Just like every other castle that Naga had visited, it never slept. She hung in the shadows and listened in on various nobles as they went about their rendezvous as she tried to scout out gossip that would be useful. It always amazed her how loose lipped people could be when they thought no one was listening despite the fact that anyone who had been born to nobility ought to know better. Every palace Naga had been to had more ears than could be counted yet the temptation to open up to the wrong person would inevitably prove too tempting to resist. And all the better for her.

Still, as a visiting dignitary Duchess Oriana did not generate much chatter. And while Naga found juicy tidbits about plenty of other people, there was little that would be useful in releasing Zelgadis. She would just have to bunker down, stay awake and be patient. Only staying awake was harder than usual.

Naga leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. The Baron of Levo was whispering sweet nothings to his paramour that were of no use to her. She tried not to focus on the fatigue or the fact that her stomach was becoming harder, not to mention larger. And if she leaned into it in the slightest the idea that it was a boy would take root and it was all she could do to keep from pounding her fists on the wall and causing a scene.

She decided to find a new spot to stake and hoped that the walk through the night air would invigorate her. Whether the Baron of Levo ever noticed her presence she never knew as she took off through the garden. Soon she could sense a new presence and when she focused on it she was surprised to find that she recognized him. But what would Ruvinagald's inspector be doing in Zefiel City?

They stopped as they crossed paths and Naga smiled at him. "You're far from Ruvinagald."

Wizer smiled, "And you're far from Saillune."

"I have a job here." Naga said. "Tiresome business really. But Lina was so desperate for good help I just couldn't turn her down."

"I heard. As for me the nasty business with the Ruvinagald royal family never wraps up."

"You mean that family that was abducting people and merging them with demons?" Naga asked, "I thought they had all been punished severely."

"We've dealt with most of them. But displaced royalty has money and friends in high places. A few have slipped through but every year I get closer to rounding up the rest of them."

"Surely no one in the Zeferian royal family would help people involved in such dastardly crimes."

"Not the Zeferian one, no. I was on my way to Xoana when I learned that a certain ambassador I want to question was working here."

Naga smiled as she grabbed Wizer's arm, "Walk with me."

"You ready for this?" Gourry asked Lina as she sat down at her desk.

She smiled at him as she grabbed a quill, "Hey, compared to defeating Shabranigdu, this can't be too hard!"

His eyes sparkled a little as he ran his hand through her hair. "Well, this is a bit different, but point well taken."

"It's good practice." Lina said with a nod as she skimmed through her growing pile of paperwork. She really should ask him for quiet until Gomez came so she could focus on it, but she didn't have any motivation to follow through with her better instincts, "We're going to have to have these talks with Midas and Rails down the line, so it's best to start learning how now!"

"I wish I'd had some time to talk to your dad first…"

Lina waved her hand dismissively, "I was raised by him! I know all his tricks. This will be a piece of cake!"

"I dunno." Gourry said.

"Huh?"

But before he could say anything else there was a knock at the door. Gourry moved so he was standing behind her as Lina said, "Come in."

"Good morning Dame Lina! Sir Gourry! You asked to see me?" Gomez said as he walked in with more energy than anyone should rightfully have at such an early hour.

"Yes." Lina said, "Have a seat."

Gomez sat down and asked, "What can I help you with?"

"Well, we wanted to have a talk about Morticia."

"Morticia!" Gomez breathed as though her name was life itself as his eyes took on a dewy appearance and it was all Lina could do to keep from facepalming.

"So I take that to mean that you are sweet on her." Lina stated.

"Sweet!? Sweet doesn't begin to cover it!" Gomez said as his hand clenched into a fist as a manic look took over his eyes, "I would die for her! I would kill for her!"

And I thought Luke had it bad! Lina thought as she suppressed the urge to shake her head in dismay.

"Don't you think you're moving a little too fast?" Gourry asked.

"When you meet the woman of your dreams, you know, and you devote your life to making her happy." Gomez said. "You don't waste a precious moment because you never know how long your time together will be!"

"Well, that's the problem really. Your time with Morticia may be rather short." Lina said.

"What do you mean?" Gomez asked as he grasped the armrests tightly.

"Well, Morticia swears she's getting out of the family business, but we really felt we had to let you know what you're getting into. She's from a line of Black Widows, women who murder their husbands and…"

"And it sounds like a challenge!" Gomez said manically.

"Challenge?" Lina said.

"Yes! A challenge! It means that if I am going to be happily married to Morticia then I will have to make sure that I make her so happy that she would never dream of murdering me!"

Lina felt as though her brain melted a little as she listened to him. She shook her as she slouched forward a bit, "I don't think that's how it works."

"It's exactly how it works! Keeping her happy, knowing I could die if I don't. It's rather exhilarating, don't you think?" Gomez asked as he pulled a cigar from his pocket and put it in his mouth.

"Don't you dare bring that filthy thing in my school! Throw it out now!" Lina shouted as Gourry put his hands on her shoulders as Gomez tossed the cigar in the trash. Lina took a deep breath, "Look kid, you're young and I know that books have a way of presenting love that may be exhilarating but not terribly realistic…"

"Very exhilarating!" Gomez said, and Lina thought that if his eyes could bug out any further they would pop out of his skull. "And I will make it realistic! Morticia is worth it! Now is there anything else I can help you with?"

Lina felt a headache build and decided that if he was going to make a fool of himself sobeit. She couldn't say she hadn't warned him, "Go get some breakfast."

"Thank you, Dame Lina!"

After he closed the door behind him Lina turned and looked up at Gourry and said, "Have you ever heard something so…"

Gourry leaned down to kiss her on her forehead as he said with a hint of amusement, "Well, you did say this would be good practice for when our kids are teenagers."

