Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ The Call ❯ Ten ( Chapter 10 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Dragon Dagger 
Anime/Manga: Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Mecha / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 07.15.2012 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.7K | Visits: 584 | Status: Completed
Anime/Manga: Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Action / Mecha / Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 07.15.2012 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.7K | Visits: 584 | Status: Completed
The shadowy figure looked to the floor as he knelt before the lady. My lady, I have failed to retain the Lady Hitomi from Van's attention."
In another room, unaware of the other meeting taking place, Van was next to Hitomi's bed with her hand in his as he looked at her waiting anxiously for her to wake up. Gaddes and Allen had taken care of the wound on the back of her head and she was resting peacefully for the time being. It wasn't long however before Hitomi woke up and looking around saw Allen and Gaddes and then turning towards the weight on her right hand knew that Van was there as well.
Allen and Gaddes stepped just out of the room to allow the pair some privacy when Van asked the question. "Hitomi. What happened?"
Hitomi had a slightly confused look on her face as she thought about the question and then finally answered as the afternoon came back to her swiftly. "I had decided to do some stretching and swimming in the pool courtyard while you were in your meetings with Lord and Lady Chalon. While I was swimming a crossbow bolt was fired at me. I came up and was taken from the pool by a cloaked figure. He knocked me out as I tried to raise my voice to help you find me." By this time Hitomi's bravado had failed her and she was shaking hard from her experience.
Van noticed this and gently pulled her up onto his lap as he sat on the bed and held her close to reassure her that the ordeal was over. "Hitomi, I am sorry that you are becoming embroiled in my troubles of state." He kissed her temple gently and held her quietly as they sat together and calmed each other.
Hours later after they had talked themselves calmer about the situation Van remembered the dinner party that had been planned the night before and gestured for Hitomi to get ready. "You will not be alone. Gaddes is within earshot of you and you know how fast he can move."
Hitomi nodded and started the preparations for the dinner party. Just before Van left however she stopped him and gave him a light kiss on the cheek and disappeared to bathe.
Van smiled at the unusual show of affection from the woman and left her to her ways before he headed to get changed for the dinner as well. Merle had already picked out something for him and he was for once glad of her sharp eye for color.
That evening, Van sent Gaddes to bring Hitomi to the dinner, as he had to lead Narine into the dinner for formalities sakes. Looking around, Hitomi came in on Gaddes arm acting for all the world like one of the formal court attendees. She nodded to everyone and gave a short bow to Lord and Lady Chalon. She met Van's eyes for a brief moment and he knew that he hadn't lost her, she was just playing their game to see what would turn up.
The dinner progressed and as the conversation flowed throughout the dinner topics it couldn't be helped when the topic of Hitomi's disappearance came up. It had disturbed the meeting that afternoon and for the short amount of time that Van had been gone much had happened apparently.
As the subject was discussed Van pointedly did not refer to any of the parts of the capture that were still under investigation. Hitomi was all right in the end even though she still had a large bump on her head from the knock that she had taken. However she was completely in charge of her facilities as she watched the family from the Eastern lands.
Several of Narine's comments were barbed with cruel hooks but Hitomi ignored them to the best of her means and when she felt the need to reply she only commented on the content of the sentence and not the intent.
This frustrated Narine to no end as she kept trying to deface Hitomi for all to see. She knew that her parents had bought this girl's story that this was Hitomi, the girl from the mystic moon, but she knew somehow that she was a fake and that she would save her parent's from a grave mistake of keeping this commoner around by showing her for who she really was.
Hitomi finally got tired of the comments and the barbs and she looked at Narine with a mildly nasty look of her own and challenged her. "If you think that I am not myself then, I challenge you to a foot race. Van and your parents will set up the course and you and I will race. If I am unable to beat you in the race, then I will leave the palace and return to my home." She paused and then continued with the other half of the deal.
"However. If I should win, then you will stop your incessant needling of myself, Merle and the palace staff and learn what it is to be a true ruler, or you will be the queen of chaos if you are allowed to marry Van."
Her terms were set on the table and for Narine it looked to be a win/win situation. Looking to her parents for their support in this matter, they shrugged and informed her that this was her challenge; they were in no way to be a part of the decision.
A gleam took her eye as she looked back at the sandy haired girl and nodded her acceptance. She was a fast runner as it was and so she felt that this would be no challenge to her at all, even after when she had seen from time to time in the courtyard for races between her and Van.
"Sleep well then Princess Narine. The race will be tomorrow, for I intend for it to be a private affair." Standing Hitomi looked to Lord and Lady Chalon before she smiled to Van.
