Thanks to the people who are reviewing, I really appreciate it. A note, though: please don't review parts of the story that haven't happened yet, because not everyone has read it or knows what happens. Thanks. :) I'll try to respond to people here as much as I can.
Klutz82 - Hi honey! WILL HE? I dunno. It's a mystery. ;)pCookie - Thank you! Considering it took, like, four chapters for my last story to attract anyone, that really means a lot. I hope you'll stay for the ride...
Xoni Newcomer - Greatly appreciated. Um...maybe he'll smack her with a bat? He's a sneaky one...
Kiadi - If you did, kudos to you for finding it. Even I couldn't find it, and I wrote the goddamn thing. However, if you want my own reasoning about the rest of the story and what happens to Zel, please feel free to e-mail me. I'm glad that you're willing to read it again in lieu of your annoyance, and certainly, it makes me glad to know you think so highly of my writing. I don't actually do Slayers fics anymore; this took almost a year and took everything out of me, so it was the last one. The little short ones I did before are posted at The Den, run by Pairaka (and it won't let me post the address here...) if you're interested. :)
Reader - I adore Amelia. I'm glad you like it! And..uh...oops? Technical difficulties with the naming... also you were supposed to think it was Lina. And I wrote this four years ago, so it's a little... yeah. Hope you continue to enjoy!
And yeah. It's long, so bring a pillow. Here we go.
-------
Part II- Broken Dances
"Too much is how I love you, but too well is how I know you..."
-"Hour Follows Hour," Ani DiFranco
-------
To say Zelgadis Graywords was not fond of parties would have been an understatement. No, the chimeric shamanist and swordsman downright hated parties, and made a point of having as little fun as possible. He was doing a very good job of that at the moment, slumping in a chair off to the side of Seyruun's brightly lit ballroom.
Sure, the sight before him was festive and cheery, and the music was quite lovely, but he wasn't going to allow anything to change his mood. He didn't want to be here, and that was that.
He glanced over as Gourry, sitting to his left, raised his glass and emptied it in one swallow, then returned to staring forlornly out at the floor. Zelgadis had noticed a different air about his friend tonight; the swordsman seemed tense, as if in expectation of something. Of course, that was probably just because Lina was somewhere out there, while her guardian was sitting alone. The two had stepped out on the floor together, but Gourry had returned moments later without the small sorceress. Since then, he'd done nothing but watch the dancers, waiting for her to pass.
And on his right...well, he certainly doubted that a certain purple-haired Mazoku had been on the guest list. But there he was, Xellos Metallium, staring at him in all his bastardly glory, leaning so far back in his chair it was difficult for Zel to resist just standing up and pushing him down.
In an attempt to control his murderous impulses, he slumped down a little further, cursing his poor timing. He'd met up with Lina and Gourry while pursuing another possible lead to his cure, and had let them talk him into visiting Seyruun with them for a few days.
"Come on, Amelia will be so happy to see you!"Lina had said brightly, grinning at the chimera with something that hinted at a deeper meaning. He'd shrugged it off as he'd shrugged off everything like that. Yes, he was more than aware of the princess's little crush on him, and her bracelet hanging over the mouthpiece of his water bottle was probably very obvious. But he was going to be damned before he let anyone, even Lina Inverse, try to talk him into courting Amelia. Royalty was a bitch to get involved with. Aside from having to deal with complicated affairs of state on a daily basis, being a consort of the princess also meant that he would be up for judging by everyone who had the ability to speak. And he was positive that someone like him would never survive the inspection of the imperial council. Not that he was interested in becoming a paramour of the princess anyway. He wasn't. Nope. Not at all. Still, he'd begrudgingly let himself be dragged toward the White Magic Capital.
