(AN: This is the very last chapter. Can you believe it? Um, I can. Anyway, go read and review, so I can die happy. *runs off* *distant sounds of whooping and joyous shouts*)
Royal Blunders
Chapter Fifteen: Awakenings, Both Good Ones and Undeniably Weird Ones
"I am no superman, I have no answers for you
I am no hero, oh, that's for sure
But I do know one thing
Where you are is where I belong
I do know where you go
Is where I want to be
Where are you going?
Where do you go?
Where are you going?
Where?
Let's go."
~ Where Are You Going, The Dave Matthews Band
"So, what's Phil's verdict?" asked Lina, leaning back into the plush leather couch as Gourry reclined next to her lazily. The four of them were back in Seyruun's royal palace, awaiting Phil's answer to their plea as Amelia nearly ran into the coffee table in her haste. The midday sun, coming through the open floor-length windows cast shafts of light against the polished furniture. Zelgadis leaned against a nearby column near the room's entrance, watching as Amelia practically danced in excitement all around the scarlet, gold-embroidered carpet.
"He said he completely understands!" she exclaimed happily. "He knows exactly what you mean."
Lina sat forward instantly. "You mean, he knows we're sick of learning table manners and wearing hoop skirts and sitting up like pieces of wood?" she said hopefully.
Amelia tipped her head thoughtfully to the side. "No, it was more like, 'Of course! Lina-san and the others can't stay in just one place to spread the word of their Just actions! It is only right that they should be traveling the land to praise the good word of Justice!' And I agree, Lina-san! I know you all want to get back on the road as much as I do, and of course, I have to enforce the laws of good, and the best way to do both at the same time is to have you all sent out on official business of JUSTICE!"
She beamed as she froze in a very righteous pose from atop the coffee table as Lina, Gourry, and Zelgadis simultaneously sweatdropped. Lina waved her hand impatiently at Amelia. "Yeah, uh…something like that. Can you just get off the coffee table, Amelia?"
Amelia nodded obediently and jumped nimbly to the floor, dusting her hands off and falling back with her arms spread out onto the chair opposite Lina, sinking into the soft fluff. "Daddy says, to make sure you exit like the royalty you are, we should hold a party for you before you leave. It'll be the last time you have to dress up."
"Great!" exclaimed Lina, clapping her hands together. "Then we can leave later today, if we want?"
Amelia nodded.
"VICTORY!" yelled Lina, flashing a v-sign briefly before sinking back into the comfortable couch. "I'm set! All I need to do is get a little pocket money for the road, and then…" Lina rubbed her hands together in an evil-esque fashion, but Amelia shook her head firmly.
"Sorry, Lina-san…even if you're leaving on official reasons, Sir Recburg wouldn't let you take anything from the treasury, even if it belongs to you." She looked deeply apologetic as Lina balled her fists together in annoyance.
"That stupid…ughh…whatever. But I swear to L-sama, I WILL get that money." Amelia, Gourry, and Zelgadis all shook their heads at the familiar maniacal glint appearing in Lina's eyes.
"Just to make sure..." began Zelgadis flatly. "There aren't any drawbacks to this proposition, are there?"
"Well…" Amelia's tone suddenly dropped from cheerful to depressive as she rested her chin on her palms. "I'll have to stay here a month or so…after all this, there's bound to be papers for me to sort out…royal seals and everything…" she trailed off and gave the floor a disdainful look.
"You mean you can't come with us?" Gourry gave Amelia an incredulous look. "Why won't Philonius let you leave?"
"It's Philionel, jellyfish," Lina hissed in his ear, though he just ignored her as Amelia shook her head slowly.
"Daddy says I can't go running off every time you all decide to go on some adventure, even if we have saved the world numerous times, and all…I'll have to track you all down once I get out of here—"
Then Lina gave a triumphant shout. "I've GOT it!" She leapt from her seat. Amelia and Gourry followed suit. "Why didn't I think of it before? It's so obvious!"
