Hello, This is Alley McNally and I am proud to announce the start of a three-part series called "Going Home." This is a series that I started working on some years ago but only recently was able to finish. It was inspired by some great work on . And some really awesome people who make it all worthwhile. This story was started before the official translation of the final light novels was released. As such, there may be some inconsistencies that I was not able to avoid. I do apologize for that.

This story takes place in its own universe. That is technically separate from either the manga. novels, or anime. Although it is primarily based on the novels, so you will notice some differences in the characters because of that. Of course, I recommend reading the new translations if you can. They are pretty good - even if they insist on calling Lina's favorite pastime 'Bandit Bullying.'

Finally, over the next couple of weeks, I will release each story as a single chapter. This should make it a lot easier to put together. I hope you enjoy the first installment of this story. Its called "The Prince."

PART ONE:

"The Prince"

If you ask me, there is nothing better than traveling. You get to see new places. Meet new people and discover treasure. Granted there's all that nasty stuff that comes up along the way. But if you worried about that all the time then you'd miss the good stuff! Like beating up bandits or snagging some really great loot. Did I mention the loot? Yeah, that's the good stuff. Shiny, valuable loot. Loot that you can pawn off at the nearest shop. It's the best part of traveling.

That is unless you have a kill-joy boyfriend following you around. My boyfriend hates it when I hunt bandits and take their loot. He doesn't exactly stop me, (he knows that's impossible) but he does give me a look that makes me feel bad about it. Which promptly takes the joy out of it. Which is probably why I haven't hunted any bandits in ages. I can't stand the disapproval of Gourry Gabriev anymore. How the hell did that happen?

I love him but sometimes he's a bit of a pain. I mean: What's wrong with killing some bandits anyway? They aren't exactly nice guys, y'know. Everything that they own - they stole. All while raping, killing, and destroying everything in their path. Suffice it to say - they aren't nice people. They deserve destruction. Why can't I give it to them? It is only fair.

And if I make a buck in the process - well - no harm done! I mean, a girl's gotta eat. Casting magic costs major energy. Someone's gotta pay for it. It's not like our other work pays the bills. Sure, it's great to save the world from Shabranigdo, but where's the profit in that? Y'know beyond, you all get to live thing. That's nice in all, but it doesn't put food on the table. And both of us eat a lot. That doesn't come cheap. And who is paying for our food? Not my idiot boyfriend that's for sure. The last time I checked, I was the one picking up the tab, paying for our room, and any other expense that came our way. He didn't worry about such mundane stuff. I had to do that. So who cares what I do so long as I'm making a mint?

Gourry Gabriev, that's who. He is sorta of a big, dumb, strong, sexy white knight. He has been following me around for years. Protecting me and caring for me while going along with almost anything I do. Honestly, I never expected him to stick around for so long. It's almost as if he sees something in me that I can't. Something chivalrous or redeeming or something like that. I don't know. I doubt that even Gourry knows what it is. Did I mention that he is dumb? Well, he is. Like really dumb. He forgets the most amazing things. Like the fact that his ancestor slew the great beast Zanifar. A famous story that like everyone knew! Save for Gourry, of course. He didn't listen . . . Ugh. That was kind of important, y'know! Sheesh.

Now don't get me wrong, I love Gourry. I would never trade him for the world! There was even a time when I gave up my existence for him. I allowed the Lord of Nightmares to take me over to save his life. I didn't care if I died or the world was destroyed. So long as Gourry was alive that was all that mattered. Not that he approved. The fool fought to save me when he should have run. He wasn't afraid of the mother of all things. He was willing to fight her to save me. But that's who he is. He doesn't leave the ones that he loves behind. The consequences be damned. He will fight.

Now, why am I telling you all this? What purpose would I have? It's quite simple actually. I wanted to give you perspective. To understand the man who has both been called both a prince and a thief. Who definitely stole the heart of Lina Inverse, sorceress genius. That's me, in case you are wondering. I'm the woman who ripped his heart out and blew it to pieces. Who ran off carrying his unborn child. I want you to understand why I did it. Why I lied to him. Why I couldn't allow us to be together. After all, why would a prince want to be with the enemy of all who live? It just wasn't right . . . Or so I tell myself over and over again. It was best for him that I leave.

Oh! Why in the world would I fall in love with a prince? I'm such a fool.

Then again, this is my confession, isn't it? If I wasn't an idiot then I wouldn't be writing this. But I need to get it out. To tell the story of how I lost the only man that I loved. To beg his forgiveness. I honestly didn't know that this would happen! Or that I fell in love with a Prince. Gourry kept that fact away from me. In all our years together he never once told me who he really was. Or that I took a prince to my bed every night. That our relationship threatened his family, his kingdom, and his life. If I knew then this story would be a very different one. Maybe one with a happier ending? Maybe not. But I can dream, can't I?

Suppose I have been delaying it for long enough. Let me tell you how I lost the only man that I loved.

end of chapter

It all started on a high note. Gourry and I had been seeing each other for months. We slew monsters during the day, ate a meal in the evening, and had sex in the night. Trust me, Gourry was a good lover. I don't know if it is because he is an Elmekian Swordsman or because he's Gourry. I guess it doesn't matter. All that matters is life was good. We were happy. Life was good.

That was up till the day that an old man approached us in a restaurant. He had this 'official' air about him that made you pay attention. In a way, he reminded me of a mix of Phil and Zelgadiss. I know that sounds messed up, but that's the vibe I got from the guy. All serious and proper and stuff. In other words, he was not the type of guy that we usually associate with. Particularly, around mealtime. Most of these people know better than to interrupt us. Clearly, this man didn't get the memo.

"I beg your pardon, but are you by chance 'Gourry Gabriev'?"

We stopped eating immediately. It wasn't every day that you had someone looking for Gourry. If they bothered us then they wanted me. I was the brains of the outfit, after all. It was only polite to speak to the sorceress who could blow you up in an instant. A sorceress who was getting more and more annoyed by the second. I was especially hungry today and I didn't want to be bothered. Particularly, if they didn't have enough sense to talk to me directly. It was just plain rude! It made me so very annoyed. All without the poor man saying much of anything! I just knew that things were going to get pretty darned annoying.

Gourry's eyes opened wide as he looked at the man. That caught me off guard. He so rarely recognized someone that it disconcerting. I wondered who this man was and how the hell did he know Gourry. I knew that we had never met. I would have remembered Mr. No-Nonsense here if I had. I'm sure of that. Nope, this was somebody from Gourry's past that he never told me about. Not that he told me much about his past. I only knew a few things about his family. Just as he only knew a few things about mine. That worked up till now. Sadly, that was no longer possible as I quickly found out.

"Sir Chadeville!" He cried out.

"Prince Gourry, it is you!"

My heart stopped for a second. "Prince Gourry?" I shot him a dirty look. "Gourry, are you not telling me something?"

Gourry started to panic. He knew how pissed off I was becoming. He knew that it wasn't wise to piss me off when I was hungry. "Now, look Lina, it's not what . . ."

Chadeville cut him off. "There is no mistake. He is Prince Gourry de Elmekia. Heir to the throne of our land."

For the first long in ages, I was speechless. Here was a man that I thought I knew. Who had been keeping a secret of this size from me. Gourry was a prince! And a crown prince at that! My god, what the hell I was doing all these years? The man that I share my bed with is a prince! A frickin' prince! When was he going to tell me? After our wedding? After our first child was born? When Gourry? When? Don't ya think that I deserve to know that?

"Really? Gourry. Tell me. How is it not exactly what I think?" I demanded.

"Well, you see . . . You see . . ." My glare was starting to make him crack.

Once again, Mr. Chadeville saved the day. "You see miss, he is a prince. A prince of one the most powerful countries of the inner world. One that has been missing for almost ten years."

