Chapter 1 :: Chapter 2 :: Chapter 3 :: Chapter 4 :: Chapter 5

CHAPTER 1
In which Lina is bored, but Zelgadis arrives and they go to see Amelia.

   Lina Inverse, sorcery genius, enemy of all bandits, and one of the biggest food lovers of all time, was bored out of her skull.  I thought palaces were supposed to be fun, she thought sourly, looking up from the large, lengthy book in her hands.  She let her gaze wander around her aesthetic surroundings, taking in the beautiful gardens just below the balcony she was sitting on, the scent of roses and lilies floating on the air, and just the general perfect feeling of the garden itself.

    Gardens aren't supposed to be that perfect.  I bet some of those flowers are fake, the sorceress guessed rather cynically.  It wasn't often she was willing to stay put when she was bored.  Usually she'd just fireball people or things till she got some entertainment in.  But these were special circumstances.   Her annoying, high-class friend, Princess Amelia wil tesla Seyruun, had invited her to a ball at Seyruun's palace just a little bit less than a week ago by means of a magical messenger.  Lina had immediately wanted to go, but Gourry, her companion since she met him three years ago, when she was fifteen, had just as quickly refused to go.   She'd been very disappointed, and tried to get him to agree to go, but he had a strong aversion to ballrooms for some reason he couldn't remember.  At last they agreed it was a perfect opportunity to take some time off and have a vacation, just separately.  He decided to go and visit Sylphiel in the distant city of Sairaag, while Lina went off to the party at Seyruun, and he'd come and meet up with her again in Seyruun in two months time.

    So here she was, sitting in a wonderful room with a gorgeous view, and all she wanted to do was leave as soon as possible.  It can't be natural to want to leave such a peaceful place.  A side of her mouth moved up in a smirk as she thought, But I've never been very peaceful, have I?

   Looking back at the book in her hands, she read for a few more minutes, trying to keep her attention focused on it, but without much success.  Although she liked books, this particular one was dull, and her mind began to wander whenever she read it for any length of time.  Another factor was that for the past day or two since she'd arrived, all she'd done was hang around the palace, not beating up any bad guys, not desperately trying to outwit an evil arch-nemesis or a demon, not doing anything that she usually did.  It went against the grain, and she liked the tranquility less and less by the minute.  Her naturally high energy was screaming for a release.

    She got up from her comfortable chair on the balcony and stood at the railing, resting her arms against the top of it and leaning her body against the railing so she could look down with greater ease.  A part of her saw the lush gardens, while another part of her churned and whirled with thoughts, for the ball was tonight.  After that, she could simply entertain herself by kicking a few dozen bandit gang's butts, or perhaps find a short adventure to go on, and wait for Gourry to come back.  Not that he was her keeper or anything, but he was a nice traveling companion, and she didn't want to lose him just yet.

    If she didn't go completely insane before the ball, that is.  As is was, she thought it a distinct possibility.  Everything about this place was way too peaceful, way too tranquil.  Nothing was supposed to be this boring; it went against the laws of nature!  It was like being in the eye of a hurricane, or waiting for the other shoe to drop, and the longer the boredom lasted, the deadlier the hurricane became, and the bigger the shoe got.  Leaving all the similes (or metaphores?) aside, she just wished something would happen, plain and simple.  Anything!  A giant rampaging the city, a demon on the loose, a horde of trolls; anything but this boredom!

    As if her wish was granted, something did happen, though it came in the most unlikely form imaginable.  A figure, graceful as a cat and strong as a giant, jumped onto her balcony, landing in a half-crouch which the figure quickly coiled out of, standing up straight and looking at Lina with perceptive, familiar dark blue eyes.  If she hadn't already been holding onto something, she probably would have fallen over in shock, and she couldn't quite keep a surprised gasp from escaping her mouth.  The person wore a long-sleeved, turtle-necked, cream colored tunic that reached his thighs, and ordinary, cream colored pants.  His tunic held a hidden fold of cloth that served him at the moment as a mask covering up part of his nose and the rest of the lower part of his face.  Around his waist were two, dark brown belts, one of which was tightly cinched at his waist, while the other was loose, hanging at an angle on his hips.  From one belt hung a scabbard containing a beautiful sword decorated with gold and silver, and he wore plain, gray shoes on his feet.  On his hands he wore wrist-length gloves, although the cloth that was supposed to cover his fingers wasn't there; instead, the gloves ended just a little ways up on his fingers.  The finishing touch was the cream colored cloak with a light, grayish-turquoise interior.  Attached to the cloak was a piece of cream colored cloth that encircled his shoulders, ending just above his elbows, which came together in the front, and had a hood as well that he was using at the present.  Clasped to the front of the cloak, on the strip of cloth, was a large, round, red jewel set in silver, with two, black strings tied in a bow coming down from it.  His skin, from what she could see of it, was a light blue, dotted with dark gray stone, while his hair gave off a metallic sheen and was light lavender in color. 

    "Z...Zelgadis?!" she cried, eyes wide in disbelief.  "What are you doing here?"

    "I was invited to the ball for tonight," he explained simply, crossing his arms in front of him.  "It's nice to see you too, Lina," he added calmly, a hint of hurt mockery in his voice.

    "Well, I'm not used to guys suddenly dropping onto my balcony," she muttered, unsuccessfully trying to keep a blush back.  A small amount of pink crept onto her cheeks, and she hastily hid it by turning her head away from him.

    He raised an eyebrow, for his keen sight had seen the slight blush, and asked rudely, "So what about Gourry?  Hasn't he ever come in unannounced?"

    Outrage filled her, quickly dissolving her embarrassment, and she responded bluntly, "He comes in normally, through the door!  And he'd never come in without my approval first!"  She looked at him again, and noticed for the first time how intimate this could seem to outsiders.  Usually when men climbed onto someone's balcony (or in this case, probably levitated over), it implied the woman on that balcony and him were lovers, or at the very least, lovers-to-be.  For a moment or two that was all her horrified brain could think of, churning it over and over.  In the back of her mind, another thought intruded.  Would she be worrying about this if Gourry was involved?  Probably not.

    She cleared her throat, trying to work through her paranoia and her embarrassment, and asked, "So, what convinced you to come?  I know you, Zelgadis.  You hate crowds and avoid them whenever possible.  How did Amelia convince you to come?"

    Zelgadis's expression was one of unruffled calm, from what she could make out through the cloth mask he still had over the lower part of his face and the hood partially hiding his eyes.  He shrugged and admitted, "Amelia found a possible cure for my chimera state, and her price was that I attend tonight's party.  I guess she wanted a friend or two at the ball, so she invited us."  Just as dead serious, he added, "Although I'm surprised she invited us.  We usually end up destroying things when we team up."