They'd detected changes as soon as they'd entered the city. Of course, it was the same gorgeous haven it had always been, complete with the marvelous ice cream, but there seemed to be rumors in the street of the princess and an important decision she was making. Lina hadn't cared enough to stop and inquire (assuming that Amelia herself could tell them about whatever it was), so they'd left it alone. The thing that had changed the most, however, was the way in which Amelia had greeted them. She'd practically strangled Lina and Gourry with excited embraces, but as she noticed Zel, all her enthusiasm had disappeared. Her smile was suddenly forced and instead of...well...doing anything that was typical of the princess, she'd extended a hand to him, shaken it loosely, then immediately darted off to tend to some official business, calling orders to the servants to give them all rooms.
He'd made a point of ignoring the puzzled looks from Lina and Gourry, and followed the servingman to his room.
The next few days he had kept to himself for the most part, scanning the palace library for any leads to his cure, and he didn't see the princess very much. Admittedly, he was a little surprised she hadn't "wandered" in, or even stopped by to say hello. In fact, her voice seemed strained when they spoke, although there was no difference in the way she acted towards his other two companions. But it didn't bother him in the least. It was a relief that she wasn't going to be so intrusive into his work. Yes.
Three days into their stay, they'd found themselves being forced into fancy clothes, preparation for some grand celebration. None of them had any idea what it was for, but the dress was certainly formal. Zel had been presented with a handsome jet-colored overcoat, beige waistcoat, and black cravat, and although he acted very unhappy about the whole get-up, he actually took a moment to admire himself once the servant who'd helped him was gone. Of course, it wasn't getting much show right now. He hadn't moved from his chair since the dinner had finished and the dancers begun.
An arm made its way across his field of vision, and he recognized it as belonging to Xellos- the Mazoku was reaching for the wine bottle. Zel eyed him with extreme distaste, his mere presence a blasphemy in the good city.
"Is that anyway to treat an old friend?"Xellos pursued his lips in a mock pout. "Really Zelgadis-san, one might think that you don't appreciate my stopping by."
"I still don't know what the hell you're doing here."he said, his voice tinged with rapidly growing inpatience - and he wanted to make that very obvious.
"Would you believe Amelia-san invited me, Zelgadis-san?"Xellos flashed his infuriating smile and held up his wine glass in a little toast.
"She's got more sense than that..."Zel growled, finding it very hard to keep from lashing out at the annoyance.
"Yes, she's a very smart little girl. Smart enough to know you wouldn't dance with her." The Mazoku's eyebrows lowered, giving his grin a darker edge. "I mean, she's practically ignored you all evening, hasn't she?"
Zel felt his heart clench for an instant, and he was momentarily taken aback by the comment, but he sure as hell wasn't going to let it show. Instead, he fixed Xellos with a glare that might have killed a lesser man.
"Now, now Zelgadis-san."the priest waved a finger at him. "Calm down or you'll ruin the party."
"Stay out of my business, fruitcake."
"Ne, Zel,"Gourry inquired suddenly; the chimera hadn't been aware he was listening. "Why haven't you asked her to dance?"
Although it was his friend talking, and not the Mazoku, Zel didn't change his harsh tone.
"I don't dance, okay?"
Gourry looked a bit surprised, and held up a hand with a gesture of apology as Xellos sipped his wine delicately.
"Not that it matters. She's having a lovely time without him. Why just look how close she is to the gentleman she's dancing with..."
"I'm not looking."Zel said, folding his arms across his chest and closed his eyes. Xellos wasn't going to win this.
"And, oh my, it looks like he's got his hands on her b-"
The stone shamanist didn't let him finish. His eyes flew open and he stared straight ahead at the princess, smiling at some young man who had his hands squarely on her behind as they passed by.
"What the?! Why that..."
Something surged within him and he stood up quickly, stalking out onto the floor, his whole mind focused on the pair. Behind him, he heard Xellos begin to strike up a conversation with Gourry, but that wasn't important. What mattered to him now, more than getting rid of the pesky little fruitcake, was getting an insolent pair of hands off a princess.
---
Amelia laughed as Prince Revion, a handsome honey-blonde youth and friend from her childhood, swung her around in a perfect circle. This party had done wonders for her mood; there was nothing like a pretty dress and lively music to lighten a girl's spirit. Glancing bright red hair out of the corner of her eye, she had to smile. It was so nice to see Lina enjoying herself, although the princess was a little puzzled as to what her friend was doing dancing with someone other than Gourry.
