Princess Zelgadiss?!

Namagomi! Who? Gomen, I meant Xellos.

Tugging Gourry's bow tie straight I step back with a, "There."

A grin breaks across Gourry's face. "Gee, thanks Zel. So do I look all right? I don't want Lina yelling at me for dressing wrong."

"Nah, you're fine."

"Great! What are you wearing to the dance Zel?"

"Um, good question. Where did you get your suit?"

Gourry shrugged, "No clue. I found two suits outside our doors, and this one looked more my size."

"Two?" I inquire hopefully.

"Yeah. Hey, I bet the other one would fit you though."

"Where did you say it was?"

"Outside on the chair near the door."

"You're a lifesaver Gourry! I've got to go change now too."

"Okay, bye."

I glance outside anxiously and find the tux. I breathe a sigh of relief. Good thing someone was watching my back. Grabbing it up I head for the bathes. I'll think some more on the path to my cure while I get dressed.

**

"Queen Lai," Amelia said as she stood up to curtsy.

So that was the Queen of the accursed palace, not what I would have pictured. I had imagined a strong, dark elderly woman. What I got was a girl of sixteen with thin hair that touched the floor, soft muddy eyes, and a figure more petite than Lina's! The only fierce thing about her was her stare, of which was currently directed at me.

"You look like one of the statues. Who are you?"

"Nani?" I frowned at her while I jerked my hood tighter around my face.

"Oh! How rude of me! I haven't introduced myself to you yet. I am Queen Lai of Foren. And who might all of you be?"

Filia butted in, "These are my friends that I told you could help. The one you're staring at is Zelgadiss. You've already met Amelia, that blonde is Gourry, and this, this is Lina."

"You're Lina Inverse?"

"Yes! I am the beautiful sorcery genius, Lina Inverse. You got a problem with that?"

"Lina, that's the Queen you're talking to," cried out a horrified Amelia.

"It's all right Princess. I'm sorry if I offended you Miss Lina. It's only that I thought you'd be, well, bigger."

"You're not that built yourself queeny."

Instead if getting upset Queen Lai only chuckled lightly. "I can see why Filia-chan likes you!"

At this Lina looked deflated and slumped in her seat. "Whatever. Hey Filia, I thought we were having lunch?"

"So she did. You there," Lai answered for Filia and then pointed to a passer by. The addressed servant froze.

"Yes Hime-sama?"

"Run to the kitchen and find out what is keeping our food."

"Of course Hime-sama, right away."

Bowing so that his nose practically ate dirt the fearful servant backed out of the room. I wondered why he feared his Queen so much. Her eyes were powerful, but she didn't seem threatening or cruel. As I puzzled on this I missed part of the conversation, and the arrival of the food. When I finally turned my attention back to my surroundings I heard only the end of Amelia's question that she addressed to Lai who was sitting next to Lina, "-had a purple bowl cut?"

"That's right Princess."

"How was he dressed?"

Needless to say you're as confused as I was. I really needed to learn to pay attention to what's going on. I cleared my throat, swinging everyone's eyes to me.

"What are you talking about? I guess I missed something."

Amelia shook her head slightly. "Mister Zelgadiss, weren't you listening at all?"

I blush in answer. It was a good thing my hood was still up to cover it. "Gomen, I was thinking of other things."

Lina laughed. "Nothing new there."

I turned my frown on her. What did she mean?

"Miss Lina, you shouldn't make fun of Mister Zelgadiss. Mister Zelgadiss, you should at least try to give ear."

"Yes well, now what were you talking about?"

"Queen Lai was describing the nature of the theft to us. The thief ignored all her guards, merely grinning at their words. Then, he fazed out with the items. Something feels suspiciously familiar about that, and so I was questioning the thief's appearance."

"I was just about to answer Miss Amelia. I was going to say that he wore a yellow turtleneck tucked into dark pants. Across his shoulders was a matching cape. Most distinguishing was his staff. On the top it branched out and nestled between was a red orb. Do you know who this might be Princess?"

"I think I have a clue Majesty. A friend of ours named-"

It looked like Lina was about to burst when she broke out with, "XELLOS!"

Lai narrowed her eyes at the girls. "This gutter rat is a friend of yours."

A noise to my side made me glance over where I found Filia seething. Her mace in her hands she looked ready to kill. "That namagomi isn't our friend! He's an annoying mazuko who likes to show up at the most inconvenient times. If he had a mother he'd betray her without batting an eye!"

We all sweatdropped as we watched Filia pour out her speech, swinging her mace around for effect.

"Oh ahem," Filia chuckled out in embarrassment when she caught our faces.

"Quite all right Fi-chan. Would someone please explain, though?"

"Let me Majesty. During our travels together, we would frequently encounter Mister Xellos. At first we weren't aware that he was a monster. But after we found out it didn't seem to matter. I know monster's are evil and should be justly punished, but Mister Xellos did and does help us out on occasion."

Lai tapped her cheek. "Continue."

Here Lina stepped in, needing the attention back on her most likely. "Anyway, Xellos is a monster who works for Beastmaster. Him being behind this is not a good sign."

"I see, are you still willing to help even if it means confronting this monster who you consider a friend?"

Amelia jumped onto the table to respond with, "Of course. Although Mister Xellos is our friend we cannot allow him to get away with such crimes." Her finger of justice was pointed in the air and her foot in the salad bowl. I almost cracked a smile. Again, luckily my hood was up or someone would have surely noticed my lapse in character.

**

"Mister Zelgadiss you look dashing!"

"Amelia. What are you doing here? Has the ball started?"

"Not yet. I'm here to escort you. That is if it's okay with you." She scoffed her toe on the floorboards outside the bathes as she spoke. I had just come out of the bathes, fully dressed in formal wear, when I had literally run into her. I guess it's true how they say, 'Speak of the devil' or what not. In this case it would be think of the devil. I fight a laugh as the image of Amelia with a pitch fork tail and horns pops into my head.

"What's so funny?" the said devil girl asks with a hurt catch to her voice.

"Nothing. Escort away."

My words bring back her happy disposition, and she claps in delight. Talk about mood swings.

**