“Feh...misleading...” Zelgadiss muttered over his teacup.

Lina snapped her head up from the turkey drumstick that she was busily devouring and glared across the table at him. She gulped down a mouthful and leveled the leg at him accusingly. “That’s exactly what you were, Zelgadiss! Misleading! Honestly,” she huffed, and tore off another hunk of meat from the leg with her teeth.

Zel rolled his eyes in exasperation and slammed down his teacup onto its saucer mercilessly. “Are you going to start that again?” he demanded hotly.

“You brought it up!” she retorted, her mouth still full.

“I did not!”

“Did to!”

“Did not!”

“It was a simple question, Zel, and you know that.”

“And I gave everyone a simple answer!” Zel spat, his voice growing louder, stressing the last two words.

“It was not a simple answer, not with that grim look on your face,” Lina snapped back and slammed the now gnawed-clean turkey bone down on her scraps plate. She reached across the table and tore off the other leg with as little mercy as Zel had shown his teacup.

Zelgadiss threw his hands up in the air in frustration. “You saw how she looked! How could I not have a grim look on my face?! And I gave a simple answer--no means no!” he shouted.

“Oh sure,” Lina said sarcastically, “and you decided to wait another half hour after we left the Tower to clarify that ‘simple answer’.” She made the quotation symbol with her fingers, then grabbed the bowl of potatoes out from under Gourry’s nose.

“Hey!” the swordsman protested, and rose to try to grab it back, but Lina shoved him back into his seat and dumped half the bowl’s contents onto her plate. He retaliated by attempting to finish her meal for her each time she took her eyes off her plate to glare at Zelgadiss.

“Well, I thought you understood that no means no, Lina,” he spat back. “I didn’t know I was supposed to enlighten you as to what ‘no’ means,” he said, also making quotation motions with his fingers.

“A simple ‘yes, she looks bad, but no, she’s not dead’ would have sufficed!” Lina exclaimed in exasperation.

“Are you two at it again?” a voice interrupted them before Zelgadiss could make a sarcastic comeback. The voice belonged to Ameria, who was trudging wearily down the wooden steps that led up to the upper floor of the inn. She put her hands on her hips as she arrived at the table. “Honestly, can’t you two stop fighting about that? I thought we were over it.”

After Zelgadiss had found Erika, the four of them had hacked their way back through the Tes’sha Forest the way they came, Zelgadiss carrying the unconscious princess. For almost an hour while they were en route, Lina and Zelgadiss had sniped at each other like small children once he revealed that, despite her extensive injuries, Erika was not, in fact, dead, as Lina had assumed. It took the rest of the night to find the inn they had stayed at before the final leg of their journey to the Tower. Fortunately, they arrived there before Lina set fire to the forest out of exasperation and hunger.

Ameria surveyed the dining room. Apparently, they were the only patrons staying at the inn; the rest of the place seemed to be empty. They had arrived just as the inn was opening for business, not long after dawn. Instead of going to sleep right away, which is what Ameria would have wanted to do, Lina and Gourry insisted that they eat. So, they placed Erika gently in a bed, and Ameria and Zelgadiss did their best to dress her wounds while Lina and Gourry stayed downstairs to pay for their rooms and order food, using Erika’s royal crest.

Once Ameria and Zelgadiss had treated all the cuts they could see, and splinted her broken arm and legs, Ameria had shooed Zel out so she could bandage Erika’s broken ribs and check her more thoroughly for injuries they had missed. Finally, she had tried a healing spell, in spite of Zel’s advice not to even bother. Despite the lengthy explanation Zel and Lina had launched into in the woods to pass the time after they finished arguing, she still didn’t quite believe that someone would be completely immune to every spell in the book. Ameria learned quickly that it was true, however, as she had tried all the white magic she knew to awaken her unconscious friend. Eventually, she gave up and headed downstairs, wearily brushing locks of hair sticky with grime away from her face. She would give anything for a bath at this point, but what she wanted even more was some food in her stomach and three days’ worth of sleep.

“It’s Lina’s fault,” Zelgadiss grumbled, bringing Ameria’s mind back to the argument she had interrupted.

“My fault?!” Lina exclaimed, glaring across the table.

“Yes, you--“

“Will you both please just stop?!” Ameria yelled, and yanked a chair away from the table and plopped down on it. “Erika-hime is alive, and that’s the point.”

Lina and Zelgadiss blinked, and both raised an eyebrow at Ameria. Then, they exchanged a glance that seemed to say, “She must be really tired.”

“When do you think she’ll wake up?” Gourry meanwhile asked, pulling his fifth stolen sausage from Lina’s plate to his own just before she resumed eating.

Ameria opened her mouth to say that she didn’t know, but Zel beat her to it. “I have no idea. Just before she passed out she used that weird telepathy of hers to ask me to bring her somewhere to recover,” he explained, and winced. “She said something about a healing trance, but she was in a lot of pain, so it wasn’t very coherent. I think she thought she might not make it--I’m still not sure she will.”

“The night you two were kidnapped,” Lina added quietly, “her hands were badly burned from holding Zel’s sword while fighting that dragon. It took her hours to heal just that much. She said she wasn’t very good at it--it’s not where most of her power is. She could be out for awhile.”

Lina noted the uncomfortable expression on Zel’s face and grimaced, remembering when Erika had spoken in her mind. It hadn’t been pleasant. Of course, Erika had been basically begging Lina to kill her, but there was something else about the experience that made her inherently uncomfortable. Perhaps it was because the idea that another person had the power to tap into her thoughts violated her sense of security. Or, maybe it was because she was, underneath the layers of her proud and forceful personality, actually a pretty private person who didn’t want to risk having any of her vulnerabilities revealed. Whatever the case, she would have to remember to tell Erika not to do that again--if she ever awoke.

Lina’s eyes dropped to her plate, unseeing, for a few seconds, until she suddenly realized that it was several sausages emptier than it had been a few minutes before. She turned to her blond-haired companion, and opened her mouth to screech her objection to his food-thieving habits, but, at that moment, he looked up and grinned at her broadly. She blinked, and felt her mouth curve upward in a small smile. She had been more worried about him than she’d wanted to admit to anyone--even herself. Now that he was back safe and sound, she could push aside all those pesky questions that surfaced from the back of her mind whenever Gourry was in even minor trouble, questions such as why would she be so worried about him, and why she felt empty when he wasn’t around. Those questions were best left unasked, in Lina’s opinion, so she did her best to ignore them. For now, all she did was wag her fork reproachfully at Gourry as if to say ‘I’ll get you next time’, and resume shoving as much food into her mouth as it could hold.

That interaction didn’t go unnoticed by Ameria, who smiled through the haze of fatigue that clouded her face. Before she could comment on it, the innkeeper came by to ask her if she wanted anything. She ordered roasted chicken and tea, and the innkeeper left, only to return a few minutes later with a steaming teapot and a teacup. She poured herself some, and then offered the pot to Zelgadiss. He lifted his cup and placed a napkin on the saucer to soak up the liquid that had sloshed over when he slammed it down, and refilled it.

While Ameria sipped her tea, Zel’s gaze lingered on her for a few seconds more than it had to. A profound sense of relief that she was safe and sound suddenly washed over him so strongly he almost jumped with surprise. He had been more upset about Ameria’s capture than he had let on, even to himself, he realized. He couldn’t figure out why, though; after all, the little princess had survived far worse situations. Maybe he was just especially troubled because she had been taken by a madman to a strange place using strange powers that he still didn’t think he fully understood. Whatever the explanation for his sudden emotion, he shoved the feeling to the back of his mind and brought his attention back to his tea.

Meanwhile, Gourry paused in his voracious consumption to grab a mug of ale and raise it to his lips. Country brews were always best, he thought. As he gulped down the sweet liquid, his eyes traveled from Lina to Zel over the rim of his mug. He hadn't missed Lina's occasional glances in his direction since they had arrived; he had simply been too busy eating to comment on them. He knew she had been worried about him while he was captured, though. And he had been worried about her then, in his own way. It wasn’t that he thought she couldn’t take care of herself--both of them had realized a long time ago that she didn’t really need a guardian for protection. What she needed was someone who understood her as well as he did himself, and while Gourry was not the brightest guy around, he excelled when it came to understanding Lina. Whether she realized it or not, she had grown used to living, traveling, and fighting alongside him, and he knew that when he wasn’t around, she felt a little lost.

Zelgadiss, on the other hand, was a little harder to read. What had happened at the Tower had shaken him up more than Gourry would have expected; it normally took a lot to rattle his friend. He had been on edge all the way back, and while it wasn’t unheard of for him to argue with Lina, Zel was being especially defensive about her remarks. Maybe it was the stress of all the strange things that had happened, or maybe it was because Zel had been the one to find Erika lying half-dead and half-buried under rock. Then again, he noticed how Zel was watching Ameria and wondered if he had simply been worried about his longtime friend. That wouldn't have surprised Gourry; Zel had shown a subtle--and sometimes not-so-subtle--concern for Ameria's well-being since not long after they met. Gourry tilted his head back and downed the rest of his ale and caught a glimpse of Lina stealing a thick slice of ham off his plate when she thought he wasn't watching. He pretended not to notice, though--after all, he owed her something after stealing all those sausages.

Just then, the innkeeper came back with Ameria’s chicken, and she began eating gratefully. Once Lina and Gourry were finally finished, Lina stretched and announced that she was going to take a bath and sleep the rest of the day. Everyone agreed that that was a good idea, and, as soon as Ameria was done, she joined Lina in the bath. A half hour later, they headed up to the room they were sharing with Erika, and, after checking on her, they fell into their beds and went to sleep immediately.

For the next three days, Erika remained unconscious while Lina, Gourry, Zel, and Ameria recovered from the exhausting events at Achek’s Tower. The nameless little town they were staying in was a logger’s community that made rustic furniture for sale in other parts of Chorion. It had felt some of the impact of the economic slump that was taking its toll on the big cities, but its citizens were self-sufficient enough that there was always enough food and necessities to go around. Lina and Gourry took full advantage of that, to the point where the innkeeper hired a village boy whose job was solely to hunt enough game to feed his patrons. Ameria, meanwhile, routinely checked on Erika, sometimes with Zelgadiss’s help.

Despite the fact that Erika wasn’t a healer, Ameria was continually amazed with her recovery rate. The cuts and bruises on her body were gone by the end of the first day, and the extensive contusions on her neck from King Rolard’s iron grip faded within two days. Her broken arms and ribs had completely knit by the end of the third day, and her legs weren’t far behind. Everyone hoped that meant she would wake up soon.