    Lina chuckled and agreed, mentioning, "Could you have imagined the outcome if Gourry had decided to come as well?  Suddenly I'm glad he's off visiting Sylphiel."  Zelgadis nodded, still calm, though she thought he might be smiling a little.

    Becoming more serious, she said, "I'm glad you came, though."  He glanced sharply at her, eyes searching for something, his own eyes unreadable.  "I've been bored out of my wits waiting for the ball to start!" she elaborated cheerfully, her mood swinging from serious to silly.  Without thinking, still stuck in her silly mode, she grabbed one of his hands and lead him into her room.  "Now I won't be quite as bored!  Anything has to be better than this peace and tranquility."  Still leading him, she added, "I'll show you all of the palace!  It'll give me something to do."

    "Uh...Lina...I was hoping to get settled in first..." he answered uneasily, letting her drag him along.  They walked into the hallway, and she promptly turned to the left.

    Turning her head to look at him over her shoulder, she smiled cutely and said, "No protesting!  Don't worry, you'll be entertained, I promise.  Besides, I'm not going to let you leave me all alone and bored out of my wits again, and you don't have any luggage, so you don't need to get settled in."

    He sighed, knowing it was useless to argue with her when she was this determined, and simply let her pull him along.  He was thankful he hadn't removed his hood or mask yet, for like this, he still appeared sort-of human at first glance, while without it covering him up, it became obvious he was anything but human.  Damn you Rezo... the chimera thought darkly, swiftly becoming depressed.

    Without warning, he felt an elbow knock him on top of his head, creating a slightly painful spot.  He came out of his gloomy contemplation to look at a slightly mad Lina.  She was rubbing her elbow as if it pained her, and glaring at him.  Why, he wondered, was she mad at him?

    "You were getting gloomy on me, Zel!  No getting depressed around me; I strictly forbid it!" she said commandingly, as if she had just read his mind.  Well that explained her anger.  Her expression brightened as an idea occurred to her, and she grabbed him by the hand again and started off down the hallway.

    Warily wondering what had just passed through her mind, he reluctantly let her drag him along as she had before.  Lina was stubborn as an ox when she got a notion she liked, and it could be very, very difficult to dissuade her from her chosen course of action.  What did she want to show him?  The dungeon?

    "Come on, hurry up!  We're almost there!" Lina said, eyes shinning in merriment.  He's never going to forgive me for this...But hey, he needs a little excitement in his life!  Ah, there it is now!

   "...The throne room...?  Lina...?" he asked, praying that she wasn't about to do what he feared she was.  "You're not going to...?"

    The throne room doors opened when the guards saw her.  He noted that they had traces of fear on their faces, and sweat rolled off their faces.  He correctly guessed they'd had an encounter with her before.

    All that fled from his mind as the massive doors swung open, revealing a large, white, marble room.  Columns of gold and white marble stone stood close to the walls, with gold ribbon streaming from column to column.  Courtiers with beautiful, sparkling clothing stood facing the throne, where Prince Philionel sat, grinning stupidly at everyone, looking like a particularly ugly bandit in the process, and wild, black hair spiked out despite all the royal hairdresser's ministrations.  He wore a white tunic, embroidered with gold thread, and white tights over a massive, muscled, giant-like body.  Phil, as all his friends called him, looked over at his daughter, Princess Amelia, who was standing next to him.

    Amelia herself was quite lovely looking at the moment, and there was a royal grace and maturity in her bearing that hadn't been there three years ago.  He doubted she klutzed out half as much anymore.  She had smooth, black hair that curled outward, large, blue eyes, and she seemed to be taller, with bustier proportions and a slender body.  The princess had on a plain, gold tiara, and a pink, silk dress that poofed out unnaturally at the waist.

    He heard Lina mutter under her breath, so low only his chimera hearing enabled him to catch it, "...looks more like Naga every time I see her..."  He suppressed a grin, wondering who this "Naga" was.

    Amelia looked up, and suddenly her eyes went wide.  She smiled and picked up her skirts, running towards them.  "Miss Lina!  Is that Mr. Zelgadis beside you?"  Then again...I might be wrong about the maturity... Zelgadis thought, trying hard not to shake his head in disbelief.

    Lina smiled cheerfully, and waved at the princess.  "Hello again!  I thought you'd want to know that Zelgadis arrived."

    Shaking his head in embarrassment and fighting an overwhelming urge to blush, he waited for Amelia to reach them.  She stopped before them, huffing and puffing.  She needs to exercise more, Zelgadis thought in the back of his mind.  "Hello Amelia," he greeted solemnly, bowing expertly at her.

    She giggled in her silly way and curtsied, responding, "It's nice to see you again, Mr. Zelgadis."  She stepped forward and gave him a quick, brotherly hug, utterly shocking everyone at the court and causing a unified gasp to go forth from the crowd of courtiers.  Too stunned to do anything but go with it, Zelgadis allowed her to hug him, blushing furiously all the while.  Lina was blushing as well, and for once, she was completely speechless.  The only one who wasn't having a seizure over the unexpected turn of events was Prince Phil.

    "Zelgadis!  So, you came after all!" he greeted jovially, waving at them from his seat and laughing.

    "Daddy, they're here!"  She turned around and faced the crowd of courtiers.  The courtiers, on their part, were whispering back and forth agitatedly, completely scandalized by her behavior.  Gathering her courage, she addressed the court, saying in a loud, regal voice, "I would like to present my traveling companions from three years ago, Lina and Zelgadis.  Lina is an expert at Black Magic, and Zelgadis is an expert in Shamanist Magic."

    There was a collective sigh of relief.  So the two were only traveling companions, huh?  Good; that meant the man...Zeldigas?...Zeldagis?...wasn't a possible love interest; he was just a good friend of the princess's.  In the back, one courtier in particular was watching the proceedings with interest.  He was grinning from ear to ear, eyes hidden in shadow.

    Zelgadis, now you'll pay for my humiliation from the last time we met... the sinister man thought, chuckling.  He turned around and headed into a side hallway, plans swirling in his head.  He had much to do before the ball tonight if he was going to exact his revenge properly.

    Meanwhile, Zelgadis and Lina were considering beating a hasty retreat, because Amelia had gone back to her place by her father, so she wasn't there to shield them from the court.  It wasn't pleasant having the eyes of the entire court on them, as they were finding out.  Zelgadis glanced over at Lina, wondering if she wanted to leave as badly as he did.  From her furtive glancing around the court, and the way she had backed up a step, he guessed she was regretting her decision to announce his presence before the whole court.