Ten years? That would be three years before I met him. I wondered what the hell was doing all that time. I know that he went to Sairaag at some point and worked as a mercenary for a bit, but that's about it. Gourry never told me what happened in those years or why he left home. And since he didn't ask me about my sister too much I left it alone. Clearly, that was a mistake. I should have probed him for more. Then maybe I wouldn't be so bowled over right now.

"Gourry, is he telling the truth? Are you a prince?" I made it quite clear that if he was to lie to me I'd kill him.

For there was a long silence while Gourry tried to figure out what to say. Finally, he admitted the truth. "Yes, Lina was born a prince."

Of all the years that I've traveled with Gourry Gabriev I never once suspected him of being a prince. Sure, he had the looks but not the brains! Gourry makes Zombies look smart. And that's saying something. 'Cause I've seen some dumb zombies! I never pegged him for a runaway prince. Who would? Hell, if Gourry had told me that he was a prince earlier I would have never believed him! I mean what country would have the misfortune of calling him a prince? Let's face it - he wasn't born for the role. Hell, I could do a better job and I would be a terrible princess! (Hey, I know my limits, okay?) So how the hell was Gourry a prince? My mind couldn't take it. It just had to be some kind of trick! It couldn't be the truth. Yet, I knew otherwise. You see I can read Gourry like a book. He wasn't lying to me. He was telling the truth. Which hurt my head even more.

It also made me incredibly angry. I couldn't really explain it but I wanted to kick his ass. I knew that I shouldn't be angry with him. That it wasn't fair. I would have never believed him if told me before. It was just so unbelievable! It was like I didn't know him. I mean I thought I knew him, but maybe I didn't. Maybe he was someone else entirely. Hell, maybe he just pretended to be dumb! Maybe he played me for a fool. Maybe he was laughing at me when my back was turned.

No! I can't think that way! Gourry's not like that. He's not! He's the most gentle, wonderful man that I have ever met. What we feel for each other is real! It's not a lie! It's real! I can see it in his eyes every time that he made love to me. No, Gourry Gabriev loves me. He didn't lie to hurt me. He just didn't wanna deal with it. Just as I didn't wanna deal with my big sis. It's exactly the same. Only now Gourry's past was catching up to him.

Anyway, what was I saying? Oh! Yeah, Gourry admitted that he was a crown prince of Elmekia. Who had run away from his post ten years ago. A fact that he kept from me. Now, his old life was biting him in the ass. Since this servant of the crown, Mr. Chadeville showed up. Things were going to get crazy around here.

"So, you're a prince, huh?" I restated quietly. Gourry gulped. He knew that I was mad. Really mad! If he could then he would have booked it out of this restaurant. Too bad for him there was nowhere to run. "Didn't you ever think that you might have wanted to tell me that?"

Gourry tried to explain. "I didn't see any point in telling you. I left that life behind, Lina. It no longer matters."

"It wasn't important!" I roared. "Gourry, for god's sake, you're a prince! That's extremely important!"

Gourry tried to hush me. "Lina, keep it down!" He hastily added, "I told you - I'm not a prince anymore. I gave up my claim years ago. As far as I'm concerned, my brothers can have it! I'm just Gourry Gabriev, an expert swordsman for hire. Prince Gourry is dead." He stared at the old man, challenging him to object. "It's best that he stay that way."

For one long moment, neither Gourry nor myself said a thing. We just stared at each other, daring the other to speak. All while the room around us couldn't keep their eyes off of us. No one was talking anymore or minding their own business. What is it true? Was this air-headed fool really a prince? Was this just some act or was there truth to it? Needless to say, the tension in the room was palpable. No one knew what to expect next.

That's when Chadeville suggested that we go outside. A perfectly reasonable suggestion if you ask me. We needed to continue this discussion away from prying eyes. I didn't really want to share my personal problems with the world. The last thing that I wanted was to put on a show for some idiots in a bar. It wasn't like I was going to eat anyway. I figured that it was time to go.

We followed Chadeville to his room at the inn to continue the discussion. As he talked I found myself getting more and more hungry. Along with being more and more irritated. I had my fill of Elmekian politics. I could see why Gourry developed his habit of only listening ten percent of the time. It was a lot easier than trying to process the craziness!

Now, I'm not going to bore you with all the details. Trust me, we'd be here until next week if I did. Let me summarize it for you: King Solace the Third was on his deathbed. What caused it, no one knew. Not that it mattered because it left a power vacuum that was consuming the royal court. Princes and Lords were all vying for control. It was brother versus brother. Friend versus friend. All were taking sides and preparing for war, for no one could agree on who would succeed Solace. The line of succession was broken. Civil war was on the horizon.

Chadeville was hoping that Gourry would put a stop to this. He was the eldest son and the crown prince. That title had never been officially taken away. For some reason, the king refused to revoke his birthright. To declare one of his other sons as the new crown prince and heir. He insisted that only Gourry could take on that mantle. That only he was destined to rule their people. No one else would do. It had to be Gourry. In fact, it was the old king who had sent Chadeville to hunt for Gourry in the first place! It had taken nearly seven long years but he had finally found him. Now, he would not take no for an answer. He would not leave until Gourry agreed to return home and take his rightful place.

Frankly, I thought that the man's plan was overly simplistic. Surely, the return of the crown prince would not solve the kingdom's problems. It would likely only exacerbate them. There would be one more contender for the crown. Whom many would not believe in. Gourry did run off ten years ago. That would not be easily forgotten or forgiven. Many would simply choose to ignore him in favor of some other prince. Or worse actively work against him. No, sending Gourry home was like throwing a fireball at a barrel of oil. It was going to explode!

Gourry seemed to have a similar opinion. He told Chadeville that it wasn't going to work. That no one would follow him. No one would believe in him. "They never believed in me before, why would they start now?"

Chadeville, for his part, wasn't deterred. He honestly believed that Gourry was the right man for the job. That he was the only one who could do it. "You would be surprised how popular you are, Prince. The men revere you and the women love you. If they could, they would all marry you!"

"I fail to see how that helps the situation." I interjected. I hated to be ignored and I don't like being left out. "This isn't a popularity contest. It's a kingdom. It doesn't matter how many people want to marry Gourry. It matters if people would actually follow him." Not to mention that he is mine. I'll destroy anyone who gets in my way.

"That's where you're wrong, Ms. Inverse. It matters very much." Chadeville raised his voice. "It doesn't matter if you're the most skilled king in all of the world if no one believes in you!" He looked me dead in the eye. "Only loved and respected kings hold on to power. The others are toppled in time."

I didn't want to point out that King Solace was a well-loved king. That didn't help him in the end. He still got the boot and created this mess. One that we were expected to clean up. As if it was our fault! We had nothing to do with it! Hell, Gourry didn't even want to be a prince! Why should we stick our noses in it? It didn't make sense. Gourry would not make a good king. Neither would I make a good queen. It was best for everyone that we keep out of it. Clearly, there was no convincing the man. Chadeville was pretty blind. He could only see Gourry and that was very dangerous.

I had no idea how to get us out of this.

The only way that we got Chadeville to leave us alone for a bit was to promise that we would consider his request. Otherwise, he would not let us leave his inn. He would not take no for an answer. He would take maybe, at least for now. That got us out of sight for a bit. However, I had a feeling that if we skipped town Chadeville would hunt us down. It was not the way that I wanted to spend the rest of my life. Running from some annoying man-servant with tracking ability. And no, I will not Dragon Slave the man! I only kill Bandits and bad guys. Chadeville really didn't fit that bill. So, we were stuck with him. Yay for us. Isn't life grand?

