Chapter One
Lina was curious. Amelia had been adamant about preparing supper for them, a celebration she'd called it, Lina recalled. Now what had been the occasion was beyond Lina, but if Amelia wanted to spend the time, effort and money to rent a banquet room -not nearly as large as a hall as there were only a few of them- and cook and do everything herself... Then so be it, she thought. Then the least the sorceress and the others could do was to dress the part. She finished running the brush through her molten tresses and readjusted her outfit a final time before heading down the hall to see Amelia coming towards her.
"All ready!" the cheery princess piped. Her smile was large and pleased and her cerulean eyes danced with excitement. "Lets go, only Xelloss-san is left and he sent a message saying that he'd be late."
"Oh... Well let's go then." Lina's stomach growled its approval making the sorceress laugh sheepishly. Amelia giggled and fell into step next to her mentor until they reached the room, the large round table situated in the center.
"C'mon, Lina, Amelia!" Gourry hailed, waving them over as soon as he spotted them entering. "This food looks great!"
Amelia smiled proudly and sat herself in her customary spot next to Zelgadis while Lina took the seat next to her self-proclaimed guardian, leaving an empty chair between the two girls. Once they had settled the princess reached for her glass of wine and called for their attention.
"I call a toast," she announced as she raised her glass in the air. The others followed suit. Just as she was about to continue, the familiar voice of Xelloss interrupted them.
"A toast to what?" he asked lightly, moving from the doorway to sit between the girls, also reaching for his glass to join the toast.
"To our friendship, our journeys, to our lives, and most of all," she smiled and leaned her glass to the center of the table, "to our futures."
The others smiled and nodded. The sound of clinking glasses sealed the toast and everyone took a long sip of the deep red liquid. Then the meal began.
Lina leaned back in her chair, one elbow thrown over the back, her other hand patting her stomach contentedly. "Ahh, that was delicious, Amelia!"
"Yeah!" Gourry seconded with an accompanying nod from both Xelloss and Zelgadis.
Amelia flushed and grinned. "I thought you might like it," she told them, even as she watched Gourry starting to doze in his chair. "But now you guys should rest, I'll take care of the mess."
Lina, feeling suddenly tired herself, merely nodded and headed for her room as the others did likewise. It was all she could do to stay awake long enough to change and climb into bed.
- - - - - -
AN: sorry for the short chapter, it worked better this way! Here's chapter 2!
Lina was curious. Amelia had been adamant about preparing supper for them, a celebration she'd called it, Lina recalled. Now what had been the occasion was beyond Lina, but if Amelia wanted to spend the time, effort and money to rent a banquet room -not nearly as large as a hall as there were only a few of them- and cook and do everything herself... Then so be it, she thought. Then the least the sorceress and the others could do was to dress the part. She finished running the brush through her molten tresses and readjusted her outfit a final time before heading down the hall to see Amelia coming towards her.
"All ready!" the cheery princess piped. Her smile was large and pleased and her cerulean eyes danced with excitement. "Lets go, only Xelloss-san is left and he sent a message saying that he'd be late."
"Oh... Well let's go then." Lina's stomach growled its approval making the sorceress laugh sheepishly. Amelia giggled and fell into step next to her mentor until they reached the room, the large round table situated in the center.
"C'mon, Lina, Amelia!" Gourry hailed, waving them over as soon as he spotted them entering. "This food looks great!"
Amelia smiled proudly and sat herself in her customary spot next to Zelgadis while Lina took the seat next to her self-proclaimed guardian, leaving an empty chair between the two girls. Once they had settled the princess reached for her glass of wine and called for their attention.
"I call a toast," she announced as she raised her glass in the air. The others followed suit. Just as she was about to continue, the familiar voice of Xelloss interrupted them.
"A toast to what?" he asked lightly, moving from the doorway to sit between the girls, also reaching for his glass to join the toast.
"To our friendship, our journeys, to our lives, and most of all," she smiled and leaned her glass to the center of the table, "to our futures."
The others smiled and nodded. The sound of clinking glasses sealed the toast and everyone took a long sip of the deep red liquid. Then the meal began.
Lina leaned back in her chair, one elbow thrown over the back, her other hand patting her stomach contentedly. "Ahh, that was delicious, Amelia!"
"Yeah!" Gourry seconded with an accompanying nod from both Xelloss and Zelgadis.
Amelia flushed and grinned. "I thought you might like it," she told them, even as she watched Gourry starting to doze in his chair. "But now you guys should rest, I'll take care of the mess."
Lina, feeling suddenly tired herself, merely nodded and headed for her room as the others did likewise. It was all she could do to stay awake long enough to change and climb into bed.
- - - - - -
AN: sorry for the short chapter, it worked better this way! Here's chapter 2!