Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Under The Same Stars ❯ 1.5 Midnight Talk ( Chapter 5 )

A/N: Here I am, back with the fifth chapter (thought you'd gotten rid of me, did you?), in which the feud generated between Celena and myself was finally solved by a quick change of PoV! I'm hoping it's not confusing. Meanwhile, I know that the last chapter qualified to be a small catastrophe, but I won't give it a full re-write just yet, since I'm saving the major revision for when I get to Part 2. I need to let things rest for a while. However, I did give it some plastic surgery (I'm not too sure if it helped much...) so if the version you read ended with Celena in the balcony with Van, you might want to go through the final part again... or not. I didn't touch anything before that.

 

Like I said, I haven't written the story from this point on, so you can expect the next chapter will take about as long as this one to come out. I'm really slow... lazy too... (ahem... I lost my internet account?) I hope this won't keep you from reading. Thank you's to everyone who reviewed - you're all great!

 

And now... enjoy! ;)

 

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Part 1 : Innocence
Chapter V : Midnight Talk

 

Moonlight washed the Asturian landscape with its pale hand, covering and cushioning everything with its ghostly halo and hazy shadows. It spread throughout the entire city, lurking uninvited on unlit windows or stretching lazily over smaller alleys more familiar with its presence. Nothing escaped its cold scrutiny, the same way nothing could avoid the lure to madness it brought. On some nights, Lady Moon's pull was greater, and some felt it more acutely than others. Such was the case.

 

The patch of light in front of his eyes had to be one of the most annoying things he'd ever experienced. He'd worked all day and his arms ached from carrying heavy craters and such, but that damned stabbing light would not let him sleep. It was true that the pile of hay he was laying on wasn't the most comfortable of places to sleep in, but it hadn't bothered him the day before and he'd certainly had worse.

 

Deciding his attempts of shutting it out would get him nowhere, he threw the blanket aside and scavenged for his shirt by his feet. He found it far from where he'd left it originally, covered in a nice portion of straw, and shrugged it on along with his boots. He needed to go outside to relax.

 

As he left the shared room and walked down the hall, he was further irked by the loud snoring coming from behind doors similar to his own. He quickened his pace and entered the stables, one of the places in the Castle where he worked during the daytime. Now, abandoned to the dark, he couldn't help feeling like he was lord over the place. His mind was soothed, as a small smirk curved his lips.

 

On the day he'd been hired, his boss had shown him, among other things, the King's most valued horses, so he'd treat them with doubled care. Despite the ridiculous notion that those horses were receiving a better treatment than he was, one of the beasts had caught his eye. It's sharpened body exhaled might and its grey fur shone like the enthralling moon he hated. He'd set his mind then on riding it and now seemed like a good time for that.

 

He smiled again as he walked around the ostler on duty currently passed out on a chair. He'd probably do the same if he'd gotten the night shift, the horses were certainly a lot quieter than some of his fellow workers on the hall behind, and what could possibly happen inside the guarded stables in the middle of the night - a horse running short on hay? Maybe a messenger ordered by the arrogant aristocrats of the upper floors coming down? Even those became arrogant when dealing with the ones beneath them and readied the horses themselves, too disgusted with the stableboys' dirty hands or something.

 

The stables occupied a rather wide area and were connected to the outside by a gate that lead to the castle grounds and gardens. Inside, the open space was divided with no apparent order by numerous rows of small compartments, each housing one animal, interspersed with water tanks, hay and food storages and some more cubicles, where the equipment was kept. He continued on his way to one of those.

 

After collecting a saddle and bridle, he fetched the horse and guided it soundlessly to the grounds, only then mounting. The horse jerked abruptly in protest at the added weight, refusing to carry its untimely rider, but that was the exact reason why he'd chosen this particular animal. Because it had spirit enough to put up a fight, so he'd have to tame it some.

 

For him, the main joy in riding did not come from speed or the alleged bond that was created between human and beast. It could not. In his mind, anyone who thought like that knew nothing of the real world. To know that he had a powerful animal under his control, and it would do anything he ordered it to... Satisfaction of the primal instinct to dominate, that was what it all came down to. That was the true beauty of riding - speed didn't compare and bonding was nothing but a joke.

