the chapter titles- email me if you think you've caught the pattern, DON'T put it in your review!! I wanna see how many people get it. It's kinda easy, but heck, I think they match the chapter's meaning in more ways than one! And before anyone asks, no, I'm not going to finish the story in a week. Gimme a break here, k? ^_^ Now, I've some bad news- I've plotted out everything, and it looks like there will be only 1 ending. Yes, as much as I'd like to do two, one just isn't shaping up. We'll see when we get there, but for now, wait for a total of about 10 chapters, with an epilogue and AN/QA afterwards. Start asking your questions now- or at least start thinking of some! Now, I *could* break down chapter 9 into about 3 parts like I did for TTG, but it wouldn't be the same... So! Chapter 9 is going to be excessively long, even for my standards. And yes, Fireline, I'm wordy by style, but only in writing! ^_^ Also, Ri, I know this is starting out cheerful, but by the end it's gonna get a little.. well, angsty, I guess. We'll see how it comes out, you know? And I'm glad to see we're all in the same opinion of Anna, but don't be too quick to judge her- she' got more to her than one would think, as Celena later finds!! ...I need to stop yakking so you can all go and read and see Dilly, right? Ok! Here it is, folks, chapter 3!!

**Note- This starts a little before the last paragraph in ch 2- about 2 days after Celena receives her 'assignment'. WARNING! EXTREME OOC Folken alert!! Just thought I'd warn you all...**

"Enter the Dragonslayers"

Chapter 3

Celena peered out the window of the room she'd been given on the small airship, then sighed, letting the curtains fall back into place. Air travel might be quicker than going by sea or horse, but it was so dull! No chance of attacks on the ship, no wind in her face, a dull crew and no way to get away from any of them. She'd wanted to steal Sherazade to feel the exhilaration of flying on her own again, but Dryden had quickly pointed out that Allen would notice his pride and joy missing within ten minutes. Celena had felt a little put out at the thought that Allen was more attached to his guymelef then to his little sister, but finally agreed with the King, and allowed herself to be escorted by the droll crew of this run down little ship. She wondered for a time if he'd even noticed she was gone yet, but then again, he was with that *princess*, so no doubt his attention was elsewhere and would be for some time. She scowled, watching the landscape below her begin to change from farms to suburbs, then into the city scape. They were nearing the new palace, off in the distance she could see the ruins of the old site still standing, the sight of which sent shivers through her.

She scratched irritably at the collar of the official robes of her new status, and decided that upon landing and greeting Emperor Folken, she was going to tear the wretched things off and go about in her regular clothes. Bugger to the rules of etiquette. Folken would understand, he'd written to her once or twice about how he didn't like the new styles of Zaibach; "they're stuffy, drab, and heavy. I wish I'd run off to be a wild man in the forests of Fanelia." He didn't say that exactly, but Celena could read past his carefully worded and precise sentences. Apparently, Folken was a good leader, but even his regularly calm and even manner was occasionally riled by the advisors, and more than once they'd all come to an impasse. Elskin's retirement had been partially due to the fact that Folken, after being tired of being badgered by petty inconveniences, had told him that Dilandau would take care of any of the problems he had. After the ambassador went to the general with a complaint about his lodgings, Dilandau promptly had the man moved to more "comfortable" quarters. Then, when Elskin went to complain once again to Folken about being moved to the stables, Folken had just looked at him, and shrugged, telling him to take it up with Dilandau. The loss of several personal belongings and a favorite hat due to over exposure to fire made Elskin send the royal Asturian couple his retirement slip as well as a complaint about Dilandau. Needless to say, after Dilandau's 'fixing' of Elskin's problems, the other advisors quickly learned to adjust to discomfort. And Folken, being a passive observer of the whole thing, was laughing his ass off in the background.

Celena couldn't quite imagine Folken laughing, or indeed showing any emotions other than disgust, irritation, or his usual poker-face. Van had sworn that his brother had become more like the old, loving brother he had known so many years ago, but Celena couldn't even begin to imagine Folken with anything other than a look of disinterest on his face. She was musing on this interesting feature newly reacquired by the Zaibachan ruler when a knock on the door of her 'room' brought her out of her reverie.

"What?" She snapped, not really wanting to talk to any of the crew that seemed to think a woman was unsuitable for the job at hand. The captain himself opened the door, saluting slightly though not, Celena noted with a sneer, sincerely.

"Lady Schezar, we are approaching the landing pad. It will be a few minutes before we are completely touched down, so you might want to take the time to prepare yourself- the landing site is a bit rough." She nodded curtly, then turned to look in her small hand mirror. Within moments, the door opened again, revealing a large canine man dressed in armor and not looking very happy.

"You shouldn't have been snippy, Celena. He's just doing his job." She sighed, looking up at him.