Oh well, she said to herself, and let the thought slip away.
"You've become an excellent dancer, Princess."Revion smiled at her and pulled her a bit closer.
Amelia blushed, and her eyes widened as she felt his hand slide from her waist to rest on her behind.
"Revion-san..." She quickly made sure no one was looking.
"Yes, Princess?"he asked, winking at her.
"I've never seen this side of you!"she giggled as they turned again. "What should I tell your mother?"
"Tell her the wine was a little too strong if you want. Or tell her that I was captivated by your beauty. Either one will do."
The princess gave a full blown laugh that was cut off abruptly by the sudden appearance of a familiar blue face over Revion's shoulder.
"Excuse me...But do you really think you should be handling the princess like that?"
The words were a hiss, and Revion nearly jumped out of his skin before turning to see a very angry Zelgadis standing behind him.
"Huh?"he sputtered.
"Your hands."Zel gestured to them. "Remove them."
Revion looked to his hands and so did Amelia, whose blushed deepened, before they both stared at the chimera.
"Zelgadis-san..."
"I said let go!"
Revion did quickly, and took a small step away from Amelia. He shot her a confused glance, obviously wondering what Zel was so angry about. The princess herself could only shrug; she had no idea. Revion look back at the chimera, and decided to start acting like the royalty he was. He straightened, and held his head a bit higher.
"There. I let go. Are you happy?"
"No. What audacity do you have to even put your hands on her in the first place?"
"Zelgadis-san, please..."Amelia looked around worriedly to see if anyone had noticed them. No, people were still dancing around them as if nothing was going on. She sighed with relief, then stiffened as Revion took on a very courtly tone.
"And what rights do you have to her, commoner? What are you even doing here?"
"I don't need to answer you."Zel snarled. "Just stay away from her."
"Oh, you don't need to answer me?"Reivon folded his arms across his chest. "May I remind you which one of us is less likely to be forcefully removed from here for causing a disturbance?"
"I don't care. I said stay away from her and I meant it."
"I didn't see you dancing with her."
"Revion-san, Zelgadis san, this is silly. Zelgadis-san is just a friend, he-"
"No, Princess, I don't think you should interfere. Come on. If you care so much about who has his hands on her, why aren't you the one holding her?"
"I..."Zel was taken aback. "I'm just looking out for her, alright? I'm not a dancer."
"I'll say..."Amelia sighed, shaking her head.
"What?"the two men chorused.
"Eheh! Nothing!"she flushed, then turned away as they began to bicker more loudly. What on earth was Zelgadis doing? Arguing with Revion over her? She had to be dreaming. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, then opened them once more. The two of them were still there, and they were starting to get into one another's faces. Amelia cringed; of course something like this would have to happen to ruin her lovely evening.
Letting her eyes casually drift across Zel's form, she felt her heart speed up, not only with attraction, but also due to a feeling that was growing increasingly common when she thought of him-anger. What right did he have to barge in on her dance like this when he had no say over who touched her? It wasn't like he'd asked her to dance or anything of the sort. No, he'd sat in his chair all evening, sulking. And she herself had known better than to ask him to dance.
So what on earth was this? They'd barely spoken since his arrival, and now he would just step into her dance, start a quarrel with her friend? She was going to put a stop to this.
"Amelia-san! Let's dance!"
In an instant, Amelia found herself being swept across the dance floor. It took her a moment to get steadily on her feet once more, and then she looked at her new dancing partner.
"Xellos-san! What are you- "
"It's a party, isn't it?"he smiled at her. "And people dance at parties. So I thought I'd dance with you."
The sorceress tried to find words to protest, but to her surprise, none came. It was definitely strange to not resist him, especially knowing how badly he'd treated them before the battle with Dark Star. But she was in his arms, and every step carried them further from Revion and Zel's argument, which was getting increasingly louder. She scowled, then gave her the Mazoku her most sickeningly sweet grin.
