The last chapter... you find out everything! That isn't already founded out... ^_^;;

=+=

^=^

+~+

When Zelgadis reached Seyruun, he was immediately surrounded by several of Amelia's stewards.

"Welcome back, Master Zelgadis," they all said. "The Princess has been anticipating your arrival. We believe she is in the gardens. Would you like us to escort you there?"

Zelgadis shook his head, and said, "I can go there on my own."

The stewards all nodded, and then seperated, and started working on idle duties.

Zelgadis walked up the wide stone steps where he and Amelia had said their good-byes just about two weeks ago, and started down the long hallways. He knew where the garden was. Amleia had shown it to him once, explaining how an accident she had resulted in the destruction of her favorite gazebo.

When he reached the gardens, he started looking around for Amelia. He found her. What he saw made him extremely depressed.

Amelia was kissing some other man with shoulder-length blue hair, and a white cape.

Zelgadis just stared for a second, until he noticed that Amelia was trying to get away from the man. She was shoving against him, trying to push away, but the man didn't let her go.

Zelgadis clenched his hand into a fist, and was filled with intense anger. He stalked forward into the garden, and over to Amelia and the stranger.

When Amelia saw Zelgadis again, her eyes widened, and she tried even harder to get away from the man's grip.

Before the man knew what was going on, Zelgadis had grabbed him by the shoulder, and turned him around. The man just stared for a second, before Zelgadis punched him in the face.

Amelia sighed with relief, and scrunched up in the corner of the bench, and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

Zelgadis stomped over to where the man was lying on the ground. "What the HELL do you think you were doing to my Amelia?" he demanded. He reached down and picked the man up by his collar, and roughly pulled him to his feet.

The man shoved away from Zelgadis, and said, "What makes the Princess 'yours'? You have said no vows, exchanged no rings, which makes neither of you belong to the other."

Zelgadis took a slow, controlled step closer, and said, "Who - are - you?"

Standing taller, the man replied suavely, "I am Zeraldas, the Ambassador for Derrin. Who, may I ask, are you?"

"Derrin, huh?" Zelgadis asked, ignoring Zeraldas's question for the moment. "You should tell your King to have more control over your vendors."

At Zeraldas's blank look, Zelgadis said, "One jewler gladly sold me an item for at least half of what it was worth, and gave me another item that must have cost three times the first."

Zeraldas was stunned, and obviously did not know of this. He composed himself, and asked again, "Who are you, sir?"

"My name is Zelgadis Greywords," Zelgadis said. He pulled back his hood, and pulled down his mask. "Please to meet you," he said mockingly.

Zeraldas pointed, and asked, "You're Zelgadis?"

Zelgadis nodded, a little confused that the other man knew his name.

"But-- but-- but--" Zeraldas started.

"Shut up," Zelgadis said. He punched Zeraldas again, knocking him down. Before Zerladas could get up, Zelgadis drew his sword, and pointed it at the ambassador's neck. "I get it. You came here on a business venture, and fell for my Amelia. You heard her talk about me, but figured that since I was away, you would take advantage of that, and go after her. Didn't you?"

Amelia stood up, and got in a place where she could better see what was going on. "Zelgadis-san..." she said quietly. She was blushing a little bit.

"Answer me!" Zelgadis said, inching the sword closer to Zeraldas's neck.

Zeraldas grinned, and said, "You're wrong. I was sent here on a business venture, yes, but the object of my business was the Princess Amelia. You see, I am also the Prince of Derrin. I was sent by my father, the King, to win the Princess's heart, marry her, and then become king of both Seyruun and Derrin."

Amelia gasped when she heard this, and glared down at Zeraldas. She ran over to stand next to Zelgadis, and pointed down. "You are en evil villian with evil ambitions! You toyed with my heart for your own advantages! By any other name, that is pure evil!"

Zelgadis looked over at Amelia, and said, "What should we do with him?"

"Well," Amelia said. She stared down at Zeraldas's pleading face. "I say we lock him in the dungeons for the rest of his life."

Zeraldas's face showed pure fear at that prospect.

"Sounds like a good deal to me," Zelgadis said.

"Wait! I can't go in a dungeon! I'm a Prince!" Zeraldas shouted from his position on the ground.

Zelgadis sighed, and shouted, "Burst Rondo!" Zeraldas ended up charred, but he was still very much alive. "Listen, Prince Zeraldas. Anyone who can be accused of a crime and found guilty is worthy of being sent to the dungeons, royalty or not."

"Exactly!" Amelia said. "Don't think that you can get away with being evil just because you're a Prince." Amelia snapped her fingers, and about six stewards appeared out of nowhere. "Take this man to the dungeons. He has been accused and found guilty of assaulting the Princess," she said officially.

The stewards nodded, and together, they managed to get Zeraldas out of the gardens, and started wrestling down the hall to get him to the dungeons.

Zelgadis sheathed his sword, and Amelia shouted, "Zelgadis-san! I'm glad you're back!" She ran over and hugged him around the middle.

This time, there was no hesitation in Zelgadis's return hug.

Amelia stepped back, and said, "You said you were off to find your cure?"

Zelgadis mentally cursed. He knew that Amelia would be upset that he didn't find a way to return himself to normal. "Well," he started. "The process has to take place on the May full moon, and it had already passed by the time I read about it..."

"Good!" Amelia said, smiling. "I think you're much cooler the way you are now!"

Zelgadis was momentarily stunned. All this time he had thought Amelia wanted him to find his cure. He got over his shock, and said, "Oh. In Derrin, I got this for free, and I figured I could give it to you..." He reached into his hip-bag, and held out the gold diamond-set ring.

Amelia's eyes twinkled, and she said, "Wow! Thank you, Zelgadis-san!" She took the ring, and slipped it on her finger. Amelia suddenly looked stern, and, her hands on her hips, said, "Don't you ever leave again, Zelgadis-san! You never know what might happen!"

Zel smiled, and nodded. "I promise," he said, and he honestly meant that. For the time being.

+~+

^=^

=+=

AN: Like it? Do ya? Do ya do ya do ya? I LOVE Zel/Amelia ficcies! *sigh* they make the perfect couple! And you obviously agree with me, or else you wouldn't have read this! ^_^

-Shira