29 September, 2000

Vision of Escaflowne

"The Return"

by: The MOUSE.................................

Van Fanel walked the quiet corridors of his Palace, silently cursing his Advisory Council for the pain they had caused. Why did they even choose Naporia? Van knew almost nothing about the tiny Kingdom save that they were very rich for some unknown reason and that they kept pretty much to themselves. And the first impression he had gotten of their Princess had left a bitter taste in his mouth. She was arrogant, far too confident that she would get her way in everything and anything, and was far too forceful with those around her. A marriage to her would have guaranteed the traditional Patriarchy of Fanelia would suddenly become a Matriarchy. That or a female dictatorship. Where his advisors had gotten that she was his perfect match was a total mystery. No, there had only ever been one true choice for Fanelia's Queen. She had to be a woman of grace, of boundless kindness, of sensitivity. Now all Van had to do was convince the true choice of his sincerity in the matter.

If she refuses because of this whole mess, Balthus, I swear I will hurt you, the young King ground inwardly.

Van's steps were unhurried, but anxious. He didn't need to run to find Hitomi. He knew where she would be. At a moment like this she would want to be alone and the best place for her to do that would have been in her bedchamber. Turning down a final corridor he came to the closed doors of the guest suite, an exact replica of the room Hitomi had stayed in five years ago. He stood before the doors and took a deep, bracing breath. He knocked and waited. No answer. Van didn't wonder about that. He knew she was there, he could feel it. He pushed the door open and peered in. The sitting room of the suite was empty and silent. From the open bedroom door, almost too faint to hear, were gentle pained sobs. His heart constricted painfully in guilt at the sound. Van walked into the suite, making sure to close the door behind him, and stopped just before entering the bedroom. He could hear her more clearly now, could feel the heartbreaking pain wrapped around her. He never could stand to see or hear her cry from pain or sorrow and had long ago vowed to always make her smile. Determined to keep that promise he knocked on the partially open door.

"Hitomi…" he called gently, making his presence known.

"Go away!" she sobbed angrily.

Van entered the bedroom anyway. Hitomi was lying on the bed; her face buried in the many pillows as sobs wracked her lithe body. He moved closer to the bed.

"Hito--"

A pillow flew towards his head, forcing him to duck. It collided with a vase, sending it crashing against the wall before it hit the plush carpeting.

"I said go away!" she cried in heartbroken fury. Van caught sight of pain and grief as her green eyes momentarily flashed at him. Then she turned and reburied her face in the remainder of her pillows. "Go be with Cadoma, I'm sure you two will be very happy together!" she snapped harshly.

He winced and sat near her on the edge of the bed. He pulled off the glove from one hand, then reached out to gently drift his fingers over the skin of her shoulder and neck, then traced the rim of her ear. Hitomi tried to flinch, tried to pull away from his touch, but found she couldn't. Instead she shivered from it despite her best efforts not to.

"You're mad at me." he began, wincing at how lame that sounded.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't be." Her voice trembled from the anger she forced into it.

"No, you have every right to be, I deserve it. I should've known Balthus would… how did you say it back then?… jump the gun." He paused and sighed. "He means well. He's just too eager to take every word I say literally and doesn't bother to check what it was I really meant at the time I said it."

"So where did he get the idea you wanted a Queen?" she bit, still forcing her anger. He made it so hard to stay mad at him for very long, no matter how hard she tried.

The touch of his hand left her skin as he shifted slightly on the edge of the bed. "I made it pretty obvious, even for him, that there was something missing in my life. I had become quiet a lot, thinking. A few hours before I left for your world he asked me what was wrong. I was honest and told him that, for the last five years, I had been carrying a pretty big hole in my heart that I was ready to fill. I should've gone into a little more detail about what I really meant. He's too eager."

The anger flared to life again. "I don't see what the problem is. He got you a Princess to fill that hole. Go be with your Queen." she stated bitterly.

"Right now, I am with my Queen." he replied, nearing exasperation, noting the slight twitch of her body at his admission. "Cadoma isn't the one to make me feel whole. Balthus got someone whom he thought would be perfect for Fanelia, but she's not right for me. I don't want her… I want you."

Hitomi's breath suddenly locked in her throat as she froze from his words. The tears returned to her eyes, but not in heartbroken sorrow this time.