Gourry and I made our way to different inn to discuss the matter in private. I put up a wind barrier around our room. So that no one could overhear what we were saying. This was not a conversation that I wanted anyone else to hear. I needed to talk to Gourry openly and honestly about this situation. I couldn't do that if anyone was listening in. Particularly, that Chadeville guy. I didn't trust him one bit. Even though Gourry seemed to know him. I guess it makes sense. He did throw a fireball on my world. It was natural to distrust him. I just wish that I could go back to the way things were before I knew the truth. Before I realized that I was probably going to lose Gourry. I just wanted to go back to Gourry and Lina traveling the world together, having adventures. That clearly wasn't going to happen. I had to deal with it. But first, we had to talk about this.

"So, you're a prince, huh?" I said quietly once the barrier was up.

Gourry scratched his head. "Yeah, I guess I am."

You guess you are? I thought as I resisted the urge to smack him. How could you not know that? It's not like it's a secret or anything! They told you all your life! Did you conveniently forget? Knowing Gourry, he did. He tended to forget things that he would rather not deal with. He probably didn't remember that he was a prince until tonight when Chadeville showed up. What was I going to do with him?

"Gourry, I mean Prince Gourry, I don't know what to do about you."

Gourry took my hand. "It's just Gourry, Lina. I don't want you to call me that."

I sighed. "Fine, Gourry, I don't know what to do."

Gourry seemed disappointed for a minute. I usually had the answer for him. Not today. This was way out of my field. I am a sorceress, not a politician. I don't understand how this works. I can't provide an answer to this. I can't help him get out of this. I just don't know how. Clearly, Gourry hoped that I would have one. He was mistaken.

He admitted. "I don't know either." He led me to the bed then we sat down on the edge. This was going to be a long talk. We might as well sit. "I don't want to be a prince, Lina. I never have and I never will. That's partially why I ran away. So, I wouldn't have to be one."

"But you are one, Gourry." My voice was soft and gentle. I couldn't yell at him when he was like this. "That guy isn't going to let it drop. We can't really run from this."

He looked far off into space as he said. "I know." His grip on my hand tightened. This was killing him.

I sighed. "I don't think you have much of a choice. You have to return to Elmekia." He nodded. "I'll go with you." His eyes snapped back to me. "I may not be of much use, but I'm not leaving. We deal with this together."

Gourry smiled and then kissed me. "Thank you, Lina." He whispered. "I love you."

"I love you too."

He got down on one knee and then said. "Then marry me. Marry me before we leave for Elmekia. That way we can never be apart!"

I didn't know what to say! There was so much more at stake here than spending the rest of my life with the man I loved. I wasn't just being asked to be his wife, I was being asked to be Queen. I would be thrown into the deep end and expected to swim! How the hell was I supposed to do that? I don't know anything about Elmekia or its politics. I didn't even know if they would accept a low-born sorceress from Zephilia. They might be scared of me. I had that kind of reputation, but I doubted that they would accept me. I wasn't royalty nor was I from their country. I didn't the people's love the way Gourry supposedly had. I would have to earn it. That might be impossible in a country torn apart by civil war.

Still, I couldn't say no. I loved him more than I loved anyone else. I couldn't abandon him. Not when he needed me the most. If Gourry was to survive this then he needed my insight and wit. He needed someone that he could absolutely trust. That was in his corner. That loved and adored him, not his position. I couldn't say no. Hell, I had been waiting for him to ask for months. What was I to do? I had to say yes.

"Yes, I will marry you, Gourry."

I don't know what's worse; rushing to get married or having to do it in secret. It was certainly not the fairy-tale wedding that I expected. That's for sure! It was just me and Gourry, the priest, and some witness we dragged off the street. A witness that I had to pay off with two hundred gold pieces. Damm! That man was expensive! Too bad we didn't have enough time to find someone else a little cheaper. Someone who would be willing to sign the paper and not breathe a word of it. Alas, we did not. So, we were stuck with that annoying idiot instead. Who just stared at us funny the entire time. It was like he was simultaneously bored out of his mind and utterly fascinated by us. It just ruined the mood. I wished that we didn't have to use him. Alas, we had no time. Gourry had to leave for Elmekia the next day. Since Chadeville would delay no longer. We had no time. I had to cobble something together fast!

Hell, we didn't even have the proper clothes! I had to cobble together our outfits from the local merchants. I didn't even have enough time to make sure that they fit properly. I just had to eyeball it and go with it. Which ended up in the dress being a touch too small and the suit being a touch too big. We both looked like idiots! Gourry more so than me. It looked as if I was marrying a giant! I, on the other hand, looked as if someone dumped this ugly shade of pink all over me. Which was pretty ironic, I know. If only those bastards at the guild could see me now! They'd die of laughter! 'Let's call her Lina the pink! She'll really hate that!' 'Wouldn't be funny if we call her that?' 'Yeah, she's totally not girly at all!' Those bastards. Couldn't they have picked a better color? Oh well, I guess it doesn't look too bad on me. Unlike this dress! It really highlighted my physical shortcomings.

The church was some hole-in-the-wall outfit that was more than happy to accommodate us on such short notice. They honestly didn't care who were or why we wanted to marry in secret. So long as we paid them five hundred gold coins they were good. They would stop what they were doing and marry us. They even agreed to file the documents for us, 'free of charge.' Once I suggested that if they didn't I would cast a dragon slave on them. I had no intention of doing that, but they didn't need to know that. A little fear would keep them honest. That's what me and Gourry needed more than anything here. We needed everything to be official just in case someone challenged our wedding. Or claim that I had no legal right to act on his behalf. We had to get all our ducks in a row before leaving. Even if that meant emptying my wallet. If it was for Gourry then I had no choice. I had to do it. I had to spend money like it was water. God! Did it hurt! How did people get married all the time? It's like I was bleeding! I couldn't wait for the hemorrhaging to stop. It was a long way to Elmekia. We had to be more fiscally responsible or we would starve. Don't believe me? Just have a meal with me. You'll understand. Eating costs money - lots of money. We just can't waste it on the crappiest wedding ever! If only we could do it right. Alas, we didn't have the time. So this would have to do.

The ceremony was short and to the point. There was no point in dragging it out. There was no one there who wanted to see us get married. Who was happy for us. No family to give me away or friends to rejoice. It was just me and Gourry in a crappy church - surrounded by strangers who didn't care. The only reason that they were here was that I paid them. It was a huge let down to be sure. If it wasn't for Gourry then I would have never agreed to this. It was not what I wanted. It just had to do.

The priest gave us our rings and went on about pledging our love before the gods. Asking them to bless this union and give us many happy years together. It was all pretty standard fare and rather boring to listen to. I could tell that Gourry wasn't listening. His eyes were glazed over. Hell, even I tuned out a lot of it. It was just so boring! Instead, I focused on my husband. Despite this horrible situation I couldn't stop smiling! I was marrying Gourry today. Maybe things weren't so bad.

"Do you, Gourry Gabriev, take this woman, Lina Inverse, to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

It took Gourry a second to realize that he had to say something. "Uh . . . I do."

"And do you, Lina Inverse, take this man, Gourry Gabriev, to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

I stared into his eyes and continued to smile. He returned that smile a hundredfold. "I do."

The priest smiled genially before declaring. "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Gourry took me into his arms and kissed me. I was surrounded by his love. It filled me up and allowed me to enjoy the moment. Even if it was less than perfect. I was a married woman. Gourry was a married man. Life didn't seem that bad.

"Thank you, Lina." Gourry whispered before we left the church. We were finally one. No one could tear us apart. Or so I thought, but sometimes ignorance is bliss.

The only thing better than marrying Gourry was waking up next to him the next morning and realizing that he was mine. No one else could claim him. Gourry Gabriev belonged to me. Just as I belonged to him. We were now a family. That was an amazing feeling. I was a married woman. Me, Lina Inverse. How the hell did that happen?

Gourry reached over and pulled me to him. He kissed me and then said, "I love you, Lina."

I smiled as I said, "I love you too, Gourry."