"I know, Jajuka, I'm sorry. I just can't wait to get off this bloo- this ship. I want to feel fresh air on my face again. Will you be accompanying me down, or will you go off and report to Dilandau?" The dogman blinked, giving her a look that told her to stop fidgeting, then replied,

"I must speak with Lord Dilandau. I am sure he will want me to pick up some of the patrol duties while we are here, so that the others can be relieved more often. Of course, if you need me, you know you can just call." She smiled at him, going over to give him a hug.

"I know you want to see everyone as much as I do, so go ahead and do what you need to. I think I'll be busy for sometime, convincing the advisors that I was sent instead of some noble male from the Asturian court. I'll meet with you later tonight, and we can all reminisce when Dilandau's gone to bed by opening a bottle of the vino I stole from Allen's stock." Jajuka shook his head, chuckling, kissed her on the forehead, and left her after telling her to behave. She turned back to her mirror, tucking back curls that escaped from under the ridiculous hat she was forced to wear as an accessory to her official robes. *These are definitely coming off within five minutes of touchdown.* she thought to herself as she made her way to the main exit. No doubt there would be a welcoming group and such nonsense, and she couldn't help but smile when she anticipated the looks on their faces when they saw a woman, and not an elderly old man, come to replace the last advisor. What she got, however, was nothing of the sort. The door opened, ramp lowered, and she was greeted by several grins flashing up in her direction.

"M-Maveric, Aerin, Dalet?? What in heavens name- Lord Folken!"

"Surprised, Celena?" Folken held out a hand to help her off the ramp, and she took it, dumbstruck. He too was smiling, though the former-Dragonslayers were grinning more like a bunch of idiots.

"But, you were supposed to be busy-" He waved his hand, a smile still on his face. She stopped, then shook her head. "It was supposed to be a secret. Millerna wrote you?" Folken shook his head, taking her hand in his and kissing it like a gentleman of the high courts of Asturia. She flushed a slight tinge of pink as he released her hand and began to walk her towards the building that was serving as palace for the time being. The Slayers fell in formation behind them, still winking and smiling back at her as she greeted them with a smile.

"Millerna wrote to me to tell me she found someone who would not be intimidated by the Slayers or their general, and I knew instantly it would be you. You're the only one who would fit the description, though I'm not sure it's really fair to make you take those responsibilities, despite your credentials. With the Princess with your brother at every moment..." Celena sighed, pursing her lips to avoid frowning.

"Is there nothing that escapes you, my Lord?" Folken smiled again, making her mentally remark again on his change of demeanor.

"Actually, I heard about it from one of the maids who was serving wine at dinner. My sources are as varied as the reports sometimes; you'd be surprised what you can learn if you listen to the right people. Now," he said, taking her hand up in his again, "I thought it my duty to welcome you, and now that I've done so, allow me to welcome you to Zaibach! I'm sure that your trip was long and tiresome, so I'll take you to your rooms. We're still rebuilding and trying to work out problems from the past, but as you can see, we're well on the way to finishing. I think you'll find your rooms quite to your tastes." Another cheery smile made Celena secretly wonder if Folken had discovered a secret stash of special wine or chemicals made by the sorcerers that made him act so uncharacteristically, but decided it would be more polite to remain quiet. She allowed herself to be ushered into the palace, and could not help but stop and gape.

Gone were the cold, metallic ceilings with their polished black marble floors. Gone were the somber paintings of battle and victories fought long ago; the stone statues dedicated to Dornkirk; the soldiers posted at every door. Of course, she reminded herself, Dornkirk had been dead for almost three years now, and the old palace destroyed. Why would they decorate the new one in the same fashion as the old? No, she felt quite out of place in these new surroundings, and she found herself wondering if she was back in Fanelia and not in the place she had called home for nearly ten years. Large arched windows with brightly colored curtains were the first to strike her, as well as tapestries that had to have come out of Freid- which, she noted wryly, depicted the fall of Zaibach and the new peace that had settled upon Gaia. Thick carpets resembling those from her own home lined the halls, giving the place an overall pleasant- if eclectic- appearance. And she didn't see soldiers anywhere. Instead, Folken seemed to have acquired a whole army of maids and servants, who were all running about the place cheerfully, giving him slight curtsies as they hurried off to their various tasks. Celena looked at Folken in puzzlement- where were all the men? He caught her look and gave her a somewhat defeated look.

"Most of the men died in the last battle, and many of the survivors were wounded. The women have done much in helping to rebuild the country, so I thought it only right to allow them to decorate." She nodded, suspicions confirmed. No man she knew would have thought to put flowers on every table, nor would they want to bother about making sure that everything was so nicely coordinated. Allen's own trophy room, holding treasures he'd collected from his various expeditions, was garishly arranged and unattractive to her eyes. Of course, Allen spent more time in front of his mirror than in his trophy room, but Celena had decided he was hopeless when it came to coordinating rooms. Now, she did know that a few of the Crusaders did know how to decorate, but most were more interested in hacking each other to pieces with swords than making sure that the pillows and curtains matched the rugs and tapestries. But, Folken's idea had worked well to his advantage; the men were able to do what they thought women would no be able to, and the women >knowing very well that they could do just as well< were able to keep order in the palace. A full staff of Zaibach's women taking care of things the men didn't want to deal with, while the men went about rebuilding and improving the city. She had to admit, it was clever and was working very well for the monarch. And the people she saw seemed fairly happy with what they were doing, so productivity must be fairly high. But, in her haste to be relieved of Allen and the princess, Celena had forgotten to ask Millerna for status reports on the country, so she really had no idea how things were going for Zaibach. She'd have to ask one of the Slayers to provide her with a brief report if she was going to be ambassador for Millerna and Dryden.

