She woke up with a pop to find it was morning. "Oh great!" she thought, "Now I'm getting myself up too early." Suddenly she realised that there was bustle in the room. The steam from the little room spoke of a fresh bath, and a large breakfast was set on the table. She looked around feeling a bit bewildered. A tall woman in a white gown and veil was standing by the window, snuggling a baby. Something in her mind clicked and she realised it was "Grace! Uh, morning, right?" Grace replied cheerfully, although still quietly "Good Morning Lina! We let you sleep in. Look! Price Phil sent a guard, I think they are the palace guards."
"Yes they are, Majesty. They are our elite troops!" said a voice. Lina turned to see "Deirdre! Is your Mistress here too?" she asked of Amilia's personal maid. "Good morning, Miss Lina!" the maid responded with a smile. "No she's not here, but she sent me with the guard to help make sure all was right. Look, she even sent fresh clothes for you. But first, you're taking a bath!" Lina bounced out of bed with a laugh, feeling strangely refreshed. "Yes Ma'am!" she said as she went to the bathing room. Soon she was settled in the small but deep tub, soaking away without a care in the world. Deirdre brought her some tea and bade her soak but not too long, or breakfast would be cold, and then they had to start on the last leg of the journey. Lina did just that and was out and wearing clean clothes in short order.
Sitting at the table she proceeded to also make short order of the mound of food. Someone had anticipated this and a cart was brought in with more. Zel also came in and said "Lunch without end awaits in Seirune Lina, so, after this course we need to start." "Huh!" replied Lina. "And how am I going to fight any Mazoku on the way if I don't eat enough?" "Prince Phil sent a couple of wizards with the knights and I think we can probably get there safely enough." he replied. Lina frowned at this and said "One more course! Or I'm not budging!" as she continued to eat. Zel rolled his eyes and said "Okay, but only one." and stalked out to order it.
Grace sat down on the chair across the table from Lina. Lina said to her "That is a lovely gown Grace!" between mouthfuls. "Thank you. Yes actually it is, isn't it?" Grace replied. It was a long gown mostly made of white fabric. Lina could see, now that Grace was close, that although it wasn't adorned with gold thread or rich gems it was cunningly cut and made to grace the body of it's wearer. She could also see that someone had spend a long time embroidering it so that it had a subtle beauty that actually was more effective than a lot of flashy gems could have been. "I must say that growing up poor I always thought of beauty as being a lot of rich and flashy things." said Lina, now tapping her fork on the plate waiting for round three. "But since going to Westhold, I see that subtle things can be more beautiful if done right." "Yes." said Grace. "And it is so much more soothing to the spirit and the mind. Flashy has it's place, but a single point of flash, properly set in a subtle background will actually be more appealing than a chest full of glitter could ever be. When this is over, come, stay awhile as my guest and see for yourself!"
"I sure will Grace, er, when what is over?" asked Lina. "Why my mission of course." replied Grace, quietly. She went on "Listen Lina, I have something very important to say to Prince Phil after I present my credentials and hopefully reassure him he has nothing to fear from Westhold. I would appreciate it if you would stay and listen. You'll understand everything then, I think." "It would be an honour Grace. Or, should I go back to "Your Majesty" now?" Grace laughed silently and finally said "Only formally Lina, only formally. Trust me!" And she gave Lina another of her strange looks. "Ah, okay, sure." said Lina a bit warily. She thought to herself "I don't know what the surprise is, but it seems like it will be big. Oh boy."
Just then the final course arrived, and was hastily devoured by Lina. "Okay, I can make it to lunch!" she announced, getting up from the table. The group shuffled outside and quickly mounted the waiting horses. Grace had thrown a cloak around her to keep as much dust off of her as possible for the trip. It looked hot and the sun was shining warmly already. Lina noticed she rode side saddle because of her gown. "You need pants!" said Lina. Grace laughed and said softly "Yes, so I see. I will look in to it when we get home. It's time to lead custom rather than follow it I think." A few shuffles later and the guards were in position. Then they were off.
