Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Asturia: Love and Duty ❯ ch 1 ( Chapter 1 )

[Soundtrack 3, track five, Aoi Hitomi]

Allen could hear the voices as he entered the foyer. The housekeeper, Nell, a matronly woman in her 50s, greeted him. She took his cloak and his hat, and confirmed what Allen already guessed: Princess Eries was visiting with Serena. He could guess at what they were talking about. Princess Eries had returned a few days earlier from a trip to Fanelia for business--and Van and Hitomi's wedding.

Princess Eries' instincts had proven right. Hitomi had returned to Gaia three months prior and was back to stay. The pair would have been married sooner, however, Van had to overcome some of his advisers' concerns about Hitomi's connections with the Mystic Moon. Although Hitomi herself was hailed as a hero, the Mystic Moon, her homeland, was strongly associated with bad luck. Consequently, they had reservations about Hitomi becoming a permanent part of Fanelia. Van had proven to be as stubborn as his father Goau had been, and ultimately made Hitomi his queen.

Allen and Serena had been invited to the wedding. However, Allen did not feel that Serena was strong enough to withstand the rigors of travel. He also did not want to leave her so the Schezars sent a letter of congratulation with Princess Eries in their stead. Serena had been terribly disappointed at having to miss the wedding, but Princess Eries consoled her by telling her that she would tell her all about it once she returned to Asturia. It had taken Eries nearly a month to get home after the wedding; she had some affairs to take care of in Fanelia and had made some detours for state business on the way home as well. But now she was finally fulfilling that promise.

Allen stopped by the partially open door to Serena's room. Smiling, he listened as the two women chatted, their laughter bright as sunbeams. He didn't want to interrupt them just yet. It had been a while since Serena had been such good spirits. He knew that she was happy to be back with her brother, but he knew that sometimes she needed companionship of a different sort.

He listened as Eries described Fanelia, the decorations, the people, the ceremony. The Fanelians had not held anything back in the reconstruction of their city. In approximately two years, they had managed to rebuild the city walls, the storehouses, and much of the infrastructure. Although much progress had been made in the reconstruction of the Fanelian Castle, it would still be a few years until rebuilding was complete. King Van himself had been living in the soldiers barracks up to about four months ago. However, the Great Hall, the castle shrine, the main castle courtyard had all been restored to their former glory.

The wedding ceremony had taken place in the main castle courtyard. ("Fanelians have quite a tie with dragons--there were dragon motifs everywhere.") Both Van and Hitomi had matured, and Eries thought that Van resembled his father almost exactly. Van was strikingly handsome in formal garments, beaming with joy. "And," added Eries thoughtfully, "the first time I have seen him without his sword at his side." She described Hitomi's wedding dress. Hitomi had considered wearing one patterned after those worn on her world, but after the fuss Van's advisers had made, she had wisely opted to wear a Fanelian wedding gown. ("Beautiful silk, royal blue and purple, and a cape with, yes, dragons embroidered on the hem.") As in the Fanelian tradition, her now shoulder-length hair was loose and unadorned.

"At the very end of the ceremony are the vows. Van and Hitomi were to declare their intentions to each other in front of everyone. However, they were gazing at each other, lost in their own world. And they missed their cue. The priest had to tap Van on the shoulder and remind them where they were in the ceremony."

Allen chuckled softly of thought of Van spacing out and blushing at his own wedding ceremony. Quiet as he was, Oski heard him and padded over to woof a greeting.

"Onii-sama?" said Serena.

"It's me," said Allen, and he stepped inside the room.

Serena's room was cozy, painted a bright yellow with a blue carpet. The room was decorated with a feminine touch and furnished with a bed, end table, a couple of lamps, a wardrobe, a chair, and a sofa. The sunset streamed in through the two western windows. The two women were sitting at the edge of the bed and turned their heads to watch him come in with Oski close behind.

Serena jumped up to hug him. After he had hugged her and kissed her gently on the cheek, he bowed down in greeting to Princess Eries, and she nodded in reply.

"Onii-sama, you weren't listening to us, were you?" demanded Serena, hands on her hips.

"Maybe."

"Onii-sama! That's evesdropping!"

"Perhaps, but the sound of the two of you was such a delight, I didn't want to interrupt. Will you accept my apologies?" he asked, gracefully dropping down to one knee.

