Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ When Escaflowne Rescued Trilladen ❯ Scheming Females ( Chapter 8 )

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"Hitomi! Wait up! " Yukari shouted as she trailed behind in the corridor that lead to the palace gardens. It seemed that Hitomi was already in a rush after breakfast and Yukari, as usual, could not soak in enough of Fanelia's beautiful rebuilt palace. She constantly found herself dilly-dallying just because everything seemed so ornate and foreign to her that her fascination got the better of her.

This morning, however, she was worried about Hitomi. She looked withdrawn, tired, and fretful. Yukari was determined to get to the bottom of this before whatever was troubling her had the same snowball effect that Hitomi suffered through at school. Catching up to her was very close to training for relay racing.

When Yukari finally caught up to Hitomi, she noticed a strained look on Hitomi's face and tears streaming silently down her cheeks. "Oh Hitomi, what is wrong?" Yukari asked in concern for her best friend.

Hitomi managed to speak after taking a few deep breaths. "I really need your help. More than I probably ever will again. I can't do this by myself." She began to cry very hard now and had to hold herself up against one of the massive stone pillars that supported the flying buttresses that were carved out of the side of the corridor like soldiers standing at attention.

Yukari remained calm and tried to soothe her dear friend's fears. "You know you will never have to do anything by yourself as long as you have me. And since you will always have me you can just count on my help. That's a given!"

Hitomi stumbled into her best friend's embrace and cried as hard as a three-year-old who had really skinned her knee hard for the first time. Yukari hugged her tight and tried to control the near state of panic that threatened to erupt for her bowels. Something was definitely wrong and Yukari prayed she would not let her friend down.

After several minutes of this they both seemed calmer. Hitomi hadn't stopped crying, but she was quieter. Yukari, still hugging Hitomi finally spoke. "Let's get some fresh air and work this out in the garden. We'll go to the bench that gives a perfect view of the mountainside and all the trees. Pretty soon fall colors will dominate the landscape, if Gaea is anything like Tokyo."

They slowly walked to the garden and were met up by Princess Edwina and Merle. "Hey wait up you two. We have such the tidbit of gossip! You aren't going to believe it! I have the perfect plan for us. It's a piece of pie!" Merle gleefully said.

Sniffling and wiping away her tears Hitomi offered, "Piece of cake. It's a piece of cake. You've been listening to Amano too much. Don't let him pull your leg. He's been having too much fun playing practical jokes on you about earth customs and sayings."

"You mean it isn't 'Piece of Pie', it's piece of cake?" Merle asked.

Yukari and Hitomi giggled, grateful to have the mood lighten up. Princess Edwina was the first of the two to notice that Hitomi had been crying. "What have you been crying about? Come on, don't deny it, your eyes are all red."

"Let's all go out to the garden to talk. I need to make sure no one hears us. It's really important that we keep what I have to say a secret. This isn't going to be easy for me so say in the first place so let me get everything out first, and don't interrupt or I might chicken out, and I really need all of your help." Hitomi instructed.

"You mean it isn't 'goose out'?" asked Merle.

Everyone laughed at that and Yukari said, "Don't worry! We'll think of something to get back at Amano!"

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Amano, a limping but obstinate King Van, Allen, and the three generals were vigorously training. Each man was drenched in sweat as if working out personal demons. When Allen finally checked Van with a blunt blow to his back that had the King flying forwards and face down, everyone stopped.

In consternation general Shinyo implored the stubborn royal, "Majesty, I must insist that you stop now. You've had enough training for one morning. Your leg isn't quite healed yet you push yourself! Please be wise..."

King Van interrupted the concerned by gruff general, "I decide when I will stop, too much hangs in the balance. I must be able to protect Hitomi, and the young prince."

As he painfully got back up on his legs, Allen quickly floored him with another punch. "Your pain has made you delirious, if not foolish. No, I think maybe you have always been that. But since you are still just as stubborn as ever, I won't just insist that you rest, I'll knock you out if you don't stop."

"You mustn't speak to the king of Fanelia like that!" General Jarvis chided.

