Year 7
The lime tree was covered with flowers that spring. It had produced a few blossoms the previous year but they hadn't come to anything. Since the summer Zelgadis had first seen the tree, it had grown from a a spindly collection of branches only a few inches high into a bushy young tree as tall as he was. Although she tried to hide it, Amelia was filled with tension every time she looked at it. As far as Zelgadis could tell, in the last six and a half years she had never missed a day watering it. He knew for sure that neither rain nor snow, fever nor childbirth had stopped her. He had tried to fill in for her a few times but she had always shaken her head at him and done it over herself.
As the months passed, the flowers fell off and were replaced by buds that grew into fruit. The fruit swelled until finally it was ready to harvest.
Zelgadis was using Amelia's slate and chalk to work on designs for the upgraded waterwheel the miller wanted, but his attention was on her rather than his slide rule. She had brought in a basket of limes and was using the juice and grated skins to make some kind of lotion. He could smell the pleasant, citrus scent from the other side of the room but he doubted the purpose was merely cosmetic.
Or maybe the limes were just limes, he thought, as Amelia added sugar and water to the remaining juice to turn it into limeade. She brought him a tall glass of the refreshing beverage, poured some into a cup with a spout for Rodimus and then helped herself to a smaller glass.
Zelgadis nodded his thanks. The limeade tasted delicious on this hot summer afternoon. They finished off the last of it with supper and then Amelia took her time tucking Rodi into bed. He now had a little bed of his own in the room that had once been Zel's.
Zelgadis noticed as she came out of the baby's room that she was carrying the pot of lime lotion, but before he could question her about it, she kissed him with intent and pulled him toward their bedroom. He willingly followed her. She lured him out of his clothes and then pushed him down on the bed and started rubbing his back with strong, lotion-covered hands.
Zel didn't know what he'd done to deserve this but he was more than happy to accept it. He sighed in pure bliss as the tension melted out of his body. In fact, he must have relaxed so much that he fell asleep because the next thing he was aware of was waking up in the dawn light.
Amelia was asleep beside him with her dark hair rumpled against the pillow. She must have felt him stir because she opened her eyes and looked back at him. She studied him intently and then her face lit up with one of the most brilliant smiles he had ever given him (and that was saying something).
He reached out to stroke her hair lovingly but was frozen in place by sensation as overwhelming as it was unexpected. Her hair felt soft against his fingers. The sheets felt soft against his skin. And the hand touching Amelia's hair was pink.
He pulled back his hand and held the other up beside it to compare. Both looked completely human. So did his arms and, when he pushed back the covers, every other bit of himself he could see. The hair falling past his eye was darker than he was used to and flowed like soft hair rather than stiff metal.
"I'm...I'm cured!" he gasped.
Amelia grinned, taking pleasure in his pleasure.
"You did this, didn't you?" Zel demanded. "That lime lotion...and the lime juice you fed me." The realization hit him. "Amelia, don't tell me that all of this - all seven years of loneliness and silence - was for me?"
Amelia's smile told him that she considered the result well worth the sacrifice.
"But when you started we were just friends. You had no way to know that I would find you or that we would fall in love and have a son." Another realization hit him. "Rodimus!"
He quickly threw on some clothes (taking pleasure even in his hurry in the feeling of cloth against his skin) and rushed to the baby's room with Amelia following right behind him.
The little boy was fast asleep in his little bed. The silvery sheen had gone out of his hair, leaving it a soft, dark purple, and his skin was the colour of peaches and cream rather than lavender. His little ear, peeking out of his overgrown hair, was smoothly rounded. Amelia yanked back the covers and checked over every inch of his little body. All human.
Rodimus started to cry at the rude awakening. Zelgadis picked him up and tried to soothe him, but that just made Rodi's tears turn to panicked screams as if he thought he was being kidnapped. Zel hastily handed the boy over to Amelia and left the room.
The screams soon faded to muffled sobs and then (as far as Zel's muted human ears could detect) to silence. A few minutes later, Amelia emerged from the room. Zel caught a glimpse of Rodimus tucked back into bed again before she shut the door.
"I suppose this would be a shock for him," Zelgadis said.
Amelia nodded agreement, eyes filled with compassion for her child.
"He'll adjust."
Amelia nodded agreement again. Then she unfastened her necklace of silence and dropped it on the floor. She walked up to Zel and murmured in his ear, voice husky with disuse, "I love you."
He hugged her impulsively, surprised by how moved he felt at hearing her voice again.
