Escaflowne 1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing. So don't sue.

**A king's tale**

**1**

* * *

The faint odour of alcohol reached Allen's nose as soon as he stepped inside the chamber, making him grumble under his breath as a result.

He stood still for a moment as his eyes adjusted to the pitch black darkness around him, before heading towards the nearest window and yanking the heavy curtains to the sides.

A sunbeam immediately crossed the room, falling upon a canopy bed and its two occupants. From the corner of his eye, Allen noticed a figure burying itself deep under the covers, no doubt seeking protection against the intruding light.

Fuming with rage, the blond knight made his way towards his master, careful though not to trip over any of the numerous empty wine bottles scattered over the floor.

"Your highness, do you have any idea what time it is?" He asked the man hiding under the covers.

Upon receiving no answer, his patience started to grow dangerously thin. "You know, your highness, if you keep up with this rather unhealthy lifestyle you appear to have chosen for yourself, I fear Fanelia will soon loose its only monarch and-"

"I'm pretty sure that lecturing your king is not part of your duties, knight Schezar." A young man's head popped out from under the covers, stifling a yawn. "And the reason I know this, is because as your king, I appointed you as head of my army and not as head of my pestering council… So do leave the lecturing to someone else." His master protested while groggily trying to sit up in bed.

Allen decided to ignore his words though. "Well sir, considering the importance of today's scheduled event, I thought it fitting to do so."

His king stared at him with a confused look, seeming to not fully comprehend the meaning behind his words. Allen rolled his eyes. It was so painfully obvious his master was still drunk. Why, he didn't even need to see the red dots showing through the corners of the other man's eyes to be convinced of the fact.

"The _event_…" The knight emphasized through clenched teeth. "The _very_ important _event_ that is taking place this afternoon in the palace."

The other man though continued to look at him in complete bewilderment.

Allen felt like smacking him in the head. "The _event_ which involves _your_ _highness_…"

The confused expression on the young master's face persisted for a few more seconds, until realisation seemed to finally dawn on him as his eyes widened in sudden understanding. "Oh!... Now I remember." He said nonchalantly; lazily running his fingers through his disheveled hair.

Allen shook his head in disappointment at such a blatant display of indifference.

"So you see now sir, why it is crucial for you to get ready as soon as possible and also… why you should ask your _guest_ to leave right away." He advised, turning to gaze meaningfully at the bed.

His king found himself following his eyes until they surprisingly settled upon an unfamiliar pair of brown orbs blinking away sleep right beside him. That was when he first realised since waking up that he hadn't spent the night alone.

The memories of the previous hours suddenly hit the young monarch and although most of them were quite foggy due to his drunken state, something told him he'd had a really, _really_ good time.

Grinning mischievously, he placed a light kiss on the woman's forehead, causing her to blush twenty shades of red. "The grumpy knight over here does have a point, you know?" He said in a hushed tone. "I have a ton of boring stuff to do today. I think we should call it a night… Not that it wasn't a really pleasant one!"

If possible his words made the brunette blush even further. Covering her shy smile with her petite hands, she quickly slid out of bed, careful to hide her scarcely clad body from preying eyes as she collected her dress from where it lay forgotten on the floor.

Her farewell greeting to her king was so utterly clumsy it could actually be considered cute. At least in the dark-haired man's opinion, for he immediately laughed at the stuttering words she directed at him. Fearing she'd made a fool of herself, the young woman didn't loose any time in exiting the room, but not before her one time only lover grabbed her by the wrist, spun her around so that she faced him and slammed his lips against her own in a heated kiss which Allen could only assume was a small sample of the ones they had shared during the previous night.

The woman's giggles lingered in the air long after she left, causing the king's grin to return to his lips. When he focused his attention back on Allen though, the disapproving look he saw on the blond's face caused his good humour to vanish just as quickly as it had appeared.

"_What?_"

"You are incredible Van, do you know that?"

"I thought I told you not to lecture me." The other man said as he flumped back down on his pillow. "I'm really not in the mood right now. My head is killing me." He added, closing his sore eyes against the bright sunlight.

Allen chose to ignore his words yet again. "Serves you right, you drunkard! Who was that woman, anyway?"

Van shrugged. "Some chamber-maid… I think."

"You _think_?"

The incredulous tone on the knight's voice made Van peek at him through half open lids. "I don't remember much about last night, you see…" He explained, pointing at the empty bottles on the floor. "... Don't you dare give me that reproaching look, Allen. I'm free to sleep with _whomever_ I want, _whenever_ I want."

"But today's your wedding day!"

The blond man's comment made Van's stomach jolt all of a sudden. Like he needed to be reminded of that again. "…Which means, my dear friend," He said smugly. "that tonight was my last night of freedom!" He made a move to grab one of the bottles, but Allen reached it first.

"Well knowing you as well as I do, I'm sure you plan on staying true to your wedding vows of fidelity no matter what." The knight retorted sarcastically, as he placed the bottle on top of a dresser, safely away from Van's reach.

His friend shot him a dry look. "You're really no fun at times." He said dryly, sitting back up in bed and rubbing his eyes to get rid of the lingering drowsiness. "…I'm only marrying for political reasons for crying out loud. It's not like it will have any true meaning to it apart from Fanelia getting a very substantial dowry, Cesario getting a peace treaty and both countries getting out of each other's backs for awhile so we can safely return to hating each other in secrecy as we have done for many, many years now... "

Allen stared at him in disbelief. "Am I the only one who thinks you should give this marriage a shot? That you actually have a really good chance of finding happiness for a change?"

"How can I? With an old hag…"

"She's your age!"

"Then I bet she's ugly…"

"She is not ugly, Van! I'll have you know that princess Hitomi is considered one of the most beautiful women in her country and you yourself could know that already if you'd actually take a look at the portrait the royal house of Cesario sent you of her."

"… Then I bet we'll end up hating each other."

"…"

"What? Aren't you going to try to argue back? No witty remarks this time?"

Allen smiled apologetically. "Well, you _did_ threaten to invade her country on multiple occasions… She's bound to not have the highest opinion of you."

"See, just as I told you." Van retorted triumphantly. "Our marriage is doomed!"

His comment was rewarded with having his royal jacket thrown right at his face.

"Well, you have no one but yourself to blame for this, Van. You were the one who agreed to the terms of the peace treaty. You knew very well that marrying the king's sister was part of the deal…"

Van sighed heavily; his expression uncharacteristically grave all of a sudden. "Yes… I know." He said quietly.

"Do hurry up and get ready will you?" Allen pleaded as he made his way towards the main door. "The Cesario delegation will be arriving in no time and I'm not sure if I'll be able to continue to make excuses for your odd disappearance this morning… _your highness_!" He pronounced the last words with fake pompous and left the room in a quick pace.

Van didn't remain in bed for long after that. His hangover with all its dreaded inconveniences wouldn't let him; although he couldn't quite figure out if it was his throbbing headache or upset stomach that was giving him a harder time. As he lazily went around the room trying to get himself ready in time for the big event that awaited him something outside the window caught his attention; something that seemed to be catching his attention quite a lot those days.

He stared intently at the intricate garden below it. An exotic array of rich and delicate foreign plants and flowers, whose names apparently only the royal gardeners could pronounce; a wedding present from Cesario's king, in the form of a metaphor. A hopeful wish that the soon-to-be alliance between the two countries would flourish and bloom, or so the Cesarian official representative had said during one of his many visits. Van couldn't remember anymore.

He _did,_ however, remember thinking at the time that everything the old man kept blabbering about was a load of rubbish. Van even tempted with the idea of throwing away the ridiculous amount of pots and plants so carefully selected by the enthusiastic official just to spite him, but at the last minute decided against it.

He figured his new wife might like to have a little corner in the palace that would remind her of home. After all it would surely be difficult for her to adapt to such a new and unfamiliar country like Fanelia.

So Van ended up giving his chief gardener free reign to do with the foreign plants what he saw fit, although he didn't exactly expect the man to conduct his project right below his private rooms. As he looked at the intricate and delicate flowers, such a stark contrast to the wild traditional Fanelian vegetation, he wondered if by that time the next day the garden would finally be receiving its first visitor.