Allen countered, "Two years ago, I could beat Van this easily, when he was a rash youth. Now he is a seasoned warrior and should be at his peek. He will do no one any good if he further injures himself- unless you're telling me your training of the King is so lacking that after two years of it he can't best an old friend."

With that Van relented and rubbed his jaw. "Okay, but I owe you one and don't think I'll forget that." A sheepish grin washed over Van's face as he limped back into the men's common to wash up and change for lunch.

"Now that the king is otherwise engaged, I would like to discuss an important matter with you." General Pauk led Allen away from the other's range of hearing.

"There are not too many in Fanelia who welcome the return of Prince Folken. The people are disgruntled that Van would let him into our borders after knowing how deeply entrenched Folken was with Emperor Dornkirk's plan to destroy our nation. I was hoping you would reason with him as you have a shared history with him from the Great War. None of the rest of us would dare impose on him our opposition to his decision. But he must think of his people's reaction to such a move."

Allen heaved a deep long sigh. Only two years on the job and politics are taking root in the hearts of these new generals. "I will see to it that he is made aware of his people's true feelings in this matter, although I am sure he already knows. For all my bantering of the young king, he is nobody's fool. Ultimately I will respect his wishes as I, nor anyone in this land can dispute his worthiness, or his political competence." Allen stressed those last words to ward off the intentions of this new general.

General Paul wasn't so easily intimidated though and pressed his point further. "Folken is responsible for the deaths of many, albeit indirectly through that monster Dilandau!"

"Enough! You have made your point, and I said I would speak to him. Let me be." Allen waived off the impudent general as he stormed off into his own world of worries and regrets. How much he missed seeing his sister Serena, and how badly he wanted to know that she was successfully fusing her two personalities. The healers told him that it would take time, but that all people have both light and dark colors to define their souls. Whatever had caused his sister to split these inherent traits in her humanity must have been triggered by something very traumatic.

He strode blindly and deafly past the king who failed to rouse him from his malaise. Inexplicably he needed to see "Prince Edward". At that thought he grinned. She needed a little toying with. He would go out and search for the chit who thinks she can escape training. After all, any young nobleman not training at this time of day is either sick or slacking off.

"This is too risky. For once I think we should listen to the men. Maybe we would be better off staying here." Hitomi stated firmly.

"Hitomi, just yesterday you were absolutely certain that if even one of us was left behind it would mean something very bad. Merle's plan to stow away is the best possible solution. How can you turn 180 degrees in just one day?" Yukari asked.

"I had a terrible nightmare about the Trilladen high priest. He took a knife to me and cut my belly open and I was bleeding and oh it was horrible!" Hitomi covered her face with her hands.

Princess Edwina put an arm around her shoulders and spoke softly to her. "You are the closest I will ever come to having a sister. I have faith in your Van as well as Amano and Allen especially."

Hitomi drew in a deep breath and said, "I still feel that way. I know that we have to go and make sure the men will be all right. I can't stand the thought of seeing Van off wondering if I will ever see him again. I'm just so scared!" She shuttered and Edwina hugged her shoulders to ward off the chill of fright trying to settle into Hitomi's heart.

Merle was getting fidgety hearing all this talk of Hitomi and Van and kept smoothing her skirt ironing phantom wrinkles. She wouldn't meet anyone's eyes, but felt quite put out that Hitomi didn't trust in her plan. Just then she had an idea. Getting her mad would distract her from feeling frightened.

"Humph! You're just jealous 'cause I came up with a really clever idea, that's all. If you're going to be some whining simpering female that Van can't stand to be around, then you may as well go back to the Mystic Moon. I'm sure you'll be quite safe there. We'll look after Van." Merle stuck her nose up in the air in a snooty superior manner.

"Well aren't you glad it isn't raining, otherwise you'd drown with your nose perched up so high." Hitomi teased her back.

Unexpectedly Merle gave her a knowing grin. "Gotcha!"

Yukari broke up the bickering match with distraction. "So when do we put our plan into motion?"