    "Lina," he whispered silently, so low only she would hear it, "care to get out of here?"  Not surprisingly, she nodded and glanced over his way.

    "Courtiers are okay, but not when they're all staring at you as if you're a rotten hunk of meat they'd like to throw in the nearest trashcan," Lina whispered back.

    "Eh...?" he frowned, confused.  He pulled his attention back to the crowd, and listened to what they were whispering, deftly applying his chimera hearing while he did so.

    "...what vulgar clothing..."

    "...her taste is abominable!  I can't believe she'd wear such flashy clothing when pastels are all the rage..."

    "...Does that man...um, Zeldigas?...have blue skin, or is it just me?..."

    "...I can't believe Amelia would travel with a girl who's so short, skinny, and ugly..."

    "...Princess's shouldn't travel with peasants like that!..."

    "...are they invited to the party tonight?  Yes?   That means I'll be forced to be polite..."

    "...that girl has no breasts, I'd swear!  She could pass for a boy if she wanted to!  And she's so short..."

    Frowning at their descriptions, he glanced back over at Lina.  It wasn't often she was submitted to the cruel tongues of others, and if she did, she usually ignored it or fireballed them.  Unfortunately, this time it was different.  If she fireballed them, she'd probably be killed by the guards, and besides, they were nobility!  Nobility wasn't wrong about that stuff...were they?  Zelgadis knew they were often wrong about such things, but Lina hadn't had much experience with people who were rich and had extremely high opinions of themselves.

    Lina felt like sinking into a hole and disappearing.  Either that or she was going to Dragon Slave the whole place out of anger.  How dare they talk about her like that!  She was the sorcery genius, Lina Inverse!  Only her sister, Luna, was allowed to scare her!  If they continue talking like that about me and Zel, I'm to get very, very angry...Humph, I'm already very, very angry!...It's just that...well...they're nobility!  Amelia and her father never acted like royalty, so I treated them the same as I would everyone else, but these people in their court, they have the bearings of nobility, and they've certainly dressed like it.  Maybe they're right; perhaps I'm ugly and have bad taste...  NO!  I can't give in to their way of thinking...but I've always been taught that nobility are right...  I know they're not, but maybe they are in this case...

   Zelgadis saw her expression go from incredibly angry to depressed, and felt like cursing.  He could handle her when she was angry; he'd done that on plenty of occasions, but depression was another matter altogether.  It took a lot to get Lina depressed...like a horde of blood-thirsty courtiers...so he'd never seen her like this.  Normally, she was sure she was one of the most beautiful women on the planet.  He wasn't sure what to do when she was like this.

    "Hey...Lina..." he whispered.  She turned and looked dully at him, much to his horror.  If anything, her expression should be flashing with annoyance and anger, and there should have been a fireball on her fingertips.  "Let's get out of here."  She nodded, eyes becoming hopeful.  He sidled up to her, put an arm around her thighs, another arm around her waist, scooped her up into his arms, and ran like hell, using all the demonic speed in his possession to beat a hasty retreat out of that place.  He ran down hallways, and past servants who felt a cold breeze as he ran by, but saw nothing.  Lina kept a scream from coming out through force of concentration and closing her eyes.  It was rather disconcerting to see hallways go by as a blur.  She gripped his shoulders, and lay her head against his chest to keep herself from looking where they were going.  Finally they stopped just outside of her bedroom, much to Lina's relief, and she slid out of his arms, ignoring the urge to simply stay there.

    Zelgadis asked her in a cold tone, "Why did you insist we go in there?  If you'd really wanted to let Amelia know I was here, we could have done that after she got out of the great hall."

    She noted the tone and flipped her hair behind her defiantly, responding, "I didn't know there'd be that many people in the great hall.  The last time I went in there, she was pretty much alone.  If I'd known the court was going to meet today, I would've avoided the place."

    He raised an eyebrow and asked pointedly, "Didn't you know that resident nobility always meet with the King, Queen, Princes and Princesses before a ball?"

    She shook her head, adding, "No.  I've rarely had the opportunity to be around royal people, and I'm not royalty myself, so I don't know their customs."  Something occurred to her, and she asked slyly, "So how did you know about it?"

    Smoothly, he answered in the same cold tone, "I spent some time here before, looking through the library.  Of necessity, I learned some of Seyruun's customs."

    Deflated, Lina simply responded, "Oh."  She sighed and sat down on the bed, murmuring, "I'm sorry about dragging you into the great hall.  I didn't know all those courtiers would be there."  Her mind, though, was already going back to the scene in the great hall, where she'd heard whispers that had shaken her to the core.  Were they right about her?  Was she really ugly, with no sense of style?  She'd never thought so before, but she'd never had the opinions of nobility to worry about, either.  In the back of her mind, she'd thought that perhaps she'd been invited to the ball because the nobility had wanted her to go, she, the famous Lina Inverse.  Instead, it seemed they hadn't ever heard of her, and worse, though her...her...

    A tear trickled down her face.  She desperately felt like fireballing something, but common sense told her she'd never be able to pay for the damages. 

    Zelgadis watched her, trying to decide what to do to comfort her; he didn't have much experience with this sort of thing.  Finally, he sat down on the bed and commented wryly, "Nobility isn't what you imagined it to be, is it?  Just like Prince Phil wasn't what you thought he'd be."

    Lina sniffled and nodded morosely.  "Yeah.  I thought all princes were supposed to have blond hair, blue eyes, be incredibly handsome, and ride on white horses."  She gave a short crack of a laugh.  "Well, Phil rides on a white horse, at least."  She looked up at Zelgadis, and asked in a broken voice, "Am I really...ugly?  Do I have bad taste?"

    He sighed, cursing at the fates.  Even when he'd been completely human, he hadn't dealt well with emotions, and now he was worse than before.  He tended to blurt out what he was thinking if asked, and sometimes people didn't like that.  Still, she needed reassurance.  Perhaps she did deserve the truth; he was a terrible liar, anyway, and wouldn't convince her if he said something that he didn't believe.

    "Lina, you are anything but ugly.  Because you're pretty enough to show your real face and you don't need to use paints and oils to cover up blemishes, they get jealous of you.  I swear to you, not a one of those women out there, besides Amelia, would dare show their real faces, without any makeup on.  Even Amelia probably uses makeup," he admitted tenderly, wiping away the stray tear from her face.  She sniffed, feeling better at his words.

    "But what about my clothing?" she asked, getting worried again.  She felt foolish, asking Zelgadis of all people these questions, questions she'd never thought about before.  She'd been sure of the answers, until now.