"Oh I SUPPOSE," said Serena in mock exasperation. She then giggled and tugged on Allen's arm. "Onii-sama--Get up!! The Princess is watching us!"

Allen obliged. He seated himself onto the sofa that was opposite the bed. He was quite familiar with that piece of furniture. Allen had spent many a night on it when Serena was having a particularly bad time. Serena then urged their guest to continue with the details of the wedding.

Allen listened as Eries continued and Serena plied her with questions. The festivities following the wedding had been quite wonderful, thanks mainly to Merle. Merle had matured in the last couple of years and was now an indispensable person in the Fanelian palace. Though she was sad to lose her first love, she had done an amazing job in organizing the wedding in such a short span of time. The number of dignitaries from all over Gaia that had managed to attend the wedding had been remarkable. Especially considering the fact that the wedding had taken place on such short notice. Fanelia's inns had been filled to bursting. Because much of the palace had yet to be reconstructed, makeshift quarters were set up for guests in the library, the sparring areas, and wherever else they could find room. Eries and Millerna shared Merle's quarters. None of the guests minded the situation however. Several of them faced similar scenarios in rebuilding their own countries.

For Eries it had provided the perfect opportunity to see her globe trotting sister Millerna and Duke Sid her nephew. "And Dryden? Did he make it to the wedding?" asked Serena.

Allen felt a twinge of annoyance at Dryden's name. The two men had gotten off on the wrong foot when they first met. Having Dryden go into the details of Allen's father had opened up some deep wounds. Their mutual interest in Millerna at the time had not helped the situation. Although Allen had since reconciled with his father and come to realize that he did not truly love Millerna, he could never come to like Dryden. There was always something he did or said that irritated Allen. The only reason why he did not downright despise the man was because they had a number of interests in common, the well-being of Asturia the first and foremost. In addition, Dryden was still betrothed to Millerna and was destined to become Allen's commander in chief upon King Aston's passing.

"Yes, he did."

"And-?"

Millerna and Dryden had had a rather interesting relationship following the end of the Great War. They had never been officially married.Nariya and Eriya had interrupted their ceremony before the priest completed the marriage covenant. Dryden had left the capitol shortly after confessing his love to Millerna. He knew that her feelings towards him were confused and was determined to make himself worthy of her. Dryden had the support of the King and his advisers so his efforts to win Millerna's favor were not necessary. However, during all the fighting, he realized that it was her love that was most precious and most important to him. A loveless marriage was out of the question for him. They were engaged, yes, but the marriage would not take place until Millerna was willing.

So Dryden went off, massing huge sums in his trade, and promptly spending it in all sorts of philanthropic projects, both in Asturia and abroad. This was all to his power-hungry and capitalistic father's chagrin.

Millerna, for her part, had had great difficulty sorting her future out. She decided that the best thing for her to do was to leave Palas. By that time, she had fully accepted her destiny as the future monarch of Asturian. However, Millerna was the type of person who preferred to be out interacting and helping people at the most personal level instead of being the administrative, logistical coordinator of the "big picture" as it were. She had a frank discussion with Eries regarding the matter, and Eries finally decided to support her in her endeavor. Although it was more logical for Millerna to stay in the capital and run the affairs of the kingdom which their ailing father was no longer capable of, Eries agreed to take on that role for her. Eries reasoned that it would give Millerna a chance to get all the impulsive tendencies out of her system before she had to settle down as a monarch. It would also give Eries a chance to make her final mark on the kingdom before she would have to leave, which she knew she would eventually have to do.

Officially, Millerna was acting in the capacity of an royal inspector--"after all, how can I rule unless I know what it is I am ruling?" she'd told her father. She also made trips to some of the neighboring kingdoms in the capacity of an unofficial ambassador. The purpose of her travels were twofold: to help people directly while she still had the freedom to do so and to get away from home and sort out her emotions.

It was almost comical how some of her inspections went. She would notify the local officials that she would be performing an inspection of the area. The official would organize some sort of tour and expect the Princess to be promptly off and away afterwards. Invariably, Millerna would find SOME unmet need--lack of medical care, damaged infrastructure, renegades. Then she would "extend" her tour as she arranged for the need to be met and got to know the locals. She did this in both the Asturian provinces and neighboring countries. With Eries' help, she managed to do it with very minor political consequences.