They passed through several rooms, Folken giving her an abridged version of the report she'd have to glean from the slayers later on. He was in the middle of telling her of how the advisors wanted a new, more friendly look for the country >including his own<, and she stopped him, looking him over from head to foot. He *did* look more refined, elder, more mature, but why? His clothes were less intimidating, true, but there was something else-

"Your hair! You don't have it spiked!" She stared in bewilderment, then remembered that she was supposed to be using titles and hastened to correct her mistake. "It fits you well, my Lord." He scowled for a moment, running a few fingers over the now loosely falling bangs. They fell over his crown in a way that reminded her of Dilandau before he got his haircut, but she liked the look for him. Slightly unruly, but still dignified. Only a Fanel would be able to pull that off. He sighed, smiling forlornly.

"The advisors made me leave it down because they said when it was up I looked like 'a punk'. Funny, no one cared when I was a lowly apprentice.." She noticed that he'd refrained form using the 'S' word, and for that felt grateful. He smiled softly again, but the corners of his mouth twitched for a second as he gazed past her. The frown that had threatened to break made itself apparent as an elderly man's voice from behind her rasped,

"Your eminence, Lord Folken, we have been searching for you everywhere! The trade agreements between Basram and Zaibach have been waiting for the last two hours on your desk, and we need them signed- Ah! The new ambassador from Asturia! Welcome sir, we have much need of your-" at this point, Celena turned around and gave him a smile that one who knew her would classify as a 'say-something-rude-about-my-sex-and-die' look. The ambassador, not learned in Celena's death threat looks and masked smiles, frowned, not bothering to hide his disapproval. He *dared* to even give Folken a contemptuous look, but Celena decided that she'd be able to put him in his place in a matter of moments.

"Something the matter, Sir?" she said with a sickeningly sweet smile that she usually saved for dealing with people who were about to meet with a slap in the face. The old man- apparently from Freid, by the looks of his attire- balked a moment, unaccustomed to Celena's ways of manipulation. However, her methods did not work, and the man scowled, looking very upset indeed. And, he had the audacity to ignore her question and turn to Folken, putting very little respect back into his manner.

"My Lord Folken, what farce is this? Surely you cannot be suggesting that a *woman* takes the role of Ambassador! I understand that the job needed to be filled, but by such a person who dares mock the title and its duties by dressing as one of the other gender.. Well, sire, it seems hardly proper." Folken's lips had taken on a nasty turn downwards, with no trace of the delight to see her remaining on his face. Instead, he seemed irritated, harassed, and very, very tired. Celena looked behind her at the slayers who had remained silent through their walk about the palace. Aerin had her hand over her sword, twitching in a way that suggested to Celena that she wanted very much to lop off the head of the advisor before her. Dalet and Maveric wore equal looks of disgust, which, to her opinion, did not suit either of them very well. She turned her attention back to the old fart in front of her, ready to make acquaintances between her fist and his nose, but Folken seemed to anticipate this, and stepped forward slightly, blocking a direct path between the two. He sighed warily, rubbing his temples, then pushed his crown back into place before replying. Celena felt the hackles at the back of her neck rise as she listened to the tone Folken had obviously had to learn to get overly-ambitious men to back down.

"*This*", he said with an edge she'd never thought he had, "is the Lady Celena Schezar. I owe my life to her, as do many others. It is an honor to think that she would leave the comforts of the Palace of Asturia to stay and help us in our reconstruction of our country, and she will be treated with the utmost respect by all in the palace. If you have any further objections, I suggest you take them up with Dilandau. I'm sure he'd be happy to-" But the advisor had gone, scampering off as quickly as possible in his ridiculous attire. Celena watched as he was joined by several other elderly men, who then trotted off with him, speaking in low whispers. Aerin scowled as she watched them run off, Maveric and Dalet beginning to relax. Folken shook his head, scowl gone but no longer smiling. He turned to face her, and she watched as he rebuilt his composed manner. *Is this how he has to live his life? Putting one mask on after another? Poor Folken, it must be horribly hard for him.*

"I'm sorry you had to hear that, Celena, but I'm afraid that it will only get worse until they see that you are quite capable of showing them their place in the scheme of things. They don't approve of women holding office, and they've been fairly upset that things that are run by women are working smoothly for the most part. They grew up in old society, and are not easily adjusting to the new ways of the future. I hate to say it, but I keep hoping they'll die in their sleep and we'll get new, younger advisors who will be more open to change and will help instead of hinder me as I try to make things right. They're such...fools." She could tell he wanted to say a lot of more descriptive things, but was refraining because he was in the presence of ladies. Or at least, in front of Aerin, he knew Celena could make Chesta blush with some of her more colorful phrases.

