"Hey, Zel!" Gourry cries, spying his friend in the crowd. Running over to him he asks, "Where's Amelia" Isn't she normally hanging off of you?"
"she getting ready for that royal ball tonight." Zelgadis replies.
"Yeah, Lina too. Hey, I was on my way to lunch. You want to come with?" Gourry offers.
"Don't you usually eat at the palace?" Zel asks.
"Yeah, but they're really busy today."
"Huh. Well, I suppose I could use a bite to eat."
"Great, let's get going. I'm starving!"
"ms. Lina, how does this dress look?" Amelia asks.
"It looks fine, Amelia. Now quit hogging the mirror!" Lina cries.
"You don't think it looks to...plain?" Amelia persists.
"I already said it looks fine! What are you so worried about today! You've dragged me to plenty of these stupid things before, and you've never been this uptight. What's up?" Lina asks Amelia.
"Well, uhhh, HE's never been there, before." Amelia blushes.
Lina looks at Amelia and sighs, "Look, Amelia, I really don't think Zel's going to care what you put on."
"Yeah, but..." Amelia begins.
"No buts. You look fine, and I'm sure Zel'll appreciate it." Lin says.
"I...suppose." Amelia replies sullenly.
"Look, Amelia. It doesn't matter what you wear or how much you try to catch Zel's attention. He's probably not going to show you how he feels right now. That's just how Zel is. You know as well as I do he's terified of letting anyone get to close."
"I wonder why that is?" Amelia muses.
Lina shrugs. 'maybe he's afraid of getting hurt. Now shut up and help me with this stupid tie.
Gourry and Zelgadis sit talking in a local tavern. They"d been there for over four hours, and the plates were beginning to pile up.
"Yo! Bartender! Bring me another chicken dinner!" Gourry shouts at the exhausted bartender (we'll call him Bob).
"Why don't you leave"!" Bob screams before disappearing into the kitchen. Zelgadis only chuckles dryly.
"so, Zel. How long are you planning on staying in Sairune?" asks Gourry.
Zelgadis looks thoughtful, "I really don't know." he says with a fake smile, "Probably not much longer. Why?"
Gourry's face droops. "Well, it's just that Amelia's been really happy what with you here and all. I think it would hurt her pretty bad if you had to go.
Zelgadis looks into his coffee sullenly. Faking a smile, he says, "she'll find a suitor soon enough. Some charming prince with a huge plot of land somewhere."
Gourry shakes his head, "I don't think so."
Bob slams a plate full of chicken in front of Gourry. "Here's your %&#@ chicken! Do you want anything else"!"
"I'll have another cup of coffee." Zel says quietly.
"Aaaaaggggggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!" screams Bob.
Prince Philiones paces the banquet hall anxiously. "Please let her find someone she fancies tonight." he prays. She was eighteen and not married. By law she must wed before her next birthday, 'this is not good." he says to himself.
"Don't worry, sir. I'm sure she'll find someone she's willing to marry before she's nineteen. Maybe even some charming prince with a huge plot of land somewhere." Mallik, Prince Phil's personal servant, assures him.
Prince Phil manages a weak smile. "I hope you're right, Mallik. I've already got the royal family breathing down my neck. But she's never even so much as looked at one of her suitors." He sighs.
"she's just smitten by that friend of hers. Oh, what's his name?" Mallik asks.
"Zelgadis." Prince Phil replies.
"Yes! That's the one! But don't worry, sir. She'll get over him soon enough." Mallik assures.
"Perhaps." say Phil, his voice thick with worry.
"Do I really have to dress up like this?" Zelgadis whines.
"Yes. I've been to a couple of these balls before, and everyone dresses like that." Gourry says, no more thrilled than Zelgadis to be wearing the stuffy clothes of an aristocrat.
"I really hate this." Zelgadis persists.
"Yeah, it sucks. But if we don't go Lina's going to hurt us." They both shudder.
"How do you put this damn thing on?" Zeldagis swears as he fumbles with his tie. "I can't believe I'm actually doing this."
"Yeah, well, we don't really have much of a choice, now do we." says Gourry.
"Would you two stop complaining and get out here"!" cries Lina from the other side of the door.
Zelgadis makes a rather rude gesture.
The guest begin to filter into the banquet hall. Almost all of the young men eye Amelia as if she was a prize to be won. She hated it.
As they descend the stairwell to the hall Gourry leans over and offers his advice. "Hey, Zel. Lina told me to tell you not to get mad at anything those guys say to you."
"What do you mean?" asks Zelgadis.