The grandfather clock beside him suddenly sprung to life disrupting his thoughts though Van still remained motionless as twelve loud clangs echoed throughout the room.

Six more hours and he'd be a married man. He let out another heavy sigh. "What am I getting myself into?" He whispered to himself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **bla bla bla I own nothing bla bla bla bla

**A king's tale**

**2**

* * *

It was no secret to anyone who knew the king of Fanelia well enough that his highness wasn't exactly fond of royal ceremonies. In fact, he pretty much loathed them, and it wasn't that unusual to see him blurt out to whoever might hear him that he'd much rather go to war at any given time than be forced to socialize with those of his kin. So much so, that his advisors had long ago given up on trying to persuade him to hold festivities or other such important social or political gatherings at the palace; leaving the ballroom and ceremonial parlour to collect dust over the years.

So it came as no surprise to anyone that Van seemed to be quite bored that afternoon amongst so many foreign royals and officials thrown into one of those scarcely ever used rooms… even if it was his own wedding ceremony he was attending!

The young king huffed for what felt like the hundredth time in the course of that hour. He's back was beginning to hurt due to him being forced to stand completely still in front of the ceremonial altar for way too long, as the man behind it kept blabbering nonsense in some old forgotten language no one in the room seemed to be able to understand except himself.

Dressed in the most flamboyant outfit the young king had ever laid eyes on, the so called minister, that was so gravely and passionately conducting his wedding ceremony, seemed more equipped for a circus act than his present task. Of course the fact that the old man appeared to like to act out some parts of his speech with exaggerated hand movements didn't help Van's opinion of him.

It was in fact one of his overly choreographic moves, during what could only be assumed as a very serious part of the ceremony, if the minister's grave demeanour was any indication of it, that made Van completely loose control of himself and burst into laughs.

And although he was sure the audience behind him was far too numb to notice his quiet laughter, he did feel someone beside him flinch as soon as he bent his head down in order to conceal his inappropriate grin.

Very slowly, Van chanced looking sideways at the figure clad in white that had been standing by his side since the whole ordeal had started that afternoon.

Well, he had to give credit to Allen on one thing. Princess Hitomi of Cesario was by no means ugly. To Van's surprise she was quite the opposite actually. Perhaps not as eye catching as his usual lady friends, but he was forced to admit she did have a certain charm... Not that he actually cared much about the fact.

Of course he couldn't say the same about her personality, for as soon as she'd locked eyes with him for the first in the reception room a few hours ago, he knew he was in for a whole lot of trouble. Why, if one could poison another just by exchanging looks, Van was pretty convinced he'd be dead by now.

No, there was absolutely no need for anyone to tell him that the princess wasn't fond of him. Actually he was getting more and more convinced as the ceremony went by that Hitomi of Cesario utterly disliked him and that she was in no way standing by his side out of her own free will…

Of course as was expected from a royal of her kind, the princess seemed to be the proverbial picture of politeness and attentiveness and even though Van and her had the opportunity to exchange a few words before being rushed into the ceremonial parlour, never once did she direct a cross word at him or really gave him or anyone of his party any indication she might dislike him or his country.

Van wasn't fooled that easily though. He was more than accustomed to having people lie around him. He could detect deceitfulness a mile away. Her words might had seemed honest, but her eyes had proven them wrong.

And although his advisors bought every single one of her false claims; thanking the gods for their good fortune in finding such a wonderful queen for their country, Van however, was sure Hitomi knew he had seen right through her; and that he was very much aware that he was about to marry a double edged sword.

That was why he couldn't help grinning every time he'd catch a glimpse of her during the ceremony; even if his piercing stare ended up making her extremely uncomfortable; just like it doing was at the moment, as she nervously bit her lower lip hoping he'd avert his eyes from her.

Van was about to laugh again when he suddenly felt something nudging him on the ribs. His head spun around automatically only to find Allen standing on his left side, with an aggravated look on his face.

"What?" Van whispered not so quietly.

The blond knight didn't answer him though; opting instead to discreetly point a finger in the direction of the ceremonial altar. Grumbling to himself, Van looked to where his attention was being demanded and nearly jumped up in surprise.

The old minister was standing right in front of him with a look of aprehension plastered on his features.

"So... do _you_, your highness?" He asked, in an almost frightened manner.

"Huh?... Do _I_ what?" Van mimicked his confused look at the same time he could have sworn he heard Allen gasp in shock beside him.

"…Well, sir… As I have asked you before,… do you take princess Hitomi as your queen?... Sir?"

"...Oh, _that_!...Yeah, sure. Why not?" He shrugged casually.

This time though it wasn't just Allen that Van heard gasping. The young king's nonchalant remark caused quite a stir in the audience behind him.

"Oh well," He thought amused. "At least that woke them up!"

* * *

If Van thought his wedding ceremony had been boring, nothing could have prepared him for the tediously long and surprisingly gloomy reception that was held afterwards in the ballroom. Indeed it was so glum and despondent that at some point Van wondered if he hadn't attended livelier funerals.

On his advisors recommendation the reception had only been opened to the Fanelian and Cesarian parties; in a somewhat pathetically diplomatic way of trying to further strengthen the new friendly alliance between the two otherwise opposing countries.

The thought of taking advantage of the princess's new status as part of the Fanelian family to help ease the situation had surely crossed their eager minds and their idea would had worked brilliantly if not for the little fact that every time anyone would mention the words 'Queen', 'Hitomi' and 'Fanelia' in the same sentence, someone over at the Cesarian delegation would immediately start sobbing.

And it wasn't just the queen's ladies-in-waiting that were putting on a show with their grieving tears. Although their wailing was downright annoying, the tense atmosphere one could immediately feel when entering the room was mainly due to something else, something quite different…

Something involving politics, greed and a whole lot of hatred. Quite an explosive combination considering the parts involved.

From his spot on the throne Van had a clear view of everyone in the room; of every fake smile, of every contemptuous expression, of every tense word being exchanged by the Cesarian and Fanelian delegations.

And considering that just a week prior to that date most of the royal officials in the room had most likely encountered each other on opposing sides of the same battlefield it was indeed surprising that the ballroom hadn't by then already turned into a bloodied therapeutic session of unresolved issues between them.

The ridiculousness of the situation only succeeded in making Van laugh further. How on Gaea had his advisors come up with the idea that a political marriage between the two countries could suddenly heal all their wounds was truly beyond him.

He wondered though, if his advisors, now visibly bothered by the tense situation, weren't themselves also beginning to question their resolve. Well, it was not like Van hadn't warned them!

It was utterly obvious on the Cesarian delegates' faces that none of them were exactly thrilled to be in the company of who they were at the moment. And truth be told, the same could be said for the Fanelians. Why, even the calm and diplomatic Allen Schezar seemed to be having a hard time striking up polite conversation with the Cesarian Prime Minister standing next to him.

If Van's memory wasn't failing him, he had just counted the eleventh fake smile on the blond's face since the reception had started, and in all seriousness, he wasn't even paying much attention to the knight at all.

Van's attention was indeed being driven somewhere else most of the time. Somewhere far more pleasant, some might even say. Although in Van's personal case, it was more a question of curiosity than anything else that kept his eyes roaming back to the lady sitting on the smaller throne beside him.

For Lady Hitomi of Cesario seemed to either be giving him the silent treatment or to had lost the ability to speak altogether. Indeed, since the young king's not so courteous remark during their wedding ceremony she had not said a word to him, nor had she deigned herself to even look his way for that matter.

It was clear to Van that even _she _had ceased to hide her animosity toward him, although he had to admit, he had expected her to act more like the unpleasant Cesarian officials of her party and not so much as the shy, insecure persona whose ways she seemed to had adopted for the moment.

Sitting perfectly still on the plush throne built specially for her, with her petite hands resting on her lap and an almost frightened look on her face, she seemed a shadow of the confident young lady Van had met that afternoon.

He was pretty much confused over her unexpected transformation himself and was about to address her when suddenly all hell broke loose inside the ballroom.

"Blasphemy! How dare you speak ill of our king?" Were the angry words of a Cesarian official, standing close to the newlywed couple.

