Vision Of Escaflowne Fan Fiction ❯ Asturia: Love and Duty ❯ ch 3 ( Chapter 3 )

Eries was never quite sure how she managed to struggle through those weeks after Millerna's death. In of themselves, managing the affairs of Asturia, caring for her sick father, dealing with a distracted Meiden (and suicidal Dryden), and policing certain opportunistic royal advisers and courtiers without King Aston's or Meiden's assistance were tasks that Eries could deal with in stride. However, having to deal with all four of them at once had been overwhelming.

But, the kingdom had managed to function through all the turbulence. Eventually, potential troublemakers either backed down or were "put-in-their-place" by the princess. Dryden's sense finally started returning to him. He was still deeply affected by the loss of Millerna however. Three months after her death, he left Palas to continue his philanthropic projects, much to the chagrin of Meiden, who wanted his son to stay in Palas for political reasons. Eries understood though; the work was as much to honor what she would have wanted as much as it was a distraction from grief. King Aston's health fluctuated dramatically for months. In the end, his condition finally stabilized though his capabilities were much more severely diminished than before.

Now, six months later, the King's health was still somewhat a distraction, but for the most part Eries was able to focus on the task at hand, overseeing the affairs of Asturia. For her, things held together, due largely to the efforts of the members of her court.

By some standards, Eries's court was considered a motley crew. However, Eries was quite proud of her team of assistants. For her, being a princess was a job, a duty first and foremost. It was not a position she took lightly, and as such she had gone out of her way to find the best help she could.

Her court had originally been created when she had been assigned the duty of assisting in the management and maintenance of the palace shortly after Marlene's departure. Aston had considered that appropriate training for a young princess who was destined to be running her own household when she was married off. Ten young noble women had been selected . Within weeks, most of them had been dismissed by Eries. The primary reason being that their skills were incompatible with the tasks at hand ("Surely you can't expect to go out in public with your hair like that. I know just the thing..."). Apparently, certain nobles were content with just having the appearance of authority without actually delving into the work associated with the responsibilities. Marlene had been like that; apparently, Aston's advisers thought Eries was the same. She was not. The ones that Eries didn't dismiss became disillusioned with the demands of the position and left on their own. However one did remain. Two years younger than Eries, Reina proved herself extremely capable, with an eye for detail and an amazing memory that made her quite the logistical guru.

Eries finally figured that she would have to find assistants on her own to meet her demands. She and Reina did some leg work, and they came up with George.George was the son of an ambassador who had been assigned to a number of different countries. As such, he had become culturally savvy. He was quite skilled at picking up on the news and tone of whatever location he was at, as he had a keen ear and a penchant and a talent for dressing like the locals and blending in. When Eries would go to the streets of Asturia to get a sense of what the general populace was feeling, it was usually with George and due to his insistence and persistence. Aston had been hesitant at first to give his support; it was rare for princesses to have court members of the opposite gender. However, George was bright, charming, and had an impeccable background and bloodlines. He was also rather unattractive and scrawny. Aston figured he need not worry about unbecoming behavior once he took that into account.

The three worked well together. It sometimes amazed Eries that the three of them could get more done in a much more amiable, efficient, and relaxed manner than when her court consisted of 10.

As the years passed and Eries both proved herself capable and remained unmarried, her responsibilities grew to include the oversight of the palace and the affairs of Palas and a number of other port cities. She then increased her court by two.Annette was a member of the Fassa family, and actually a distant cousin of Dryden's. She was ten years Eries's senior. She knew the mercantile business as well as any of the men in her family. However, they had not taken her talents seriously, and that had frustrated her. When Eries offered her a position where her opinions would count, she jumped at the chance.Charity was the 50-something widow of an ambassador. She, like George, had also spent years abroad in various places. She had moved back to Palas after her husband had passed away. Eries found Charity to be an invaluable resource when it came to protocols and personalities, Asturian and foreign.

When Asturia started gearing up for the Great War, August had been added to their number at Annette's recommendation. August was a middle-aged warrior of peasant origins. However, he had moved his way up the military ranks to an officer's position. During a military skirmish, his knee had been badly injured, and he was no longer able to remain in the military. To Eries however, his military experience was a timely and valuable addition to the group.