"Why don't you let us help them along in their sleep? Say the word, and they're as good as on the death march." A voice she knew all too well followed by a shape emerging from the shadows made Celena's throat grow dry. She didn't even stop to wonder how he found shadows in such a well lit corridor; he was Dilandau, he could do whatever he wanted. The fact that surprised her more, however, was that he had been able to sneak up on them and she hadn't felt him at all. She didn't know what she wanted to do more; run over and hug him, or punch him and demand to know why he'd been ignoring her. Instead of acting upon either impulse, however, she stood behind Folken, who did not seem in the least surprised at Dilandau's appearance. Instead, he seemed annoyed. Dilandau walked over, his boots making a crisp clicking sound as they met the stones. His armor was still black leather with red plates, but now he sported a white overcoat that had gold symbols upon its hem and collar. //AN- think "Movie Dilly" ^_^ *begins to drool..*// He strode up to Folken, arms crossed, and barely three feet from where she stood. And, much to her irritation, while she was scanning him from head to foot, he barely blinked an eye in her direction. All attention was directed at Folken, who was losing his composure again.

"Dilandau, next time you see the advisors, stress upon them that Celena is not to be harassed, threatened, or bothered because of their views." Dilandau looked at her for the briefest of seconds, then his ruby eyes flickered back to Folken's garnet.

"Why bother? You know that as soon as you dangle a treaty in front of them they'll be happy and shut up." Celena's brows rose; how could he address Folken so informally? Of course, Dilandau had never shown any deference to Folken in the past, why start now? Folken sighed, making a noise of agreement while rubbing his temples again. Celena could see the three Slayers had come to attention with the sound of their general's voice, but they still remained silent. Maveric caught her glance and winked, making Dilandau turn his glare to the three. Maveric gulped visibly, and Dilandau frowned menacingly at the boy.

"Why have you left your post? This is Dalet and Aerin's patrol." The tone of his voice made it clear that he did not expect to get a response; however, Maveric had always been one to try his officers.

"I was just greeting Lady Celena, sir-"

"While the airship is left unguarded and open to any who wants to go onboard? What do you think they're going to do, have a picnic?? Back to your post Slayer. NOW!" Maveric saluted, ducked his head at Folken, winked at Celena again, and took off at a dead run before Dilandau could carry through with his slap. The general lowered his hand, still fuming after the boy, and Folken decided to change subjects.

"What was it you wanted, Dilandau? I was in the middle of escorting the Lady Celena to her chambers, so-"

"I need to speak with you about the latest news I've received from Drayclor. I'm sure you'll be able to get away from your advisors to speak with your visitor later, however, this cannot wait."

"It never can.." Folken muttered under his breath, and turned apologetically to her. "I'm sorry to do this, Lady Celena, but I'm afraid I must part with you for right now.." She gave him a smile, allowing him to take her hand and give it a little peck again. She allowed a faint flush to color her cheeks again, but she was displeased to note that Dilandau had started to walk off in the other direction. She stiffened, scowling at his back. Folken seemed to notice this, letting go of her hand to call after the general.

"Aren't you going to say hello to Celena, Dilandau?" Dilandau turned, face bank of any emotions. He looked at her lazily, and nodded once in acknowledgment.

"Celena." He turned to go again but was thwarted in his efforts when she'd managed to get in front of him and land a slap across his face. He didn't even grace her with putting a hand up to his now red cheek, but she got some satisfaction in seeing that his eye was twitching slightly. She didn't bother to contain her rage, jabbing a finger into his chest with each word she spoke.

"I save your sorry ass how many times, I give you body of your own, I bloody get you off the hook for drinking half of Allen's best wine and all you can say to greet me is 'CELENA???????' The LEAST you could say is, 'hello, Celena, how are you?', not to mention ask how my trip was, or what I've been up to!!" He scoffed, took her hands in his >to avoid being poked again< and gave her a smirk that made her blood boil.

"Hello, Celena. How are you?" Sarcasm dripped off his tongue, but she decided not to make a spectacle of herself anymore than she already had. There were the guards, apparently they were busy doing other things, rather than hanging around useless all the time. Imagine that. She didn't rise to the bait he was dangling in front of her, and instead put a smile on her face. Granted, it was a "I-want-to-kill-you-slowly-with-a-dull-butter-knife" smile, which Dilandau could read just as easily as the two remaining slayers and Folken, but he didn't make any indication of caring.

