Intimate Stranger

by Handsome Puppy

Author's Note:
This story was written back in '93 and submitted to Blossoming Affection. For some reason, I thought I had it on as well. Since I don't know when I'll have time for Slayers: SEED, I've decided to post this one first. The whole thing is basically left untouched from its submitted form after Xellia Metallium beta-ed it, except for a few sentence re-arrangements. I haven't the time to read through all the chapters, so I'll post them one at a time. This story is AU. Enjoy. :)

PS. Beware of fluff and OOCness.
PS2. I tend to re-use my original characters, at least their names. Please forget about the Meiron from Slayers: SEED.

Disclaimer:
Slayers belongs to Hajime Kanzaka/Rui Araizumi/Kadokawa Shoten/TV TOKYO/SOFTX/Marubeni. The title "Intimate Stranger" is taken from the song of the same name in the delirious? album "Glo". This story and all the original characters are mine.

"Are you sure about this, Filia?"

"Yes, Lina. It would be wrong for you to go through this."

Lina Inverse looked at the calm reflection in the mirror from her vintage point by the wall, a worried frown on her usually cheerful face. The blond sitting in front of the dressing table stared back at the mirror with a serious expression, though it was not hard to see her uneasiness.

"But your clan was destroyed by the Mazoku! If you go in my place and they find out about your identity-"

"Say no more, Lina. You are in love with Gourry and there is simply no way you're going to marry another man." Filia shook her head firmly. The white decorative flowers in her hair swayed slightly with the movement. "Yes, father lost a bet to Zellas Metallium and must provide a wife for his son, but it doesn't have to be you. I may be adopted, but I'm still an Inverse. I'll go in your place."

"You might be in danger if you go, Filia! I can't allow that!" Lina stomped her feet.

"Don't worry about me. As long as I don't use my power, no one will know. Please, Lina. It's the least I can do." Filia looked straight at her human sister, her blue eyes pleading yet determined.

Lina frowned at her adopted little sister. "Filia, we never wanted you to pay back or anything like that. Luna took your egg in because it was the right thing to do. You don't owe us anything!"

"And I'm doing this because it is the right thing to do as well." Filia Inverse concluded, standing up and making some final adjustment to her long white gown.

+ - + - + - + - + - +

"You didn't!"

"Yes, I did."

"It can't be true!" Xelloss Metallium stared at his mother with wide eyes.

"It's true, and I sent Xenid to pick her up this morning. She'll arrive any minutes now." The head of the Metallium family lounged on the fur-draped couch and inspected her nails, fully ignoring her son's glare.

"What did you do that for? Why wasn't I informed of this at all?"

"Because you are already 700 years old and still single. I can't just have you around the island being unproductive, can I?" Zellas replied casually.

While the Mazoku race had slowly adopted the human way of reproduction over the centuries of co-existing with the humans, the leaders of the five major Mazoku families could only produce their heir once. The others created two offspring, while she chose to have just one. Over the long years, she had heard news of some of them getting a mate and reproducing. Xelloss wasn't any younger than the rest of them, and she hated losing to the other families. The constant taunting about her unmarried son whenever she visited the others wasn't helping, either. Well, she would prove to them all right. Her son was handsome, attractive, clever, and powerful. Of course a fine young man such as he should be taken. The faster the better.

"Unproductive?" Xelloss twitched. "This doesn't have anything to do with Grau getting married last month and Sherra expecting a baby in two months, does it?" He really shouldn't had let his mother visit his uncle Dynast so much.

"Think whatever you like." Zellas grinned and stood up from her comfortable couch. "Xenid is back."

Xelloss was alarmed. He looked as if he was ready to run, but Zellas waved a finger at her son.

"Oh no, you don't!" She looked him over. "If you're so against this idea, I can give you a break and just let the girl stay on the island as your fiancee. If you still don't want to marry her six months later, I'll call this whole arrangement off. You can have more 'free' time until I find another girl for you."

"What's the catch?" Xelloss eyed his mother suspiciously.

"Ah yes, the catch." Zellas smiled happily. "I'll call Phibrizo, and I'll invite his son to stay with us during the six-month trial."

Xelloss growled inwardly. Meiron was about his age, and he was constantly being compared to him. Even though he was more powerful, Meiron had always been more popular with those of the opposite gender. He might not have wanted to get married now, but he just wouldn't have someone invading his territory, namely his fiancee, as much as he didn't want one. However, to turn down the deal would mean marriage now. He sighed and gave in to the inevitable, knowing when he was defeated.

"Very well, let him come."

"I see that I'll be entertained for the next six months." Zellas smiled and walked toward the door of her spacious master room. "I'll go tell the girl about the six months acquaintance period."

Xelloss sighed again after his mother left. He hoped the girl was ugly. That way, Meiron wouldn't be interested in her enough and would leave her alone, and he could just wait for the trial period to end.

to be continued