    The chimera next to her drew in a breath and pulled his hand away, leaning tensely back on the bed.  Uh oh, she thought, frowning at him.   That doesn't bode well...

   It was time to choose his words well, while being truthful at the same time.  "Although your taste isn't what people normally wear, it suits you.  Unfortunately, different is generally bad when it comes to nobility.  You prefer flashy, bright colors; they wear soft pastels.  You want to wear tights and breeches; noble women only wear dresses that go down to their ankles or lower.  You wear a tunic; the women wouldn't be caught dead without a bodice on."  He shrugged, adding, "Amelia's a princess, so they don't dare openly criticize her, but you're just a traveling companion to them.  Therefore, they don't try and hide their comments."

    "...But why?  Why did they criticize me like that?  I've never met them before!" Lina nearly shouted, anger returning as her fears were soothed, ironically enough, by Zelgadis.  She clenched her hands and squeezed her eyes tightly shut.

    He shrugged casually.  "They don't have anything better to do.  You got bored being here just a day or two.  Imagine their plight; they've been here most of their lives."

    A look of terror crossed her face.  "A lifetime...of this boredom?  I'd go insane!"

    He stood up, letting his face slip back into it's habitual calm expression.  "So, now that that excitement is over, shall we go?  You promised to show me the castle, and so far all I've seen is the great hall, interesting though that proved to be."

    She smiled and stood up as well.  "Thank you, Zel, for your kind words."  Before she could talk herself out of it, she gave him a big hug, throwing her arms around his waist and laying her head on his chest.  She stepped away, and turned away, although not before she caught a beet-red blush on his cheeks, or before he caught the equally red blush on her cheeks. 

    "I-it's no trouble Lina," he gulped, slowly gaining back his normal calm as his heart stopped pounding and his blush receeded.

    A thought crossed her mind, and she confided to him after her blush disappeared, "I wish I could make the nobility regret sneering at me."

    His eyes danced with mischief, and he couldn't help but return the sentiment.  "So do I.  Perhaps we'll be able to, too..."

    Crossing her arms, she asked bluntly.  "How?  They weren't impressed with me before.  How can we change that?"

    "I have an idea..."

CHAPTER 2
In which Lina prepares to go to a ball.

    Lina gave a deep breath, wondering for the hundredth time if she was crazy for letting Zelgadis talk her into doing this.  Yes, she wanted to go to the ball, and yes, she wanted revenge for the way the nobles had made her feel, but this was going way to far!  If this plan didn't work, Zelgadis was going to severely regret it...not that she know how she could make him pay, because it wasn't as if she could hit him (his skin was stone, after all), and most spells just bounced off of him.  Still, she'd be able to think up something.

    "Are you sure I have to do this?" Lina moaned.

    He sighed and said, "For the hundredth time...yes, you do, if you want revenge on the nobility for their comments."  He looked over the source of her aggravation again, and couldn't help but be struck by how beautiful she looked in the dress.  Her fiery, red hair was left loose to swing down to her bottom, and for once she'd taken off her black headband.  The dress itself was a rich crimson, with long, baggy sleeves that were tightly cuffed at her wrists, a low neckline that ended just above her bust, and at her ankles.  Gold ribbon trimmed the bottom of the dress and the cuffs of her sleeves.  Over the dress was a bodice made entirely of gold cloth, with red embroidery at the edges.  On her feet she wore crimson, ankle-length, high-heel boots with gold lacing.  Completing the outfit was a gold choker with a crimson ruby in the center.  Her beautiful, wide red eyes sparkled with annoyance.

    Frowning, she asked, "How come I have to wear something like this, and you're staying in your normal outfit?"  She pointed toward his figure, sitting casually on the edge of her bed in his everyday, white clothing and cloak.

    "I'm not trying to prove anything, and you are.  Wouldn't you be going in your regular clothing if this little revenge streak of yours hadn't come into play?" Zelgadis pointed out blandly, nodding at her sorceress outfit hanging up in her wardrobe.

    "Well...yes, but...that's just me.  You seem like the type that would get dressed up for these kinds of things," Lina said.  Plus, I'm really curious about how you'd look in something else, she added silently.  Somehow, she didn't think Zelgadis would find that very amusing.

    The chimera stated warily, "I'm not the type to get dressed up.  Besides, the nobility would have an even stronger reaction to me if I didn't cover as much of my body as I can tonight, and people with sorcery are notorious for their eccentricities, so I'll be able to get away with it."  He got up and walked over to her, putting a hand on her shoulders.  In a softer, warmer voice, he added, "Don't worry, Lina.  I'll be there when you need me; you won't have to face this alone."

    As usual, he was right on the mark.  Never mind that he was as dense as a brick with anyone else; for some reason, he had always been very adept at sensing her emotions.  It was disconcerting, to say the least....not that she was going to let him know that.  "I'm not worried at all.  I just wish we could get this over with!  I hate wearing dresses on a good day..."

    An annoying, high-pitched voice rang out behind the door just a few seconds later.  "Miss Lina, how do you look in the dress?  I'm dying to know!" Amelia called out.  Lina could almost see the perpetually cheerful smile on her friends' face as she said this.

    "Come in, Amelia," Lina called back.

    The door burst open as if a storm had just thrown it ajar, and Lina was hard-put to keep from jumping three feet into the air.  In walked Amelia, radiating happiness and energy.  It was obvious she was looking forward to the ball that was to begin in a few minutes.  The sorceress couldn't help but feel a little put out; after all, how could anyone want to go to one of these things?!   She felt like groaning as she remembered her own previous excitement.  Well, it seemed Amelia hadn't been the only one who wanted to go.  Zelgadis quickly backed up against the nearest wall, conveniently in the shadows.

    "Hello Amelia," Lina greeted, smiling.  "How are the preparations coming along?"

    "Swell!  Everything's ready and waiting," Amelia answered, giggling.  She glanced at Lina, taking in the beautiful dress, and grinned heartily.  "Miss Lina, you're going to break hearts tonight," the girl said.  "I can't wait till Mr. Zelgadis sees you."

    A tenor voice floated over from the shadowed wall.  "I already have," Zelgadis stated calmly.

    Startled, Amelia jumped and whirled to face the voice.  She sighed, relaxing when she realized who it was.  "Mr. Zelgadis, you startled me!" she scolded delicately.  A simple shrug was all she got in return.

    "Don't mind him.  He's going to be my escort tonight," Lina explained, pointing back at the chimera. 

    "...Oh..." was Amelia's witty reply.   "Um...that's nice..."

