Intrigued
By Zefilian Girl
Disclaimer: I do not own the Slayers. I wish I did, and then I would have Gourry at my beck and call. I'm just borrowing them for a while and I promise to return them in reasonably good shape. ^_^ I hope everyone enjoys my first offering. This is going to be a long one, peoples! L/G and Z/A flag waving fun for all. This is rated R for later chapters involving situations that young children shouldn't see. You have been warned. One last thing, FanFic authors are like plants. If you don't water them then they turn into brown crumbly things that. ummm. yeah. ^_^; Now on with the Fic!
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It was a windy day in the city of Saillune. The sun shone down brightly upon the White Magic City as pennants whipped and danced in the morning light. People were going about their business in the streets, and the sounds of merchants hawking their wares drifted up to the ears of Princess Amelia Wil Tesla de Saillune as she stared out the open window. Her father, Prince Phillionel, had just ordered her to prepare for a journey to the kingdom of Zefilia to have an audience with the Ruler of Zefilia, The Eternal Queen, to try and persuade Zefilia to join with Saillune against the Elmekian Empire, whose new ruler was bent on expanding his Empire to include Saillune. The royal family of Saillune had received information that the new emperor also had his eyes upon the rich vineyards of Zefilia as well as their own fair country. As a preface to the invasion Elmekian soldiers had taken possession of the passes through the mountains that bordered the two countries. To add insult to injury, Elmekia had wooed the Duke of Kal-Maart to joining forces with them. It was only a matter of time before war began.
Amelia clenched her fist in anger at the injustice of it all. Her kingdom was a peaceful and justice loving place and she refused to let war ravage the lands that she so loved. She prayed that her mission to speak with the Eternal Queen was a successful one, and that the joining of two Just and Righteous countries would stop the Evil Greed of the Elmekian Empire before blood was shed on either side.
She sighed and returned to her desk where her important papers were scattered. She had been up late the night before working on a diplomatic treaty to present to the Zephilian Queen. She was fully expecting one of the court diplomats to take the treaty and present it, but her father had seen fit to send his own daughter as a show of their determination. She picked up the treaty and re-read it carefully. The council approved the treaty unanimously this morning after she had presented it. Amelia smiled and tucked the treaty into a courier pouch before packing it into her traveling case.
A knock at the door startled her as she packed the last of her belongings. It could be only one person and she called for her friend to enter as she closed the trunk with a snap.
"Oi, Amelia! It's about time to get moving! Are you finished packing yet," the short redhead exclaimed as she bounced into the room. She plopped ungracefully on the bed and grinned at Amelia.
"Miss Lina, I just finished packing. I'm so excited! I can't believe that Father actually wants me to lead the diplomatic mission. Are you ready? The caravan should be leaving in about an hour or so," the princess chattered as her friend stretched out on the bed next to the large trunk.
Lina Inverse, Sorceress Supreme, watched with a grin as Amelia bounced around the room throwing some last minute items in a small case. The diminutive redhead was to act as the Princess' personal maid during the mission, as well as keep her out of trouble. Lina was also to provide her services as bodyguard while they were traveling. Prince Phillionel was paying Lina a great deal of money to keep up with Amelia, as the sorceress' services were much in demand. Lina, who normally didn't get involved with politics, had decided that the Elmekian Empire was out of line, and had decided to help the Saillune royals out before the Prince offered a job protecting the princess. She would have gone anyway, but once the Prince had offered to pay her for her services, Lina's merchant instinct had taken over and before she knew it had made a deal for a significant amount of money. In a rare act of charity she had purposely took the job for much less than her services were actually worth, but the royals were good allies to have, even though they were justice freaks. Still, it was a nice chunk of change, so she wasn't complaining. She still couldn't understand the Saillune mindset. Lina had offered to go Dragon Slave the capitol city of Elmekia and take out the new regime before it could mobilize forces to invade Saillune, but the royals had looked at her like she had grown another head and lectured her for a full hour on the Injustice of blowing up kingdoms. Her eyebrow twitched in horror as she remembered the saccharine sweetness of the father/daughter team when they got on a role about Love and Justice. She thought perhaps the two of them should go to have an audience with the new Emperor and lecture him in reforming his evil ways. That would have him begging for mercy and surrendering quickly just to have them stop. She was far too diplomatic to suggest such a cruel plan to the royals, as they probably would do such a thing.
"Let's call the Stewards and have them bring your trunk down. Then we'll be ready," Lina stated as she bounded off the bed and headed for the door. Amelia was in agreement as she followed Lina down the halls of the palace to where Prince Phil was waiting their arrival.
Amelia and Lina were announced into her fathers study by palace guards when they came to the door. The large black haired giant of a prince greeted them cheerfully with his booming voice.
