Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Return to the Mystic Moon ❯ Chapter 7 ( Chapter 7 )

Well hello everyone! I would like to introduce to you the newest chapter of RTTMM. For those of you that have been reviewing, even though I haven't updated this stories in months, thank you! I like getting little reminders here and there that people actually care about this story. I always find it strange that there are so few stories above this one when I go to look on either MM.org or FF.net. Doesn't anyone else write Escaflowne fanfiction? Or is it that I'm the only one writing semi-raunchy fanfiction? Oh well, either way, I truly hope you enjoy this new chapter!

 

 

 

The festivities surrounded them on all sides. Dancers, jugglers, fortune tellers, food vendors and people hawking their wares. Makeshift tents and stalls had been thrown up everywhere for people to sell from and to hide from the afternoon's bright sunlight. Merle held tightly to the arm of her companion, convincing herself it was more for his benefit than her own. “Are you sure you're alright?” she asked again nervously. He rolled his eyes at her and pushed through the small crowd they'd gotten stuck behind. The first dance was going to begin soon and while many doubted the truth of the rumors, it was being whispered that the king and his new queen were actually going to make it for the dance. Merle knew the two of them would prefer to wait until they weren't being watched quite so closely.

 

She had stayed in the back of the ceremony, watching the two declare themselves faithful and in love to each other and Fanelia. Even she hadn't been able to refrain from releasing a few tears in joy for them. After all her lord had been through, he deserved to be happy with the woman he loved... even if it wasn't her like she had once hoped it would be. The young woman sighed. “Come on then. Don't tell me you're sad in the midst of all this!” Dimitri teased her. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, shaking her head and smiling a little.

 

“No, not sad. Wistful perhaps.” She couldn't say wistful for what exactly, just that she felt she was missing out on something.

 

“Ah. The dancing will begin soon. I'm sure Lord Van won't be able to turn you down if you ask him,” he said in a tone that he clearly meant to reassure her with. Merle laughed aloud at the very idea.

 

She was finally able to smother her giggles. “Van, dance? He doesn't dance.” Dimitri raised an eyebrow but didn't respond. “Besides, you're assuming he and Hitomi will make it down here at all,” she finished in a whisper near his ear. He grinned, despite himself, and pulled her toward the designated dance floor. It was nothing more than an area of the courtyard completely swept clean with a corner sectioned off for the musicians. They were just setting up and Merle called out the instruments she was familiar with. It was a sizable band, called in just for the occasion.

 

“Ah Merle my dear! How are you? It's been so long.” The young woman spun around, grinning. “Lovely as ever I see.” She blushed, greeting the tall man and his lovely wife. Millerna was round and glowing. Merle was surprised to see her out and away from home in her condition, but she had studied medicine for a long time, maybe she knew it was safe. Dryden had his hair pulled back, his glasses sitting on the end of his nose like always. The couple looked very happy.

 

A soft sound behind her made her jump and she quickly apologized to her companion. “Oh, how stupid of me. Millerna, Dryden, this is Dimitri Kayakova, a good friend of mine.” He took a step closer, putting out his hand to shake with Dryden. The old merchant took the hand and shook it firmly. Dimitri smiled and bowed in Millerna's direction.

 

“A pleasure. Merle has mentioned you before.”

“All good things I hope,” Millerna chuckled.

 

Merle blushed and smiled. “Of course. I'm so glad to see you both!” The group moved back toward the edge of the dance floor. Millerna pulled Merle off to the side. “I really should stay...”

 

“Nonsense, they can talk about whatever it is men talk about. He's very handsome Merle, why didn't you mention him before?”

 

“I... uh... He has very good hearing you know,” she whispered. Millerna frowned slightly, confused, but dutifully lowered her voice. “I've only known him a few years.”

 

“Well he's obviously smitten with you. Has he tried to propose yet?”

 

Merle spluttered. Propose? To her? Why on earth would Dimitri do that? “No, of course not! He's just.. we're just... He's a lord's son!”

 

“And? Are you not a lady yourself as part of Van's family?” Merle frowned, glancing over at her friend. He and Dryden were indeed talking, quite comfortably it seemed. She was so focused on what Millerna was trying to get her to admit that she couldn't hear what they were saying. “Well I think you should pay a little closer attention my dear.”

 

She supposed Millerna might be right, Dimitri had tried to kiss her that one time... or at least she thought he had. His embarrassment afterward certainly implied that had been the case. “I don't know Millerna.”

 

Millerna smiled, laughing a little. “It's alright dear, you'll see it when you're ready.” She patted her stomach jovially. “Then you can get fat like me,” she said with a laugh. Merle grimaced, then smiled at her friend.

 

“You're awfully far along. Aren't you supposed to be in bed?”

 

Millerna waved away her concern. “Nonsense! You sound like Dryden. He was worried too. I still have a few months before the baby's due. No reason to coop myself up in the house for months when I'm perfectly capable of walking around on my own.” Merle had to admit her reasoning made some sense. If she were in that condition and she had to be locked up in her room for months on end, she'd go crazy. If Millerna felt well enough to go out, then it was her choice. Though, Merle caught the sound of a few comments. It wasn't common to see women, especially high class women, out of the house in such a state. Merle shook her head. Millerna liked to walk the line and there weren't many who could dissuade her. “Plus, I wasn't about to miss Van's wedding and seeing Hitomi again!”