Upon Millerna's first return to Palas, she and Allen had a frank discussion. By that time, both had come to the realization that their attraction to each other had not been love, that neither was truly what the other had thought. They parted better friends for it. What Allen had felt for Millerna was the memories of his flame for Marlene. Millerna for her part, had had an infatuation with not the actual man, but an idealistic image of the knight. An image that had begun to fall apart when she first learned about his true relationship to Sid.

Sorting out her feelings for Dryden had been an altogether more complicated matter. They maintained a rather bizarre courtship, both working hard for the betterment of the people all over Gaia but also keeping a very close watch over what the other was doing. Their paths crossed occasionally in their endeavors, and sometimes they would help each other in a project. They had their shares of disagreements and out-and-out fights, but through it all , their admiration, understanding, and respect for each other grew. And Dryden's love grew. But Millerna was hesitant to give her heart just yet.

"Hime-sama?"

"I'm sorry." Eries had become lost in her thoughts, and Serena's voice snapped her out of her reverie. Eries smiled at Serena and said, "Millerna and I talked before she left for Pyrne. She said it would be her last 'tour'. And she said that, once she got back, we would begin preparations for her wedding to Dryden."

"That's wonderful!" exclaimed Serena.

"So she's finally ready?" asked Allen.

"Yes," replied Eries. "She is, and their marriage will probably be all the better for the waiting."

"Well, you certainly must be happy to have Millerna finally coming home," said Allen. "Now maybe she can lend a hand in running the kingdom for King Aston."

"Mmm-yes, although I'm not quite sure how much longer this will be my home. Especially with all that Meiden and father have been cooking up."

"Oh, that's right, you forgot to tell me about the list, Hime-sama."

"List?" echoed Allen, puzzled.

Eries pouted. "Before I left for Fanelia, father gave me a list of marriage prospects that were attending the wedding. He also gave me orders to charm them. Not exactly my style, but I did meet them all."

"And you were yourself, I imagine," said Serena. Eries nodded. "I expected as much," said Serena with a knowing look. "But that's why I love you so much. And what did you think of them?"

"It's difficult to tell with first impressions, but I told Prince Leonius and Count Reynald that I would write to them. They seemed to tolerate me the most," she said winking at Serena.

"Oh stop that! I'm sure they are trying to figure out the best way to convince you to marry them."

Allen felt his heart sinking at their words. He had come to terms with Millerna's relationship with Dryden for some time. Now that they were getting married, he was happy for Millerna. But he was surprised at how hard the thought of Eries' marrying and leaving Asturia hit him. Then again, he reasoned that she meant so much to Serena and had become such a close family friend over the past months that it was difficult to imagine life without her companionship.

Eries' words broke Allen's train of thought. "I'm afraid I had better leave now. Father will be expecting me for dinner soon."

"May I escort to back to the palace, Hime-sama?"

"Yes. Thank you."

Serena followed them down to the foyer. The two women said their goodbyes, and Eries embraced the younger girl gently and whispered for her to stay in good health and spirits. She then donned the cape and hood that she wore when she wanted to be less conspicuous and walked out into the twilight with Allen.

[Soundtrack 3, track 15, Again]

Eries was thoughtful as she walked back to the palace with Allen. She had been so busy with the affairs of Asturia after the wedding that she never had a chance to really digest the events of that one day until she went to visit Serena.

The wedding ceremony had moved everyone, even those advisers who had been set against Van and Hitomi's union. Van and Hitomi's love, the love that had saved Gaia from destruction, touched everyone with its brilliance at the wedding. Eries, who was not usually inclined to be emotional in public, cried openly with Millerna as the couple exchanged their vows.

The celebration that followed in the streets of Fanelia had been joyous and enormous. At sundown, a more private wedding banquet for the wedding guests took place at the Great Hall of the castle while the Fanelians continued with their own public celebration in the square outside the castle. During dinner, Eries noticed that Millerna was watching Dryden, and following him with her eyes. When he looked in her direction, Millerna would move her gaze elsewhere and pretend that she hadn't been watching. It was little surprise to Eries that Dryden came up and escorted Millerna away after dinner.