"Well, those noble guys down there don't think to much of us." Gourry responds. 'they ca n be pretty rude at times. Especially if we're hanging around Amelia."
"Lina told ME not to get angry?" comments Zel with a bemused look on his face.
"Just watch yourself." says Gourry. As the two of them step foot on the banquet hall they are met by hundreds of disgusted gazes.
"Gutter trash." a greasy nobleman says under his breathe.
"Hey, guys!" Amelia calls from across the hall. She gathers up her long dress and runs over to the two of them. She looks at Zelgadis with wide eyes. She"d never seen him dressed up like this before. He was more handsome than usual.
Zelgadis looked back at her with a similar gaze, although he did a better job of hiding it. "You look nice." he comments before his brain can stop his mouth.
Amelia blushes bright crimson, "thanks! Hey Gourry, where's Lina?"
Gourry gestured toward the kitchen door where Lina lay in wait, ready to pounce upon the first article of food she saw. "I think I'll go join her." he says. Zelgadis and Amelia laugh heartily.
"I see they haven't changed at all." he comments.
"I don't think they ever will." Amelia laughs back.
"Princess Amelia! Salutations, my name is Drake Wedington, Prince of..."
"Oh, god, not another suitor!" Amelia thinks to herself glumly.
About four suitors later dinner was served. Lina and Gourry leap at the food as if they haven't seen food in months, drawing yet more disgusted gazes from those around them. Zelgadis sits to Amelia's right sipping his coffee thoughtfully. He was not enjoying himself.
Amelia was too busy rebuking yet another unwanted advance to notice Zelgadis's care ridden face. Prince Phil, however, was not.
"What's the matter, my boy?" he asks with genuine concern.
"I don't like crowds." Zelgadis replies hastily.
"Is that the only thing that's bothering you?" Phil pries.
Zelgadis hesitates. "Yes." he answers.
Prince Phil scoffs. "You"re not a very good liar, Zelgadis. Now tell me what's bothering you."
"I...don't know." Zelgadis stammers.
"I see." Prince Phil says with a knowing smile, "Well, just try and enjoy yourself. Dinner should be over soon. Perhaps you could go dance."
"I don't dance." Zelgadis replies dryly.
"maybe you should. What would it hurt after all" You might enjoy yourself." retorts Phil.
"I...uhh..." Zel stammers.
"Just go dance." says Phil, still smiling. "I'm sure my daughter would be more than happy to dance with you."
"I suppose." Zelgadis replies, trying to hide a smile.
With dinner over, many couples proceed to the dance floor. At the urging of Prince Phil, Zelgadis and Amelia work their way over as well. Lina and Gourry are to preoccupied devouring what scraps are left of dinner to dance, and so don't even bother to look up as Phil announced that dinner was over. No servant dared to near the food for fear of having an arm chewed off by the voracious couple.
Zelgadis breathes heavily as he dances with Amelia. To have her so close to him, her hand in his own, her body pressed against his. It was a feeling that he had never excepted to feel. He smiled at her closeness to him, the warmth of her body brining a shudder of joy through his body. Yet still he feels uncomfortable
"I shouldn't be feeling like this." he says to himself over and over. "Amelia's a friend, and she can never be anything more than that. She deserves better."
The two dance for well over an hour. When finally they do walk over to the table to rest they are both sweating heavily. Amelia smiles up at Zelgadis, 'thank you for the dance, Mr. Zelgadis." she says with a mock curtsy.
Zelgadis smiles back at her, though sadly. "the pleasure was all mine."
Amelia cocks her head at him, "Zelgadis" What's wrong" You look...sad."
"Princess Amelia! Would you care to dance?" asks a burly young nobleman, extending his hand.
"No, thank you." she replies and turns back to Zelgadis.
"But surely you enjoy dancing." the noble protests.
"Yes, but..." Amelia begins.
"then come along." he grabs her by the wrist and hauls her to her feet. The young noble begins to lead Amelia to the dance floor, but is stopped by a strong hand clamping down upon his shoulder.
"I believe that Princess Amelia said that she did not wish to dance." Zelgadis says calmly, careful to keep the anger from his voice.
The nobleman releases his grip on Amelia and spins around, "How dare you touch me, gutter trash!" he shouts. "Go crawl back under your rock, and leave me and the princess be."
Zelgadis, his voice trembling with anger, replies, "I don't think so."
The young noble's hand goes to the hilt of his sword, "I warn you, worm, I am quite good with the blade." he turns back to Amelia, "Come princess. Let us dance."
"I already told you, I don't want to dance." Amelia replies firmly, angered by the audacity of the man.