Oh, how I wish I could stayed there all day. Alas, that could not happen. For Chadeville's deadline was today. He would not delay any longer. Nor would he take no for an answer. He believed that Gourry was the answer to all the chaos within Elmekia. I doubted it but I had to go along with it. This was something that Gourry had to do. If we could avoid war and settle the line of succession then we had to try. Even if it was the last thing that Gourry and I wanted to do. A few years ago I would have never thought of doing this. Me? Help resolve political problems? Are you out of your mind? I'm a commoner from Zephilia! What do I know about this crap? Heh, it's funny what love does to you. Oh well, I have no choice now. I have to go forward.

I wiggled myself free of his arms then slowly got up. Everything hurt from last night. Gourry was not a gentle lover. He tries but he's still awful rough. The problem is he had the strength of an ogre. It can be a bit much at times. Particularly like last night. He really got carried away. With all that is going on, I don't blame him. I was a little desperate myself. Besides, I'm a sorceress. I can just cast a quick healing spell in the morning. It's no big deal. It takes like two seconds to do. I was back to normal before I even started getting ready.

It took me a while to get ready. Gourry says that I work too hard. That brushing my hair once is enough. I disagree. A girl needs to be at her best. Even if it was just to go on the road. It takes effort to look this good. He would have to wait. Besides, did he really want to go that badly? Somehow I doubt it. Particularly, if you saw the way he looked at me while I worked. The man was in no hurry. Gourry refused to get out of bed himself. The fool loved to stay in bed way too long. It was hard getting him moving in the morning. Gourry could be extremely lazy when he wanted to be. It was a wonder that he got up at all! Today he was incorrigible. He just kept begging me to return to bed!

"Gourry, we can't. You promised to see your father and to straighten out this succession thing." I reminded gently. Surely, the fool couldn't have forgotten that!

"Oh! Yeah, I did." He laughed jovially.

I so wanted to hit him. "You forgot, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did."

I sighed. Only Gourry could forget something that important. Even for a second! "Tell me you at least remember what we did yesterday."

"Of course I do. I married the most powerful sorceress in the world." He rose out of the bed, naked as he was born. Damm, that sight was something to behold. He got really close to me and then whispered. "Then I made love to her until the wee hours of the night."

I blushed furiously at that. I didn't quite expect him to say it like that. It was still a novel idea, to have sex with Gourry. I loved it. His stamina was something to behold. I started to get excited just thinking about it. I so wanted to do it again, but we didn't have time. For today we headed towards Elmekia. When we got there I doubted that we would have much for ourselves. It sounded like the situation was at a boiling point. This was not going to be fun. I couldn't allow myself to get distracted by such things. We were over our heads.

"I'm glad that you remembered. I was afraid that you had forgotten me." I teased.

He kissed me. "Never."

"Good. Because if you did, I'd have to punish you."

He tensed for a second then laughed. "Who could forget you, Lina?"

I gave him that point. I am pretty memorable. Who could forget me? "I see your point." I stood up and went towards the door. "Now get dressed and come downstairs. I'll get breakfast going!"

I heard calling after me as I ran. He always hated how I got downstairs first and started without him. Not that I cared. If you snooze then you lose. It was the way we always conducted our meals. I wasn't going to change that anytime soon. He was going to have to deal with it. Besides, I wanted a little time alone to be with my thoughts. A lot happened over the last day or so. I needed time to process. I needed to figure out what to do. Something told me that the royal family was not going to be happy with Gourry's choice of wife. There was no way in hell that they were going to welcome me with open arms. I was going to need to be on my toes.

The trip to Elmekia was long and annoying. It took almost fifteen days to get there. My chaperone, Mr. Chadeville, wouldn't leave me alone! He watched me night and day. Shooting me suspicious glances whenever Gourry was looking away. He simply refused to allow me to have any alone time with my husband. Any attempt that I made to steal Gourry away was blocked. He wouldn't even let me hold hands! He insisted that it was inappropriate for Gourry to carry on with me. Since I was a low-born witch with a bad reputation. It would sully his name to continue any relationship with him. Which was ridiculous! I had spent years with Gourry and it hadn't harmed him! No one thought ill of him. Why would they start now? Besides, he was my husband, after all. I had a right to be with him! No self-appointed chaperone could keep me away from what I wanted. Gourry was mine and no one was going to take him from me! I had a feeling that this Chadeville guy was going to be trouble. Even if Gourry couldn't see it. He didn't like me and wanted me gone. He was just waiting for an excuse. Then he would be rid of me. Shows how little he knows me. I'm not that easy to get rid of!

There was also something else going on. Something that I couldn't quite put my finger on. You see, over the last few days, my magic had been getting slowly weaker. I thought that it was because of 'that time of the month,' but it ended three days ago. My magic still hasn't returned. If anything it got weaker, not stronger. It wasn't that much to worry about yet, but it was bothering me. I didn't know why it was happening. Nor was I going to find out. We didn't have time to stop and find a healer. Plus, I didn't want Chadeville to know that something was off. I refused to provide any ammunition for that man. He would use it against me. I couldn't allow that to happen. What that man needed was a healthy dose of fear. It prevented me from going too far. He was afraid that I would kill him with my magic. I had no intention of alleviating that fear. It was the only thing keeping us civil. For Gourry's sake, I was tolerating the man. If he openly went after me then I have to beat him up. That would not help Gourry. So, I kept it a secret and pretended that everything was normal.

I also didn't want to worry Gourry. He had enough on his plate with his father dying and his family fighting over the crown. His efforts to end the fighting seemed to have failed. Stealing the Sword of Light had accomplished nothing in Elmekia. If anything the fighting was worse! I couldn't imagine what he was going through. There was no way that I could bring up this minor problem. So, what my magic had weakened? I could still cast fireballs! That would be enough for now. It's not like we were going to Elmekia to fight. We were going to try and find a peaceful solution. My skills of destruction were probably not needed. Or at least I hoped at the time. I honestly didn't know what I was walking into. I truly needed those powers. I decided to seek out a healer as soon as I could get away. I did not want the court to know my weakness. Which meant keeping Gourry out of the loop. I hated the idea, but it was for his own good. He did not need to worry about me. I will deal with this problem on my own.

When we arrived there was no small amount of fanfare. The people lined the streets to see their returning prince up close. Somehow they had gotten wind of Gourry's return. Something told me that it was Chadeville's fault. He must have tipped off the court. Who then tipped off the people. I suppose that it wasn't that bad. Although it was weird to have so many people staring at you when you haven't done anything! True, they didn't care that much about me or Chadeville but they were still staring. Wondering who I was and why I was with their prince. Mind you they didn't say anything about it, but I could feel their stares. I hated it! I wanted this impromptu parade to be over with. That way I could deal with the real fun.

Once we arrived at the royal palace we were greeted by King Solace and his royal court. He looked absolutely healthy. I couldn't see anything wrong with him! Beyond advanced age, that is. That was normal. Gourry was equally confused. He believed Chadeville's story about the king being sick. Now that we were here we could see that this was not the case. Chadeville had betrayed him. That enraged Gourry as it enraged me. This was a ruse to get him home. Why did Chadeville tell us that the King was dying? Why? What was he playing at? I just didn't know. All I knew was that there was more going on here than what this servant told us.

"Hello, father." Gourry said formally.

I had never heard him speak that way before. It was so cold and devoid of any emotion. It startled me. It was so unlike him. This did not startle the king though. He seemed to have expected that tone. If anything he seemed angry at Gourry. It made sense, but it made his words came out more tense than I originally expected. I know that my parents never spoke that way to me. Even if I did something wrong. It made me angry on Gourry's behalf.

"Hello, son."

"How are you, father?"

"I am well, thank you."

Silence enveloped the courtyard. For several long minutes, no one moved or spoke a single word. The King and Gourry were locked in some form of staring contest. Neither wanted to give way. Both were extremely angry at the other. It was hard to believe that this was really Gourry's father. I could not detect even a hint of love from him. It made me wonder how Gourry could be so sweet and loving. It couldn't have come from King Solace. That man was as cold as the frozen tundra. I couldn't take this display any longer. So I broke the silence.