"Isn't dancing like this bad for your health, Xellos-san?"
"Admittedly, it's not the most pleasant feeling in the world, but you looked so gorgeous tonight, I couldn't resist."
She knew it was just flattery, but she let her smile become more genuine, and felt her cheeks warm. Sure, she'd gotten a "You look great!" from Lina, and a kind "Very pretty, Amelia." from Gourry, but somehow having someone besides her friends notice her -even on a superficial level- was a very nice feeling. She had good reason, too. Her dress had been made especially for this occasion. It was white silk, and she loved the way it flowed in graceful waves from her hips, making her look taller than she really was. Circles of silk fell around her upper arms, leaving her shoulders bare, and in a rare moment of daring, she'd pulled up her hair into a bun. Her tiara was perched perfectly on her dark hair, and she wore a matching set of diamond earrings and necklace.
"Do you really think so?" she asked tentatively.
"Of course I do!"he laughed. "And your ensemble is all the prettier with this lovely ring!"
"What?"she blinked, momentarily thrown.
"This ring of yours."Xellos gestured to the hand he held. "It's quite a large stone. Is it from one of your suitors, Princess?"
"...Yes..."she said quietly, the delight she'd felt a moment before gone.
"Ah! So the heir is finally going to get married then! How wonderful!"he spun her around and they ended up with his arms wrapped around her and her back against his chest. When he spoke again, his voice was very close to her ear."What does Zelgadis-san have to say about it?"
"Nothing."Amelia felt her chest tighten. "He doesn't know."
The Mazoku swung her out again and they resumed normal position.
"Well, you're going to tell him, aren't you?"
"I don't think he even cares."
Xellos opened his eyes a little at the edge in her voice. He'd sensed a great deal of dark feelings in the little princess this evening, and they tasted delightful.
"He's quite dense sometimes, isn't he?"Xellos grinned a little. "He even let you go off and dance with that young man who was fondling you."
Amelia blushed.
"You saw that?"
"I came to rescue you from that. Your purple-haired knight in shining armor."he winked at her. "Now no more talking, Amelia-san. Let's just enjoy our dance."
This was getting very strange. Here she was, the crown princess, dancing with a Mazoku while Zelgadis Graywords himself argued over the rights to her behind with one of her oldest friends. What was going on in the world? Shaking her head, she tried to blot out everything except her knowledge of the dance steps.
---
"Look, it was just a dance alright! "Revion was really starting to get frazzled. This man simply would not give up. "I didn't mean a thing by it! Amelia is a good friend! It was a joke! Besides, even if I was interested, she's already wearing that ring. She's taken!"
Zel paused. "Ring? What ring?"
"The huge diamond on her right hand! The engagement ring!"the prince slowed when he saw Zel's surprise. "You mean you didn't know about it? She's engaged now. I thought maybe from the way you were fighting that you were the one who gave it to her."
"She's wearing an engagement ring?"Zel knew he was being redundant, and felt stupid for it, but the words just didn't seem to want to process. "You're kidding."
"Go look for yourself."Revion smoothed his hair. "She's over there."
The chimera turned in the direction the prince pointed and thought his eyes would fall from his head. Amelia was dancing with Xellos! Why that Mazoku bastard! What right did he have to touch her?! First he intruded on a royal gathering and now he was putting his filthy paws all over Amelia! Suppressing a growl, Zel stormed over to them, and stuck his arm between them.
"May I cut in." It was a demand, not a question.
"Are you done arguing with that young gentleman, Zelgadis-san?"Xellos said innocently. "And are you going to take another dancing partner away from our dear princess?"
"I said-"
Xellos was suddenly profoundly aware of a presence in the room that hadn't been in there a second before. He held up his hand to stop him Zel, his now-open lavender eyes scanning his surroundings and the party goers. His eyes halted in one spot, and for a second, they seemed to get wider. Then, turning, he kissed Amelia's hand and smiled at her once more.
"Well, it seems I suddenly have some very important business to attend to. Thank you for the lovely dance, Princess."
