Twisted Fortune - An Escaflowne Fanfiction
By Bonnejeanne and Nixers
Contact: bonnejeanne@yahoo.com and nixerchan@aol.com
Warnings: Spoilers
Notes: Set a little over one year after Vision of Escaflowne's end.
Chapter Six - Distortion (cont.)
Part 13
It was about noon when the comfortable solitude of Van's study was broken, by a breathless courier, delivering the message that two blue Zaibach guymelefs were spotted taking off from the deep woods of Fanelia, somewhat to the northeast.
The situation, at first, seemed simple for Dryden, if not to remedy than to take precautions over. The guards and lookouts were doubled on the northern perimeters and scouts were told to be aware of the tell tale signs of an invisible mecha: disturbed undergrowth, small earthquakes, anything unusual. The first true panic began when those asked to inform Van of the development were unable to find the king anywhere.
Then the reports had come back from the inner staff that Serena had collapsed and was acting strangely. Both she and Van had left, leaving that morning together, and by all reports to the north. Rumor had spread quickly and his was not the only mind that made the correlation.
Dryden sat in the seldom used audience room, below the seat used normally by Van on those rare occasions he was forced by some formality. Everyone in Fanelia knew that if you wanted to see the king it was easiest to catch him outside the palace itself.
Things had changed in the king's sudden absence. In his wake, the room was nearly filled. Noise resounded off the high walls, fueled by concerned people, guards attempting to keep order, and staff trying to both do their business and hear the latest news.
No one seemed to have anything new to say, but all wanted to tell their own story.. in exchange be given their chance to demand what exactly Dryden and the kingdom planned to do about the situation.
At the far end of the room, one of the outer doors opened yet again, this time not banging but opening a crack and closing quietly. As the people in the room shifted in the midst of their public and private debating, Dryden caught a glimpse of a small figure by the door. Her orange-red curls were disarranged to a greater than usual degree and the brief glimpse he had seemed to show her smock as stained by dirt and vegetation.
She paused by the door and looked around, but as her eyes took in the formidable assembly, her face fell even more and the door opened again as she slipped back outside.
Dryden had little time to wonder about her appearance and subsequent disappearance. Suppressing his concern, he resumed a more typical confident pose as the merchant he'd been talking to had begun to demonstrate his impatience at his extended pause.
"I'm sorry, I can't tell you more," he said, noticing the group behind the man, obviously companions, listening in intently without trying to be obvious. "We've sent a message to Zaibach demanding an explanation and a courier to each of the countries of the alliance explaining the breech of treaties. But we have no eyewitnesses and no actual proof that it was Zaibach and not two confiscated guymelefs."
"But, we're vulnerable to attack now!" Dryden winced slightly at the outcry, it was a point he was hoping to avoid, the legends and dependence on Escaflowne was widespread.
"We're doing our best..." he offered. "There's a possibility that he wasn't taken and it's a coincidence..."
He felt something behind him and suddenly a figure wormed her way around him and jumped up on the king's chair, standing on the seat at her full height. She was still just as rumpled but when she opened her mouth, a sound of surprising volume emerged, cutting across the hubbub.
"STOP ARGUING! HAVE FAITH IN VAN-SAMA!" she yelled, her expression a formidable thundercloud. "You all know Van-sama would never leave us unprotected! Don't you know who his new l-lady is?" she said, and probably only Dryden heard the tongueslip. "Serena Schezar! Her brother has always been Van-sama's friend! He'll help until Van-sama can come back!"
There was a split second of silence in the wake of the catgirl's outburst, where those in the crowd lost their stunned expressions and gave not-so-covert glances to their neighbors. Almost at once, the murmurs returned, gaining volume with new debate. The tone was perhaps not so dark, but still mixed. The words Heavenly Knight and Allen Schezar were caught with great frequency in the latest babble.
Dryden stood up and offered a hand down to Merle, his expression radiating gratitude. "My appreciation goes out to you my lady," he smiled at her, knowing the words were lost to the ears not five feet away. Still, he lowered his voice slightly for the next part, "It is a good point, providing we can calm Allen down enough to help."
Merle jumped down but did take Dryden's hand, clutching it tightly for a moment. "Leave him to me," she said determinedly. Then she locked eyes with the merchant prince. "He's... he's gone," she mouthed silently. "Her too. I found a clearing... the grass was crushed by two heavy things and there was a... a drop of blood." She swallowed, trying to keep her distress hidden by turning her face away from the rest of the room. "There were dragons crawling all over it. I had to run. They were upset by something..."