"It's nice to meet you, King Solace." I decided to stay polite and formal for Gourry's sake. "I am Lina Inverse."

The king's cold eyes turned to me then returned to Gourry. "Why did you bring this woman here?" He demanded.

Gourry, for his part, didn't shrink from the man. Instead, he bristled as he declared. "Lina is my wife. She has every right to be here."

The king's eyes turned on me again. This time they were not cold but filled with hate. It was clear: He did not approve of me or our marriage. After a moment or two of staring me down, he returned his attention to Gourry. It seemed that he refused to speak a word to me. "This marriage was not approved by me." He stated as Chadeville panicked. "You are my son, therefore, you cannot get married without my approval." He looked at me again as he said. "I would have never approved of that one."

Gourry countered. "We were married in Lyzeille. They have no such rule. The marriage is binding."

Solace had no patience for this argument. "That may be true for Lyzeille, but their laws do not apply here. You may be married within their borders, but here you are not. I do not recognize your marriage. You will not carry on a relationship with that woman! Do I make myself clear?"

Gourry glared at his father. "Lina is my wife."

"No, she is not." The King reaffirmed. "At most, she is your mistress. It is all that a commoner such as herself could hope for. She is not royalty. She has no lands or kingdom to rule. She is not worthy to be wife."

"Don't I get to decide that?"

The King shook his dead. "Not as long as I am king."

Now, before you question me: I did want to interrupt this argument. However, I didn't know what to say. Everything that I could think of would make it worse. Already the king hated me. Anything that I said would only reaffirm that opinion. Plus, I had the feeling that if I wasn't careful - I was going to be spending the night in the dungeon. I really didn't want that. Nor did I want to make a scene. That wouldn't help Gourry. Nor would it help me. I was out of my depth here. So I swallowed my pride and kept silent.

"I see." Gourry's tone was colder than I believed it could be. "Then I will have to become king." He challenged. "That's why you sent for me, wasn't it father? You want me to become king?"

After Gourry made his proclamation he was ushered into the King's private quarters. I was not allowed to join him. So I don't really know what happened next. All I know is that they were gone for hours. I was ushered into some guest quarters that were hastily prepared for me. Then I was left alone. With absolutely nothing to do. There were no books to read. No glorious view to look at. It was just a big, fancy room with an oversized bed, a huge fireplace, and a nice place to get ready. That's it. In other words, I was utterly bored. I tried my best to wait patiently in the room. Alas, with nothing to do and no one to talk to escaping was inevitable. I'm sure how long they honestly expected me to stay there. I was sooo bored!

I ended up wandering the castle and talking to the servants. They were for the most part pleasant and easy to get along with. They were intensely curious about me and my relationship with the crown prince. I told them what I felt comfortable telling them. I told them that I met Gourry a few years ago while being attacked by bandits. He saved me and we have been traveling ever since. I left out the bit where I started that particular fight. They didn't need to know that. What they wanted was an idealized version of Gourry's time anyway. They didn't need to know about the bad times or the less-than-flattering stories. I was trying to win their support. You would be surprised how useful servants could be. Like bandits, they know everything that is going on. You just need to win their support, that's all. It could be incredibly important in the future. Information is power. I always aim to gather as much of it as I can. Particularly, in dicey situations like this. I was out of my depth. If they could provide any kind of support then I would take it!

There was another benefit to wandering. I now knew the layout of the place for the most part. Sure, I didn't know all the secret passageways or hidden rooms, but I had a general idea of how this place was laid out. It would help immensely tomorrow. For I planned to sneak out and have my magic checked. I didn't trust any of the court physicians. They report any issue straight to the king. I didn't want that. Not until it became necessary. I did not want to show them any weakness. I am Lina Inverse, after all. I don't show weakness.

Since I didn't plan to escape today I decided to see if I could find a library of some kind. That way I could the rest of the day. Maybe they even have some magical books that I could check out. Unfortunately, the library I did find was off-limits. Apparently, the king had ordered that I be kept out of certain key areas. Such as the library or the sparring arena. The most interesting areas of the castle. I could guess that it was punishment or an attempt to encourage me to leave. Either way, I was not deterred. I had already decided to stick around so long as Gourry wanted me to stay. Hell, that's the reason why I was putting up with this. For him. I would do anything for him. Even destroy the world. This was nothing compared to that. I just had to deal with it. That's all.

So instead, I went back to the kitchens and had a bite to eat. Today's excitement had me famished. I felt like I could eat a house! The staff tried to accommodate my needs, but they were ill-equipped to serve me enough food. They simply did not have enough scraps and it was almost dinner time. They had a dinner party to serve. A party that I was not invited to, may I add. The only reason why I knew about it was because of the servants. That rubbed me the wrong way. The king was making his feelings known. I was not welcome. It seemed that I was the focal point of his rage. Which I guess was good because it took the heat off of Gourry. I don't know. I really didn't know. This stuff wasn't my forte.

All I did know was that if Gourry didn't need me then I would have been long gone. I didn't need this shit. Not now. Not when my magic was on the fritz. I was still slowly losing my powers. I had to do something about it. And since things were so hairy I had to be on my toes. I decided to change my mind about escaping. I would escape tonight during the dinner. Get a bite to eat then see a magical healer. I should be back before anyone notices me. Not that anyone was really looking for me. Well, beyond Gourry that is. He hates it when I take off. At least today I wasn't heading out to the nearest bandit camp. That had to be something, right?

Maybe not.

I had hoped that Gourry would have been able to tear himself away from his family before nightfall. He wasn't able to do that. It was disappointing but understandable. His father was intent on keeping him away from me. He made it quite clear that I was not a welcome part of the family. He did not want us together at all. I was cut out from the family functions. Which made escaping quite easy. Outcasts can move around easily without being seen. Freeing me to get the help that I so badly needed!

As soon as I was outside the castle walls I explored the area more thoroughly. I found the usual red-light districts and the underbelly of the city easily. Along with the places where the common people gathered. I found one such tavern that had some very yummy food! I ate until my bell was bursting then set off to find a magical healer. The one I found was a little annoyed at being pestered so late, but once he realized that it was the great Sorceress Lina Inverse she cooperated. She allowed me to come in and be examined at such a late hour.

As she began her examination, she asked me: When did you start to notice my powers weakening? I told her under two weeks ago. Around the time of my period. She asked about the period. I told her that it was shorter than normal and there was a lot less blood. The woman nodded as she continued asking me question after question. After a while, I got annoyed at her, but I put up with it. She was only trying to help me, after all. I had to deal with it.

Finally, she stopped on my belly and lingered there for a long time. I thought that there was something horribly wrong before she said, "I can see the problem, Ms. Inverse."

"You can?"

"Yes, you're pregnant."

It took a while for me to process what the healer had said. I was pregnant! I didn't honestly didn't know what to do. It's not that wasn't happy. Having a kid is a good thing. And I don't mind having one with Gourry. Hell! I married him already! Of course, I would want his child. That's not it. It's just . . . It's just . . . It's just really bad timing. That's all. Things are pretty tense with his family and I have a feeling that fighting will break out soon. When that happens I will need my powers. Which are going to go on the fritz. Great. Just what I need. This just made my day even worse.

"How? How is that possible?" I muttered as I tried to cope with the news. "I haven't been sick. My powers aren't completely gone. And I haven't gotten fat!"

The healer chuckled. "You may experience symptoms. You may not. It's hard to say. Not all women feel sick while pregnant. But you are pregnant. I can feel the little one inside you. He or she is healthy and on track to be born in a few months." She smiled. "And you won't 'get fat' until later on. It's too early for that. I'd say that you are about a month and a half long."

"I see." I sat up. "When do you think that I'll show?"