With that, he faded out. Zelgadis glared at the spot where he'd been, then looked to Amelia. She looked back. Neither of them could speak.
Oh, it wasn't that there weren't words in Amelia's head. It was just that they were words so mean she'd never wanted to say anything like them to anyone. And that they were directed at him- a good friend, someone she'd faced hell with...The person who'd abandoned her here to fate. She loved him, of course she did. She always would. But she knew him a little too well.
As for Zel, there were too many questions in his head that all demanded attention at the same time. She was engaged? How could she be engaged and not tell them! Was that why she'd been so cold to him? Why was she looking at him like that? And should he ask her to dance?
Finally, she dropped her eyes to the floor, shifted her feet a little, then flashed him a quick, false smile, and started to walk away. Zel recalled bitterly what Xellos had said before; Amelia knew he wouldn't dance with her, so she wasn't going to bother asking. The chimera decided firmly that he was going to change that.
"Would you like to dance, Amelia?"
She froze and turned slowly.
"What?"
Swallowing back his nerves, he held out his hand.
"Would you like to dance?"
For a moment, Amelia nearly leapt into his arms. She'd been waiting for this for so long. But as she reached out her hand to him, the diamond glimmered in the light, reminding her. She closed her eyes and bit back a wave of new pain as she felt his arm encircle her waist.
Zel felt his mouth drop open a little as her took her hand. It was true. She honestly was engaged. And she hadn't even told them! Now there were even more questions. He sorted them out as they began to dance, and finally decided on one.
"How long were you going to wait before you told us about your engagement?"he inquired, trying to keep annoyance out of his voice. That she wouldn't even tell her close friends...it wasn't like her.
Amelia opened her large blue eyes slowly. All the cheer that was normally inside them was gone. All the laughter, the joy...everything that had defined the eyes he knew so well wasn't there. They were angry now. Angry as he'd never seen them.
"I don't know. I kind of thought you would have noticed sooner."
"We've barely spoken since I arrived. How could I know?"
"I thought Lina-san or Gourry-san might have seen it and that they would tell you."she shrugged a little as they turned.
"You expected Lina and Gourry to notice something like that?"he smirked.
She glared at him, and he was greatly taken aback. Amelia had never looked at any of her friends so coldly. He tried to shake away a strange feeling of discomfort.
"What's his name?"he had to move his eyes; for some reason, it was too hard to see her as she answered.
"Arret Vahn Tiolas."her voice trembled a little.
"Is he nice?"
"I don't know. I've never met him."
Zel's eyes got a little larger.
"You've never met him...but you're going to marry him?"
"That's what it's like being a princess and heir apparent."she made the "t" sound very sharp, punctuating it with a small movement of her head. "I've been having suitors shoved down my throat for months. I've hardly met any of them, but I had to pick one."
"Oh." He'd meant to say more, but somehow there weren't any words left in his mouth.
"Oh? Is that all you have to say? Oh?" Now she was really angry. It rose in her like a black flood, and although she wanted to push it back down, it wouldn't obey. "Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to do this? To come to my room every night and have to sort through letter after letter after letter from people who didn't know me and whom I didn't want to know? And do you know how hard it was for me to read these letters and love someone who was so far away from me, someone I wanted to come and hold me, and comfort me, and tell me I didn't have to choose?!" Anger and indignation made their way up to her eyes, forcing them to fill and then spill hot streams of water down her cheeks. "It was the most painful thing I've ever had to go through. More than being wounded by Saygram, more than being crushed by Dark Star, more than dying! Can you possibly understand that?" She brought them to a halt mid-turn. "It's no secret that I've had feelings for you since we fought Zanaffar. I know Lina-san knows, and Gourry-san, and of course you know. I think I made it awfully obvious. And maybe I set myself up to be disappointed. Because everyone knows Zelgadis-san has his curse to worry about." She stepped away and out of his arms, wiping at her eyes fiercely, but it did no good- the tears came even faster. "Nobody even cares about that curse except for you! And you never see that!" she swallowed hard. "You never see me."