"I love you!" Amelia repeated louder. "I've been longing to say that for six years. Well, nine really but at first it was just shyness holding me back."
This morning was just full of disconcerting but pleasant surprises.
She touched his cheek. "You look wonderful as a human. I always tried to imagine what you'd look like human but the reality is better than anything I imagined!"
Zelgadis just watched her, wondering if it was really possible to feel as happy as he felt in that moment.
"Rodi's name is Rodimus Phil De Seyruuun," Amelia added sternly.
Zelgadis nodded acceptance, smiling helplessly.
"And 'turmeric' is pronounced 'ter-me-rick', not 'tu-mer-ic'."
When he continued to just stare at her with a smile, Amelia said, "Aren't you going to say anything?"
Zelgadis embraced her tenderly and whispered in a voice choked with emotion, "I'd almost forgotten what your voice sounds like." He had tears in his eyes.
Amelia kissed him lovingly and then exclaimed, startled, "That feels so different!" When he looked worried she added reassuringly, "But in a good way."
"A lot of things are going to be different in our life now," Zel said soberly.
"I should write to Daddy to let him know...well, everything! But first," she smiled wickedly, "I want to find out what else feels different." She grabbed his soft, flesh-covered hand and pulled him toward the bedroom.
Later, holding each other, Amelia said, "Oh Zelgadis, I'm so glad it worked! I mean, I had faith that as long as my heart was strong and I stayed true to my purpose everything would work out, and my life here wasn't so bad, especially when you were here, but there were moments when I was so scared it would turn out I was doing all this for nothing!"
"I still can hardly believe you went through so much just for my sake. You are an amazing woman."
They lingered in bed, talking (Amelia seemed determined to fit seven years worth of words into one morning) and enjoying skin-to-skin contact, until a discontented toddler appeared in their doorway. Amelia knelt down in front of him and said, "Good morning, Rodimus."
The boy's eyes grew wide and he ran screaming back to his room. "He's not taking this very well, is he?" Amelia said, chagrined.
"Maybe if I sing to him from outside the door while you hold him silently?" Zelgadis suggested.
They put the plan into action. Soon they managed to get the boy calmed down enough that Amelia could dress him.
They were all eating breakfast, Zel in a hooded cloak, when there was a knock on the door. Zelgadis answered it. It was the baker's daughter, Betsy. She startled at the sight of him.
"You must be here for the herbs your mother ordered," Zel said.
"M-Mr. Zelgadis?" the girl stuttered in disbelieving recognition.
Amelia came to the door to see who it was and then vanished into the garden to pick the required herbs.
"Mr. Zelgadis, you're...you're..."
"Human?" He grinned. "Yes, I am."
She peered past him to the table, where Rodimus was taking advantage of the absence of his parents to throw food on the floor. "And the little one too!"
"Yes."
Amelia returned with several little bundles of herbs.
"Thank you," Betsy said absentmindedly, still staring at Zelgadis and Rodimus.
"You're welcome," Amelia said sweetly.
The girl's eyes grew, if possible, even wider. She ran back down the hill as fast as safety would allow.
Zelgadis put his arm around Amelia. "In another hour the whole town will know," he said wryly.
Amelia looked out over the view. "I'm going to miss this town."
"I'm not," Zelgadis said. Amelia elbowed him. "Well, maybe a little," he admitted.
Zelgadis was in front of the house, working on a trunk that would allow Amelia to carry her garden home to Seyruun with her once they were ready to spring a second set of shocks on Rodi, when a squad of soldiers rode into town. He watched with a frown as they stopped at Mr. Nolan's store - perhaps to ask for directions? - and then continued on toward the foot of the hill. When he was sure they were coming to his house, he put down the delicate seed tray he'd been piecing together and stood up to meet them.
The leader of the soldiers was panting a bit by the time he finished climbing the steep hill in heavy armour. Zelgadis looked at him inquiringly, refusing to make the first move. The soldier eyed Zel's rough work clothes and untidy hair and said doubtfully. "We're looking for Amelia Wil Tesla Seyruun and the man in the store said the only Amelia in this town lives here. This is 'the Greywords house', right?"
Zelgadis nodded and called out, "Amelia, there are some people here to see you! It looks like a squadron of Elmekia's army in dress uniforms led by a knight of the second order!"
The knight looked mildly startled that he'd identified their uniforms so accurately. "The princess really is here?" he asked in surprise.
Zelgadis nodded taciturnly.
"And you are...her manservant?"
Zel smiled thinly. "More or less. I'm her husband."
"Your highness, I'm so sorry..."
