Escaflowne: The Fantasy Continues

Part 3

The characters of Escaflowne used in this are property of Bandai
entertainment. The writing and original characters are my own. This is
my first Fan fic so please e-mail and tell me what you think. But only
constructive criticism please.

Hitomi awoke to find Van sitting by her window. She yawned and he turned
to look at her.
“Good, you’re awake,” he said with a smile.
“Mm hm,” she nodded and stood.
“There’s a change of clothes on the dresser, and some fruit too.” He
wasn’t quite sure what to do, he thought she’d still be the same girl
he’d known two years ago. It was obvious she wasn’t, she’d grown up
quite a bit and he suspected he had as well. It was at this point he
realized he’d been staring turning towards the door he started to leave,
but thinking better of that he gave Hitomi a hug.
“I’m glad you’re back,” he said breathing in her scent, ‘still as lovely
as ever,’ he thought.
“Me too.”
He left and she felt just as confused, she was still in love with him
but something was drastically different.
She changed and looked around the room; it was beautiful. She walked to
the window and looked out onto the grounds, she saw Allen walking with
Van and next to him was another strangely familiar person. She thought
for a while and the man’s blue hair, height, and walk made her thing of
Van’s older brother.
‘But it couldn’t be’ she thought of Folken falling after killing
Dornkirk, no one could have survived that.
The group turned and began walking towards her, then she saw his face,
the familiar teardrop, and she noticed his hand; it really was Folken!
But how?
He spotted her looking down on them and smiled up at her as if he knew
what she was thinking. She turned away from the window and walked into
the hall
She saw Merle strolling her way and the cat girl broke into a run when
she spotted her.
“Hitomi! I heard you’re going to marry Van Sama! Is it true?” She asked
excitedly. Hitomi was just beginning to realize the fullness of what had
happened.
“Yes Merle, I’m going to marry Van,” she sighed, as if affirming herself
of it. Everything seemed so perfect.
“Hitomi!” It was Allen; she smiled and saw Van and Folken trailing him.
“Allen, it’s good to see you again, all of you,” she looked to Folken
who smiled back at her
“I know what you’re going to ask,” he said offering her his arm. She
took it and he led her to Van’s study, only Van followed them in.
“I bet you want to know how I’m still alive, right?” he asked.
She nodded, “Exactly.”
“Well you do remember how I fell after I killed Dornkirk right?” she
nodded and he continued, “Well, I was just unconscious and when I awoke
you were gone, not to mention the huge head ache I had.”
“But why didn’t you come back to Fanelia?” she asked.
“I asked the same question,” Van answered for his brother, “You see we
left without him and he had to travel on foot because he had broken his
wing falling like that.”
“Oh, I guess that makes since.”
“I got back the day after you left, I wish I could have been here in
time to wish you off.”
“Or convince her to stay,” Van teased.
“I probably would have tried,” he admitted.
Allen opened the door and studied the scene before deciding to come in.
“Merle and I are going to have lunch if you guys would like to join us
sometime in the next year.” He said giving a fake attitude of annoyance.

“All right Allen,” Folken said walking towards the door, it was Van’s
turn to offer Hitomi his arm.
“Van, I was wondering, what ever happened to Serena?” She asked quietly
keeping good distance behind the group.
“She’s with some of the friends she’s made here, they’re at the market.
We haven’t seen any sign of her other personality if that’s what you
were concerned about.” He reassured her, she nodded and they sat around
a rather large table in the dining room.
* * *
Van and Hitomi were walking in one of the many gardens around the
palace.
“Hitomi, do you think we’ve changed?” Van asked cautiously.
“Yes, but I think for the better. I know I still love you as much as the
day I left.” She sensed that was what was bothering him.
He breathed a sigh of relief and wrapped his arm around her waist, “I
think I love you even more than when you left,” he whispered in her ear.

