Princess Zelgadiss?!

What's With This Place?

**

The excuse I gave Amelia about getting ready for the ball wasn't too far from the truth. In less than an hour I need to figure out what my deal is, and find something to wear. Oh boy. I think getting my act together takes precedence over clothes, right? Right. Now where did I last leave off?

**

"Wait! Please cease your firing! These are my guests!" A distressed looking Filia (I could tell she was distressed because of the telltale tail peeking out from underneath her dress) yelled these words. At her cry the rain of arrows began to dissipate.

"Filia! What's this all about! I thought we were meeting at an actual inn, but instead I find myself at a palace being fired upon!"

"Calm down Lina. I said quite clearly that I would meet you at The Red Cur . . .oh dear! How silly of me. Not being from the outside world you wouldn't know what that meant. Gomen Lina. I cannot believe such a thing could slip my mind. Please come inside with me and I'll explain more."

The growl Lina made as we were led inside indicated Lina wasn't too happy with Filia's lapse. To be frank, neither was I. Gourry just seemed confused, as always, only that time he wasn't alone.

"Zel, I wasn't aware that you would be meeting with us too."

"Oy Filia, I wasn't aware of it myself until I accidentally ran into Gourry and Lina as I entered town this afternoon."

"What a coincidence that you're here then!"

I mumbled an affirmative. I wasn't in the mood for small talk. Actually, I'm never in the mood for small talk.

"Here we are," Filia stated as she opened a door at the end of a long stretch of hallway. "Go on in. Lunch is about to be served."

I walked into the room warily, not knowing what to expect. I certainly hadn't expected who was waiting for us in there. I should have put two and two together though: we were at the palace, and Lina had said Amelia was there on official business. A connection? Most definitely.

"Miss Lina! Mister Gourry! Mister Zelgadiss! How are you all?" This came from the short, sapphire-eyed, raven-haired princess sitting at the head of the ridiculously long table, located in the center of the dining room we'd now entered.

"Amelia! Long time no see," Lina exclaimed as she plopped down next to her. Gourry followed Lina's example and sat down across from the sorceress. I, on the other hand, stood there blinking like an idiot. Filia saved me by pushing me down into the chair next to Gourry, and she seated herself on my other side.

"Have you told them yet Miss Filia?"

"I was going to right now." Amelia nodded at the ex-priestess' answer.

"Tell us what?" That one was from me. I wanted to know what was going on damn it!

"Yeah! Tell us what?" echoed Lina.

"Calm down. I'm getting to that."

"Well get to it faster!"

"Miss Lina! Just let Miss Filia talk and she will."

I rolled my eyes. Some things never changed. Either that or I was having an extreme case of deja vu.

"Thank you Amelia. This castle that we are sitting in is a very old, and very ill-favored place."

"If that's true, why live here at all?"

"I was getting to that! People live here to protect it."

"Protecting an evil site. Yes, that makes so much sense."

"They don't protect it to preserve it; they protect it to keep it out of the hands of those who would misuse it!"

"Misuse it how?"

"BE QUIET LINA AND I'LL TELL YOU!"

"Okay. Sheesh."

"Ahem, the name 'Red Curse' comes from the fact that this building was used to conduct experiments long ago, before the war of the monsters fall. You might have noticed that on the roof there are many deformed stone people. Those are not any ordinary statues. Indeed, they are the actual results of those former experiments."

At this news I couldn't check myself from blurting out in sympathetic horror, "Oh my god!"

"A feeling shared by many. When the surrounding village realized what was happening they formed a mob, and tried to burn the palace down. The castle refused to catch fire, so instead the villagers killed the scientists working here and destroyed anything else they could get their hands on. Sadly, this was not enough. Nothing could or can erase the magic from the ground and walls of this construction.

"Later that same year a young sorcerer heard of this place and came to investigate. The dark aura was too much for his weak mind. He fell into the same madness as the scientists before him. The villagers took him out, but this time they realized that they would need to guard the castle from the outside world if they wanted to keep safe.

"They have been successful too, until now."

"What's happened now?" I asked in awe.

"Last week the Queen noticed that some small, but powerful artifacts of the castle were missing. This is where you guys come in. The Queen asked me to call you here to see if you would search for the thief."

"How do you know all this? And how do you know the Queen of this city?" Lina asked for Gourry and me.

"Easy," came a throaty feminine voice. "Filia-chan and I are childhood friends."

"Lai-chan!"

**

Not used to my normal body and loss of acute hearing, I didn't notice Gourry until he came up beside me.

"Zel can you tie this bow tie for me? I can never get them on right."

I suppress a laugh at the knot he's managed to make. I stand up to fix it when I wonder out loud, "Why are you getting dressed already Gourry?"

"Lina told me to. She found me outside and told me the dance was starting in twenty minutes so I should go change. Is that not right?"

"No, never mind."

Twenty minutes? Yikes! Time sure flies when you need more of it. I've got to find a suit to borrow and fast.

**