Finally, during breakfast on the fourth day after the battle at Achek’s Tower, everyone heard light, unsteady footsteps on the wooden stairs leading down to the dining room. Gourry, who was sitting closest to the stairs, jumped up and rushed over, leading Erika, who was wrapped in a hotel-supplied woolen robe, toward the table.

Her green-blue eyes were clear but a little anxious as she looked around. Zel pulled a chair from the next table between his and Gourry’s chairs, and Erika stiffly took a seat as the innkeeper came up to take her order.

“Scrambled eggs and toast, please, and tea,” she said, and the innkeeper scribbled down her order and walked to the kitchen.

“You’ve been out for almost four days,” Lina said once he left.

“We’ve been worried,” Ameria said.

“How are you feeling?” Gourry inquired.

Erika smiled weakly. “Better than I did before I went into the healing trance,” she replied.

Zel looked her over appraisingly. “What was it you did that allowed you to heal so quickly without magic?”

“As I explained to you, Zelgadiss, and Lina, healing is not my specialty. It takes a lot of energy out of me--energy I didn’t have at the time,” Erika explained, wrapping her arms around her ribs. “The night before the battle, I told Zelgadiss and Lina that I could manipulate energy, somewhat like the way Uncle could. I tried that power on the white dragon by the Tower, in fact, and transferred the energy from it into Zelgadiss's sword. This time, I tried taking just a little of Zelgadiss's energy when he found me to put myself under a healing trance, of sorts. Most Chakar can do that, whether they’re healers or not. If my specialty was healing, it would only take a day, maybe less, for the injuries I had to mend, but since it’s not, and because I was so weak, it took a lot longer.”

“So that means you’re going to be all right, now,” Ameria said uncertainly.

"Basically, yes," Erika replied with a smile that seemed to reassure Ameria's doubtful expression.

“Now that we know that, I'd like to know what happened in the Tower just before it blew up,” Lina said.

Erika shrugged, her expression a little sheepish. “I was careless--Uncle grabbed me before I could teleport him back to Castle Ori like I planned. He tried to leech my energy. He was...he was going to come after you,” she said softly. “And if you hadn’t stopped him while he was still inside the Tower, there would have been no one to keep him from killing all of you.” She paused, and her eyes traveled over each of their faces. “What did you use to destroy that place?” she asked. “All I saw was a white light around me just before everything exploded.”

Zel leaned back in his chair and gestured to Erika’s right. “Well, Lina wasn't going to blow up the Tower with you inside it, so Gourry came up with an idea at the last minute.” He shook his head, the respect in his voice apparent. “I still don’t know how Gourry can control that sword, but he can. He had each of us cast a spell that the sword sucked up--I cast a strengthening spell, Lina cast the Dragon Slave, and Ameria cast a protection spell for you. Then Gourry sent it all out toward the Tower, with the hope that the protection spell would keep you safe while the Astral Vine protected the sword and the Dragon Slave blew up the Tower.”

Erika studied Gourry, her expression mirroring Zelgadiss’s respect. “I--I don’t know what to say. Thank you, Gourry, for your quick thinking.”

Gourry ducked his head and waved his hand. “Aw, don’t mention it. Just doing what I could.”

“The protection spell must have been the white light you saw, then,” Ameria mused. Her brow creased and she looked at Erika skeptically. “If you saw that light, then how come the spell didn’t keep you from getting more hurt than it did?”

Erika opened her mouth to say that she had no idea, but Lina interrupted her, her expression thoughtful. “There were a lot of mitigating factors, Ameria. We have no idea how much that sword changed your spell, or if the magic circle interfered with it somehow. Your spell probably kept Erika from getting crushed by falling rock, like I’d imagine her uncle was. Is that right, Erika?”

She looked away, and nodded. “Yes, Uncle died as the ceiling of the antechamber collapsed.” Her mouth twisted into a humorless grimace. “Much like my parents did--how ironic.” She shook her head, then turned to Gourry. “I still can’t believe how you handled that sword--from what I could see of it during the fight, its power is incredible.”

Gourry gulped down the last of his food and waved a hand toward the golden broadsword, which was leaning up against another table, covered with a scabbard he had bought in town a few days before. “The sword isn’t too bad--it just needs someone to tell it what it can and can’t do,” he explained.

“May I see it?” Erika asked.

He nodded, pulled the weapon toward him, and held it out across his open palms. She touched the hilt gingerly, but recoiled immediately.

“What is it?” Zel asked quickly.

“Thank you, Gourry. You can put it back now,” Erika said. “Well, its power certainly didn’t diminish when Achek’s Tower was destroyed. I wonder why...” she mused. “It immediately started to drain energy from me,” she finally explained, and her gaze met Zel’s curious stare. “I didn’t have to draw it to feel it, although I think if I had it wouldn’t have been good, since I’m still somewhat weak.” She held Zel’s gaze for a moment, then looked down at her teacup. Raising it with a slightly trembling hand, she sipped from it thoughtfully. Finally, she lowered the cup and studied its rim. “Gourry...I think I want you to keep that sword,” she said slowly.

“What?” Lina said, blinking in disbelief. “You’re just going to give it to him?”

Erika’s eyes flicked up to Gourry, and then to the sword, which he had leaned up against the table. “Why not? I don’t think anyone else could control it, and it’s too dangerous to just leave somewhere. And, if I recall correctly,” she said, and glanced at Lina with a smile, “Gourry lost his old sword, so he needs a new one. Of course, if he objects--“

“No, no!” Gourry interrupted. “I kind of like the sword,” he explained quickly. “And you’re right, I do need a new one.” He shrugged his broad shoulders. “It’s not the Sword of Light, but it’s a lot better than some boring broadsword.”

“Well, that settles it,” Erika said, and smiled.

“I want a new sword, too,” Lina muttered. “I lost mine back at the Tower.”

“I’m glad you did, though,” Erika said seriously. She winced and explained, “I was able to grab it and stab Uncle with it to get away from him just before the Tower exploded. I couldn’t teleport away--I was too weak--but at least it got him to let go.”

Lina considered that, remembering the pain she had felt through Erika’s mental link. “Well...that’s some consolation,” she said quietly.

The innkeeper interrupted them with Erika’s scrambled eggs and tea. Erika tore into her food hungrily while Lina and Gourry began pestering the innkeeper for dessert.

“So...” Ameria said after the innkeeper left with a promise that he’d have his wife make them a pie, “What now, now that the adventure is over?”

Erika put her fork down and looked down at the table thoughtfully. “Well...I was going to ask you all if you’d like to come back with me to Chorion City.” She looked up and scanned each of their faces, gauging their response.

Lina noticed her expression right away, which indicated that the suggestion was more than simple. “And what would we do there?” she asked.

“First, as I recall, you and Gourry were promised payment as soon as you got back. I’ll have to take care of that, of course.” She smiled with amusement as Lina’s eyes lit up.

“That sounds good to me,” she agreed quickly, and Gourry nodded his approval.

Erika nodded toward Ameria and said, “Ameria said she wanted to see the capital of Chorion, and I’d like to present her to the Dimas as the New World’s first diplomatic emissary. If that’s all right with you,” she added.

Ameria’s face brightened. “I’d love to! That’s why my father sent me here in the first place.”

“And,” Erika continued, turning to Zelgadiss, “you said at one point that you’d like to have a look at the libraries in Castle Ori, Zelgadiss. Do you still want to?”

Zel nodded. “If your uncle found some book that told him about the Tower, who knows what else is hiding there that could be useful?” He paused, and his eyes met Erika’s. “Thank you,” he added.

“You’re quite welcome. It’s the least I can do after dragging you and Ameria into this,” Erika replied. She began absently tracing a pattern on the tabletop with her fingertips, trying to decide how to phrase what she wanted to say next.

Lina rubbed her hands together and chortled, “Gourry and I won’t have to hunt up bandits for a long time, now!”

Gourry smiled, but turned to Erika with a look of concern. “What else did you want to say?” he prompted.

Erika blinked at him, then folded her arms across her stomach. “You see...well...” she stammered, then sighed, rubbing her forehead with one hand. “The king of Chorion is dead. The news of this will probably throw the government into chaos unless there are some very quick and clear explanations.” She swallowed and straightened in her chair so she could rest her elbows on the table. “If I go back there and tell the Dimas what happened, I’m sure they won’t believe me. I am the heir to the throne, but I’m young, and I’ve purposely let rumors of ill health circulate since my parents were killed to keep Uncle from suspecting me. I just have a bad feeling that many of the representatives won’t take the news well. Everything that’s happened is so incredible...” She trailed off and scanned the faces of everyone at the table. “I would like to have some witnesses to back up what I tell them.”

“No one there knows of your Chana, though,” Zel quickly pointed out.

Erika nodded. “That’s true, which is why I’d leave out the parts that deal with Uncle’s or my power. And...if any of you would testify as well...I’d ask you to leave those parts out as well,” she said slowly.

“You can’t lie to them, though, Erika-hime! I know you’ve kept this a secret for a long time, but shouldn’t they know?” Ameria protested.

Before Erika could respond, Lina cut in. “Ameria, her family’s kept their Chana a secret for generations! If a bunch of stuffy politicians suddenly found out she had this strange power they would never trust her. They’d think she was constantly reading their minds or something like that.”

"But--"

“I don’t want to lie, either, Ameria,” Erika said gently. “I hate having to lie, although I’ve done it for years now. But I’ve been forbidden to tell others in the government about the Chakar clan, and Chana, and everything that goes with it. If I did, who knows if something would happen to me or my clan? Hundreds of years ago, my people were persecuted because they were different.”

Ameria looked away, clearly torn. Finally, she nodded resignedly and said slowly, “I see your point. I’ll testify to the Dimas for you, if you need it, Erika-hime--and I’ll leave out whatever you think is best for your clan.”

“We’d just need to get our story straight before we all get up there and start telling it,” Zelgadiss added quietly, and Erika stared at him with surprise.

“You mean--you will--“ she stammered.

He gave a small shrug. “If you really need it, yes.” He looked away to avoid meeting her astonished gaze. Ordinarily he wouldn’t even consider standing up to recount a story to a large group of people for just about anyone. Something about her expression when she’d asked made him reconsider, though. Besides, he owed her something for letting him look in the library in the castle.