The distress at her words never was visible in Dryden's posture, he was too aware of the crowd watching his every move, but Merle could feel the momentary tightening of his hand around hers and the look in his eyes. "And the second strange occurrence with dragons... there was one yesterday morning visiting the stables."
Merle frowned, and then something crossed her mobile face. Without a word, she darted away to the back entranced she'd slipped in through and disappeared.
Dryden watched her go before gathering himself up to face the crowd again, trying for the fifth time this evening to entreat the masses to go home, be prepared but to have, as Merle said, faith in their kingdom's ability to resolve matters swiftly.
He was gambling on, for the moment, that the admonishment that Merle made, coupled with his own reassurances would give a bit of hope and bring out the determination the people of Fanelia were so known for instead of this abnormal panic. Perhaps Allen's appearance would be more of a gift from the gods than a disaster, if things went right. Rationally, people must know that even Escaflowne or Scheherazade couldn't win a battle or a war alone, but symbols were often more powerful than actual force.
He overheard someone off to one side, telling another, "No, no, it's true! They had lookouts posted since the king came back with the young miss. Must have been waiting for Schezar before making the happy announcement. That's got to be what it is. With Asturia tied to us by such a union, we have strong allies..."
/Well, there was going to be an announcement all right../ Dryden mused internally, while seemingly focused on thanking a man for his well wishes and yes, he would be welcome in the guard, even as a temporary. The idea of correcting the beneficial rumor never crossed his mind.
Dryden finally disentangled himself from the latest group pressing up to be heard and raised his voice, announcing that in the name of progress, he 'regretfully' had to call a recess to the audience. A two hour respite was welcome, at least to himself, though he doubted that less than half of the people would leave for the time.
Giving instructions to the guards about where to find him if anything else developed, he excused himself to an inner sanctum, taking a seat by an open window, hoping perhaps the cool evening breeze coming in for it would help ward off the headache he'd manage to develop.
Dryden was allowed to have ten minutes of peace before there was a tap on the door. The guard opened it and came in quickly, closing the door behind him. His expression showed before he spoke that he had news of significance. "Sir, we've spotted an approaching airship making fast time over the southern range. They should be here in a few hours."
Dryden nodded. "Thank you, please make arrangements for the airfield to be cleared for landing, but no unusual signals to the airship itself." He paused, a bit of a worn smile on his face, "And if you could possibly, escort our guests to me bypassing the worst of the confusion. If you could also notify housekeeping to prepare a good number of rooms, just in case."
The young guard listened closely and nodded when Dryden was done, his expression indicating he understanding of each of the instructions. "Yes, sir," he said respectfully. "We'll take care of it."
He saluted and left to make the arrangements to clear the "airfield," which was simply a large flat space that had been cleared of ruins, and where they often stored unused dray-wagons and other heavier vehicles.
The merchant turned back to his desk, intending to make good use of the time left.
On the corner of the desk he noticed an envelope with writing in Van's graceful script. It was addressed to "The Council and the People of Fanelia."
Brows drawing together in curiosity, a letter opener made quick of the wax seal, stamped with Van's personal seal.
Inside was a single sheet of vellum. Dated the day before, it simply said, "In the event of any crisis during which I may be absent from Fanelia or otherwise unable to govern, Dryden Fassa shall be named official Regent of Fanelia for an indefinite term, until the people of Fanelia make other arrangements that suit them. Please honor his decisions as if they were my own. Dryden Fassa shall also be named guardian of Merle until she is deemed to have reached her majority. Van Slanzar de Fanel."
He refolded the paper with a slow delicacy, feeling somewhat numb. As much as this would help with controlling the crowd waiting outside, the implications were inescapable now. What he said or decided affected a country. Somewhere in the tulmut, his respect for Van went up several more notches. He couldn't imagine living with this sort of responsibility every day.
/I may find out for myself,/ a wry thought made itself known before quickly being pushed aside. It was useless to think like that. Van would return to Fanelia no matter what stood in his way. The young man was simply too dedicated and soulbound to the land. That much the merchant was sure of. /For now then.../ he promised himself.
