The gardens at Seiryuun's palace bloomed like adolescent children all year round, despite the changing of seasons. Perhaps some ancient magical spell had been placed there at its dawn. Perhaps the very first gardeners had bred vegetation that could withstand all climates. No one knew, not even Philionel himself. A mystery. A well-enjoyed mystery. The dark-haired girl gently caressed the pink petals of a rose bloom with her soft fingertips, reminiscing of the sun-kissed days spent there in childhood.
A shadow fell on her from behind, a familiar spicy scent overpowering that of the roses. Overpowering. Amelia turned a smiling face to the shadow's owner. "Good afternoon, Xelloss," she greeted from beneath her concealing hood. She had to keep her face hidden from the palace dwellers for fear of them recognizing her. To keep the whole visit under wraps, she was assuming the guise of the Contesse du Filoux, a visiting Lady from a far-off land. Although perhaps that title was a bit much, since rumors had already begun to float around the palace about the mysterious Contesse and her daughter, and the priest who was suspiciously cuddly with both of them. Not to mention he had the same hair as the Contesse's daughter. And where was the Conte, pray tell?
Amelia paused to look around before exchanging a chaste kiss with her lover; they did have to keep up an appearance. The garden was empty, though. Razilee was spending the day with her grandfather, who was hurrying to make up for lost time. The two had planned to explore the palace under the guise of touring.
Xelloss ran his hand across her belly. "Anything yet?" he asked, snaking his arm around her waist.
She shrugged. "I don't know. It hasn't been long enough to tell."
"Well, perhaps we can do something to speed the process along..."
"Like what?" Amelia asked, blinking innocently. He leaned down to whisper in her ear, and her eyes widened considerably. "You mean here? Now?"
He nodded, a playful grin spreading across his face. "Why not?"
"But...but..." she sputtered, "...we're outside! Someone might catch us!"
The Mazoku whisked her off her feet and lay her down in the pillow of thick grass that covered the garden's earthy surface. "That's what makes it so much fun, Ame-chan!"
"Grandfather, what does this say?" the violet-haired child asked, clambering down from her chair, a thick book clutched in her small hands. She pointed a fat finger at a page, curiosity written across her pretty features.
Philionel took the book from her. "Hasn't your mother taught you to read yet?"
"Well, Juuou-sama taught me a little, and Mommy taught me a little, but I still don't know what that says."
"Juuou?"
She nodded vigorously. "Daddy's boss. She likes to teach me things. She says she's going to teach me a lot when I get big. When am I going to get big, Grandfather?"
"Um, not for a long time, little one." Phil suppressed the urge to make a face at the thought of a higher Mazoku spending time with a descendant of his. Although he really couldn't say much about it, since this descendant happened to be half of a higher Mazoku.
"What does the book say, Grandfather? Can you read it to me?"
The prince looked at the title of the book at blanched. How had that gotten in there? "Um, why don't I read this one to you," he suggested, taking a smaller book from the pile on the shelf behind him.
Razilee blinked at him, unfazed. "Okay." She climbed up onto his knee and waited patiently for him to begin.
"This story is called 'Beauty and the Beast'. Once upon a time, a prince lived in a shining castle. The prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But one day, an old woman came to the castle, seeking shelter from the bitter cold..."
As he went on, he glanced at his granddaughter out of the corner of his eye. She listened attentively, her large eyes bright with intelligence. She was no ordinary child, that was certain. A shame she had to deal with her atrociously coupled parents. And not only their racial differences made them atrocious, but the lack of love as well.
At least he hoped there was no love. If his daughter loved that filthy creature, he would...he would...well, he didn't know what he'd do. Be upset, naturally. But Phil was sure their union was a forced one - forced by him - so there was no chance his little girl could ever love the Mazoku.
He hoped.
"What do you think he meant by that, Lina?"
The red-haired sorceress sighed. They'd gone over it a million times, and still he wouldn't shut up. "I told you, Zel, I don't know. That's what we're going to find out now." She tested one foot on the royal gardens' wall, judging its stability.
Zelgadis frowned, watching her climb the wall and drop easily over the other side. "That's only if Prince Phil has heard anything. Why are we sneaking in like this, anyway?"
"Because," she answered in an irritated fashion, helping Gourry get off the wall, "we didn't exactly behave with the best courtesy last time we were here in Seiryuun. I don't think they'd let us just walk into the castle."
"Why, what'd we do?" Gourry asked.
Lina ignored that question and proceeded further into the gardens. "I'm not even sure if we want to know what happened to her. But to know she's alive at least..." she trailed off.
"I know what you mean." Zelgadis's voice sounded strange. "When I heard she'd disappeared..."
"Amelia disappeared? When did that happen?"