    "What, did you expect me to go down there alone?"   Lina struck an intelligent pose and said in a stern, lecturing tone, "Even a wolf must bring a friend if he is to hunt successfully."

    Zelgadis raised a stony eyebrow, and managed to say in a calm voice, "And what does that mean?"

    For a few seconds, Lina stood there, as if pondering how to answer that.  Then, just as seriously, she stated, "I have no clue."  She shrugged and added, "It just sounded appropriate."  Zelgadis's mouth twitched as he surpressed an amused smile.

    "Come, let's go down to the ball," Amelia urged, ignoring Lina's comment.  Lina and Zelgadis gave each other quick, serious looks, silently asking each other if they were ready, and turned back to Amelia.  Lina nodded.  It was time to implement their plan.

CHAPTER 3
In which Lina goes to a ball and plans are set into motion.

    It's always been like this, Lina thought gloomily as she sipped on her luke-warm punch.  I go to a party with a vision of dancing all night in some handsome man's arms, with all the rest of the guys in the room fawning over me.  Then I get there, and I end up standing against the wall all night.  Covertly, she scanned the ballroom for Zelgadis.  The ball had begun only about fifteen minutes ago, but he'd disappeared into the garden within the last few minutes, claiming he needed to check something out.  It was probably just an excuse to get away, but truthfully, she couldn't blame him; she'd get away too if she could.  Unfortunately, there seemed to be something about her tonight that was attracting the weirdest people imaginable, and every time she tried to sneak out into the garden for a little fresh air, another one would get her attention just as she was about to leave.  If I'm not able to get away soon, I'm going to start showing them what an enraged sorceress can do...

   A cheery voice interrupted her thoughts, pulling her back to harsh reality.  "Miss Lina, what are you doing all by yourself?  And where did Mr. Zelgadis go?  I thought he said he'd be here till the ball ended," Amelia asked, her blue eyes twinkling with excitement. 

    "Hi Amelia.  He...uh...slipped off to...get...get a snack for me," Lina lied badly, laughing and scratching the back of her head with embarrassment.  I'd better find Zel, Lina thought worriedly, trying not to peak around Amelia to see if Zelgadis was nearby.

    The princess's cheery face went down a notch, and she asked in a more solemn tone, "He didn't sneak off, did he?  Our deal was that he'd be here for the party if he wanted the information I have."

    The information she has...?  Oh yeah, now I remember.   If Zelgadis comes to the ball, then Amelia tells him about a possible cure for his chimera state.  "He wouldn't sneak off with that hanging over his head," Lina smiled.  Usually that was true; he'd do just about anything to get a cure.  She wondered what had compelled him to risk it.

    "Hm...I wonder... Oh well.  Tell me if you see him, will you?" Amelia requested, already turning her attention to a threesome of round, red-faced nobility.  After Lina agreed, Amelia walked off, looking very regal and cheerful as she did.  If I hear her laugh like Naga does, I'm running for the hills, Lina thought grimly as she turned and walked toward the garden doors.   For a moment, she waited for someone to call out her name and pull her back into conversation, but miraculously all she heard was loud chatter, and she took advantage of the fact to slip away.

    The garden was as beautiful at night as it was during the day.   She sighed in relief as she felt the evening's stresses lift off her shoulders, and lifted her head to catch the soothing night air on her face.  Not letting herself think about anything for that half a minute did wonders for her stress level, lowering it to a rate where she could start to see how foolish it was to worry about being a wallflower all night.  Her mind turned to a pleasant image of Zelgadis dancing with her in the ballroom while all the nobles looked on in awe.  But...how come I see myself dancing with Zel?  Why not some faceless courtier, or Gourry?  Why Zel?  With a frown, she added mentally, And how come I feel sad when I think of him leaving after the ball?  She sighed, and muttered out loud, "Probably just because I know I'll be bored out of my mind again, and he's a friend.  It couldn't be anything more."

    There was a hot breeze against her cheek, making her turn in that direction, curious as to what was it was.  To her amazement, she saw a huge, round ball of pure fire about two times the size of Lina's head heading straight for her.   She grimaced in disgust.

    "Amateurs," she scoffed lightly.  "Freeze Arrow!"  Lina raised her hands above her and closed her eyes to concentrate.  In her hands grew a spear-like arrow made of pure ice, as cold as a winter storm and twice as deadly.  She opened her eyes to see the fireball coming in rapidly, and threw the arrow as fast as she could at the target.  The two forces met and clashed, ending with a large, ringing explosion that rocked the ground and made it shudder.

    Unfortunately, the fireball was only a distraction, as she realized too late.  At her back was an even deadlier threat; a large group of lightning bolts were charging straight for her, and were only a few seconds away from impacting on her body.  She turned around to face it, realized she didn't have enough time to move out of the way of the spell, and closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to watch it hit her.  A moment later, she felt a hard force slam into her body and push her down onto the ground, knocking the breath out of her.

    Lina opened her eyes curiously, wondering why there wasn't more pain, and saw the answer immediately...Zelgadis.  Quickly she deduced that he'd come just in time to push her onto the ground, thus saving her from the digger bolts' nasty shock.  "Zel...?"

    "Are you all right?  I saw you deflect a fireball, and realized you wouldn't see the digger bolts coming at you from behind until too late," he explained unnecessarily.

    "I guessed as much," she scoffed.  But she was noticing their position on the ground, so her answer came off nicer than she'd intended it.  Zelgadis's hands were on either side of her head, and his chest was just above her own, with his legs off to the right of her body, almost touching hers.  If someone saw us like this, they'd think...we'd...  A blush crept onto her cheeks as she thought this.  "Thank you, Zelgadis.  Now will you get off of me?!" Lina said forcefully, trying to ignore her disturbing thought.

    He gave a small sigh of relief and pushed himself away, standing up as he did so with a clear, graceful movement.  Lina quickly followed suit, and turned back towards the ballroom, her face grimly set at having to go back.

    "Well, let's get this over with, and fast!" Lina muttered, stomping off toward the lights of the ballroom.

    A gentle but firm hand on her shoulder stopped her cold.   "What?" she asked Zelgadis rudely.

    "If you're going to impress the nobility, you'll have to act like you enjoy the ball.  As it is, you're acting more like you're going back to an unpleasant funeral," Zelgadis pointed out logically.

    "But...but those people are all so...stuck up...and arrogant!" she protested.  "How am I supposed to have fun?"

    "Dance, laugh a lot, pretend you're listening to the most witty and enthusiastic conversationalist in the world," he suggested.  He sighed and added, "What we really need right now is a chance to show off your magical skills to them.  You'd be surprised how much they respect magic."

