*************
Amelia smiled to herself as she rode through the forest that bordered
the kingdom of Diolon. Her thoughts were far away and definitely
not on the mission that she was now on. The kingdom of Diolon bordered
one of Saillune's northern neighbors and allies, and lately they had been
making threatening moves towards their more gentle neighbors. Prince
Phil had decided that since Amelia had done such a good job with the Kingdom
of Xoana, before Lina blew it up that is, she should be the one to head
the talks in Diolon.
Amelia wished that this
mission was over. She had been traveling for over a month, and only
now had they crossed over into the Diolon Forest. She smiled again
as her mind went over the letter that had
arrived at the palace a month ago. Gourry had finally gotten
up the nerve to ask Lina to marry him, and after beating the living daylights
out of him for making her wait so long, Lina had accepted. They had
written to tell Amelia they would be stopping by Saillune on their way
to visit Gourry's family, and Amelia's mind was overflowing with ideas
for the engagement party she wanted to throw for them. It had been
two years since they had separated after the Dark Star incident, and Amelia
wanted to make sure that this party was one they would never forget. Zelgadis
might even make it to Saillune in time for the party.
At the thought of the chimera,
Amelia's mood lightened even more. Things had seemed to be going
well when they had parted ways and she had given him one of her wrist bracelets.
The fact that Zelgadis wrote her at least once a month also helped to keep
her hopes up. Even though they were only accounts of where he had
been and what he had seen instead of love letters, they helped to keep
her from giving up
completely. Amelia always wrote back, telling him news of the
kingdom and things she had seen and done, but she never knew if he received
them or not because he never said. The latest letter from him had
said that he was in an area very near Saillune, and would be stopping by
for a visit as soon as he had a chance.
"Your Highness," a low male
voice said, bringing her out of her thoughts, "This looks like a good place
to stop and set up camp."
Amelia glanced around the
clearing that the guardsman had indicated, and nodded her head, satisfied
that the area was both well sheltered and easy to defend. Now that
they were in what could prove to be
hostile territory, they would be constantly on their guard, and defendable
campsites were a must.
Amelia sighed as she dismounted
from her horse, and smoothed down a few folds of her traveling dress.
It was an exact replica of the one she had worn on her trip to Xoana, except
that it was a dark blue instead of the light pink her old dress had been.
She had only worn this dress at her father's insistence, and she still
couldn't figure out why he had been so insistent in the first place.
Shaking her head, she turned
her attention to her horse, and began to untack and groom him, despite
the guardsmen's protests.
"Don't be silly," she said
lightly. "All of you have more than enough to do without having to
worry about whether or not Safir is properly cared for. It's
the least I can do, since you won't let me help set up camp, or come within
ten feet of the cooking utensils."
A few of the guardsmen chuckled
at this statement. On their first night out, Amelia had insisted
on cooking dinner for everyone. The result of that attempt hadn't
been very pleasant, and everyone, Amelia included, had agreed that she
was not to go near the cooking supplies.
While Amelia brushed Safir,
she turned her thoughts towards Castle Diolon, and what awaited her there.
According to sources, the king of Diolon was old and feeble, and it was
his son who was now in charge of running the kingdom. However, instead
of ruling in his father's gentle footsteps, Nick Diolon was cold and ruthless,
and didn't hesitate to walk over anyone who stood in his way. Amelia
wasn't looking forward to the meeting she would have with him. Dealing
with people like him always left her feeling as if she had a bad taste
in her mouth. The only thing that kept her from turning around and
heading back home was the thought of all the injustice a man like him had
brought against the people. She didn't dare let the thought that
she was afraid of being seen as a failure in her father's eyes slip through
the defenses she had built up against thoughts like those years ago.
A gentle touch on her shoulder
caught her attention, and she turned to find one of the younger guardsmen
standing at her shoulder, Safir's nightly rations in the bag he held out
to her.
"Thank you, Jake," Amelia
smiled, and taking the bag, she fit it carefully over Safir's nose, smiling
at the gentle crunching sounds the horse made as he ate his dinner.
"You're welcome, My Lady.
Dinner is ready, if you would like to come and eat," Jake said, bowing
slightly.
Amelia sighed, "Must you
all be so formal? I can understand it if we were back at the castle,
but out here in the middle of a forest, it seems rather silly and stiff."
"I know, Princess, and I
understand your feelings, but I've told you already that we have to keep
the formality, otherwise it would be too easy to slip up once we reach
the castle. Keeping the formality insures
that we will always treat you with the highest respect accorded you
because of your rank, and it tells everyone else that they should treat
you with that respect as well," Jake answered.
Amelia muttered something
acidic under her breath, but Jake pretended not to hear. With another
sigh, Amelia nodded and followed him over to the cooking fire, where a
delicious smelling meat stew had finished heating up. Being careful
to take only one full bowl, Amelia settled herself down on the ground,
leaning her back against an old, fallen log, and watched as her men quickly
demolished the rest of the stew. If she had been traveling with Lina
and Gourry, she would have jumped right in and fought with them over who
could, and would, eat the most, but since she had begun this journey to
Diolon, she had curbed her usual eating
habits. The way she saw it, her men needed the food more than
she did, because they were the ones who were expected to defend her should
the need arise, and Amelia wanted to make sure they were well fed and
happy because of that reason, especially over the course of the next
few days, when she was going to be the most vulnerable.