"It's the whole reason I brought you back to Gaia." he continued in hope. "Five years ago I made the biggest mistake of my life by letting you leave. It took me that long to realize that there was only ever going to be one person who could be Fanelia's Queen and there was only ever going to be one woman who could make me feel whole again… I love you, Hitomi."

An elated smile spread across her face as he spoke the words. He loved her! She had so desperately hoped and wished this had been the reason that had brought him back into her life, that he wanted her. She bolted up to quickly face him, her arms thrown around his neck to hold him close. He released a shuddering breath as he held her tight, dropping his face to her shoulder.

"Forgive me." she whispered in a trembling voice.

"I should be asking that of you. Forgive you for what?" he questioned softly, a slight quiver in his voice.

"For believing them. For ever doubting you."

Van stroked her hair tenderly. "Shh… It wasn't your fault. They chose the worst of moments to spring that surprise on all of us, especially you. I know you haven't gotten a chance to rest properly yet. Being so tired made you vulnerable."

She snuggled deeper into his arms, a small smile touching her lips. "And my champion was also under attack so he couldn't defend me." she quipped.

"I wish I had been able to stop it all from happening. The last thing I would ever want in this world or the next is for you to be hurt."

"I know. And I feel the same about you. One never wants the person one loves to be hurt in any way."

He pulled back slightly to smile down at her. "Does this mean I'm forgiven and you're not mad at me anymore?"

Hitomi smiled at him beautifully and gave a slight shake of her head in a negative. "I love you, Van." she whispered to him, laying her hands on his heart.

Van smiled and she could have sworn he had blinked back tears forming in his eyes. He took one of her hands and brushed his lips against her fingers, kissing each and every one in sheer joy. With her heart now mended she could easily feel his relief that the situation had been resolved so quickly and feel his incredible restraint when all he wanted to do was touch, caress and kiss her everywhere. She blushed a small chuckle from that random thought from him. It was tempting. Van, too, blushed when he realized what thought she had picked up on to cause her reaction. Then he chuckled playfully.

"Actually, that talent of yours might be fun to play around with." he suggested with an arched eyebrow.

She blushed more fiercely. "Hush!" she giggled in chiding.

"Too tired to rejoin our friends in the solarium?" he then questioned gently.

She smiled. "Never too tired for that. I've been away for so long, I have so much news and gossip to catch up on."

Taking her hands he carefully helped her off the bed and began to lead her towards the door. Then he stopped suddenly, a serious look on his face when he turned back to her. She cocked her head to one side, curious by the abrupt change in his expression.

"Van?"

"I just realized I'm doing it again."

"Doing what?"

He smiled at her. "Putting off doing what I should've done the first moment I saw you again." He gripped both her hands, inhaling a calming breath. "So I'm going to do this now before anything else has a chance to happen to stop me."

Her heart pounded hard in her chest, threatening to explode, as she watched Van go down on one knee before her, still holding her hands tenderly. Her proud King now looked incredibly nervous and hopeful, his red brown eyes fixing her where she stood. Hitomi felt herself begin to tremble ever so slightly in anticipation. She knew what he was going to say and had been praying and dreaming for this moment to come. Even so the moment left her lightheaded and giddy with excitement. She felt elated. Carefully, she reached out to him with her mind to gently brush her consciousness to his, nearly burning herself on the incandescent heat of love and desire surrounding him. She felt a hot blush creep up her cheeks at it. Van felt the soft mental brush from her and smiled up at Hitomi before taking a bracing breath.

"Hitomi Kanzaki, will you make me the happiest man alive and do me the great honor of accepting to become my life-partner, my wife, and the Queen of all Fanelia?" he asked, his voice catching a little from the amount of love he put behind his words.

Hitomi felt lightheaded from euphoria, her emerald green eyes twinkling brightly. "Yes, yes, a million times, yes!" she laughed suddenly, throwing herself against the young monarch. "I thought you'd never ask."

The momentum from her lunge caused him to tip back and fall to the plush carpeting with her lying on his chest. He held her tight, unwilling to ever let her go, afraid that if he did she would vanish in a beam of light and never come back to him. But it was finally done. He had asked her to be his wife and she had accepted. Vehemently at that. Van could finally feel the lonely void, inhabiting his heart, begin to shrink and fade, now replaced by Hitomi's beautifully smiling face.