It would be a simple matter to get the order approved by what passed for the Council of Fanelia, after that he'd post the order instead of announcing it formally. With the crisis as it was, he doubted that the word would take more than an hour to spread to every resident of the city.
Tucking the thing paper into his sash, he left the office, to make preparations for Allen's return and put into effect the document that would hopefully solve more difficulties than create them.
Whatever Allen expected upon arrival in Fanelia's capitol, it wasn't what he seemed to be getting.
Moving over the small city and castle, they could all see people moving about their business, heads occasionally raised to survey the airship, and without exception the impression was one of warm welcome. Children waved. Even a few of the old people did as well. And guards on the castle towers flagged them in the direction of a flat open field beyond the castle wall, with an almost routine acceptance.
"Set down on the field, Gaddes," Allen ordered, frowning slightly in barely concealed puzzlement. It wasn't that he expected to be met with armed resistance but there was something odd about the reception and he had a very peculiar feeling about it. The sight earlier in the day of the two objects from near this area taking to the air and heading north added to the mystery.
"Weird," was Gaddes' only comment as he set the crew about their tasks, setting the anchoring lines and heating the levistones for a slow decent to the ground. By the time the floorboards beneath them rocked with the ships settling onto the uneven ground, he was hiding the strong urge to fidget. Below the decks of the Crusade II a small group of guards, hardly numbering more than four, were waiting in a patient assembly.
Allen drummed his fingers on the bridge railing. No Van. No Serena. Hmmm. Could the light have taken them somewhere else all together? At that moment Allen realized he'd bee irrationally certain they would be there... that they only had to get to Fanelia and the problem would be a fixable one.
"All right," he said aloud. "Gaddes, Kaerin, with me. The rest of you, make us secure and stay with the ship. Maintenance and rest shifts. We may be going somewhere other than home from here."
The usual chorus of grumbling met the announcement, but there was no true dissent amongst the crewmembers. Kaerin and Gaddes joined Allen's side without comment, if excusing a nod of acknowledgment from both. As the three finally touched ground, the guard in the lead gave them a swift salute. The man was dressed in Fanelian reds, signifying him of some rank.
"Lord Schezar," the man started, dropping his arm in the same crisp military matter. "We've been expecting your presence. If you would follow us, the Regent has asked to see you upon landing."
"The... Regent," Allen said slowly. "I understood that the king was back from Asturia," he said, a flat out bluff, to see what kind of response he would get.
The guard hesitated for a fraction of a second, his directions from Dryden had been specific. The Regent would inform Allen of the situation himself. "We regret not," the answered, favoring a half truth.
"Hmm. Very well, lead on," Allen replied. This Regent would have the answers... he'd better be prepared to share them quickly.
The pace their escorts set was a swift one, demanding a brisk walk through the outskirts of the city towards the castle. Those they did pass seemed rather unusually pleased to see the Knight, even on occasion acknowledging Kaerin as well, recognizing the blues and golds of his uniform. Nothing was overt, nor did anyone approach, but the smiles and nods seemed perhaps a bit too hopeful or too often, even considering the often retold stories of Allen Schezar, companion and friend of their king.
/Something's going on,/ Allen thought. He glanced at Kaerin to see if the young knight was getting the same impression.
A thoughtful frown has creased Kaerin's face slightly as he regarded those they passed with interest. Noticing Allen's gaze, he raised an eyebrow and drew even with the swordsman. "I hadn't known you were so famous," he said on an aside.
"I'm not *this* famous," Allen muttered softly.
"Perhaps," Kaerin conceded, just as quietly. The conversation was shortened by their arrival at the steps of the castle. The guards led the small group, not to the audience chambers as would be expected but a small but comfortable looking room off of a side hall. Within, the familiar figure of Dryden Fassa was waiting, looking, perhaps tired by well composed. The guards left with a nod from the merchant, leaving them alone in the room.
"Allen, Gaddes and...."
"Kaerin, sir,"
"Kaerin," Dryden reaffirmed, giving the newcomer a smile and nodding to each of the men in turn. "If you could take a seat?"
Allen watched the other man with an unreadable expression. He hadn't been entirely surprised to see him - Millerna had mentioned getting messages from the merchant, from Fanelia - although the fact that he was obviously the "Regent" was interesting, it wasn't without precedence. Dryden had acted in a similar capacity for Asturia when that king had taken ill. Van was a practical person, it made sense that he'd use the experience at hand. The question was why he'd need to.
