PART THREE: MELISSA'S APOLOGY

"If I recall correctly, Louie did everything in his power to obtain a new wand…"
"And didn't Louie fight your ex-fiancée Conrad in a duel, even though you volunteered him for it, and he did not want to fight…"
Melissa slid deeper into the warm water of her tub. She scooped up water into her hands and poured it over her wavy blonde hair, the water trailing down her face, coming to rest on her frowning lips.
She thought about everything Jenny had said and found truth in it, which she had expected with some annoyance and frustration.
"Sure Louie is a good fighter," she thought aloud. "And when he can control himself, he's even a good magician. But being a valiant champion means more than that! It takes wisdom, perseverance, determination, patience, and humility. Why can't Miss Jenny see that Louie doesn't have…"
She sighed to herself and shook her head.
"Or maybe he does… I mean, he certainly needs work in the wisdom, humility, and patience areas, but…"
Then, Miss Jenny's earlier advice when she had started having troubles with Louie found their way back in her head.
"…sleep with him…"
Melissa groaned and she blushed as she thought this.
"So against my will…" she murmured.

Louie paced his room silently. Iya watched him with an amused expression as she ran her fingers along the patterns of the covers on his bed.
"Louie, why don't you give it a rest? All this thinking can do damage to a person with your mental capacity… Melissa will cool down eventually."
"You think so?"
"Uh, of course!"
Louie stood still and ran a hand through his hair.
"Yeah, I guess so."
Iya glanced down at Louie's bed and got a sly smile on her face.
"Say, Louie..." she started.
There was a knock at the door. Louie went to answer it and Iya sighed.
"Melissa!"
Melissa waved a little.
"Hello, Louie. Hello, Iya."
Louie stepped aside and let her come in.
"What's up, Melissa?"
Melissa looked at Iya.
"Iya, would you mind if I talked to Louie in private?"
"No, not at all," she said, standing.
She patted Louie on the shoulder.
"See you later, Louie."
Louie closed the door behind Iya and turned back to Melissa. She fumbled with the folds of her dress absentmindedly.
"Louie…I wanted to talk to you about what I said yesterday…"
"Yeah," Louie nodded. "I got the feeling I made you pretty mad."
"Yes… Well, the thing is, Louie, I…I want to apologize."
Louie blinked in surprise.
"Apologize?"
"Louie, I wasn't really thinking properly when I said all that. It was all against my will. I suppose I do believe…"
She smiled at him with a soft expression and shining eyes.
"You are my champion, Louie. I have no doubts."
Louie returned the smile and nodded, but didn't say anything. Melissa swallowed and averted her eyes.
"Oh, and…there is one more thing…"
"What's that?"
"Well…Louie…I think…" she stammered quietly, beginning to blush a light pink.
Louie reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder, making her blush deepen.
"Just let it out, Melissa."
Melissa met his eyes somewhat reluctantly.
"Louie…in order for me to truly serve you and have you as my champion…I think that…in order to put my full trust in you…we should…"
She paused and took a deep breath.
"Louie?"
Louie sweatdropped.
"Yes?"
"Louie, I think we should sleep together!" she blurted.
Louie stared at the flushing priestess for a few seconds. She bit her lip and hoped she didn't look and sound as embarrassed as she felt. She held her breath as he opened his mouth to speak.
"I'll bet you say that to all your valiant champions."
"Louie!"
He smiled weakly.
"Kidding, kidding!"
She sighed and looked away.
"Why do I even bother?"
Louie turned her face back so he could look at her.
"Listen, Melissa. Do you really think that?"
"Yes. Even though it is against my will."
"It is?"
Melissa stared into his eyes and really thought about it.
"Well…maybe there isn't," she whispered just before he pressed his lips to hers.
She felt her heart flutter as he did this, but she still had more to say.
"After all, Miss Jenny, did say I should," she muttered against his lips.
Louie pulled away abruptly.
"What? Auntie Jenny told you to sleep with me?"
"Well, she more or less suggested it."
Louie rubbed the back of his head.
"Well, I don't know what to think about that…"
Melissa grabbed his arms.
"Look, let's just…do this, okay?"
Louie shrugged.
"Okay, Melissa."
She barely had time to blink before Louie's lips were on hers again. This time, she opened her mouth, kissing him back. She placed her hands on his well-built chest as his hands rested on her slender waist. Melissa's mind was yelling at her at how against her will this must be, but she simply turned her mind off as Louie began leading her to the bed.

The next morning, Melissa awoke with her head resting on Louie's chest. She brushed away her hair from her face and sat up, momentarily forgetting she was naked. The cold chill that slipped in from Louie's window quickly reminded her though, and she slipped back under the covers.
"I can't believe it," she said as she shivered. "How could I have… What came over me?"
She felt herself moving closer to the warmth of Louie's body as his arms held her to him.
"Against my will," she muttered.
But she smiled, feeling Louie nuzzle his face into her hair and she knew that it wasn't at all against her will.

Merrill and Genie sat beside each other at their usual table at the tavern.
"I wonder where Melissa is," Merrill remarked.
"Well, wonder no longer," Genie said.
Merrill looked up and blinked as Melissa and Louie approached the table together.
"Hello, girls!" Melissa chimed happily.
"Hey!" Louie greeted.
Genie nodded to them and Merrill waved. The two sat down across from them.
"I take it you two have worked things out?" Merrill asked.
Melissa nodded.
"Yes. When I had time to think things over, I realized that Louie really is my champion, even if he messes up sometimes."
Genie nodded.
"To err is human."
"Exactly," Melissa agreed.
Merrill smiled for a second then looked at Louie.
"Louie, you better be thankful you have a priestess as forgiving as Melissa to serve you!"
Louie smiled at Melissa.
"Oh believe me, Merrill, I am."
Melissa smiled back and slipped her hand into his under the table. Merrill and Genie raised their eyebrows as the two gazed at each other. Merrill leaned towards Genie and whispered to her.
"Is it just me or did I totally miss something?"
Genie looked at the light shining in their eyes.
"Oh, I believe we've definitely missed something, Merrill," she whispered back. "I don't know what, but we have missed something."
And at the table beside them, Jenny chuckled and raised her coffee to her secretly smiling lips.

End!