Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Under The Same Stars ❯ 1.1 Celena Schezar ( Chapter 1 )

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UNDER THE SAME STARS
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Part 1 : Innocence
Chapter I : Celena Schezar

 

“Thank you again for you kind hospitality!” Lady Celena Schezar called out from the window in her carriage with a wave of a white-gloved hand. She watched the Duke of Edissi and his family standing at the front of their mansion as the horses kicked in to motion to take the young Asturian away.

 

As soon as they were out of sight, she sighed out of relief and let herself sink into the cushioned seat. The Duke's family had been extremely nice and courteous to her, but that only required that she be at her best in return. Her back ached from doing nothing but stiff-walking, deeply submerged under thousands of rules of etiquette. She could still feel her brother's proud eyes at the back of her head as he watched her every move. The Duke, and especially the Duchess, had applauded her on more than one occasion for it too. Their son Elric, however...

 

Celena knew all too well what the real purpose of this visit had been. In fact, she'd known all her life that this would come. Her brother Allen had trained her in every possible way to become a fine and elegant lady, cultured enough to have a quiet talk to and pretty enough to go by as a nice ornament on more public events. She hated her own awareness of it, knowing that there was nothing she could possibly do about it. This was the way of things, the way the world worked. Who was she to go against that? So she sat, looking calmly resigned to her fate, while Allen introduced her to one high family of Gaea, then another, looking for the perfect candidate to marry.

 

The Edissi hadn't been the first and she dreaded these trips, knowing full-well that there might come one of which she wouldn't return home. And the worst was she would have no say on the matter, it all depended on what the men thought. So far, luck had been on her side, though she had started cursing her fair hair and light blue eyes.

 

This time, she had actually started to like her suitor. Elric Edissi was a fine man of passionate grey eyes and unruly shoulder-length locks, but on a conversation the both of them had shared - a private conversation that she guessed his parents and Allen had nothing to do with - he'd admitted he preferred women with some personality. He hadn't realised the insult, as far as he was concerned Celena was just one more hollow-head with pretty curls on top, but that little comment had taken the liking out of her and she'd made sure to appear as much of a «hollow-head» as possible from there on, lest he came to any sort of realisations.

 

This, of course, had resulted on her putting more effort in performing everything as etiquette stated, and Elric's parents started liking her even more because of it. She had pleased them so much, Allen had actually been convinced that that was where she would be staying the rest of her life and left a week before to Palas, leaving her alone in their dreadful company. Finally, Elric had broken his news to the Duke and Duchess and she was free to go home again.

 

Won't Allen be surprised, she thought mildly to herself and let a smile curve her lips before sighing again. She hated having to play porcelain doll all the time. Looking out the carriage's little dirty window to her left, she saw the forests encircling Pallas roll into view. The sun was setting on the other side of her transport and the wind-agitated gold-tinted branches ahead made her wish she was outside.

 

It must have been a wonderful temperate afternoon and Celena found herself cursing her status as a woman yet again. She could ask to sit next to the driver outside, but even if he let her it would hardly seem proper and Allen was bound to hear of it. Then, as always, he would go on and on about how she was supposed to behave and how it was all for her well-being, and she ended up as the one feeling sorry. Maybe if she closed her eyes and slept for awhile things would go by more quickly.

 

She let the sound of the horses' hooves rhythmic clattering flood and soothe her, the smell of the animals reaching her faintly but not completely unpleasant. Her body moved with every little bump of the carriage and even that lulled her into an hypnotic daze.

 

Then everything abruptly stopped and all sounds were replaced by those of the forest. The leaves high above were singing and the birds among them chattered happily, as if thrilled with something about to happen. She smiled through her closed eyes, wanting to be that cheerful, that... free.

 

Hastily pushing the thought away with a grimace - where had it come from anyway? -, she wondered instead on why it was taking so long to be on the move again. It would be high night soon and these woods weren't exactly as welcoming then. She was reasoning that maybe something had fallen off and the driver was retrieving it, when a scream pushed every thought aside. She snapped her eyes open in fear.

 

She didn't have a chance to peer out the dusty window, for the door next to her was jerked open, a rough hand encircled her wrist and she was pulled out. Celena fell ungracefully to a heap on the dirt road and noticed the pair of mud-covered boots right in front of her eyes. The metallic end of a sword's sheath hung next to them and she was suddenly paralysed in fear. Snide remarks and mocking laughter floated above, but she wasn't capable of registering it.

 

She tried looking somewhere else to regain her composure, but instead her eyes fell upon another figure sprawled on the ground next to her. It was the driver, and a dagger through his chest tinted his shirt red. She was beyond movement, her muscles so tight it was hard to breathe. Then all air left her in a long piercing scream of her own when the same large hands grabbed her roughly once more.

 

Their grip was short-lived, however, and Celena curled upon herself on the ground, crying without knowing what to do.

 

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A/N: Well, I'll stop here for now. I was planning on writing the whole story before posting it but I couldn't help myself, eheh! Sorry for any spelling/grammar mistakes I might make, but English is not my mother tongue and I have no one to proof-read it. ;p This is my first Escaflowne fic, so it's not all that surprising that it's about my favourite character - Dilandau-sama! LOL! Yup, that's right, lots of D/C ahead with Dragonslayers in between! But I have to explain a few things and bore you all to death before that, so you know what to expect and not be disappointed later on... then I can say “told ya!” u.u LOL, kidding!

 

This is AU, a weird mix between the series and the movie I came up with. Thus, Celena and Dilandau are not related in any way to each other - yet! XD - and later on you might find some other substantial differences, like the fact that guymelefs are rare and only Zaibach has them (well, of course there's Escaflowne, but... erm... let's say Van is a man without a land, eh? XD). By the way, Vision of Escaflowne is not mine! (waves little white flag)

 

About the fic itself: there will be two distinctive parts. The first is Innocence, it's mainly under Celena's PoV and more about the romance. It takes place before the events of Escaflowne. You action-lovers can skip it and proceed to... Part 2: Bloodstained. It comes in handy to know what happened in Part 1, but I know you're all bright people. This one picks up two years after the first part and starts off in the middle of the Gaean Wars we all know and love! Well, kinda... movie/series mix. On rare occasions, chapters may contain scenes of higher rating, I haven't decided yet, but I will give out proper warning and keep them somewhat separate for those more susceptible. Fear not! I just don't want to put the whole fic under a higher rating, when I think that it's unjustified.

 

Please drop me a review if you've read, even if only to say “ok”. I mean it! I'm sorry to say this, but if no one is reading (and in my wee mind no reviews means no people) then I don't feel the need to continue posting the story. Typing sucks! Long live handwriting, LOL! Flames are welcome, Dilandau likes them way too much!

 

Hasta! ;)