AN: Oh what the heck. I thought if you were reading it at all, you might like a little more of the story, since it sorta stops a little awkwardly. Again, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy.

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A perfect plan?

It had been a cakewalk. Simple as that. Sure, there'd been some guards at the outer wall. But as he kept reminding himself, if Prince Phil could sneak into (or close to) the castle, while he was presumably dead, and Amelia under heavy threats of assassination, then so could he! He didn't look as suspicious as Phil, nor was he as big, and his urge for power-poses didn't run quite as high. However, having dressed in something darker to better blend into the night might have been a good idea. Oh well, too late to think of that now.

He was in the garden. According to the map this would be the hard part. For some reason this part of the castle was very well guarded, but not up close. Which meant, that if he managed to sneak past the guards, he'd be safe. They, for some reason, wouldn't patrol the inner castle wall here. He somehow gathered that it might be some holy place, instead of a library. It seemed like people weren't allowed near it.

Good for him that he didn't exactly respect that kind of holiness. With a slight stain of guilt, he thought of the temples he'd blown up, in search of his cure… He'd lost count.

His keen eyes and ears quickly picked up any traces of guards. He had to time it correctly, but by doing so, he was able to sneak from shadow to shadow, using his incredible speed to run between his safe places. This was easy.. Too easy. Somehow he was sure that Xellos had set him up. When he entered that room, he was sure that at least 20 guards would be there, waiting. Better not to fall directly into the trap. But then again, there was that slight chance, that it wasn't a trap… He had to take it.

How very clever, Zelgadis thought, as he approached the designated window. It was made with some sort of mosaic, so it was impossible to see anything through it. Very clever indeed, Xellos. Now I won't be able to see, whether it's a trap or not. But you underestimate me.

He closed his eyes and concentrated on the sound. If there were any guards in there, he'd know. He'd be able to hear their breathing, the sound of their spears scrambling slightly against the stone floor. Or their shields perhaps. But nothing he heard sounded like guards. Actually, the room was quiet, apart from the slight tickling sound of a fountain, of some sorts. He was quite sure now, this was NOT a library. But then what?

He then heard familiar footsteps. Back in the old days, it'd been his warning, to know when to expect a justice-speech-sneak-attack. But now it was the sound he'd been longing to hear. Mostly because they were the only footsteps.

However, this meant, that he was too late. No way he could leave the bracelet. So, he had to hand it to her, in person. In his mind, his mental representation of Amelia was split between two reactions. Either, she'd be happy to see him, which would be nice, but rather cruel, since.. well, that would mean that she hadn't learned anything at all, and that he'd only somehow wasted the two last years actively avoiding her. Or, she'd be furious, calling the guards, which would be sad, but preferable. Especially since he didn't really know how she'd react when he returned the bracelet.

There was a soft sound of her dropping something soft and light on the floor. It sounded like a cloth of some sort, but he wasn't sure. Then, a suspicion struck him. If there weren't guards there, and indeed Amelia was alone, there was no trap, and the bastard Mazoku had indeed been telling the truth, then there had to be something else very wrong with this room. The sound of Amelia, barefooted over a damp stone floor, dipping a foot or something in water confirmed his suspicion. Especially after he heard her lower herself into the water with a soft sigh.

A bath, oh, how very original, Xellos! Zelgadis thought, sarcastically. Yeah, you'd have liked if I'd walked in on a naked Amelia.. That would really have stirred the entire city, in a way no Mazoku would ever be able to match!!

She hummed something, and was obviously pouring water over herself. It was bad enough listening to it.. There was no way he could suppress the mental images… But somehow he also felt reluctant to go.

He convinced himself that it was mainly because he would get caught, if he just ran away, and that he had to plan his escape from his current hideout in the bush underneath the window carefully. And to plan that carefully he needed to concentrate, something very impossible when he kept hearing soft moans of pleasure, while he imagined how she was sitting in there, with the water caressing her body.

The bracelet. Could he somehow throw it in, if he opened the window, slightly? No, that would be too impersonal. But right now, he'd really rather not be too personal with her. Not while she was naked at least.

"I saw you today, didn't I, Zelgadis?"

Her words made him freeze in his current position, and made a chill run down his spine. How did she know he was there? He hadn't made the slightest of sounds, dammit!

"But it couldn't be you…I was just hallucinating again…" she sighed, and moved about in the water. "I wonder where you are, though, how you're doing… And why I'm talking to myself again…"

Zel sighed in relief. Not noticed. It wouldn't be a good impression either. He'd not only be a monster, but a peeking one of the kind. How low could one get?

Just to put that one into perspective, he hard an only too well-known sizzle, and an annoying voice to go with it.