The Fanelian advisor that was yelled at turned pale instantly. "But, I did not…" He started, clearly confused by the other man's behaviour. "I've only mentioned that it is a shame that king Mamoru couldn't be present today for the ceremony… It would have been considered and added reassurance for the stability of the peace treaty if his highness would have joined us today for the celebrations."

"Our king has given his consent regarding this marriage. That should be more than enough proof of his good intentions toward Fanelia for you all to content yourselves with."

"Good intentions toward Fanelia?" One of Van's Generals suddenly exclaimed. "And what good intentions were there in the attack your king orchestrated against our southern boarder last week? Did he perhaps wish to have his troops beaten up by ours one last time for memory's sake?"

His mocking remark, granted him a few laughs and approving nods from the Fanelian side. As a result though, the tense atmosphere inside the room only got worse.

"Are you suggesting our king is not taking the peace treaty between our countries seriously, _dear friend_?" The Cesarian official asked defiantly.

"I'm merely suggesting, _dear friend_, that if king Mamoru is willing to sell his own sister to his sworn enemy, there is no telling what he'll do next…"

Poison was pouring out of the other man's eyes when he spoke again. "Princess Hitomi will forever remain Cesarian! No peace treaty will change that. Don't think that just because she'll be living in Fanelia from now on, she'll condone your barbaric lifestyle."

"Why you insufferable creature…" The General said between clenched teeth. His angry words were followed by those of his comrades and soon after by others of the opposing party. The noise around the room soon became unbearable.

"ENOUGH!" Van's commanding voice echoed throughout the ballroom, halting everyone's movements. "I will hear no more of this, nor will I tolerate any more of this behaviour. The peace treaty has been signed and the terms agreed on by both parties... However, if anyone present has any doubts about it, they are free to discuss them with the tip of my sword…" His threat seemed to do the trick, as the room went dead silent as soon as he finished speaking.

"Now if you'll excuse me," Van added while getting up from his seat. "It is getting rather late and this _is_ my wedding night, so I would like to have some time alone with _my_ new queen." He added smugly.

As soon the words left Van's mouth a new wave of sobs insued, making him roll his eyes. He chose to ignore them as well as the hate filled stares he was being given by the remaining Cesarian officials and turned around to face Hitomi, extending his hand to her at the same time. "Care to retire with me, my queen?"

Although Hitomi didn't answer him, she placed one of her trembling hands on top of his on and slowly got up from her seat as well.

The young king couldn't help grinning though as he walked past the Cesarian officials who had caused so much commotion, with their precious princess in his hand.

* * *

As Van made his way through the silent corridors with his wife beside him, he found himself smiling yet again at her frightened demeanour. Poor girl, though. With all the stories she would no doubt have heard of him and his reputation when it came to women, Van could only imagine the dark scenarios going through her mind.

As soon as he stopped in front of a pair of large doors, her nervousness increased. And there was no way she could hide it now, as even her free hand was visibly shaking although she did try to stop it by tightly squeezing the side of her dress.

"Well, I believe these were the rooms appointed to you." Van started calmly, nevertheless. "You should find your belongings inside already. If not… feel free to yell at the maids or something… I personally find that they're more productive if they are yelled at…It might work for you too." He mentioned half-jokingly.

His attempt to lighten her solemn mood didn't work though. She still refused to lift her gaze from the floor, let alone direct a single word at him. Knowing he would probably not get any sort of satisfactory reply out of her for that day, Van soon took her small hand from the top of his own and placed it on the doorknob.

"Well then I bid you good night, your highness." He said with a light bow and turned around to leave her.

The sound of her shy voice soon soon stopped him though.

"Aren't… Aren't you going to come in?"

He tried as best as he could to conceal the grin that appeared on his lips, as he turned to look at her; his eyes wide in faked confusion. She herself had her eyes on him now; a clear mixture of surprise and apprehension looming over them.

"Whatever for?" He asked, unable to hide his amusement any longer, while slowly making his way towards her again.

Her skin flushed instantly. "I…I was under the impression that it was a Fanelian costume for the bride and groom to spend their wedding night together."

Chuckling softly, Van slowly leaned towards her, whispering against her ear. "Even if the bride cares nothing for the groom?"

His sudden closeness seemed to trigger some self-defence mechanism in Hitomi making her immediately take a step backwards in an attempt to put some distance between them. "I have never said-"

Amused by her reaction, Van nonetheless pulled himself away from her. "There's really no need to pretend, your highness…We both know this marriage is just a political façade. Besides, I do treasure my life a great deal and if I were to spend the night with you I fear I might wake up with a dagger against my neck."

His comment left her speechless. Van couldn't tell if she looked more appalled or hurt by it. "I would never…" She paused to collect her thoughts for a moment; her voice was shaking when she spoke up again. "Well sir, I see now that all I've heard of you is true…"

"Oh really? And what could you possibly have heard of me?"

His mocking demeanour made her green eyes flicker with rage.

"...Nothing good I can assure you. You're mostly referred to as a spoiled, pretentious and arrogant king who thinks wars are some sort of recreational sport and that mistreats and discards women like-"

"Hey!" Van stopped her; not so amused this time. "If you want to think of me as a lousy king, go ahead. I'm sure your brother has poisoned your mind enough on that matter." He snickered. "But I have _never_ mistreated a woman in my life. Ever!... Hell, I treat them so well they keep begging me to get back into my bed."

The sound of her palm hitting Van's cheek echoed through the silent hall even after Hitomi had disappeared behind the heavy doors of her new chambers.

Van was left staring dumbfounded at the closed doors, wondering if he had imagined what had just happened.

He slowly took a hand to his burning cheek, massaging it carefully. "…Well, that was a first!" he mumbled.

* * *

Sorry it took me so long to update and thank you so much for all the reviews. I'm glad you liked the first chapter =)


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **Yep, still own nothing T_T

**A king's tale**

**3**

* * *

Van looked up at his chief advisor and frowned. "Care to explain yourself, counselor? I'm not sure I understand where you're getting at."

His seemingly relaxed tone only succeeded in making the old man further uneasy. He was very much aware of his king's short temper, how one misplaced word would be enough to unleash his wrath, and it would be a lie not to admit he feared grave consequences of the outcome of that conversation.

"Well, sire… It has come to your council's attention that for the past few weeks… since your wedding day actually,… you have not…"

"I have not… _what_?" Van asked, clearly amused by his advisor's uneasiness.

"… You have not been seeking Queen Hitomi's company at all." He said in one breath.

To the old man's chagrin, Van laughed. "Is _that_ all this is about?" He asked, leaning back against his chair; a mischievous grin appearing on his lips. "You mean you have finally come to scold me for being a bad husband? Well… it sure took you long enough."

His advisor sighed. He had hoped to be able to have a serious conversation with his king for a change. "Your highness, I strongly urge you not to make a light case of this matter. The importance of the peace treaty for our country…"

"I'm very much aware of the importance of the treaty to Fanelia, counselor." Van cut him off sternly. "Even if King Mamorou does not seem at all interested in keeping his end of the bargain… Have his troops not been spotted close to our borders this week?"

"One more reason to be in good terms with her majesty the Queen, sire! King Mamorou and his sister are very close. She is well known to exercise a great deal of influence over his decisions."

_Not enough to prevent him from giving her away to a man she loathes._ Van thought bitterly.

"Sire, you're council believes Fanelia would most benefit from the success of your union to your wife."

Van snickered. "I'm afraid though, that my council fails to realize that my wife would rather see me dead, than courting her."

Suddenly taken aback by his king's words, the chief advisor had no time to further plead his case, as a knock on the study's door signaled the premature end of their conversation.

"Go, old man." Van said to him, as Allen entered the room. "Tell my council to rest assured, I shall attempt the impossible."

"You have not come here to scold me too, I hope?" He asked the blond knight, as soon as the other man left the room.

Allen rolled his eyes at him. "By all means Van, I have given up on that years ago. You are far beyond salvation!"

His comment made the young king smile. He could always count on his friend to be blunt.