"Daughter! Miss Lina! I'm so glad that you're here! We were just going over last minute travel plans, so sit down and let me apprise you of the situation," he said jovially as he gestured to his most trusted advisors. They rose in greeting and chairs were pulled up to the heavy wooden table for the new arrivals.
"We have decided that it's far too risky for you to try and get through the pass that separates Saillune and Zefilia. Instead the caravan is going to escort you down to the Coastal Alliance and you will board a ship there and sail around the continent. It will take longer, but is much safer."
"Couldn't we just sneak through Kal-Maart and enter Zefilia on the border there," Lina asked, considering the shorter path thoughtfully.
"It would be incredibly risky," one of the councilors stated, pulling out a map and pointing out positions to the group. "We have new information that the Duke has ordered anyone entering from Saillune be stopped and questioned. Most are turned back at the border except for those merchants that have strong ties with the Duke. I'm afraid that the princess would be taken prisoner if we were to take that course. It would spell disaster to have this mission fail us before we even set foot into Zefilia."
"I agree," Phillionel stated to the group. "We must not fail in getting the Zefilian Queen to join us against the Elmekian Empire. Once we are united, then we will surely sway the Duke of Kal-Maart to see the Injustice of his actions, and show the Emperor that we will triumph because we have Love and Justice on our side!"
Lina sighed as she listened to Phillionel drone on in another one of his fits. When Amelia joined in Lina smacked her head against the table in hopes of drowning out the pair. Unfortunately, she didn't knock herself out. They finally wound down their Justice speech right after Lina had come to the conclusion that inbreeding had to be the reason for the families' idiosyncrasies.
"Now, as we were saying," Phillionel said as he helped his daughter climb down from the table and resettle herself, "the safest course of action is for your entourage to take a ship of the Allied Countries to Zefilia. It will take longer, no doubt about that, but it is truly imperative that Amelia reach Zefilia and have the audience with the queen. Lina, I trust you to make sure that Amelia reaches Zefilian shores. I know you can do it!
"I'll make sure of it. We'll get the treaty, right, Amelia?" she sorceress stated, elbowing the princess.
"Of course we will, Miss Lina! I won't fail you father. Now it's about time for the caravan to be leaving. We need to get started, In the Name of Justice!" the princess struck a pose.
"That's my girl! I'll see you off. Now remember, this information does not leave this room. Does everyone understand?
The Prince looked around the room and everyone assented. He smiled, very pleased with himself. He rose and escorted the girls down to the waiting caravan. After their long goodbyes, the caravan left the palace walls and began their southerly journey.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Slayers. I wish I did, and then I would have Gourry at my beck and call. I'm just borrowing them for a while and I promise to return them in reasonably good shape. ^_^ I hope everyone enjoys my first offering. This is going to be a long one, peoples! L/G and Z/A flag waving fun for all. This is rated R for later chapters involving situations that young children shouldn't see. You have been warned. One last thing, FanFic authors are like plants. If you don't water them then they turn into brown crumbly things that. ummm. yeah. ^_^; Now on with the Fic!
* * * * *
It was a windy day in the city of Saillune. The sun shone down brightly upon the White Magic City as pennants whipped and danced in the morning light. People were going about their business in the streets, and the sounds of merchants hawking their wares drifted up to the ears of Princess Amelia Wil Tesla de Saillune as she stared out the open window. Her father, Prince Phillionel, had just ordered her to prepare for a journey to the kingdom of Zefilia to have an audience with the Ruler of Zefilia, The Eternal Queen, to try and persuade Zefilia to join with Saillune against the Elmekian Empire, whose new ruler was bent on expanding his Empire to include Saillune. The royal family of Saillune had received information that the new emperor also had his eyes upon the rich vineyards of Zefilia as well as their own fair country. As a preface to the invasion Elmekian soldiers had taken possession of the passes through the mountains that bordered the two countries. To add insult to injury, Elmekia had wooed the Duke of Kal-Maart to joining forces with them. It was only a matter of time before war began.
Amelia clenched her fist in anger at the injustice of it all. Her kingdom was a peaceful and justice loving place and she refused to let war ravage the lands that she so loved. She prayed that her mission to speak with the Eternal Queen was a successful one, and that the joining of two Just and Righteous countries would stop the Evil Greed of the Elmekian Empire before blood was shed on either side.
She sighed and returned to her desk where her important papers were scattered. She had been up late the night before working on a diplomatic treaty to present to the Zephilian Queen. She was fully expecting one of the court diplomats to take the treaty and present it, but her father had seen fit to send his own daughter as a show of their determination. She picked up the treaty and re-read it carefully. The council approved the treaty unanimously this morning after she had presented it. Amelia smiled and tucked the treaty into a courier pouch before packing it into her traveling case.
A knock at the door startled her as she packed the last of her belongings. It could be only one person and she called for her friend to enter as she closed the trunk with a snap.
