Slayers Fan Fiction ❯ To Be Human ❯ Amelia's Trip ( Chapter 3 )

Amelia's Trip

"So, Mister Zelgadis, what did you think?" I asked him as we walked back to the castle. It had been 5 days since he had arrived at Sailoon and, to be honest, sometimes I wondered if I was helping at all. With each passing day, he seemed to get more cynical and despondent. I was trying my best, really I was, but I just wasn't sure how I could help him. I knew I had to give it my all -- I can't stand there doing nothing at all while someone needs me, especially someone as important to me as Mister Zelgadis.

So, when I found out that the famous romance I Want to Be Your Shining Phoenix was playing in Sailoon this week, I thought it would be the perfect play to see with Mister Zelgadis. It's one of my favorites -- I can't watch it without feeling my heart go out to the hero and heroine. Surely even a cold-hearted person like Mister Zelgadis imagines himself to be would feel something.

Things seemed to go wrong from the beginning... I had the hardest time getting tickets. Sure, I could have pulled rank and drop hints that the Princess of Sailoon was interested in attending a showing with a guest, but that would be unjust for such a trivial thing, especially if I could get tickets the legitimate way.

Finally, I did manage to get tickets -- for the final showing. They weren't even together, so I wouldn't be able to see how the play affected Mister Zelgadis until it ended. But, still, we were going to see the play.

The next step was to get Mister Zelgadis to come with me. It was a simple enough matter -- he was being very cooperative, even if he usually thought my ideas were silly. Well, it would have been simple, except for one thing...

"Mister Zelgadis, you'll have to dress up." I looked him over, remembering our conversation from a few days ago. "Do you own any other clothing?"

"No..." He looked sheepish. "My lifestyle doesn't exactly lend itself to nights out on the town."

"The play's tonight -- there'd be no time to get something made in your size." I looked him over again, mentally measuring him. "You know, I think we still have some of Alfred's clothing here..."

"I am not wearing a dead man's hand-me-downs, Amelia."

"Well, I suppose some of Daddy's clothing from when he was younger might also fit..."

"Amelia..."

"Yes, Mister Zelgadis?"

"I'll take your cousin's clothing... it's only for one night."

"What?" Mister Zelgadis's reply jolted me out of my train of thought.

"How did you like the play?" He looked so odd when he was dressed up. Maybe it was because I almost always saw him in the same thing. Or maybe it was because I associated the outfit with Alfred and it looked wrong on Mister Zelgadis. It wasn't really a bad sort of odd, though. Merely different.

"Oh...the play... it was okay."

"Only okay?" I tried not to let the disappointment show in my face.

"Well, I thought the hero and heroine seemed a little flat and stereotypical, and the plot seemed contrived. Really, the supporting characters made the play -- but one of them showed far too many of Xellos's mannerisms for me to like him." "Mister Zelgadis! That was one of the most famous romance plays ever written!"

"Just because something is a romance, doesn't mean it can ignore things like plausibility and three-dimensional characters. Even if two people are 'fated to be together', that doesn't mean a writer can use that to fix massive plot holes."

"So you felt nothing? Sometimes I think you really do have a heart of stone, Mister Zelgadis," I said, a bit annoyed that he would come down so hard against one of my favorite plays.

"I know..." Mister Zelgadis stared down at the ground. That was the wrong thing to say to him...he's already worried about losing his humanity, and here I go accusing him of having a heart of stone? Stupid...

We walked in silence the rest of the way to the castle. A servant was waiting at the gate. "Princess!"

"Yes? What is it, Miss Faye?"

"You received a message while you and your gentleman friend were out." She handed me a letter. I opened it.

"What is it, Amelia?" Mister Zelgadis asked.

"Just a second... let me read it." I scanned the letter. "It's Miss Lina. She's writing to tell me she and Mister Gourry are coming to visit."

"Most likely so you can warn the kitchen staff," Mister Zelgadis added. I smiled at that. The last time Miss Lina and Mister Gourry had dropped by unexpectedly, the head chef had threatened to quit. "So, when do they get here?"

"Let's see... Tomorrow... Oh, dear..."

"Is twelve hours not enough warning for the chefs?"

"This is serious, Mister Zelgadis," I told him. "One of the villages nearby, Reinard, is opening a new Sorcerer's Guildhouse and I agreed to be the Guest of Honor. It should only take a day, but..."

"It's fine with me," Mister Zelgadis said. "You go do the Princess thing... I'll stay here and meet Lina and Gourry. I'm sure they'll be surprised to see me."

"No, actually, they won't. I mentioned you had come in my last letter to Miss Lina."

"Oh..." Mister Zelgadis suddenly looked worried. "How much else did you say in your letter?"

Oh... he was worried that I had written about his current problems. Not that I would -- this was obviously something deeply personal that he didn't feel like sharing with others, even friends. If he wanted to tell someone else, he would. Either way, I wouldn't say anything, even to Miss Lina. "Nothing much, really. Just how nice it would be to have the four of us together again."

"Princess?" Miss Faye interrupted me. "Have you packed yet? Your laundry is in your room, if you need any of that." "I think tomorrow's trip will only be a day trip, Miss Faye," I told her. "Thank you for your concern, though. You know... when was the last time you had a day off?"

"I don't know... I was sick last month, and I missed a few days."

"Take tomorrow off, then. You deserve it."

"Yes, ma'am."

As she walked off, Mister Zelgadis turned to me. "Are you sure your father won't mind?"