    She grinned and asked mischievously, "I don't suppose whatever tried to attack us just now is going to come back?"

    He glanced at her in surprise, and mussed, "You know, you might be right...and it'll be the perfect chance..."

CHAPTER 4
In which Lina and Zelgadis discuss the past, and an enemy puts a second plan into motion.

    Damn; the plan didn't work.  I wanted to kill that red-haired woman Zelgadis was with and obviously cared about, so he would lose all hope and be defeated that way, but he once again proved to be a tricky adversary, and managed to use blinding speed to reach her in time.  When did he get that interesting trait?   True, I didn't see him up close, but the last time I saw him he was on the weaker side.  What happened to make him stronger and faster...?

    It looks like I'll have to go to plan B...  The courtier chuckled grimly, and swirled the blood-red wine in his cup, thinking, This is going to be fun.

    The plan had been simple, or so it had seemed when Zelgadis explained it.  "To impress the nobility, you'll have to act like nobility yourself, and prove you're better than them.  You do this by wearing the right clothes, using all the right manners, and acting like you belong.  Then you add in that something special that sets you apart and above them.  Achieve that, they'll be groveling for you, and you simply brush them off.  Believe me, that hurts them worse than just about anything else."  Or so Zelgadis had said to her.

    "Okay Zelgadis, now what?" Lina asked as they re-entered the ballroom, after brushing off their clothes and making it look like they hadn't just evaded an attack. 

    He gave a rare, charming smile and answered, "Now...we dance."

    "WHAT?!" she nearly screamed, barely managing to keep her voice down.  "But...but...they always said..." and she quickly bit down on her tongue to keep the rest of her statement from escaping.  She'd nearly reverted back to her old way of thinking, that the locals of Zephelia were right and she was wrong, meaning she couldn't dance a single step.  They still influence me, Lina thought, angry and depressed at the realization.

    "Who, Lina?" he asked with a whisper as he swept her onto the ballroom floor.

    "No one," she muttered, not wishing to dredge up the past.   She was so lost in her memories that she didn't notice how graceful and delicate she danced, or the appreciative eyes some of the nobles were giving her.

    "..." was his only response as he swept her in a twirl.   After a few seconds, he dared to breach another topic.  "I wonder why we were attacked in the first place.  Not everyone could maneuver an attack like that in the palace of all places.  Plus, how'd they know we were in the garden?"

    "And was it meant for us at all?  It could have simply been meant to kill anyone who was luckless enough to go into the garden," Lina offered up, eyes sparkling like they always did when she tried to figure something out.

    He was silent for a moment, but finally shook his head.   "No.  I think it was meant for you alone," he sighed, his features unconsciously becoming a little fiercer.  "There were a few couples out there before you, even some women who were alone, and stood on the same exact spot you stood on.   If the attack had been meant for anyone, they would have gotten creamed."   He frowned deeper.  "No, that attack was meant for you and you alone."

    She laughed lightly, trying to hide the uneasiness building inside her.  "Isn't that a little paranoid?  It could have been timed to go off when I was there."

    "Perhaps," he agreed, "but what purpose would that serve?  Who would it benefit?  No one might have been standing there when it went off."

    Sighing, she muttered, "And I was hoping this would be a peaceful ball, too."

    He grinned, and countered, "No you weren't.  The peaceful life would drive you crazy."

    "And it was, too," she admitted with a rueful laugh.   She grinned and looked into his eyes.  "L-sama must like me; otherwise she wouldn't have brought your chaotic force here to relieve me of my boredom."   She added, "As you said, nothing is peaceful when you and I have an adventure together."

    "Yes..." he murmured, smiling warmly back at her.

    The music ended, breaking up their conversation.  They looked around, and slowly walked off the ballroom floor.

    Lina asked tentatively as soon as they were up against a wall, unsure she should even be asking, "Did...did I step on your feet?"

    He was startled at her question.  "Not once.  You were a smooth and graceful partner," he admitted coolly.  "Why do you ask?"

    She laughed nervously and touched the back of her head.   "N-no reason!  I'd just hate to step on your feet, that's all!"

    He raised a stony eyebrow in disbelief.  "You've hit me with furniture, stones, and your elbow, but now you're concerned about stepping on my foot?"  He looked around the ballroom, and saw the prying eyes and ears of a thousand nobleman and noblewomen trying to listen in on their conversation, get some tidbit of information to gossip about.  Lina saw where he was looking, and summoned up a cheerful face, placing her hand on his arm.  They heard the strains of a waltz start up, and promptly headed out onto the ballroom floor, along with the other nobility.

    Zelgadis put a hand gently around her waist, and felt her hands slip onto his, another of her hands on his shoulder.  He fought down a blush, barely succeeding.  He saw that Lina had her head averted, and a touch of pink was peeking on her cheeks.  Seeing that didn't help him prevent the blush; he could only be thankful that his hood and mask kept some of it from showing. 

    When she looked back up, he deliberately gazed at the balcony doors.   A faint twist of her mouth was all he needed to know she knew what he was planning to do.  He circled closer to the balcony doors, making sure that with every spin of the dance, they came closer...till just as the waltz ended, they were right beside them, and slipped out without anyone noticing.  The pair gave a huge sigh of relief, and leaned against the balcony railing, waiting for the other one to begin talking.   The silence stretched on.

    Licking his lips in thought, he finally asked, "What happened?"

    "I said before!  Nothing!" she responded a little bit too forcefully.

    "It's impossible for nothing to happen," Zelgadis noted absently.  Leaning over, his arms resting on the top of the railing, he asked again, "What happened, Lina?  What happened to make you doubt yourself?"

    Without revealing anything, eyes closed, she too leaned on the railing, gazing out at the garden below.  "The garden is beautiful even at night, isn't it?" she asked irreverently, her voice quiet.

    "Yes.  What happened, Lina?" he asked, unwilling to give it up.  He knew that something had happened to her, sometime, to make her feel doubt.  In the back of his mind, he noted that he also wanted to get his hands on the person who'd done this to her, and kill him.  "Trust me."

    She grinned, mock-cheerfully.  "The gardens were also beautiful in my hometown.  They were their pride and joy, besides the vineyards.  All the nobility who owned the gardens there had parties and balls.  They'd invite everyone, including my low-class nobility home.  My parents and my sister, Luna, were known as the most beautiful and graceful nobility in Zephelia.  I, on the other hand, was forbidden from going to any balls, ever, after awhile. 