"Why, thank you Dilandau. It's so nice to see you! I'm fine, thank you for asking. What about you? How are you doing?" He looked at her, smirk now replaced by a dull stare, and in a deadpan voice he replied,

"Peachy." He ignored her then, turning back to Folken. "I'll be in the war room, make sure none of those damn advisors get you sidetracked. If they have problems, Aerin and Dalet have my permission to remind them of how I hate to be kept waiting." Folken didn't seem to care that his underling general was ordering him around; he simply nodded wearily, then turned to Celena again.

"I'm sorry, Miss Schezar...." She frowned, glaring at Dilandau's retreating back.

"And just how am I supposed to find my rooms??" Dilandau didn't even look back, but within seconds Chesta appeared around the corner Dilandau neared, followed by his partner in the patrol, Ryuuon. Dilandau stopped them, said something under his breath to them, and Ryuuon headed off in the direction Maveric had flown, while Chesta remained behind to receive further instructions. His bright blue eyes widened as he listened, and his mouth broke into a grin as he was sent towards her. He saluted Folken, who was now hurrying off to speak with Dilandau, and ran over to Celena, face bright and happiness nearly bursting from within. He didn't even wait until Dilandau was around the corner and out of sight; he ran over and gave her a hug and laughed out loud.

"Lady Celena!! It's been months since we've last heard from you!! Are you well? It's so good to see you! When we heard that the new ambassador was coming, we did not expect any visitors as well! How long will you be staying? Is Sir Allen with you?" His eyes took in her clothes and her lack of brother floating about her, and his expressive face showed concern. "You are the new ambassador? Does your brother know? But he has not come with you? He is not ill, is he? What of Jajuka? Did he not accompany you?" She laughed, putting a finger to his lips before he could barrage her with more questions.

"All in good time, Chesta!! First, I need a long bath so I can get out of these awful robes. I'm very well, thank you; I've been doing all kinds of things, but I'll tell you more later. Yes, I'm here for as long as it takes Millerna to find another ambassador; Jajuka is off to find Dilandau; Allen probably hasn't figured out that I'm missing yet. But tell me! What have you been doing? It's been ages since I've seen you, you're looking so well!! How are you parents and your sister? Have you seen them lately?" He beamed, apparently he hadn't expected her to remember that he had a family- though few could forget; he was always showing off the stick figure drawings sent to him by his little sister Claire. He launched himself into a story about how he'd been home and how everyone was doing great**, but before he could get to the end, they came to Celena's new quarters, and he opened the doors for her.

Upon inspection, she found that it was indeed very much to her tastes. The place had obviously been done for a man, the only pink in the room was in the flowers that had been brought in. It was blues and greens, with simple drapes and sheets- no lace anywhere, to her satisfaction. A modest bathroom off to the side, and a desk by the large window overlooked the gardens. A fire was roaring in the hearth, and her clothes had been laid out already. Her bath was ready for her, steam coming through the cracks above and below the door. She turned to Chesta, who smiled brightly and saluted.

"I've got to leave before Lord Dilandau decides I took too long. I'm glad to see you again, Lady Celena, come see us after dinner; I'm sure one of the guys will be there to lead you to our barracks. Enjoy your bath!" He closed the door behind him, and she hurried to discard the chafing clothes she wore, tossing them in a heap and climbing into her bath with a sigh of contentment.

I suppose I was enjoying the heat a bit too long, however, because it seemed I'd been in only a few minutes before I realized that someone was knocking on my door. I got out as quickly as I could, hoping I hadn't pruned, and wrapped myself in a towel before opening the door to peek out. Gatti stood there, smile on his face telling me that Chesta had spread the word of my arrival with the speed a nasty rumor got spread around the maids' quarters. Not that my coming was nasty, at least they seemed happy to see me. I opened the door a bit more and smiled at him.

"Gatti!! It's wonderful to see you again! To what do I owe this honor?" He beamed as though he was the cat who had just eaten the canary, and I noticed- much to my amusement- that he was holding a long straw in one hand. Whatever he had been sent to do, he'd won the job by picking it. He grinned sheepishly when he saw where my gaze was directed, and tucked it into a side pocket of his armor.

"I was sent by Lord Folken to come and show you where the dinner hall was. He said Chesta probably hadn't had the time to show you." I smiled, and nodded, indicating that Chesta had not. I stood a little taller, and tried to not allow a grin to sneak across my face as I got ready to enjoy the Slayer's reaction to my next comment.

"Thank you Gatti, I appreciate you coming here to show me the way. Just let me get some clothes on, and I'll be with you in a moment." That did it. He noticed for the first time that all I had wrapped around me was a towel, and he went beet red. He stammered out,

"Uhh.... ok, I'll umm.... just wait over here!!" He raced over to the next door down the hall, some five feet away, and didn't turn around. I left the poor Slayer alone then, and quickly climbed into something that would be appropriate, though not nearly as stuffy as those damned ambassador's robes. One of my favorite gowns; pale blue silk that matched my eyes- Allen had always commented how refined I looked in it, and I decided that was what I was aiming for tonight. Refinement. Dignity. And of course, the ability to get what I wanted, one way or the other.