"He won't," I told him. "Really, with just him and me and sometimes Uncle Christopher, we have too much staff on hand. Most of them seem like they are just taking care of all the other staff. No one will miss one person if she takes a day to relax." I yawned. "I'll have to get up early tomorrow, so I better call it a night."

Mister Zelgadis nodded and turned to walk to his room. "Good night, Amelia. Sleep well."

"Good night, Mister Zelgadis."

The next day, I wasted little time dressing and packing a day bag of essentials I would need on the trip. As the sun began to peak above the horizon, coloring the castle walls a rosy pink color, I was already in the carriage house, watching the stable hands hitch up the horses. "We should be ready to move in no time at all," I commented approvingly.

"You know, Amelia, it would probably be quicker if you just rode instead of taking a carriage." I jumped.

"Mister Zelgadis! You surprised me. What are you doing up so early?"

"I thought I should see you off. Prince Phil should also be coming... I passed his room on the way down here and heard him getting up."

"Oh..." I fidgeted. "Anyway... I have a bit of a stomachache, and I think riding would just aggravate it. The carriage is quick enough."

"Are you sure you should be going if you aren't feeling well?" Mister Zelgadis asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

I winced. Why now, of all times, did he decide to become Mr. Compassionate? "Really, I'll be fine, Mister Zelgadis. I have some herbs to take during the journey if it gets worse."

"Amelia..."

I grabbed his collar, trying to yank his head down close to me... it wouldn't have worked, except Mister Zelgadis, in deference to my annoyance, brought his face down towards mine. "Listen, Mister Zelgadis, the reason I'm not feeling well is because it's Ôthat time of the month', and I'd really appreciate if it wasn't broadcast to the entire kingdom."

He looked embarrassed, but, to his credit, he recovered his composure quickly. He straightened up. "Forget I said anything." He glanced at the carriage. "Are you sure you're okay traveling without your magic?"

"I'll be fine... I'm well within Sailoon's borders, and I have Mister Benedick to protect me. He's very reliable," I gestured to a man who was seated at the front of the carriage. He was wearing the uniform of the Sailoon Royal Guard.

"Well, if you're sure..." Mister Zelgadis still looked hesitant. And I appreciated it, really, I did, but a girl doesn't need a man trying to shelter her from everything. Sometimes she has to take her fate into her own hands and protect herself.

"I am..."

Mister Benedick nodded to me. "Ready to go, Princess?" I nodded and stepped into the carriage. "Oh, look there's Daddy... Bye, Daddy! Bye Mister Zelgadis! See you both tonight!" I yelled to them as the carriage left the castle.

Goodness me, travel by carriage is boring. I worked on my embroidery a bit, and read until my stomach objected to my eyes focusing on the page. I then tried to sleep, staring at the roof of the carriage. I wish I had asked Mister Zelgadis to accompany me. But then again... I'm no Lina Inverse, but I do get temperamental around this time of the month, and Mister Zelgadis did seem to rub me the wrong way now. It would pass. Until then, I could enjoy the trip and the dedication ceremony -- as boring as they were.

The carriage jerked to a halt suddenly, knocking me to the floor. I picked myself up, dusted off my dress, and stuck my head out the window... and found it centimeters away from the wrong end of a crossbow bolt. "Get out of the carriage, Princess," a male voice instructed me, in a tone indicating, while violence wasn't happening now, it was likely if I didn't do exactly what it said.

"I refuse to obey the instructions of unjust bandits." I did have my pride, after all. Besides, I might be able to bluff my way out of the situation, just like Miss Lina showed me.

"Fine." The crossbow was lowered, the carriage door was opened, and I was pulled rudely out, struggling the whole way. There were only two bandits. The first was the man that shoved me out. He was nondescript looking, with black hair, cut short. The second was a woman with golden hair and eyes, well dressed in leggings, a blouse and boots. Both were wearing some solid-looking (and expensive) armor and were carrying swords, which were, thankfully, sheathed. The man had given the woman the crossbow and she had it trained on me. "Mister Benedick! Do something!" I yelled for my guard.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Princess," Mister Benedick stepped into the field of view, an uncharacteristic smirk on his face. "I guess I forgot to mention my other job when your father hired me... Oops."

"This was all a set up!" I held my hands out in a spell-casting posture. "I should fireball you where you stand. It'll teach you to mess with a Champion of Justice. Light which burns beyond crimson flame..."

"Stop casting that light spell, Princess," the woman ordered me. "We all know you can't do anything worse to us than blind us, and rest assured I can fire the crossbow before you complete the chant." I cancelled the spell.

"And, yes, we did have this all planned," she continued. "More than you'll ever know... It was simply a matter of waiting until you needed to leave the capital alone during Ôthat time of the month'. Even simpler to have Benedick volunteer to be your escort." She regarded Benedick and the other man. "She may be near-useless as a sorceress, but she'll still be a pain. We need to get her and the carriage away from the road."

She nodded to them and they grabbed my arms at the shoulder. I tried to struggle, to get my hands free enough to cast even a light spell as a signal, but they overpowered me, pinning my arms behind my back. So, having no other weapon left, I mustered my best defiant stare. "Justice will triumph over evil in the end."

The woman drew her sword. "In my experience, Princess, Justice is in the purse of the highest bidder." She turned the sword and swung, striking with the flat of the blade.

Stars exploded inside my head... I felt myself falling... things were going black... Zelgadis... where are you? Save me...