"There is much for you and the rulers of the Eastern Lands to do before morning and I must retire for the night so that I will be ready for the race. Please have Merle summon me when the course has been decided." Bowing to Van she swept from the room with out another word and found that Gaddes had followed her out. Smiling softly she nodded that she had seen him. "I take it that you are to be my body guard until this is over Gaddes?" She asked quietly as they entered the hall that would lead to her rooms eventually.
Smiling he nodded. "Better than what duty my men have tonight. They have to protect Narine until the race to make certain that nothing happens to either of you before the race. Van has more riding on this race than you realize. He just knows that this may solve one of his problems for him if you do win." Pausing thoughtfully, Gaddes continued. "However. If you lose I know that it will cause another set of problems for him. So know that we are all behind you." Gaddes smiled as he gave Hitomi's shoulder a friendly squeeze before he let her into her room to rest for the night.
As Hitomi prepared for bed and for sleep she noticed that Gaddes was waiting for her as she came out from behind her dressing screen. He gave her a quirky smile as he handed her a note that was written in Van's handwriting.
Reading the missive quickly she smiled softly and asked Gaddes to have her bag out and to roust her just after false dawn. With that he nodded and she turned in for the night. The course had been decided and now all that was left was to run the race and see who came out on top.
In Narine's chambers there was a very upset Princess as she stormed back and forth trying to figure out just what the girl from the Mystic Moon was up to in challenging her to this race. She too had seen the notice from her parents about the course of the race but fumed, as she knew that this was going to be one of her most difficult races yet.
Looking about she had her running things ready and knew that the boots that she had brought with her were going to have to do. If this girl was the one from the Mystic Moon she was going to have some sort of trick up her sleeve to win. She knew it to her bones that this Hitomi was going to try something at the race tomorrow to make her lose.
With that final thought of satisfaction she turned in. Cheaters in the race would lose automatically and this time there was going to be nothing to stop her from marrying Van. The girl had said so herself. If she won, the girl would leave. If she lost then all she would have to do is try to change her ways. At least to the public.
Sleep did not come quickly or easily to the two racers, however Hitomi was used to the prerace jitters she felt and so pushed them aside with the meditation mantras she had learned in the past on Earth and with her mind calmed, she was at least able to let her body rest, even if her mind did wander from time to time as she wondered how Van was doing that night. It was on these thoughts that she finally found rest for the few precious hours she needed before Gaddes came to wake her up.
It was time. Time for fate and skill to decide Fanelia's future.
In another room, unaware of the other meeting taking place, Van was next to Hitomi's bed with her hand in his as he looked at her waiting anxiously for her to wake up. Gaddes and Allen had taken care of the wound on the back of her head and she was resting peacefully for the time being. It wasn't long however before Hitomi woke up and looking around saw Allen and Gaddes and then turning towards the weight on her right hand knew that Van was there as well.
Allen and Gaddes stepped just out of the room to allow the pair some privacy when Van asked the question. "Hitomi. What happened?"
Hitomi had a slightly confused look on her face as she thought about the question and then finally answered as the afternoon came back to her swiftly. "I had decided to do some stretching and swimming in the pool courtyard while you were in your meetings with Lord and Lady Chalon. While I was swimming a crossbow bolt was fired at me. I came up and was taken from the pool by a cloaked figure. He knocked me out as I tried to raise my voice to help you find me." By this time Hitomi's bravado had failed her and she was shaking hard from her experience.
Van noticed this and gently pulled her up onto his lap as he sat on the bed and held her close to reassure her that the ordeal was over. "Hitomi, I am sorry that you are becoming embroiled in my troubles of state." He kissed her temple gently and held her quietly as they sat together and calmed each other.
Hours later after they had talked themselves calmer about the situation Van remembered the dinner party that had been planned the night before and gestured for Hitomi to get ready. "You will not be alone. Gaddes is within earshot of you and you know how fast he can move."
Hitomi nodded and started the preparations for the dinner party. Just before Van left however she stopped him and gave him a light kiss on the cheek and disappeared to bathe.
Van smiled at the unusual show of affection from the woman and left her to her ways before he headed to get changed for the dinner as well. Merle had already picked out something for him and he was for once glad of her sharp eye for color.
That evening, Van sent Gaddes to bring Hitomi to the dinner, as he had to lead Narine into the dinner for formalities sakes. Looking around, Hitomi came in on Gaddes arm acting for all the world like one of the formal court attendees. She nodded to everyone and gave a short bow to Lord and Lady Chalon. She met Van's eyes for a brief moment and he knew that he hadn't lost her, she was just playing their game to see what would turn up.
