1 THE GIFT OF THE MAZOUKU -- A SLAYERS STORY
1.1.1 Chapter 2 - Amelia Gets The Call
1.2 Nothing is as good as it seems beforehand - George Eliot
Amelia Wil Tesla, the Princess of Seyruun, was quietly scratching her name across the bottom of numerous papers.
"And sign here, and here, and here, and here, and." continued the tall gentleman in palace livery.
"Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork.I never thought this job was such a a a boring job." Muttered Amelia under her breath. "Boring, boring, boring job. Life is just a boring job. Boring, boring, boring job..", she'd put those words to a little tune and sang it to herself.
"Where has all the glamour gone? Even the last ball was a dud. A lead ball-oon. The Lead Balloon of Seyruun! Ha, ha, ha! I guess I really miss hanging out with Lina & Co, my friends. Now instead of friends I have servants and suitors. Suitors! Men interested in $ and position who don't appreciate a beautiful, Justice-loving, Fighter of Evil, Righteous-Spirited girl like me!" this last part was shouted from the top of the table over the head of the shocked secretary. " Well they certainly do not suit me!"
"Umm, sorry, that's enough for tonight, Clarence. I can't sign another agreement or read another proclamation tonight. I'm exhausted."
"Yes, Princess. Do you wish me to tell your father that you are going to sleep now?"
"Oh yes, thank you! He might find more for me to do or start telling me stories. I love him like life itself but."
In her room, Amelia could relax. She tore off her fine, taffeta dress, slips, stockings and shoes. From her immense closet the princess chose to wear a simple gown of deep blue silk "like His eyes", she sighed, then danced to her dressing table and quickly brushed her shoulder-length black hair until it shone. Huge gray-blue eyes met hers in the mirror, "I wonder where you are now? Do you carry my bracelet still? Do you think of me ever, my dear Zelgadiss? Ghaaaa! Where did that come from? If Lina were here. Ah, well. Here are no answers tonight. Some magical mirror YOU are!"
Then collapsing onto her bed piled high with soft pink pillows, and drawing the lofty down comforter over her head, Amelia snuggled into a restless slumber.
Lina and Gourry were laughing loudly at some silly joke Xelloss had just told all while stuffing rolls and chicken bits into their mouths. Plates, bowls, and cutlery were stacked precariously around the table, mostly empty.
"Maybe I should go sit by Mr. Zelgadiss (Zerugadisu-san) near the window. He looks so lonely tonight. I should go and cheer him up," chirped Amelia.
"Oh nuts! There goes that Mr. Xelloss. He's certain to upset my Zelgadiss." She left her chair and moved toward the window. Sure enough, moments after Xelloss's appearance, Zelgadiss rose to leave. Amelia waved as he swept past.
Xelloss pulled out the chair recently vacated by the Chimera, and beckoned to Amelia to join him, all while smiling unconcernedly.
"I'm glad he's smiling again. I mean he is a monster and when were fighting Darkstar and Valgaav he was very scary. Luckily he saw the Justice in our Righteous Cause and helped us save the world (so he can destroy it himself, Lina always adds). That means he's not ALL bad. Probably not as bad as he thinks he is. If he sticks with us, I'm sure we can turn him into a Life-Loving person." Amelia dreamed.
"Ahem...Hello, Amelia."
"Good evening, Mr. Xelloss. Is everything alright?"
"Yes, how kind of you to ask, Miss Amelia."
"Well, I was just wondering. Mr. Zelgadiss seemed a little upset just now. I was wondering what happened. Maybe I can help." Her innocent eyes were welling up with tears. "There's nothing a girl can't do if she's pure of heart and believes in."
"Well, well Amelia," said Xelloss, interrupting hurriedly, " Don't worry. He'll be fine in no time, but I would like to tell you."
"TELL ME WHAT, MR. XELLOSS!!!??" Amelia yelled as she kicked off her bed covers and sat up. "Ah.dreams again. I am so tired of this. What's going on? Do I miss Lina and Zelgadiss and Gourry enough to dream like this? No, that's not all. Why is Mr. Xelloss trying to tell me something? I must be going crazy! Cooped up in this Palace of Seyruun, I'm going crazier by the minute. Next I'll be screaming and blowing up furniture like my manic friend, Lina."
Exhausted and with only unanswered questions for company, Amelia fell back to sleep.
"Ah, Miss Amelia. You aren't looking yourself tonight."
"Mr. Xelloss!"
"I won't keep you long, but this is important. Are you listening, Miss Amelia?"
"Yes, Ah..."
"Zelgadiss is on his way. Find Lina."
"Mr. Xelloss? Why? Is she in trouble?"
"Hummm, now that's.a secret."
"That's it!" thought Amelia. "If Mr. Zelgadiss comes, then I'll go with him to find Lina. It will be like a holiday. Father will understand. I'll write a note to explain it all to him now and be ready to take off. Mr. Zelgadiss will want to leave right away. He hates palace life."
So Amelia hopped out of her warm bed, draped a light, cream-colored wool cape across her shoulders, and skipped over to her dressing table. She pulled open a drawer and withdrew a paper with a sigh, "Here goes."
Minutes later, letter written, the tired princess folded the paper and sealed it with melted wax. "There. That's done. Now can I get some sleep, Xelloss? You can leave me alone now! OOOOooooo! Now I'm taking orders from that Mazouku in my dreams and talking to myself!"
Snuggling under her covers felt so comfortable that she lost herself in dreamless sleep immediately, and, so, did not hear those final velvety words:
"That's right. Goodnight Princess."