"You heard her," Zelgadis says, his hand own his own hilt, "now go."
"You presume to give me an order, peasant! I am Prince Torl, lord of..." Prince Torl begins. His face is red with anger and his nuckles white from squeezing the hilt of his sword.
"I don't care who you are. Go away." Zelgadis cuts the insolent man off.
Amelia places her hand on her forehead and sighs, "Look, Prince Torl, I would love to dance with you. But, you see, I am being accompanied by my good friend here." she gestures to Zelgadis, "so if you would be kind enough to leave..."
"You would associate with this filth"!" Prince Torl tips his head back and laughs. "You would rather place your love in a landless peasant than me, the mighty Prince Torl"!"
"Well, yes." replies Amelia coldly.
"You are nothing but a common whore." Prince Torl turns on his heel and begins to walk away.
"torl!!!" Zelgadis bellows, drawing his sword and prodding the man in the back.
"You would stab me in the back, swine?" Prince Torl laughs.
"Face me!" screams Zegadis. When Torl turns Zegadis stares the man straight in the eyes. "take it back."
"How sweet, defending the honor of you whore." Torl smirks.
"take it back or I'll kill you." says Zelgadis gravely.
Prince Torl's eyes narrow. "Is that a challenge, slime?"
"I suppose it is." Zelgadis replies.
"very well, I accept." with one move the price draws his blade and brings it forward. Zelgadis easily deflects the blow, and with a single flick of his wrist sends the blade spinning into the air. He levels his own blade at Torl's throat.
"take it back or put you down like the swine you are." he says, his voice quivering with anger.
"Like hell! I'll not apologize to some common whore, and I'll certainly not apologize to a piece of gutter trash like you!" Torl screams. By now quite a crowd had gathered around the two.
Amelia reaches up and puts her hand on Zel's sword arm, "Zelgadis, please. He's not worth it." Zelgadis slowly dips his blade, but doesn't take his hateful gaze off of Prince Torl. He sheaths his sword and turns towards the stairs.
"I'm going to my room." Zelgadis says. He was to angry to stay with these swine.
"that's right, go wait for you're whore, pig!!!" Torl shouts.
Prince Phil slams his hand onto Prince Torl's shoulder, "Guards, please escort our guest out of the city. And see to it that he doesn't return." Two guards come to Phil's side and take Torl by the arms.
"take your hands off of me!" screams Prince Torl.
Zelgadis lay on his bed, shaking with rage. "I'll be banished for sure." he moans to himself. He had threatened to kill a Prince! Even if Prince Phil forgave him, Torl would come for his own revenge. It was only a matter of time before he would have to leave. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Come in." Zelgadis cries.
Prince Phil quietly pushes opens the door and slips in. "Zelgadis, may I speak with you?"
"I suppose." Zelgadis replies, his heart sinking.
"Prince Torl is immensely angry." Prince Phil choices his words carefully.
"I know. I apologize for any trouble that I have caused." Zelgadis apologizes.
"Don't worry about it." Phil laughs. looking at the floor he becomes suddenly serious, "You know that I cannot allow this to go unpunished, Zelgadis. While you are a guest here you are considered my responsibility."
"I know." says Zelgadis sullenly, "I will leave in the morning. Sooner if you wish."
Prince Phil stares at Zelgadis and shakes his head, "I'm not about to banish you. Amelia would kill me."
"Never the less I feel that I should leave. I don't want to bring any more problems to you...or Amelia." Zelgadis declares, staring at the ground.
Phil sighs, "I don't blame you for what happened. I remember being in love once. Had anyone insulted the honor of my bride to be, I would have done the same."
"I hardly plan on marrying Amelia." states Zelgadis.
"But you don't deny that you love her?" Phil asks.
"I...I..." Zelgadis stammers. "Guess I stepped right into that one." he thinks to himself.
Phil smiles, "Zelgadis, I want you to stay with us. Consider yourself Amelia's...personal body guard."
"But..."
"No buts. Consider this your punishment. You will serve until Amelia's nineteenth birthday. After that you can do as you please. You start tomorrow. Goodnight, Zelgadis." Phil turns and slips out the door. Mallik stares at his lord in disbelief.
"sir, I must protest! Prince Torl will be enraged!" Mallik follows Prince Phil down the hall.
"Yes, well, Prince Torl can't do much about it now can he?" Phil offers.
"But, sir, what are the rest of the royal family going to think if Princess Amelia begins courting some landless peasant"! Many of the guest are already laughing at this little scandal!" Mallik protests.
"so let them. Good night Mallik"