    "The first time I went to a ball...well, I was ten at the time, but I never forgot it.  It was my debut ball, and my parents had invited all of the high-class nobility to our home.  They came because they knew my family were powerful, especially Luna, and were afraid the Inverse family would seek revenge if they didn't come.  They came, wishing they were at anyone else's home, for although we were nobility, we were pretty poor.  Our ball was not elaborate, and our food was simple.  They secretly ridiculed us.

    "Then I came in, dressed in a pink dress with lots of ruffles," Lina said in a monotone, hurting voice.  Zelgadis glanced sharply at her, but said nothing.

    "It was a ridiculous dress, not at all suited to my features; I only wish I'd realized it beforehand.   They laughed themselves silly as I stood there, ridiculing my hair, my eyes, my body, my bust...everything.  I couldn't escape, and besides, it was my debut ball, so I went down those stairs anyway, feeling as if a thousand pinpricks were stinging me the whole way down.  I got down, and played a hostess as much as I'd been taught.   Still, I got hungry in the middle and went after the food with my usual appetite.  Again, they stared at me and ridiculed me.  It was one of the few times I lost my appetite.

    "A boy, who I later learned was forced by my parents, asked me to dance.  I did so...and afterwards, he complained that he'd never be able to walk again, because I'd stepped on his toes so much.  His parents sent me scathing glances and helped him out.  After that, no one would dance with me.

    "It was a terrible night.  But I went to other balls after that, and found out they were equally horrible, each one getting progressively worse, till at last they shouted me out, and told me I was forbidden from going to balls ever again.   I...I cried the whole way home, and cried for a week after that.  When my tears had finally dried up, I decided they were right; I was clumsy and ugly, with no taste and no manners."

    "Then I went off on my own, and worked to change that opinion of myself, till I finally started becoming confident about my looks.  I succeeded and could even keep that confidence around my old companion, Naga the White Serpent, who looked like every guy's fantasy," Lina paused.

    Zelgadis frowned and asked, "But...?"

    She sighed.  "And this is what it really comes down to, isn't it?  But...ballrooms, and lots of nobility ridiculing me have always shaken me.   I can stand up to a whole castle full of nobility and balls if they don't ridicule me...but when they do, my old unconfidence comes back to haunt me...and I crumble."  Shaking her head, she added, "Me, Lina Inverse...I...I become weak..."

    "There's just one thing I don't understand.  If balls and nobility do this to you, why did you come in the first place?" Zelgadis asked curiously, eyes shadowed.

    She laughed bitterly, and waved back toward the ballroom.  "Because, even after all that I've experienced at them, I still think of balls and nobility like...like an innocent fool.  I keep on thinking, 'The next time will be different; they'll like me the next time...' when the reality is much more painful.  I've always viewed balls as places where a princess can meet the handsome prince of her dreams and live happily ever after.  The only different is that this particular princess still hasn't found her prince, and she's always laughed out of the balls."

    "Lina..."  The one word help a world of sympathy and understanding in it.  He gently wiped a stray tear from her face.  Dropping his hands, he began to growl.  She turned to him, and saw that he was very, very angry.   "If I ever encounter the nobility who did that to you, I'm going to make them regret it.  You wouldn't be yourself if you didn't have that confidence of yours," he exclaimed, hands balled up into fists at his side.  "The times I experienced rejection are still engraved in my memory..."

    "You too...?" she asked, curious.  He so rarely talked about his childhood that she tried to discover what she could whenever possible.  

    Nodding, he said in a monotone voice, "I was considered a weak child as I grew up, and my parents believed magic was a tool of evil, so they never allowed me to use it.  As a result, I was picked on by children all the time.  I even have scars from their bullying.  They called me a freak of nature who couldn't use any magic, for they all could.  Then Rezo came, promising me the power I'd never had, and I took it.  When he changed me, though, I didn't dare go back to my home, because I was afraid of their reactions to me, and what my family would think."

    Lina gently touched him on the arm, and he stared into her eyes, willing her to understand.  Not for the first time, he saw acceptance and friendship.   He closed his eyes and allowed himself to enjoy this moment of complete companionship, when they could tell each other anything and it would be accepted.

    Well...almost anything... he thought as he recalled one secret he'd probably never tell her.

    Loud, terrified screams and an unearthly roar recalled them to their surroundings with a sharp jerk.  They turned toward the ballroom, all senses on alert, and saw about three dozen trolls swarming into the ballroom.  All the nobility moved as a wave over to one wall and huddled there, clutching at each other as the trolls slowly approached them.

    "Lina, I think you just got a chance to prove your skills to these people," Zelgadis commented dryly.

CHAPTER 5
In which Lina has fun.

    Lina grinned evilly as she saw the trolls.  She'd been pent up ever since she'd arrived at the palace, and here was her chance to release some of that energy.  Now, what to try first . . .

    Zelgadis interrupted her planning by saying, "Try and avoid hitting any of the nobles.  They'll end up hating you rather than liking you if you hurt them in any way.  Plus, they'll be very angry if you hit any of the decor."

    "But . . . it'll be so much more difficult that way . . . I won't be able to use any of my larger spells . . . " she frowned.  He didn't comment, content to let her think about his words.  Finally, she nodded, and said, "All right.  No big spells.  In that case, though, I want you to watch my back, Zel."  Winking, she added, "I wouldn't want to mess up my dress, now would I?"

    He smiled faintly.  "Of course."

    "Well, let's get on with it!" the sorceress grinned.  "Flare Arrow!" she shouted.  An arrow made of pure fire crackled into being as she drew her hands back like she would a bow, and if someone looked closely, they could see a bow made of heated energy shimmering in and out between her fingertips.  She released the arrow, which sped toward an unsuspecting troll.  It hit him squarely in the back, and he erupted into a pillar of flames.

    "Who's next . . . ?" she said, eyes sparkling.  The trolls gulped at the look in her eyes, but still they attacked.  After all, there was safety in numbers . . . right . . . ?

    Three trolls charged forward, each one from a different direction.  "Ly Breim!" chanted Lina, and a wave of cold air shout out from her extended hand, hitting one of the three charging trolls square in the chest, and watched at it became a prison of ice.

    But there wasn't time to gloat about her victory.  The two trolls still charging her were getting closer.  "Fireball!"  Carefully, she created a small fireball and shot it at the nearest of the two charging trolls.  It consumed first his neck, and then spread, till he was a crispy troll.

    The last troll saw this and sped up, and darted past her just as she was finishing the second spell.  He reached in to grab her arms...

    "Digger Bolt!" Zelgadis shouted, and a handful of painful lightening bolts sprang from his hand to the troll, electrocuting it.