1.1.1 Chapter 2 - Amelia Gets The Call
1.2 Nothing is as good as it seems beforehand - George Eliot
Amelia Wil Tesla, the Princess of Seyruun, was quietly scratching her name across the bottom of numerous papers.
"And sign here, and here, and here, and here, and." continued the tall gentleman in palace livery.
"Paperwork, paperwork, paperwork.I never thought this job was such a a a boring job." Muttered Amelia under her breath. "Boring, boring, boring job. Life is just a boring job. Boring, boring, boring job..", she'd put those words to a little tune and sang it to herself.
"Where has all the glamour gone? Even the last ball was a dud. A lead ball-oon. The Lead Balloon of Seyruun! Ha, ha, ha! I guess I really miss hanging out with Lina & Co, my friends. Now instead of friends I have servants and suitors. Suitors! Men interested in $ and position who don't appreciate a beautiful, Justice-loving, Fighter of Evil, Righteous-Spirited girl like me!" this last part was shouted from the top of the table over the head of the shocked secretary. " Well they certainly do not suit me!"
"Umm, sorry, that's enough for tonight, Clarence. I can't sign another agreement or read another proclamation tonight. I'm exhausted."
"Yes, Princess. Do you wish me to tell your father that you are going to sleep now?"
"Oh yes, thank you! He might find more for me to do or start telling me stories. I love him like life itself but."
In her room, Amelia could relax. She tore off her fine, taffeta dress, slips, stockings and shoes. From her immense closet the princess chose to wear a simple gown of deep blue silk "like His eyes", she sighed, then danced to her dressing table and quickly brushed her shoulder-length black hair until it shone. Huge gray-blue eyes met hers in the mirror, "I wonder where you are now? Do you carry my bracelet still? Do you think of me ever, my dear Zelgadiss? Ghaaaa! Where did that come from? If Lina were here. Ah, well. Here are no answers tonight. Some magical mirror YOU are!"
Then collapsing onto her bed piled high with soft pink pillows, and drawing the lofty down comforter over her head, Amelia snuggled into a restless slumber.
Lina and Gourry were laughing loudly at some silly joke Xelloss had just told all while stuffing rolls and chicken bits into their mouths. Plates, bowls, and cutlery were stacked precariously around the table, mostly empty.
"Maybe I should go sit by Mr. Zelgadiss (Zerugadisu-san) near the window. He looks so lonely tonight. I should go and cheer him up," chirped Amelia.
"Oh nuts! There goes that Mr. Xelloss. He's certain to upset my Zelgadiss." She left her chair and moved toward the window. Sure enough, moments after Xelloss's appearance, Zelgadiss rose to leave. Amelia waved as he swept past.
Xelloss pulled out the chair recently vacated by the Chimera, and beckoned to Amelia to join him, all while smiling unconcernedly.
"I'm glad he's smiling again. I mean he is a monster and when were fighting Darkstar and Valgaav he was very scary. Luckily he saw the Justice in our Righteous Cause and helped us save the world (so he can destroy it himself, Lina always adds). That means he's not ALL bad. Probably not as bad as he thinks he is. If he sticks with us, I'm sure we can turn him into a Life-Loving person." Amelia dreamed.
"Ahem...Hello, Amelia."
"Good evening, Mr. Xelloss. Is everything alright?"
"Yes, how kind of you to ask, Miss Amelia."
"Well, I was just wondering. Mr. Zelgadiss seemed a little upset just now. I was wondering what happened. Maybe I can help." Her innocent eyes were welling up with tears. "There's nothing a girl can't do if she's pure of heart and believes in."
"Well, well Amelia," said Xelloss, interrupting hurriedly, " Don't worry. He'll be fine in no time, but I would like to tell you."
"TELL ME WHAT, MR. XELLOSS!!!??" Amelia yelled as she kicked off her bed covers and sat up. "Ah.dreams again. I am so tired of this. What's going on? Do I miss Lina and Zelgadiss and Gourry enough to dream like this? No, that's not all. Why is Mr. Xelloss trying to tell me something? I must be going crazy! Cooped up in this Palace of Seyruun, I'm going crazier by the minute. Next I'll be screaming and blowing up furniture like my manic friend, Lina."
Exhausted and with only unanswered questions for company, Amelia fell back to sleep.
"Ah, Miss Amelia. You aren't looking yourself tonight."
"Mr. Xelloss!"
"I won't keep you long, but this is important. Are you listening, Miss Amelia?"
"Yes, Ah..."
"Zelgadiss is on his way. Find Lina."
"Mr. Xelloss? Why? Is she in trouble?"
"Hummm, now that's.a secret."
"That's it!" thought Amelia. "If Mr. Zelgadiss comes, then I'll go with him to find Lina. It will be like a holiday. Father will understand. I'll write a note to explain it all to him now and be ready to take off. Mr. Zelgadiss will want to leave right away. He hates palace life."
So Amelia hopped out of her warm bed, draped a light, cream-colored wool cape across her shoulders, and skipped over to her dressing table. She pulled open a drawer and withdrew a paper with a sigh, "Here goes."
Minutes later, letter written, the tired princess folded the paper and sealed it with melted wax. "There. That's done. Now can I get some sleep, Xelloss? You can leave me alone now! OOOOooooo! Now I'm taking orders from that Mazouku in my dreams and talking to myself!"
Snuggling under her covers felt so comfortable that she lost herself in dreamless sleep immediately, and, so, did not hear those final velvety words:
"That's right. Goodnight Princess."