Then, after a few long moments of holding each other ever so tenderly, "Nothing against the comfort of the present situation, but we have friends who might start to wonder what happened to us." Van stated towards the ceiling.

Hitomi giggled softly, nuzzling the base of his jaw gently. "And rumors are so hard to live down. Right, we should head back."

They reluctantly pulled apart and got to their feet, then just stood there for a moment more, their eyes fixed on each other, unwilling to leave the room just yet. He carefully moved a lock of her hair away from her eyes, tracing the edge of her face with ever so light fingers. He sighed a blissful grin, fighting not to drown in her eyes again.

"By marrying you I am going to make a lot of jealous men on both our worlds."

She smirked. "And one very happy woman, but it's their loss." and she snuggled against his chest. "Not that any of them ever had a chance over you."

"Glad to hear it." he chuckled. "C'mon, we have a few rumors to stave off." and he gently tugged her towards the door.

* * *

"Merle, dear girl, if you keep glaring at Cadoma that way you'll end up turning your milk." Princess Millerna chided with a small grin.

Sid laughed. The young cat-woman abruptly blinked in surprise, first looking to Sid, then to Millerna, then to her glass of milk, then back at Millerna. She then rolled her eyes, understanding the reference of the quip. "Sorry. I just think she deserves it. I mean, geez, talk about pushy! And she hurt Hitomi's feelings…"

"Ah, over your jealousies of her then?" Allen grinned from where he sat at Millerna's side.

Merle lowered her eyes to her hands lying in her lap. "Yes, but it wasn't easy to realize it. I would've liked it if Van-sama loved me that much, but I can see it now, he only really loves me as a little Sister. To be expected, we grew up together." She smiled sadly. "I guess that's not so bad. A lot more than I had hoped really." Then she looked up at something behind Sid, Millerna and Allen, something that caused her to smile broadly in joy. "But Van-sama and Hitomi make a much cuter couple than he and I could've made."

The Asturian Knight and Princess and the Freid Prince looked at her in confusion, then turned to see what Merle had spotted to make her smile this way. Slowly walking back into the room, arm in arm to remain close at each other's side, sharing ever so tender smiles and gazes, were Van and Hitomi. Millerna risked a quick glance to the Naporian Princess sitting alone in a far corner of the solarium. She was scowling at the entering couple in pure hate. A watchful eye would have to be kept on Cadoma during her stay in Fanelia. Millerna turned back to the young couple, noting how Hitomi's eyes showed signs of having cried, but she only sported a bright smile on her face now, all tears forgotten. Van must have told her something incredible to make her smile so happily. An orange blur abruptly sped towards the couple, nearly knocking Hitomi off her feet.

"Are you alright, Hitomi?" Merle questioned as she held the girl from the Moon of Illusions in a tight bear hug.

She winced. "I will be if you let me breathe a little." she managed to say.

The young feline released her swiftly, a deep blush showing through the thinner fur of her face. "Sorry." she apologized in genuine remorse. Hitomi ruffled her hair affectionately with a gentle smile; silently telling her no real harm had been done.

Sid was the next one to run to Hitomi to hold her tight. She returned the embrace, stroking his golden locks tenderly. "I still can't get over how much you've grown." she marveled. "I'd swear you were part bean stalk."

He looked up, confused. "Bean stalk?"

"A plant on my world that grows very fast." she explained.

"In that case he probably is part bean stalk." Van chuckled. "Ten years old and already on his way to becoming a great swordsman and ruler of Freid."

"You've taken up the sword?" Hitomi questioned the small boy.

"Yes, with Allen's help. You could say it's in my blood."

A slight, sly grin turned up the corners of Allen's lips as he took a casual sip from his tea, pretending nothing was amiss. "You two were away an awfully long time." he stated softly.

Hitomi blushed at the veiled implication while Van led her to the small couch facing their friends. He sat close at her side, keeping his fingers laced with hers while he smirked at the Knight. "I wouldn't put something like that past you, Allen, but I'd like to think I have a little more restraint than that." He smiled at Hitomi. "Or would that be willpower?"

She giggled. "A little of both."

Van chuckled. "I stand corrected."

"So what did you do?" Millerna probed, a sly glint in her eyes.

The young King noticed the glints and grins from his friends and snorted. "None of that." he answered pointedly, then looked at Sid. "And you're much too young to even be thinking of that yet. We talked, that's all."

