After dinner Amelia sat up in her bed, her mind still flashing back to earlier. She unconsciously ran her fingers over her lips, still completely confused by her friend's actions. Of course the conversation with her father came to mind again. Would she want Zelgadis to be her suitor? The mere thought made her turn bright red. She shook her head, looking around the room for a moment. She hadn't changed into her nightclothes yet, so she wondered… Would Zelgadis be asleep at this time? Probably not. Maybe she could go speak to him.
… Or maybe she could find Lina and talk to her. Amelia was almost certain something was different about Lina, she and Xelloss seemed closer than before, and during dinner it was even more obvious. He was much more forward with her, constantly calling her nicknames and once or twice she was quite sure she saw him sneak a kiss on her somewhere, which she immediately broke out into a temper and blew him away with a spell. Amelia remembered how before whenever Xelloss kissed Lina she would freeze up into a blush, and get angry after. Now she reacted faster, so maybe Lina was more used to it? Or maybe Lina was used to him doing more to her…?
Her thoughts went back to when she heard Xelloss state all the terms of the pledge, was it possible that Lina finally went all the way with becoming his mate and she slept with him? It would explain their recent behavior. Maybe Lina finally opened up to her feelings for Xelloss, as Amelia was almost certain her sorceress friend was in love with the Mazoku. Even more than she ever acted with Gourry. Xelloss wasn't too bad, even for a demon. And he did look out for her a lot, Amelia was quite sure Lina's influence on him might be a good thing.
That's when Amelia decided. She would go to Lina and try to talk about this. She would both be able to figure out what's going on with her friend's relationship and then compare it to how she felt about Zelgadis! She quickly leapt off the bed and hurried out of the room, slowly walking down the hall.
"Amelia?" a familiar low voice called from behind. "What are you doing up?"
Amelia froze as she slowly turned around. "M-Mr. Zelgadis!" she gasped. "W-what are you…?"
"I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd go back to researching in the study some more." Zelgadis shrugged his shoulders. "What about you?"
"I-I well umm…" Amelia blushed, turning her head away. Well as fate would have it, he was here now. It was good as time as any to ask. "Mr. Zelgadis, about earlier when you…"
The chimera froze at her words, a violent blush came across his face. "W-when I what…?"
Amelia opened her mouth to speak, but then she spotted Lina darting down the hall. "H-huh? Where's Miss Lina running off to?" she quickly changed the subject, running a bit forward. She stopped when she was at the corner Lina had come from, she had heard a door open and someone was stepping out of it.
"Is that Milgasia coming out of Luna's room?" Zelgadis tilted his head as he was right behind her, he stepped a bit closer to see if he could hear...
"Mr. Zelgadis it is rude to eavesdrop!" Amelia snapped, pulling on the chimera's collar to attempt to remove him from the scene.
"Amelia, really. I'm just wondering what's going on, I mean look at what time it is." Zelgadis sighed, a sweatdrop forming on his head.
"That's no excuse for not respecting people's privacy!" Amelia lectured. "Especially a couple reuniting after so much time."
"Couple?" Zelgadis narrowed his eyes. "Just what all did Luna talk to you about before... Besides, you never told me why you were up anyway."
Amelia blushed for a moment, turning away. "N-nothing just couldn't sleep- What's that?" she perked her head up, hearing a faint melody.
"Sounds like someone playing with a piano." Zelgadis shrugged.
"Let's go find out!" the princess cried, dashing down the hall. "There's only one room that has a grand piano."
"Amelia wait!" Zelgadis cried, giving chase.
They arrived at the room shortly, which the door was ajar. There was a pair of voices singing to the beautiful melody. "For longer than forever…."
"Oh Mr. Zelgadis! That's where the lovely melody is coming from!" Amelia poked her head in, and gasped as she saw Xelloss and Lina, currently singing to the melody the Mazoku was playing on the grand piano. "Oh my! Miss Lina...?"
"What did you just say before about eavesdropping?" Zelgadis pointed out.
"There's a difference from just being nosy compared to checking one's safety, Mr. Zelgadis." Amelia pointed out. "Also the fact that I'm sure something was up with Miss Lina earlier when she arrived, we must solve this mystery."