The dinner progressed and as the conversation flowed throughout the dinner topics it couldn't be helped when the topic of Hitomi's disappearance came up. It had disturbed the meeting that afternoon and for the short amount of time that Van had been gone much had happened apparently.
As the subject was discussed Van pointedly did not refer to any of the parts of the capture that were still under investigation. Hitomi was all right in the end even though she still had a large bump on her head from the knock that she had taken. However she was completely in charge of her facilities as she watched the family from the Eastern lands.
Several of Narine's comments were barbed with cruel hooks but Hitomi ignored them to the best of her means and when she felt the need to reply she only commented on the content of the sentence and not the intent.
This frustrated Narine to no end as she kept trying to deface Hitomi for all to see. She knew that her parents had bought this girl's story that this was Hitomi, the girl from the mystic moon, but she knew somehow that she was a fake and that she would save her parent's from a grave mistake of keeping this commoner around by showing her for who she really was.
Hitomi finally got tired of the comments and the barbs and she looked at Narine with a mildly nasty look of her own and challenged her. "If you think that I am not myself then, I challenge you to a foot race. Van and your parents will set up the course and you and I will race. If I am unable to beat you in the race, then I will leave the palace and return to my home." She paused and then continued with the other half of the deal.
"However. If I should win, then you will stop your incessant needling of myself, Merle and the palace staff and learn what it is to be a true ruler, or you will be the queen of chaos if you are allowed to marry Van."
Her terms were set on the table and for Narine it looked to be a win/win situation. Looking to her parents for their support in this matter, they shrugged and informed her that this was her challenge; they were in no way to be a part of the decision.
A gleam took her eye as she looked back at the sandy haired girl and nodded her acceptance. She was a fast runner as it was and so she felt that this would be no challenge to her at all, even after when she had seen from time to time in the courtyard for races between her and Van.
"Sleep well then Princess Narine. The race will be tomorrow, for I intend for it to be a private affair." Standing Hitomi looked to Lord and Lady Chalon before she smiled to Van.
"There is much for you and the rulers of the Eastern Lands to do before morning and I must retire for the night so that I will be ready for the race. Please have Merle summon me when the course has been decided." Bowing to Van she swept from the room with out another word and found that Gaddes had followed her out. Smiling softly she nodded that she had seen him. "I take it that you are to be my body guard until this is over Gaddes?" She asked quietly as they entered the hall that would lead to her rooms eventually.
Smiling he nodded. "Better than what duty my men have tonight. They have to protect Narine until the race to make certain that nothing happens to either of you before the race. Van has more riding on this race than you realize. He just knows that this may solve one of his problems for him if you do win." Pausing thoughtfully, Gaddes continued. "However. If you lose I know that it will cause another set of problems for him. So know that we are all behind you." Gaddes smiled as he gave Hitomi's shoulder a friendly squeeze before he let her into her room to rest for the night.
As Hitomi prepared for bed and for sleep she noticed that Gaddes was waiting for her as she came out from behind her dressing screen. He gave her a quirky smile as he handed her a note that was written in Van's handwriting.
Reading the missive quickly she smiled softly and asked Gaddes to have her bag out and to roust her just after false dawn. With that he nodded and she turned in for the night. The course had been decided and now all that was left was to run the race and see who came out on top.
In Narine's chambers there was a very upset Princess as she stormed back and forth trying to figure out just what the girl from the Mystic Moon was up to in challenging her to this race. She too had seen the notice from her parents about the course of the race but fumed, as she knew that this was going to be one of her most difficult races yet.
Looking about she had her running things ready and knew that the boots that she had brought with her were going to have to do. If this girl was the one from the Mystic Moon she was going to have some sort of trick up her sleeve to win. She knew it to her bones that this Hitomi was going to try something at the race tomorrow to make her lose.
With that final thought of satisfaction she turned in. Cheaters in the race would lose automatically and this time there was going to be nothing to stop her from marrying Van. The girl had said so herself. If she won, the girl would leave. If she lost then all she would have to do is try to change her ways. At least to the public.
Sleep did not come quickly or easily to the two racers, however Hitomi was used to the prerace jitters she felt and so pushed them aside with the meditation mantras she had learned in the past on Earth and with her mind calmed, she was at least able to let her body rest, even if her mind did wander from time to time as she wondered how Van was doing that night. It was on these thoughts that she finally found rest for the few precious hours she needed before Gaddes came to wake her up.
It was time. Time for fate and skill to decide Fanelia's future.