Then there had been Serena. The five had been wary of their new colleague when Eries first made the proposal . But they agreed to a trial period and Serena passed with flying colors. Her energy and gentle demeanor had been a refreshing addition during the months that she was a part of the group. Although she eventually had to give up her duties, she had made strong bonds with each of the others, who still considered her part of the team.

Although backgrounds and ages varied, they were all talented in their own way. More importantly, they were loyal to Asturia, and even more so to Eries. She demanded much of them, but she demanded no less from herself. They admired her for that. She valued each of them and watched out for them. They were all perfectionists but their relationship with the princess was such that a mistake did not automatically mean dismissal. In the period of following Millerna's death, Eries's team had been stretched to its limits. It had been a trying fall and winter for all of them. But now, as spring approached, things seemed to have gotten back to normal. In fact, during the last month or so, Eries had had enough leisure time to take up some of her pastimes again.

It was a rainy morning, and Eries was in her private study meeting with her court, which she did every two or three days, to assign tasks and to get status reports. Eries had just begun when a maid tapped at the door. Someone with a message from the Schezar estate. She wished to have an audience with Eries as soon as possible as it was important.

Eries felt the level of anxiety in the room rise, and she gave permission for the messenger to be let in. A few moments later, Nell was ushered into the room. She curtsied before the princess. "Your Highness," she began shakily and then paused, unable to go on. Nell didn't have to finish. Eries knew. They all knew. Nell's reddened eyes and shaken composure told them everything they needed to know.

No. Not Serena, too. Eries' legs turned to jelly, and she sank down into her chair. She leaned forward on her desk, and covered her face with her hands.

Breathe, Eries, breathe. She willed herself to take in a deep breath and let it out unevenly. Without looking up, she asked, "When? How?"

"Last night in her sleep," words started spilling out of Nell. Eries could hear Reina whimpering. "When I came in this morning, Sir Allen was in her room trying to wake her up. She looked peaceful, just like she was sleeping. It was so hard for me to tell him she really was gone." This was difficult for Eries to take. Eries, Reina, and Annette had just been to see Serena five days earlier. She hadn't been sick then, not the way she had been after Millerna had passed away months before.

"When is the wake?" asked August unsteadily.

"There won't be one."

Eries looked up surprised. She wasn't the only one. "No wake?" asked Charity.

Nell shook her head. "Serena will be buried tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? That won't be enough time for Van, Hitomi, and Merle to make it. Gaddes might not even make it," thought Eries.

Nell continued. "Sir Allen wants it that way. He says it's too hard for him to see her like this and keep on expecting to have her wake up. I'm to make arrangements after I give the news to you and Allen's colleagues at the Academy."

Eries nodded. Though she didn't completely understand, she had a fairly good idea of how much pain Allen was going through. At the moment, she just wanted to go see Serena, to say her goodbyes, to help Allen somehow, to cry until there was just a dull ache left.

But she could not. She had too much holding her down at the moment. Primarily her father's consultation this afternoon with a Basram specialist. Arrangements had been made weeks in advance to bring this doctor to evaluate her father's condition and make recommendations for possible improvements. As her father's only living child, she had to be there for him.

But she was determined to do what she could. Eries took in another deep breath and lifted her eyes. Pulling herself together, she said, "Reina, I want you to go with Nell. I want you to assist Sir Allen in whatever preparations need to be made. Please report back here this afternoon with details about tomorrow."

Reina gulped back her tears, "Yes, Hime-sama."

After giving Reina a few more instructions, Eries ended by telling Nell, "...and we will all be there tomorrow." For Eries and her entire court to be off duty at the same time on such short notice was a formidable logistical feat. Especially considering their varied responsibilities and the fact that they would be short one member for the day. However, her tone made it clear to her court that it would be done somehow.

Nell thanked Eries on behalf of the Schezar household and departed with Reina. Eries turned to the rest of her court, and in the determined manner that they had heard so many times in the past months, she said, "All right, let's make this work."

****

Eries exited the King's chambers and headed back to her study. She was drained. Not physically, but mentally. That morning had been spent rescheduling and finding backups for everyone on her court as well as notifying Serena's acquaintances about the funeral. Then the entire afternoon Eries had spent with her father and the Basram specialist. It had taken longer than she had expected. It was already early evening.