“I don't know..." Lina said doubtfully. "I wouldn't be a very good witness, I don't think. People don't trust magic around here, and there are probably at least some people in the Dimas who heard about what happened with DarkStar. We haven't gotten the best reception since we came to this part of the world,” Lina said, folding her arms across her chest and thinking back to the reception they had received from the fearful townspeople who they had saved from Jirasu and Gurabosu. She grimaced. "You remember what happened in Nakuchoni--my reputation has already preceded me."

Gourry noticed right away that the amazement on Erika’s face faded to disappointment. “Lina,” he protested, “that's not what's important! She needs us! No one would dare contradict what you say!”

“Wait,” Zel broke in before Lina could demand exactly what Gourry meant by that last sentence. “The king hired you to go explore that place, didn’t he? I’m assuming that would be a matter of record.” He glanced to the side, and caught Erika nodding slightly. “And anyone who knows what happened with DarkStar knows that you’re powerful enough to commit murder.” He looked at Lina and Gourry seriously. “You don’t want wanted posters all over the place again, do you? From what you’ve let on, last time that happened, you didn’t eat for a while. Catch my drift?”

Gourry blinked. “Drift? What do you mean? Is that like a big split in something?”

“That’s a rift, Gourry-san,” Ameria corrected with a groan.

Lina rolled her eyes. “No one would believe that I’d murder him--I'd have no reason to,” she protested weakly, although it didn’t sound like she really believed what she was saying. She a hand to her forehead and gritted her teeth, and finally said, “Yeah, yeah, they might suspect Gourry and I did something to him for some obscure reason.”

“If you spoke to the Dimas, it would ensure your names weren’t associated with murder, but rather an accident,” Erika said. “You’d be able to explain that Uncle was crazy, and that he intended to use the sword and magic circle in the Tower to brainwash people and overtake the governments of some of the countries around Chorion, as well as disband the Dimas. We’d tell them the magic backfired, though, and brought down the Tower around him, killing him. You know so much about magic, they’d probably believe whatever you tell them, as long as what you say corresponds with what everyone else says. I think we’ll need that book he took the map out of for evidence, though--I’d be grateful if some or all of you would help me look for it in the castle.”

Lina looked at Erika begrudgingly and sighed.

“We’ll do it, Erika,” Gourry said, nodding at both her and Lina

“Yay!” Ameria cheered. “That’s the spirit, Lina-san!”

Zelgadiss rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “You think this book would have something in it that would prove what your uncle was trying to do?” he asked.

“I think so,” Erika agreed. “Uncle said it had the map that led here, and it most likely told him how to perform that spell he was chanting when we found him in the Tower.”

“Maybe it’ll tell us more about the sword,” Gourry surmised. “I’d like to know why someone would make a sword that would try to suck energy out of people.”

“And maybe it will give us a better idea of how your uncle planned to use it to control minds,” Ameria said.

Lina said, “So when are we going to go find this thing? It’ll take a few days to get back, and--“

“You forget,” Erika interrupted with a smile. “I can take us back in the blink of an eye, once my energy returns fully."

"Oh yeah,” Lina shrugged. “Okay, so why don’t we go as soon as everyone’s done eating and Erika’s cleaned up?”

Erika shook her head. “I don't think I'll be ready to teleport all of us at the same time until tonight. Plus, that way, we can search for the book without running into a lot of people who will demand an explanation before we’re ready.”

Everyone nodded. “Makes sense. So that’s our plan--tonight we teleport to Castle Ori, and in the meantime, we can start to work out our story for this Dimas of yours,” Zel summed up.

“In that case, we’d better get you some clothes, Erika-hime,” Ameria said, and grinned. “You can’t run around your castle in a bathrobe.”

“Gourry and I can run across the street to that store where Zel got his new tunic and cloak,” Lina offered. “I need to get moving and do something. I can’t take just sitting around too much longer.”

Erika looked over at her and smiled gratefully. “I would appreciate that very much. Thank you.” She looked down, then back up at her friends, her eyes bright with suppressed emotion, and said softly, “And thank you, all of you, for taking care of me. You didn’t have to--you could have just left me...you saved my life, and I don’t even know where to begin to repay you.”

Lina rose, leaned on the table with one hand, and grinned down at Erika. “Hey, you’re not like some of our past traveling companions. Sure, you were a little annoying at first,” she winked, “but even that wasn’t bad. You didn’t try to curse me, or electrocute me, or mock me, or hit me with bouncing balls--“

“Or invent your own false god, or follow Lina-san through a tear in the fabric of space and time,” Ameria chimed in.

“Or throw a mace in our faces, or pull out a teapot and full serving for five out of nowhere whenever you were upset,” Zel added with a smirk.

“Or sprout a tail, or turn into a giant lizard and try to blow up a town,” Gourry said, shaking his head.

“So don’t worry about it. Compared to those two, you’re far easier to get along with,” Lina finished.

Erika blinked in confusion, then laughed. “Maybe you could tell me more about it, if we have some time later today. It sounds like you’ve met some pretty...ummm...interesting people.” She brushed at her eyes and returned Lina’s broad grin.

“Interesting isn’t the word. Anyway, Gourry and I will be back soon,” Lina said, and led Gourry out of the inn as soon as he clipped his new sword on his belt.

“Take your time!” Erika called after them. “I still have to finish eating, and then I want a nice, long bath!”

“I’ll be in my room,” Zel said, and rose from the table. “I’ll try to put together some notes for when we go over our story later.”

Ameria and Erika nodded, and Zel turned and headed toward the stairs. “Erika-hime--“ Ameria began.

“Please, just Erika,” she interrupted softly. “Besides all of you, I only have one other friend in the world, Janak Chakar, and that’s what he calls me.”

Ameria nodded. “All right...Erika.” She drew her chair closer, and leaned her elbow on the table. “Can you tell me more about Chorion’s government? I learned a little before I ran into all of you, and I remember most of what you told me on the way to Achek’s Tower, but I didn’t learn nearly enough to feel prepared to speak in front of your legislature.”

Erika nodded and took a bite of her eggs, which had become cold while they were talking, but she ignored that. “Certainly, but first I’d like to hear what happened when Uncle kidnapped you,” she replied, a dark look crossing her face.

“All right,” Ameria agreed, and took a deep breath and began recounting what happened to her and Gourry. Erika listened with rapt attention while she launched into her story. She had retold it several times to Lina and Zelgadiss over the past few days, to the point where it had become almost automatic. When she was finished, Erika delved into the history of Chorion’s government. As Ameria listened, she hoped that the Dimas would be satisfied with everyone’s testimonies. In her opinion, a smooth transition of power was just what Chorion--and Erika herself--needed.

"Well, this is the last place to check," Erika said with a sigh. She was in the lead with a ball of light hovering over her right hand. She was glad she hadn't taken the time to change into a dress earlier, and was still wearing the pants and tunic Lina and Gourry had bought her in the little nameless village near the Tower. It would have been nearly impossible to climb the hundreds of stairs from the castle's basement up to King Rolard's spire in full skirts. She ran her free hand along the cool wall to her left, peering into the semi-darkness ahead of her. The staircase was a narrow, spiral one that snaked up the highest tower in Castle Ori, enclosed on both sides by thick stone walls. There was only enough room to walk single-file; Lina was right behind Erika, supplementing her light with a Lightning spell of her own. Gourry's big boots clomped rhythmically on the rickety wooden steps behind her, while Ameria and Zelgadiss brought up the rear.

"Why is the staircase to the top of this tower reachable only through the basement of this castle?" Zel grumped.

"Yeah, I don't mind treasure-seeking in strange castles, but he could've at least put his secret hidey-hole somewhere a little more accessible," Lina declared.

"Somehow I don't think he had visitors in mind when he picked this place out," Ameria pointed out dryly.

"I suspect Uncle teleported his way up here most of the time," Erika said with a wry grin, "unless he wanted some exercise."

Gourry furrowed his brow. "So why don't we? I thought you could do that kind of thing."

"Simple," Erika replied. "I can't teleport to someplace I've never been before--it's too dangerous. We could end up stuck in the middle of a wall, or a piece of furniture, or with our bodies cut in half by a tapestry, or something like that."

Creepy, Gourry thought. "Why are we going up there, again?"

Lina rolled her eyes and whirled around in exasperation, but Ameria quickly piped up. "We're still looking for the book that the king told you and Lina-san about, so Erika has some evidence of his evil plans to show the legislature."

"Oh!" Gourry smacked his fist into his open palm. "And because the book might talk about my sword, right?"

"Right..." Ameria muttered wearily.

Lina sighed and faced forward, and continued trudging up the steps. Her thighs were now burning from the exercise. They had arrived at Castle Ori around nine 'o' clock in the evening, and spent the following three hours searching King Rolard's chambers, library, and study for the book from which he said he got his map to Achek's Tower. So far, they hadn't had any luck, and she was beginning to get tired. If she didn't get some sleep or some food soon, she'd fall over from exhaustion.

"If it's not up here, then Uncle must have hidden it somewhere that I wouldn't know about," Erika surmised. "I don't know what we'll do in that case."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Zel said quietly.

A few minutes later, Erika and Lina stopped. Their lights had just revealed a heavy, wooden door, which was blocking their path. "Is that it?" Gourry asked.

Erika, impatient to reach the top, levitated up the last ten steps to the one just below the door. Everyone rushed after her and leaned around each other to get a clear view of the door. "Sure looks like it," Lina said with a nod.

Erika tried the brass doorknob. "It's locked," she announced. She pushed against the door with her shoulder, but it didn't budge. Finally, she simply placed her hands on the wood and furrowed her brow. "And it's protected," she added grimly. "I think Uncle booby-trapped it, just like he booby-trapped that rock at the Tower's entrance."

"Lemme have a whack at it!" Lina said, extinguishing her Lightning spell, and squeezed past Erika, who nervously took a step down.

"Don't do anything destructive--we don't want to blow up the evidence we're trying to find," she said quickly.

Lina huffed with exasperation. "You think I'm some reckless sorceress who'll just blow something up if it's in her way?"

"Yeah..." Gourry, Zel, and Ameria whispered under their breath. Fortunately, Lina was too busy studying the lock to hear.

"An Unlock spell should do the trick," Lina declared. “Don’t worry,” she added quickly, before Erika could protest, “it doesn’t blow anything up.” Rolling her eyes at Erika’s uncertain expression, she said impatiently, “Well, if you’re so worried, make one of those invisible shields around the door!”

“Fine, then, I will!” Erika said, exasperated, and held out a hand toward the lock.

