AN: Thanks for the reviews. It's nice to know I've got a few readers already. I'm glad you like it. :) Still, if you happen to be one of those who like this couple, maybe even one of those who have a half-finished story with this couple, then get to writing! As I said before I only got around to uploading this because there ain't enough good stories out there supporting this canon couple. ;) Write dammit! We need more ZA!!

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For the love of Justice!

Zel hadn't really liked the idea that he was about to stand face to face with Phil again. Daddy of Doom. The thought was scary in itself, but on top of everything, he was the lucky monster that had scared and scarred Phil's precious daughter. And then of course, let's not forget his great finale, by running off without an explanation.

He feared the worst as he went from his room to the dinner table. As usual Lina and Gourry were already there, waiting for the last person to arrive so they could dig in the vast amounts of food. For that reason, Zel got a killer-glare for being late.

"Shees, Zel! We're starving here! Get your stony ass down that chair now!" Lina demanded. "I gotta eat for two now, remember!"

"Two? Cutting down on your food intake, then?…" Amelia remarked under her breath, somehow sending a chilling smile upon Zelgadis' face. Was that... his sarcasm?

"Did you say something, Amelia?" Lina asked, with a glare and a flat voice. The princess hurriedly shook her head with her hands in front of her.

"N-nothing!" she said with a nervous smile.

Zel sat down next to Gourry and tried to avoid the glare of Phil. Thank god he didn't have to face both Phil and Orin. But Phil was bad enough in himself.

Phil was looking more like an angry bear than he ever had. Zelgadis swallowed, and wondered whether Phil could kill him with his glare over the table. Phil finally stopped his killer glare, and said:

"Welcome, Lina-san and Gourry-san!" with his loud voice, and made his trademark laugh. "You know how we always enjoy having you over! Amelia's friends are my friends, too!"

Zelgadis wished he hadn't attended this dinner. The fact that he wasn't mentioned meant that something bad was going to happen. Hopefully they'd just socially ostracize him. He could live with that. Actually, he'd prefer that any day to a direct confrontation.

Amelia lifted her glass, and nodded towards Zel.

"And welcome to you, too, Zelgadis-san!" she smiled, and her voice sounded defiantly determined, as if to make it clear that she hadn't approved her fathers exclusion of Zel. "Good friends are always welcome, especially the long lost ones!"

Stupid Amelia. Why did she have to draw the attention towards him?

"Good friends, perhaps, Amelia dear.." Phil mumbled. "..But when a friend do you unjust and betrays your trust, then, by the heavens, I cannot call that person a good friend!" He dramatically fisted his hands and they all had this bad feeling about a justice speech on the way.

"But I can, daddy!" Amelia quickly inferred before her father could carry on.

"You are so amazing, daughter! Your heart is not only filled with justice, but also compassion and forgiveness! What a remarkable combination!" he hugged his daughter tight.

Zel wondered if he could sneak away. However, the rest of the castle was just as bad. They all avoided him. And they all whispered behind his back. People of Sailrune hadn't originally done that, so the change kinda struck him. They'd somehow always been more tolerant of him being a chimera. It didn't really matter that he looked like a monster, to them. But the fact that he'd scared the princess, now that was something unforgivable!

Lina felt the bad atmosphere ruin her appetite, something usually not happening. She had to do something, or this would just be disaster after disaster. She knew that if people treated Zel like a monster, he would eventually turn into one, giving up on good manners, since they didn't expect him to be a good person anyways. She wouldn't have another incident. And Phil was ruining her little scheme.

"Well, of all the friends Amelia has, I guess Zel actually is her best!" she said, and closed her eyes as if thinking. Gourry used the opportunity to steal her bacon.

Amelia blushed slightly, and Zel returned his attention to the table. What the heck was Lina spouting?

"How so, Lina-san?" Phil asked, sceptically, but also interested.

"Well, I know for a fact, that Zel wouldn't hurt her, even if he was paid to.." she said, knowing that it perhaps wasn't the best choice of words, since that was exactly what he had done when he was hired by the king of Xoana. Oh well, slightly bending of the truth, no problem. It was all in the best of interests. "So, his little stunt must have had some other motive!"

They all looked at Zel, who in turn got up from the table and walked away.

Amelia ran after him, not sure what Lina was up to, but she knew better than to leave him on his own when he had that look on his face.

"Zelgadis, wait!"

"Lucky! More food to us!" Lina exclaimed. "… Hey? Where's the bacon?! GOURRY!!"

"So, Lina-san, why do you think he did it then?" Phil asked.

"Because he's a greedy bastard, that's why! Leggo Gourry! That was mine!!" she hissed, trying to reclaim her bacon.

"Mine now!" he corrected, swallowing the rest of it and ending that dispute.

"No, I meant, why do you think Zelgadis did what he did?" Phil specified.

Lina regained herself after a whiny sulk.