"About?" Merle queried.

Hitomi looked down at her hand laced with Van's. "About the whole situation with Cadoma, then we discussed a few things."

"And I had a question to ask her." added the Fanelian monarch. "I'm thinking of having her name changed for the duration of her stay on Gaia."

Disbelief crossed their faces at this statement. "But, Van-sama, I thought you liked her name."

"I do, Merle, very much so." he answered as Hitomi began to giggle knowingly. "I just happen to have found a better name for her." He brushed Hitomi's fingers against his lips with a smile. "How does the name Queen Hitomi Fanel sound to you three?"

There was a stunned silence as they just stared at the young couple. Van gently kissed each of Hitomi's fingers in turn while she gazed at him with a tender smile. The engaged duo stiffened in surprise at the sudden high-pitched squeal of delight from Merle, now bouncing up and down happily. Her arms shot up with a shout of joy.

"I knew they were going to get married!"

* * *

Cadoma watched the small group talking across the room from her, her hatred for the strange girl and her resolve becoming more and more pronounced. How dare this witch steal the King's attention away from her! As it was he was barely paying attention to his friends. The cat female's cry had snapped her out of an evil daydream aimed at Hitomi, but she hadn't caught the content of the outburst. Daylight faded away as they talked, no doubt catching up on all the years she had been away.

Cadoma frowned.

The stories were it had been Hitomi's decision to leave Gaia. So why did the King still care for her so much when she had been the one to leave him?

The Naporian Princess near growled when the Asturian Knight of Heaven, Allen Schezar, the Prince Sid and Princess Millerna excused themselves to retire for the evening. Hitomi said something to the Knight and Princess before they left, causing them both to blush in some embarrassment as they walked away, little Sid laughing in amusement. This left the King alone with the insolent cat female and the witch woman. Cadoma saw the young King remove his gloves and settle more comfortably on the small couch. She blinked. All the shadowgraphs and paintings she had ever seen of the young King showed him wearing gloves. To her knowledge he never removed them. He rested his arm along the couch's back, his fingers beginning to play light and gentle patterns on the skin of Hitomi's nape now within easy reach. The three talked for a few more hours before the cat female suddenly yawned broadly and excused herself for the night as well.

Cadoma felt her anger flare up with renewed strength when she saw Hitomi lean back against the young monarch's chest, settling against him comfortably, seemingly unconcerned that he had a title and that she had none to match. And he did nothing to discourage her. At that moment the Naporian noblewoman would have given anything to have heard their conversation.

* * *

"You're awfully quiet all of a sudden." Van probed gently as he nuzzled Hitomi's ear, his arms wrapping around her body to hold her close.

She held his arms in place around her with a small blissful sigh. "Mm, just wondering something."

"Wondering what?"

She smiled softly. "If it was possible to have my family here for the wedding. As it is they have no idea where I am."

"Fully possible. In the morning I'll go to the Moon of Illusions and bring them here."

She chuckled. "You'll have a hard time convincing them, especially if you tell them where it is you'll be taking them."

He grinned. "Who says I have to tell them?"

She had to laugh. "Great! The King of Fanelia is also a kidnapper!"

He held her tighter. "I'm just glad I ended up kidnapping you all those years ago. You saved my life so many times…" He closed his eyes, letting the words just come out from his heart. "You taught me to see with my heart, not just my eyes, taught me the difference between a just cause and a hopeless fight. By being with me you taught me how to live. You gave me so much without asking for more than a simple thank you in return. You deserve more… much more. Especially now since I'm taking you away from your world, your friends, and your family."

She shook her head in a negative. "I deserve no more than what I got."

"It's not enough. I want you to be happy, Hitomi. If there is ever anything, anything at all, that you might want to make you smile, name it and I'll make sure you receive it."

She turned in his arms and looked up at him with a gentle smile, gliding a finger down his smooth cheek. "You are everything I want, Van Fanel. Nothing more." she whispered adamantly. "This is my world now, its people are my friends, and you are my family."

Van smiled gently and tucked a stray lock of her hair behind her ear. "You make it so hard to resist." he sighed.

"Resist?" she questioned in all innocence. "Resist what?"