"I'd say in a month or two, there will be a noticeable bump."

"When you do think that the baby will be born?"

She thought about it for a moment then answered. "I'd say that'll be around July."

"July!" I cried.

"Well, it does take nine months." She laughed at me. I knew that. It's just that was so far away! "I know it's hard, but you'll have to wait a few more months."

"Right." I pushed off the table. "Thank you, doc. What do I owe you?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. Consider it a gift." I nodded and started to leave. However, before I left she stopped me. "But tell me, who is the father?"

I looked back at her. "Huh?"

"Is it Prince Gourry? I heard that he brought you to this city with him. Is this child his?"

I honestly didn't know what to tell her. Of course, it was Gourry's. I just didn't know if I should answer her or not. So, in the end, I opted to say nothing and leave. Leaving the woman to wonder.

After seeing the healer I headed back towards the castle. I was almost to the walls when a familiar stopped me. It was Gourry's. He had been looking for me!

"So, there you are, Lina." I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was angry. There was a slight edge to it that wasn't normally there. "I looked all over the castle for you, but I couldn't find you."

"Sorry, Gourry." I chuckled nervously. "I had to stretch my legs a bit."

He narrowed his eyes. He totally didn't believe that one. "So, you weren't bandit hunting?"

"Nope! Not this time."

"Then what were you doing?"

"I was hungry, so I had a bite to eat. That's all."

"Uh huh."

So, yeah, Gourry didn't believe me. Not that I honestly expected him to. He never believes me when I sneak out at night. No matter what I say he won't believe a word I say. Unless I happen to say that I'm roughing up some bandits. Then he would believe me. Geez! I'd have to lie to that buffoon just to get him off my back! I honestly didn't go after some bandits! Although that would make me feel a lot better. Not that I planned to mind you. My magic wasn't reliable right now. I didn't want to push my luck. Which I seemed to be doing with Gourry.

Not that I blamed him. I was telling him a half-truth. I wanted to get out of that stuffy castle and have a bite to eat. That's true. There just was more to it than that. I just wasn't ready to tell him what it was. He'd smother me if he knew. It would cloud his judgment. Something that he did not need right now. He would worry constantly about me and the baby. Which was not what needed right now. Gourry had more enemies here than friends. If they heard about the baby then they would use it to take advantage of him. I couldn't allow that. So, for now, I decided to not tell him the truth. I hid my condition from him. I just hoped that we got this all sorted out by the time I started to show.

Gourry escorted me back to my room. I tried to insist that it was fine. I could make it there myself, but he refused to listen. He just held my hand and dragged me there. Once he closed the door to my room did he speak to me again. He seemed less angry now, but I could see worry on his face.

"Lina, please don't leave the castle again without telling me." His voice sounded desperate.

"Gourry, I . . .?"

"Lina! Please!"

I couldn't say no to that. I do have a heart, you know. Besides, I was feeling vulnerable with the baby and all. I didn't want to stray too far from him.

"Alright, I won't." He relaxed considerably. "But Gourry, is something wrong? Did someone make a threat?"

He shook his head. "No, that doesn't mean that they won't. Things can turn on a dime here. It's one of the reasons why I didn't want to come back."

"Uh huh. I know, we've been to Saillune's court, remember?"

"Say-une?"

That dolt. He forgot. "Saillune!" I screamed. "It's where Amelia and Phil live. Don't you remember that?"

"Oh yeah!"

Idiot. You totally forgot up till a second ago, didn't you? I sighed. He hadn't changed that much. He was still my Gourry. That gave me comfort. At least something wasn't changing.

"Whatever. It's late and I'm tired. I want to go to bed."

I started to take my clothes off while Gourry started to take off his armor. "Gourry, what are you doing?"

He smiled. "Going to bed."

"But this is my room."

"Yes."

I sighed. "Didn't they give you your own room?"

He nodded. "Yup."

"You're not going to sleep there, are you?"

"Nope."

Gourry came over and started to kiss me. His hands found their way to my breasts. Pain shot through me. I had no idea how tender they were. "Gourry stop!" I knew what he wanted, but I had no energy for it. "Not tonight, please."

He stopped immediately but gave me a worried look. "Lina, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." I corrected myself. "Everything! Your father hates me! I'm bored out of my mind! And they seem to want to keep us apart!"

He took my hands. "That will never happen. You're my wife, Lina. No one will take me from you. I won't let it happen."

We kissed then we got into bed together. I honestly didn't care that I was still in my clothes. I just wanted to cuddle up next to Gourry. I needed to just be there with him next to me. Everything was changing so fast. Gourry was a prince: His family hated me: I was pregnant and losing my powers: and I didn't know how to help him. I felt so useless. So out of my depth that it was crazy!

"Shhh . . . Shhh . . ." He cooed.

For some reason, I started to cry. I don't know why. I didn't even know that I was going to do it. But that fool did. He knew how upset I was before I realized it. Sometimes I wondered if he wasn't really a jellyfish brain. Then he'd do something to make me rethink that. Like forgetting what Saillune is. Sometimes I just didn't understand him. How does he know me so well? Hell, he'd probably knew that I'm hiding something from him. Something that has nothing to do with bandits. No one else in this world knows me like he does.

"Gourry." I whispered as I buried myself in his chest. "Thank you."

He responded by kissing the top of my head. At that moment I was content. I was safe and warm. Nothing was going to go wrong. I wasn't going to lose him. No one was going to hurt my baby. (It was surprising how much that mattered to me. I literally just found out that I was pregnant.) Everything was okay. Before I knew it I was sound asleep.

I felt absolutely awful about lying to Gourry. Really I did. I wanted to tell him the truth. To come clean, but I couldn't. I was afraid that he would tell his family. Or worse act based on it. I had decided to keep that a secret for now. I knew that it couldn't stay that way forever, but I wanted to keep it a secret for as long as possible. Gourry would understand. Eventually. Well, maybe not but he has forgiven me for bigger things than this.

By the time I had woken up Gourry was gone. I don't know when he left, but he was long gone. It was odd since he usually liked to stay in bed longer than me. My best guess was that his family had him doing something bright and early. Leaving me to yet another boring day. That would hopefully be less stressful.

I was still not welcome at the dinner with the family. So, I headed towards the kitchens to have a bite to eat. The servants were all too happy to feed me and my massive appetite. They seemed to have taken me in as one of them. So long as I fed them stories about Gourry on the road they kept the food coming. They seemed perhaps a bit too eager to feed me. One might even say that they were watching what I ate. That was odd but I let it pass. No reason to upset the only people in this place that actually liked me!

After an enormous amount of food even for me, I decided to take off and explore the castle some more. As I went about the area the servants kept opening doors for me and asking if I needed anything. Many of them asked me if I was hungry or needed to sit down! It was kind of strange. They didn't do that yesterday. They were polite but not this formal. It was like I was royalty or something! My best guess was that they had started gossiping about me and Gourry. Maybe even saw him enter my room last night. I don't know. It's possible. I couldn't tell.

Just after midday, a servant stopped me. He informed me that his majesty had summoned me to his chambers. That was odd. King Solace had never shown any interest in speaking to me! I was suspicious but I went along with it. Maybe I could figure out what was going on around here. It was worth a try. Plus, it wasn't wise to piss off the lord of the manor if I could help it.

The servant announced my presence and then guided me into the room. The room felt surprisingly cold and oppressive despite its small size. All the wood and books couldn't save it. It might have something to do with the man giving me the evil eye. Or the sorcerer who watched my every move. Nope, this wasn't a social call. Nor was it an attempt to mend bridges. This had trap written all over it. Not that it mattered. It was best to get it over with.

"Hello, Ms. Inverse, have a seat." The king gestured towards a nearby couch. I took it and waited for him to continue. "I wish to speak about you and my son. I know that Prince Gourry is quite fond of you. He even believes that he loves you."

