Chapter 12~ Setting Matters Straight

    A few days passed and Allen helped Van to get a little speech thingy ready to tell the King of Noovi when he leaves. Princess Sarala still hung around with Merel and Celena who did not enjoy her company, only when she made a fool of herself, which sent them into fits of giggles. Apparently the little-want-to-join-the-club princess giggled with them even though she didn't know what the joke was or that the joke was on her.

    At lunch Allen still gave the Princess his charming smiles, which in return made Van cough out food and laugh. On the 6th day of the royal Noovi family's stay, the King of Noovi came to Van's study wanting to chat with him for a while, which the King of Noovi insisted Allen to not participate. "My young King, I'm here to tell you that we are waiting and have been waiting for a long time. But since you are too shy to start this delicate converstation first, I will start it." The Noovi king had this smile on his face that told Van that he was into no good. Van nodded wanting the Noovi King to go on. "Yes, about my little daughter, we are really waiting for an answer from you, my young Lord." Van's head was spinning. 'Dumbass! Calm down! Remember the lines that you have practiced with Allen!' Van nodded his head and gave a fake smile. "My Lord, this indeed is a delicate matter and I would first like to know, if I said yes, how would you react?" "I would be certainly happy." 'So far so good' Van thought while he continued his practiced speech. "What if I said no?" The Noovi King looked a little shocked for he never did have been rejected before....well he did but not this way.

    'My darling Princess Sarala is so beautiful and perfect for Van! Why did he even consider 'no'?' The Old King gave a curt nod. "Then I guess it will be okay, except I may be disappointed." 'Okay...he'll only be disappointed, it's not like he's going to kill me or block my trade routes right?' Van went on, "Then I'm sorry to inform you....but the answer is gomen...no." Van looked down at this hands that are resting on his desk, he did not want to see the Old King's fat face....he cannot imagine how it'll look like right now.

    'How dare this young and unknowleged young little bastard king say no? How dare he? He will now learn the wrath of the powerful King of Noovi!' Van looked up, the older king's face was getting puffed up in a way. "My lord, is everything okay?" The Noovi King stood up and shoved the chair rudely away from him, he gave Van a curt nod and stomped out of Van's study. "Wow, that's some show..." Allen walked in smiling his mischievous smile. "Oh! Shut up Allen....my instincts tell me that I'm into no good...." Van said with a frown, "I think so too...maybe you should consult with Hitomi..." "I would sure like to except that I have been trying lately but she seemed so occupied with her problems and always told me to go away or just answer me with a 'Van'...If you ask me..I think that we are growing apart..." Van sighed."Hey buddy, don't think of it that way! She just may not be feeling well and I guess she'll come around soon." Allen assured. "Maybe..." was all Van hoped of.

    "What father? King Van said no?" Sarala gasped, how could he? She was sooooo perfect? She was on her perfect behavior all week! Sarala was having tea with the two Ladies when her father stomped in. Both Celena and Merel stifled a fake gasp and "Oh! How could he." Now the little princess started crying, her pretended behavior to be an adult vanished, she was again a little spoiled brat throwing a tantrum. She screamed and pulled on her own hair in frustration. All Merel and Celena did all this time was watch and gasp, they then excused themselves from this little ugly scene.

    "Wow, that was....COOL...!" Merel complimented. "That was...gosh! I never knew she could do that!" Celena said in awe. They both were extremely surprise by the sudden change in behavior of Princess Sarala. "Well, I guess that's that. I would never want anyone and I mean anyone to be queen of Fanalia in Van's time except Hitomi." Merel said sadly, "Hitomi had always been like a sister to me. Even though I was really jealous of her at times, but now to think of it, I loved her just as much as I love Van...it's different this love...it's a kind of love that you have for friends, I wish she were here right now...things will be so much better around her." Celena nodded, she had heard much of this seeress from the Mystic Moon from Allen. Both walked in silence now, comtemplating on their own thoughts.

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"OW! That hurts!" Yukari was so surprised by the Hitory book that was in her way that that was all she could say at that moment. To everyone in the hall way's surprise Huzuko was the one holding the book which belonged to him. "What was that for? What did she do?" Huzuko asked innocently. "That was a dare Huzuko." Sabrina said in her trying-to-impress-someone tone. Huzuko might have noticed but he ignored it and turned his attention to Hitomi who was surprised by this unexpected rescue."That was unessassary Huzuko." Hitomi said curtly. "Well...it was nessassary to me." Huzuko replied. Everyone was still staring at them. The Three S's and Yukari were looking at them. "Arigato anyhow..." Hitomi blushed. Sally boiled with rage.