Zelgadis and Amelia shared anxious looks as Lina began to plot under her breath. "Yes, it's perfect…" she looked suddenly to Gourry, standing next to her innocently. "Gourry!" she said, causing the swordsman to jump. "We have some work to do." She grabbed his arm and began pulling him out the entranceway.
As soon as they had left, Zelgadis approached Amelia. "Amelia…if you'd like me to…I would stay here and wait for you."
"No, no, Zelgadis-san, it's alright…" she looked up at Zelgadis, who was shaking his head at how quickly she had already forgotten her promise to call him 'Zelgadis.' "I can't really ignore my duties…and I know how much you want to get out of here." She smiled somewhat sadly. "I can catch up to you in about a month."
"If you're sure," answered Zelgadis slowly, realizing something surprising. Now that he knew how he felt about her, he was willing to spend any moment with her, and she only would need ask. Shocking, how much he had changed this month, how quickly he had wanted to become what he had been changing into lately. It must have been a part of this whole concept of caring so much for someone and being too ignorant to realize it.
Amelia seemed to have read the look on his face. She stood up on her toes and touched his face lightly. "You know, Zelgadis-san…for how much you seem to hate the way you look, I have to say it again…you really are very cool-looking." She parted some of the hair in front of his eyes, and he didn't move. "In fact, you're very handsome. I'm just…surprised you don't see that in yourself." Her face flushed pink for a moment after she lowered her hand.
Zelgadis shook his head, despite the brief embarrassment he felt. "It's not something I tend to dwell on."
That was when Lina poked her head around the corner. "Oh, Amelia, by the way…" She stalked over to Amelia wearing a predatory sort of look that scared the princess. "I almost forgot to ask you…"
"Ask me…what, Lina-san?" Amelia ventured cautiously, sneaking a worried glance at Zelgadis.
Lina smirked and pointed to Zelgadis. "How long exactly did it take for you two to admit your feelings?"
The two accused stood in awkward, brief silence, which Zelgadis broke as soon as he thought up a reason. "Why is that of any concern to you, Lina?" he asked in his dark tone, recovering quickly enough.
Lina waggled her finger at the two of them in an uncannily Xellos-like fashion that would have been funny, had the circumstances been less grim than they were. "Don't think you can give me the old 'none of your business' note, Zel. It's not like you can keep it a secret for long, anyway." She folded her arms across her chest.
Amelia swallowed. "It didn't take very long, Lina-san."
Lina laughed a little and gave Amelia a sly look. "Is that because your kissing took up the rest of the time?"
If it were humanely possible, Amelia's face would have gone even redder. "Lina-san…" she murmured under her breath, but she gave a little sigh and nodded mutely.
Lina made a noise that seemed halfway between triumph and amusement and shot her fist into the air. "I knew it! Alright, Amelia!" She gave the princess a hearty clap on the back, almost shoving her forward. "I really have to commend you for this…I mean, you must be the only person I know who could kiss a rock." She grinned at Zelgadis. "No offense, Zel."
"None taken, Lina…" answered the chimera in an odd sort of voice, something that was partially awed, partially stupefied, and partially horrified, though it sounded most like the latter, a strange combination indeed. He was positively mortified at Lina's discovery of…well…you know.
Lina nodded. "I had a feeling this would happen someday…actually, it was more like hope." She gave Amelia an admiring look. "I knew something was different when we were on our way back here. I knew something changed, between you two. And I'm glad." She gazed reflectively at the two of them. "For three years I've been waiting for you guys to stop being so stubborn about it. I've been pretty tempted to just force you together, but you came out on your own." She nodded again, as though commending them through a gesture. "I'm really glad you did."
Amelia's flush had faded, and she threw her arms around the sorceress, hugging her tightly. "Thanks, Lina-san!" Lina patted her back awkwardly, sweatdropping, but happy nonetheless.
Before Zelgadis could say anything, Gourry had approached his side and said, under his breath, "I'm glad too, so, good job, Zel. But, you know, she might just be saying that to get her money back."