“I think you’re right, that’s a much better way to put it.” She looked
towards a shady patch of grass. He saw where she looked and walked that
direction. They lay back in the grass and looked at the sky through the
leaves of a tall oak tree.
Hitomi snuggled close to him, it had been so long since she felt the
protection of his arms, and it made her fall in love all over again when
he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
* * *
“So how long till we hear the pitter patter of little feet around the
palace?” Allen asked jokingly, as they spied from Folken’s own study.
Folken gave him a look of rebuke that softened into one of joy.
‘My little brother is king of Fanelia and about to be married, and I’m
about to be an uncle’ he pondered, “Well it’ll be about a month before
the wedding and I’d give them about the rest of the year before the
first, so about a year.” He smiled, funny how things worked out, he’d
never really been cut out for the position of king and he had never
really wanted to marry, but Hitomi would make wonderful queen.
Allen laughed, “I think we’ve been found out!”
Van looked straight in their direction and stood, scooping Hitomi into
his arms, and walked towards another part of the garden, out of sight.
“I suppose so.”
* * *

“Van, what was that for?” Hitomi asked as he carried her down the path.
“Allen and my brother were spying on us,” he said with a suggestive
smile, “And I couldn’t do this with them watching,” he kissed her and
she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
“Oh,” she blushed. He smiled; he liked the color that rose in her
cheeks.
“Besides, I like it here much better,” he motioned to the fountain and a
blanket he had had someone lay out in the grass. He gently sat her down
on the blanket and then pulled her into his arms again. They spent
sometime in the garden that afternoon and they both left with a slight
blush on their cheeks.
“Red,” Hitomi said thoughtfully.
“Red?” Van wasn’t sure what she meant.
“Yes red, for our wedding, I want everything to be red, white and gold.”
She said looking into his eyes; they were full of compassion and
excitement.
* * *
Folken had been visiting with Allen and some old friends while the
couple relaxed. Serena had returned and she and Merle were playing game
of cards when Hitomi and Van walked into the large visiting hall where
everyone was gathered.
Folken gave Van a knowing look of approval and nodded. It was time to
make it official.
“Everyone,” Van said, gaining the attention of the entire group, “I have
an announcement,” Hitomi smiled up at him.
“I, as of this date, am engaged to be married to Hitomi Kanzaki, the
girl from the mystic moon who save Gaea two years ago.”
The room was filled with applause and Hitomi curtsied like any of the
royal women he had met, if not better.
“Now if you excuse us, we’ll be freshening up for dinner,” Van took
Hitomi and walked towards the hallway, she felt as if she would float
away with excitement.

“Close your eyes,” Van whispered in her ear after walking Hitomi into
her room, “I have surprise for you.” She did so and he disappeared into
the large closet.
“What is it Van?” she asked with an excited laugh.
“Why don’t you open your eyes and see?” he stood in front of her holding
one of the dresses that had belonged to his mother.
“It’s beautiful! You didn’t have to do all this Van, really”
“Yes I did and it was my mother’s she’d want you to have it.” Van smiled
at her humility, he’d always liked that about her.
“Thank you Van!” She kissed him and then took the dress.
“I’ll be back in twenty minutes to take you down stairs, we wouldn’t
want Folken or Allen to feel obliged to do that would we?” she mussed
his hair playfully.
“See you then,” she called after him as he walked across the corridor.
* * *
Dinner went smoothly and Allen talked to great lengths, being Allen this
was easy, about where he was going next, Serena would be coming with him
this time.
“I see you’ve done well,” Folken said so only Van could hear, “She’ll
make a wonderful queen and an even better mother.”
Van smiled and glanced over at Hitomi, she was sipping at her wine, very
carefully this time. He took her in for quite some before her gaze met
his own. They smiled at each other for a few seconds until they were
broken from their trance by laughter from Merle and Serena’s end of the
table.
Finally dinner was over and they retreated to their rooms.
Van watched over Hitomi as she fell asleep, her gentle features standing
out in the moonlight.
“Good night Hitomi,” he whispered and kissed her on the cheek before
leaving.

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