Zel waved the apology away. "She may be royalty but I'm just an ordinary guy."
Amelia stepped out of the house with Rodimus in her arms. She had been feeding her son his morning snack and, as usual, he had managed to get food all over his face, his hands, his clothes, and his mother. The knight looked at her as if he found it impossible to believe there was any connection between the food-spattered peasant in front of him and the princess he was looking for. The men behind him exchanged bewildered glances.
Amelia surveyed her visitors silently. She suddenly barked, "At ease!"
The soldiers all straightened up into parade rest and then looked surprised at themselves for doing so.
Amelia looked at Zelgadis, who asked, "What's this about?"
"Forgive me, Your Highness," the knight said meekly to Amelia. "We were sent to investigate a rumour that the lost princess of Seyruun - you - was living in northern Elmekia. There were some bandits who said they were captured by a girl who didn't speak and a man with metal hair..."
"I knew that would come back to haunt us," Zelgadis muttered.
"...although I'm not sure what that has to do with you. Then, when we came to this area to investigate, we heard that there was a healer in this town with the skill of a Seyruunese priestess."
"You've found us. Now what?" Zelgadis asked.
"Now I am to escort you back to the capital with all honour so that the king can welcome you properly."
Amelia and Zelgadis exchanged looks. "Of course we would be happy to accept your offer," Amelia said regally. "Just give us some time to prepare."
"You can wait down in the town," Zelgadis suggested pointedly.
Once the soldiers were out of earshot, Amelia said, "It will be a good practice run for taking Rodi to Seyruun." She didn't sound very enthusiastic.
A quick bath and a change of clothes later, they headed down to the town. They didn't have any clothes suitable for royalty, but they felt no shame wearing clean clothes that Amelia had made. As they walked into town, the villagers stared at Amelia with new eyes.
Betsy asked timidly as they walked past, "You aren't really a princess, are you?"
"So the soldiers have been talking," Zel said grimly.
Amelia sighed in resignation and nodded.
"It seems you've finally learned her real name and why she didn't want me to tell you," Zelgadis sighed ruefully.
"This explains a lot about you both," the mayor said with a weak smile. "It's been an honour having you here."
"We'll be back," Zelgadis said. "At least to pack up our stuff."
Amelia hugged several of her friends good bye. "Would you water my garden for me while I'm away? We should be back soon," she asked the one with the greenest thumb.
Still, everyone knew it would never be the same.
After they got back from the royal court of Elmekia (where the youngest prince was very disappointed to discover that the mysterious princess they'd discovered was already married), they quickly packed up everything from their house that they wanted to keep into a wagon and got out of town. On their second day on the road, a group that looked like a Seyruunese honour guard passed them going the other way but the group paid no attention to the very ordinary looking family in the very ordinary looking wagon. On their fifth day on the road, while they were stopped for lunch, a little old woman leaning on a staff approached them.
"That's her!" Amelia said excitedly. "That's the old woman who told me what I had to do to cure you and gave me the magic lime seed!"
Zelgadis stepped forward to meet the crone and took her claw-like hand in his. "If what Amelia says is true, then thank you. Thank you! I can't thank you enough!"
The old woman pushed back her hood and as she did so her face changed from ancient female to male of indeterminate age. Her clothes changed from ragged brown to neatly pressed black. Her hair turned from wispy white to smooth purple. Her gnarled staff smoothed out and grew a red gem. "You're very welcome," said Xellos.
Zelgadis dropped his hand and leapt back, "You!"
Amelia was so shocked all she could do was point a trembling finger at him.
"Please forgive the deception. I thought you might not trust the information if you knew I was the source," Xellos said with a carefree smile.
"You set this up? But why?" Zelgadis demanded.
"Is it so surprising that I would want to help out my friends?" Xellos asked mildly.
"You're a mazoku. You don't have any friends," Zelgadis retorted.
"Then you could say that I wanted to do you a favour to make up for destroying the copies of the Clair Bible you were looking for."
"I could say a lot of things. That wouldn't make them true."
"...Or you could say I was curious to see if Miss Amelia would go through with it. My, she certainly is a determined young lady!"
Zelgadis grabbed the front of Xellos' shirt. "Why you sadistic monster! Was that it? Did you want to watch her suffer?"
Amelia grabbed Zel's sleeve. He looked back at her and let Xellos go. "You're right," he said to Amelia. "It worked." He turned back to Xellos. "Whatever your motivations, thank you."
Xellos looked surprised. Then, with a smile and a wink, he vanished.