"Lina-san!" Amelia cheerful voice rang out. "Time for breakfast!"
Instead of a miniature red tornado flying by her shouting "FOOOD!", Lina said hollowly from behind her bedroom door, "Oh? I'll be right down..."
Amelia opened the door, and poked her head in. "Lina-san?" she said worriedly.
The sorceress was staring out the window, curled up in a sitting fetal position. Tear tracks dotted her face.
"L-lina-san?" The princess walked in to the room, closing the door behind her.
She turned her head slightly, and whispered in a quavering voice, "Amelia?"
"What happened?" she asked, walking over to the red tressed sorceress.
Lina squeezed her eyes shut, and another tear leaked out of her eyes. "I... I was... I couldn't... He... he..." Her face contorted, trying to keep from bursting into tears. "Zel, he..."
"What did Zelgadis-sama do?"
"I-I couldn't stop him... I couldn't... cast any magic..." her voice trailed off.
"Lina-san! What. Did. Zelgadis-sama. Do?" Amelia asked, shaking the sorceress. Normally, this would be grounds for a Dragu Slave. Instead, Lina wrapped her arms around the sable haired girl, and gave into her impulse to break into tears.
"A-amelia! Zel... he... he must have hurt Xellos too..."
Amelia started putting things together. "O-oh, oh gods... He... Zelgadis-sama didn't..."
"It's my fault," the redhead whispered miserably. "If I could have used my magic... If... if I hadn't be so trusting..."
"Lina-san!" Amelia shook the petite sorceress. "It's not your fault! He must have timed it like this."
Lina leaned into the princess, crying. She held the girl close, mind reeling. Zelgadis-sama, an Enemy to Justice? "Ba-baka na..." she whispered. Louder, she said, "Why would Zelgadis-sama be an Enemy to Justice? He..."
"He... he was trying... his cure," Lina sobbed. "Zel thinks I could give him his cure!"
Zelgadis stretched out on the soft, springy grass. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. How could I have done that to Lina? he thought. Oh, gods. I... I raped her... And just for this cure...
The blood in his brooch sloshed around as he sat up. The chimera touched it, and his sapphire eyes hardened. I was because of this body that I did that to her. I am getting the cure.
No matter what.
Amelia walked out of the baths, listening to Lina frantically trying to not just wash away the physical signs of what Zelgadis did, but the memory too. She sighed, and went to get the girl her sorceress costume.
A strong hand snaked out of the shadows, and grabbed the girl's arm. She let out a squeak, turning. "Z-zelgadis-sama?!"
"Konnichi wa, Amelia-hime-sama," his silky tenor said, his face half hidden in shadows.
Her eyes widened his horror. "Let me go, Zelgadis-sama. Please, let me go!" The princess started struggling. Her movements stopped suddenly when the chimera sheathed the dagger in her stomach. "Z-zel... gadis-sa... ma?" she asked, betrayal shining in her blue eyes.
Zel's face cleared the shadows. "I'm sorry, Amelia." He pulled the weapon free of her as he realized that he had gotten enough of her blood. The princess fell to the floor, holding her stomach in pain. He turned to leave. "Say 'Hi' to the Fruitcake for me."