Title: Refuse to Dance
Author: Yugure
Rated: PG-13 for language
Disclaimer: If you think Slayers et al belongs to me... you need professional help...
Author's Notes: Um. Yeah. Zelgadis is very weird. oO;; Please excuse his OOC-ness. He's off his medication today.
Part 4
"Miss Lina, is it true?"
Lina only had to take one look at Amelia's sad face and know Xelloss had spoken with the princess.
Lina was in the library, listlessly picking up and discarding books, trying to put her mind to actually do something, but nothing held her interest for long. She was just tossing aside another novel when Amelia entered the room from the main doorway, her ballgown softly swishing against the marble floor. Tears brimmed in her eyes.
"Amelia, I'm so sorry, I know- "
"I didn't want it to be true, I couldn't believe-"
"- and I never expected it, either, and trust me, I'm appalled by it-"
"- he's a Mazoku, you can never trust them, so I just have to ask you-"
"- I'm sorry you had to find out about Zelgadis-"
"- Is it true you're accusing Zelgadis of marrying me for money?"
"What?!"
"What?"
There was a long silence in which the two women stared at each other. Amelia got her act together first.
"Xelloss said you were accusing my fiancée of marrying me for money and power and that he really loves you, not me. He said you even told Sylphiel, and I went to talk to her, and she wasn't happy to do it but she told me about your conversation with her-"
"Amelia, no, you've got it all wrong!" Lina fumed. Black hatred filled her mind for the loathsome beast she called Xelloss. He had obviously screwed Lina over instead of helping her. The next time she saw that rotten Mazoku she was going to rip his head off and dance in his blood...
"But Lina, even Sylphiel said so. Tell me, why are you saying these hateful things? I thought we were best friends!"
"No, Amelia... Please, listen to me..." Lina placed her hand on Amelia's arm. Amelia sniffled.
"Lina... I l-love Zel-elgadis w-with all my h-heart... Our wedding was g-going to b-be the ha-happiest d-day of my life..." Amelia stuttered, her chest heaving, the tears falling free.
"I know. I know, and I'm so sorry to have to do this to you. But... I have to tell you the truth. You deserve the truth. I'm sorry I didn't come to you right away."
Lina told the story, again, with as much detail as she could remember. She told her exactly what she told Xelloss, and included her conversation with the Mazoku. She did the best she could to be gentle about it, but Lina was extremely awkward at being gentle.
When it was finished Amelia sat down in one of the library's chairs. Her face was deadened and withdrawn.
"I can't believe it," she whispered. Lina awkwardly shifted on her feet.
"I couldn't either, but... well... I won't lie to you, Amelia. That's how it happened."
Amelia said nothing. She reached for a bell rope that connected to the service hall and summoned a maid.
"Please bring Master Zelgadis here," Amelia told the main when she arrived. The girl curtsied and left. Lina froze.
"What are you doing?" she asked. Amelia smiled woodenly at her.
"I can't just take your word for it, Lina, I need to hear it from Zelgadis too..."
They didn't have to wait long. Zelgadis appeared shortly, looking slightly bedraggled but in extremely good humor. His face was beaded with sweat and his soft hair was pulled back in a short ponytail. His body was bedecked with a royal blue shirt and matching loose pants. He bowed low to the women.
"And to what do I owe the honor of your summons, ladies?" he said, his voice low and silky smooth. He stood straight and smiled. "You do realize you took me straight out of fencing practice and I lost a good deal of money on a bet with William..."
At the reserved silence Zelgadis's smile wilted.
"Zelgadis..." Amelia began. "I want you to tell me the truth, and I promise I won't get upset no matter what your answer is, but I need to know, and I need to know the absolute truth." Zelgadis's eyes flitted to Lina, and the sorceress could've sworn she saw fear in his eyes.
"Anything, Amelia," he murmured, taking Amelia's hands into his own.
"Do you love Lina more than me?"
"..."
"Just tell me the truth, Zelgadis, please. I need the truth!"
"... of course I don't, my darling..." Zelgadis swept the trembling girl into his arms and hugged her fiercely. He glared at Lina over Amelia's head. "How could you ever think that?!"
"It's j-just that... L-lina wa-was saying... s-she...y-you..." Amelia blubbered.
"Shh, shh, it's okay..."
Lina stormed out of the room, more furious than she had ever been in her life.
Lina was furiously shoving all her belongings into her packs when there was a heavy knock on her door.
"Go away, Gourry, I don't want to talk about it!"
"This is not Gourry."
Lina's heart skipped several beats and she nearly fell over as she halted in mid-stride.
"Go away. I don't want to talk to you either."
"Lina, if you don't open this door for me, I will open it for myself, and I have every right to do so as this is, or shortly will be, by extension, my house."
"Then do it! Exercise your ill-gotten power! Enter, Prince Zelgadis!" The sarcasm dripped from Lina's voice, acid enough to eat metal. She stood next to the bed where she had lain out her stuff and crossed her arms. She stared at the door as it opened, and Zelgadis entered the room. He closed the door quietly but forcefully behind him.
"So I take it you talked to Amelia," he said, walking along the edge of the spacious room, quite out of Lina's reach.
"Yeah, well, it's a little more complicated than that. How's she doing, by the way? Your fiancée, who you should probably be comforting and helping right now instead of stalking me?" Lina shifted her weight to keep her face to Zelgadis.
"Don't talk that way to me-"
"I can talk however the hell I want! You've totally lost all respect in my eyes. You're beyond reprehensible."
"And aren't you, for doing what you did to Amelia?"
"Okay, first off, that wasn't my doing. Xelloss blabbed everything to her. And secondly don't even THINK that that is any worse than what you're doing to her!"
Puzzlement followed by anger followed by indifference crossed Zelgadis's face.
"How our private conversation got to Xelloss is really not one of my main concerns right now."
"Look, what do you want from me?! And damn it, Zelgadis, stop pacing like that!"
Zelgadis stopped directly across the room from Lina, who had her back to the bed. Silence befell the room. Lina breathed heavily, fighting to gain enough composure to finish the argument. She just wanted to pack her stuff and leave, to get as far the hell away from here as she could.
"Honestly, Lina, I'm not sure of what I want anymore." Zelgadis gazed at the sorceress, a sad smile on his lips. "I don't know if I really want all this power and money and Amelia. I don't know yet if I really want to give it all up."
"But what do you want from ME, Zelgadis? Why did you have to bring me into all this? Do you realize that you have destroyed whatever friendship was left between Amelia and I? And Sylphiel, for that matter?"
"Lina... the only thing I am sure of right now, what I want from you... is simply you."
Lina's temper exploded.
"What the hell did you expect me to do, Zelgadis?! What the hell kind of life do you want me to live?! You want me to live in a dumpy apartment on the other side of the city, be a kept woman, be a mistress, be a companion for you to screw around with on weekends when you can get away from your duties, from your wife?! You can't have everything, Zelgadis!! YOU CAN'T HAVE EVERYTHING!"
In the next moment Zelgadis was at her side, his arms grasping hers, his face lowered to hers.
"Then I don't want everything. I just want you," he whispered.
His lips found hers, kissed her gently, and then with more urgency. Lina's reaction was muddled, as her brain froze up and her body responded to being touched. Something released within her, flooding her body with warmth. Part of her screamed that she was doing something wrong, but part of her was exhilarated beyond comprehension. She didn't want to let go. She didn't want him to stop.
She still, inexplicably, loved him, wanted him, craved him.
But...
... it was all wrong...