"To what do I owe the honor of your sudden visit, then?" Van asked, getting up from behind his desk. He had been cooped up on his private study the whole day, going through boring paperwork that sadly only him, as king, could deal with, and was in dying need of a break.

"The alpha battalion of the Cesarian army has put up camp outside of our southern borders."

Van leaned against the window frame, seemingly unimpressed. "Tell me something I don't know."

"They mean business, Van." Allen said gravely, while joining his side. "If they open fire at us, we will be forced to retaliate, and you know very well what that means…"

Van huffed, letting the silence reply on his behalf, while his eyes kept following the lonesome figure, slowly walking about the royal gardens beneath the study's window. A habit he'd recently acquired, despite himself.

One he liked to attribute to mere curiosity, although he was forced to admit, that in the last few days, he had found his gaze gravitating towards her more often, through the safety of those frosted windows; but only because she had begun to look uncharacteristically pale to him, or so he tried to convince himself.

Allen stared at his king's sudden brooding countenance, before letting out a heavy sigh. "You know, you could try talking to her, instead of just staring from afar, like some pathetic adolescent with a platonic crush… Have you even apologized to her yet, for your appalling behavior the other day?"

Van stared at his friend sideways. "I have nothing to apologize for."

Allen grinned. "Really? Then why are you so consumed with guilt right now?"

"…"

* * *

She moaned from pleasure, as he deepened their kiss; her hands clinging to his shirt as if her life and sanity depended on it.

Her breaths came out ragged, her chest heaving against the tight corset, as he finally parted his lips from hers, needing himself to catch his breath.

Blue eyes stared into lust filled ones, while her lips curled up into a seductive smile. "I missed you." She whispered into his ear, as her fingers started to fumble with the buttons of his pants.

"Millerna, no!" He warned, pulling her hands away from him.

"And why not?" She asked defiantly.

"I didn't ask you to come here for that." He sighed, pulling a hand through his hair. He was already starting to loath himself for letting the situation get to point where it was. He really had no resolve when he was near that woman.

And she knew it. Her sly smile, as she tangled her arms around his neck was proof enough of that.

"Am I such an awful woman, to demand a little attention from my lover? We haven't seen each other in weeks after all."

"I am not your lover, Millerna." Van said firmly, although the only reaction his statement got from her was a bitter laugh.

"I guess that is true... After all, you are not capable of _loving_ anyone, Van. You don't know the meaning of the word." She said with obvious resentment, already knowing that he wouldn't contradict the accusation… He never did. "Tell me then, why is it that you wished to see me?"

"…I want you to move out of the palace for a while." Van stated, finally managing to disentangle himself from her arms.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "And may I ask why?" She promptly demanded only to suddenly realize the obvious. "Oh, don't tell me you're afraid your little wife might find out about us?" She laughed. "Why, Van, you would have to rid this palace of half its women then, not just me… I'm not the only one to warm your bed, after all."

The icy stare he shot her, ended up hurting her more than his cold words. "She is your _Queen_, Millerna. Watch your tongue."

She snickered at him in return. "Well, well, who would have guessed? One week into your puppet marriage and you suddenly feel like playing the role of the devoted husband? Spare me Van, we both know very well the role doesn't suit you!"

She cooked her head to the side, eyeing him more intently; his unexpected behavior taking the best out of her curiosity, when suddenly a thought crossed her mind. It all started to make perfect sense to her.

"Oh, don't tell me you're trying to atone for your father's sins?" She smirked.

"Enough, Millerna!" He warned.

"Give it up Van. Fidelity is not a trade of the Fanels. It's best your wife understands that soon, otherwise she will end up withering away from grief like your mother did."

"I said, ENOUGH!" Van shouted, his hands griping her upper arms. "You _will_ leave this palace, Millerna, and don't make me ask you again. I will not do it politely next time."

"Shhhh, Van, someone might hear you!" She hushed jokingly, looking around the garden and making him suddenly aware himself of their not-so-secluded surroundings.

He figured his apprehension might have been plain to her, because before he knew it, he felt her fingers lightly stroking his cheek. "Relax Van," she said in an apparently subdued voice. "…if such is my king's wish, I will bravely accept the burden of not being able to be by his side for a while."

Van controlled the urge not to laugh. Millerna was such a perfectly designed machine of lies and deceitfulness, the young king could only feel sorry for the poor bastards she would be preying on as soon as she left his side.

"I want something in return though…"

Van narrowed his eyes at her. He had been expecting some kind of demand. "_What_?"

"…A farewell kiss." She whispered, quickly closing the distance between them, before he even had the chance to deny her advances.

Their lips had barely touched though, when Millerna suddenly pulled away from him, gasping in surprise; her gaze focused somewhere behind Van. Confused, the young king turned around to face the source of her sudden alarm, and froze.

On the opposite side of the garden, among the freshly planted rose bushes, a young woman stood quietly staring at them. Her green eyes lingered only for a fraction of a second on Van, before she turned around, and as quietly as she had appeared, disappeared behind the foliage.

* * *

Hitomi sighed, placing her book down. She had finally resigned to the fact she would be unable to find the peace and quiet required to continue her readings in an enjoyable manner.

Her attention thus turned to the cup of cinnamon tea being poured in front of her by her chief chamber-maid Mirana, a lively and caring old lady, who had been serving the Fanelian household for two generations, and which had turn out to be one (if not the only) ally Hitomi had found in her new home.

"Are you feeling ill, my Queen?" Mirana asked, genuinely concerned. "Your complexion has been somewhat pale as of late."

Hitomi smiled, hoping to dispel her concern, although in truth she didn't really feel like it. "I am fine Mirana. You worry far too much about me." She reached out for the simmering cup, the familiar scent of spices instantly surrounding her, transporting her far away, back to the security of her country and her most beloved brother.

She bit her lower lip to prevent a treacherous tear from escaping her lid. A habit she had acquired as of late.

Mirana frowned. Her wise years prevented her from being fooled so easily. She knew painfully well that her Queen was not happy in her new home, and so had taken it upon herself to try and help her adapt to her new surroundings, so different from those of her birth country.

She was about to say some encouraging words to her Queen, hoping to lift her spirits, when the giggle fest, that had continuously been heard throughout the royal chambers that afternoon, broke through the air once again.

Mirana's eyes were fuming with rage as she turned to a group of ladies-in-waiting gleefully leaning over an open window; completely absorbed in whatever scenery was displayed outside.

"Why you insolent girls!" The old lady retorted angrily. "Have you nothing better to do, than to spend your youths in such an idle fashion? Go find something useful to do with your time, and spear her highness of your futile presence."

Satisfied with seeing the young girls put in check, she turned to her Queen only to find her smiling openly at her. "Now, now, Mirana! There is no need to be so hard on them. Let them enjoy themselves."

Joyful to sense her Queen on their side, one of the girls pulled her tongue out at the chamber-maid, making the later even more angry with the situation.

"But your highness, you know very well, the only thing these impertinent ladies do all afternoon, is spy on the training sessions of the royal army."

"Oh, don't mind them, Mirana. There is no harm in looking. Besides, it is my fault they spend most of the time inside these chambers after all. It wouldn't feel right to take away from them their only means of diversion." Hitomi said, while getting up from her seat.

"Who is it this time, ladies? I must say you are particularly loud this afternoon. I'll have to agree with Mirana on that." Hitomi asked while approaching the window herself; her ladies-in-waiting suddenly panicking. "Don't tell me Knight Schezar is training the troops again?" She asked amused, while they blushed crimson.

"Well, I wonder who could it be this tim-…Oh!" The smile died on her lips.

In the sunbathed courtyard below the window, a group of men gathered around in a large circle, cheering and shouting, as two other men in the middle, carefully faced each other, swords in hand.

The match must had been going on for quite some time, as even from the distance Hitomi could see their naked torsos covered in sweat, their muscles glistening in the light with every clash of their swords.

It was with a tingle of apprehension that Hitomi noticed the unmistakable sight of blood that like a thin cut, marked general Hideto's upper arm, but it was clear who was the crowd's favorite in that battle.

Every thrust and block performed by his opponent, for now apparently unscathed, was followed by a wave of cheers. Van was clearly dominating the match, seemingly to only want to prolong it for the sake of fun and the other men's cheers.

