Disclaimer: I don't own Slayers. I'm just here for the food.

Chapter Twelve

The banquet and ball taking place at the Greywers Estate were lovely, as in the rooms prepared and the feast looked lovely, but Zelgadis didn't feel it. He was congratulated by everyone. Lord and Lady Ut Copt made a show of their generosity by giving Lina and Zelgadis a carriage. He absently watched the stack of gifts grow and he wondered what would happen to all of them after the wedding. His mother appeared to be thinking the same thing and asked him what ought to be done with them. He said they should be put into storage until he returned from India. Lina's ears seemed to perk up at that statement.

When they were on the dance floor together for a waltz, she asked him about the comment. "Does that mean you haven't taken my suggestion about living with the gypsies seriously?"

"It means nothing of the sort," Zel answered, feeling cornered. He still didn't know what to do. "What else am I supposed to tell her? From the way things are going all the gifts will have to be sent back anyway. It would probably be better to send them back unopened."

"As you say," she said gravely.

Zel frowned and pulled her closer to him in the dance. He found himself looking at the floor over her shoulder. He didn't want to look at the faces of the people watching him. It wasn't that he cared what they thought, but it bothered him the situation was not what they saw. He wasn't the young man happily married he wished to be.

Could he live with the gypsies? He had been around them during the spare moments that he and Lina had over the past few weeks. He hadn't really talked to them much. They hadn't really seemed inclined to talk to him either. He would get a few slaps on the back by some of the men when he brought the meat into the camp, but other than that they only seemed to tolerate him like he was a source of income. If Lina didn't draw him into conversation . . . he knew he would have been left out completely.

Then there had been Lina's conversation with the gypsy fortune teller . . . what had she told Lina to make her agree to marry him with so little conversation? She said that she would never tell him, but . . .

"Lina," he said suddenly. "What did the fortune teller tell you the night we struck this bargain?"

"I said I'd never tell," she said, and she smiled her true smile for the first time that day.

"If I went and asked her, would she tell me what she told you?" he persisted, adding what mirth he could to his tone.

Suddenly, a look of real concern came across her face. "You MUST promise me that you will do no such thing."

"Why?" Zel asked, but before Lina could answer, General Metallium interrupted them and cut in. Zelgadis allowed the violet clad fop to take Lina from him and then wandered off the dance floor a little bewildered, but he hadn't promised Lina anything.

He took the chance to look around for Rezo. It seemed that Rezo was playing the host well and was dancing with Lady Filia. Doubtless, his mother was somewhere squealing over how fortunate she was.

Zel stood looking over the dance floor thinking even more seriously about what he could do. It was interesting to watch Lina. She seemed to be entertaining General Metalium quite well – at least he looked entertained. She smiled charmingly at her partner, but it didn't bother Zelgadis. He knew that the smile she gave him was as hollow as the goblet of wine he had just downed.

Again he thought about what she said when she asked him to live with her and the gypsies. Was that her way of saying that they would live as husband and wife? Somehow he didn't think that was the case. Besides the kiss she had given him the first night they met and harmless flirting along the way, she had done nothing to indicate that she was truly interested in him in a romantic way. One thing was for certain, there was no way he would agree to go with her without knowing what the situation was going to be when he got there. If she was only keeping him with her as her dog or as her friend, he would have to turn his back on her and part ways with her as they had originally planned. A man could only take so much, and being close to her without the return of any of his feelings was too much to ask of himself. It was going to be difficult, but he would have to ask her for a confession of her feelings if he was going to throw away his life. Only then could he make his decision.

There was one other thing as well. What had that fortune teller told Lina? And why was she so desperate to keep it from him? He was more intrigued than ever. He was tempted to walk out of the ball right then and gallop with all speed to where he knew the gypsies were camped that night to ask her. If he was fast enough, he might only be gone for a little under an hour. Although, if he did that someone would definitely notice and that would defeat what they had set out to do in the first place. He had please his mother and her friends, at least this one night, so he couldn't go missing at a ball celebrating his wedding.