"Oh that.. Well, I've been thinking.." she said, and took a sip of her glass. "And if I should guess, I'd guess that he simply… Well, the things he said and all.. I think he sacrificed his friendship to teach her not to trust people. It would be a Zel-thing to do…"

"Sacrificed his friendship?!" Phil narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah, y'know, so she wouldn't be tricked by Mazoku n' stuff. Y'see, Phil.. Amelia has this…. Logic… And ehm.. Well, let's just say, that she'd be tricked any day, because she's bad at judging who's dangerous and who's not!" Lina really tried not to step wrong here, but she was in a minefield. She KNEW that Phil also trusted everybody, unless they were villains, that is, referred to themselves as such. But that was the whole point. Those who were obviously dangerous and up to no good were not the ones to be feared. It was people like Rezo, Halcyform, Phebrizzo and Xellos who were the sneaky bastards that would be able to get close enough to you to really hurt you. "I guess he'd like to prevent that Mazoku trick and use her, like they did her cousin. It.. it would be unjust…?" She offered, a little weakly.

Her last addition to her story seemed like a good move. And it worked. Phil rose up from his chair, and his voice rang through the entire dining hall.

"Oooh!! So Zelgadis-san sacrificed his friendship and honour for justice! To protect my little girl!" He brought forth his sceptre and pointed in direction of the city. "I shall punish anyone who ever speak ill of him again! Such a sacrifice shall not go unnoticed! By the heavens I swear that justice will cleanse his name!"

Lina sweatdropped. It might have saved her blue friends stony ass, but he owed her. Big time!

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Meanwhile, Amelia was half running to keep up with Zelgadis' fast paces.

"It was a mistake to come back.." he muttered, while heading towards his room. He'd just go get his stuff, and be out of there. Oh yes, the bracelet. He had to give her that too.

"No, it wasn't!" Amelia objected, and tried to run in front of him to stop him. Not with much luck. "I'm very happy you came back, Zelgadis..-san."

"You might be, but unless some sort of miracle happens, the rest of the city will burn me, or try to, before weeks end!" Zel snorted and opened the door to his room.

Amelia courteously waited outside. She couldn't just walk in without his permission. After less than 20 seconds he was on his way out again, coming straight towards her, with something in his hands. She recognised it when he was about four feet from her. Her bracelet. Then one she'd given him that night.

"Here…" he said, coldly, while handing her the bracelet.

It took her a while to realise what was going on. First thought was why he'd kept it at all. Second was why he was returning it to her now? He used that time to walk past her and continue down the hall.

"You… you're leaving?" she asked as it dawned on her, voice thin in disbelief. She knew that if he returned the bracelet and left in a mood like this, it was almost certain she'd never see him again.

"Yes!" was his cold response, further down the hallway, he stopped, turned around and gave her a glance.

She ran after him.

"But you can't leave! You've only just arrived!" she begged, catching up on him. "Please stay.. At least for a short while.. Please?"

He sighed and looked at her. She hadn't changed. She'd still be fooled by anybody clever enough not to wear black, and use the word villain to refer to themselves. She wouldn't stand a chance. She was very much her father's daughter, but she was… too fragile, compared to him. She needed somebody strong to protect her. Strong. Protect. Husband. Ah, her fiancé.

"I'd like to meet your fiancée before I leave, though.." he said, not looking at her.

Of all the things he could have said.. Oh well, at least she didn't seem to take it like a jealous approach. Actually, she looked like she couldn't understand at all why he'd like to meet Orin. She smiled, though.

"As long as you stay a little longer, I don't care what the reason is!" she beamed.

He tried to smile back.

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Later that evening, they were all chattering in the library. Zelgadis was checking out the new spell-books Amelia had purchased. She'd apparently gone totally shop-amok, since there was an entire new wing in the library with books on white magic. She must have felt inferior to Lina or something like that, because these were not kids play.

He marvelled over some of the finds. Rare books indeed. Perhaps even something that could contain his cure. A thought struck him. Perhaps she'd bought the books becau.. he dismissed the thought. Why would she?

Amelia was talking to Lina and Gourry about something. It seemed awfully important. Without really wanting to, he eavesdropped. It was about the wedding-night, and her voice was very shaky, embarrassed.

"Y.. you see…" she stammered, and Zel could almost hear her cheeks flush. "..it.. it's not that I don't know anything about.. it… It's just that.. Well, books don't provide an answer to my questions, just information…"

Zel could almost also hear the redhead's cheeks flush.

"Sure, whaddya wanna know?" Gourry said, unaffected.

This was private. Very much so. He'd better not listen in any further.

"Sorry, Gourry, but I think this is a girl-only talk!" Lina said.

"Okay."

…..

"Which means you leave, Jellyfish-brains!" the redhead continued, in a threatening voice.

Gourry got up and left the room. There was an awkward silence. Zel wondered if he could leave the room too, but he was three bookshelves away. The girls probably thought he couldn't hear them, and he'd only reveal that he could if he left. He decided that not to listen was a better idea.

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Amelia really hated this situation. But better to ask now, than wait. If she really was to marry Orin, she needed to know what was expected from her on the wedding night. She couldn't just tell him that it was a political marriage only. It would be cruel, since he obviously expected more. But how much more, she wasn't sure.