For a split second, Hitomi wished for the blade cut to be on his arm instead.

"O-Our deepest apologies, Queen Hitomi." The voice of Merle, the newest of her ladies-in-waiting, and not arguably the most air-headed, brought her mind back to the room. "We shall immediately return to our duties!"

Hitomi noticed Merle didn't dare show her face to her as she bowed, no doubt attempting to conceal her inappropriate blush. It was not like she had to, though.

The young Queen was well aware that more than half of her ladies-in-waiting, either of Fanelian or Cesarian descent, harbored a secret love for the king of Fanelia, no doubt hoping to one day be fortunate enough to be one of his chosen lovers, if only for one night.

The thought of being forced to call such a type of man her "husband" made Hitomi sick to her stomach.

She turned her back to the window immediately, ignoring the last wave of cheers that erupted outside, signaling the king's triumph.

* * *

The letter had arrived by a special messenger.

It was getting harder for Cesarian officials to cross into Fanelia freely, now that the animosity between the two countries had reached a new peak, with the Cesarian troops stationed so close to the Fanelian border, for their scheduled 'routine exercises' as they had been officially called, but still the messenger had been able to discretely penetrate the borders and deliver its precious missive to its intended recipient.

Hitomi had practically ran to the safety of her private garden, the only place she could truly feel at ease inside the palace gates, clutching the letter tightly against her chest, and had spent the last hour reading and re-reading every line her brother had written her, trying to draw some much needed comfort from his words.

"Letter from home?" Someone cut through the silence behind her.

Hitomi's eyes widened in panic, her first instinct telling her to hide the letter in fear it might be taken away from her, but she decided to remain calm and composed as she turned around to face her speaker.

Van stood behind her, shirt unbuttoned, sword strapped loosely around his waist, hair clinging to his face as if he'd been sweating under the sun. She quickly figured he'd probably been sparring with his troops again, and mentally kicked herself for not remembering he sometimes cut across her garden at that time of day, in order to get to his private chambers while avoiding most of his advisors along the way.

"I hope your brother is well…" He continued, taking her silence as a 'yes' to his first question.

Hitomi frowned at his comment. "Do you _really_ mean that?"

"Well… not really." He smiled. "But I wouldn't want the letter to cause you anymore distress than you already have been subject to."

His unexpected words surprised her. Unable to say anything in return, an awkward silence fell between the two of them.

"I-I'll leave." She finally said, starting to rise from her bench.

"Out of the question." He immediately added, shaking his head. "It was I who imposed on your privacy. Please stay as long as you wish. Also, I'll give word for no one to disturb you while you remain here."

His comment baffled her to silence once again.

"Well then," Van said, bowing slightly, not wishing to prolong her uneasiness any further. "I wish you a good evening."

But as he went past her, Hitomi noticed the red stain on his shirt.

"You're hurt!" She stated with more alarm than she wished to show.

Van stared in confusion at her for a moment, before remembering the light sting on his arm. He lifted his sleeve to reveal a thin cut crossing his forearm.

"Oh this! It's nothing really." He chuckled, almost in embarrassment. "General Hideto finally got his revenge on me that's all. Oh, but rest assured he shall not live to boost about his treacherous act for long. My infamous wrath shall descend upon him swiftly. "

Hitomi shook her head, dismissing his words. "The blood is already dripping to your hand. You'll stain the floors inside if you do not cover it properly. Here, wrap your wound with this." She said, taking a loose sash from her gown and giving it to him.

Van hesitated for a second, before accepting her gift and clumsily trying to cover the wound, only to succeed in staining the sash far more than his shirt already was.

"H-Here, let me do that for you." She offered hesitantly, taking out a new, clean sash from her gown, while Van placed his injured arm within her reach.

He eyed her expertise with genuine interest. "You're very good at this."

She smiled slightly. "I grew up with four brothers, who were very fond of sparring with each other. With the amount of wounds I've treated from them, I could probably get myself a nurse's degree."

Van laughed. "Please be kind to me, and tell me that your brother Mamorou was the one who lost more often".

Hitomi grinned at him. "I'm sorry to disappoint you, your highness. But my brother remains till this date undefeated in every match he has ever played." She stated, while she finished tying the sash around his arm.

"Thank you." Van said, and she bowed respectfully at him, turning around in the direction of the bench.

He watched her retreating figure, the quiet display of grace of movements he had grown accustomed to watch from afar and suddenly felt impelled to speak. "I am truly sorry you had to be dragged into this conflict… You deserve better."

She stopped, but did not face him again.

"I'm afraid that I have recently behaved toward your highness in a way which is not proper both of my position and education. I should be the one apologizing to you..."

Van chuckled under his breath. "If you are referring to having slapped me, rest assured, I bear no ill feelings on the matter… I deserved it, after all."

He recalled the scene she had witnessed just a few days ago, and suddenly felt disgusted with himself. "Actually, if you wish to slap me again I will not turn away. I have not treated you with the respect you are entitled to as Fanelia's Queen… and my wife."

This time it was Hitomi's turn to chuckle. "Your highness, please do not think of me as a helpless fool. I knew very well the sole purpose of our marriage when I agreed to it, and so did you. I cannot expect or demand anything else apart from what was agreed on, in the treaty that sealed it, and that was to ensure peace between Fanelia and Cesario, nothing else."

Her calmness surprised Van. He had expected her to be angry, bitter even, he had even half-expected her to slap him again. He was _hoping_ that she'd slap him again, perhaps his guilt would be assuaged, if only a little bit.

"You are free to live your life as you wish, your highness, and with _whom_ you wish. I will not impose on it in any way." She added, hoping her voice had conveyed a firmness, she was well aware was not truthful.

* * *

Minutes later, Van leaned his back against the door of his private study and sighed, as the voice of his chief advisor echoed through the hall outside, frantically calling out for the royal physician.

He guessed his advisor hadn't been convinced by him saying that a cut on his arm couldn't actually kill him.

He even tempted with the idea of going after the man, before the whole palace would start thinking that their king was on his death bed, but then he noticed Allen sitting on the window seat beside him, his face uncharacteristically grave. This couldn't be a good omen. Van thought to himself.

"What is it?" He demanded.

Allen lifted an envelope in his hand, so that his king could recognize its royal seal immediately.

"We intercepted this message a few hours ago, from a Cesarian soldier trying to cross our border. Our scribe has already confirmed it to us. It's signed by king Mamorou himself."

"Spare me the small talk, Allen."

The blond knight sighed heavily.

"It's a warrant for your death, Van."

* * *

(hope you enjoyed the chapter!^^ now i shall retreat back to my cave)


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Yes, I do own the original story and characters (Hey, I can dream, can't I? XP)

**A king's tale**

**4**

* * *

The sun had set a few minutes ago. It was a warm evening. It had been a warm day.

Van watched the last sparks of daylight disappear over the horizon as if he was in a trance. It was his favourite time of the day. It had always been. A palette of blues and reds tinted the sky but he knew darkness would soon consume the valley, immersing it in an eerie silence, so powerful it could cause shivers.

It was a feeling of comfort that invaded him though, one that could only be understood by someone who had lived enclosed by those mountains for as long as he had.

He sighed quietly. Now if he could only manage to get his chief advisor to stop prattling beside him…

"Sire, I must again alert you to the dangers of your decision." The man said; anxiety plainly visible on his features. "To come to this deserted valley, without the proper protection of the royal guard-"

Van feigned confusion. "But counsellor, I could not possibly conceive of anyone more adequate to protect me than the people currently with me. Why, is not knight Schezar over here the finest swordsman in Fanelia?" He said with exaggerated graveness, while tapping his friend on the shoulder.

"And I'm sure you yourself counsellor, would jump to my rescue, if any speck of an attempt against my life would be made… Would you not?"

"O-Of course, sire!" The man retorted, clearly fidgeting now, which nearly caused his king and the knight to burst out laughing. "But to arrange a meeting with King Mamorou in such a place… The peril is too grand! After all, that missive we intercepted most irrevocably stated that King Mamorou cared nothing more than to-"

"-have my head on a plate?" Van finished. "Oh, don't make such a face, counsellor. It's not like I intend to give in to him. I happen to like my head where it is. Besides, ambushes are not King Mamorou's style. He would never kill _me_ without a proper audience."