"Of course," Allen said, after these things went through his mind very quickly indeed. He could play the civilized courtier to the hilt if it suited him, regardless of his feelings. He sat down gracefully in a chair across from the merchant prince, his expression mildly polite, and waited.
Dryden waited until the other two men, following Allen's lead, took their own seats to either side of the Knight. In the time he'd had to prepare, he'd weighed his options on how to handle this encounter. Merle had asked to handle the matter of Allen, but she'd been conspicuously absent since earlier that evening. He'd finally settled on simple straightforward tact, as they would need all of Allen's assistance.
Taking a deep breath, he met Allen's gaze. "I assume you are here for Van and Serena," Dryden said.
Allen's blue eyes sparked but he simply nodded. There was no way that question would have been asked if they had not been here.
Dryden nodded, not expecting any other response. "Yes, they were here... but disappeared sometime earlier today and there is every sign that their leaving was not voluntary." He held up his hand forestalling any outburst. "As you might have noticed, Fanelia is on the verge of a state of emergency. Few people know how severely, but most suspect."
Allen stilled to a statue-like immobility. He looked at the other man's raised hand as if it were somehow out of place. Leaning back a little in his chair as he resumed the semblance of life, his eyes bored into Dryden's.
"Disappeared..." he said, his voice low and even. "They seem to be doing that a lot."
"If it were anything like the last time, I would be much less desperate," Dryden said, a dull note of weariness coloring the tone of the usually vibrant man. He swallowed, giving himself a moment to prepare. "Zaibach involvement is almost a definite... which is why we... I am begging for your help..."
Allen felt a cold spike in his stomach at the words. Serena... "Dryden, I need to know something first. Why was my sister here? Why did Van... take her out of Pallas? *What happened between them?*" he said, the last question still low and calm but an edge of urgent necessity hissing at its edges.
One of Dryden's hands found the side of his face, the pads of his fingers rubbing at one temple. "I couldn't say for certain... what I do know is that she assisted Van in rescuing an Earth Dragon and accompanied him here.... of her own free will," he added, "There was tension between them at times, but for the most part they got along better than most old friends," /Much better,/ Dryden added to himself, remembering the display in the courtyard and the rumors floating around the audience today.
Allen watched him like a hawk. The swordsman's eyes missed nothing. He simply waited, letting the silence stretch out.
Dryden shook his head, looking more strained than uncomfortable. "I can't tell you more than that. Van's a private person at the best of times," he sighed, almost inaudibly. "I know we haven't been on the best of terms, Allen, but I've never lied to you, and I have nothing to gain from beginning now."
"I don't think you are lying, Fassa," Allen said in the same quiet voice. "But you are using the excuse of honor to leave out something, something you know is important. By your very omission, you practically shout it."
/They're involved.../ Allen thought, and it only increased the chill inside of him. The worst part was that his concern was not entirely for Serena, and that torqued up a sense of guilt that added to the mixture of emotions he was fighting to keep under control.
Dryden's eyes hardened slightly. "There are rumors and assumptions of more, but it is neither my right nor duty to deny or confirm that. Nor do I currently see it important in the light of current events." Dryden said, his tone sharper as he clearly enunciated each word. "I understand your concern, but I am dealing with an incomprehensible vulnerability to this country, and sticks and stones to defend it from an enemy who not only is well known for their hostility towards us, but knows we are helpless."
Allen's eyes continued to bore into Dryden's, flatly denying that it was "not important." However, he merely said, "Explain. If you mean Zaibach... what reason do you have to think they would be stupid enough in their present condition to mount an aggression against any nation?"
"They are not without weapons, as we were lead to believe. Those who kidnapped them were piloting guymelefs. We have several witnesses to that. Even so, Fanelia is crippled, Asturia won't do more than tighten the embargoes, and the other countries in the alliance are either nearly destroyed as Freid was, or deeply short on forces because of the toll of the last battle. You and I both know that they will consider Fanelia a small conquest, and stay out of it unless the threat is clear to them. They can't afford another assault.
"I don't know if Zaibach even HAS the capability to attack, but I have to be prepared. It only took five melefs to raze the city the first time."
Allen listened, lifting one hand to his chin. "You have evidence that Van and Serena were taken to Zaibach."