Lina paused to smack the blond swordsman upside the head. "Idiot! Jellyfish! Where has your mind been all this time?! She's been missing for four years, you dolt! When were you going to realize - "
"Hey, do you hear something?" the chimera interrupted. The others paused and listened carefully, straining their ears to hear what Zelgadis's demon senses easily picked up: a primal animal noise, almost a cross between growling and purring, coming from behind a wall of rosebushes. They immediately took a defensive stance, not knowing what kind of creature might be preparing to attack them.
After a few moments of tense silence and no attack, the three began to sweatdrop. Lina scratched her head in confusion, for the growls had not ceased and she was sure she heard a faint, slightly squeaky gasping sound under the growling. Was this creature in the middle of catching its prey? She motioned for her companions to follow and walked around the rose wall.
There she stopped short.
What the hell???
The sight before her was an utter shock. Though she was not really surprised to see the couple entwined on the garden floor, she was wholly taken aback by the fact that the couple was Xelloss and...Amelia?! The Mazoku moved possessively atop his dark-haired mate, arms wrapped tightly about her slender body, the folds of his cloak barely covering their garmentless forms.
For once in her life, all Lina could do was stare.
Gourry shuffled behind her, apparently not comprehending the scene before his eyes. "What's the matter, Lina?" he inquired a bit too loudly.
The lovers' heads snapped up simultaneously at the sound of his voice, startled. Amelia immediately flushed a deep crimson upon recognizing the three figures that watched her, expressions more shell-shocked than anything else. Giku! She attempted to disentangle herself from Xelloss and hide, but he kept her firmly pinned to the ground. What were her former companions doing there???
Lina was speechless. Absolutely speechless.
Zelgadis, however, was not so quiet. "What in seven hells are you doing?!" he sputtered, eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets.
The Trickster's face remained nonchalant, a large contrast to the embarrassed face of his lover. "Yare, yare," he spoke softly, teasingly. "Are you that much a child, Zelgadis? I thought you would've learned about this topic by now..."
The chimera's cheeks reddened, a combination of anger and embarrassment. "That's not what I'm talking about! What the hell are you doing with her?!"
"Oh, that." A dark smile played on the corners of Xelloss's mouth. "It's a bit of a long story," he whispered, shifting deliberately so that Amelia had to bite her lip in order to keep from gasping aloud. The chimera didn't miss that exchange and blushed near burgundy, suddenly not knowing what else to say.
Lina, on the other hand, had finally found her voice. She spoke in a low, barely controlled tone. "I'm going to go into the palace," she informed the couple, turning her back to them. "I expect a full explanation once you've decided to put something decent on. Gourry, Zel, we're going." The sorceress left quickly, pulling her comrades with her.
Amelia tried to get up again, but still her lover would not allow it. "Xelloss, please!"
"Please what?" he asked devilishly, moving his hips against hers. The former princess arched her back slightly and tried in vain to suppress a moan.
"Please, Xelloss...Lina-san...we have to...explain..." she panted as he continued his motions, eyelids fluttering.
The Mazoku gently bit her ear. "Lina-san can wait. We have more...important things to attend to."
Zelgadis stormed around the royal library, more upset than he'd been in a long time. The blush had gone from his features and had been replaced by a contemptuous frown. "When did this happen?" he demanded, whirling to face Prince Philionel. "How did this happen?"
The prince cuddled his granddaughter in his lap. "You'll have to ask Amelia about that."
Gourry watched his long-time friend pace back and forth. "I don't see what you're all worked up about. Aren't you happy she's alive?"
Lina smooshed him into the floor with her heel. "Kurage! You don't understand do you? Didn't you see what was going on back there? Didn't you notice anything unusual about it?"
The swordsman rubbed his head painfully. "Well, that's not really any of my business. I'm just glad she's still alive."
Zelgadis threw his hands up into the air. "But with Xelloss! Xelloss, of all people!" He turned to Phil. "How can you just sit there and not do anything about it? How can you stand knowing they're together? Her and that...that Mazoku!"
The prince sighed. "It's out of my hands. There's nothing I can do."
"But with Xelloss! I can't believe..." he muttered, still stalking about. "I can't believe she...and him...that's just wrong..."
"Why are you all acting like my daddy's a monster?" Everyone turned to look at the little purple-haired girl, shocked at how much she sounded like her mother at that moment. Both Lina and Zelgadis could remember a time when Amelia had spoken similar words, a similar tone of anger in her voice. "He's not a monster," she insisted. "He's nice to me and plays games with me and buys lots of gifts for me and Mommy and I love him. Why do you keep acting like he's bad? Why?"
Before any of the adults could answer her, the library door swung open...
"Hello Lina-san, Gourry-san...Zelgadis-san. It's been a while."