The evening dragged on, but at last the hour came for Lina and him to depart. Zel had ordered for all the lamps to be turned down and only the candles to be left lit for his and Lina's last dance together. No one else was allowed on the floor with them. When he had made the preparations for this night, he thought that these would be his last moments with her – the woman he loved. He wanted it to be beautiful for him, because it was going to be the precious moment to carry him through the rest of his life. As he took her gloved hand with his own gloved hand, he thought that this moment must be either much grander than he had anticipated or much more painful. This would be the moment he would ask her how she felt. There was no time left to them. He clenched his jaw to hide his nervousness, and span her in his arms as gallantly as he could.

"Have I told you today how beautiful you look?" he whispered into her ear.

"No," she said.

"You do. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before," he said quietly.

"Zel, why do we have to do this?" she asked, and Zelgadis thought he heard tears on her voice. "Why couldn't we have met somewhere else, at a different time, when it wouldn't have been so difficult for us to be together?"

"I'm not sure," he said, suddenly able to feel confident. Perhaps it was because now he knew that she wasn't as steady in her conviction as he thought she was.

"Must we really part tonight? Will you really go to India?" she looked up at him with defiant eyes.

He loved her eyes.

"That depends on you . . . would you be my wife?"

"Zel . . . I . . ."

"What do you really want from me, Lina? You can't want my money, I don't have any. You have already told me that you don't think I'm handsome."

"I didn't say that. I said that I didn't kiss you because you were handsome, but that I liked the way you looked at me," she injected.

"I must have misunderstood you. All the same," he said drawing her close to him and kissing her lightly on her temple, "if you're not in love with me . . . I'll have to go away."

"That's it?"

"You can have your annulment tomorrow if you want it, though I won't like to let you go."

Lina turned her face away from him. "You're cruel," she said, the gloss on her lips shining in the candlelight.

"Of course I'm cruel. I never hid from you what I am. I'm a soldier, and a commander. Of course I've done cruel things. What did you think?"

"I thought you were different!" she exclaimed.

"From what?"

"From every other nobleman I've met," she said looking into his eyes.

"You knew what I was when you agreed to all this. Did you think I was going to change? Our association is life-long, whether we part tonight or not. I promised that I would always protect you and I meant it. I would always be there for you if you became my wife 'in name only'. Do you think you would get a promise like that from just anyone? I can't even describe to you the dedication I would give you if you became my real wife."

"You would come live with the gypsies?"

"If you would be there, I would go anywhere," he said recklessly. "But you must love me."

She leaned up and whispered something in his ear.

The kiss Zel gave Lina in front of everyone caused several gasps and exclamations throughout their guests, but Zel didn't care. There was not enough breath in his body to outlast the adoration he felt for her at the moment she said the words . . .

I love you.

After the dance was over, Lina and Luna went to go change Lina into her going-away dress. She was not expected to travel in her gown, and Zelgadis used the time to find General Metallium. He had to tell him that he wouldn't be going to India after all and would be resigning his post. Zelgadis invited him into Rezo's study to break the news to him.

Xellos took the news indifferently, and remarked, "But I would rather not accept your resignation in this fashion, especially on the night of your wedding. If you still want to resign before we push off for India, just have it written up and delivered. I'd rather have such things in writing anyway."

"I appreciate your consideration," Zel said moving to leave the room.

"Anyway, I should have known," Xellos said, leaning against the desk and lighting a long cigarette.

"Should have known what?"

"Just that you'd leave the army if you ever managed to marry a woman with a little money. I must say you've done well for yourself Zelgadis."

Zel stopped himself from correcting the General. He had called Zel by his name instead of by his rank, and Zel was just about to correct him when he realized that he couldn't. He had said he was going to leave the army, so his rank didn't apply to him anymore if he gave it up. He was also enraged by what Xellos had said about Lina. He swiftly reminded himself that she didn't care what anyone thought about her and that he shouldn't care either.

He turned his back on Xellos and strode out of the room, before he said something he might regret.

Authors Notes: Please review!