"To Zaibach no, *by* Zaibach... All we are short of are eye witnesses to it. The evidence is clear, and Merle herself was investigating." Dryden's tone was almost pleading. "We need if nothing else, your presence here. And hope to the gods that it is enough."
Allen's hand dropped from his chin to curl around the chair arm. Only the whitening of his knuckles betrayed the amount of force in the grip. His eyes hooded and he was silent, wrestling with the information.
After a rather long few moments, he turned his head. "Gaddes... get back to the ship and tell the men to set up the Crusade for defense of the city. Kaerin... please go with him and give him the benefit of your assistance."
Gaddes was on his feet immediately, having watched the tense conversation unwind. "Consider it done, boss," Kaerin rose as well, bowing to Allen before following the first mate out of the room. Before the door closed again, the sound of a guard posted could be heard, offering directions or an escort.
Dryden had just barely kept from completely slumping with relief at the orders. The situation was still tenuous, but it was more than he was privately hoping for. "Thank you," he said, letting out the breath he'd been holding with the words.
Allen acknowledged the words with a curt nod. When the door had shut completely behind the two men, Allen looked again at Dryden, a layer or two of facade coming off of the mask.
"Do you realize what you are asking me?" Allen said, his voice vibrating like a bowstring.
"Yes, and there is no way I can express my regret enough, or apologize for putting you in this position." Dryden said, honestly. "If I could, I would be heading north myself with every possible ounce of speed, but my responsibility binds me to this."
Allen ground his teeth. "I didn't promise not to go north," he growled softly. "I just said the Crusade would stay here." He looked at Dryden. "In return, I want you to help me find out exactly what happened, where they have gone, and find some indication more than a guess. I know your capabilities, Fassa. That's the deal. Your brain for my ship and crew."
"It would seem that I have no other option." Dryden commented. "And how will I get this information to you, if you leave?"
"I won't leave until you have it," Allen answered. "So work fast."
Dryden nodded, his instinct to respond to the tone with his own was ruthlessly surpressed. It was hard to remind himself at times Allen's side of this situation, or the need of the country for his own cordiality. "A room for you and your crew will be prepared, if you require or want them. You will know what I do the instant it occurs."
Allen tilted his head. "My crew will bunk on the Crusade, that's the procedure for alert status. I will stay here. I'll take a room next to yours. I am your shadow until you find out what happened. So I will indeed know the instant it occurs."
A touch of a wry smile broke Dryden's expression. "I hope you like this room then." He looked down a moment before meeting the Knight's stare again. "If possible, may I ask that when you do leave, it is in secrecy. I don't enjoy keeping things from these people, but there is a lot of hope invested in your presence. It's likely the only thing keeping order now."
"I have no desire to cause harm to the people of Fanelia," Allen said, reaching up to rub his eyes. For the first time it could be seen that he was extremely tired, but it was one of the swordsman's gifts to carry it without outward indications. In truth he'd hardly slept an hour or two since Serena's disappearance.
Dryden nodded, noting again that there were no promises made, but he was at the swordsman's mercy at this time. His sharp eyes noted the subtle change in the other man's posture, but he made no move to offer the other man his quarters. Instead he stood and opened the door, nodding once to the guard to let him know that he was accessible again if there was a need and returned to the study.
Without comment, he took a book down from the shelves and opened it. It was one of the few that had survived the destruction of Fanelia a little of a year ago, and he'd been reading it on and off during the day since Merle's announcement of the dragon's activities earlier today. It was a chronicle of Fanelia's history in truth, but there was heavy emphasis on the earth dragons.
Settling back into his chair he took up where he'd left off, searching for any indication of why and what was going on, hoping there was some way it factored in and it was useful to the situation.
Allen watched the merchant prince... no *Regent*, pull down the book, and sat back in his chair, his shoulder slumping ever so slightly.
A few moments later there was a scratching at the door and it opened. Merle came in, still in much the same state as earlier, though there were indications she might have run her paw through her hair at some point. Her gold eyes were wide and the pupils slightly dilated, and her fur was the tiniest bit fluffed.
She came in, and then saw Allen and stopped, almost vibrating with the abruptness of the halt in her movement.
The book closed the instant that the door opened. Dryden was watching the catgirl was obvious concern. "Merle?" he asked, a small worried frown crossing his face.