Gatti told me a similar version to Chesta's rendition of the past month's occurrences- training, visiting friends, training, helping rebuild the palace, training, protecting Folken. I suppose it had been difficult for all of them to readjust to being alive again, but they seemed to have done alright. Gatti left me at the entrance to the dinner hall after receiving my promise to come visit them all afterwards. I made my way over towards the place where the ambassadors were seated, and I could almost feel them staring their challenges out to me. I turned and gave them a small smile, sending them all back to look at something horribly fascinating on the other side of the room. *Two can play your games, you fools*. I was about to sit down next to an especially sour looking old coot when I saw that Folken was motioning me towards his left, where a seat lay vacant. I walked over, and he pulled out the chair for me, as any gentleman would. I glanced round the room, and saw, to my surprise, that while the table for emperor and advisors was raised, it was in the common dining area, and open to any who had a fancy to see what Folken was eating at the moment. I spotted on either side of the room soldiers in the blue and black uniforms of Zaibach, as well as servants and lesser nobles- dining together, in the same room!! Allen would have probably written Folken off as loony by now, and no doubt Anna would have a cow if she saw the 'riffraff' with the blue bloods. I'm not sure how Millerna would have found it, but Dryden would probably say it was genius- allow the people of the castle to see their emperor as one of them, trying to get by on the same stuff they were given, dealing with life just like them. The he'd go off into one of his tantrums about how they needed to do something radical and modern, and he'd end up financing another expedition of some sort, just so he wouldn't be outdone by Zaibach. This radical idea of the royalty in sight of the people was something, though. While it might have been more work for the soldiers on guard- indeed, there were ten on the landing , including three Slayers >Maveric gave me another wink, Migel and Viole nodded their heads when I caught their eyes<, I knew that Folken probably did it to piss off his advisors. Besides, if there was too much of a problem, the table of Slayers combined with the five long tables of soldiers would probably thwart anyone stupid enough to go after Folken. Before I turned my attention back to my table, however, I noticed that Refina, Terra, and Aerin were at a table consisting of all women. They wore a variation of the armor Naria and Eriya had worn, though not all were cat girls. I could count at least ten, but more were filtering in as time passed. I made a mental note to ask Folken, and focused my thoughts on my host.

Folken, for his part, seemed to be relaxed and in fairly good humor. I suppose he was amused at my reaction of his dining hall, and he spoke up after the goblets in front of us were filled.

"How do you like the main dining hall? I've a private one as well, but I thought it's be more cheerful to sit in here. Your counterparts are less inclined to bother me while I eat in here, and thus there's less chance of indigestion. Unless Dilandau comes in a foul mood, but that's usually the least of my concerns." I looked around, and down at the tables where the slayers sat, eating and laughing jovially *just like in the old days...* A few saw me and waved, and I smiled back, but turned my attention back to my host again.

"It's a very interesting idea. I'll be interested to find out how it works, because if I send reports back to Asturia of this new style of architecture, you know Dryden will immediately want to try it out." He laughed, smiling as he sipped his wine. I continued while he began to eat, hoping to get some more information out of him while letting him have the peace he probably never got while awake. "If Dilandau eats in here, where is he? Is that his spot next to you?" I motioned to the empty seat to Folken's right and he nodded, a queer smirk on his face. Dabbing his mouth with a napkin, his eyes flickered to the continuous stream of soldiers going in and out of the room.

"Yes it is. I believe one of the new recruits decided to play a practical joke on him. One of the few who was not aware of Dilandau's lack of enthusiasm when it comes to pranks." I couldn't help but lift my eyebrows. Who could be stupid enough to try something on one of the most feared generals on Gaea?

"What was it? The joke, I mean."

"They thought that the Alsedies could do with a fresh coat of paint, and it happened to turn the armor hot pink. I believe Dilandau had some fairly grim things set in store for the culprits. Isn't that so, Dilandau?" The person in question fell into his chair, a frown etched deep into his face.

"The list has been lowered down to twenty, so now I've got them scrubbing every nook and cranny of the hanger, and they're reapplying fresh paint to all of the armors. Afterwards, they'll be doing the waxing and buffering. I expect to see my reflection in those floors by morning, then I'll find out who the idiots were the day after tomorrow." I blinked, surprised at his calm demeanor.

"That's it? How are they going to be finished if the paint can't dry quick enough?" He shrugged, stabbing a piece of meat on his plate and cramming it into his mouth in a way that would make Allen sick. He swallowed, then grinned.

"That's their problem. No one paints my armor pink and gets away with it."

"But why the day after tomorrow? Why not tonight?"

"Because it will take time for the bruises they receive to really show. Those who got stuck with the duty unjustly will have more than a few words with the jokers, and it'll be easy to tell 'em apart from the others." I shook my head, and decided not to comment on his ways. Zaibach's army had improved because of his harsh methods, but I couldn't help feeling sorry for the people who'd wanted to lighten the atmosphere a bit. I don't think Dilandau would have been so harsh on them either, had the color been anything other than pink. Have I mentioned before how we both abhor the color?