"Seems the same to me..." Zelgadis grumbled at her logic, crossing his arms. "... Wait, is Lina really singing with that monster?"
"Isn't it a lovely melody?" Amelia swooned. "Isn't it wonderful how much their love has blossomed? Miss Lina even looks happy singing with him! I just knew they've seem a lot closer ever since they came back!"
"She must be trying to check him off gu-" Zelgadis's eyes shot open wide the moment Lina and Xelloss kissed. "W-wha...?" he just couldn't get over what he had just saw.
"Oh see Mr. Zelgadis?! It's the power of love just like I told you before!" Amelia cried. "I merely just confirmed my theory by doing so, far different than just spying on Miss Lina."
Zelgadis's mouth was agap, he was still trying to comprehend what he had witnessed. "... S-she... she kissed him... WILLINGLY."
"Well of course it's natural to willingly kiss as a sign of love!" Amelia reasoned, but then noticed her chimera friend was completely silent as his eyes were wide and his jaw hanging open, like he just could not believe what he just witnessed.
That's when Amelia noticed Xelloss's eyes open, looking right at them as they ducked, she quickly pushed Zelgadis towards the wall to hide from sight. "I-I think Mr. Xelloss saw us…" she shivered.
"F-figures…" Zelgadis mumbled, he then looked again to see Lina and Xelloss were gone. "Yeah, he left with Lina." He rubbed his head for a moment, then turned to the princess. "Umm, I guess I better be on my way…"
"W-wait!" Amelia cried, grabbing at his cape. "Mr. Zelgadis I-I just wanted to…"
"A-Amelia if you're going to ask me why I…" the chimera's face turned even more red as he looked away. "I… I wasn't thinking straight and it scared me when I thought that you might-"
Amelia though was getting flustered just talking about this. "W-well I mean look at how Miss Lina just kissed Mr. Xelloss does that mean… I just wanted to know why-"
Zelgadis shook his head, then suddenly leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. "I think it's obvious why, Amelia." He murmured when their lips parted.
Amelia's face was painted crimson though, her eyes wide just looking at him in pure shock. She didn't know what to say, and fear kicked in as she bolted away from him suddenly.
"Amelia!" Zelgadis cried, then sighed and held his head. "Dammit… Nice going idiot! You push her away one minute then give in like a fool!" he figured it was best not to dash off after the princess, so he continued to keep walking until he noticed someone was in the kitchen as he walked past. He poked his head in to see Gourry and Sylphiel in there, Sylphiel was currently cooking at the moment. "Oh, guess several of us can't sleep." The chimera remarked.
"Oh hey Zel!" Gourry waved. "Come on and join us, Sylphiel's cooking is just amazing!"
The priestess blushed at that. "Oh Gourry dear…"
"Ummm that's ok I guess." Zelgadis walked in and took a seat.
"Is something troubling you, Mr. Zelgadis?" Sylphiel asked.
Zelgadis shivered for a moment, then looked away. "It's.. Nothing. I see Gourry's stomach hasn't changed one bit." He quickly tried to change the subject. "You're going to have your hands full when you two get married. So when is the occasion going to be?"
"Well, we don't want to put any stress on Miss Lina right now." Sylphiel brought up. "So Gourry dear and I agreed that after the situation with her sister is done we'll arrange a date."
"Maybe we can make it a double wedding with Lina and Xelloss." Gourry chuckled.
Zelgadis sweatdropped, the image of his friend kissing that Mazoku still burned into his memory. "… Gourry, just be glad Lina didn't hear you say that, she'd be fireballing your ass."
"I don't know why Lina's taking it so hard." Gourry rubbed his head. "I mean once they got back from that island place with Xelloss's mother they seemed closer but Lina still is kinda touchy on the subject." He chuckled. "Where as once I figured out I want to be with Sylphiel and that she loves me too, we haven't been apart since." He took the priestess's hand in his as she came close. "I'm a really lucky guy you know. We're going to settle down in Sairaag once this is all over."
Sylphiel blushed deeply at that. "Oh Gourry dear, I'm the lucky one to have you…" she started placing some food on the table which he started eating right away.