"But then why come all the way here?" The counsellor asked.

"I want some answers." Van replied truthfully. "…And the fact that King Mamorou has consented to this meeting, makes me think he wants some answers to."

"Your highness." Allen's voice cut in.

Van turned around to face the knight, who was visibly on high alert now; his eyes focused somewhere in front of him. "The tree line up ahead."

The king followed his gaze until he spotted three mounted figures, half-hidden in the shadows, slowly making their way to the clearing close to where he now was.

Even from the distance, Van could see that King Mamorou's retinue was heavily armed and ready for business, and for a moment he wondered whether or not the trees now falling behind them, concealed any unpleasant surprises.

Pushing the thought away from him, Van gently tapped his mare to move in the same direction as his counterpart, followed closely by Allen.

As the two Cesarian soldiers stopped short of the clearing's entrance, Van signalled Allen to halt as well.

"Just between us, Van." Allen whispered. "I think this is the stupidest idea you've ever had!"

Van smirked. "Just between us, Allen." He whispered back. "I think so too." And he tapped his mare to go forward.

From then on, Van's eyes were fixed on his counterpart, until they both stopped their rides in the middle of the clearing, a few meters apart from each other.

"Van." His opponent greeted, with a slight bow of the head.

"Mamorou." The young king mimicked the greeting.

A short pause followed, neither party seeming at all interested in being the one to formally start the conversation.

"I was advised that I should thank you for agreeing to this meeting." Van finally said; his voice unaffected. "…So thank you for agreeing to this meeting."

"…Which, knowing you, you are no doubt saying unwillingly, but you are welcome."

"Why do you want me dead?" Van asked flatly; his bluntness making the other man smile.

"Are we jumping into unpleasantries so soon?... I suppose I should had been expecting it, though. You were never one to dwell on small talk."

The young king narrowed his eyes at him. "I'm waiting…"

A tense silence ensued between them, while their gazes remained locked.

"We were friends once, Van…"

"Friends don't issue death warrants on each other."

At the sound of the accusation, king Mamorou unconsciously tightened the hold on his horse's reins, making it shift nervously under his weight.

"What makes you think I'll answer truthfully?"

"You also want me to answer to _your_ questions truthfully, do you not?" Van grinned, relishing on the fact the other man seemed visibly upset now.

"Let me make this clear to you Van. I have never wished for your death."

"That's odd!" Van frowned. "Did you sign my death warrant by mistake then?" He asked; his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"You left me no choice! I have tried every damned diplomatic way to get through to you, and to what avail? None whatsoever!... By the gods, you are the most stubborn bastard I have ever met, Van. "

The young king snickered at him. "I'll bow to you on this one Mamorou. It was a cunningly conceived plan… from willingly signing the peace treaty, to marrying of your sister to the enemy and now plotting to make her a widow so you can usurp Fanelia's thron-"

"Leave my sister out of this!" King Mamorou retorted angrily.

"Why? Isn't she the reason why you agreed to this meeting?" Van asked. "Aren't you dying to ask me how she's faring? After all, I bet you can't find it in you to believe anything she writes in her letters to you. She's the type of person who would lie about her own misery just to spare you the grief."

The other man's eyes flickered with rage as he grabbed the hilt of his sword. "I swear I'll trespass you right here if you so much as suggest you are not treating her with the dignity and respect she deserves." He threatened.

"You should have thought about that before you sold her off to me." Van retorted heatedly, gripping the hilt of his own sword.

Sensing the eminence of an attack on their monarch, the two Cesarian soldiers quickly stirred their rides to his aid, followed closely by Allen on the opposite side of the clearing, although both their lieges swiftly raised their hands in the air, as a clear sign for them to halt their advances.

King Mamorou breathed in deeply, trying to control his rage. "I didn't sell my sister off to you, Van." He stated, a few seconds later. "She agreed to marry you out of her own free will. Believe me… I tried to talk her out of the mistake several times."

"…_What_? What are you talking about?" Van asked. "Our marriage was one of the conditions of the treaty. You imposed the condition yourself."

"Because she asked me too!" Mamorou confessed, shaking his head. "Only the gods know what she saw in you all those years ago, Van; what fantasy ended up clouding her head into thinking that every sickening story of your conduct that reached her ears had to be a lie." He laughed bitterly. "My poor sister is indeed a fool! To think that she would have felt it a blessing to marry you, even without the prospect of peace between our countries."

Van was stunned by his confession. "_All those years ago? _Are you mad, Mamorou? We had never met before our wedding day… and for _your_ information, she bloody hell hates me! She's hated me ever since she first laid eyes on me that day."

King Mamorou laughed at his confused state. "Somehow I am not surprise you don't seem to recall anything… At least I'm glad my sister seems to have gained some sense of reality when it comes to you. As bitter as it might have felt to her, it was probably for the best." He gently tapped his horse to turn around, leaving Van behind to dwell on his words.

"Annul the wedding, Van." He shot back at him over the shoulder. "Annul it, let my sister return home and I'll grant you a new peace treaty. We'll shut our borders to each other and never have to speak of death warrants again."

* * *

She was finally convinced that she was sick.

One whole week of feeling nauseated, feverish and light-headed had finally been enough to persuade her to go see the royal physician.

Of course, sooner or later someone would undoubtedly have dragged her to him anyway, seeing as she looked increasingly paler with each passing day.

She suspected a mild case of food poisoning; the mere thought of any simple meal being enough to make her want to throw up.

The funny thing to her was, that given different circumstances, had her marriage started off on the right foot with Van, she would probably be attributing her current symptoms to a whole other cause.

Hitomi shook her head to dispel such absurd thoughts. She had no energy left in her to devote to the childish fantasies she once harboured.

Right now the only thing she wished for was to reach the security of the physician's office and his array of reportedly miracle herbs and drugs, before she passed out cold in the deserted hall.

She had already experienced quite a feat in having been able to escape her chambers without being spotted by neither her ladies-in-waiting, nor her trusted maid Mirana, although she now wished she had paid more attention to the latter, when the chief chamber maid had tried, on more than one occasion, to detail to her the vast number of corridors and halls that connected the different wings of the palace.

Hitomi knew very well she was lost, but in no way was she ready to give in to defeat and ask for assistance in finding her destination. The last thing she wanted after all was to bring the palace to an uproar, thinking that there was something wrong with her.

If there was one thing she had learned from her still brief stay at her new home, was that the Fanelian court was quick to panic. She remembered the day when Van had lightly hurt his arm in the friendly match with his general, only to end up causing a commotion within his council, with the majority of his advisors seeing the occasion as the perfect excuse to arrange an extraordinary meeting to discuss emergency plans related to their monarch's possible doom.

Meeting which would probably had ended up taking place, had Van not threatened to send all of his advisors to the palace's dungeons for a couple of days, in order for them to discuss their ridiculous plans there.

Hitomi couldn't help but smile as she remembered the scene. Van sure knew how to keep his household in check. She had to give him credit for that.

She was reliving in her mind his latest altercation with his advisors when she heard a dull thud coming from somewhere near her.

Suddenly frightened, she looked around the deserted hall for the source of the disturbance, only to notice a large number of trunks and suitcases strangely scattered about an open chamber not too far from her.

Before she knew what to make out of the scene though, a young blonde woman appeared at the chamber's entrance, pulling a small trunk along with her and dropping it with a thump beside the other ones.

"Well, this was the last one!" She said to herself, apparently relieved. "Thanks for nothing, stupid maid. I won't be asking for help around here again, that's for sure… Standing me up! Hmpf, the nerve!"

Hitomi recognized the blonde immediately. Lady Millerna Aston was quite famous within the Fanelian court after all, although some might say, not for the most virtuous reasons.

A former courtesan, occupation she seemed not at all embarrassed to hide, she had acquired her 'Lady' status within the court by marrying an old Fanelian nobleman a few years prior, who had however died under mysterious circumstances just a couple of months after the wedding.