"I heard that," retorted Lina but she was far too occupied to lash out any injuries at that point. Amelia stepped back from Lina.
"Lina-san, what are you and Gourry-san going to do after you leave?" she asked curiously, completely unaware of how mortified Zelgadis still looked.
"Not sure…well, besides food sampling and bandit fighting, of course, those are kind of a given…" Lina turned to Gourry for an answer.
He shrugged in turn. "I'd really like to look for a new sword." And…that was it.
"Well, you heard him," Lina answered casually, heading for the entrance again and looking back at the princess. "We better get ready for that party, Amelia."
Amelia gave an eager nod. "Right, Lina-san! I'll go and make sure Daddy has everything ready—"
"Uh-uh," interrupted Lina suddenly, grabbing Amelia's arm and dragging her firmly to the entrance of the room. "You're coming with me. We have to discuss…something."
As she was yanked into the hallway, Amelia gave Zelgadis one last fleeting and pleading glance—there was definitely something afoot when Lina wanted to "discuss something". That was a look Zelgadis could understand right away, and he smirked, thinking of what ridiculous demand the fire-breathing sorceress might subject Amelia to during their "discussion."
Now alone, he set off for his room, bearing that amusing thought in mind but still hoping it wouldn't be anything extreme involving, for instance, very loud and random explosions. Then again, what else could you expect from Lina, besides robbing restaurants? Of course, thought Zelgadis as he walked down the hallway, that was quite as extreme and…well…as normal as the previous suggestion.
…;::..;::*::;..::;…
It was a very short time later that Zelgadis was walking back to the lower level of the palace. He'd forgotten to ask Amelia what to wear for the party; not that he was that vain or anything, but, as this would be the last time they would be instructed to dress up (and Zel silently thanked L-Sama for that), he might as well do it right.
The next moment was a case of severe déjà vu, as Zelgadis caught a split second's glance of the white blur zooming towards him, and the next second, tumbled backwards onto the floor, flat on his back. He looked up quickly to see Amelia staring worriedly into his face.
"Zelgadis-san! I'm so sorry, are you alright??" He caught the trace of a flush beginning across her face; she was sitting on him.
"I'm fine. You have a knack for doing that," he announced dryly, covering up for his slowly spreading blush. "Could you…um…" he gestured to his stomach.
"Oh! Yeah, sorry, uh…" She swiftly scrambled to her feet as Zelgadis stood up, and after a moment's brief, awkward silence between the two (for how much they care for each other, they sure do like to embarrass themselves frequently, huh? ^__^), Amelia dusted herself off and looked back up at him. "You sure you're alright?"
"Of course I am…"
"Okay, good, let's go!" With no pretense, Amelia yanked Zelgadis' arm and began to drag him down the hallway before he pulled her to a stop.
"Wait, wait, Amelia…! What are you doing? I was just going to ask you what I'm supposed to be wearing…" he pointed to the sleeve of his normal beige traveling outfit, which he had neglected to change.
Amelia waved him off impatiently. "No time for that, Zelgadis-san! We have to go, now!"
"But…" Zelgadis was completely dumbfounded. Why be in such a hurry to arrive at the party? "Why aren't you…dressed up?" he asked, annoyed at himself for sounding picky over something he didn't even care about.
"I'll tell you as soon as I can, but right now, just follow me, Zelgadis-san!" She took a hold of his arm again and began sprinting down the hallways.
Within minutes they had almost arrived at the palace's entrance, both running at top speed, until Zelgadis grabbed Amelia's shoulder to slow her down. "Amelia…" he said, breathing slightly heavily from the long run, "What's this all about?"
Amelia made a small, frustrated noise. "I'm not supposed to tell you until we're out of here, but…"
Before she could finish, a soft voice interrupted from behind her. "In a hurry, Princess?" Both Amelia and Zelgadis turned to find Lady Adara, in her normal, dark blue attire with graying hair braided down her back, and standing beside her…a short, familiar-looking, violet-robed girl.