"But he doesn't, right?" I finished for him. I didn't like Solace before but now, I definitely didn't like him. How dare he suggest that Gourry doesn't love me! How dare he say that!

"I will admit that my son isn't the brightest. He acts solely based on instinct and feeling. It has been a shortcoming of his since he was very young. I have tried to rid him of this failing, but I have failed. My son remains the same kind-hearted fool that he was as a boy. It is my greatest regret."

What Solace said was true. Gourry did act on instinct and rarely thought things through. He listens to maybe half of what I say and understands maybe ten percent of it. That's who he is. That doesn't make him any less of a person. There's nothing wrong with being kind. Hell, I'll admit that sometimes I can be too cruel. Gourry always reminds me not to go too far. To think of others and not of myself. He's made me a better person. So what he's not smart? Who cares! He's the man that I love. I won't tolerate anyone bad-mouthing him. Even if that man is his father.

"Gourry is a great swordsman and a better man. He may not be smart. He may not listen very well. He may even forget almost everything, but it doesn't matter! He's Gourry. He's your son. Who came all the way here because he thought that you were dying! You should be ashamed." I stood up. "If that's all then I will take my leave." I went to leave, but the door refused to open. It had been magically sealed.

"I am not finished, Ms. Inverse. Please, sit back down." He commanded.

I thought about fighting, but his sorcerer was ready for that. I could fight my way out, but it might not work in my condition. The healer did say that my magic would be unreliable. That would not be true of the man next to the king. It would be an uphill battle that I would probably not win. I had no choice but to comply.

"Thank you." He said gruffly. "I know that proper decorum is difficult for you, but please do try and control yourself. I have no desire to harm you if I can help it. It is not gentlemen like to touch a woman in your condition." His eyes opened wide. "Yes, I do know about that little bastard inside you. Did you really think that you could hide it from me? I am the king of this land. I have my ways of gathering information."

I honestly didn't know how the king found out about the baby. I hadn't told anyone. Not even Gourry. The only one who knew was the healer who examined me. Surely, she couldn't have? She probably spread the rumor about me carrying the prince's baby. Damm! What am I going to do? I wondered as I tried to remain calm. The king's no-so-subtle threat shook me up. If I didn't cooperate then he would harm the baby. And I would be helpless to stop it.

"Now, I know that my son doesn't know about it. Otherwise, I assure you that we would not be having this pleasant conversation. I would be forced to take more drastic measures. Measures that I do not wish to take. I am not a monster. I do not enjoy killing unborn children. Even my son's little bastard. I would much prefer to avoid it."

"And how would we avoid that?" I asked cautiously.

"By leaving, Ms. Inverse. You will leave this castle and my son."

Those words hit me like a ton of bricks. I will do what? You've gotta be kidding me! There's no way that I would do that! Anger bubbled up inside me. I threatened to explode when he raised his hand.

"Control yourself, Ms. Inverse. Remember that I have a sorcerer ready to kill the both of you. Step out of line and he kills you. Ignore my warning and he will kill you. It's as simple as that."

I looked at the man next to the king. He did look ready to jump in at a moment's notice. Unlike the king, he had no qualms about killing me. In fact, he seemed to anticipating it! I suppose that killing the famous Lina Inverse would add a feather to his cap. Even if I was weakened at the time. No one would know outside of this room. He could claim a feat that he did not earn. And I would be very dead. Along with my child. I had no choice. I had to sit there and listen to the king. To hear his demands. Even if every instinct told me to fight! I ground my teeth but said nothing.

"That's better." He took a breath. "As I was saying: You will leave the castle tonight. You may tell my son any reason that you wish. As long as you do not tell him that this was my idea. Nor will you tell him about your condition. You will leave him and take that child with you. Neither of you are welcome within these walls."

"I see." I tried to keep myself calm. This was not the time to blow up. This was not the time to lose my cool. I had to remain calm. "But you'll kindly let us go?"

"As I said before I am not a cruel man. I do not take pleasure in harming women or children. Even if that child threatens my kingdom's future. I refuse to harm it unless it is necessary. It is completely innocent in this matter. It did not choose its parents. It does not know what harm it reaps. I beg you Lina Inverse. Do not force me to harm it."

"You really a son of a bitch you know."

He did not like that. "You will not speak to me in that manner, witch." His sorcerer started to chant.

I had to bite my tongue just to get out of there. I placed my hand on my stomach. It was ironic. Somewhere inside of me was a new life that needed my protection. Only, this very child was prevented from putting up much of a defense. I was stuck. I had no choice but to obey. I closed my eyes and let out a breath. I had to leave Gourry. I hoped to the gods that he would forgive me.

"Fine, you win. I will leave."

The King smiled. "Good little witch. It seems that you have some sense after all." He gestured towards his man. "Stand down for now." The sorcerer seemed disappointed. "But stay with her. Make sure she keeps to her end of the bargain."

I spent the rest of the day trying to figure out what I would say to Gourry. How I could convince him that I wanted to leave. My child's life was at stake, but I couldn't figure out a reasonable excuse. The truth was no one knew me the way he did. He knew when I was hurt or scared. He could see through anything that I could come up with. He would suspect that someone was forcing me to lie. And he would be right. I wanted him in my life. I wanted to tell him about our child. To let him get the chance to be a father. But I couldn't. Not with the King's flunky following me. I had to stay quiet.

I also needed Gourry's protection, now more than ever. On my own, I would be a sitting duck. Super-easy to pick off. I'd be lucky if I could get a fireball out. If I went out there I would likely die. Not that I had much of a choice. For if I stayed here I would most definitely die. That would kill Gourry. Particularly if he knew the truth about me. I had to go.

Since I hadn't seen Gourry all day I decided to make the break now. I gathered up my things. Cobbled together a disguise and took off. It was only at the last minute that I decided to leave my ring. It broke my heart, but I hoped that he would get the message. That I wasn't doing this of my free will. That I wanted him to find me. I quickly slapped a locator spell on the thing. I set it to activate only when Gourry touches it. It would then direct him to me. I just hoped that it would work. My magic was pretty weak right now. It may not work. It was my only chance to pass him a message without it getting intercepted. That is assuming that the court sorcerer didn't find it first. Then he might dispel it. Leaving me alone.

I did not stop to rest or eat. I just kept running all through the night and until the next day. I was halfway to Zephilia before I allowed myself to stop. I was exhausted and running blind. I didn't even understand why I was running towards Zephilia! In that direction was my sister, Luna. I did not want to see her again. Yet, every instinct told me to run that way. To find her and ask for her help. I did not know why. But I was scared out of my mind and completely defenseless. I didn't know what to do next.

That's when fate interfered. Solace's Sorcerer appeared a short distance from me. He smiled at me as he watched me pant. He licked his lips in anticipation. At that moment, I knew. He was going to kill me.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded trying to sound tough. "I'm leaving. Isn't that what you wanted?"

He chuckled. "I'm here to kill you, of course. Think of it: I will be the man who killed 'the enemy of all who live!' I will be famous!"

I balled my hands up into fists. Dammit! I'm so screwed! I thought as I tried to evaluate my options. I needed to stall. So that I could come up with something. "You mean, you'll kill a defenseless woman and her child." I had to find an escape route. Too bad I found none. That giant lake really cut down my options. There was nowhere to hide and nowhere to run. "Isn't that against your employer's orders?"

He thought about it for a second. "Yes, but I'm sure that in the end, he'll come around. I'm too useful to get rid of. And you are a nuisance. Better to be rid of you now than worry about you reappearing later. Much neater that way, don't you think?"

He did not wait for my answer. Instead, he rushed at me. I started to prepare a fireball - hoping that it would actually work. However, before I could finish casting the spell something darted in and blocked the attack. All while pushing me down to the ground. When I looked up I realized who it was. It was my sister! Luna had come to help me!