The rest of the evening went fairly uneventfully; we chatted a bit about what had passed within the past few months, and discussed politics and new issues of state over dessert. Dilandau, for the most part, stayed silent, listening with little interest and allowing his gaze to wander over the room lazily. Once or twice I tried to speak with him mentally, but he'd given me a look that told me not to butt in on his thoughts, and I decided I'd honor his request. For then. Instead, when Folken seemed at a loss f something else to say, I decided to harass Dilandau with the question that had been biting at the back of my mind since I'd first arrived that day.

"Dilandau, why haven't you written or called me? Did you forget your promise to keep me updated?" For a moment, he seemed taken aback, then he frowned suddenly, tossing his napkin onto his plate.

"I don't have time for this." He walked out of the room and I was about to excuse myself when I noticed the advisors had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and had advanced upon Folken. They all ignored me, however, which I decided would be to their disadvantage. I managed to get some of them away from the hassled emperor, only to freeze when I heard what they were jabbering about.

"Lord Folken, we must speak with you about the marriage proposal to-" I decided then would be a god time to accidentally step on the speaker's foot, then I turned my attention to Folken.

"You're getting married? To who?" I didn't even bother using his title, so shocked was I to hear it. A feeling inside of me went off, almost a pang. I could barely feel Dilandau reacting against it, I suppose it was so strong. Folken stood up, brushing off the advisors and the invisible dust he suddenly found on his clothes.

"I'm not- as I've told them so many times- going to worry about marriage right now. There are more things to ruling a country than providing heirs for the throne, and I haven't the time or the patience to listen to this foolishness. I'm going to retire for the night, so do not disturb me. Lady Celena, I am sorry for this abrupt exit, but I fear I must withdraw my offer earlier of a tour of the palace. Perhaps tomorrow?" I nodded, clearing the way of the crabby men who were trying to force Folken into matrimony and giving him a smile to reassure him it was alright.

"Of course, Lord Folken. I shall speak with you tomorrow. Good night." He gave me another kiss on the hand, and like magic, disappeared out the exit before the advisors could react. I gave them a triumphant smirk and went off to go get my answers from Dilandau.

He hadn't gotten too far when I caught up with him. He'd stopped to receive word that his 'delinquents' had painted all the armor, and work on the floors and ceiling had begun. He frowned again when he saw me, and turned to leave.

"I've nothing to say to you, Celena. Now, if you want to see the men before curfew-"

"Like Hell you don't! How dare you ignore me! You've been acting like some spoiled brat who hasn't gotten their way, and it doesn't suit you. Now, I demand to know why you didn't have the decency to return any of my letters-"

"And I'm supposed to have said what? 'I'm sorry I haven't been paying attention to you, please forgive me? Won't you accept my apologies and send me the latest gossip on what's been going on?' Please. As if I want to hear about what the latest fashion is. If you've got nothing to say for yourself, I'm going to my room." I could almost feel the vein in my forehead wanting to burst, so I managed to keep my voice down to a low whisper that turned out more like a cross between a hiss and a snarl.

"Nothing to say for myself? What is there to say? I write you all letters, everyone except you writes me back from time to time. It's true, I haven't heard from some of them, but I would think you'd have the decency to at least send me a letter telling me you hate me!"

"Hate you? Why should I hate you? Just because you never sent word to me of what you were doing, just those damn formal notes you usually send to people you can't remember where you met or who they are? You send me reports on the weather and you ask why I'm angry??" We were standing nose to nose- well, almost, he'd grown taller than me, and I had to look up slightly. We were also both hissing at the other- to any who didn't know us, we probably looked like a brother and sister having a spat over some little thing. But, I couldn't believe him- saying I didn't send him anything!! Something didn't sound right though- Dilandau wouldn't have admitted he actually had been looking forward to anything, let alone a letter. Had my letters gotten lost somehow? Had he never really received my mail, my many thoughts and true feelings? If he hadn't, then where were they? And more importantly, who had them?

I then noticed we'd attracted a small crowd- hidden in the shadows, of course, but we seemed to be entertaining several servants and a few advisors as well. I shut my eyes, stepping away from him.

*Dilandau, I don't know why you didn't get my letters, but you can ask Jajuka- I did send them. I'm sorry if you were upset, but I thought when I didn't get anything from you...* I hit a wall, but I think he heard me anyway. He relaxed slightly, but he didn't speak to me again. He spun on his heel, and scowled at those who looked on, scattering the onlookers with the look that promised a slow and painful death to any who got in his way. I watched him go, then turned to see who hadn't fled.

Actually, I was quite surprised to find myself face to face with one of the slayers who didn't like me very much- Refina. There she was, smirk on her face, hand on hips- in that weird outfit too. Obviously, she'd enjoyed Dilandau's spat with me, and didn't even try to hide her dislike of me.

