Yay! Second chapter! Shira's happy! Hope you like!
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Amelia watched Zelgadis as he walked away, and kept staring after him until the stewards grabbed her arms, and said, "Come on, Princess! You've got to get out of those horrid clothes before the ambassador from Derrin arrives."
As she allowed herself to be dragged away, Amelia couldn't help but think of when she would ever see Zelgadis again. And, also, if he would find his cure in that manuscript.
Back inside the palace, she was pushed, pulled, and prodded by every member of the staff, until she was dressed in 'proper attire' and standing on the dais across from the entrance to the Great Hall, awaiting the ambassador.
The ambassador walked in. He was a tall, regal man, with shoulder-length, blue-tinted hair. He wore a long white cape over a white robe with a red sash tied around his middle. When Amelia looked at him, she was somewhat reminded of Zelgadis.
"Greetings, Princess," the ambassador said, bowing, once he reached the dais where Amelia was waiting. "My name is Zeraldas, and I seek a conference with you."
Amelia bit her lip. Even his name sounded like Zelgadis's. She composed herself, shaking thoughts of Zelgadis from her mind --temporarily-- and said, "Welcome to Seyruun, Ambassador Zeraldas-san. Please follow me to the Council Chamber." She stepped off the dais, and, escorted by at least ten stewards, she and Zeraldas walked back across the Great Hall, and entered the Council Chamber.
Amelia sat down in her high-backed chair with the embroidered Seyruun crest on it, and said, "Please state your business."
Zeraldas nodded, and sat in the chair across from hers. He reached into his robe, and pulled out a scroll. He unrolled it, and read, "I, King Readis, of Derrin, propose an agreement between Derrin and Seyruun. In this agreement, you will supply us with..."
Amelia half-listened, nodding every so often to make Zeraldas think she was paying attention. Mostly, she day dreamed, her thoughts wandering to Zelgadis every few minutes or so.
"Princess?" Zeraldas asked. He had rolled up the scroll, and set it on the desk.
Amelia turned back to her work, and said, "Oh, yes... I'll have to look this over later, and give you my answer then." She stood up, giving the signal that the meeting was over.
Zeraldas bowed, and said, "I beg your leave, Princess."
Amelia nodded, and said, "You have my leave, Zelgadis-san." Then she blushed, and said, "I'm sorry, Zeraldas-san, I'm..."
"Not a problem," Zeraldas said, and he bowed again. "I take it I will remain at the palace until you have a reply for me to take back?"
"Yes," Amelia said. She turned to one of her many stewards, and said, "Can you ready a room for Zeraldas-san?"
The steward nodded, and said, "Yes, Princess." Then he hurried off to do as Amelia asked. Amelia decided to up and dismiss all of her stewards, because she needed some time to think.
"If I may be so bold as to ask, Princess?" Zeraldas asked.
Amelia nodded, and sat back down in her chair. "Go ahead. I'm not really one for formalities. And I'd prefer it if you'd call me Amelia instead of Princess," she said.
Zeraldas nodded, and sat down again. "Amelia, may I ask who this 'Zelgadis' you spoke of is?" he said.
"Zelgadis-san?" Amelia asked. She leaned back in her chair, and stared up at the ceiling. "He's one of my traveling companions, and one of my best friends. You just remind me a little of him," she said.
"So you and this Zelgadis are friends?" Zeraldas asked.
Amelia nodded. "Mm-hm... I've known him for a couple years now. He had to leave today to... find something," she said. She didn't really want to tell a stranger about Zelgadis being a chimera, but she couldn't bring herself to lie, either.
Zeraldas grinned, and nodded. "If I have your leave, Amelia?" he asked, standing up.
"Oh, sure," Amelia said. "Go ahead."
Bowing again, Zeraldas left the room. Once he left, he nodded to himself, and thought, 'I believe the two of them may be closer than friends, though the princess herself may not know it. Well, I'll have to change that...'
Amelia sighed, and put her hands behind her head. She was day dreaming again, when someone knocked on the door. "Come in," Amelia said, dropping her hands and placing them on the desk.
In walked another steward, and said, "Princess, you've got a conference scheduled in a half hour with the director of the Atlas City's Sorcerers' Guild."
"Right, right," Amelia said, nodding. The steward ran in, and pulled her up.
"We've got to get you ready, Princess," the steward said. Amelia let herself be dragged out of the room, and down the hall, where she was stuffed into another dress to get ready for another conference.
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AN: Hope you liked it! I love it! -Shira ^_^