She entered her study to find Reina and a light supper waiting for her. "Sorry to keep you waiting," said Eries was a tired smile.

"Not at all, Hime-sama." As Eries ate, Reina briefed her on what happened that day. As requested, when they had delivered their message to the Academy, Kevin, one of Allen's students, had been dispatched to Luxor to notify Gaddes of the funeral. Reina had then accompanied Nell to the Schezar estate. Lady Alexandra had also been at the estate as well. Alexandra, Nell, and Reina had made most of the arrangements and notifications for the funeral tomorrow morning. Though the rain had complicated matters, it had all gone without incident. Though, she admitted, they had all rather lost it when the undertaker came to take Serena to the chapel. Oski, who had been trying to wake up his mistress the entire time, had started howling when Serena was wrapped and removed from the house. At that point, all three ladies had burst into tears and wept together for several minutes. As for Sir Allen, he had been very quiet-- distant. As the activity went around him, he had sat by her bed, stroking her hair, almost as if he was expecting her to wake. But he had not reacted when Serena was taken away. Allen had given them directions and had thanked them for their help, but did not say much beyond that.

"Thank you," said Eries. "You had better go and get some rest now. You have had a long day, and there's more to come tomorrow."

Reina nodded. With a curtsy, she headed for the door. Before she left, she stopped at the door and said, "Thank you, Hime-sama. I know you wanted to be there today. Instead of me. We all know how much Serena meant to you. But I'm grateful that you chose me to go. Serena meant a lot to me , too. If I hadn't gone, I don't know if I would have been much use to anyone here today..." her voice trailed off. "I'll see you tomorrow," she finished abruptly and hurried off.

Eries stared out the window at the cloud darkened sky, the rain still pouring down. Reina was right. She had wanted to be there. Badly. To grieve, but also to comfort Allen.

Allen. Ever since the incident at Millerna's grave, Eries noted that he had been behaving somewhat differently around her. Not surprising since he had seen her at her weakest. But he had remained true to his word--he had never told a soul about what she had said. She did notice that he stopped treating her so much as a tireless, invincible monarch and had started treating her more--gently? When she would visit the Schezars, he would try to put her at ease. If she was having some difficulty, he would offer his assistance with what seem like more eagerness than before. And he never brought up the subject of Asturian affairs unless she brought it up first. As a result, their home had become more of a haven to Eries when she was having a trying time.

Now Allen was the one who was hurting . As she stared at the rain, Eries' mind drifted back to the first time she had met Allen Schezar.

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Eries had been at the Royal Park, an expanse of dozens of acres. Despite the name, it was open to the public, who would come to picnic in its rolling hills, admire the stately groves, and walk in flower strewn meadows. Sitting at the edge of a grove, she had been sketching the autumn colors for a Chezario penpal, as Millerna tumbled in the fallen leaves nearby. Not exactly princessy behavior, but the outing had been for Millerna. A few days earlier, a host of delegates had come to Palas and the Aston sisters had had to make a number of formal appearances. Marlene and Eries were used to such duties, but for an energetic five-year-old Millerna, it was tiring, boring, and stifling. Eries had promised Millerna a daylong picnic as a reward if she was a good girl and behaved like a model princess and not complain. Millerna had done very well, and Eries was now keeping her half of the bargain.

She had arranged for Millerna and their governesses to spend the day at the Royal Park, and Millerna was allowed to romp about like any other small child without having to worry about appearances and keeping her clothes clean. Eries, amused, watched as Millerna slid down a pile of leaves she had stacked up. "Oh well," she thought. She didn't look the least bit like a princess, all dusty with leaves everywhere. But the tiny royal mess deserved it.

Their governesses, who were seated in the grass about a stone's throw away, called out to Eries. Clouds were gathering, they had better pack up and leave before it started to pour.

Eries had just shouted that they would be right over when she heard him.

"Serena! There you are!"

"Waaaaahh!!! Onee-sama!!!"

Eries turned to see a boy holding a kicking Millerna. As Eries dashed over, he let Millerna go. Millerna ran to her. Eries scooped her up and held her protectively, taking a few steps back. Eries was furious.