"So, falling behind in your mail, Schezar? I don't remember getting anything." I countered by standing tall in front of her; thanks to her being dead for two years, I had gained that much more height on her. But she was still stronger than me, and I didn't doubt she knew it too. I mimicked her pose, tone and smirk perfectly, making her smile go to a grimace of irritation.

"That's because you told me before you left you couldn't have cared less if you'd ever heard from me again, so I'd assumed that meant you didn't want any. But look at you! A new uniform! Have you been demoted?" Her face took on a horrible scowl, then she laughed, mocking me.

"Oh please, why would Lord Dilandau demote one of his best slayers? No, as a matter of fact, I've been promoted to captain of the Nagasake no Hikari." I did a quick mental translation, and came to a blank.

"Meaning what, precisely?"

"We're the 'Shadow's of the Light' the 'Light's Shadow's'. Lord Dilandau's 'Shadows'." I stared at her, unimpressed. She got angry, and took a step forward in irritation.

"We're Lord Dilandau's new elite group! The best of the best! I'm surprised he didn't tell you himself.." She gave me a sneer, but I was busy thinking this over. Millerna had told me that part of Dilandau's punishment had been that while he could train soldiers, he was not allowed to fight himself. But hadn't there been something else too? I struggled to remember what the other thing had been, but Refina filled me in to gloat.

"We're the best female fighters on all of Gaea! We are Lord Dilandau's greatest accomplishment, and no one can stand in our way! We fight for Lord Dilandau!" Ah yes, the female 'slayers', as Millerna called them. From what I understood... well, they were punishment enough on their own. But she said this with such a gusto, I couldn't help but wonder why she was proud. Dilandau wouldn't have stuck her in charge of a group that would probably never see battle unless he didn't want to have to deal with her.

A grin threatened to break from my lips- I could tell she was trying to make me feel like Dilandau liked her more than he liked me, and wondered why she hadn't shouted down the hall that she thought Dilandau was hot and be done with it. I had figured out the reason why she hated me was because Dilandau was close to me- one would expect him to be, after sharing a body so long- when she'd stayed at the mansion. She didn't like the fact that Dilandau spoke with me as an equal, but ordered her around like the subordinate that she was. Dilandau didn't have a right to order me around, but Refina didn't seem to care about that. All she wanted to do was prove Dilandau liked her more than me. We both knew he didn't, and it pissed her off tremendously. Anyway to show she was better than me, she'd take immediate action. I thought about that for a moment, then grinned again.

"You couldn't defeat Dalet when you sparred last time I saw you. How will you make Dilandau proud if you can't beat one of his weaker slayers?" She actually growled at me, pulling back her lips in a way that reminded me of Jajuka when he was in one of his rare bad moods.

"I could beat you, bitch, if you ever dared get out of your dainty clothes and fight like a warrior instead of relying on your looks and words," The challenge set, I allowed a smirk of triumph show.

"First, no one calls me 'bitch'. Second, I could defeat you in my dress if I had to, though I don't revel the idea of ruining my best silk gown. But if you want a fair match, so be it. You set it up, and I'll come and make you realize who you're dealing with." She glared at me, but then held out a gloved hand, a smirk of her own spreading across her face.

"Deal. We practice at six, third courtyard. I'll send two of the girls around to give you a uniform, and then we'll settle this fairly- no dresses, no bodyguards. Just you and me." I took her hand and shook it, glaring into her eyes. We both parted then- we'd see each other in the morning, and that was soon enough. I silently prayed that I knew what I was getting into, and went off to find the boys before lights out was sounded.

** An- ok, due to lack of space, and threats of not getting this out quick enough, I've taken out a hunk of discussion between Celena and the boys- it was mostly their family histories and such, so, a mini-chapter will be out with what she got to talk to them about before they had to go to bed ^_^ It's just gonna be in Journal form, and I'll call it part B or something stupid, I'm sure..**

*Now, for the rest of my blabbering. I know Dilly didn't make much of an appearance in this, but I had to work in everyone, and Celena and Refina had to go at it and they couldn't when he was there. You'll find out what happened to their lost mail later, and things'll clear up eventually- they always do, right?

Couple quick notes- The group's name, "Nagasake no Hikari" is a bad translation. I haven't learned enough vocab to know if that's right, if it is, yay for me, if not, tell me what it is if you know. Quickly, so I can change it in the next couple of chs. I think I might call them the "hikis" for short... ^_^

Character notes- Folken's not gonna be a wuss in this, don't worry. Dilly's gonna get more stardom, put the flamethrower down. Refina's a bitch... because I said so. From the clips in the game footage, she looks like she would be. In this story she is, but don't worry, things'll work out...

Now, something even more important than what I wrote above:

ZIBBELCOOT SAID SHE'D UPDATE TODAY!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!! GO READ "THE HUNT"! I DEMAND YOU DO SO NOW!!

..That being said and done, please review- you know you want to ^_^ ~SLS~ 10-11*