 

That was what relieved his mind during the next hours, riding through the vast castle grounds, pushing the beast to its limits, seeing how far it would go for him. In the end, Lady Moon's invitation to come out was all it had promised to be.

 

When he finally felt the night's borrowed energy wearing off, he decided it was best to return to the stables. The moon was still high, so he figured it wasn't too late to catch up on his sleep. He looked to his back and front, judging which route was better.

 

Behind him was the way he'd come from, a longer route, but one where he was sure to meet no one unexpected along the way. That way were the grounds with fewer patrols and the wild forest. On the other hand, the road was shorter ahead, but he'd also have to be more careful so no one would see him sneaking around with one of the King's stallions. Those were the private gardens, reserved to the nobles and their strolls. He chose the second without much thought, it was a nice opportunity to explore that side of the castle.

 

He didn't know, or had any special interest in knowing, what rooms did the windows and balconies on that side belong to, but he'd spied enough lit ones before on the other side of the castle to guess that the nobles must be having some sort of party. That increased his chances of slipping by tenfold, though it was all the same to him. He dismounted and approached the building, pulling the horse behind him through the gardens.

 

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The windows with a view to the garden were in fact the guest quarters and at that very moment, one of those rooms' inhabitants was being shaken out of her troubled thoughts by some insistent knocking on the door. That person was Celena and she was still sprawled on the bed going through what had happened earlier that night. She bid whoever it was at her door to enter, mostly so that the noise would stop.

 

It cracked open and Millerna poked her head inside before stepping all the way in and closing the door behind her. A candle by the bed shed some light into the room, but that was all. Celena's pale skin shone orange gold in the soft light and the fact that she hadn't moved to acknowledge her helped in building the impression that Millerna was looking at a statue. She frowned.

 

“Are you all right, Celena? I saw you leaving and thought to check how you were doing”, she said quietly, not wanting to disturb the silent atmosphere.

 

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Pulling the horse through the well-kept gardens was proving to be more difficult than he'd expected. So much for `control over the imposing animal', the stupid beast had decided to get in touch with its cousins' side of the family and was putting up an act of stubbornness. Things were not going too well, when he spotted a growing light behind one of the windows - someone was coming out.

 

“Come on, you half-bred mule!” He grunted through his teeth, while yanking fiercely at the reigns. The night was too clear to hide them completely, they had to get behind something for cover, fast.

 

The gardener who'd planted those trees decades ago must have had some divine inspiration for placing them on all those convenient spots for him now. The trees and bushes a few feet ahead proved to be all the cover he would need, if only he could make it there on time. Whoever was in that room had reached the window, he could hear the un-oiled knob turning and loosening the holds. Some more jerks to the reigns and the mule-stallion started moving to where he wanted it to.

 

He looked back to the building to check if their time had not run out - the window was just opening and out came a sight he was not prepared to. The moon was in the exact position to highlight all of the right details. The way her loose curls tumbled down to nest near her chest, the glint in her veiled eyes and the little curve on her parted lips... It was a goddess, and she was about to see him.

 

He hastily turned his attention back to earth, where the damn mule was refusing to take the last steps. Hoping it was enough, he got behind a tree himself, ready to wait as long as it took for the window's occupant to go away. If she was to look down from her reverie of the moon, she would find the most question-arousing sight of a horse's behind.

 

He heard some talking, sure it had to come from the lady-god's window. Shifting some branches out of the way, he looked at the beauty again. But she was no longer otherworldly, nor alone at that. As if she'd descended to earth, she became just another girl, not very different from the friend standing behind her. Once that second person came close enough to see, though, he recognised her immediately. It was the Princess. And then, just as suddenly as her mystic illusion had dissolved, a name for the fallen goddess popped into his head. I know you. Celena Schezar...

 

“Please tell me! I saw you go out to the balcony with him, did he...”

 

“No” was Celena's simple answer. She was staring sadly at the night sky, loving her friend for caring, but wishing that just this once she could be allowed to be completely alone. “He didn't do anything. He just complimented me, that's all.”

 

“What happened then? Why are you upset like this? Why did you run?” He had no idea of what the two were talking about, but he had to agree that being complimented wasn't a reason for being upset... was it? What did he care... even if he had encountered Celena on the road before, he had nothing to do with her and her affairs. He doubted she even remembered what he looked like. People who met him usually wanted nothing more but to forget him as fast as possible.