"What do you think you're doing to my little sister?!?"

The boy, apologetic, stared at them. Well, he had not run away, reasoned Eries, and he didn't exactly look like the type to be a kidnapper. After all, he looked only to be about Eries' age and was dressed in the attire of the nobleman's son. Still, one had to be cautious as a member of the royal family. In addition, Eries had been rather protective of her family since her mother's passing.

"I'm-I'm sorry," he said lately.

"You ought to be. Scaring my little sister like that," snapped Eries. Well, looks like all those lessons about what to do when strangers attacked had actually sunk in. "ShhShhhh, darling. Everything's OK." she said, comforting Millerna, who still had not calmed down.

"It's just, it's just that-my sister's lost, and I thought she was her." Eries glared at him again. She was about to berate him for being an irresponsible twit when she really took a good look at him. He looked exhausted, but even more than that, frantic. His voice was hoarse as if he had been calling out for hours. His long blond hair was in a tangle. Anything she said could not possibly make him feel worse than he already did. Words started spilling out of him. Had she seen a little girl about her sister's age? Her name was Serena Schezar. He described her and what she was wearing. Eries shook her head.

The boy looked completely defeated at her answer. Eries' fury was quickly replaced by sympathy. She looked at Millerna, who had quieted down, and was curiously observing the exchange between the two older children. If it was Millerna was lost...

The boy thanked her dejectedly, and apologized one more time. He turned to go.

"Wait!" said Eries, stopping him. She dashed over to where she had been sketching to get her water canteen. She threw it over to him. He caught it, and looked at her with a puzzled expression on his face. "Drink it," she said, "I don't need you passing out from thirst while we look for your sister."

He looked at her questioningly. Eries sighed. "I don't like the idea of a poor lost little girl out in this weather alone any more than you do. And two pairs of eyes are better than one, right?" He nodded. He emptied the contents of the canteen in record time and gave it back to Eries.

Eries handed her sketching kit and the now empty canteen to Millerna. "Here darling, give these to Clementine. Tell them to take you back because I don't want you to get all wet. But I'm going to be a little late, OK? Tell them I'm helping-" she looked at the boy and paused to let him fill in his name.

"Allen. Allen Schezar."

"-Allen Schezar here find his little sister Serena."

Why did that name sound so familiar? Eries was only 11 and had only become cognizant of the members of Asturian society about a year ago. Unlike Marlene, she was not particularly interested in that aspect of Palas. But since she knew that name, he had to be from a good family, right?

"Tell them I'll be back before nightfall." Millerna nodded, and Eries watched as Millerna trotted over to their governesses. She then turned Allen. "So Allen, shall we began?"

"Yes, thank you-??"

"-Eries."

"Thank you, Eries."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Over the next three hours, Eries and Allen scoured the Royal Park for Allen's little sister. Overhead, clouds gathered and the wind picked up. As the darkness increased, so did Eries' anxiety. As the first drops of rain fell, their urgency grew. Where could she be?

Finally, the combination of darkness and rain made it difficult to see anything at all. Eries told Allen they had to stop. She knew the Park as well as the back of her hand, but if things got any worse, they would end up lost that night as well. We'll notify the town guards, she told him, and they'll be able to help search. Besides, your mother will be worried about you. Allen's mother was waiting at their home in case, just in case Serena did manage to make her way home. Allen was reluctant to stop, but Eries persuaded him by telling him that he couldn't have his mother worried about both of her children that night. At that, Allen conceded.

Allen, defeated, allowed Eries to take his arm and guide them out of the Royal Park. As they reached at the gate, Eries saw two palace guards with lanterns approaching. She knew that they were looking for her. She sighed. Technically, it wasn't that late. About sundown, she guessed. But sundown in the middle of an awful storm. Well, at least, they'd be able to help Allen out. She dragged Allen towards them.

"Princess Eries ! Thank goodness you're safe! They've been worried about you at the palace--"

"Yes, I know. I apologize. We were heading back anyways..." Eries explained to them. But she noticed Allen's startled expression when he heard her title. Though she was trying to ignore it, she could feel his stare burning into the side of her face.