Eries decided to take the chance to talk to her nephew Sid. After dinner, the two of them went up to the second floor gallery that looped the perimeter of the Great Hall. He was now about nine years old, still a very gentle child, but serious and thoughtful. Little wonder, considering the enormity of the responsibility that rested on those young shoulders. Eries had always felt terribly about the role Asturia had played in Freid's destruction. She, like Millerna, had been against assisting Zaibach in its deployment. However, she had been unable to sway her father and his counselors on that matter, and Eries had been unwilling to openly defy her father as Millerna had. After the Great War, however, she had insisted upon providing aid to Freid to make amends and soothe her guilty conscience perhaps.

From their vantage point, they had a very good view of the dance floor. They watched together as Van and Hitomi danced their first dance together as king and queen. As they talked and watched the festivities of the evening, Eries fervently hoped that Sid would not grow to be as taciturn as Van had once been. After all, Van had also been thrust into a position of responsibility at a very young age. It had taken the love of a very special person (that is, Hitomi) to soften up the warrior king.

Following Fanelian tradition, the bride and groom exited to their wedding chamber at midnight. After they did so, to the cheers of well-wishers, Eries decided that it was probably time to fulfill her promise to her father. King Aston and his counselors had given her a list of six names, potential husbands that they had preapproved. Three of the men she already meant during and following the Great War: General Hinshaw of Basram, Lord Icarus of Daedalus, and Prince Shian of Coppelia. She was doubtful of any of these matches. General Hinshaw, one of the four ruling generals of Basram, was fiercely patriotic and unlikely to marry anyone not of Basram. Lord Icarus of Daedalus was already smitten by Princess Celeste of Chezario. As for Prince Shian, he was Eries' age, but he was looking for someone much younger. As far as Eries knew, the ladies that were on his "short list" were all at least eight years younger than Eries.

However, she do did her duty and found opportunities before the wedding ceremony to meet and speak with General Hinshaw, Lord Icarus, and Prince Shian. As she guessed, Princess Celeste was hanging all over Lord Icarus, and now sporting a large, expensive engagement ring. General Hinshaw was courteous, but made it clear to Eries that he would not be interested in such a union. As for Prince Shian, when she came upon him, he was flirting with some of the younger royal females from Adelle and Catalina.

She excused herself from Sid, and sighed as she mentally recalled one of the remaining names on the list. "King Ita of Nasshafa. Never married. Asturia and Nasshafa currently on mutual terms. Union with Nasshafa would bring Asturia a closer ally."

Millerna had pointed Ita out to Eries during dinner. "But I wouldn't set my hopes to high on that one," she had said. Although the two countries had never quarreled, they were indeed quite different.

[Soundtrack 2, track six, A Mole Man]

Eries approached the Nasshafan group, which was admiring the fireworks display in honor of the royal wedding. King Ita was a plump man with dark brown hair and a light tan. He wore a bright green toga with a rainbow fringe and sandals. He was surrounded by five young ladies also dressed in brightly colored togas. As Eries came closer, she realized that king Ita was a very short person; Eries was about a head taller than the Nasshafan king.

She introduced herself to Ita.

"Eries? Ah--Eries, ya ya, that Minister Jorel has been writing to me about you, ya," he said in a sing song voice. As he spoke, he took stock of her, much the way Dryden scrutinized merchandise he was haggling over. She had to admit they made quite a contrast. Eries, the reserved princess, dressed in a formal lavender Asturian dress with high collar, long sleeves, and long laced skirt. Ita, much more casual, plump, lounging in his toga.

"I greet you hello, Princess Eries," said Ita , and before Eries could think, Ita reached up, clasped her face in his hands, drew her towards him, and gave her a loud kiss on each cheek. Eries knew that the Nasshafan customs were different, but not QUITE this different. Eries was more than a little startled, and she had to will herself not to blush madly.

Eries composed herself and began to broach the subject of a Asturian/Nasshafan alliance, but Ita cut her off waving his hands. "Already made up my mind, Eries. I think about this very long and I think things be best just as they are. Our countries--they never have a reason to hate each other, ya? I don't think we should go create a reason for them to hate each other."