Zelgadis' eyes widened in amazement. "Kimirah?"
The afore-mentioned priestess gave the two of them a cheery smile. "Fancy seeing you here."
After a second, Amelia gasped and gave Kimirah the look of dawning comprehension. "I remember you…you're the nice shrine maiden from the temple! Kimirah-san!" She smiled gratefully. "I still can't thank you enough for your help!"
"But…but…" Zelgadis stuttered for a moment before pointing at Adara. "How do you two…and how did you get …what did you not tell me?" He threw an accusatory glare at the priestess, but she merely laughed.
Adara answered for her. "I never told you?" She grinned somewhat mischievously at the priestess. "About my daughter?"
"You're related?" said Amelia and Zelgadis at once.
"You didn't guess?" replied Adara and Kimirah simultaneously, both looking at each other and chuckling. "We probably should tell you now, at least…" said Adara, giving Kimirah one of her secretive smiles.
Kimirah nodded in response and turned to the princess and stunned chimera. "Well, starting from the beginning is always best, isn't it…to make a long story short, I grew up here until I was sixteen, got sick of all the things I thought to be bores, and not to mention, all the reprimands from my father about formalities. I decided to leave and stop causing so much him so much annoyance…all his hair would have fallen out, had I stayed here," she finished in a mockingly fond voice.
"Your father…?" began Zelgadis slowly, thinking around to who he'd referred to about hair falling out.
"Sir Recburg," answered the three women at once, all grinning at Zelgadis' bewilderment.
"Right," replied Zelgadis darkly, annoyed at their superior smiles.
"So that's why you looked so familiar," breathed Amelia in an almost awed voice. "You look very much like Lady Adara, here…even a little like Sir Recburg."
It was true; Kimirah had inherited her brilliantly sapphire eyes from Adara, not to mention her wise intuition, but had equally recognizable traits from Sir Recburg…the relentless attitude and, frankly, annoying qualities as well. So, that was why she'd looked so familiar, thought Zelgadis. Before anything else was said, he had another thought. "How did you really know all those things about me?" he asked suspiciously.
"I was deeply concerned about how the princess's…relationship with you would turn out, Sir Greywords," Adara said, smiling at the blush growing on Zelgadis' face. "I sent my daughter a message, supplying her with enough information to keep you occupied and to help her figure out more things about you. Apparently, it was successful." She eyed Amelia with that secretive gaze, and the princess blushed just as brightly as Zelgadis had.
"So…you're not really a Seer, and you can't really know everything about someone as soon as you meet them?" asked Zelgadis, smirking.
"Oh, of course I'm a Seer," argued Kimirah, but her face was pink. "I am still in training, you know. Don't think you can outsmart me, Zelgadis Greywords," she said defensively, glaring at him.
Amelia giggled. "No wonder she was able to knock some sense into you, Zelgadis-san."
Zelgadis gave her a slightly reproachful look as Adara swept into a brief curtsy. "Princess, wherever you're going, may the best of luck go with you." Amelia nodded gratefully. "Now, Kimirah and I have business to attend to."
"Mother's taking me to visit my father," said Kimirah with a slightly smug look on her face. "I wonder what he'll think of my being a Seer. He's such a stubborn person when it comes to my future."
"Do you think he'll make you stay here, Kimirah-san?" asked Amelia curiously.
Kimirah shook her head firmly. "Of course not. Once he knows what I've learned from my training, I doubt he'll want me causing a…disturbance in the palace," she said with a mysterious air.
Adara laughed and gently took her daughter's arm, waving a fast goodbye to Amelia as the two of them headed down the opposite side of the hallway. Zelgadis shook his head and sighed. "This day could not get weirder."
Amelia shushed him quickly. "Don't say that Zelgadis-san, you'll jinx us!" She stifled a giggle. "And don't be so mean to Kimirah-san, she helped you!"