"Lina, are you alright?" She asked while keeping her eyes firmly locked on the enemy. I nodded. "Now, you." She said to the sorcerer. "I suggest that you back off. For if you touch my sister again, I will kill you!"

"Sister, huh? Then you must be Luna Inverse, the Knight of Ceifeed. Indeed you are a fierce creature. This battle no longer seems easy. No matter. I will claim your lives!"

He attacked again. This time by summoning demons. There was a mix of high-level mazoku and low-level beasts such as trolls and werewolves. There were hundreds of them! I was surprised that such a hack of a sorcerer could summon so much at once! Not that it mattered. My sister was a monster! Once she had killed a dragon with a knife! No way could this menagerie possibly defeat her. Hell, even I could do it. Assuming that my magic wasn't on the fritz. The fool had no idea what he was doing! My sister was so going to kill him.

The battle was about to start when I heard a familiar voice in the wind. It belonged to Gourry! He had found me! "Linaaa!" He screamed over and over.

For one moment the sorcerer had no idea what to do. He wasn't supposed to harm Gourry. His employer would not allow that. Alas, he had no choice. He had started this fight and he would finish it. There was no going back now.

Luna spared only a single glance towards Gourry. Once she had decided that he was not a threat, she turned her back to him. Without so much as looking at him again, she ordered. "You, lover boy, help me out. Lina, go to sleep."

I almost didn't hear the spell before it hit. She cast Sleeping on me. I had no resistance to it. I fell asleep while Gourry and Luna fought off my attackers. What a horrible day this had become.

When I woke up again I was in some cave somewhere. Surprisingly, I felt safe and warm. I knew this feeling. It was the same feeling that I got every time I cuddled with Gourry. Slowly, I realized that I was in his lap and he was holding me. "Gourry . . ." I muttered as I came around.

"Lina." His voice was warm but held a hint of anger to it. He was angry at me and I don't blame him.

"Good morning, sunshine." My sister called happily. "Not going to do anything stupid now, are we?"

I tried to understand what my sister was saying as I sat up. However, I wasn't thinking clearly yet. "Huh?"

"Y'know, like run non-stop for hours. Forget to eat or take a moment's rest. Or bother to think for one second about that child within you."

I whipped my head over to Gourry. The look on his face confirmed that he already knew the truth. He was angry with me over it. "Lina, what you were thinking?! Why didn't you tell me?!"

"I couldn't. I . . ."

He took my hand. "Lina, if someone was threatening you then you should have told me. I would have dealt with it. I would have protected you. Do you honestly think that I would allow someone to hurt you or the baby?"

I looked down. "No, not really."

"Glad we got that straightened out." He picked my ring out of his pocket. "Now, here. Take this back." He slipped it on my finger. "Don't you dare ever lose it again."

Luna interrupted. "Glad that's sorted out. Now, get over here and eat."

I looked over to where my sister had been cooking. She had outdone herself. She must have killed a whole forest to get this much food! As I stared, I realized that I was starving. Like literally starving! I had never felt so hungry before! I began to stuff my face when I noticed that neither Gourry nor my sister was digging in. I stopped for a second before Gourry cut in.

"You need to eat, Lina. We'll be fine."

I thought about it for a second. I wondered how the hell was the jellyfish brain holding back. He loved food just as much as I do and he probably didn't eat last night. He should eat too. "Gourry, when was the last time you ate?"

"Last night but it doesn't matter. You're eating for two. I'll wait until you're finished."

I was going to say something else when my sister interrupted. "Lina, I made this for you. So eat it! Your lover boy will be fine. Just eat."

I did not argue with my sister. She was much too scary to try. Plus, I was really, really hungry. My stomach took control. I started to pig out! I had eaten nearly half the food before finally feeling full. My belly was stuffed and I felt sleepy again. It was a peaceful state that I hadn't been in for days. I felt safe and protected.

"Go and get some more sleep." My sister urged. "We'll be here when you wake up."

I drifted into the deepest sleep that I've had in weeks.

When I was asleep I had bad dreams. I dreamt that Gourry had left me for a Princess. Then I dreamt that he left me because I lied to him. Then I dreamt that he let me because he thought that I was fat! My mind was spinning! I couldn't take it anymore. I ended up screaming his name as I woke up.

"What's the matter?" He asked me.

As I became more aware I realized that we were still in that cave. He had pulled me into his lap and was stroking my hair. It calmed me. Reminded me that it was all just a silly dream!

"Nothing. Just a bad dream."

"You shouldn't ignore dreams so much, Lina. They can be prophetic." Luna interjected.

I sat up and then grumbled. "Not everyone has prophetic dreams, Luna."

She nodded. "I suppose a runt like you would never have them."

Anger bubbled up inside me. Luna was trying to push my buttons and was doing a splendid job at it. Then again anything Luna did turned out wonderfully. She was perfect in every way. While I struggled for everything I got. It just wasn't fair!

"Yeah, whatever." My cheeks burned. I hated the way my sister treated me! "What are you doing here?"

Luna gave me a death glare. Which made me hide behind Gourry. "Can't I worry about my only sister?" She demanded.

Gourry tried to translate for me. "What she means is: How did you know where to find her?"

She gave Gourry a sweet smile that belied her true nature. "Thank you, Gourry. That is much more eloquent." Gourry was going to ask what eloquent meant but I stopped him before he got us both killed!

Luna seemed oblivious to his confusion and continued unabated. "I had a dream where you were alone and were being attacked. I sensed that you were with child and couldn't fight back."

That made sense if you understand Luna. She does have visions and things. Something about being the Knight of Ceifeed. She has a connection to the world that I just don't have. "Oh." I said in a very tiny voice.

"You're welcome, by the way."

Gourry tried to save me by translating again. "Oh, Lina's grateful. She just has a hard time showing it."

That was when I heard something that I hadn't heard in a long time; my sister laughed. "You really know Lina pretty well, don't you Gourry?"

"Of course. We've been together for years. I know all kinds of things about Lina." I felt like I was going to die! Geez, Gourry, what are you doing?

She laughed again. "I like you, Gourry. You're not afraid of me."

"Should I be?" He asked.

"Not really. So long as you take care of my sister that is."

Gourry nodded as if that was a normal thing to say. My sister just suggested that if he didn't take care of me then she'd get him! That didn't even phase him! Sometimes I wondered about him. I sighed. There was nothing that I could do about him. He really was a big, dumb, jellyfish. Not that it mattered. I loved him. What could I do?

"Gourry, thank you." I finally said. In response, he kissed the top of my head.

I knew that I was acting silly all this time. I should have trusted him more. Gourry would always support me. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him. No one else would do. It had to be him. The question was, what do we do now? I couldn't return to the castle. I doubted that Gourry would either. He was always so fiercely protective over me. He would not take kindly to someone threatening me. Neither would my sister for that matter. It was surprising how comforting that was. It must be this pregnancy thing. It's the only explanation! I can't think straight. Still, it begs the question,

"What do we do next?" I honestly didn't know.

Gourry shook his head. "I don't know. You're always the one to figure stuff like that out."

"You're coming home with me." Luna stated. "You're in no condition to roam the countryside on your own. And your father-in-law will not stop until you are dead. Even with Gourry's protection that will not be enough. Plus, I want to keep you where I can see you. That way my niece will come into the world."

"Niece?" We asked simultaneously.

"Yes, niece. That baby is a girl. She's going to cause you lots of trouble."

How did that not surprise me?

So, I had met Gourry's father. Made a real mess of things and possibly started a war. Things were not really going my way of late. I wish to say that this was the end of my trouble, but if you have read enough of my work then you know by now that it isn't anywhere near the end. There was a lot more shit to come. My sister was right. Our daughter was going to cause a lot of trouble for us. She was destined to be stuck in the middle of a political drama that could end her life before it ever began. A drama that will play out next time in the "30 Days War."