"Oi, Amelia! It's about time to get moving! Are you finished packing yet," the short redhead exclaimed as she bounced into the room. She plopped ungracefully on the bed and grinned at Amelia.
"Miss Lina, I just finished packing. I'm so excited! I can't believe that Father actually wants me to lead the diplomatic mission. Are you ready? The caravan should be leaving in about an hour or so," the princess chattered as her friend stretched out on the bed next to the large trunk.
Lina Inverse, Sorceress Supreme, watched with a grin as Amelia bounced around the room throwing some last minute items in a small case. The diminutive redhead was to act as the Princess' personal maid during the mission, as well as keep her out of trouble. Lina was also to provide her services as bodyguard while they were traveling. Prince Phillionel was paying Lina a great deal of money to keep up with Amelia, as the sorceress' services were much in demand. Lina, who normally didn't get involved with politics, had decided that the Elmekian Empire was out of line, and had decided to help the Saillune royals out before the Prince offered a job protecting the princess. She would have gone anyway, but once the Prince had offered to pay her for her services, Lina's merchant instinct had taken over and before she knew it had made a deal for a significant amount of money. In a rare act of charity she had purposely took the job for much less than her services were actually worth, but the royals were good allies to have, even though they were justice freaks. Still, it was a nice chunk of change, so she wasn't complaining. She still couldn't understand the Saillune mindset. Lina had offered to go Dragon Slave the capitol city of Elmekia and take out the new regime before it could mobilize forces to invade Saillune, but the royals had looked at her like she had grown another head and lectured her for a full hour on the Injustice of blowing up kingdoms. Her eyebrow twitched in horror as she remembered the saccharine sweetness of the father/daughter team when they got on a role about Love and Justice. She thought perhaps the two of them should go to have an audience with the new Emperor and lecture him in reforming his evil ways. That would have him begging for mercy and surrendering quickly just to have them stop. She was far too diplomatic to suggest such a cruel plan to the royals, as they probably would do such a thing.
"Let's call the Stewards and have them bring your trunk down. Then we'll be ready," Lina stated as she bounded off the bed and headed for the door. Amelia was in agreement as she followed Lina down the halls of the palace to where Prince Phil was waiting their arrival.
Amelia and Lina were announced into her fathers study by palace guards when they came to the door. The large black haired giant of a prince greeted them cheerfully with his booming voice.
"Daughter! Miss Lina! I'm so glad that you're here! We were just going over last minute travel plans, so sit down and let me apprise you of the situation," he said jovially as he gestured to his most trusted advisors. They rose in greeting and chairs were pulled up to the heavy wooden table for the new arrivals.
"We have decided that it's far too risky for you to try and get through the pass that separates Saillune and Zefilia. Instead the caravan is going to escort you down to the Coastal Alliance and you will board a ship there and sail around the continent. It will take longer, but is much safer."
"Couldn't we just sneak through Kal-Maart and enter Zefilia on the border there," Lina asked, considering the shorter path thoughtfully.
"It would be incredibly risky," one of the councilors stated, pulling out a map and pointing out positions to the group. "We have new information that the Duke has ordered anyone entering from Saillune be stopped and questioned. Most are turned back at the border except for those merchants that have strong ties with the Duke. I'm afraid that the princess would be taken prisoner if we were to take that course. It would spell disaster to have this mission fail us before we even set foot into Zefilia."
"I agree," Phillionel stated to the group. "We must not fail in getting the Zefilian Queen to join us against the Elmekian Empire. Once we are united, then we will surely sway the Duke of Kal-Maart to see the Injustice of his actions, and show the Emperor that we will triumph because we have Love and Justice on our side!"
Lina sighed as she listened to Phillionel drone on in another one of his fits. When Amelia joined in Lina smacked her head against the table in hopes of drowning out the pair. Unfortunately, she didn't knock herself out. They finally wound down their Justice speech right after Lina had come to the conclusion that inbreeding had to be the reason for the families' idiosyncrasies.
"Now, as we were saying," Phillionel said as he helped his daughter climb down from the table and resettle herself, "the safest course of action is for your entourage to take a ship of the Allied Countries to Zefilia. It will take longer, no doubt about that, but it is truly imperative that Amelia reach Zefilia and have the audience with the queen. Lina, I trust you to make sure that Amelia reaches Zefilian shores. I know you can do it!
"I'll make sure of it. We'll get the treaty, right, Amelia?" she sorceress stated, elbowing the princess.
"Of course we will, Miss Lina! I won't fail you father. Now it's about time for the caravan to be leaving. We need to get started, In the Name of Justice!" the princess struck a pose.
"That's my girl! I'll see you off. Now remember, this information does not leave this room. Does everyone understand?
The Prince looked around the room and everyone assented. He smiled, very pleased with himself. He rose and escorted the girls down to the waiting caravan. After their long goodbyes, the caravan left the palace walls and began their southerly journey.