 

He just had to wait for their little chat to end so he could go on back to the stables, before anyone noticed the horse was gone. He sat down and made himself comfortable, leaning against a tree and pulling the reigns again without much hope of anything actually happening.

 

“I don't know, Millerna! I just... panicked?” The horse didn't move, as he'd predicted. He sighed, and sank deeper down into the tree. Great, I get to spend the night listening to girl-talk. “I guess I know too well what's in store for me... for us... Look, Millerna, I don't feel like talking right now.”

 

“Then when, Celena? You always say that when you're upset! Why don't you let me in on what's going through your head?” Oh, no no no!... If she doesn't want to talk, you go away. You don't ask her to change her mind and keep me stuck here for hours!

 

“Because!” Just listen to that exasperation! Off you go, Princess! “Wake up and face reality, Millerna. Our lives aren't ours! We're in the hands of other people and they do what they want of us just because we were born female! In your case, your father chooses what's `best' for you or `in your interest', and in mine... Allen and whoever comes along, I think.”

 

“How can you say such a thing! It's not like that at all! Allen cares for you...” He supposed the two were friends... which meant there would be no slapping or hair pulling, and which meant he wasn't missing much of a show by keeping his back turned to them. Come on ladies, you think you're in a position to complain? You can have anything you want! Now go inside and get it over with.

 

“You know it's true! Didn't your father forbid you of going to that medical school because he thought it wasn't right for you? And what if he said you had to marry someone he chose, how would you feel? My brother Allen... it's like he's constantly controlling everything I do, everywhere I go!...”

 

Talk about being melodramatic. You may have looked nice under the moon, but I guess that's just who she is, a Deceiver. I'm beginning to think you're a bit on the insufferable side, Celena Schezar.

 

“I have to put on the dresses he likes, see the people he wants, attend the parties and dinners he wants me to...” Ohh, life must be so hard on you people, he thought rolling his eyes. “I feel like I'm a bird in a cage, Millerna. Haven't you ever felt like that?”

 

“Celena... I...” That promptly brought out another roll of the eyes from him. If you two are on such a drama mood, why don't you go inside and cry on the bed together or something...?

 

“Sometimes I think he's just showing me off to this family or that, letting them know that I'm out for offering, I don't know. I hate it. It's like I'm reduced to this shell and... ” She was having difficulty speaking. He could tell she would end up crying. “I'm not a real being, I have no goals, no purpose in existing, except to answer the questions the parents ask me to see whether I'm good enough for their sons! And even those don't care about who I am inside... I doubt they'd care even after marrying. I would just be a wife, an item of some sort that they own. No different from a pair of boots or a horse. Just a possession...”

 

He could hear the tears and the way her voice broke down in the end, muffled by the Princess' shoulder. He'd cursed his luck seconds ago, but seconds ago had been too soon. Something in her sobbing had gotten past his shield and guilt was burning its way down to his stomach for underestimating her and hearing her lament with indifference. He knew exactly the type of people she was talking about, and even though she'd only mentioned the tip of the iceberg, the whole picture was becoming too clear for him.

 

Meanwhile, the Princess sounded like she was holding her friend, whispering something to her. She wasn't saying much, probably because there was nothing she could say that would make it better.

 

“Hush, Celena. It'll be all right in the end, you'll see” he caught Millerna saying. No, it won't. People are cruel and uncaring. Always have been and always will be. It's in their nature. “Everything you said is probably true, I don't know, but you can't lock yourself in your room and cry till you're asleep... I'm not any good at this, I know... well, the hugging I can do, but... maybe you shouldn't keep thinking about those things everyday. I mean... go with the flow?”

 

Quit! Oh yeah, great advice... why not rent her personality on weekends to save up money for the wedding dress too? Are you really the heir to this throne!... Wait. What am I doing...

 

“Go with the flow? I can't do that Millerna, I'd just be losing myself if I did that. I've got a will and a mind of my own, I can't deny myself to that.” There was a pause afterwards, while the sobs subsided.

 

The two were still, not really looking anywhere but inside, measuring their beliefs, and then counter-measuring them with what had been said. Down below, the man was getting up and starting to pull the horse, throwing all caution to the winds. The fact he had just thrown in his opinion on a matter that didn't concern him in the least, and was starting to feel sorry about someone whom he didn't know was mildly disturbing him.

