Zelgadis stormed down the road, his human emotions having returned with full force, spurring him into irrational action. He stomped on any unsuspecting twig or bug in his path and it only made him angrier that Amelia was following him. He knew that the others were behind him somewhere and deep inside he was glad that they were still coming with him despite his actions, but at the moment he was upset about what Canthrea had done.
Her beautiful face, her soft curved body, gone now, hard as rock- it WAS rock. He had no chance with her now and that frustrated him. Zelgadis shook his head and pulled himself to slow his pace, allowing Amelia to catch up to him. He rubbed his forehead some as he looked down at her.
"I'm sorry.. I overreacted, didn't I?"
Amelia blushed, looking down, "Well... it certainly wasn't what we'd expected her to do," she admitted.
Zelgadis shook his head, "I suppose that demon suppressed more of my human side then I knew... or maybe it was the combined demon and golem, but either way... Its not like Canthrea acted human in the first place," he tried to talk himself into a more calm mood.
Amelia nodded slightly, simply agreeing with him. "You know.... that stuff Canthrea put in the wine..." she blushed, "I helped her."
Zelgadis gave her a long odd look. "That's certainly ...surprising. What was it supposed to do?"
"Make you admit who you loved... Canthrea hadn't told me, but it also has a very mind clearing side effect. Everything sorts out so quickly!"
"So- you weren't lying when you said that to me," the once Chimera asked softly, his pace slowing further. The princess shook her head and blushed deeply. "I- I thought you were..." he hung his head somewhat. "Shows what I know," he muttered to himself. "Canthrea drank some as well, though... does it not work if you don't love anyone?"
Amelia kicked at the ground somewhat with the toe of her boot, "She said it was because laughing doesn't count as speaking and the potion didn't have anything to work on."
"Oh." Zelgadis ran his hands through his hair, it was nice feeling the silky strands instead of the rough wires, at least now he wouldn't leave his bangs on the table whenever someone said something incredibly stupid. "What do you think?" he looked at Amelia, "About Canthrea, do you think she...?"
Amelia blushed again, turning her face away from Zelgadis. "She didn't tell me and its not my place to say weather she does or not," tears glittered in the princesses eyes.
Zelgadis sighed somewhat. "Do you think she'd be willing to make that potion again if I promise to drink it this time?"
Amelia turned toward him with wide eyes, "I'm sure she would if we asked nicely!"
The young man nodded slightly and looked behind them as Lina came running up with Gourry in toe and the now Chimera Canthrea pulling up the rear of the strange procession in a sedate walk.
"So you calmed down yet Zel?" Lina asked between gasps for breath. Zelgadis nodded slightly.
"Lets keep going though, we're not going to reach the next town before late evening if we keep at this pace," Zelgadis said, turning as soon as Canthrea had joined the group and started walking.
* * *
It was still late evening when they finally made it to the next town. Amelia waited until Lina and the others were away before speaking softly with Canthrea, who was receiving strange looks from the other patrons of the tavern. "Ms. Canthrea- Zelgadis said he'll drink that potion we tried last time. Can you make it again?"
The Magi woman looked down at Amelia, even if there was only one inch of difference, "I've got some left from the last time I made it. How about after dinner?"
Amelia beamed and hugged Canthrea happily, causing the older woman to blush faintly and smooth her cloths once the princess was away. She looked up to find Zelgadis staring at her as Amelia told him Canthrea's answer. The Silver Lady affected boredom, yawning behind her stone hand then changed her attention to her fingernails.
Zelgadis sighed, watching Canthrea, "Why does she have to do this?" he asked rhetorically.
Amelia blinked, looking at him, "Who? What? I'm sorry Mr. Zelgadis, I wasn't paying attention."
"That's alright, Amelia," Zelgadis said softly, fluffing her hair some with his hand in as close to an affectionate gesture as he could come. She smiled brightly at him and scampered away. "So easy to make her happy," he murmured to himself as he watched her for a moment then looked at Canthrea once more.