Amelia finished her stew
in thoughtful silence. A few seconds later, one of the guardsmen
took her bowl and finished packing up the rest of the eating supplies.
Two men took up watch positions, while the rest arranged themselves around
the small fire that had been built. Amelia settled down into her
sleeping bag, wishing that she could have changed into her nightgown.
She really hated sleeping in this gown, but her father had given her strict
orders.
"When you cross over into
the Diolon Kingdom, you must keep your gown on at all times . . . no changing
into your normal traveling outfit. This way, if Prince Nick sends
out an escort, you will be ready for him and they will be able to tell
your rank at a glance," he had said.
Amelia had argued with him,
but in this instance, Phil had put his foot down and kept it down.
Trying to figure our her father's reasons were beginning to give her a
headache, so she cut that line of thought and
tried to will herself asleep. A few minutes later, she fell asleep
with a smile on her face, the last thought to flit through her mind about
Zelgadis. Everyone failed to notice the shadow that detached itself
from a nearby tree, and headed towards the castle.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
In the castle library, Nick
Diolon, heir to the throne, was very close to throwing a temper tantrum.
"I know she's got to be
close, so why hasn't anyone been able to locate her?!" he yelled to the
empty room.
He had just grabbed a nearby
glass decanter to hurl at the wall, when a knock on the library door stilled
his hand.
"WHAT?!" he roared, as the
door opened fractionally, to reveal a small, skulking man who's face reminded
Nick of a weasel, right down to the gleaming yellow eyes.
"I hope you have something
to report, Comadreja," Nick snarled, his grey eyes flashing with impatience.
"My Lord," the small man
bowed, then straightened and grinned, revealing a mouth full of very sharp
yellow teeth. "I have located the Saillune Princess and her escort.
They have just crossed over the western border, and have settled down for
the night."
Nick grinned and rubbed
his hands together. "Excellent, Comadreja! Go and alert the
men. Tell them to be ready to move out within the hour," he commanded.
Comadreja bowed again, and
exited the library. Once he was gone, Nick turned and gazed at one
of the many shelves that contained hundreds of books, and said, "What do
you think, Ryo?"
A tall man stepped out of
the bookcases, and moved to stand near Nick. As always, Nick had to orient
himself in the face of this man's over whelming beauty. His snowy
white hair cascaded down his back, while eyes that were an impossible light,
icy blue observed everything around him. Those eyes never ceased
to send chills down Nick's spine, for they were the lightless eyes of a
Mazoku, the only proof that this man was not a human.
"I think you are wise to
move this early, Prince Nick. They will be tired from their long
journey, and will not be up to full fighting force. Especially since
your spies in Saillune have confirmed that this is the time the Princess
will be unable to use her powers," he said, his voice as icy cold as his
eyes.
"That's what I figured,"
Nick answered, and moved over to a side board to pour himself a glass of
brandy. He glanced over at the Mazoku to see if he wanted a glass
as well, but the white haired man refused with a tip of his head.
"You are certain that your
men will be able to complete this mission?" Ryo asked, as Nick took a sip.
"Very. And even if
she does get away, which is not likely, we'll have the hair sample that
we will need in order to create our decoy. Not only that, but the
only direction she would be able to run leads to the edge of the Canyon.
Without her magic, she'll be unable to cross over to safety on the other
side. The river in that area of the Canyon is particularly fierce.
No one has survived that area of rapids yet, so I've been told," Nick said.
"Ah yes, the Dumping Grounds
for political enemies, am I correct?" Ryo asked, amused. "I had wondered
where the body of your father's advisor had disappeared to."
Nick smirked. "He
was buried, of course. He died of a massive heart attack."
"I'm sure."
At that moment, Comadreja
quietly entered the library again, and bowed. "The men are ready,
Your Highness."
"Good. I want you
to head out and capture the Princess of Saillune. Make sure you leave
none of her guards alive. No one must be able to return to Saillune
to tell of what happened. Any horses you run across are to be brought
back here with the Princess. Make sure, though, that as soon as she
is subdued, you get a lock of her hair. That is to be first priority,"
Nick ordered the small man.
"As you wish, Your Highness,"
Comadreja replied, and bowed out.
"Soon. Soon, the Kingdom
of Saillune shall be in my possession," Nick said.
"Just remember to get Princess
Amelia's magic subdued before too long," Ryo reminded him. "She could
cause some damage to your plans if you don't."
"That's your department,
my friend...not mine," Nick grinned, and walked out of the library.
"Upstart, arrogant boy,"
Ryo muttered to himself. "If it wasn't for the fact that I need you
to capture the Princess, I would have killed you long ago...in a slow and
delicious manner, one that would have given me great pleasure. I
just have to keep reminding myself to be patient and to keep an eye on
the Princess's friends. Especially that little plan wrecker, Lina
Inverse, and that chimera, Zelgadis. They could cause some trouble
if they found out the truth."