"Think what you will," answered Zelgadis darkly. "I still hope that never happens again." At that moment, he heard the annoying familiar voice laughing in his head. Don't forget…you still owe me a considerable amount of money for the fountain, Zelgadis Greywords. Thank L-Sama, he heard the strange clicking noise that signified the connection was broken, but he still fell over sideways from her ridiculous persistence.
Amelia looked at him worriedly. "Zelgadis-san…?" She watched him stand up, muttering to himself. "…What?"
Recovering, he replied slowly, "Nothing…" However, he shook his head, as though trying to convince himself, and hoped he would never hear that blasé voice again.
…;::..;::*::;..::;…
Once outside, Amelia and Zelgadis stopped to catch their breath, but only for a moment, until Amelia let out a hurried breath and grabbed Zelgadis' arm again. "We have to keep moving, Zelgadis-san!"
"Amelia—" began Zelgadis, to protest the frequent yanking of his arms and to remind Amelia of her promise to stop calling him 'Zelgadis-san', but Amelia cut him off with a blunt, "Not now!" and sprinted down the street at top speed, turning the heads of the townspeople and merchants as they passed.
The people merely shrugged and continued on with business as usual; it wasn't every day that they saw their crown princess drag a strange-looking young swordsman down the street at the speed of light, but then again, it was many days that they saw a redheaded sorceress drag a strange-looking blonde swordsman towards the palace, so as far as they were concerned, what was the difference?
At last, they reached the outskirts of Seyruun, and Zelgadis managed to pull Amelia to a skidding stop outside the city entrance. "Amelia, this is getting ridiculous…what's going on?"
Amelia fiddled with her fingers, but her face was filled with relief. "Well…as you may have guessed…I don't want to stay in Seyruun."
Zelgadis glanced at the entrance gates, sweatdropping at the skid mark Amelia had made. "Yeah, I…gathered that."
"Really, I don't…it's not just all the royal duties I'd have to attend to, all those stupid seals and letters and papers…I really have missed being on the road with you all. And especially you, Zelgadis-san, because now that I know you care for me, I'd like to be with you whenever I can." She gave him a genuinely happy look. "And that's what I'm planning on doing."
Zelgadis was still puzzled. "Then what was that all about? The running and hurrying?"
"Oh! I'm sorry, I almost forgot…you know how Lina-san wanted to 'discuss' something with me?" the princess said, emphasizing the "discuss".
"Yeah…what did she want?" asked Zelgadis slowly, completely knowing that what Lina had discussed, having made Amelia drag him out of Seyruun, it couldn't have been anything good.
"Well…um…it took a while to persuade me, but it was the only way…" Amelia smiled sheepishly, laughing a little, but still nervously. "She and I agreed…I would let her take her money from the treasury, and…she would create a diversion for us…to leave…" She handed Zelgadis an envelope. "She wrote this for you…."
Hesitantly, Zelgadis opened the letter and read the messily scrawled letter:
Dear Zel,
You're probably wondering what's going on right now, so I'll tell you, provided you don't yell at Amelia. Obviously, I need the money for—(here Lina had scratched out something, and from what followed, Zelgadis suspected that Lina wanted the money only for her own greedy pleasures)—traveling purposes. Me and Amelia made an agreement: She'd let me have it, and I would give her a diversion. This way, I get what I want and you and Amelia can go off and do whatever gooey-eyed, romantic stuff you have planned—(Zelgadis blushed profusely and shook his head)—without any suspicion from the palace. They'll be too busy cleaning up. Anyway, I hope we see you around soon. Gourry and I are gonna look for a new and hopefully powerful enough sword for him as soon as we get done here. See you around.
Lina and Gourry
And then Zelgadis noticed a P.S. in very bold print:
P.S. – If you hurt Amelia in any way, shape, or form, I'll hunt you down and fill the rest of your days with misery.
He folded the letter up with a somber look on his face, and stuffed it into his pocket. "Figures." Then he gave Amelia a scrupulous stare. "What exactly is she using as a…diversion?"