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    Princess Sarala was now throwing a real great tantrum, her father was too burning with rage. This was a total personal insult to him and his country. "Daughter," the Noovi king growled. "Yes father?" the little girl kept crying. "Lets pack up immediantly and go back...NOW!!!" Her father shouted. To say the truth, Sarala did not want to go back, she wanted to stay in Fanalia longer to play! "But....but...father...I don't want to go! I want to stay longer and play!!!" the little princess kept crying. "Well, no! Let's get packing!"

    Princess Sarala was so angry and frustrated that she ran out into the corridor and kept crying by a big window. Suddenly someone touched her shoulders...it was ALLEN. "Hey whats wrong? Why are you crying?" Allen's gentle voice made her giddy. "Well...King Van just refused our marrige proposal which made father angry and now we must go back immediantly...but I don't want to! I want to stay longer to play! It's so boring on that island!!!!" the little girl kept on sobbing. "Hey, maybe I can help you on that! Wait, Van's my bestfriend I can ask him to help you...want to?" Allen said with a smile. The little princess looked at him...'Oh! He is so handsome!'..,"Really? You can do that?" She said surprised. "Why not? Wait here a while and I"ll be back k?" Princess Sarala watched as the handsome kinght bowed to her once again she noticed his charm.

    "Comon Van!" Van did not budge from his paper work instead he stared at Allen...speechless. "What the damn hell are you trying to tell me to do? You are the one suppose to be on MY side!" Van shouted. "No! You got it wrong your Majesty!..." Van interrupted Allen by again saying, "The name's VAN!" Van shouted. "Okay, Van! She is just a poor little girl who just got refused...from...someone she totally adore...which is...well..I dunno....YOU!" Allen glared at Van making him feel extremely guilty. "Fine! What do you want me to do? Ask her to stay?" Van joked, to his surprise Allen nodded, Van could feel his stomach lurch, he wanted to vomit. "Pardon me?" Van asked Allen in a whisper. "Yes! You see my nodding head right, are you blind perhaps?" Allen replied sarcastily and at the same time nodding his head. "You...you...you must be kidding...I was...just about to get rid of her...oo...my bestfriend has a crush...ahhhhhhhh." Van couldn't believe his ears, he had just heard his bestfriend asking him to let Princess Sarala the sassy brat stay! Allen came after him, while Van kept on teasing him in a sing-songy manner, "Allen---has---a---crush---!!! HAHA!"

    Allen glared at the young frustrated king. He had took two whole hours lecturing Van on how words can hurt people, it can even change their whole lives, by that one word, you can hurt someone so bad that they'll hurt forever and ever and etc. "Go on!" Whispered Allen sternly across the corridor. Van hesitated then knocked on the guest court. A servant answered the door and went to inform the angry Noovi King.

    "What do you want my young Lord?" The Older King asked curtly. "Well, My Lord, um...how do I say this?...Well...." Van was lost, he was trying to remember the sentences that Allen had prepared for him to say. "Oh?! You have changed your mind? I knew it! You are the smart kind! The kind that wouldn't let their chance with a wonderful soulmate walk away! And you are the kind........" Said the Noovi King interupting Van's thoughts. "No!" Van almost shouted, there was a look of extreme disappointment in the king's face. "No," Van stated calmly this time, "I was just thinking...that...well..since I have refused this marrige proposal, how about Princess Sarala stay for a while and play around here?" "What? You want me to leave my daughter here...so..um...well..you can SEDUCE her?!!!" The Noovi king literally screamed. "No! Not at all! I was just thinking that, since we won't marry, maybe I can treat her like a sister, to make up for the lose...well...I dunno...I'm just thinking that maybe that'll help her over come her loss...and well....I understand how it feels like to be completely inlove and not be able to be with that one....I don't think Princess Sarala have those feeling's for me...but I know how it can affect her to be rejected...well...I don't know how to explain...I'm just here simply trying to makeup for the damage I may have placed in her pure heart." Van got totally caught in his own speech that the one he was presenting wasn't the one that he had prepared for, the Noovi King however seemed a little touched.

    "My young Lord, I can see that you are a wise one....I will talk with the Princess, if she wishes to stay she may stay, under the promise that she'll be treated well." The Noovi king smiled, he was really touched by Van's words, then it was ture, he had feeling's for the young seeress of the Mystic Moon. All thoughts of concoring Austuria fled his mind for a second. Then it came back. He must first consider the happiness for his daughter, now he must plan the whole thing again.....

    Van walked out of the room, satisfied with his speech which he made up all by himself. He walked down the corridor and faced Allen, "What have I done?" Allen simply smile, "You've done well your Majesty." "THE NAMES VAN!"