    Lina grinned and winked back at him, silently thanking him for watching her back.  Shrugging, he pointed at the troll horde, which had decided that since three trolls had failed, perhaps a mass attack at once would work.

    "Uh oh..." she groaned.  If only she dared use her larger spells.  As it was, she had to pick them off one at a time, for fear of hitting the nobles.  

    The mass jumped at her from above, charged her from below, and snuck around to stab her in the back.  Zelgadis sensed the trouble she was in and quickly ran up to her.  Just as the mass was about to get to them, he raised a shield around them both, and the trolls bounced off, dazed and confused.  

    He dropped the hasty shield, and Lina took advantage of the troll's momentary confusion, as well as their close proximity, to throw a larger spell at them.  "Balus Rod!"  A whip of light formed in her hands.  She whipped at all the trolls she could, slashing at them till their natural healing powers couldn't work.

    At the same time, Zelgadis took his sword out of it's scabbard and raised it up, saying, "Astral Vine!"  His sword glowed red, and he cut through all the trolls he could get at.

    The startled trolls backed away as fast as they could, but not before only about six were left.  All decided it was time to retreat before the remaining were killed as well.

    As the trolls ran off, Lina grinned.  "Victory!" she said while flashing a V-sign with her hands.  She turned to the nobility who were still standing closely packed to the wall, and had to stifle a gasp of laughter.  They were quivering, quite literally, in terror, they eyes bulging, their knees quivering, and they were holding onto each other as if their life depended on it.  None of them looked quite so high and mighty anymore.  Plus, Lina realized none of them had even tried to fight off the horde; they'd simply been content to let their knees shake as the trolls prepared to kill them, praying for a savior to arrive at the last possible moment.  

    Her heart loosened as she looked at them, and her fear of the nobility cracked and splintered into a million pieces.  It was impossible to be afraid of people who didn't put up the least resistance against an enemy, and instead wet their pants in fear.  No, there was no way she'd ever seek their approval after this.  It didn't matter anymore.  She wondered if Zelgadis had known this would happen...

    Meanwhile, Zelgadis shook his head and sheathed his sword after wiping off the blood on a spare piece of cloth he carried with him.  Calmly, he sought out Amelia, who'd been protecting the guests with a magical barrier, and suggested, "Perhaps you'd better get the guards to remove the trolls."  Amelia nodded, frowning slightly in worry.

    After the bodies were taken away, the music started up, and gradually all the nobles started to talk again.  But, Lina noticed a few still quivered in terror, and privately knew that the only reason they didn't leave was Phil wouldn't be happy with them if they retreated.  A few of the more "delicate" ladies had fainted and required smelling salts to waken.  

    Lina raised an eyebrow at their foolish behavior, and felt the tension of the evening permanently lift from her shoulders.  These nobles were just plain silly!  They cared more about their clothes and possessions than they did about surviving.  According to them, they might as well die if their clothes were ruined.  She scoffed at this notion, knowing from experience how impractical and stupid such a view was.  Living was important; possessions could be replaced.

    Lina and Zelgadis walked onto the balcony to collect themselves and let their blood cool down.  Lina stood against the railing, facing the ballroom as she watched the nobility try and collect themselves, so they could act as if nothing had happened.

    "They're silly, aren't they?" Lina asked casually, a small, secret smile playing across her lips.  "I never noticed it before, but they're very frivolous."  Silently, Zelgadis watched her, offering no comment either way.  "I saved them all, but what I heard them speak about were how lucky it was their pants weren't ripped, or how a blood drop could ruin their shirt.  It's so petty and vain."

    Nodding, Zelgadis added, "And now you realize that important truth.  Are you still going to seek their approval?"

    Lina shook her head.  "No.  I'd have to be just like them to get their approval, and I don't want to do that to myself."

    He sighed in relief, and gave a slight smile.  "I'm glad.  I'd hoped a fight would knock some sense into you, and I had a feeling a fight was inevitable once we teamed up.  Nothing is peaceful for long when we're together."

    Lina straightened and looked over at Zelgadis, who was watching her with hooded eyes.  "Well, now what?"

    "I promised I would be here till the end of the ball.  You can leave, if you want," he suggested, though he wished she'd stay.

    Clucking her tongue admonishingly, she said, "No way, Zel!  You're not getting rid of me that easily!  Besides, who would you talk to if I wasn't around, ne?  I know you.  You'd sit against a wall the rest of the night, be very antisocial, and not talk to anyone."  Holding out her hand, the petite sorceress smiled warmly and stated, "I'm staying with you till the very end."

    Something about this hit Zelgadis very hard, though he couldn't figure out what, and he found his fingers trembling slightly as he grasped her hand, and let her lead him back into the light of the ballroom.

    She grinned, and pulled him over to the refreshments table.  The variety of the food made her eyes sparkle in anticipation, and she quickly filled one of the small, dainty plates to bursting.  Then they moved over to a wall and leaned against it, content to let the rest of the nobles pass around them.  None of them tried to thank her for what she'd done, or the care she'd taken to not harm them or their precious ballroom.  Quite a few were actually giving her dirty looks and turning their noses up at her.  Before, she would have felt like breaking down in tears, but now she could simply smirk back at them with her usual confidence, secure in the knowledge that their opinion of her didn't matter anymore.

    In blatant disregard to their careful table manners, she stuffed one of the hors d'oeuvres into her mouth, and asked after swallowing it down a second later, "So, who's attacking us this time?"  Now that her concern over the nobility was gone, she could get down to what really mattered: finding the person trying to kill Zelgadis and her.

    "...I don't know..." the chimera admitted.

    "Hmm...  I guess we'll just have to wait till they decide to make an appearance," sighed Lina, disappointed.  Something else occurred to her about then.  "Zel?"

    "Yeah?"

    "...How long do balls last?"

    Shrugging, he said calmly, "Till dawn."

    "What?!  I have to be here till dawn?!" the sorceress choked.  Zelgadis not-so-gently patted her on the back to get the food up.  She glared at him and said, "You could have mentioned this earlier, you know."

    "You didn't ask," he replied, repressing a grin.  More somberly, he added, "It'll give our enemy time to come up with something else to attack us with, though."

    "True.  Maybe the person will make an appearance the next time," mused Lina.

    "Maybe."

    How could they take care of that many trolls at once?!  It wasn't humanly possible!  Zelgadis should have been dead.  He'd barely been able to handle three trolls, let alone three dozen, in the old days.  The sorceress with him was good, but not good enough to hold that many off without damaging anything else in the process, yet somehow they'd managed to do just that.  Grr...

    Time to unleash a new plan, one that Zelgadis or his little companion can't hope to stand up against...