Widowed and _arguably_ heartbroken, she had appeared at court one day, pleading for the king's aid as she was being persecuted by creditors who intended to claim, according to _her_, her late husband's many debts.

Some say it was love at first sight between her and the king of Fanelia; others say it was lust. Whatever the reason though, the truth was that Lady Millerna had since then taken up permanent residence at the palace, and all her creditors had been fully repaid.

It was no secret to anyone though, that her bond with the king was far from proper. She had reportedly been given free access to his private chambers, honour no other Lady shared, and was indisputably remarked as being the woman with whom he had maintained his longest relationship to date.

She was even rumoured to have had become pregnant with his child at some point, although a miscarriage had destroyed her ambition of giving the country its first heir, much to Van's advisors relief.

Hitomi had seen Millerna around the palace many times; perhaps as many as the rumours that circulated about her, although the young queen had to confess she paid very little attention to them at first.

After all, her ladies-in-waiting, who seemed to wish to want to let her in on all the court's gossip, were well known for their jealous tongues. And a woman as beautiful as Lady Millerna, brought out the worst in them, so much so, that Hitomi had long since played a deaf ear to the stories they came up with.

She wasn't naïve to the point she believed all the rumours to be unfounded though; particularly the ones that involved Van. And even though it was not in Hitomi's nature to judge people based on rumours, the truth was that she had already witnessed first-hand the ultimate proof of their bond, when she caught them by surprise in the royal gardens just a week after her wedding.

To her own surprise though, the scene hadn't shocked her as much as she had expected it to. If anything, it further helped her to realise just how foolish she had been in believing the fantasies she had created in the past regarding Van had any shred of truth in them. Not that she really cared anymore…

"Are you leaving on a trip, Lady Millerna?" Hitomi asked; her voice cutting through the silence of the deserted hall.

Realising for the first time she wasn't actually alone, the blonde woman nearly jumped in fright.

"Oh by the gods, you scared me." Millerna confessed, immediately turning to face her speaker; a hand above her heart. "How long have you been standing there, woman? You nearly gave me a heart attack!" She asked almost amused, before her eyes widened in sudden realization as she looked over Hitomi. "O-Oh your highness! My apologies. I did not recognize you."

Her awkward bow made Hitomi smile inwards. She realised it was the first time they were actually speaking to each other and judging by the other woman's sudden tense demeanour Hitomi figured she was the last person that Lady Millerna would have cared to encounter in that hallway.

Nonetheless Hitomi slowly approached her, pretending to be interested in the collection of trunks and suitcases scattered around her.

"It's quite a considerable amount of luggage." She noted.

"Oh, yes. You see, I have a sister living in Asturia who recently gave birth to a girl... Since I haven't been home in a while, I thought this would be a good opportunity to visit and to lend her a hand…"

Hitomi eyed her curiously. "And will you be gone for long?" She asked. Somehow she found it strange that Van would approve her prolonged absence.

A thin shadow of a smile appeared in Millerna's lips as she looked outside a window, avoiding Hitomi's gaze. "Perhaps… I guess only time will tell."

The queen was unable to register her mysterious omen though, as a sudden wave of dizziness caused her to lose focus on her surroundings for a few seconds. "Will you be needing assistance with the luggage?" She forced herself to ask, hoping to push the feeling away. "Perhaps you could request help from the maids…"

"The maids?" Millerna laughed suddenly. "Oh, I apologise for my outburst your highness, but no, I will not be requesting help from this palace's maids ever again. Not the most dependable staff, I'm afraid!" She added with bitterness and Hitomi recalled her first comments earlier on. "Besides, I'm waiting for my ride. He's bound to come pick me up at any time now."

Feeling a new wave of dizziness threatening to take over her, Hitomi had to discreetly support herself on a mantelpiece to maintain balance. She desperately needed to reach the physician's office as soon as possible.

"…Is something wrong, your highness?" She heard Millerna's voice from far away say. "You don't look well."

Hitomi forced out a smile. The last thing she wanted was to faint in front of Van's mistress after all. "A minor heatstroke I suppose…" She shrugged, seemingly unperturbed.

"Well, Lady Millerna, I do wish you a pleasant journey to Asturia." She added, turning away from the blonde while the other acknowledged her remark with another awkward bow.

"…You need not feel threatened of me, your highness." Was the comment that made Hitomi turn around to face Millerna again.

"Excuse me?"

"He doesn't love me…" The blonde said quietly.

"Who?"

"Va-… I mean, the king." Millerna quickly amended. "Despite the rumours you've no doubt heard about the two of us, I can assure you he doesn't love me... He never did."

Hitomi stared at her in surprise. She truly hadn't expected the blonde to be so open about her affair. "I do not care who the king loves." She found herself stating nonetheless.

Millerna chuckled. "That's the problem. He doesn't _love_ anyone. He's got himself convinced he _cannot_ love anyone. That _love_ is some sort of disease that if he succumbs to it, it will eat him up from inside and make him weak and pitiful just like his mother."

"Lady Millerna, I hardly think we should be having a conversation of this nature in such a pla-"

"Your highness, in all the years I've known him, I have never seen him make the slightest effort to put a woman's happiness above his own. Yet for some reason, he unconsciently seems to be attempting to do just that with you." Millerna said firmly. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I think he has feelings for you, even if he doesn't realise them himself yet."

Hitomi grabbed the mantelpiece for support again. Her nausea had now returned as well, although she was having a hard time figuring out whether or not it were the blonde's remarks that had brought it about this time.

"And may I ask what makes you think I care?" She asked Millerna with a hint of defiance. She couldn't fathom why Van's mistress, of all people, was trying to push them to be together.

Millerna smiled at her nonetheless. "Because I saw how you looked at him when you caught us together in the gardens…" She answered simply. "Your highness, the truth is I do not love our king enough to save him from himself… but I have a feeling you might."

"Lady Millerna? Lady Millerna!" A young gentleman interrupted her suddenly, as he came into view at the end of the hall. "Oh, indeed it is you. I thought I had heard your voice." He added as he approached her. "Oh, and your highness." He courtly added as he saluted Hitomi, albeit a bit surprised of seeing the pair together in such a place.

"General Hideto. There you are!" Millerna called out, a charming smile instantly gracing her features. "I was beginning to think you had forgotten your promise to me."

The general shook his head dismissing her words. "I would never do such a thing Lady Millerna. I am a man of my word." He said, almost blushing under her penetrating gaze. "B-But is this your luggage?" He asked as he took notice of the amount of trunks and suitcases.

Millerna chuckled nervously. "Well, I do suppose I might have exaggerated packing, but the Asturian weather is so unpredictable at times one needs a variety of clothing options, wouldn't you agree general?... General Hideto?" She tried again, although was quick to realise that Hideto was eyeing his queen with sudden concern and had stopped paying attention to her.

"Your highness, are you feeling well? You look quite pale... Would you like me to escort you back to your chambers?" He asked his queen.

Hitomi tried her best to sound normal although she was painfully aware the task was probably pointless by then. She had just caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror and feared her complexion was starting to resemble that of a ghost. "Thank you for your concern general Hideto, but I'm… I'm _fine_. As I have previously explained to Lady Millerna, I just seem to be suffering from a minor heatstroke, that's all…" She lied.

For once though, neither of her listeners seemed convinced at all. "Perhaps it would be best if you did escort her highness back, general." Millerna whispered. "I can wait here for your return".

"Please, there is really no need. I-I…I'm sure it will pass soon enough." Was the last thing the young queen remembered saying before fainting.

* * *

Hitomi woke up again the following day shortly before sunrise. Through the window of her chambers she saw dawn breaking over her garden and for a few seconds laid still in bed, hoping that her memories from the previous day had been nothing but a bad dream.

She could see a tick mist moving slowly across the garden and found herself wishing for it to cross over her window and engulf her room so that she could safely hide from the rest of the world in it.

Had she really embarrassed herself to the extent of fainting in front of Van's mistress? The thought mortified her, as well as the commotion her fainting lapse must have caused within the court.

