A.N. Sorry, this took longer than I thought. I'm sick today, which presented the opportunity to finish it! ^_^ *cough* Anyway, watch out. I used the word "seyruun" in this chapter, but I have no idea how I should really be spelling it. ;)



When Amelia awoke, she found herself next to Zelgadis, the enormous quilt covering them both. She couldn't remember getting ready to sleep, or even going into the tent. She felt awful, on top of it all. Her stomach pained her, and her head throbbed. Her mind whirled, painfully; eventually everything came back.

She assumed Zelgadis had set up the tent alone, and brought her inside. The idea of him doing all the work by himself made her ashamed. She wanted to thank him, but she could not muster the strength. The pain in her stomach subsided, and she sighed. Anyway, he was still asleep. Snuggling up close to the warmth of his body, she closed her eyes and drifted off again.



***

Upon awakening, Zelgadis found Amelia so close to him at first that his first reaction was to get away as quickly as possible. In the morning air, which seeped into the tent the previous night, he was abruptly stuck by the iciness, which affected him even more without any pants… Shivering, though blushing at the same time, he crawled back into the bed. Even if they didn't get anywhere today, they still had plenty of food and water to last them for days, and the journey only required a few more hours of walking, if they could keep up a steady pace.



***

Although he did not know what time it was exactly, it was clear that it was close to four or five o'clock. Reluctantly, Zelgadis left the protection of the covers and dressed himself. He was very uncomfortable. His tunic and pants were still quite damp, and his boots were soaked through. He was still struck by the chill. From the moment he left the "bed," the air had filled his nostrils and gripped his insides mercilessly. He simply prayed that Amelia would not be as sick as he had thought, for the cold was sure to worsen her condition.

After eating a meager breakfast, he went over to the sleeping princess to check her temperature. She was very warm. His stomach knotted, realizing that not only was this dangerous for her, but that if they failed to reach the town before their week was up, Lina and Gourry would have to come search for them.

He wracked his mind for possible remedies which were at their disposal in a rainstorm. He was a Shamanist, after all. Even so, he could not think of anything useful. He sighed.

Amelia stirred a little in her sleep. This got his attention. Eventually, her eyes fluttered open just a crack. Seeing him, they widened. "Zelgadis-san…" she said quietly, coughing once. Eventually, that single cough turned into a fit of coughing so long, it was embarrassing. Finally, she spoke again. "Zelgadis- san, I don't feel very good."

"You shouldn't," he replied, smiling, "You have quite a fever."

Her cheeks went pink, as she wondered what had happened while she was sleeping. Upon feeling herself in her underwear alone, she cried out.

"Amelia! What's wrong?" he asked anxiously.

"Oh, n--nothing." She replied, realizing what must have happened.

After making sure that really was the case, Zelgadis asked her about food. To this, she eagerly replied "Yes," to hungry to feel guilty about making him make her breakfast.

When she received the meal, she stuffed it in her mouth greedily. While she licked her fingertips, the aches in her stomach returned. She groaned and clutched her abdomen in pain. She soon felt as though she would be violently sick.

Zelgadis watched as she crawled desperately towards the opening in the tent. So perplexed was he, his mouth remained silent. There came retching sounds above the pounding of the rain, and he understood. Running over to the door, he stuck his head out along with hers. Her eyes were squinted shut, and her hands grasped her stomach as the last of the vomit left her body. Zelgadis brought her back in gently, and laid her down on the floor. He cleaned her face with a cloth and dried her hair. Meanwhile, she had not spoken, and her eyes remained shut. Her breathing was slowed and shudders wracked her body. Zelgadis gently lay his hand on her forehead. She was dreadfully warm. He moved his hand down and tenderly caressed her soft cheek.

The chimera dragged the blanket over to where she lay and dropped it so that it covered her entire figure. He extracted a small brush from her pack. Resting her head on his lap, Zelgadis proceeded to brush her midnight hair. Though in its present state it was tangled and knotted, it was silky against his stone flesh. He smiled subtly at her.

Suddenly, the truth of the situation hit him. He was amusing himself by combing Amelia's hair! What had gotten into him these last few days? Although he tried to deny it, he realized that he was beginning to feel affection for this Seyruun princess. He dropped the brush. It stuck the cold floor of the tent with a noise which resounded above that of the storm. For the first time since he had been cursed with his chimeric form, the possibility of rejection made him uncomfortable.

A single tear rolled down his cheek without a sound. He did not know whether it was of happiness or sorrow. A little bit of both, perhaps. Absent-mindedly, he took the brush back into his hand and began to brush the dark locks once more.



Sorry again for the lateness, even though it was MUCH shorter than the wait for chapter 9. My evil life has just gotten really messed up…̚̚_̚