Zelgadis looked uncomfortable with how open this couple was about their relationship. "I see… Well did you guys know that Amelia's birthday is coming up?"
"It is?" Sylphiel looked surprised.
"Wow I didn't know, but I didn't remember when her birthday is so." Gourry chuckled. "I probably just forgot."
Zelgadis sweatdropped. "Her father brought it up the other day, her Coming of Age Ceremony is going to be soon."
"Oh, I didn't realize Miss Amelia was of that age." Sylphiel said. "But, doesn't that mean she'll need to soon…"
"Start courting with intent to marry? Yeah Phil was discussing that with her." Zelgadis sighed, taking a drink of the tea Sylphiel had poured. "He's hoping she'll find a suitor at least, as she's next in line for the throne after him, and being female should that ever happen she needs to be married to rule."
"Sounds like you're really concerned for her." Sylphiel smiled softly.
"Well yeah, Zel spends the most time with Amelia." Gourry chuckled. "I'm surprised she didn't ask you to be her suitor really."
Zelgadis turned red at that. "A-Amelia needs someone of equal standard for her, not a sideshow freak like me. Because of her status she'd be ridiculed."
"Shouldn't you let Miss Amelia decide that?" Sylphiel asked. "I'm sure with how Miss Amelia feels about justice she wouldn't care what people think, but what's in your heart that counts."
Gourry nodded. "Yeah Zel, and if you care about her why not go for it? You never know when she might be gone and you missed the opportunity." He smiled at Sylphiel. "There's always some girl out there that makes you feel more alive than others, and Amelia said before she didn't mind you the way you are, heck me and Lina don't either we've only known you this way."
Zelgadis just blinked at the blonde swordman's words. He hadn't been giving his feelings for Amelia much thought lately until recently, and he wasn't sure why they came up. And he was starting to think, with Gourry and Sylphiel already an item, and Amelia somehow figured out Milgasia and Luna are together, plus Lina explained that Filia and Valgaav had a bond, they were starting to get surrounded by couples. Granted he didn't count Lina and Xelloss as a 'couple' as he really couldn't see how a blasted monster could be in a relationship. True he wasn't convinced when Lina was saying she was just using Xelloss… Especially after seeing her kiss him the way she did… But Amelia was sure they were an item, so maybe the pressure of all this around them was getting to Amelia too, that's why when her father brought that up… Wait, did that mean Amelia was trying to tell him earlier that she…?
"Hey Zel, you ok?" Gourry asked, waving a hand in front of his face.
"Huh? Oh sorry, just got lost in thought." Zelgadis said, slowly raising from his chair. He then lowered his head. "Gourry… You mind me asking something?"
The blonde blinked. "Sure."
"What was the difference between seeing Lina hurt, and seeing Sylphiel hurt?" Zelgadis asked.
Sylphiel blushed at the question, turning to her lover to see what he'd say.
Gourry closed his eyes for a moment. "Well, that's easy. Lina it normally shocked me someone could actually get that close and hurt her, and honestly she's been like the little sister I never had." He slowly opened his eyes. "I felt the need to protect her, even if she didn't need it really. So more like a protective instinct would kick in there. With Sylphiel…" he turned to the woman he loved most, pulling her into his lap. "I thought my heart was going to stop, like the whole world came to a halt. I couldn't think, I couldn't breathe. With Lina I could still focus like when we were fighting sometime I can't remember, but with Sylphiel my mind was blank. Losing her would be the worst thing in the world to happen to me."
Zelgadis gulped, that was quite similar to how he felt earlier when he feared the worst for Amelia… "I see."
"Oh Gourry dear!" Sylphiel cried, suddenly wrapping her arms around the blonde and kissing him deeply.
Zelgadis was really starting to get uncomfortable now, as he cleared his throat. "Well, thanks for that Gourry." He then walked out of the kitchen.
Gourry had just broken the kiss with Sylphiel as he looked confused. "Thanks for what? Did I do something? … What were we talking about anyway?"
Sylphiel giggled. "Don't worry about it dear Gourry." She kissed his cheek. "I just want to say what you just said right now means so much to me. I love you Gourry."
Gourry smiled softly at her. "I love you too Sylphiel." He leaned in and kissed her lips.