She silently prayed that at least general Hideto had been discreet about the ordeal, although she was convinced that whatever pains were taken to hush the subject, the quick, sharp tongues of the ladies of the court would no doubt extrapolate the situation to embarrassing proportions.

A thought suddenly crossed her mind, causing a chill to run down her spine. Did Van already know? Of course he did, he knew everything that happened in his household after all.

Did he laugh at her ordeal? Did he hear it from Millerna herself? Were they both laughing at her right now?

She stared at the mist outside again. A walk in her garden was what she needed. If the mist would not come to her, she would go to it instead.

Resolution firmly taken, she sat up in bed so quickly that her head started to spin around.

"Oh no you don't, Lady Hitomi." Someone warned close beside her. "You are to remain in bed until further orders."

She recognized the voice immediately and for a second prayed to every god she knew for her to still be dreaming.

With her heart caught in her throat, she slowly turned her head to look at the figure siting in a chair right beside her bed. A pair of burgundy eyes was studying her face intently, beneath a collected frown.

"Oh don't look at me like that Lady." Van said with a hint of a smile. "I'll have you know, that the only way I got Mirana to allow me to stay in this room, was with an ultimatum not to allow you to get out of bed under any circumstances." He added, getting up from his seat. "Now I very much intend to honour my commitment to her, if only for the fact that she scares the hell out of me when she's angry, so do be kind and stay put."

He placed a few pillows behind her back so that she could lean into them comfortably, before sitting himself down in front of her on the side of the bed.

"Now… I was entrusted to ask you a few questions." He said thoughtfully. "That is if I can manage to find the damn paper the physician gave me." He said gravely, while searching the contents of his vest's pockets.

Unable to utter so much as a word, Hitomi was left to stare at Van in confusion. She looked from the chair where he had been sitting on, to him, and back at the chair once again, wondering how long he had been in the room.

He was fully clothed in his royal attire although he seemed more equipped to go horse riding than to participate in his normal everyday affairs at the palace, but Hitomi knew he usually only went riding at dusk, like he had done the previous day.

That was when she noticed the slight blue-ish tint under his eyes. Had he not slept since the previous night at all? He couldn't possibly have spent the whole night in her room… could he?

"Here it is!" Van said triumphantly, as he unfolded a thin sheet of paper he had been able to retrieve from his vest's inner pocket. "Now, Lady Hitomi, I am compelled to inform you that is to your best self-interest that you answer the following questions truthfully." He added solemnly.

Hitomi frowned at him, but chose not to reply.

"Very well, first question… Have you ever had any serious medical problems?" Van asked inquisitively, trying to take his role as serious as possible, although Hitomi was very much convinced he was trying very hard not to laugh in the process. "Well?" He pressed on, when she didn't answer him at first.

The young queen eyed him for a few seconds with suspicion but then shook her head.

"Ok then, so that will be a 'No'." He said while scribbling something down on the paper.

"In particular, do you have diabetes, hypertension, epilepsy or other seizure disorders, kidney disease, liver disease, heart disease, a clotting disorder, lung disease including asthma, thyroid disease or a connective tissue disease?" Van enunciated gravely, to which Hitomi replied shaking her head vigorously.

"Alright then, that will be another 'No'."

"Ok, third question… Has anyone in _your_ _family_ ever had diabetes, hypertension, epilepsy or other seizure disorders, kidney disease, liver disease, heart disease, a clotting disorder, lung disease including asthma, thyroid disease or a connective tissue disease?" He inquired again, to which Hitomi replied once again by shaking her head.

"Really? Do you mean none of your brothers have anything wrong with them that you might know about?" Van asked, seemingly disappointed, which caused her to roll her eyes at him.

"Ok, ok, I suppose not. No need to be offended, Lady." Van said, further scribbling in the paper.

"Where were we? Ah yes, fourth question…Do you –"

"And since when have you taken up the role of a physician, your highness?" She finally asked, tired of his little game.

"Ah, she speaks after all!" Van stated, unable to hold his laughter any longer. "The royal physician will be very pleased to hear it, when I hand him my report. You see, I asked him to write down all the questions he wanted to ask you so that I could ask them myself." He confessed. "I think I actually did the poor man a favour. He is so old that he would have probably fallen asleep in the middle of the check-up." Van added, when he saw her questioning look. "…How _are_ you feeling by the way?"

"…Better, I guess." She said quietly, suddenly turning her attention to the intricate designs on her bedspread. "I-I apologize for any inconveniences I might have caused you with this situation. I.. should have consulted the royal physician days ago. I hope your court wasn't too disturbed."

Van chuckled; a few of his bangs falling over his eyes. "You are quite a handful at times, Lady Hitomi… Well, I won't pretend that the court wasn't in a state of havoc last night when I got back to the palace, but for once, I was actually glad that my chief advisor had gone out with me for a change, otherwise I have a feeling the havoc would have been ten times worse, if he had stayed behind to oversee your medical treatment."

Hitomi clutched the bedspread tightly in her hands. "I'm truly sorry, your highness."

"Yes, I suppose you'll have to repay me somehow for my trouble." He said with fake pompous.

"I will go see the royal physician immediately."

"Oh, there's no need for that. I will tell him to stop by here as soon as I leave, although he probably won't be changing his diagnosis since last night… You were already diagnosed with food poisoning, after all."

"But how was he able to diagnose anything? I didn't have a chance to speak to him at all last night."

"I guess the symptoms Mirana described to him that you were having as of late, fit right in with food poisoning."

"Mirana?"

Van smiled. "Don't tell me you thought Mirana couldn't tell you were ill? She knows everything, you know. She used to pinpoint exactly when I would have colds when I was a child."

Hitomi sighed, covering her face with her hands. "I feel like a fool."

"Just make sure you have plenty of rest and get well soon… Otherwise king Mamorou might show up at my doorstep demanding explanations…"

"Ask away." Hitomi said; her faced still hidden behind her hands.

"What?" Van inquired, suddenly confused.

"The check-up list. Ask whatever you wanted to ask me about. I'll reply to anything you wish to know."

Van grinned. "Anything?... Really?"

"Well as you said, I have to repay you somehow." She noted, finally looking at him. " I might as well start now."

Van leaned closer to her; a curious look on his eyes. He seemed to be searching for something in her face or her eyes, something he himself didn't seem to know what it was exactly though.

"Have we ever…"

"Have _we_ ever…?" She repeated his words, feeling slightly uncomfortable under his penetrating gaze.

Van didn't finish his question though, and instead leaned back to his former position on the bed. "Never mind. Not important… Back to the list then…" He went through the remaining questions carefully, seeming to be debating with his thoughts all the while, until he suddenly turned back to her, with the same mysterious air he had sported moments ago.

"Would you…" He paused for a moment, apparently unsure whether or not he should proceed. "Would you consider yourself happy with your life as it is at the moment?"

"Excuse me?" Hitomi nearly laughed. "I hardly believe such a personal question is part of a health check-up list."

Van chuckled quietly, still looking at her. "You're right. It isn't. But let me rephrase it then… Do you think that… given the chance,… going back to your home now would make you happy?"

"…W-What do you mean?" Hitomi whispered, not sure if she had heard him right.

"Your highness!" Mirana's aggravated voice suddenly cut through the air, before Van had a chance to add anything else. "You should be lying down… Young master, you promised me!" The old woman said as she made her way into the room.

"Yes indeed, your highness, you _should_ be lying down." Van retorted; his carefree personality apparently restored. "I have been telling her the same thing again and again since she woke up, Mirana. Lady Hitomi will simply not listen to anything I say at all. I don't know what to do anymore." He said with faked aggravation, getting up from his spot on the bed.

The chief chamber maid was not one bit fooled by his words though. "You always did have very poor acting skills, young master." She scolded him in a motherly tone, as she made her way towards her queen. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must assist Queen Hitomi in getting ready for the royal physician's visit and _you_ have to get going to your daily council meeting. Are you not already late for it, young master?"

"I suppose so." Van shrugged, making his way to the door. "Rest well, Lady Hitomi." He nonetheless said with a small smile, before disappearing behind it. "…You can always answer me some other time."

* * *

Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Until next time :)


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