Before Amelia could open her mouth, both of them heard loud explosions coming from the middle of Seyruun, and Zelgadis clapped a hand against his face. "She's destroying half of Seyruun palace for her money…why am I not surprised…"
"I made her promise not to use the Dragon Slave," said Amelia tentatively, peering up at him as the steady row of explosions continued. "That way, no one will get hurt."
"…As though that helps…" Zelgadis sighed heavily and glanced back at Amelia. "Well, just so she doesn't do the same thing to us, let's get going."
"Great!" Amelia clapped her hand together. "So, where is the best place to look for a cure?"
Zelgadis' ears perked up. "Cure…? What are you…"
"Where else do you think we would go, Zelgadis-san?" Amelia planted her hands on her hips. "I certainly don't want you to forget what I told you…about how handsome you really are, but…I want you to be happy." With that, she folded her arms and gave him a firm look.
Then Zelgadis grinned—just a tiny little bit. "I already am." That made Amelia's smile grow even bigger, and Zelgadis began to walk down the road, looking back over his shoulder at her. "But that's a good idea. Let's go." Amelia nodded and ran to catch up with him.
…;::..;::*::;..::;…
It was much later that everything had really begun to sink into Zelgadis' mind, as he and Amelia walked silently down the road, unknowing of where they would turn up.
His thoughts wandered back to just that morning. The first morning he'd awaken to the knowledge that had changed his attitude. Had changed himself. That there was someone who could love him. Who did love him. And he could really love someone. He did love. What a bizarre month. Before now, he was heartless. Yet if someone could love him, if he could love someone and throw away all sense of self for that one person, for that one iota of love...he was no longer heartless.
Had he ever been?
No, he had only been cold and careless. Only focused on what was physical, what was important to those who were skin-deep. Never before had something been felt so strongly that it could hurt, excite, amuse, and satisfy all at one time, wrapped into one emotion...all inside of him.
Love.
So this was really it? What people had talked about in those songs and ridiculous poetry? They had all been so enraptured by this new feeling that it lead them to captivate their emotions into words by pen and paper? Funny, how it had seemed so stupid to him before. Alright, it still seemed stupid to write poetry about it, but at least now he could understand where they were coming from.
The cure was now a sidequest, but he would never be completely comfortable with his image. Hell, he was hoping to find a lead right now. There was no longer a vengeful want, or the tyrant he could be against everything that stood in his way. There was only need for human recognition; the acknowledgment from the people he met that he was not monstrous-looking. That would be something that could never really change.
But it could be helped. There was someone who could ease the loneliness...was it even there anymore? No, there was someone who could ease the pain. There was someone who could care. Someone who cared for him enough to awaken his own love to be returned. She would help him. And he would gladly die a thousand times over to keep her at his side.
And she would be there through anything, as long as she was at his side. As long as she was there.
Zelgadis glanced at Amelia; carefree, captivating, wonderful, beautiful...happy. Her unheeded hair bounced up and down as she walked. He had to smile; at least, half way. No chance in hell he would lose most of his sarcastic, careless manner, but he had taken all the new, knowing parts of himself and molded them together with the old.
Amelia caught him looking at her and smiled, making him blush and turn away. She touched his shoulder briefly, forcing him to look again. He waited for her to say something, but she laughed shyly and walked on ahead, waiting for him to catch up.
As long as she was still at his side.
As long as she was there.
There was nothing that needed to be said. Their words could remain unspoken...yet...always...understood.
"Nunc scio quit sit amor."
Latin.
"Now I know what love is."
~ Virgil
End.
(Thank you so much for keeping up with me. ^^ It's FINALLY finished and I can go on to new fics, but first...thanks to all of the readers who didn't try to impale me with pointy objects when I took a hiatus here and there...meaning, every time I got lazy. Thanks to ALL the reviewers, and especially to Aisha C, DarkAngel-Ahria, and Alea Seikou for frequent reviewing. ^_^ You are very much appreciated. Now, go and read some more fics. Ja ne. ~Tams)