The catgirl looked from Allen to Dryden and back. Allen looked at her at first with a sort of subdued expression of greeting, but his gaze sharpened as he took in her appearance.
Merle said softly, "Allen-sama." Then she looked from one to the other again. Settling her attention on Dryden, she said, "Come... come with me, Dryden-sama."
A hundred scenarios played through Dryden's mind, and not one of them pleasant. He stood quickly, the book falling to the ground unheeded. "At once," he agreed quietly. As if suddenly remembering something, he shot a glance at Allen, then back to Merle. "Do you mind company terribly much, Merle?"
Silently she shook her head. She couldn't quite stop herself from grabbing Dryden's hand, however, and then she took off, pulling him through the door not quite at a run. She led him in a direction he'd never been before, and he found himself in narrow servant's passages, winding towards the castle courtyard, virtually unseen by anyone.
Allen followed on their heels in grim silence.
Merle led Dryden to a small side door out of the main castle building and into the courtyard, her eyes darting around, and then led him on a slightly zigzag course, until he found himself at the back of the Sanctuary. Then she led him quickly around the edge of the building to the front. There was only one entrance to the Sanctuary, but Merle had avoided attention by not crossing the courtyard openly.
She pulled the heavy door open enough for both of them to get in, leaving Allen to follow. Once inside, she pulled the door shut and then took a few steps inside and stopped.
The lights in the Sanctuary were at half power, but there was plenty enough light to see the reason the catgirl had brought them here.
The concealing back wall had been retracted, and in the middle of the Sanctuary floor, Escaflowne stood as if poised to walk forward and out of the building.
Dryden's eyes widened slightly. "Impossible, only Van can open th.... oh," /He... was talking to Escaflowne!/ Merle's voice came back to him. Of course Van would have. Critically, Dryden's gaze took in Escaflowne, noticing the subtle glow to the giant god-guardian's chest. "The energist... he reactivated it," Dryden said, his tone flat.
Dryden got the distinct feeling it was watching him in return. /I'm being foolish. Ispano technology is amazing but.../ Still, there was something about the posture. It was different from how he'd remembered it stood when it was sealed. Certainly Van hadn't gotten into the guymelef just to move it so subtly...
Allen's eyes widened as well. He looked quickly around the building, and although he'd never been inside it before, the purpose was obvious. His eyes tracked along the mechanisms of the concealment devices and he moved forward, coming right up to the guymelef, then leaning to look at the retracted wall. It wasn't completely retracted - about a foot still protruded from the deep slot in the ceiling. Allen studied what he could see, and then stepped back suddenly, looking at the metal giant with an almost suspicious expression.
"It looks as if... the concealing door was opened from the inside," he muttered.
Merle's hand tightened around Dryden's and she said in a hushed voice, "It did. I was here when it opened."
"The legends of Ispano melefs have always gone that the machine eventually takes over.... but never outside of battle or without its pilot." Dryden said slowly. A hand touched Merle's shoulder in reassurance. "We can't remove the energist, but we can try to seal this up," Dryden said, his mind slowly putting together a possible, if temporary solution, "No one enters, and we'll say it's to keep it safe until Van returns."
Dryden turned away from the guymelef, thoroughly unnerved. He had an irrational urge to put Merle behind his back protectively Another thought, one he was unwilling to vocalize came to his mind... energist or no, the machine had been silent until now. What was happening to the machine? And more importantly, what had happened to Van?
Merle tugged at his hand urgently. "Keep people out... but we can't seal it in... Van... if he needs it..." she glanced at the metal giant, and then said, "He told me once that when they escaped from Dornkirk, he and Hitomi made it move... without him inside..."
Allen looked sharply at the catgirl but held his tongue.
Dryden frowned, but nodded, absorbing this new piece of information. "If he's.... calling it, then I will do nothing to stop it. But," he glanced towards Allen. "Did you think to bring Scheherazade by chance?"
"Of course," Allen snapped.
"Then you may have the opportunity to find them." Dryden returned, unruffled by Allen's tone. "Though I hope this is some strange fluke..." he said, with little of that hope evident in his voice.
Allen studied the Ispano machine, walking around it and coming back to stand near Dryden in the front. Then he glanced at Merle, and his blue eyes softened. He looked as if he were about to say something to the catgirl, but his lips never opened. Then he looked at Dryden.
