Van Fanel and Merle A childhood friendship... Mother, sister, lover - these are the three close relationships that men share with women, and in some strange way, Merle tries to be all three for Van. After his mother abandons him, Merle is very protective of and proprietary towards Van, keeping track of his movements and soothing his hurts, both emotional and physical. Throughout their mutual childhood, she acts as his playmate and constant companion, even when it proves embarrassing to the young king. In a bittersweet yet comedic treatment, Merle frequently expresses her pre-adolescent desire to someday marry Van and continue her childish romance into the distant future. Naturally, Van simply accepts all of this emotional input and occasionally reciprocates in kind. He does feel fiercely p