"Lina-san, you know you're not supposed to know the Unlock spell," Ameria said reproachfully. "It's illegal."

"Why's that?" Gourry asked as Lina simply shrugged, placed her hands against the lock below the doorknob, and began chanting.

"It can be used for unscrupulous purposes," Ameria replied loftily. "That's why the Magic Guilds don't teach it."

Lina frowned; the spell hadn't worked. She cast it again, and then blinked quizzically at the lock. "It's not working--I think it was locked using some other kind of spell besides the basic Lock spell. Maybe one of those hybrid spells your Uncle made up using Chana combined with magic."

"That would make sense," Erika agreed, and sighed. "I'm afraid to try to break it open, though," she said, "for fear of tripping the trap. Besides, if it's part magic, my Chana alone may not be enough to open it. We'll have to figure something else out..."

Zel exhaled, annoyed, and slipped past Ameria and Gourry. "Let me at it. You don't have to use special powers for everything, you know."

Lina took a step down and stood next to Erika with a glance of irritation in his direction. Zel didn't see it, however; he was too busy pulling a fold of cloth from a pocket within his cape. He unrolled it in his hands, revealing the tools wrapped inside. He selected a slim piece of metal that was a bit jagged on the end, rolled the little bundle up, and replaced it in his cape. Kneeling down in front of the lock, he glanced over his shoulder at Lina and said, "A little more light would help."

"Yes, master," she muttered dryly, and a ball of light appeared over her palm.

The combined light of Lina's spell and a ball of Chana Erika created, which was now floating just over Zel's shoulder, allowed him to see partially into the keyhole. "Not bad," he murmured. "He paid for the most complicated one he could find, no doubt. Well, we'll have to see if he got his money's worth." Smirking, he confidently slipped the jagged metal into the keyhole and turned and wiggled it.

While Zel worked, Gourry turned and plopped down on the stair he had been standing on, and leaned his head against the wall. Ameria followed suit, and sat down on the step just above him. They had both found that they tired a little faster ever since King Rolard drained their energy not once, but twice. Their fatigue didn’t come on as quickly as it had the day after the battle, but, despite that, Ameria and Gourry exchanged a look that communicated that they'd much rather be in bed than poking around King Rolard's spire this late at night.

Zel worked the metal pick around the tumbler of the lock, furrowing his brow in concentration. Finally, he heard a click, and slowly withdrew the tool. Everyone held their breath for a second, expecting an explosion or some kind of effect. When none came, Zel shrugged, turned the doorknob, and pushed the door open. "Huh. Probably never figured on someone trying to get in using such a commonplace method."

"That was pretty easy," Gourry noted.

Zel turned to him incredulously, his eyes wide. "Easy? That was not a simple lock!"

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Lina asked, impressed. She sent her light spell into the room beyond the door, and she and Gourry entered after it.

He shrugged and looked uncomfortable for a moment. "Just...picked it up somewhere..." he replied noncommittally.

Erika put a hand on his arm as she walked past him, her little ball of light floating over her shoulder. "Thank you, Zelgadiss," she said gratefully.

"Er...don't mention it," he replied, and looked away, even more uncomfortable than before.

Ameria and Gourry filed past him, right behind Gourry and Erika. Zel rolled his lock-picking tool into his bundle and replaced it in his cloak, and followed behind them.

Gourry surveyed the room with a raised eyebrow. "Not much here, is there?"

"You said it," Lina agreed. "This guy didn’t believe in furniture, did he?"

"This place reeks of magic," Ameria said uneasily as goosebumps began to form on her arms.

"The windows are fortified with a strengthening spell, probably to keep the strong winds outside from breaking them," Zel explained, gesturing to the four floor-length windows around the room. As if to prove his point, a fierce current of air rushed past the tower, creating a loud whooshing sound.

"Uncle probably also practiced his magic-Chana combinations up here," Erika surmised, ignoring the sound of the wind. She glanced around the round room, at the heavy tapestries that adorned the walls and the dark little wooden table that occupied the very center of the room. She slowly walked past it, running a hand absently along its smooth surface, intending to peek behind the tapestries and see if anything was hidden there. She stopped, however, when her boot struck something mid-step. "What have we here?" she whispered, and stooped down to see.

Under the table, half-hidden by one of its legs, was a very old-looking book that looked as if it had fallen there from the table's surface. Its leather cover was cracked and dirty, but the leather thongs that were threaded through the pages in three places to bind them together looked new, as if the king had replaced them fairly recently. With a gasp, Erika grabbed it and held it up.

"Is that it?" Zel asked, and everyone crowded around Erika to read over her shoulder.

With trembling fingers, Erika flipped open the front cover carefully. The pages were yellowed and crinkly with age, but she could clearly make out the diagrams of Achek's Tower and the magic circle within it that had been roughly sketched on the inside cover. "Looks like it," she acknowledged with a shiver of excitement. She turned the page, and brought the book closer to her face to peer at the complicated characters written there in the light of her Chana ball and Lina's Lightning spell.

Everyone else squinted, too. "It's not in any language I know," Lina quickly declared.

Ameria and Zel both shook their heads. "Nor I," Zel said.

"Same here. Although that looks a bit like a poem, with the way the characters are arranged," Ameria said.

Erika shook her head, and scrutinized the writing again. She turned another page, and then another, and finally opened the book to a random page near the middle. "I don't believe this," she whispered.

"What?" Gourry asked hastily.

"It's...it's written in Ancient Chorioni." She turned to a page near the back, studied it for a few seconds, and then opened the book to a page near the beginning. "The whole thing, it looks like," she breathed.

"But...that's your language, right?" Lina said, glancing up at Erika's face. "You can read that, right?"

"That's not the point, Lina-san," Ameria said before Erika could respond. "You said that King Rolard used magic in the Tower--magic that he presumably learned from this book. If I understand everything Erika has said about Chana, why would this book be written by one of her kind when they can't use magic?"

"Excellent question, Ameria," Zel said quietly. He leaned forward so he could see Erika's face. "Any theories, Erika?"

"Not a clue," Erika replied. She exhaled heavily, and shook her head. "And I won't know until I can find someone to translate it."

"You mean you can't read it?" Gourry exclaimed, surprised. "How come?"

"You can speak it," Zel pointed out quickly. "You translated what your uncle was chanting at the Tower before he drew the sword."

Erika shook her head again. "It doesn't work that way," she explained. "Ancient Chorioni is mostly a spoken language. Everyone in my clan can speak it, but only a few of us can read it. The written language uses a set of several thousand characters, each of which changes in meaning and pronunciation each time it is used, based on a very complicated set of rules with a lot of exceptions. Needless to say, it's very, very difficult to learn." She closed the book and studied the cover. "People dedicate their whole lives to learning it--they start as children, and become scribes as adults. Only the Elder of the Chakar tribe can read it without years of study, and that's because the Elder has special powers. I learned a little a few years ago, but it's not enough to even begin to determine what this book says."

"So it's of no help to us," Gourry summarized.

"Well, I wouldn't say that," Erika said, turning to face all of them. "It's not the evidence I'd like, but we can always say that it's written in a language that no one around here can read. Uncle studied so that he could read it and use the magic described in it to try to control people's minds. That's the truth, after all."

She fell silent, and everyone looked down at the book in her hands thoughtfully. After a moment, Ameria suddenly smacked her fist against her palm, and began fumbling with her pouch. She finally drew from it the map that King Rolard had given Lina and Gourry at the beginning of their journey. "You said he claimed to have copied this from the book, Lina-san. Do you think the original is really in there?"

Erika blinked, then looked up at Lina, Gourry, and Zel, who all shrugged. "There's only one way to find out," she said, and began thumbing through the crinkled pages. It didn't take long; near the middle she stopped and held the book out for them to see. "That's it, right here."

In contrast to the rough sketches that had been scribbled on the inside cover of the book, the map was meticulously drawn, with neat little notes scattered on the page. Three large stars that apparently denoted important places formed an arc down the continent. Ameria laid the copy on top of the book next to the original, and all five peered down at it, studying both maps.

"The copy's different," Gourry noticed right away. "There are three stars on the original, and only one on the copy. And I don't see any notes on the copy, either."

Lina surveyed the maps quickly. "He's right. One of those stars is Achek's Tower...but the others..."

"The writing is different..." Ameria observed. "The characters next to the three stars look different than those in the rest of the book."

Zel looked from the book up to Erika keenly, his eyes alight with the new discovery. "Do you think you can read those? Is that a simpler alphabet, or another language?"

Erika turned and placed the book on the little table in the middle of the room. "It's a simplified character set, kind of like a shorthand used for writing notes or phrases without a lot of context by which to determine the meaning of the characters. It's different from the modern shorthand I know, but I can see the similarities. Hold on a second, let me study this." She swept her hair to the side and bent over the book, her light orb hovering over her shoulder.

"I wonder why Erika's uncle didn't put the other two places on the copy of the map." Ameria said reflectively while Erika scrutinized the writing.

"Maybe there's something there that he didn't want us to know about," Gourry speculated.

Lina glanced up at him and nodded. "I think you have a point there, Gourry. But what wouldn't he want us to find?"

Zel leaned on the table next to Erika, looking closely at the writing, as if he expected to miraculously become able to read it. Erika, meanwhile, was moving her lips silently, looking down at the book, then up at the ceiling occasionally in thought.

Ameria, Lina, and Gourry fell silent. While Lina began to pace the room restlessly, Gourry plopped down on the floor and stretched his long legs out in front of him, crossing them at the ankles. Ameria went over to one of the windows and gazed out over the Miranda Sea. The crescent moon was hanging low in the dark, cloudless sky, its light scattering across the waves, which were moving as restlessly as Lina was.

Finally, Erika lifted her head and said, "The first note refers Achek's Tower. It's hard to translate directly..."

"Just do your best," Zel prompted as her voice trailed off.

Tucking a stray lock of blond hair behind her ear, Erika pointed at the writing near the topmost star on the map. "This part--at the beginning--is talking about a circle, presumably the magic circle. I think it says something about...containing the experiment...that failed. I wonder what that means..."

"Go on," Lina said, crossing the room to stand on Erika's other side.

"Well, this part," she continued slowly, pointing to another sentence, "is about the sword, if I'm reading it correctly. It's described as 'the sword that takes'...or something like that. Like I said, it's hard to translate directly."

"We figured that out already, didn't we?" Gourry asked, blinking up at Lina. "It takes energy from things."