 

“Yes, it is nice to see her, isn't it?” Merle finally allowed herself to really admit that she had missed her friend. They had been like sisters, squabbling and taking care of one another. She hadn't really realized how much she'd missed their relationship.

 

A hushed murmur caught her attention and the two women made their way back toward their male companions. “What's going on?” Millerna asked.

 

“Van and Hitomi are coming out. They're starting off the first dance,” Dryden whispered. The two women struggled to see over the heads in front of them, pushing in front of Dimitri and Dryden. The new royal couple were indeed entering the dance floor. Van had on a slightly more formal version of his usual tan breeches, a golden stripe zipping down each side. A red dress shirt, the sleeves rolled up, covered his top half. He looked regal and comfortable with his blushing new wife. Hitomi wore an ankle length casual red gown to match her husband. The cut was flattering but not too revealing, her shoulders and neck bare. The pair held hands as Van cleared his throat.

 

“We would like to thank all of you for being here to celebrate our nuptials. Your new queen, Hitomi, and myself are very proud to continue the De Fanel line, caring for and leading this country into better times." He paused, clearing his throat and standing up a little taller. "The people of Fanelia have struggled, but we have rebuilt and all your hard work is rewarded, knowing our homeland is once again beautiful and prosperous. Thank you all.” A cheer went up at the end of Van's speech. Many were impressed. Their king had always been quiet and reserved, a bit moody, but determined and kind. This put him in an even better light. A whisper went through the crowd that the new queen was clearly already doing their lonely king some good.

 

Music started, the band having taken their cue from the king to begin. He took his wife and the two danced, not very well mind you, to the gentle tune. Everyone watched for a few moments before some grabbed partners and joined in. When that song finished, a livelier one took it's place and the royal couple opened up the floor to everyone. They stepped off to the side, taking their seats at the makeshift thrones set up just for the festivities. They looked happily exhausted.

 

Merle smiled at the two, taking hold of her companion's hand. “Come on. I want you to meet Lord Van.” Dimitri gave his friend a nervous look but followed her anyway. Dryden and Millerna followed behind, hoping to get a chance to see the newlyweds as well. “Lord Van!” Merle cried out, reaching up a hand to catch his attention. At a wave from the king the guards standing near the thrones let them all through.

 

“Are you enjoying yourselves?” Van asked, a comfortable smile on his lips. He looked happier than Merle could ever remember seeing him. She nodded emphatically, smiling at Hitomi as well. "Good." Van paused, giving his long-time feline companion a once over before looking at the man standing somewhat rigidly beside her. Van wouldn't be the kind of man and the kind of king he was if he weren't observant. He recognized the young man as the son of one of the kingdom's lords, Dimitri if he wasn't mistaken. He caught the young man off guard by standing, approaching him and taking his hand in his own to shake heartily. "Lord Kayakova's son. How is your father?"

 

Dimitri, clearly startled by the king's easy manner with him and the fact that he knew him on sight made him remain silent for several moments, unsure of what to say in response. "I... uh. He is well, though he is not getting around as well as he used to. He wished for me to convey his congratulations," he stuttered, slowly regaining his composure. "My brother Alexei is here somewhere as well."

 

Van smiled. "I see, he is your eldest brother, is he not? We are glad to have two members of your family here today." Dimitri bowed slightly to both rulers and stepped back, stunned by the encounter. "Dryden, you old dog. How was the trip?" The young king went on to greet his old friends, awkwardly bowing over Millerna's hand only be be pulled into a hug as she told him how proud she was of him. She went on to gather the new queen into a hug, tears coming to her eyes as she greeted her friend whom she hadn't seen in so long. The two women complimented each other's clothing while Hitomi gushed about how well Millerna looked, and asking her about her condition in a way that made almost everyone except Millerna uncomfortable. The mother-to-be seemed more than pleased to have someone else who wasn't afraid to talk about what was happening to her and didn't refer to her as though she might be possessed or ill.

 

Merle watched Dimitri as he listened in on her friends. There was still an awed look about his face, as though he didn't quite believe he was standing where he was, but there was also a comfortable glow about him as well. She could tell already that he liked them very much and she was glad. "Lord Van seems to know you. Have you met before?" she asked quietly, distracting him from listening. He looked toward her, a slight frown on his face.

 

He was sure he'd told Merle that he and his highness had never been in the same room let alone met face to face, but maybe he hadn't. "No. This is the first time. I was surprised he recognized me. Though I suppose it really wasn't that difficult." He turned his head in the direction of the band when they hit a slightly sour note, his nose wrinkling in distaste. He felt Merle's hand on his arm, conveying some emotion to him that he didn't want to acknowledge. "I should probably go home..."