A few of the couples had stopped around them, worried that their princess was crying. She looked at them all, then faked a smile, and motioned for everyone to keep going. They resumed, but did so only after casting a few more glances in her direction. She ignored them and lowered her voice as she turned back to Zel.
"I guess I always thought maybe one day...you'd...feel the same way. I gave you my bracelet so you would think about me when you traveled, but I guess it was only enough to make you write me one letter. And I never knew when I'd see you again, or when I'd get a chance to talk to you... And all this whole time, the imperial council and my own father are throwing boys at me and none of them are you!"she closed her eyes and hugged herself, tilting her head and brushing her wet cheeks on her shoulder. "Because you don't want me. I hoped and I hoped and I prayed and I wished on every star every night. And you don't love me." The tears abruptly slowed, and she let her arms drop. Amelia took a deep breath and look straight at him forcing her words directly into his mind. "So I decided to let go of you. You're free to jump for joy if you like. You always brushed off my affection like it was the most irritating thing in the world, but you don't have to deal with it anymore! Every god knows that I love you, and I can't ever really let you go, but I am engaged. This is my ring, and I am marrying Arret Vahn Tiolas whether I want to or not, or if he wants to or not, or what. So there you are, Zelgadis-san."
Her monologue finished, Zel could only stand there, mouth slightly open once more, staring at her. Speechless couldn't describe what was happening to him right now. It was a complete and utter inability to form any coherent word or thought, topped with an inexplicable incapacity for his vocal cords to work.
Once again, they looked at each other, an angry, angry princess, and a silent chimera. Indeed, they might have stood there forever, had it not been for another voice that broke in at that moment.
"Princess Amelia?"
Amelia jumped a little at the sound, then looked over at the two people who had come up beside them. It was the woman who'd spoken. Dressed in a strapless black gown, she smiled brightly at them, dark eyes glinting behind her glasses. She bowed, and for an instant the ebony bangs that framed her face obscured it from view. A light flashed on the silver clip that held her hair up against the back of her head in a neat twist, then on the silver band around her arm and the blue stone set within.
The gentleman next to her waited until she had straightened before leaning down to kiss Amelia's hand. He too was dressed entirely in black save for his cravat, which was a pale blue. The pin on it was of the same stone set in his companion's arm band.
"Forgive us for intruding, your highness."he said once they were both standing tall again. "Allow me to introduce myself. Lord Grou, of the North, and my..."he hesitated as he searched for the right word and the black-haired woman glared at him. "..Partner, Lady Grau."
"How nice to meet you!" Amelia gave her best princess grin, the tears and pain suddenly gone from her face. She curtsied prettily. "Amelia Wil Tesla de Seyruun, at your service, and this is Zelgadis Graywords."
Grau and Grou both turned to him. Still reeling and in complete shock at what Amelia had said, he could only murmur something like "Charmed" as they shook hands.
"I don't remember seeing your names on the guest list." Amelia commented once they'd finished with Zel.
"A mistake on our part."Grou smiled embarrassedly, rubbing the back of his head. "We were late in responding."
"You must forgive us, we're a little unorganized these days."Grau blushed slightly. "We've had so many things come upon us at such short notice."
"Well you're very welcome here in Seyruun." the little princess stood proudly. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Actually,"Grau said as she exchanged a look with her partner. "There is something we'd like to discuss with you. It's an important matter of state, but I can't say much more about it right here."
"Oh, if that's the case, I think you might want to consult with my father. He-"
"We spoke with him earlier."Grou cut in. "But he suggested that since you'll soon be taking over many of these kinds of affairs, perhaps we should talk with you."
It was Amelia's turn to blush as she smiled.
"Really, I don't know if I'd be very helpful."
"I'm sure you can help us."Grau smiled, and for a second, Zel felt very cold. "Could we go somewhere more private to talk?"
"Certainly! Follow me!"Amelia, head held high, started to walk away.
The pair fell in behind her, and in a moment, Zel came out of his near-trance and realized she was leaving him alone. Alone, after everything she'd just said.
"AMELIA! WAIT!"