"My my, Zelgadis, it seemed like I was right, it's a little past eight, and our precious little princess is right where she usually is, this time of night!" Xellos whispered, after appearing right beside Zel.

He looked at him, with his head tilted slightly and an surprised expression.

"What are you doing on the ground, Zel? Impersonating a rock? You're quite missing your chance, you know.."

"To return the bracelet, I don't think so!" Zelgadis hissed. "You knew this, you lying son of a.."

"Ah ah, Zel-kun.. I never lied." He said, pointing accusingly at Zel with a gloved finger. "Besides, I thought you'd be thrilled. I serve you a 18 year old, innocent, naked beauty, virgin for all I know, and you bicker over details.. Some gratitude!"

Zel, upon grabbing the tricksters collar again, had to fight the urge to scream at him. After a while of calming down he snarled:

"What part of this did you possibly think I would like?! Being reduced to a peeping-tom? Or putting Amelia in an un-dignifying position? Not to mention taking advantage of the situation? Huh? What part, Xellos! Somehow, I don't see it!!"

"You might not be enjoying this, Zel, but I quiet am." The trickster remarked and looked at the window.

Then a thought struck Zel. Xellos knew she was here, he knew it, and so he could have…

"You'd better not been peeking at her!!" Zelgadis snarled between gritted teeth.

"Come now, how else would I have been able to gather the information you needed?" the priest just replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It has quite an advantage to be able to come and go as one wishes."

Zel fisted his hand, ready to punch the Mazkou into the next week, but thought better of it, Amelia would notice.

"And she has such a perfect body, too.. Apart from the scar, that is!" Xellos added, one eye open, smiling knowingly.

Upon hearing the first part of the sentence, his fist was well on its collision course with Xellos' face. Upon hearing the second part of it, the fist stopped.

Scar. What scar? He thought. Not the one from..

"Yes," Xellos replied, as if reading his thoughts. "the scar you gave her, Zel-kun."

He disappeared with a sizzle again, before Zel could manage to snap out of it and continue the punch.

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Amelia felt the water heat her body up. She loved taking baths. The only thing she really missed when on adventures was a good bath. That thought send a line of other thoughts down her mind. Adventures, fun, friends, Zelgadis…

"I saw you today, didn't I, Zelgadis?" She leaned her head against the marble edge of the pool. She looked up at the ceiling.

"But it couldn't be you…I was just hallucinating again…" she sighed, and sank a little deeper into the water, trying to comfort herself, she put her arms around herself.. "I wonder where you are, though, how you're doing… And why I'm talking to myself again…"

She was sure she had that feeling that something was wrong. The same kind of feeling you have, when somebody you don't like appear, or when you have this feeling that you forgot to turn off the oven. But she couldn't see anybody, and dismissed the thought. After a while the bad feeling disappeared. After ten more minutes she looked at her hands, they were all prunish.. Time to get up.

She got up, and dried the worst of herself with the towel. Then she went to the window still, and opened the window. A lot of hot air formed little clouds as they were led out into the cold night air. She looked at it..

"Zelgadis… Where are you?" she sighed into the starry night.

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The very mentioned chimera was sitting, right underneath the window and trying not to move, not to make a sound, not to breathe and not to exist at all, at that very same moment.

Go back inside…Please Amelia, go back inside! If you see me here, I'll probably die of shame. His thoughts raced. Part of him, a growing part, really wanted to let his eyes wander up to the window and look at her. She was leaning out the window, and he wasn't really sure if she was wearing anything. But he could clearly sense her, smell her warm, damp skin. Then he was saved by the bell.. Or the maid, more correctly.

"Your majesty? Prince Orin is waiting for you."

A sigh, almost childlike in its irritation eloped the princess' lips.

"I'll be right up…" She ran from the window, and Zel could breath again.

He quickly made his way past the guards, and escaped the city.

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Lina was woken by the sound of her front door being opened. She looked beside her. Nope, Gourry was still there, not sleepwalking or night snacking without her. So, who was the unlucky thieving bastard who'd picked her house? Whoever he was, he wasn't gonna get much time to regret his choice, 'cause this morning sickness was really getting to her, and she needed to react on somebody. A petty burglar was actually welcomed.

She had her fireball ready even before she opened the door to her living room. Hence, there was no stopping it, even when she realised that it was just Zel. Served him right though, sneaking up on an innocent soon-to-be-mother like that!

"Sheesh, what the heck are ya doing here, Zel!?" she demanded to know.

The newly roasted Zel glared at her, indifferently. Gourry came out from the bedroom.

"What's happenin'?" he asked, drowsily, rubbing sleep out of his eyes, and seemingly totally unfazed by the chaos in front of him.

"Zel's back!" Lina explained. "But what he's back for, however, I don't know!"