 

Merle frowned fiercely, easily recognizing the self-pity in his posture. She wasn't having it, not today! Grabbing onto his arm more firmly, she pulled him between the guards and onto the dance floor. By the time he reacted, trying to pull backward from her hold, she already had them in the mix of dancers. "If you don't want anyone's pity, why do you pity yourself?" she whispered in his ear as she forced him to hold her close. He did so with a wild look in his gaze, gulping while trying desperately not to move too much for fear of knocking into someone.

 

"Merle! This isn't funny," he hissed.

 

"And I'm not joking." Taken aback by her fierce answer, he said nothing. He couldn't figure out a way to dislodge himself from her without making one or the both of them look like a fool. "Why do you fight so hard to push away someone who cares, telling them not to feel anything for you? I can't help what I feel. I do care, and it is not pity!" Merle's hiss was far more convincing, making Dimitri take a step back in surprise. She had always been feisty, there was not doubt in that, but he had never had her frustration directed so entirely at him. He didn't quite know how to deal with it. "Stop acting like a sullen child."

 

He reacted to that, frowning deeply and stiffening his form. "I am not acting like a child! I have every right to be angry."

 

"Do you? Why is that?" Merle's tone was snappish, making it clear to the lord's son that she thought he had no reason whatsoever to be upset and that as soon as he stated otherwise she would have several reasons why. She beat him to the punch. "You have your father, your siblings, your health..."

 

"My health? My poor health is what lost me my sight in the first place Merle!"

 

"You're healthy now," she retorted. "Hardly anyone knows you're blind as it is." Dimitri scowled, pulling himself away from her roughly and pushing his way through the crowded floor, not caring what anyone thought. He had to get away from the anger he was feeling, the frustration that plagued him every day. Merle had a bad habit of bringing those feelings to the front of his mind at certain moments, while at others she made him forget completely. Despite not being able to see the people around him, he made his way away from the dance floor, breaking free of the crowds after several minutes of pushing and being pushed.

 

His anger boiling over, Dimitri kept walking forward, no idea where he was going or how he was going to get there without anyone to guide him. When he heard no one else near enough to matter and he felt the wide cobblestones of the entrance courtyard under his feet, he collapsed to his knees, beating his fists into the ground. Why had he been afflicted this way? Why had he even survived the fever when it killed his mother and left him blinded?

 

"Stop that," came a soft voice behind him as gentle hands gripped his own, keeping him from assaulting the innocent ground anymore. He easily recognized the voice and the touch, but didn't want to admit to his childish reaction to his fury. "I shouldn't have forced you to come with me. I'll take you home."

 

"No!" he whispered, pulling away from her hold. "Stop treating me like an invalid."

 

Her glare was a physical feeling, a tingle along his skin. "I am not the one who is acting like you are an invalid. I have never treated you any differently. How dare you imply otherwise," she growled. Dimitri tried to think of a time when she had acted as though she pitied him, thought of him as a lesser person, but nothing came to mind. He wanted to stay angry, to stay angry at her, but with no valid reason...

 

"I am sorry Merle. I... I have been thinking of myself differently for so long now that I assumed..."

 

"Hitomi once told me something, a saying from her world. To assume is to make an ass of you and me." The joke was slightly lost on the young man from Gaea, but he took the meaning well enough. "It didn't make any sense to me either until she explained what an ass was, but it made me realize that you cannot decide you know someone before you really understand them. I'm still learning that about myself. Look at how I reacted to Lord Van and Hitomi."

 

Dimitri couldn't ignore the peace offering she had just handed him and sighed. "I did not mean to imply that you are unkind to me or that you treat me like a cripple. I am simply frustrated with..."

 

"I did not want to force you to dance with me," Merle interrupted. Not unused to her abruptness, Dimitri remained quiet until she finished. "You were beginning to get grumpy so I wanted to lighten the mood."

 

His eyes widened a moment, the reality of the situation dawning on him. "And I made it worse," he admitted with a sigh, now able to see how stupid he'd been to react to Merle's encouraging words like that. She really had been trying to make him feel better and here he was ruining her whole day. "If you still wish to, I would like to return with you to the festivities. I don't want you to miss everything because of me."

 

"Oh stop. You can't come if you're going to sit and feel sorry for yourself the whole time," she warned lightheartedly. Dimitri smiled, allowing her to take his hand to help him to his feet. The feel of her fingers trailing up his arm until they rested at his elbow sent a thrill down his spine. Unfortunately, unable to see her face, he had no idea if the caress had been intentional or completely innocent. At this point, he wasn't sure he would have been able to tell the difference anyway. The mystery of it held it's own little thrill as well, he reasoned, smiling slightly to himself as Merle led him back into the throng of people toward the pavilion which held the king and new queen. The sound of lively music reached his ears, making him determined not to fall into a bad mood again.

 

 

 

Thank you again for reading this story. I have ideas for a next chapter, but it's still in the framework stages. I know many of you are hoping for a slightly more... intimate chapter with Van and Hitomi, and you'll get it soon. I can't promise that it will be in the next chapter though. Maybe it will be, maybe it won't! You'll just have to review, wait and find out.

 

Dawnrider