"Does it say anything else?" Ameria asked, turning from the window to look over at Erika.

Shaking her head, Erika said, "Not in the first note. The note near the second star, however, is very interesting. It says that hidden in that location is another sword--something like 'the sword that gives'."

"Gives?" Lina repeated, her eyes beginning to take on what was to Gourry, Ameria, and Zel a very familiar glitter. "So this sword could be pretty powerful, do you think?"

"If Gourry-san's sword is any indication..." Ameria said and trailed off.

"I wonder, if that sword is as powerful as Gourry's, what it could be used for..." Zel murmured, his eyes beginning to glint the way Lina's were.

"To boost a spell--a spell that would cure you, perhaps?" Lina said with a grin, leaning forward so she could look around Erika at Zel.

Erika looked from one to the other and murmured, "I can't tell what it means by a sword that 'gives'...it may not be anything that would help you."

"But it might be," Ameria pointed out, nodding toward Zel.

"Maybe..." Erika gave a small shrug, and pointed down at a note next to the third star, which was much farther down on the map. "This note is the most confusing. All I can tell is that it talks about bringing something together. The rest seems like just gibberish to me."

"What does this note mean?" Zel asked, pointing to a short sentence that had two arrows pointing from it, one to the first star and the other to the second.

Frowning, Erika leaned closer to the book and said, "I'm not sure...it could mean that the sword at Achek's Tower and the sword at the second location have something to do with each other."

"Of course they would," Lina said. "They're described in the same book."

Erika rolled her eyes. "Something not quite that obvious, I mean."

Gourry uncrossed his ankles, placed his palms against the floor, and pushed himself up. "So what does this all mean?" he asked, walking over to stand next to Lina.

"It means," Lina replied quickly, "that we have a new quest on our hands."

"I hope you're including me in that statement," Zel said, rubbing his chin and reaching over to lift a page and glance at what was written underneath. He looked up at Lina and said, "I think, when Rezo cursed me, he used the power of Shaburanigdo within him to boost the transformation spell he cast, making it permanent. If I can find something that gives power, maybe it would be enough to power another transformation spell. Besides, I ran out of leads before I ran into you, and this looks like a good lead."

"Ameria? What about you?" Gourry said, looking across the table at the little princess.

Ameria crossed her arms, looking away thoughtfully. "Well, I told my father I'd be coming here to learn about the New World, and to hopefully meet some heads of state or other important people." She turned and paced toward the window, and looked out at the troubled waters far below. "I don't know how much longer I can stay with you..."

"Aw, c'mon, Ameria! Where's your sense of adventure?" Lina demanded, putting her hands on her hips and looking at her with one eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, Ameria! It'll be fun!" Gourry added.

Zel stood back from the table and smirked at her wryly. "I'm beginning to think I should just resign myself to the fact that we'll always run into each other, no matter where we go. I'm sure your father would understand if you resigned yourself to the same, and just came along."

Ameria looked uncertain. "I don't know...what about you, Erika?" she asked.

Erika, who had been silent until this point, looked down at the book in her hands, an unreadable expression on her face. She closed the book and fingered its cover gently, biting her lip. Finally, she looked up and said quietly, "As much as I was filled with dread during the journey to the Tower, when I was able to forget myself, I had a lot of fun. I think I learned a lot, and I’d love to go with you. But...Chorion has lost her king, and I'm the only heir, meaning that I don't think I'm free to go anywhere anytime soon." She sighed heavily. "The problem is that you still need someone to translate this book, and I won't be able to take you to the person I have in mind. I can always contact the Elder of the Chakar tribe, but I don’t know whether he will want you to come to see him without someone from the clan accompanying you."

"What about that friend of yours you mentioned earlier today, Erika?" Ameria asked. "You said he's also a Chakar."

"Janak?" Erika looked almost startled at the mention of his name. "I suppose that's an option...but he's the third captain of the secret police of Orios, and I don't know if he's available."

"Well," Lina said, looking impatient, "we'll work out those details later. For now, let's just take this book downstairs and get something to eat. I want a midnight snack." She turned and started pulling Gourry toward the exit.

Gourry perked up at the mention of food. "Sounds good to me," he agreed, and let himself be led down the stairs.

Ameria and Erika looked at each other uncertainly, and finally shrugged. "I guess I'll decide if I'm going with tomorrow," Ameria said.

"All right. I'll send for the prime minister once we get downstairs, so he can call for a session with the Dimas early tomorrow," Erika said.

Zel paused as the two princesses started toward the door. "Erika?"

"Yes?"

"Couldn't you just teleport us somewhere downstairs?" he asked with a twinge of amusement. He heard Lina and Gourry pause on the stairs.

Erika rolled her eyes, and batted herself lightly on the head. "You're right, now that Uncle's gone I can do that kind of thing here, can't I?" she said, grinning. "I'll take us to my chambers, and then we can walk down to the kitchens."

Lina bounded up the stairs with Gourry in tow, gleeful at the thought of food. "Then let's go!"

“...and that, honorable members of the Dimas, is everything that happened from the time I left Chorion City to the time my companions and I returned last night,” Erika finished. She gazed around the enormous room that made up the chambers of the Chorioni body of elected representatives. It had been built a hundred years ago, not far away from Castle Ori, yet it exhibited none of the grayish tinge that made the castle look so old. Instead, its tan brick walls were adorned with murals depicting important people in Chorion’s history and paintings of its rulers. Arches held up its high ceiling and tall, narrow windows placed high along the walls allowed the late morning light to filter in, giving it a lofty, airy look. Erika stood on a raised dais behind a wooden podium, facing the two hundred fifty or so representatives seated on long benches before her. She wore a solemn, dark blue gown--dark enough to acknowledge the royal death, but not enough to signify that she was in mourning. Behind and to her right sat Ameria, Lina, Gourry, and Zelgadiss, Ameria wearing a dark green dress borrowed from Erika because of her status as a princess. The prime minister of Chorion and leader of the Dimas, Calin Macallah, a diminutive, yet commanding elderly man, was seated to Zelgadiss’s right, watching the people seated facing him with bright gray eyes.

The hum of hushed conversation filled the hall as Erika finished speaking. Shock registered on some of the representatives’ faces, while others were nodding grimly. Once the Prime Minister had called for this meeting on Erika’s behalf, rumors flew that the king might be dead; Erika’s report of events had confirmed it. Some representatives looked dazed, while others seemed indifferent--mostly the few remaining members of the Dimas who had been for Erika’s parents’ policies and against King Rolard’s. But the majority, Erika realized with a sinking feeling in her stomach, were angry, their faces full of mistrust.

“You cannot expect us to believe all that!” shouted a tall, dark-haired man in the back row, jumping to his feet and glaring at her venomously. Erika recognized him as Sirin Shovak, a representative of one of the major fishing towns along the coast. He was one of King Rolard’s closest friends and most outspoken supporters, due to the king’s policy of diverting tax revenue to support the seafood industry. “Two weeks ago you were nothing but a weak, sickly waif who had never shown interest in government. Then, you went traipsing off to some decrepit old cave with these...these foreigners,” he spat, gesticulating wildly at Lina, who looked like she was ready to jump up and strangle him with her bare hands. “Then, you returned claiming that magic caused an earthquake that killed his most honored majesty, King Rolard, while you all fought him because he was trying to take over the world using magic and an enchanted sword?! That--that is...well, it’s utterly ridiculous!!” he shouted, glancing around at the nodding heads around him for support.

"The honored King Richard and Queen Lia were killed in a landslide--how could his majesty have murdered them?" someone hollered from the back.

“If the honored king is dead, where is his body?

“ came a voice from the left side of the assembly hall.

“And how did you escape this earthquake, if it was supposedly that powerful?”

“How could a sickly thing like you escape if his honored majesty didn’t?”

“I’ll bet you and these foreigners were the real reason for his death!” shouted one representative as she jumped to her feet and pointed at Erika accusingly.

“It was all a plot, wasn’t it, Princess?”

“You’ve fabricated this whole story--the king is really alive somewhere, imprisoned!” speculated a man seated near the front.

Erika simply stood at the podium, shocked, as the scene before her disintegrated into chaos. Many representatives were now on their feet, shouting at her or at each other, their voices growing louder every second. Others were talking furiously among themselves. Still others were just eyeing her and her companions suspiciously, weighing the truth of her words. Very few looked as if they believed her; those that did were mostly arguing with Shovak and his supporters.

“I-I didn’t...no, that’s wrong--wrong!” Erika said frantically, a panicked expression on her face, but her voice was drowned out by thunderous outcry from the assembly.

Behind her, Lina jumped to her feet and began shouting things in Erika’s defense at the representatives in the front two rows. There was no way she would abide by some thick-headed, stuffy windbags who wouldn’t see reason, who would dare to accuse her and her friends of murder! Rough hands clawed at her sides, however, and she found herself being pulled back into her chair by Gourry.

“Do you really think yelling at them is going to help?” he shouted over the uproar. “They can’t hear you, anyway!”

“Let me handle it,” Ameria mouthed to them, and rose from her seat, her demeanor as regally indignant as she could muster. She quickly stepped across the stage toward the podium, all the while fighting the urge to jump up on top of it, point down at the assembly, and talk some sense into them.

Someone else beat her there, however. No one noticed that Prime Minister Macallah had crossed the raised platform to the podium while the shouting reached deafening levels. When he reached her side, he gently pulled a dazed Erika back and nudged her into a chair, which she fell into with a plop. He exchanged a glance with Ameria, his kindly, wrinkled eyes full of a mixture of concern for Erika and contempt for the Dimas’ reaction to her testimony. “One moment, please, your highness,” he called to her. Nodding, Ameria took up a post beside Erika’s chair and laid a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

“Ladies and gentlemen! Order, order!” he shouted, pounding a little wooden mallet against the podium. “Silence, all of you!”

Gradually, as the livid politicians realized Erika was no longer at the podium, their angry shouts faded into low grumbling. Prime Minister Macallah gazed over them, shooting disapproving looks at the most outspoken representatives, lingering especially on Shovak, who glared defiantly in return. The prime minister pointedly ignored this, and, once he had everyone’s attention, he spoke.

“Before you accuse the honored princess and her foreign comrades of murder,” he began, “stop for a moment and listen to more testimonies. Allow me to present her honored highness, Princess Ameria Wil Tesla Saillune, who comes to us from a holy kingdom in the New World. Princess Ameria, if you please.” Macallah graciously held out an arm toward the podium and nodded to her, his expression hopeful that she would be able to reason with them.