 

“And I haven't told you what happened yet, have I?” He automatically halted what he was doing to look up at the two. They were sitting on the ledge, backs turned outside. “After the dinner, prince Van came to see me, asking if we could go outside. My brother was there and he just left me alone... that didn't upset me. But I think I suddenly realised how much I resembled a sheep cornered by a wolf. I wanted to disappear so badly and never see anyone there again. Fade, you know...”

 

Everything and everyone was silent, pondering on the solemn confession. Only the far-off sounds of dancing music could be distinguished from the night's comforting hum... until the mule-horse chortled out loud for everyone to hear. The man was standing out in the open, so his blood barely had the time to freeze, before he threw himself to the ground.

 

“What was that? Sounded like a horse...” The two ladies turned to inspect the greenery below and found the animal without effort.

 

“Must be from one of the guards patrolling the grounds.”Millerna supplied.“Or maybe one of the stableboys got careless and let him get away... I'll have to speak to the responsible for the workers there. We've got some new hands helping around because of all the horses from the Fanelians, so they're still very lacking in discipline. I'll have to see about that.” Silence again. Were they coming down? He could make a run for it and the sleeping ostler on duty would get the blame...

 

“My friend: Millerna, the tyrant!” He gulped from his position as heap on the ground, while up on the window Celena gave a short laugh that eased his worries. He thought back to the first time he'd been with her, the only time, really. Her laughs hadn't come so easily, but they had sounded different. In a good way.

 

“I know of pretty much everything that goes on in this castle. Which brings us to another matter... Your brother told me an interesting story today. It appears that you had an encounter with danger the past week, and that's why you had a slight fever these last days.”

 

Fever? His ears perked up to listen, she'd been sick after their encounter? She hadn't been hurt, not that he remembered.“I did not have a fever! Allen just overreacted, as usual, because I told him it was hot.”

 

“I'm sure he did... but how long were you going to keep this from me? I'm feeling hurt, Schezar...” Celena laughed, and there it was again. A darker undertone?

 

“I wasn't keeping anything from you, Millerna! How could I? Here's the story: I ran into some thieves on my way home. They attacked my coach, killed the poor driver... fortunately, someone came to save me before they could do-”

 

“Ohh... a knight in shining armour? Now I know why prince Van didn't warm your eye... how good-looking was he?” He almost gasped, suddenly feeling very awkward, lying on the dirt and listening to two people he hardly knew talking about him.

 

“Don't be silly, silly! He just helped me and escorted me the rest of the way. Nothing much happened.”

 

“So now he just «helped» instead of «heroically saved», did he?... Come on, was he good-looking or not?”

 

“I never said that! You're hopeless.”

 

“Please...” she insisted. He should go, he really didn't want to hear what she'd say...

 

“All right, yes, he was! He had beautiful fiery red eyes and a voice you could fall for in no time, Millerna! In fact, he could charm you into making anything he wanted to, even without laying eyes on him, and you wouldn't mind a bit because of that beautiful voice.” What...?

 

“You have all the luck...” What did she say?

 

“No, I don't. Something serious could have happened if it wasn't for him... I shudder to think. And anyway, it wasn't anything like what I'm sure you're imagining... I didn't even get his name! All right, I'll admit I was a bit fascinated by him, I guess he was a bit of everything I'm not and wanted to be, but...” «Fascinated»? “it was not like one of your fantasies come true, Millerna!”

 

Things calmed pretty much from there on. The Princess had finally pulled the thread of the conversation to her area of choice, and Celena was distracted as she kept vainly refuting her every step of the way. It wasn't long until he heard the window shutting back into place.

 

He remained sitting against the tree for a while, still touching his throat and trying to figure out what she had meant about his voice. Maybe he'd fallen asleep somehow and misheard what she'd said... He got up, stretching his aching legs, and looked up to see how much time had gone by since he'd been out. Too long... he might as well skip sleep altogether tonight, or, even better, he could skip his duties in the morning and let sleep help him forget about everything he'd heard. Yes, forget it. That was it. And the sooner, the better.

 

Damn you, Lady Moon... you know too much.