Merle chimed in, "Today! I will go ask Van if I can see Folken. I will go with the excuse that I could carry the King's seal in Van's place. This will assuage the hard feelings of the people as well as ease Folken's mind about his welcome as I am considered an unofficial member of the royal family, certainly a ward of the family at least. No one in this kingdom is glad to see his return, no one except Van and me. I haven't seen him in so long, I don't know if he'll recognize me." She mused.

"Prince Edward!" Allen's voice barked loudly as his quick paced stride at up the distance between him and his victim. Edwina rolled her eyes heaven bound and prayed silently for strength. "Why aren't you in training with the rest of the men? You would rather laze away your day with females, the very ones whose lives you must protect, instead of learning how to do so!"

Princess Edwina asked herself for the umpteenth time why she shared her life force with the nincompoop. Oh yeah, she loved him, when she didn't want to kill him herself. "No one said I had to go today because it is a special day with the arrival of the flying fortress." She whined.

"You even whine like a girl. And I heard you slew the griffin almost single-handedly. I can hardly believe it! You'd think that such a feat would spur you on to greater victories for your princely glory! But still you would rather spend time sitting in the sun picking flowers than learning to defend these gentlewomen. You should be ashamed of yourself!"

Edwina mumbled and slowly hoisted herself up silently imploring the others not to give her away. They looked at her with sympathy and Hitomi piped in. "He has been looking after us, Allen. I was feeling poorly, and he was concerned for me and felt he needed to stay with me to reassure himself that I was okay. "

"Good try, Hitomi, but if you were in real distress any of these other two could have easily helped you. Now come! We have much work to do and King Van is all but exhausted from his training. He doesn't slack off! You should follow his royal example."

The devilish drill sergeant in Allen was unbending and harsh. He was having the time of his life with this astonishing female. He grinned inwardly as he berated her outwardly. His plan was going to be one of good times and laughs after. The first thing he was going to do is try to get "Prince Edward" to undress and wash up for the first time with all the rest of the men. No more excuses. That should stop this whole silly charade!

When the odd couple left, the three of them went back to arranging as many of the details as possible. Merle would ask Van after lunch to see Folken and carry out the diplomatic duties of this mission. She hoped he would let her, but she was willing to put out all the stops. And she had plenty of those!

She got up to leave to freshen up for lunch and begin her part of the scheme. When Hitomi and Yukari were finally alone, Hitomi was able to tell her the secret that was eroding her peace.

"I need to know if you and I can share a room with each other from now on. I need to stay away from Van."

Yukari's eyes were as wide as saucers. "Why?"

"I didn't get a chance to tell you about the whole nightmare. I left the part that was most upsetting, but mostly I didn't want to hurt Merle. You see, in my dream, I was about to deliver a baby girl. She would meet all of the requirements and be the sacrifice, right out of my womb!" Tears welled up anew in Hitomi's eyes and Yukari grabbed her and held her close fending off her own fear.

"I'm hoping I am not already pregnant, we've only shared one night together. I need to keep him away form me so that I won't put us in that sort of danger." Hitomi choked out the words. "I don't want anyone else to know about this. Van is king and I am a no body from the Mystic Moon of all places! He and I love each other, but that might not be enough. These new generals don't seem to like me the way Balgus did." She sniffled.

"I believe it would be enough for Van. It's obvious he can't live without you." Yukari offered.

"Yes, but will you help me?"

"Of course, but we'll need to come up with a really good excuse that will fend off the king. I can't for the life of me think of a single one that would stop him!"

"I can." Hitomi said softly.

"Why am I getting a bad feeling about this?" Yukari almost moaned.

"I could convince him that I am really upset with him for thinking he could leave me behind and risk never seeing him again. I'll stage a fight and then end up with you in your room."

Yukari felt dubious about this whole thing. "Just promise me one thing! That if you are already pregnant you'll tell him as soon as you know for sure and make up with him. He deserves the truth about that."

Hitomi nodded her head in agreement. She would tell him if she were going to have a baby. She just prayed she wasn't pregnant. Not now! They both got up and headed for the great hall to have lunch with their friends and training warriors.