Ameria stepped up to the wooden podium and took a deep breath. Her hands nervously smoothed out the fabric of her dress and she prayed her voice wouldn’t waver as she spoke. “Honorable representatives of the people of Chorion,” she began, using the words Erika had taught her, “I come before you, a representative of my homeland, the country of Saillune, far in the north. I humbly ask for your attention during my address.” She paused, noticing that several people in the back, including the dark-haired man who had first began yelling at Erika, were now frantically scribbling on parchment with quill pens from the inkstands situated throughout the long tables. They’re taking notes? she wondered. Well, everyone else is paying attention, so I guess I’d better keep going... Ameria took another deep breath and continued.

“Today, my friend and sister in nobility, Erika, has come before you with terrible news. While I understand and sympathize with your shock, I cannot abide by the accusations that have been brought against Erika these past few minutes.”

“Simply put, honorable representatives, the man you knew as king had evil intentions. He admitted to all of us personally that he killed Erika’s honored parents, their majesties King Richard and Queen Lia. He attacked and nearly killed us at Achek’s Tower, and would have succeeded were it not for the efforts of my good friends, Lina Inverse-san, Gourry Gabriev-san, Zelgadiss Greywords-san, and myself.” She swallowed, remembering Erika’s earlier request to say nothing about the power she possessed as a Chakar. “While we were protecting Erika from harm, the king used his power to kidnap Gourry-san and myself, imprisoning us in the lower dungeons of Castle Ori for a night in an Orihalcon cell. The next day, he attempted to amplify his power using an ancient artifact from the Tower, which Gourry-san now holds.”

She gestured to Gourry, who stood and drew the sword. His face was tight in concentration, no doubt because of the constant struggle to keep the sword from leeching all his energy. The golden blade blazed brilliantly in his gloved hands, reflecting the light streaming from the long, narrow windows in the assembly hall and throwing it against the painted walls and high ceiling. Even the people in the back of the room paused in their scribbling to admire it.

Ameria nodded to Gourry, who sheathed the weapon and resumed his seat. Lina put a hand on his arm briefly, and he nodded, reassuring her that he was all right. Ameria cleared her throat and continued. “Consider that as part of the evidence of our claim, along with the book which Erika showed you during her testimony.” She eyed those who had spoken so harshly against Erika a few moments before. “As for Erika herself, rest assured that she is the same person she always was.” Behind her, Erika flinched, but said nothing. “Like any future monarch, her concern for her country and her people is real. She long knew of her uncle’s role in her honored parents’ murder, but in the interests of Chorion’s stability and because she had little solid proof, she remained silent. His evil intentions were confirmed for me when Gourry-san and I were kidnapped and brought to the dungeon, where he used his power to harm us, but not before repeating to us his desire to kill us all.”

“How was it possible for him to kidnap you and bring you to the palace--which is many days’ journey--in one night?” interrupted a woman in the middle of the assembly.

“Show respect to her honored highness,” growled the prime minister.

Ameria shook her head. “No, it’s a legitimate question. Allow me to present Lina Inverse-san, world-famous sorceress, who will explain.” Hopefully without Dragon Slaving this whole place into smithereens... she thought worriedly.

Lina quickly stood, for a moment a little self-conscious with so many people staring apprehensively at her. The feeling dissipated instantly, however, once she stepped up to the podium next to Ameria.

“Honorable representatives,” Lina began between gritted teeth. If Erika hadn’t pounded that form of address into her head before the beginning of the meeting, she would have left out the “honorable” part in favor of something more aptly descriptive, like “pigheaded”, or worse. “As Erika explained to you earlier, King Rolard’s power was vast. He was a skilled sorcerer who drew power from sources even I, sorcery genius though I am, don’t fully understand.” And that’s the truth, she added silently. “I suspect he learned a lot from the book Erika presented to you earlier as evidence of his plotting. The language it’s written in is foreign to me, but from the diagrams alone I can clearly tell that the king’s plans were no joke--he really would have gained the power of mind control over anyone he wished if we hadn’t stopped him. As for your question,” she said, nodding down to the woman who had interrupted Ameria, “transportation spells are possible. They involve calling on wind spirits to transport a person from one place to another almost instantly. I don’t know where the king learned that spell, but that’s what he used to get from Achek’s Tower to the palace so quickly.” She looked around as she spoke, her anger at the dubious representatives increasing. She especially wanted to lob a quick Fireball at the people in the second row from the back, who had just received a note from the people in the row behind them and were clustered around it, not even listening to her. The tall man who had first yelled at Erika was now looking smug. I wonder what he’s up to...

“That’s fine for you to say, Inverse-san,” a woman in the fourth row said shrewdly, “but you must understand that our people know nothing of the magic that exists in the north. I would be far more inclined to believe your story if I had some prior knowledge with which to evaluate your testimonies, but I have none.”

“You could be making this up, all of you, and we’d never know,” piped up the man seated next to her. “And then we’d have a murderer in the throne.”

“No, you had a murderer in the throne,” Lina snapped, her patience worn thin. There was a collective gasp, and the people who had been angry before now looked even angrier.

“Perhaps if someone could demonstrate the power of this sword,” called a man sitting on the right side of the assembly, who looked as if he desperately wanted to believe what Lina was saying. “If Gabriev-san could demonstrate on one of us the power of this sword and how it could be used to control minds...”

As Gourry, Zel, Ameria, Lina, and Erika exchanged a wide-eyed, five-way glance, various representatives began shouting again, this time in agreement. Zel and Gourry swiftly rose and crossed the platform to the dais while Prime Minister Macallah tried to quiet the Dimas down.

“We can’t demonstrate,” Zel hissed as Erika also stood and they huddled together on the stage. “Not only do we have no idea how to control other people’s minds, how do we know that thing won’t go out of control once Gourry tries to use it on someone besides himself?”

“They’re shouting for it...they won’t stop...I never expected it would be this bad...I never thought they’d be this hard to convince...” murmured a very pale Erika.

“I don’t think they’ll believe our story unless we do it,” Ameria said nervously, jerking her thumb over her shoulder at the still clamoring Dimas.

“Wait!” Lina broke in, waving her hands to silence them. “We can’t be the ones to decide this, anyway. Gourry’s the only one who can control it; I won’t even touch the thing and I don’t think any of you should, either. It’s his call.”

They all turned to the swordsman. “What do you think, Gourry?” Zel said.

Gourry’s eyes flicked from Lina to Erika, his face serious. “I can control it for short amounts of time, but not for too long,” he said. “But I have no idea how to do the mind thing they’re talking about.”

“So basically, we can zap people--not that I’d object, in this case--but we have no way of proving anyone could use that thing to brainwash people and control them,” Zel summarized.

“Could you do it, Erika?” Gourry asked. “Control someone’s mind? You’ve got that China-thingamajig...”

“Chana,” Lina corrected in a half-whisper.

“Whatever. Erika?” he prompted, but as he spoke, Erika’s face turned impossibly whiter. She looked as if she was about to fall over in a dead faint. “Erika!” Gourry gasped, and instinctively grabbed one of her arms to hold her steady.

“I...I can’t,” Erika said, as if horrified by the very thought. “Not even for a minute...Chakar are forbidden to do things like that...misuse of power is an unforgivable offense...” She trailed off, shaking her head and looking up wordlessly at Gourry.

“Well, that settles that,” Lina said quickly. Erika acted as if some or all Chakar could control minds--a disturbing thought, but one she shelved away to ponder later--but it was clear she wouldn’t do it. She turned and motioned to the prime minister.

Prime Minister Macallah had meanwhile succeeded in calming most of the Dimas down. The representatives were now muttering among themselves, except for a small enclave clustered around the end of one of the long tables four rows from the back, whispering to each other animatedly. Some of them watched expectantly as Lina spoke quietly to the prime minister.

“We can’t do the demonstration--we don’t know how King Rolard planned to control minds because we can’t read the book,” Lina half-lied. “It’s too dangerous to even try. The sword is that powerful. Besides, Erika’s gone into shock, and we need to get her away from these losers,” she said.

“I see...” the prime minister said, rubbing his bearded chin and throwing a glance at the people congregated near the back. “Perhaps I should adjourn--“

“No,” Erika interrupted suddenly.

Everyone looked at her in surprise. She was shaking her head, and her green-blue eyes had suddenly lost their dazed, shocked appearance. They were now flashing in anger. Her jaw set with determination, Erika glanced at the Dimas, then back at the prime minister. “They already think I’m too weak to rule. I refuse to fuel those rumors anymore,” she said slowly.

“Then what would you have us do, your highness?” Prime Minister Macallah asked carefully.

Their eyes met for a moment, until the remains of Erika’s stunned demeanor hardened into firm resolve. “Stand aside and allow me to act like a queen.”

“Yes, your highness,” he replied, barely hiding a smile of relief behind his long, white beard.

“But...Erika...they still don’t believe...” Ameria protested.

“No matter what they think, Uncle was an evil man who brought about his own downfall. Nothing will change that. And nothing short of a coup d’état will change the fact that, like it or not, I’m the heir to the throne. She swept past Gourry and Lina, but turned and said firmly, “It’s about time I assert myself around here.”

Lina blinked, still surprised at Erika’s sudden change of manner. Then, she grinned broadly and said, “Give 'em hell, Erika."

The grumbling in the assembly continued as Erika stepped up to the podium and cleared her throat, her lips pressed together in a grim line. “There will be no demonstration,” she declared regally. There was an uproar of shouting again, but it only lasted for a minute. Erika picked up the mallet that lay on the podium and banged it loudly against the wood until the hall was absolutely silent. Even Sirin Shovak and the people near the middle rows of the assembly who were scribbling on the parchment that had been passed to them began to pay mistrustful attention to her. “As a child, their majesties, my honored mother and father, taught me that our government had been designed by visionary people like my great-grandfather. Those people framed our government so that the people of Chorion would have a voice in the Dimas, and yet would also have a single leader in the monarchy to turn to in times of trouble.” She gazed around at the hardened faces that were staring up at her. “It is my hope that my honored parents’ murder and Uncle’s subsequent rule have not tarnished what my great-grandfather helped to create.”

“Don’t make them any more upset,” the prime minister whispered, shaking his head and looking intently at Erika.

“She may just have,” Zel whispered back, glancing worriedly from Erika to the assembly below her. Many hardened faces had become even stonier.