He tried to run after, but was hindered by too many dancers, several of whom gave him very dirty looks for referring to the princess so informally. By the time he made it off the floor, she was nowhere to be seen.
Confounded, somewhat angered, and with a heavy feeling in his chest, Zel sank down at an abandoned table and poured himself a good stiff drink.
---
Through the bright halls and down a flight of stairs found Amelia and the two northern visitors on one of the verandas that overlooked the garden. Lights from the surrounding city shone through the foliage and tried to outdo the spectacular spread of stars above them. The sounds of the party were still barely audible as the princess leaned against the railing.
"Is this spot good enough?"
"It's perfect."Grau smiled. "I couldn't have picked a better location myself."
"So, what is this important matter?" Amelia tried not to sound overly excited; she was very pleased that her father had sent them to her. It was a rather strange thing for him to do, but then he had been placing may important tasks on her shoulders of late.
"It concerns the lord we work under."Grou joined her. "And you. Recently, he's become very interested in you."
"Er.."Amelia bit her bottom lip slightly but tried to keep smiling. "I'm sorry, but I'm engaged. I apologize."
The other two looked at her a moment, then Grau laughed, a cold, clear sound. Amelia became acutely aware of a chill in the air that hadn't been there before. It sent a shudder down her spine, and a sense of unease began to pervade her being.
"No, it's not like that, Princess. He's become very interested in your skill as a sorceress."
"Oh, really...It's really more..priestess..y..It's nothing."she reddened again and waved her hand in a dismissive manner. Goodness, they were really complimenting her tonight. A little too much, perhaps. "If he wants a good sorceress, you should talk to Lina-san. Lina Inverse, I mean. She's here, I can go get her for you, if you'd like..."she started to leave.
Grau grabbed her arm as she passed and pulled her back.
"He wants you, Princess. And what he wants is what he gets."
Grou held out his hand, palm upwards, and it was suddenly surrounded by swirling shadows. When they dissipated a moment later, they'd left behind a long object.
"We have something he asked us to give you that may sway your decision either way."he held it out to her. "Take it."
Amelia looked at the object -a black scabbard enclosing large sword. The air got even cooler, and she shivered a bit more.
"Ah...that's a sword."she felt her pulse quicken, and glanced nervously at where Grau's hand was still closed around her wrist. "I'm very appreciative, really, but I'm not the least bit skilled when it comes to weapons."
"That doesn't matter. You will be."he pushed it into her hands. "It's yours now."
Grau let go as she took it. It was fairly heavy, but she was able to hold onto it, finding it icy to the touch. Swallowing slowly, she closed her hand around the hilt and slid the sword about an inch out of its sheath. Her next breath caught inside as cold terror took hold of her. The blade was as dark as the shadows it had come from, and something about the way it felt in her hands, the way the moonlight cast writhing light upon it, made it seem as though she was holding a living creature.
"Really..."her voice was quiet and strained to be released from her throat. "I can't take this..." Another breath. "Where in the north did you say you were from?"
"Just the north, that's all." Grau smiled broadly. "Very, very far up where it's permanently winter. Why do you ask?"
"And who is this lord of yours? Who are you, anyway?"her voice got louder and more scared as her body told her to run.
Unexpectedly, Grau's grip returned, tightening to the point of causing pain. Amelia dropped the sword and whirled around, trying to pull away, but the black haired woman hung on firmly. Hands came down on the princess's shoulders, holding her in place. She struggled a moment, then thought of something.
"RAY-"
The spell was cut off almost immediately as Grou's hand moved with lightning speed from her shoulder to cover her mouth.
"You'll meet our master soon enough."
Amelia battled against the hold more, biting at his hand. He grimaced, but didn't let go.
"And please, you'll make this much more unpleasant if you struggle."he sighed.
Still, the princess fought her mouth free.
"Let go of me! Somebody! HELP ME! RAY WI-"
The last thing she saw was Grau's free hand reaching up and touching her forehead. A brilliant bolt of pain cracked through her skull. The world was impossibly bright. And then everything was dark.