"Our kids are going to have more sense!" Lina said as Gourry leaned back against the wall and favored her with an overbearing grin, "I'll drill it into them one way or another! I'll…what?"

"Nothing." He said.

"Why are you smiling?"

"No reason."

"Gourry!"

He leaned forward and gave her a quick peck on the lips, "I've got to get class set up. See you at lunch."

"I'm not letting this drop!" she said.

"But Lina, you know I'll have forgotten by then!" He said with a dopey grin as he ran out before he could feel her wrath.

"Enjoying the last of the summer days?" Gourry asked as he saw Moe sitting with the twins on a blanket close to the sparring fields with Justina, Eric and a few other nannies.

Aurelia crawled up to see him as Midas got on all fours and tried to push him up to standing. He looked at Gourry expectantly as Gourry picked Aurelia up and smiled at his son, "Wow, Midas! Looks like you're going to be standing up soon!"

"He's working hard at it. He's strong for his age." Moe said.

"Takes after his father." One of the nannies said as she blushed as she looked at Gourry.

"His mother is a strong fighter too." Gourry said as he picked up Midas and smiled fondly, "With her wanderlust she practically came into the world walking on her feet. These three sure keep me on my toes!"

"We figured we should enjoy the last of these summer days and let the babies have an idea of the work you do." Moe said as some of the students passed by on their way to the sparring fields.

"I bet the nursery gets stuffy." Gourry said as he wondered if Luna had suggested to Moe that the twins should learn more about their work and if he should trouble Lina with it.

"Good morning, Sir Gourry." Tom said as he approached with a few other students. "Are those your twins?"

"Yes." Gourry said proudly as he smiled.

"They've gotten so big!" Pippi exclaimed.

"What joy they must bring you." Tom said and then he looked at Moe, "You must be looking forward to the arrival of your own bundle."

Gourry felt himself grow tense as Moe looked at Tom in confusion, "Oh, we're not expecting…"

"I'm sure you have your reasons for keeping the news hush hush. I probably shouldn't blab like that." Tom said. "Good day to you."

"What's this about Princess Naga?" Pippi could be overheard asking him as they walked away, followed by the squeals of some of the girls.

Moe scratched his head as the group walked off, "I know people expect newlyweds to get busy creating the next generation but…"

His voice trailed off as he turned and saw the look on Gourry's face. "You know something?"

Well this is awkward, Gourry thought as he fumbled for something to say but froze. Moe's eyes narrowed as he asked, "What do you know?"

Gourry cursed the fact that he couldn't keep a secret to save his life, "Only that Leia has a way of telling just by looking at someone, and she gave Naga pickles, and Lina and the other women know what that means. They told Naga that she is expecting, but she's been in some strange denial about it. She won't even talk to Sylphiel. None of us wanted to say anything because we didn't know what she'd told you. But she's having a hard time coming to terms with it I guess."

"Wow. I thought she'd been acting strange lately." Moe said as he let out a breath as Gourry waited tensely. But then Moe smiled and let a big laugh roar, "Well, I'll say this, I never expected to hear news like this from you!"

Amelia knocked on Oriana's door. She'd waited as long as she could for Naga to finish doing things her way and she could wait no longer! She had waited in the luxury of a palace for long enough while her love languished in a prison somewhere, possibly beaten and starved! She would tolerate this no more and consequences be damned!

A maid opened the door, "Princess Amelia, Princess Gracia. What can I do for you?"

Princess Gracia? Amelia thought for a bewildered moment, and then she looked beside her in surprise to see that Naga was standing there. As Amelia recovered from her sister's sudden appearance Naga said boisterously, "We're here to see Duchess Oriana."

"Of course. Come in."

Naga grabbed her hand, and Amelia got the unspoken message to follow her lead, and Amelia did not think to question it. Relief trickled through her even as they walked into Oriana's chambers. "Have a seat." The maid said, and Naga and Amelia sat beside each other on a sofa.

As the maid brought out tea and cookies Amelia wondered how long Oriana would make them wait just to show that she could make them sweat! But then Naga put her hand to her mouth and let out a giant, obnoxious peal of laughter, stopping only to draw breath for another and then another. A minute later Oriana stepped out of her inner chamber, looking slightly annoyed.

"My dear sister had just told the funniest joke!" Naga said, "And I can't stop laughing."

"I must say, given the circumstances, your mirth is really quite puzzling." Oriana said, "Princess Amelia. Are you needing another document to sign?"

"No, she's not." Naga said as she held a letter that Wizer had intercepted in front of her, "I won't waste time. But I was talking to an investigator from Ruvinagald about a disposed Prince named Lucas."

Amelia had to use every inch of composure to keep from smiling at the way the color drained from Oriana's face as she said. "You mean my cousin."

"Yes, the one who murdered children by merging them with demons."

"I don't know a thing about that!" Oriana cried disdainfully.

"Interesting. The news was spread far and wide. So you were either knowingly helping a mass murderer or you were negligent in keeping up with vital international news."

Oriana crossed her arms under her breasts, "I guess you're wanting the Duke freed in exchange for that letter."

"Immediately." Amelia said as Naga put the letter back into her bodice.

"Fine." Oriana said, "I'll take you to him then."

AN: Wizer appears in a Slayers Special and one of the novels. I got the idea of writing him into this while J-Novel was translating the 10th novel. Unfortunately as far as I know the special he was in has never been translated into English. So basically I'm going out on a limb by assuming that at some point Naga and Wizer met in it and this could well turn into a mea culpa. Still, I hope you enjoy!

So many ideas I'm developing, both for Neverending and other works. Next fic will likely be a Gourry story, The Gunginiel Knight. Having both kids back at school again has not opened up the vast amount of free time I hoped it would.