Lina gave a wave to the throng of onlookers from the village and they were down the road to Seirune. It was a pleasant day, and the horses maintained a good distance eating steady trot. If it had been an ordinary ride it would have been quite enjoyable, but Lina, despite the presence of the guards and even the royal wizards was not able to relax and let her own guard down for the trip. From the looks of it, neither were Zel or Grace, although she seemed more preoccupied making sure Arthur was safe as they trotted along. "I never was the world's best horse woman" Grace muttered. "Actually, I did better with wagons, or anything moving I could stand on." "Well, you could stand on the horse." suggested Lina with a smirk. "Oh, ha, ha, how droll..." replied Grace, but with a smile in her voice.
The trip wore on and Lina wished they could hurry up before her stomach started to growl, she was still hungry. And tired. Yesterday had really taken it out of her. She also looked forward to the end of the mystery and maybe getting a good night's sleep with someone else responsible for the guarding of everyone for a change. The horses were fit and fast however, and in the early afternoon Seirune City was looming in front of them, having covered in a few hours a trip that would have taken most of the day for someone on foot. Grace seemed to be fixed just staring at it, and Lina couldn't tell what might be going through the Queen's mind. Certainly the end of the mission. And then? Time would tell. At least Lina felt glad that she had had the chance to make a friend of the woman and for that she was really grateful.
In no time at all they were being swept through the gates of the city to a fanfare of horns. Lina looked towards Grace and said "I think we made it." The other woman merely nodded. Lina found herself beginning to wonder if her old fears about Grace's true intentions were not so unlikely after all. She was obviously screwing up her courage to the sticking point about something. Well, nothing for it but to be on guard. If she could she would get a chance to whisper to Zel, otherwise she'd have to be ready to act alone. Well, but it was crazy to think that way, vigilance yes, paranoia no. The troop swept along the streets and were soon at the palace. An honour guard stood ready to receive the honoured guest and the red carpet was out, literally. Seirune was certainly giving Grace the benefit of the doubt at any rate. "Here we go." thought Lina to herself.
Lina and the others dismounted before the steps, a royal courtier helping Grace off the horse lest she soil her foot on the ground, which struck Lina as immensely ridiculous, but she knew better than to laugh out loud. Lina managed to give Grace's hand a squeeze and wish her luck. Grace replied "Thank you Lina. Well, this is what we came for, there's no going back now. As the old saying goes, "The die is cast." With that Grace went into the palace with Zel and Lina behind her as a sort of honorary guard.
Lina looked over to Zel and nodded her head ever so slightly towards Grace. Zel nodded, he hadn't forgotten the earlier suspicions either. Good. At the door the chief butler met them along with various officials. They extended greetings, took Grace's cloak, and with formality ushered her in to the throne room where Prince Phillionel and the Lady Amilia were standing in front of their thrones, waiting her arrival. Grace stopped and swayed at the doorway, then took a deep breath and walked in to the room. At the requisite spot she stopped and curtsied deeply, then, as Phil and Amilia returned the greeting she came to the foot of the throne. Phil and Amilia sat down, indicating the audience had begun. Lina and Zel also gave greeting, then wandered off to the side to watch, and listen.