Erika noticed this, but, unmoved, she continued. “As representatives of the people of Chorion, who have seen the beginning of what may very well become the most dangerous economic downturn in our country’s history, I ask you: do your people--our people--want to see chaos and uncertainty? Or do they want--do they deserve--a peaceful transition of power, which would restore stability to their lives? I have presented you with a truthful account of King Rolard Chakar’s unscrupulous ascent to power and his downfall--in some cases, repeating his very words. I have the testimony of four honorable and capable people who are renown for saving our world from disaster, who have no interest in the Chorioni throne and no reason to seek harm against anyone in the royal family. I have the sword of Achek’s Tower and the book Uncle used for research, all as evidence.” Erika paused, and her expression softened to a more pleading look. “For the sake of our people...please accept my testimony and believe me when I say, once again, that my friends and I did not kill my uncle to take the throne.”

She fell silent and searched the assembly for a sympathetic face. Grimly, she realized that she could find very few.

“Honorable representatives,” the prime minister finally called out, stepping up to the podium alongside Erika. “May I remind you that, according to our laws, a new monarch must take the throne within five days of the previous monarch’s death or abdication. Her honored highness is the heir, and the law is the law.” He looked across the hall at Shovak and the people clustered around him severely. “None of you have brought concrete evidence that contradicts her or her companions’ testimonies. Therefore, the coronation will be tonight. We will discuss his honored majesty’s death, and the possibility of investigating Achek’s Tower for proof to corroborate Princess Erika's testimony, at our next session in three days’ time.” He reached across the podium, picked up the little wooden mallet in his gnarled hand, and slammed it down. “This session is dismissed!”

Lina, Gourry, Ameria, and Zel watched numbly as the Dimas, apparently as surprised as they were at how quickly the meeting had come to a close, rose to their feet. Some members filed out of the hall quickly, probably to send word to their constituencies. Others joined Shovak and began talking furtively in hushed tones.

Ameria exhaled and began massaging her temples, attempting to rub away her impending headache. She felt like she could collapse into her chair from the stress of what had just happened, but Lina was already heading toward a door behind the platform that led to a little reception room behind the assembly hall.

“Let’s get out of here before I blow something--or someone--up,” Lina said under her breath. Gourry followed her out after casting a concerned glance at Erika.

Zel also glanced at Erika, and then at Ameria, as he stepped behind Gourry. He caught the door and held it open for the two princesses, who walked past him, murmuring thank yous. Prime Minister Macallah followed them slowly, a worried look on his wizened face. “Do you think everything will be all right?” Zel asked him quietly as he passed by.

The prime minister paused and looked at Zel with an unreadable expression on his face. “I don’t know, Greywords-san, I don’t know,” he said heavily. “The Dimas is usually a bit rowdy, and Shovak and those who follow him were always a thorn in his honored majesty, the late King Richard’s side, but...” He swept a hand out to the half-empty assembly hall. “People like him have become more numerous in the Dimas since his majesty King Rolard ascended to the throne.” Zel winced, but said nothing. Prime Minister Macallah clapped a hand on Zel’s shoulder. “Come, the princess has a lot to prepare for, and I’m sure she’ll be comforted if her new friends are by her side.” With that, he continued into the room. Zel followed after one last wary glance at the representatives still talking in hushed tones near the back of the Dimas’ assembly hall.

Seven hours later, Zelgadiss found himself standing with Gourry in a carpeted hallway that was separated from the castle ballroom by a burgundy velvet curtain and a grand staircase. One floor below him, hundreds of people, most of them dressed in black, had gathered to witness the coronation of the heir to the Chorioni throne. Many of them were representatives from the Dimas and their husbands or wives, while others were important people from the military or court. Pages in brown and burgundy tunics with trays of food or wine slipped through the small circles of people talking uneasily among themselves while a chamber orchestra played softly in the background. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling; the light of the candles on top of them created an atmosphere that would have been warm and comfortable had it not been for the tension that filled the air.

“Gourry, stop poking your nose out there,” Zel groaned for the third time, pulling the other man away from the curtain by the sleeve of his coat. Noting the disapproving glances of the guards to either side of the burgundy curtain, he whispered, “Let’s not cause any more trouble than we have already.”

Gourry noticed the direction of Zel’s glances, and shrugged and nodded. “It’s just so...so...” he waved a hand , searching for words.

“Tense?” Zel quietly said back. Gourry nodded. “I know, I can feel it too.”

“And it doesn’t help we’re in these get-ups,” the swordsman complained, tugging at the collar of his shirt. Earlier that day, Erika had taken them to the royal tailors, who had quickly adjusted for them some suits that they had on hand. Both men were dressed in stiff, white shirts and cravats, dress coats, breeches, long, white socks, and polished leather shoes. The only difference was that Zel’s coat, cravat, and breeches were gray, and Gourry’s were a deep blue. Their swords hung at their sides despite the fact that weapons were frowned upon for royal functions.

Zel shrugged. “I don’t mind this so much as I do the fact that I didn’t get much of a chance to look in the king’s library. Erika did as much as she could to steer me away from books that have no relevance to my cure, but...” he shook his head. “She had other things on her mind, too. Not that I blame her.”

“Where is Erika, anyway?” Gourry asked, glancing up and down the dimly-lit hallway. Sconces with flickering candles lined the wallpapered walls as far down as he could see, revealing the paintings hanging between them and the high ceiling painted with murals above. The carpet under their feet was thick and luxurious, which provided some consolation to Gourry, who resented his uncomfortable shoes.

“Where? Where do you think she is? In her dressing room, of course, probably getting her hair done with Ameria and Lina,” Zel replied, with a tone to his voice that Gourry hadn’t heard before. Noting Gourry’s raised eyebrow, he quickly said, “Women take forever to get ready for things. It’s just a fact of life.”

“How do you know that?” Gourry asked curiously.

Zel looked uncomfortable for a moment. "You just...sort of pick these things up here and there..." "Besides," he added quickly, "you’ve traveled with Lina for ages--you should know this by now.”

Gourry didn't pry; instead he rubbed his chin and replied, “Hmmm...I hadn’t thought about it. I don’t think Lina really ‘gets ready for things’.”

“Anyway,” Zel said hurriedly and crossed his arms, “it’s almost eight ‘o’ clock. We’re supposed to make our entrance then.”

“And then we hang around for awhile, and then Erika gets crowned,” Gourry finished. “That’s what Lina said.”

“We hope Erika gets crowned,” Zel corrected. He reached out, pulled the maroon curtain back a little, and stole a quick peek at the mingling people below. “I’m worried about all those representatives down there. They weren’t exactly friendly to her--or us--earlier today. I just hope they don't do something to stall her coronation.”

Gourry grimaced and pulled the curtain closed. Lina had tried to explain to him the details of what was going on, exactly, but politics was boring to him. So she had to settle for a short summary of the situation, which he found somewhat easier to remember. He had silently resolved to keep a close eye on his friends throughout the coronation--just in case.

As it turned out, Zel didn’t have long to wait for Lina, Ameria, or Erika. A few minutes later, as he was studying a painting depicting a tumultuous Miranda Sea, he caught a flash of color in the corner of his eye and turned to look down the hallway.

Lina emerged from a door that led upstairs and held it open, whispering something up the stairs that neither he nor Gourry could catch. Both men stared at her in open disbelief; never had they seen Lina look so elegant. Her flaming red hair cascaded down her back, with curvy waves falling over her bare shoulders as well. A swath of pink satin hugged her upper arms and gathered in the front to form a low neckline. Her bodice hugged her petite frame until it flared out to form layers of pink satin skirts. As she closed the door and turned, they noticed that her black headband was conspicuously absent, and the birthmarks on her forehead were as well; it was hard to believe, but Lina Inverse was wearing makeup. Rouge tinted her cheeks, her eyelashes were long and curled, and her lips had been painted a deep, pouty red.

“Princesses,” she muttered, rolling her eyes, and started toward Gourry and Zel. She stopped, however, when she noticed them gaping at her. “What?” she said defensively. “Zel, stop staring,” she ordered forcefully. For some reason, she found it nearly impossible to bring herself to look up and meet Gourry’s stunned gaze. Deciding that she didn’t like the heavy feeling she had suddenly developed in her stomach, she put her gloved hands on her hips and glared at Zelgadiss until he shook his head and managed to smirk at her.

“Don’t you look nice,” he muttered appreciatively.

Still not daring to look up at Gourry, she gathered her skirts in her nervously trembling, gloved hands, and twirled around. “You mean no one ever recognized my natural beauty before?” she joked, but it sounded a little forced.

Zel glanced up at Gourry, who, by this point, it seemed, had recovered from his shock. Gourry shook his head as if to clear it, stepped toward Lina, and let his natural chivalry take over. For some reason, as soon as he’d seen her, he briefly recalled the dream that he kept having. Ameria had said that his inner self was trying to tell him something; now was the time to let that inner self tell him what to do here.

Lina looked almost as surprised as Zel and Gourry had just been a moment before when Gourry strode up to her, bowed deeply, and offered her his arm. He smiled down at her, his blue eyes alight with a gentle fire that Lina had only seen rarely. “You need an escort, right?” he said. Lina could only nod numbly. “You look so nice I think I’d better be your escort tonight. I’m still your guardian, you know.”

Lina’s face fell slightly at the word ‘guardian’, but Gourry’s expression quickly rectified that. “I-I...sure...” she heard herself stutter in a small voice. She slowly lifted her left hand and slipped it under his elbow. She looked up at him uncertainly, then smiled back as she felt her blood, which had turned to ice when he bowed to her, begin to finally circulate through her again. He led her a little closer to the curtain, telling her about the people he had seen in the ballroom below them.

Meanwhile, Zel watched on with a mixture of morbid curiosity and admiration for his friend. “Brave man...he could’ve been Fireballed to a crisp for that...” he said under his breath. Tearing his eyes away from them, he turned to the door that Lina had come out of, and noticed that it was now open, and someone was peeking anxiously around it. All at once, his stomach seized up and a wave of anxiety crashed over him. Stop that, he commanded himself. Relax! Why should you care what she--what they--

“Oh good,” Zelgadiss heard Erika sigh with relief, bringing his thoughts to a screeching halt. “There’s no one from the Dimas out here. Come on, Ameria.”

“Coming!” Zel heard Ameria call back. Then he heard a squawk and a loud thud, followed by a gasp. He winced and automatically took at step toward the door, but stopped when he heard Erika’s voice.

“Ameria, are you all right?”