"I just wish I knew what she was thinking... she's about as enigmatic as Xelloss sometimes," Zelgadis sighed softly to himself, his gaze switching between Canthrea and Amelia. "Just...get through dinner and then everything will be...." he shook his head, not liking the thought of actually admitting his feelings.
He made his way over to the table and sat between Canthrea and Amelia, silently working through dinner, though he didn't eat much. Marveling at his hair where it fell in front of his face, happy to have the soft texture of fine strands brushing against his smooth skin. Zelgadis was glad when everything was eaten and Lina and Gourry were stated. He got to his feet, and glanced from Amelia to Canthrea. Once they were standing and a pitcher of water with three cups was gathered, they all trouped up the stairs to the second floor of the inn and into Canthrea's room at her beckoning.
Canthrea set the pitcher and cups on the small table in the room after taking them from Amelia. "Go sit," she told them then reached into her angel-wing sleeve and produced a small bottle. Zelgadis perched on the edge of the bed, Amelia on the other end, huddled in a nervous ball, glancing at him from time to time. "Alright, we're all going to drink this time and we're all going to admit, that sound fair?" Canthrea asked, looking firmly at Zelgadis. He nodded slightly.
Amelia nodded slightly, "A very Just way to solve the problem," she said softly and was rewarded with a half-smile from Zelgadis.
"There aren't any other side effects to this, are there?" Zelgadis asked as he watched Canthrea pour some of the potion into the cups then fill them with water.
"Nope, just a way to help you sort things out in your head and actually figure out who you love then the next time you speak you'll admit it. Once you've admitted it won't make you say anything else you don't want to," Canthrea said bringing a cup in each hand to be bed, handing one to Amelia the other to Zelgadis and taking the third for herself. "On three?" At the accepting nods, she spoke softly, "One... two..." she lifted the cup to her lips, "three," she took a mouthful of the liquid, watching the other two over the rim of the glass. She tipped her head back, and gargled, her eyes glittering in amusement when Zelgadis did the same. They swallowed and stuck their tongues out at each other.
"I love Zelgadis," Amelia said, getting it over with quickly. Canthrea bowed her head, scuffing her foot on the floor some. "Well?" Amelia asked, leaning forward slightly.
"I-.... love....Zelgadis," Canthrea slowly admitted, looking down at the cup she still held in her stony hands.
Zelgadis nodded slightly, "Its good to know you return the feeling," he said softly, "Both of you."
Amelia turned wide eyes toward the young man, "What-? You-?"
"I love both of you. For different reasons, but it's the same feeling."
"Damn," Canthrea muttered, throwing her cup across the room, heedless that there was a few drops of water still in it.
"So you were trying to push me away," Zelgadis drew the conclusion, looking at the now Chimera woman.
"Of course I was. Its because of that damn spell they put on me and how you woke me up. There's no way we're all going to be happy so I did this." She gestured at herself, indicating the stones glittering on her face.
Zelgadis shook his head, "It only makes me love you more. You're willing to give up your humanity for me so that I'd be happy." He hung his head somewhat and Amelia slowly moved over on the bed to sit next to him, blushing when his arm slipped around her waist. "And what makes me love you, Amelia, is that you could love me while I..." he closed his mouth on his words, not wanting to hurt Canthrea by saying what he thought.
Canthrea perched on the edge of the table and crossed her arms. "It doesn't matter why. What matters is what we're going to do about this?"
Zelgadis pondered, "On one hand... I could choose one of you and try to kill any other feelings. On the other hand, I could not choose at all and that would end up hurting us all I think."
Amelia shook her head, "I'd be hurt either way!" The Chimera woman and young man looked at her. "I'd be hurt if you chose me over Canthrea because I know you loved her too and I'm her friend. And I'd be hurt if you chose her because then..."
Zelgadis looked at Canthrea, "What about you?"
"I have nothing of importance to add, nothing that hasn't already been said," she shrugged nonchalantly.
Zelgadis nodded, "Then I think the only choice to solve this is 'C'."
Amelia blinked, "But... you only listed two choices..."
Canthrea pushed off the table and came closer. "What're you up to?" she asked with an interested glint in her eyes.
"I was thinking...." Zelgadis spoke softly, outlining his plan to the two women.