"I think one of my crew should stay here, and watch it," he said.
Dryden nodded, he had considered Fanelian guards, but there was too much of a chance of panic stemming from that idea. "I'll leave that assignment to how you see fit."
Allen acknowledged the acceptance with a brief flicker of his eyes and turned, heading back to the Crusade. These were instructions he was going to want to give personally.
His departure left Merle and Dryden alone, and the catgirl responded to that by burying her face against Dryden's clothes.
Dryden seemed to relax by several large degrees as the Knight left. He smiled for Merle and gave her a warm hug. "I'm sorry," he said quietly to her. "I wish you haven't been having all these scares Merle-chan."
Merle stayed where she was for a moment, and then moved back, talking a deep breath. "'M sorry I wasn't there to help with Allen," she offered in a voice that was a subdued version of her usual confident tone.
"With all the help you've been, how could I ask for more? He did decide to stay temporarily, which is what matters."
Merle nodded. "Knew you could handle him," she said softly. She took another deep breath, trying to control the trembling cause by fear, shock and tiredness. "I wanted to talk to Van-sama... but I could never find him last night or this morning. He was in *her* room. I wanted to talk to him about.... everything," her voice fell to a whisper on the last word. She looked at Dryden and then quickly looked away, suddenly nervous now that she'd managed to deliver her news. There were others things that seemed to stand between them, things, which had been suspended when the crisis had manifested itself.
"You'll get a chance to talk to him again," he reassured. "Van has the devils luck in getting himself out of what he manages to get himself into." Dryden looked at the nervous twitching of her tail and realized what that talk was probably in the area of. He cleared his throat slightly and straightened a bit, still kind of uncomfortable about the situation. "As for Allen.... I'm afraid I didn't handle anything. I blackmailed his honor to put it bluntly," he said with a wry smile. "As a result, if you need to get a private message to me, it will likely have to be written down."
Merle sighed. "Whatever you did, it worked," she said practically. She looked up at the tall merchant and slowly dropped his hand. "Better go wash," she said softly. She turned her head away so he wouldn't see the sudden shine she couldn't quite control.
"Merle," he paused, struggling with something for a long moment. "You said last night, that I would tell you about Serena if it was important... It is looking more and more like it's going to be.... and I trust you with everything." He looked away, his expression troubled. "Dilandau Albatou. That's the name that Serena Schezar used to go by," he said, hating what he was doing and himself for giving the girl this burden of knowledge. But if the worst happened and she found out later... He couldn't stand the idea of Merle's hatred, nor could he meet her gaze, unsure of what he would find there.
Merle stared back at Dryden, hearing the words but not understanding them. "But that was... that was the one who chased Van-sama! And they fought over and over again. But... Dilandau's not a girl!"
Dryden nodded. He'd been able to collect a sketchy picture of the story, from mostly Millerna and the stories of Van and Dilandau's intense rivalry. "Serena was kidnapped when she was very young... I don't know the particulars, by Zaibach and was changed by their technologies... At the end of the war, he became Serena again, but with no knowledge at all of Dilandau, or really anything. The rumor was started that Dilandau had died, and for all purposes, he had. She's, according to Van, very different."
Merle shook her head, trying to understand what he was saying. The catgirl had seen a lot of strange things in her young life, a lot of things considered impossible. She gave up finally and gave the information a kind of tentative acceptance until further notice. "But why.. why would Van-sama like him... her, so much?" Her tone made it clear that she didn't expect Dryden to have an answer. It was also fairly clear than whatever he feared as far as this information causing her to have some reaction towards himself, it wasn't part of the issue.
Dryden shook his head. A small, almost sad smile was on his lips. "Like you said... the heart doesn't decide..."
Merle blinked, and then her eyes did look at him with reproach. She bowed her head. "Going to wash... bye." With that, she made for the Sanctuary door.
Dryden groaned, his fists clenched, not watching her leave. Instead he faced the white guymelef. Before Merle had gotten outside of the heavy doors, she caught his quiet curse. "By the gods, I *am* an idiot." he said, as if to Escaflowne.
The white guymelef remained still, answering him with silence.
Dryden looked it over one last time, using humor to banish his exhaustion. "Some help you are," he told it dryly. He watched it a moment more, before turning to leave himself.
THE END OF PART 13