Lina didn't look as if she was comfortable about the situation either. Her cheeks almost matched her hair. Amelia wondered how to.. compose the question so it didn't sound too.. embarrassing. Lina broke off her line of thoughts.

"You don't have to, if you don't want to, Amelia…" she said, silently. "You know that…"

"I know but…"

"And don't do it for his sake. He's lucky to have you in the first place, as a queen. No need for him also to have you as a wife!" she said.

"But…" Amelia looked down. "Eventually I have… We have to… An heir, you know?"

"Well, you can always wait? Perhaps you'll fall in love with him eventually, and then it'll all just… fix itself?"

"Perhaps…" Amelia tried to sound optimistic. She had to.

A long silence followed.

"It hurts… That part of what the books say is true.." Lina said, crimson red, but seemingly unmotivated. "But it's worth it all.. And one quickly grows used to it. And when it's stopped hurting, it's really nice… when it's somebody you love, that is…"

Amelia swallowed. If she didn't love Orin now, she never would. He was perfect, and wouldn't really win anything on a closer look. Unlike somebody she knew. Perhaps she could grow used to him?

"What if it's… all a disaster?" she asked timidly. "What if he can't.. I mean, if he isn't… I mean, if I'm not.. Y'know… pretty enough… to.."

"You mean..?" Lina asked, swallowing something that might have been her pride. "You mean, if he's…. not… turned on by you?"

As Lina made her way past the last couple of words in that sentence, both girls grew crimson red.

"Yes…. What if he.."

"Nonsense!!" Lina said, with a slight chuckle. "You have got THE most perfect body. I can tell you, if you showed it a little more off, you'd notice that there is not the man in this kingdom, or beyond, you couldn't make drool over you! I should know, I've taken a lot of baths with you, too!"

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Her voice was relieved and loud. Which also meant that despite his best efforts, Zelgadis could not avoid hearing the last bit. A stray thought remarked that she was probably right.

Which was another problem.

That appearance combined with her status and her naïve view of the world was a bad cocktail. He feared she'd have to go through something really gruesome for her to learn. And this time around, he wouldn't be the one calling the shots, so there'd be no guarantee she'd get away unharmed.

"You're only flattering me, Lina!" Amelia said. "But thanks for trying to make me feel better… It helps… But what if Orin asks about the…."

The pause told Zelgadis that she was talking about the scar. Zel cursed. Why did he have the brilliant idea to bite her in the first place? And why oh why hadn't she healed it up with magic?

"Well, you'll just have to explain what happened…" Lina mumbled. "Tell him the whole story, not just that Zel scared you, but that he also physically hurt you. He'll probably not take it very well…"

"No… He won't.." Amelia's voice grew thin. "What if he'll hate Zelgadis?"

"Then… I dunno.." Lina sounded like she really tried not to let it depress her. "I guess you'll have to make him accept him then? Zel's such a big part of your life, he can't avoid him forever!"

"And making him won't be hard…" Amelia said, her voice almost sounding a little disappointed. "He's a real pushover.. Sure, he's a fair swordsman, and a good ruler, but if I say no, he'll abide to it, and if I start to use magic, he wouldn't last five minutes in a fight… So yeah, I guess I could make him."

As much as those words amused Zelgadis, they alarmed him as well. Then another sound alarmed him. A sound of feet sneaking around out on the balcony. He quickly checked the air in the room, the door wasn't open. So why would anybody be out there. As fast as a lightning, he ran to the balcony door, and just in time, too.

The arrow broke on encountering his stony chest. But it was well aimed, and silent too. On this distance, not even the sound of the window glass breaking could have been warning enough to dodge it. Both girls shrieked in shock, mainly because Zel's sudden appearance had made them jump. They'd entirely forgotten about him being in the room.

"Get down, Amelia!" he shouted to her.

"Why, that son of a.." Lina fumed, and was on her way out on the balcony. Zel turned around to face Amelia, just to see if she was hurt. A little shaken perhaps, but nothing serious. And she didn't feel like hiding.

"That was the seventh this week.." she said in a bitter tone. "I swear, justice will come to those who-"

"Even if we did catch the guy who shot this arrow, attempts on your life will always be a part of your daily life, Amelia!" Zelgadis said, pessimistically like only he could say it.

"He's right there.." Lina added. "Damn.. I lost track of him…"

"I'll speak with Phil about some security precautions that can be made, tomorrow…" Zel said, leaving the room. "In the meantime, try not to stand directly in line of fire from the windows, Amelia."

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AN: Ah yes. More storyline. I hope you still like it. I'm hoping to upload the next chapter once I've gotten around to go through it with a critical glare, fireballing errors and the like, but it shouldn't be much more than a couple of days. Then, I'll be sorta out of already written plotline.

But I'm kinda hoping uploading it here will motivate me to finish it. ;) When it's just a stray word document on my computer, it doesn't really matter if I finish it or not. But once I've put it up here, it'll officially be an unfinished story. Hopefully it'll do the trick. ;)

Again, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy it.