"To Your Majesty Phillionel, by the grace of the gods Prince of Seirune, from he who is my husband and by the grace of the gods His Majesty Alfred, King of Westhold, greetings and love as is fitting from brother to brother." Grace began in her usual quiet but clear voice, using the formal speech of royalty. "My King bids me, oh Prince, as his ambassador to give you this message. "Brother Phillionel, it has reached our ear that there is between us an unfounded rumour which has caused you great discomfort, that rumour being one of war with the west. We would have you know, with all assurances, that war in the west is not now, nor ever will be, the desire of Westhold. Rather, we desire peace, tranquility, and good will with all our brother and sister monarchs in the realms newly opened again to us after the too long sealing away of these pleasant and goodly lands by the evil of those beings called Mazoku who exist ever to plague mankind alone and severally, as is their wont."" "Huh?" whispered Lina to Zel, who whispered back "Hi, how are you, don't believe the rumours of war, we want peace with the lands formerly under the Mazoku shield." "Why not say so?" Lina responded in her turn. "Don't know," said Zel. "It's a king thing. Shhhhh" "Yeah, yeah"
Grace went on "Thus says my king, thus is my message. As ambassador I would end now, but I would add as Queen that I believe you will find my credentials of the highest order and that you may believe me when I say the we do not want war with you, Your Majesty, only peace." Phil was silent for a minute then rumbled into a response. "Your Highness, for your pains and your words we do thank you, you do your embassy well. We are not un-disposed at all to your words and we also will have it known that we desire naught but peace with our sometime sundered, now happily reunited, brethren to the East. We eagerly await the presentation of your credentials that we may with joy accept fully all you have brought to us and enter into love between our two sovereign nations, uniting as brother to brother in love and peace." Zel pre-empted Lina this time and whispered "Pretty speech, now prove it."
Lina shook her head in wonder, but Grace went on. "Certainly Your Majesty. May I approach the throne that I may hand them to you in person?" "Zel..." said Lina, stiffening. Things were usually handed over by way of pages. To put herself so close to the Prince put Grace in striking distance. Lina was tense. Zel was tense. They waited to see what would happen. "Uh, as you wish, Your Highness" said Phil, a bit taken aback by the unusual request. Grace spoke quietly as she said "I thank Your Majesty for this. I know it is unusual to do it as such, but," and by now she was before Phil on his throne, "here are my credentials." With that she gently placed a sleeping Arthur into Prince Phillionel's lap then backed off.
"Madam?" asked a startled and puzzled Phil, as he held the child. "What does this mean?" "It means," replied Grace, that this child has a claim on you Your Majesty and through this claim I hope to satisfy you that you can trust me and my ambassadorship. "A claim?" asked an incredulous Phil. "What claim madam? With babies, those sorts of things are usually made of paternity suits! You can't possibly in anyone's wildest dreams mean to suggest..."
"Paternity?" said Grace. "No, not quite. But close." Lina squeezed forward, it was obvious to all that Grace was nervous and that something was about to happen. Grace now held herself erect and looked Phil in the eye. "Your Majesty," she went on, "this child is indeed my son, begotten of me by my husband. But, it was needed for you to do this, to hold him like this. You see, even if you reject me and my embassy to you, at least you have had the chance to hold him once in peace. Your Majesty, the simple fact is that Prince Arthur is my son, but he is your..."
At this point Grace's voice swelled with energy and came up in volume. At the same time her hand went up to her veil, and as she spoke the last word she yanked it off and revealed herself.
"GRANDSON!"
A shockwave of silence smashed through the room. Any pin foolish enough to drop would have been too afraid to make any noise as it hit the floor. No one breathed. Then Prince Phil, still hugging Arthur, stood up, a look of shock, wonder, and joy on his face, and he broke the silence. "Gracia!" he whispered, then louder went on "Gracia Ul Naga Seyruun!" Even as he spoke Amilia rather upstaged him with a happy shriek "Big sister! It's my Big Sister!" and ran to hug Grace, or rather Gracia, no longer a scary messenger, but her beloved and much missed sister. Suddenly there was a loud scream that stopped everyone short and contained more energy that was thought to be humanly possible.
Everyone turned to see Zel holding Lina, who seemed to be having some sort of a fit, writhing in his arms and repeatedly saying "No,no,no,no,no,no,no..." "YES!" said Gracia in a commanding tone even while still hugging Amilia. "I AM!" Lina was on her feet in a flash a look of extreme shock and horror on her face. She pointed a shaky finger at Gracia and screamed.
"NAGA! NAGA? NAGA THE WHITE SERPENT? YOU'RE THE MISSING PRINCESS, AND THE QUEEN!" Suddenly she pitched forward and only missed the floor because Zel stood ready to catch her now limp, fainted form. With that, Naga, finally revealed said "I can't hold it any more..." and started to laugh. Yes. That laugh. And it went on and on and on to the point where even Prince Phil was wondering what to do to shut her up. Fortunately Lina woke up at that point.