Noting the puzzled look on Eries' face, he explained, "Our customs different, ya? Like how we dress," indicating the difference in their clothes. "Another is how we live. I don't have wife yet, but I do have concubines. Concubines not accepted in Asturia. You frown on that, yes?" Eries nodded. "But with us, it is very commonplace, no one forced it upon the women, is that not so , girls?" He asked his harem. They cooed back an affirmative reply.

"Now I am a happy person. But if I marry, and my wife, she is not happy, then I also not happy. Also, if my wife, she not happy and she complains, WELL, things may get sour between our people where once they were fine. Do you understand me, yes, no?"

Eries had been prepared to argue the benefits of an Asturian-Nasshafan marriage, but his points rang true. She admitted she had to agree with him. Despite the fact that he was so different and so casual, she realized that he was the type of person to consider things seriously before he acted. Although she definitely ruled him out as possible husband material, she decided she liked him after all.

She smiled at Ita. "Yes, that makes perfect sense."

"Good!" exclaimed Ita. Eries spent the next half-hour socializing with the Nasshafans. She extended an invitation to Ita to visit Asturia which he gladly excepted, and he did likewise. Ita was in the middle of describing the sights of his country to Eries when Princess Beatrice of Catalina approached. She apologized for interrupting, but her brother and parents wanted to meet with Princess Eries. Would they mind terribly parting with Princess Eries' company for the moment?

"No! No! We not mind!" said Ita in his friendly sing song voice. "Mingle! Mingle! Princess Eries it has been a pleasure. I kiss you goodbye! (Two more loud smacks on the cheeks)." Eries waved goodbye to the Nasshafans and followed Beatrice across the castle courtyard to the Great Hall.

"Prince Leonius--heir to Catalina. Only son of King Stanlaus and Queen Catherine. Catalina has been struggling since the Great War and seems eager to make alliances with Asturia. Catalina borders Zaibach and may be important strategically and as a stabilizing influence in the area," recalled Eries.

Stanlaus and Catherine were indeed eager to discuss the possibility of a Catalina/Asturian marriage. Eries , for her part, found the family to be quite agreeable--her intuition did not send her any warning flags and she spoke amiably with the Crown Prince and his parents.Eries and Leonius found that they had a common interest in philosophy and historical and political texts and talked at length about those subjects. There was one minor detail that Aston had left out of his letter: Prince Leonius was only nine years old.

Leonius was pale with jet black hair and green eyes. He was dressed in a green silk jacket trimmed with fur, black leggings, and fur trimmed boots. He was very polite and courteous to Eries. But though he was young, he, like Sid, already realized the responsibilities that rested on him and his family. Eries decided that she liked Leonius, but he kept talking and behaving as if she were his governess and not a potential bride. "Little wonder," thought Eries. "I'm over a decade older than him."

She parted from the Catalinans with the assurance that her foreign cabinet would be in touch, and with a promise from Leonius that he would write to her.

Eries scanned the wedding celebration for someone from Egzardia to locate the final person on her list: Count Reynauld. "Count Reynauld of Egzardia. One of the cousins to the King and one of the top advisers. He has been widowed for five years. Egzardia is currently comparable to Asturia in military strength and it would be best to remain amicable with them."

Eries eventually located an old gentleman that was wearing a plumed top hat after the Egzardian style. She asked him where she might find Count Reynauld.

He chuckled. "You've just found him. Princess Eries of Asturia, I presume? I hope you aren't too disappointed."

Princess Eries had actually been more than a little shocked. Count Reynauld had to be at least 70 years old! Old enough to be her grandfather. Luckily, Eries was skilled enough from her years in the royal arena to hide her astonishment.

Count Reynauld was reclining alone at one of the tables that had been set up along the main castle veranda. He was tall and lean and was wearing a navy greatcoat and trousers. His hair was white and he sported a neat mustache. His countenance, though wrinkled, was pleasant. A pair of sharp gray eyes twinkled behind his spectacles.

He motioned her towards the seat opposite him. "Please have a seat." She did so. He poured her a glass of the vino he was sampling. They chatted, first about the vino, then about the festivities surrounding them, then about the wedding ceremony. Eries felt more like she was talking to an aged uncle rather than a marriage prospect.