"A favour!" the crisped chimera said, coldly. "And I needed a place to sleep!" he added.

"You can have the couch." Gourry offered, and was well on his way back to bed.

"Hold on a sec, what's this favour thing, anyways?" Lina asked, suspiciously.

"I need you to deliver something for me… Something that has to be given to Amelia, in person…." He swallowed, and looked at the floor. "But I couldn't get a chance to do so myself… You guys are her friends, so surely you can-"

"You're her friend too, Zel!" Lina inferred. "And if it's something personal, I want no part of it! You have to do stuff like that yourself!"

Upon seeing her bluish friend sulk, she added:

"However, I might be convinced to persuade the young princess to have an audience with you…" and when she saw that did nothing to improve his mood "..or to go somewhere, and you can just accidentally bump into her there…"

It was the best offer he was going to get, and he knew it.

"Thanks Lina… We'll talk about it tomorrow…"

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Zelgadis didn't sleep very well. First of all, it wasn't that comfortable a couch, and second, he had nightmares. Now, it wasn't just the usual stuff with him being turned into a chimera. He could deal with those. No, this new, upgraded nightly horror had Amelia in it. And she was…. Miserable. It seemed like she had scars all over her body, and that they all seemed to spring from the scar he once gave her. His bad feeling about the marriage manifested itself too, in a part of the dream where Orin killed Amelia to be sole ruler of both Sailrune and Zephilia.

When he woke up, screaming, he could of course rationalise that Orin would never do such a thing, and that the scar he once gave Amelia wouldn't spread. It was all just silly thoughts. But it seemed so real..

And one thing was painstakingly obvious to him: She hadn't learned. She still missed him. Perhaps not as a loved one, but at least as a friend. She surely hadn't learned.

And if she hadn't, she probably never would. So, she needed somebody to protect her. Somebody powerful. He had to check out if this Orin would be strong enough to do the job. But if he attacked him to check that one out, he might kill Amelia's groom by accident, and then it'll all be uproar again. She needed his advice. And to give that, he was painfully aware that he had to cast away his pride, and seek her out, face to face.

He told all this to Lina, when she finally woke.

Lina sceptically raised an eyebrow, and crossed her arms, slightly leaning back against the chair she was sitting on. She gave him the "You don't really believe I buy this"-look, and Zel felt somewhat relieved that Gourry was sitting between them. Gourry on the other hand seemed to understand that reasoning a little better. This was protector-speech, just his kind of language.

"Hey, I understand that, Zelgadis!" the blonde said with a broad smile. "You wanna protect Amelia, right? But I just don't get why you just don't stay there and to it yourself?"

Zelgadis was momentarily loss for words, and Lina used this opportunity.

"Okay, cut the protector crap! Amelia is a strong girl, and able to take care of herself! You guys should know that by now." She said in a stern voice. She then looked at her husband and thought of all the times, where he'd saved her sorry ass. Okay, so maybe no woman was an army on her own, but still. "..And even if she did need a protector, your idea of "testing" her fiancée, Zel… It just doesn't feel right."

Gourry put an arm around Lina, and tugged her slightly to his chest.

"If I ever had to hand you off to somebody else, I'd make damn sure they were capable of protecting you, Lina. That is, I'd probably fight them to the very end, and if they beat me, they beat me." Gourry said, his voice a little more serious. Linas cheeks gained a healthy pinkish colour, not entirely a blush, but close.

Zel wasn't really sure he liked Gourry's perspective on this whole situation. It was nothing like their story. But no point in arguing. At least he had a supporter for his idea.

Lina however, still didn't like the idea. She'd tried to reason with the princess, but it hadn't done her any good. Besides, she thought that Zel's concern regarded her fiancées strength was misplaced, at best.

But then she saw an opportunity, both to give her intuition one last shot to prove itself right, and to have lots of free meals. She and Gourry agreed to follow him to Sailrune, to live with the princess for a while. After all, she HAD once promised them, that they could drop by, any time they liked.

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Amelia had had a very busy morning. Diplomatic stuff, wedding invitations, ball-arrangements, all that kind of stuff that you'd really rather not do when preoccupied. And she was. Very much so, actually.

Not just because of her hallucination yesterday. But also because she wasn't really sure, that she could go through with this political wedding. It somehow seemed wrong, especially because Orin actually seemed very… affectionate towards her. Especially lately.

What should she tell him? How would he react when he found out, that she didn't love him, and possibly never would?

A break was welcomed, and so she was thrilled when she heard that Lina and Gourry had arrived. She didn't know why, and she didn't care. Even if they just came for the food, it was still better than being alone with gloomy thoughts.. She wondered how Zelgadis could cope with it. He was always alone with his gloom, and somehow he'd managed to stay alone with it even in the company of friends.