"Eh? Naga!" She walked stiffly up to the laughing woman and pointed a shaking finger at her. "I may not be able to fireball you right now, because of your baby, but I can still BOP you one, royalty or not!" Naga actually stopped laughing but with a smirk on her face. "Oh ho. Yes I'm sure you could and would, Lina Inverse! But you might find collecting those hundred sacks of treasure you were offered a little difficult. After all you were supposed to keep me safe until I returned to Westhold!"
"Damn it!" shouted Lina, foiled by her weakness for treasure and the emotions of the moment. "Oh to hell with it. I'm going to bed! Or something!" With that she turned on her heel and stalked out of the room, complaining in a tear filled voice "It's my fault. I can't believe I didn't recognise you on the road! How? How could I not? How could I not? I can't believe I opened my heart to you and let you see into the depth of my spirit..." she said in a genuinely sorrowful tone, sounding rather like one who had accidentally placed the keys to heaven into the hands of the devil himself. "Lina..." said, surprisingly, Gracia, back to Queen Grace from the road, only with the volume up now. Naga had subsided. Lina stopped, not sure why, and sniffled out a tearful "What is it?" "What you said on the road," said Gracia, a catch in her own voice. "I just want you to know something. I love you too."
Lina was known as a fast runner, just clock her as she races to food for example. However, the speed with which she turned and threw herself into Gracia's arms left all her old records in the dust at the starting post. By now Zel was beginning to get a headache, all the laughing and sobbing and wailing was bothering his ears. So was Prince Phil, even though he was overjoyed that his daughter was back and ecstatic at the unexpected gift of meeting his first grandchild. So when the butler approached and nervously announced that dinner was served he was more than boisterous as he rounded up everyone and got them all set to the table. And after the roller coaster ride of emotion from the past several days it was just what was needed.
Everyone was seated, Prince Phil at the head of the table, Gracia at the place of honour, in other words the middle of the table to Prince Phil's right, with Lina and Amilia on either side of her, and Zelgadiss conveniently at Prince Phil's left so that he could report on the journey while they ate. And eat they did. Well, Lina and Gracia. Zel too, but not as much or as enthusiastically, a side effect of being a chimera was a reduced need for food, after all. Amilia of course wasn't on the trip so she hadn't built an appetite like the other two. She contented herself with eating some of the food, and talking with Lina and her sister, and after she was full she held her new nephew, her face glowing.
Zel's heart just about broke, he knew how much she wanted one of her own. "Someday, beloved, someday." he silently promised Amilia, even as his old doubts asked him who he was kidding. After awhile the eating slowed, even stopped, and the wine and dessert was brought out. Lina was amazed to see Gracia turn her glass over. "You're not drinking? You? Are not drinking?" she asked incredulously. "Now I know you are an impostor! Who are you and what did you do with the real Naga?" she asked, starring at Gracia. "Let's just say I came to terms with enough of my past that I don't need my addiction any more. I'll explain later." Gracia replied. "I think you'll find I've changed a lot, at least in some ways, Lina."
With that, she stood up and faced her father. "Daddy, I thank you for this day and this meal and all your warmth towards me. Now I need to do something important that I should have done years ago. When I left I said some hateful things to you in order to force your hand and make you let me go free into the world. And I used language that should never be used against a father or a prince, nor be found in the mouth of gutter trash, never mind a daughter or a royal princess, especially the heir to the throne of Seirune. And I did it not only to you, but in front of my sister and in public, shaming you. I am sorry, daddy, I apologize for what I said. Please forgive me."
She turned to her sister and continued. "And I apologize to you too Amilia, no little girl should ever hear her sister use such words, nor have her father called down in front of her like that. I am sorry, I apologize to you too, and I also ask your forgiveness." The silence in the room was broken only by two small sounds. The first was Lina dropping her fork along with her jaw, the second was Lina subsequently clicking her teeth together hard in order to bite back the rather incredulous "You, apologize?" she felt almost compelled to say. Obviously Gracia was apologizing, and Lina remembered she had wondered a while back what had made Naga tick. Now, it seemed, she was finding out.