[Soundtrack one, track 8, Romance]

Finally he turned to Eries and said, "My dear, I know why you're here. You're a fine young woman, brought up with your roles, rules, and responsibilities, and I can tell that you love your country. Now you have a lot of people pushing you in my direction and telling you that this is the way, this is how to make things best for everyone." He took another sip of vino. "Well, I must say to you, don't waste your time on me, my dear."

"It is not always necessary to sacrifice your best interests for the sake of your country. It is possible to make a decision in your interest that will not adversely impact your country. After all, look at Van and Hitomi. I heard that he caused quite a fuss to put off marriage, and started another row to have Hitomi installed as his queen. Not the route his advisers would have him take, but I don't think Fanelia will be the worse for it."

"However, my dear, should you decide to pursue this suit, I'm sure my cousin Ambrose will ask me to oblige. And I will. Not that I've need of a wife. I've memories of my Sabine to keep me warm at night. I think it would be a amiable enough relationship. However, I think I would get the better and of the bargain," he said with a wink.

Eries had not expected such a response. She was grateful for his honesty though and told him so. In the background, she could hear the conductor announcing the final waltz. She asked Reynauld if he would do her the honor of a dance.

"How can I refuse such a charming lass?"

He offered her his arm, and they strolled together to the Great Hall for the last waltz. Although past his prime and less than spry, he proved to be more than an adequate partner. His lead was decisive yet gentle at the same time.

After the dance was over, he bowed and kissed her hand, and she curtsied. "Remember what I said," he said as he took leave of Eries.

The guests began to retire at that point. It was already very late. Eries was about to head for Merle's quarters when she noticed Sid and his escorts on the second floor gallery. Eries went up the main staircase to say goodnight to her nephew.

Sid, half asleep on his feet, was leaning on the balustrade. "I think it's someone's bedtime," said Eries maternally. Sid began to protest that he was fine and yawned hugely. Eries picked him up. She indicated to his companions, who were trading tall tales with the other guests, that she was taking Sid back to his quarters.

As she carried him to the dojo where makeshift quarters had been set up for the guests from Freid, he mumbled sleepily, "Auntie, I saw you dancing with someone. Who was he?"

"Someone your grandfather might want me to marry."

"He must be special."

Eries wished that was the case. Reynauld certainly was pleasant, but that was all.

Sid was asleep by the time they made it back to the room he was staying in. Eries changed his clothes and tucked him in. She caressed his face gently and kissed him on the cheek. She watched him sleep and mused that Marlene probably used to do so when she was alive. She murmured, "I wish..."

What was it that she wanted? She wasn't sure. Something was missing from her life, that was certain. She remained watching him sleep until the Freidians returned to their room.

The first streaks of dawn were appearing when Eries finally started towards Merle's quarters. On her way back, she paused on the veranda overlooking the castle garden to admire the coming morning.

Then she noticed them: Millerna and Dryden. Millerna's pink dress and Dryden's robes were unmistakable. They were too far away for her to hear them, but she could see them well enough in the early morning light. She watched as Millerna took both of Dryden's hands in her own. The pair stood that way for several minutes. Suddenly, Dryden picked up Millerna, whirled her about in the air, and held her close for a kiss.

Eries was happy for her sister. She truly was. She had felt that Dryden was a good match for her; Eries never would have endorsed the match if she didn't think they were compatible. Both of them were idealists, dreamers, in their own way. Dreamer meet dreamer and build their dreams together, she thought. She wanted the best for both of them. But she was--jealous?

Images of Van and Hitomi pledging their love and Dryden and Millerna celebrating theirs flashed through Eries' mind as she approached the palace. Is it possible for me also? What are my options? A child or an aged man for a husband? She had a fleeting thought of herself in a toga and swiftly dismissed that particular option.

What do I want? What is best for me? What is best for Asturia? Does it matter? Does anyone care?

Eries looked at Allen walking beside her. He had not said a word the entire time. She guessed he had sensed that she needed to sort out her thoughts. She was grateful for that.

Seeing him walking beside her in his uniform, she knew that no matter what happened, she would always love Asturia. True, she was eager to leave the role she had created for herself and the web of politics and intrigue that always surrounded the Asturian court. However, she loved the land and she loved the people. And she would miss her friends.

They arrived at the palace to find it in an uproar. A messenger had arrived an hour earlier from Pyrene. Princess Millerna was dead.