When she entered the hall, where they were already making their way through a "little snack", the staff had put out for them, she lit up in a smile.

"Lina-san, Gourry-san!" she exclaimed and flung her arms around Lina. "Wow, you've grown so big!"

Lina proudly straightened her back, so that her stomach was visible in all its round glory!

"Yeah, I have, haven't I!" she smiled. "And I'm looking damn beautiful with it too! Besides, my breasts have grown a bit, too, due to hormones or some stuff like that!"

Amelia nodded, not really sure what to say. Better not comment it at all, that would be safest. She then asked the question she always asked..

"You haven't… y'know…. Heard from.." she started out, hesitatingly.

"Zel?" Lina concluded, like she always did. It was always the same question. Only this time around there was a new answer: "Sure we have!"

Amelia snapped for her breath.

"Really?"

"Yes really." Lina said, returning to the snacks, and sounding a little distant.

Amelia swallowed.

"So… how is he?" She finally dared to ask.

Lina, not looking at her, but fighting Gourry over a chicken leg, replied.

"Well, he's Zel.. He's never really anything, 'cept self-pitying, and stuff like that.."

Amelia looked at her feet.

"So, where is he, these days?" She asked.

Lina gave her a short, wry smile.

"He's actually in Sailrune as we speak."

Amelia's eyes became impossibly wide.

"Why didn't you say so right away, Lina-san?!" she almost shrieked, and ran off..

After a few seconds, she returned, asking where he might be. Lina told her the truth: That she had no idea whatsoever!

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It sure wasn't cheap. But then again it didn't have to be. Actually it hadn't mattered what they'd cost, 'cause it was the thought that mattered. Halfway to the castle he'd realised that he was missing something. And so, he'd gone to find a flower vendor. Found a pretty good one too, with lots of different and pretty flowers. But that only amplified his problem. What to buy her? If it was the thought that counted, then he'd better choose that thought well…

He could buy her lilies.. But then again, weren't those mainly used for funerals? Daisies then? Naw, too plain. After a 10 minutes conflict, moving his way through all the flowers, dismissing one after the other, he settled on the least creative choice: Roses. Red ones, with natural length, and thorns. He considered buying thorn-less roses, but thought better of it.

If it really were the thought that mattered, then removing the thorns would have a false signal value. Even if it was only a friendly present, to show that he was kinda sorry that he left two years ago, and especially the way in which he did so, he needed the flowers to represent their relation.

Giving her thorns only might have seemed more right, but a little too dramatic. So thorny roses would do the trick. He hurt the people he liked, even when it wasn't his intention. She of all people would understand that.

On his way back to the castle he was met by a scream. But not a scream of fear, like he was used to, no.. A scream of joy. Carrying his name, no less.

"Zelgadis-san!!" it rang out and hit his ears in time for him to turn around to face the girl launching at him with spread arms, quickly colliding with his chest, flinging her arms around him in a hug. He mused. It was funny how she apparently had grown towards everybody else, but towards him, she apparently still acted like the little naïve girl she'd always been.

He allowed himself to hug her back a little before he broke of the hug. She took a little step away from him, recalling his need for a large personal space. She looked up at him and smiled. Zel noticed that she looked even prettier up close. She'd grown taller, too.

"It's been such a long time.." she remarked, and beamed all over the place.

"It has." Was his short reply.

"I've been so worried about you…" Amelia tried to read his face, but somehow, over the past two years, she'd lost the ability to read him like an open book.

"I've been fine.." He really tried not to sound cold, but failed. To make up for his unfeeling tone of voice, he added, with a wry smile. "Haven't found my cure yet, though, as you can see!"

"I'm happy to hear that!" She beamed. Zel figured she must've been referring to the first part of his statement. However, he wasn't quite sure. For some odd reason, even though she claimed that she wished him all happiness in the world, she somehow seemed as if she didn't want him to find his cure.

"Oh… I've bought you these…" he coughed to clear his throat and handed her the roses.

She received them, and went, after his prediction, all starry eyed.

"Awww, thank you, Zelgadis-san!" She closed her eyes and inhaled the roses smell. Then, she stung herself.

Zelgadis saw her faint winch. She really tried not to show, and didn't even complain about the slight pain. But the symbolic value was worth it all. Sure she was happy to see him, but he would eventually hurt her again.

She just beamed another one of her smiles to him, and said:

"I'm so happy you're here, Zelgadis-san. I hope you'll stay at the castle for a while?"

"That was my plan, yes." He said quietly.

"Great!" Starry eyed she ran towards the castle. "I'll go tell the staff, so they can get some rooms ready for Lina, Gourry and you!"

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AN: I might upload a chapter more, just to give a little more of the story. Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy. ;)