After swallowing a few lumps Prince Phil stood up and seemed on the verge of tears himself. Lina suddenly felt she was intruding on a private family moment, and wished she could shrink away, but she was trapped. Prince Phil finally spoke and said "Gracia, I... never held that against you..." "I held it against myself daddy. That's why I couldn't come back home all these years, that and the memory of, of..." Gracia broke down weeping. Suddenly all pretence at royal formality was gone and she went to her father and threw herself in his arms. Amilia was also weeping and looked like she needed to join her family. Seeing her plight Lina took little Arthur from her, and off Amilia went to join the group hug and weep. Lina looked over to Zel who looked as if his headache was getting worse. "Poor Zel" she thought. "Who weeps for him, I wonder? And where are you Gourry, when I could use a shoulder to cry on too?"
She nodded her head slightly to Zel asking silently if he wanted to leave. He nodded yes and they got up to walk out to the next room where it was quieter. Lina sat beside him, rocking the baby slightly. She turned to Zel and said "So, when in the middle of all that did the world end? I missed it!" Zel gave a quiet chuckle and shook his head. "Dysfunctional family." he said. "Wow," went on Lina, "now I think I begin to see what was driving the Naga I knew. I didn't know who she was at the time. I don't know what I would have done if I had, maybe it was better that I didn't know." "I had heard some of this," said Zel, "but even I don't know the full story. I think there has been a lot of turbulent water in the life of the royal house of Seirune. And still, I want to marry in to it if I can ever find a cure, and Amilia is still available. I don't know if you understand Lina, but when I, as a man, see this sort of thing going on, I just feel I want to somehow make it all right for her."
He looked over to Lina and then dropped his eyes. "Pipe dream, probably..." he concluded. Lina put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't give up your dreams Zel, not dreams like that. Not without giving them the fight of your life first. If you can pull it off, I know you'll find she's worth it. I'll help you too. I think I can combine looking for Gourry with looking for help for you." She gave him a smile. He smiled back and nodded his thanks. "I'm glad we are friends, Lina Inverse." he said quietly. Lina's smile broadened. She was silent for a few minutes as she shifted Arthur who was getting restless. "How did Gracia's mother die I wonder?" she asked Zel, not expecting an answer. "Murder." was the reply.
Lina looked up suddenly, it hadn't been Zel who answered, but Gracia, who had come for her baby. Lina looked shocked. "The Gods!" she exclaimed. "I thought she had an accident!" "It's okay Lina" said Gracia sitting down beside her. "You know something of the troubles of my family, maybe you need to hear it told in a fuller version. My grandfather disappeared without a trace, as you know. You can't declare a king dead just like that, so although he is a de facto king, my daddy still rules as Crowned Prince. Of course he hasn't had an easy time of it. Some of his brothers, and others, wished the crown for themselves, and since he's "only" the Crowned Prince, they didn't consider the matter settled, as they would have done if he were a formally crowned King. I think you had a hand in settling some of it." Lina nodded, still shocked.
Gracia continued "It has been a very vicious internal war, really. But the story is simple as far as I go. One night an assassin whose name we later learned was Booley snuck into the palace. His mission seems to have been to kill daddy, or barring that, to remove his successors to the throne." Lina gave a gasp. "But, that's you, and Amilia!" she exclaimed. This story was getting more shocking as it was told. "He nearly succeeded too." replied Gracia, with a note of fear and bitterness in her voice. "Picture this. I was sixteen. You remember how you felt at sixteen, don't you, about life and the uncertainty of the adventure of the future, and all that? An adult, yet still a child?" Lina nodded yes, and Gracia continued. "I was alone in my room doing some sort of sixteen year old princess thing or other, I don't remember what. I do remember a sudden, rough hand grabbing my arm and hauling me up to look into a cruel, cruel face with an evil metal whip of many strands behind it, poised to cut my body to ribbons. Of course I screamed even as he grabbed me, and somehow I managed to twist out of his grip. Naturally I ran from the room as fast as I could."