She wasn't surprised at his surprise though. She had not introduced herself to him as such, and their initial meeting had not indicated that she was anything more than an ordinary girl with her younger sister playing in the Park. Not to mention she did not exactly look the part of a princess. Asides from the fact that she was wearing a plain frock and woolen cloak, she did not exactly match the description of a princess. Yes, her hair was platinum and her eyes a deep blue, but her tresses were thin and limp compared to her sisters' abundant curls. She was a bit on the toothy side and her ears-ugh. Though she had inherited most of her mother's delicate features, they were juxtaposed with her father's large ears. Although her face eventually grew to match her teeth and ears, at 11 she felt an awful freak. When Marlene was particularly annoyed with her, she would call Eries "Elf", a title that invariably sent Eries crying from the room. Eries was also small for her age. While Marlene had been blossoming into womanhood and been turning heads since the previous year, Eries looked a couple years younger than she really was, although she was emotionally and mentally ahead of her age group.

After she had finished explaining that Allen's sister was lost, she requested that one of them please escort Allen home and continue with the search if it turned out that Serena had not made it home yet. Being the King's daughter, they could hardly refuse her. She then turned to Allen. By that time, he had recovered from his surprise.

Allen bowed formally. "Thank you, Princess Eries."

Eries squeezed his shoulder encouragingly. "Just find her, all right?"

~~~~~~~~

Eries soon found out why the Schezar name had sounded so familiar. Once Clementine was through scolding her for worrying them by wandering off in the rain with some strange boy, she explained to Eries the circumstances of the Schezars. How they had been among the wealthiest and most prominent families in Asturia. How their fortune that had been amassed over generations had been thrown away by the rash actions of one descendant. How Leon Schezar would disappear for months at a time, and now apparently was gone for good.

Eries' heart ached for Allen and his family. No wonder he had seemed so desperate. Eries checked with the royal guards to make sure that the search continued for Serena, but after two weeks of active searching, they said that there wasn't much left that they could do.

A month after she had met Allen, Eries was headed for the cemetery. Ever since her mother died, it was her custom to visit her grave after chapel prayers. She usually took a spray of flowers from the castle gardens or greenhouse, and occasionally one of her sisters along. But Marlene preferred to stay at the palace, and Millerna was more interested in playing so Eries usually went alone.

[For Lover's only, Track 17, Arcadia]

The wind picked up as she trotted down the path to the cemetery. Another storm. It looked like it would be a fierce one , too. She would have to cut her visit short.

She expected to find the cemetery empty because of the weather.

It was not.

Standing before a new grave was Allen Schezar.

Eries had heard that Lady Encia had fallen ill a week after Serena's disappearance. But she had not realized how badly things had turned out.

Rain started to pour down. Allen still did not move. Eries watched him for a minute, and then walked up beside him. His eyes were clouded as the stormy sky above them. He watched her as she lay down the flowers she had brought onto Encia's grave. Having lost her own mother a few years ago, Eries knew that gestures sometimes meant more than words. Though she knew they had meant well, she was not about to subject Allen to the cliches and sayings of supposed comfort that had sounded so trite to her in her grief.

Instead, she looked at him meaningfully as she straightened up and stood by his side without saying a word.

"Mother loved those," he said.

Eries waited for him to say more, but he fell silent again. Meanwhile, the intensity of the rain increased. At least Eries had a waterproof cloak and boots. Allen was getting rather drenched in his thin cloak, silk shirt, breeches, and leather boots. After several minutes, Eries said, "Allen, you should go home. You'll get sick if you stay out here much longer."

"I'm not going home," he said matter-of-factly.

Eries turned to gape at him. His depressed air was now replaced with one of anger. His cerulean eyes blazed.. "There's nothing for me there. There's no one left for me in this place. I was just saying my last goodbyes to Mother. I doubt I'll ever return here again." Eries could see him holding back angry tears as he spoke.

"Farewell, Princess Eries." Abruptly, he turned and ran out of Eries' life for what was to be the next two years.

Eries watched his figure as it disappeared into the stormy horizon.

"Farewell...Allen."

~~~~~

The rain finally stopped. Eries wondered how Allen was doing. She was--concerned. Well, she would see him in the morning, wouldn't she? Still, something inside her was nagging at her, telling her that someone should check in on him...

Minutes later Eries was heading out towards the Schezar estate.

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