His smile softened, an unmistakable twinkle in his auburn eyes. She opened her talent to him to understand what he meant and was nearly burned by the desire she felt burning there. She blushed fiercely in sudden understanding. He wanted her, almost desperately. He chuckled at the comprehending look written on her face and gently kissed her forehead. She sighed silently. His lips were just as gentle there as when he kissed her hands. She quietly wondered how they would feel elsewhere on her body.

"The groom has to wait until after he and his bride are wedded before… well…" he told her with a slight grin. "It's a Fanelian tradition that I'm struggling very hard to stick to."

"I know." she chuckled lightly. "We have that tradition on my world too, though not everyone follows it very much anymore. Such a shame, really. I happen to like that tradition."

"Really?"

"Yes. It gives the new couple something to look forward to."

"Anxiously." he grinned slyly.

She returned the sly grin with a touch of seduction. "Very anxiously." she breathed.

"How early do you think we should have the ceremony?" he whispered against her cheek.

She shivered pleasantly. "I would say right now, but that's kind of impossible, isn't it?"

"Mm, no priest, no witnesses…" He chuckled. "My Advisors would never stand for it. Bad enough I refused their choice."

She sighed softly. "Princess Cadoma has been giving me the evil eye ever since I got here. It's gotten worse since you told her she wasn't your choice."

"If you want I can place a couple of guards to watch over you until she leaves."

"No, I wouldn't want to be any trouble…"

"Hardly any trouble at all, dearest Hitomi. I want you to be safe, to feel as if there's nothing to worry about."

She chuckled lightly. "I still have a few things to worry about: Telling my family on Earth about all this, the wedding preparations, picking out the perfect dress…" She sighed a smile. "I still can't believe this is really real."

He smiled. "Completely real. Gaia is the planet of wishes. I made the wish to forever have the woman I love at my side. You're my only wish."

Hitomi smiled up at him lovingly. "And you're my wish." She was silent for a moment, her ear to his heart to listen to the beat that had saved her life so long ago. "When is the ceremony to commemorate Fanelia's official re-opening planned for?"

"It was supposed to be in seven days, but your rescue brought everyone here earlier than expected."

She smirked ruefully. "I guess some good came out of my abduction then."

"I wouldn't have expected them to do anything less than they did, rushing to your rescue. We all love you here, Hitomi."

She snuggled deeper into his arms with a smile. "And I love you all…" then, looking him in the eye with a sly smile, "… but you are at the top of that list." and she kissed the tip of his nose.

He chuckled softly while he traced the delicate line of her neck and shoulder. "The re-opening will be in a day from now." He smiled at her. "And I'll crown you my Queen in a week." he whispered lovingly.

Her eyes twinkled a reflection of his own emotions in the room's dim light. "Van…" she breathed softly in a mixture of love and longing.

Van couldn't resist the gentle call in her voice. He held her closer, gently tipping her face up to his, his thumb caressing her lower lip. Hitomi felt her eyelids grow heavy and she closed her eyes in anticipation. She didn't have long to wait. Van's hand cupped her cheek only a heartbeat before his lips met hers. The kiss was slow, tender, almost timid in nature, but it was their kiss. Their first. And it was glorious.

* * *

Princess Cadoma of Naporia stormed out of the dark solarium, unable to stomach the sight anymore. The young Fanelian King was locked in a tender, loving embrace with the witch from the Moon of Illusions. She frowned as she headed down the corridors to her assigned chambers in the Royal Wing.

The little witch must have cast a spell on the King, she reasoned to herself. No one refuses Us anything of their own free will. It must be a spell. The witch must be killed.

But what if you fail that? another voice questioned in her head.

We won't fail!

But what if you do? The King will only protect her more closely.

She slammed her door shut and screamed in fury. The voice was right. If the witch couldn't be killed on a first try then a new method, a back-up plan, had to be devised just in case. Cadoma had been brought to Fanelia to become a Queen. She was to be the lynchpin in her Father's plan to unite a formidably strong nation with the wealth of Naporia. And she would be damned if she let anyone take that opportunity away from her.

We must think of a way to gain control of this country, she thought as she paced. The King must be forced to see that he must wed Us, but how? What would convince him? What does he hold so dear that we can threaten to destroy unless he agrees? She paced by the window and suddenly stopped to gaze out at the multitude of lights twinkling below. His city is precious to him, as are his people, his friends… the girl… A plan began to form and take fruit in her mind and she smiled. Fanelia would be hers.

To Be Continued…