"For some reason my mother was close by, and that scream is what saved me and condemned her. She burst into the room and screamed herself as she ran to help me, putting herself between my retreat and Booley's coming after me. Of course Booley struck her down, but she didn't go with the first blow, and it was her repeated screams of pain that finally got to me. I couldn't leave her undefended! I returned at a dead run, and as I burst back into the room I threw the first spell with any power behind it that came to my mind, ironically it was one of my mother's, one she had invented, or at least so I believe. It's Chaos String, I can't remember if I ever showed it to you or not. I could tell by the way the spell interactred with the whip that the metal strands had been charged by a magical spell too, Mono Volt is my guess, though of course Booley isn't here to ask. The effect was that the whip snapped back on it's wielder, and cut him to ribbons too. At any rate, there was blood everywhere, and ever since then I have had a very strong emotional reaction to blood."
"Oh, that's what happened on the road, oh, and some of the times as Naga too..." Lina said. "Yes," went on Gracia. "I don't remember much of what happened next, except a lot of screaming and screaming and screaming." Lina was stunned. The shock showed openly on her face, and she had trouble breathing for a minute. Finally she mouthed "Oh gods..." in horror of what was described to her. Gracia was also rocking as she tried to tell the tale as evenly as she could, the tears flowing from her eyes like a river.
"Now" she sniffled, "we come to the birth of Naga. I was in shock, I couldn't speak, or eat, or sleep, or anything for the next day or even two days. Finally, they dragged me out to see my mother in her coffin. I ran to her and kissed her cold, cold lips, and then, so help me, I started to laugh. My signature laugh. The one you and so many others cringed at all these years. I developed this idea. I had to be stronger, better, faster. I had to have power, magic power, I had to be the greatest in the world. I started to pour through every text I could find anywhere. I quickly realised that black magic offered more offensive and defensive spells, so I studied it. Finally I realised I had to get out. I needed to try my powers, to develop them, and to study more. And I was haunted every night by my memories. Many nights for months, I couldn't sleep for the nightmares. And the guilt. Oh I know, I did the best I could, logic dictates that I could have done nothing else. But my heart never believed it. In fact it still doesn't. It still accuses me of being weak, of panicing in the face of danger, of failing m-my, mother..." Gracia had to stop for a weep.
Soon it passed and she continued yet again. "So I decided to leave. Of course it took most of the year to get my father to let me go and even then I resorted to a wild fit of cursing and swearing and being altogether shameful, until my poor, poor daddy realised there was nothing for it but to let me go, and with reluctance and even a few tears he gave me his blessing. By this time I had long gone through my mothers effects and knew just what a world famous sorceress would wear. To honour her, at least in my mind, and show how evil I was, I, well, you know what I took." Lina just shook her head in wonder. "That, that, black thing..." "Yes, that black thing." responded Gracia. Well, the sword and spikes came later, as did the skull and the boots, but the tiara, cloak, garter, gloves, and of course the bikini were hers. I think she must have been an exotic dancer at one point and this might have been her costume. Oh well... I told you I am a lot like her in face and form if I remember." "Right! On the road!" said Lina.
Gracia went on "To tell you the truth, there was another more secret reason I took it too. It was the sort of thing you wear next to your skin. My skin was touching something that had touched my mother's skin. In a strange way it was like she was hugging me when I wore it, and for the longest time I needed that hug, Lina. Now I have found someone who's hugs can give me as much comfort, and I finally have laid the costume to rest. Anyway, I studied and I practiced hard and long. But two things always bothered me, deep inside. One was that I had shamed my father, and my family on the night I got permission to leave. It settled into my gut and burned away like an unquenchable fire. It only went out a few minutes ago in fact." "Oh, Gracia" said Lina softly remembering her friend's apology. "The other" Gracia went on, "was my feelings for my mother. My heart froze within me Lina, and I simply could not..., could not..., Oh gods help me it hurts even now. Lina, I could not, if my life depended on it, cry for her. I could not mourn her, the trauma was so great to me. I was in pain Lina, all the time. Only two things protected me. My bitter, brittle pride, which would not let me lie down and die, and there were times I had a real death wish, Lina, but I couldn't do it. The other, was the alcohol. It gave me temporary relief, and eased the pain. Of course I had the get stinking drunk to do it. As you well know."