-----------------------------------------------------
"ACHOO!" Lina Inverse, sorcery
genius and fiancee to Gourry Gabriev, sniffled and rubbed her nose.
"Lina, are you alright?
You're not catching a cold, are you?" Gourry asked, looking concerned.
"I don't think so, Gourry.
Something just tickled my nose, that's all," Lina answered, smiling at
the big swordsman.
"Oh, good. We don't
need you showing up at Amelia's with a red nose, now do we?" Gourry said
out loud.
Lina sighed, "No Gourry,
we don't."
"Speaking of Amelia, why
are we going to Saillune before we go to Sairagg?"
"Gourry, Amelia's a princess,
right?" Lina began, and smiled when Gourry nodded. "Ok, as a princess,
and our friend, she'll most likely want to arrange some kind of engagement
party for us, and that means lots of FOOD! It'll also help to get
me ready for our meeting with Sylphiel."
"But why do you need to
get ready for when we tell Sylphiel?" Gourry asked.
"Because I don't think she's
going to be to happy with our news, and if she turns violent, which I don't
think she will, I'll have to make sure that I'm ready...which means I have
to be full, to be up to my full power," Lina explained patiently.
"Why would Sylphiel be upset?"
Lina blinked and stared
at the swordsman, who was giving her an innocently confused look.
"You mean you don't know?"
"Know what?"
"You DO have jellyfish-for-brains!"
Lina exclaimed out loud, earning her another confused look. "Ok.
Have you noticed how Sylphiel is always treating you really nicely?"
"She treats everyone nicely.
What's your point?"
Lina felt her temper start
to heat up at Gourry's denseness, but she gritted her teeth and plowed
on. "Ok, how about how she's always calling you Gourry Dear?"
"So?"
Lina growled and grabbed
Gourry in a headlock, yelling, "You moron! Sylphiel has a crush on
you! I'm not quite sure if she's totally in love with you, but I
do know she's very attached to you."
"You're serious?" Gourry
asked, looking like he had just been hit over the head with a one ton mallet.
"Very. You honestly
never noticed?"
"No, never. I mean,
I knew she was nice, but I thought she was like that with everyone."
Lina sighed and released
the swordsman, saying, "Well, now you know otherwise."
Gourry opened his mouth
to reply, when a calm, cool voice cut across their camp site.
"Well, I see you two are
still traveling around together."
Gourry and Lina both turned
in the direction that the voice had come from, and grinned as Zelgadis
stepped out of the shadows and into the light cast by their fire.
"Zelgadis! Hello!
Long time no see!" Lina cried, getting up to hug the chimera.
"Hello Lina, Gourry.
Where are you two headed?" Zel asked, taking a seat next to the fire, and
gazing at his friends.
"We're on our way to Saillune.
What about you?" Lina answered.
"I was headed towards the
Mountain of Tears. I hear there's an old shrine somewhere that practices
an old form of magic."
"I see. You're thinking
that an older form of magic may hold the key to your cure?"
"Yeah. So, why are
you two headed to Saillune?"
"We're going to see Amelia.
Lina thinks she might throw a party for us with lots of food," Gourry answered
with a grin.
"Ahh, I see. I had
heard you two had become a couple," Zel teased lightly. He didn't
get the reaction that he had expected. Instead of getting angry with
him, Lina blushed.
"How did you hear that so
fast?" she asked.
"What?! You mean you
two really are a couple now?"
"You mean you were only
teasing?"
"Yeah. So, you're
really official now?" Zel grinned.
"Yep!" Gourry grinned back,
puffing up with pride. "I asked Lina to marry me a little over a
month ago."
"So that's the type of party
you're thinking Amelia will want to throw for you...an engagement party,"
Zel said.
"Yeah, as long as Gourry
doesn't go hiding rings in cakes again," Lina said with a playful shove
in Gourry's direction, causing the blond to blush.
"Oh? This sounds interesting,"
Zelgadis said. Truth was, he was desperate for anything that would
help to take his mind off Amelia. For some reason, he had been thinking
about her a lot, and he was starting
to worry about her. He had a feeling it had something to
do with her last letter. In it, she had told him she was making an
ambassador's trip to the kingdom of Diolon, to meet with its Prince.
Zel didn't like the sounds of that mission because he had heard rumors
that the Prince was involved with the Mazoku and, if that was the case,
than Amelia could be in very real danger.
"Hello, earth to Zel," Lina
said, waving her hand in front of his eyes, causing Zel to start with surprise.
"Huh? Oh, sorry,"
he said.
"I was asking you if you
wanted to hear about how Gourry proposed to me," Lina repeated.
Zel grinned, "Sure, I would
love to hear. From what you said about cakes and rings, it sounds
like it was one of your more interesting moments."
"That it was . . . ," Lina
trailed off.
---------------------------------------
Next episode: Lina tells a story, Amelia gets in trouble, and Zel has
some interesting dreams.