Millerna Aston

Millerna Sara Aston (ミラーナア・サラ・ストン, Mirāna Sara Asuton) is a supporting character in The Vision of Escaflowne and a minor character in Escaflowne.

She is the third Princess of Asturia, recently betrothed to the son of a rich merchant, Dryden Fassa, and daughter of Grava Aston and Therese Aston.

Appearance
Millerna is the spitting image of her eldest sister Marlene. She has long blonde hair and blue-violet eyes, and she is often seen wearing gowns similar to those seen in the flashbacks of her sister Marlene.

After leaving Asturia, she wears a dark cloak while leaving in the company of the Mole Man. Frequently she wears black leggings and flat shoes with a pink top and overskirt (imported from Egzardia), with her hair tied back with a ribbon.

As her appearance changes, she becomes more mature and practical.

Personality
Millerna is unafraid to pursue her passions. She can be quite stubborn, and pushes back against the burdens and tradition placed on her by her royal lineage. Millerna is not "refined" as might be expected of a princess, and as Dryden remarks could be considered a "tomboy."

She clings to her beliefs and her view on the world very strongly at first, but her journey with the others leads her to take a different perspective and understand that she cannot pass judgments on people as quickly as she is used to doing. In particular, she learns this through her relationships with Hitomi and with Dryden.

In the anime
"You don't understand, I love Allen!" — Millerna Aston

Millerna being the third Princess of Asturia has lived in the lap of luxury. Having an early infatuation with the Knight Caeli Allen Schezar, she sees him as the love of her life. She continues to pursue him despite her betrothal and Allen's frequent half-hearted rebuttals.

Millerna meets Hitomi and Van when they come to Asturia with Allen. Without realizing how hurtful it is to mention a lost loved one, Millerna immaturely tells Van that she remembers him and Folken from a trip to Fanelia in their childhood. Millerna suggests that she and Hitomi should become friends, but her feelings for Allen become a source of conflict between them early on. Millerna's crush on Allen drives her to want to tag along with the group to Freid and later sneak away to Freid.

Millerna is a talented doctor in training, a pursuit discouraged by her family, but which comes in handy when Allen is injured protecting Hitomi. She performs surgery on Allen and helps rehabilitate him while the group is in Freid.

While there, she visits her sister Marlene's villa, where she discovers Marlene's diary hidden behind a secret compartment in her desk. By reading the diary, Millerna finds out that Marlene was in love with Allen and Prince Chid is the result of their affair. Shocked at the revelation, Millerna consults Hitomi for advice regarding her relationship with Allen and her betrothal to Dryden, but doesn't reveal that she's talking about Allen or herself. Hitomi remains oblivious to Chid's true parentage.

She also attempts to help Van when he is injured after fusing with Escaflowne.

Millerna is betrothed to Dryden Fassa, a merchant from Asturia, some time before her introduction. At first she feels awkward about the relationship, but she is impressed by Dryden's treatment of her, not being phased by her reactions to his teasing. After returning to Asuria, Millerna decides to marry Dryden, and, anxious about the wedding and her future, asks Hitomi to read her fortune. Hitomi, struggling with her feelings for Allen, and weighed down by the realization that Millerna still loves Allen, gives Millerna a false reading and tells her that she will be happy. However, just as the cards predicted, Zaibach attacks and Dryden is injured.

Before the final battle, Dryden tells Millerna he loves her, but needs time on his own, and will return someday. She tells him she does not know if she will be waiting. However, it is heavily implied she has moved on from Allen in a scene with him in the same episode.

In the ending scene, Millerna is seen standing with her sister, Princess Eries, watching Hitomi returning to Earth.

In the movie
Millerna was changed drastically in both appearance and personality. She is a member of the Abaharaki, a resistance group led by Allen and composed of refugees from countries destroyed by the Black Dragon Clan. Her home country is unknown.

When Hitomi wakes up after seeing Van and Allen's fight, she insists she must be dreaming. Millerna slaps her to prove that she isn't dreaming, and opens the window of the caravan so she can get a view of Gaea. Millerna asks her name, and asks her if she really thinks she's the Wing Goddess, to which Hitomi can only respond that she doesn't know.

During the final battle, when Escaflowne descends, Millerna tells Hitomi that she has to believe that Escaflowne won't destroy the world in order to prevent the prophecy that Dryden told them about. When Hitomi frees Van from being trapped inside his own mind, Millerna and Allen are seen watching Van's feathers falling from the sky.

It is unknown whether the Abaharaki disbanded after the dissolution of the Black Dragon Clan.

Trivia

 * Millerna is the only main character from the series to have had a different Japanese voice actor in the movie.
 * In the original Japanese, Millerna shares her voice actress with Yukari Uchida.
 * Although Millerna is not a princess in the movie, she is called "Princess" by one of the members of the Abaharaki.