"Gracia, I'm sorry!" said Lina, feeling guilty. "I knew you liked your drink, but I never ever thought you had a problem, I thought you were, were,..." "A stupid drunk? Well, I was Lina, I really was. So, now you have seen the bared soul of Naga the White Serpent. Not bad eh? My middle name and our family crest. Of course, when, at age ninteen, my pride found out some upstart peasant girl from the realm of the eternal queen was being talked about as the greatest sorceress the world even had know, and not me, well, I smelled blood. I tracked you to that hotel, wherever it was, I don't remember now, and, you know the rest." "Yeah..." said Lina slowly. "But now I see it in a different light. I am amazed Naga, I mean Gracia, sorry." "I am both, call me what you wish, my dear Lina" said Gracia softly. "Thanks." replied Lina , tears in her eyes. "That was a lot of information, it..., I'm... oh, I don't know what to say...". "Say nothing." said Gracia softly. "Just know the truth." Lina smiled at her.
At this point Arthur decided it was his turn and he started to fuss with a vengeance. "Oh, duty calls, happy, happy duty!" said Gracia with a smile. "His daddy saved my life Lina, I'll tell you the rest of the story later, okay?" "Yes, sure!" said Lina. "I need time to take in what I just heard anyway. It sure explains a whole lot, Gracia, and I thank you for telling me. I know it hurt a lot to say what you did, I really, really appreciate that you did it for me." Gracia smiled and took the baby away. Lina then noticed Amilia was standing next the Zel, she had been there all along of course. She had tears in her eyes and was hugging Zel. Zel looked over to Lina as much wonder on his face as on hers. "Every time I think I have it tough..." he said with a quiet smile. Lina chuckled. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Makes my stuff with Luna look less imposing somehow." "Luna?" he asked. "Oh, your big sister, right?" "Yes, and I too have some dysfunctional water to cross and some bridges to rebuild too. I'll tell you later, I just couldn't tonight, not after that." "It's up to you Lina" he said softly. "Of course you've piqued my curiosity, but it's your business and I will respect your privacy."
She nodded her thanks with a bittersweet smile. Amilia by this time was winding down the sniffles and Lina asked her gently "Amilia, any sign of Gourry?" "No, I'm so sorry, he isn't in Seirune, and I had the whole country searched as best I could." she replied, softly, in her turn. Lina nodded and turned sad eyes to the ground. "Where are you my beloved jellyfish?" she thought to herself.
At this point Prince Phil sat down beside her and said "Lina, I too have a bit of a confession to make. Gracia used to write to us as she wandered, sporadically of course, but still, we had some contact. You made up a great part of some of her letters. It wasn't all complementary, as you would suspect from her at that time, but it was never outright bad, and reading between the lines I realised she rather respected and even liked you. Anyway, when we met that day so long ago, I was aware of who you were, although I felt it best not to say so. I hadn't thought I'd meet you there, that was just happy chance. The thing is, I think you helped Gracia hang on to her sanity long enough to get to the point where she was ready to heal. I want to thank you for that. And for being a friend to Amilia too, she really likes you as well. You have blessed my family, and my house, and, well, if I can ever help you, please let me know." Lina's emotions had had enough and she burst into tears, hugging Phil as she did so, who tenderly held her and treated her like a loving father until she settled. After she calmed down she looked at him and said "Thanks Phil, that meant more to me than all the riches in the world." Phil smiled at her then said to the room in general "Well, I think we have used up a lot of energy with all that emotion, anyone want a second dinner?" Naturally, there was a chorus of "YES" from the group, and a resigned sigh from Zel, and they all went back in to have a more filling and less tearful second meal.