Ameria laughed nervously, picked herself up from the floor at the bottom of the steps, and began rearranging her disheveled skirts. “Must’ve missed that last step,” she said brightly. “I’m fine.”

“Thank goodness. Ready to go?”

“Ready.”

With a swish of fabric, Ameria stepped out of the stairwell and around the open door. She stopped and waited for Erika to close it, looking up at the tall ceiling of the hallway with wide, curious eyes. Erika, meanwhile, noticed right away that Zelgadiss was staring at them.

Zel had seen Ameria in a gown twice before, but each time he hadn’t had much time to notice. He noticed now, though; his mouth dropped open slightly as his breath caught in his throat. His gaze traveled up her full, sky blue skirts, which were layered with satin and a sheer, gossamer fabric that seemed to sparkle as she moved. Like Lina’s, her bodice was tightly-fitted, showing off her tiny waistline and full figure. The neckline of her dress was more modest than Lina’s, but only by a little. Blue satin snaked up her shoulders to form straps while the thin, transparent fabric formed short, puffy sleeves, not unlike the sleeves of her usual tunic. The color offset her porcelain skin perfectly, while the dark color of her hair, which was pulled up into a simple, elegant twist, added a little touch of glamour. Curled tendrils hovered around her face, which was upturned toward the paintings on the walls.

From there, Zel's gaze traveled to Erika, who was standing nervously next to Ameria, her trembling hands fidgeting with the maroon velvet sash that swept over her bare right shoulder to her left hip, where it was held together with a jeweled pin. He guessed that she had decided to protest the Dimas’s reaction to her uncle’s death by dressing in the exact opposite color of mourning--white. Like Lina’s and Ameria’s dresses, hers was satin, but Zel could see that a faint, delicate pattern had been woven into the fabric with golden thread. Long, wavy locks of golden blonde hair spilled over her shoulders, but the topmost layers had been pulled back from her face and pinned in place, revealing her sparkling, diamond earrings. They matched the pendant hanging from the golden chain at her throat. Her neckline was like Lina’s; white satin swept outward from the front of her dress over her upper arms, then plunged downward, forming tightly-fitting sleeves that ended in snowy white lace over her hands. Her full skirts were trimmed with white lace like her sleeves. Erika would have looked regal, except that her oval-shaped face looked almost as white as her dress, despite the brush of rouge across her cheeks and the makeup on her lips that matched the color of her sash.

Gourry looked over Ameria and Erika appraisingly and grinned approvingly at them. At the same time, Lina noticed Zel’s enamored expression, slipped away from Gourry, and sidled over to him with a catlike grin playing across her colored lips. “You should see the look on your face,” she whispered gleefully when she reached his side.

Zel tore his eyes away from the two princesses and glared down at her warningly. “Shut up, Lina,” he hissed.

“Ooh, a little defensive, aaaaare we?” she teased in a low, singsong voice. “Look, they’re walking towaaaard you.”

Sure enough, Ameria was heading uncertainly toward Zelgadiss, holding her skirts out in front of her and out of her way as she walked, with Erika by her side. Zel stayed rooted to the spot until Lina jabbed him in the side with her elbow, momentarily forgetting about his stone skin. She yelped in pain, and the sound was enough to galvanize him into action. Clearing his throat uncomfortably, he took a few steps forward to meet them, and managed an uncharacteristic small smile.

He heard a cough behind him coming from Gourry that sounded suspiciously like the word “bow” and threw a dirty look over his shoulder at the swordsman. Gourry just looked around innocently, whistling a tuneless melody. As Erika and Ameria approached, Zel bowed deeply like Gourry had and looked up uncertainly. They stopped and exchanged a glance, both of them flushing slightly. Simultaneously, Ameria and Erika flashed him nervous smiles and curtseyed.

Zel realized at that point that he had a problem--if Gourry was escorting Lina, what was he supposed to do? Ameria was looking at him shyly but hopefully, and while Erika looked like a nervous wreck, she still had a wistful twinge to her expression. Fortunately, Gourry, who was turning out to be more perceptive than Zel would have otherwise given him credit for, stepped up next to Zel and bowed as well. “You two look great! Don’t they, Zel?” he prompted.

Zel blinked. “Y-yeah, um...great...” he managed to stutter out. Ameria giggled self-consciously at that, while Erika just smiled shyly.

“Thank you,” they murmured simultaneously.

“So,” Gourry said, throwing Zel a meaningful look that nobody missed, “who’s escorting you down there? Zel’s free, but it wouldn’t be fair if he got two girls, now would it?”

Lina almost choked at how obvious Gourry was being. She looked over at Zel, and realized that he looked like he actually had choked. By this point, Zel’s cheeks were turning a dangerous shade of pink, and he was looking from princess to princess, panic creeping into his expression. Lina rolled her eyes and was about to hit Zel with something to get him to pick one of them and get it over with when she was interrupted by a voice behind her.

“Ah, I see you’re already here.” The voice belonged to Prime Minister Macallah, who was making his way down the hallway toward them wearing his best burgundy robes. He stopped near Erika and bowed slowly to her, Ameria, and Lina, who curtseyed back. Holding out his arm to Erika, he smiled at her kindly. “Come, my dear; it is the Prime Minister’s honor to present the heir to the throne at her coronation ceremony. In this case, it is my pleasure, as well--you look lovely.”

Erika smiled back and took his arm after casting a fleeting glance in Zel’s direction. “I feel like my stomach is doing flip-flops inside me, to be honest,” she admitted sheepishly as the older man led her toward the burgundy velvet curtain that led out to the grand staircase.

“That’s all right,” he replied sympathetically. “As I recall, your honored father and mother felt just about the same way before they were crowned, as well. I was only a representative at that time, but the honored king and I became friends long before he was crowned, and I was by his side at his coronation ceremony.”

Saying this cheered Erika greatly. Feeling a little more confident, she nodded toward the guards by the curtain, and one of them poked his head out to whisper something to the announcer waiting just outside.

Zelgadiss, meanwhile, cleared his throat self-consciously, and held out his arm to Ameria. She smiled up at him, looking a little relieved, and slipped her hand around his forearm. He stood there watching her for a moment, until she tilted her head toward the curtain and said, “Time to go.”

Zel could faintly hear the announcer address the crowd of people waiting below, and then the curtain was swept back by the guards. There were a few oohs and aahs as Erika stepped out and down the grand staircase, but, he noticed as he and Ameria moved down the stairs behind her, many were looking at her with obvious distrust. As Lina and Gourry fell into step behind them, Zelgadiss could only wonder what was in store for them that evening, and, more importantly, what had just happened back in the hallway with Ameria and Erika.

The tension in the grand ballroom was thick enough to cut with a knife, but, as long as she didn't think about it, Lina was having a good time. None of the most hostile members of the Dimas seemed to be attending the ceremony, probably out of protest, she surmised. She was relieved; that meant no one would walk up to her, or any of her friends, for that matter, and start accusing them of murder. The representatives that were present mostly ignored her, although two women who had believed Erika's story had struck up a polite conversation about magic with her a half an hour ago. To Lina's amusement, it seemed as if she had attracted the attention of some of the young knights present, although Gourry's presence at her side seemed to deter them from staying to talk to her for very long. She had never felt more like royalty in her life.

Lina glanced to the side and saw Gourry still standing by her, watching the people around them carefully. Lina knew he didn't remember much of the situation at hand, but he understood very well that there were a lot of hostile people in the Dimas. The expression on his face was one he got whenever he was subtly on guard, watching for danger. Occasionally, however, and especially whenever a knight or squire would stop by to talk to her, he would step a little closer to her and smile down at her almost protectively. It was always then that she would get the heavy feeling in her stomach back again. If Lina were the type of person to examine her feelings, she would probably realize that she cared more about what Gourry thought of her and her looks than she thought she did. Instead, she ignored the feeling in her stomach and concentrated on the people milling around nearby.

Ameria and Erika had gone off separately, each of them mingling with the guests. Ameria was talking to the same two women Lina had spoken with earlier, probably about Saillune. Erika, meanwhile, was having no difficulty finding knights or local nobility to talk to, but many of the representatives she approached turned away from her coldly. Prime Minister Macallah was standing near the stage that had been set up along one wall of the ballroom, talking with the guards who were watching the crown, a tall band of gold studded with diamonds and precious gems that sat on top of a pillow on a stand between them.

Zelgadiss, meanwhile, was standing a few feet away from Lina, near the wall, looking like he was lost in thought. That seemed strange to her, since she knew how much he hated being surrounded by people; he was usually far more nervous in a crowd than this. He probably didn't even realize that his gaze was alternately following Ameria or Erika, she thought with amusement. Given the way he had reacted to both princesses upstairs, Lina could pretty easily figure out what was going on. The same catlike grin she had developed earlier while teasing Zel came back, only broader this time. Deciding to stir up a little mischief for her friend, she glanced at Gourry as if to tell him to stay put, and strolled over to Zel as deliberately casually as she could.

"You have a thing for royalty, you know that? If it isn't one princess, it's another," she began, looking up directly into Zel's face.

"Hmm?" was his distracted reply. There was a pause, and then he suddenly realized who was talking to him and what she had just said. Wide-eyed, he stared down at Lina in disbelief and shook his head. "What?! I don’t know what you’re talking about!" he said defensively.

Lina grinned knowingly. "Oh you don’t, hmmm? Then why are you staring at Ameria and Erika that way?"

His eyes still quite wide, the chimera glanced around as if to make sure neither princess had somehow magically appeared at his side to hear Lina's taunts. "Lina, shut up!" he shushed her frantically.

Ignoring his protests, she nodded and nudged him gently. "Well, you couldn’t do any better than these two, I’m sure. Admit it, Zel--you think they’re pretty. Gorgeous, even."

Zelgadiss blushed deeply and looked away. "I...hadn't noticed," he stammered out.

The sorceress rolled her eyes. "Then you'd be the only man in here who didn't," she huffed, exasperated. "Ameria has quite a few admirers over there, you know," Lina said after a moment, gesturing to the small enclave of knights that had surrounded her. "Maybe you should join them." Zel didn't respond to that; he simply began studying the ceiling uncomfortably, his cheeks pink with embarrassment. Lina waited a half a minute, then decided she wanted more of a reaction out of him for her efforts. She elbowed him again and half-whispered, "At least we know Erika isn’t a guy, not like that Miwan princess you had a crush on, right?"

His reaction almost made her laugh out loud. Whirling around to face her, Zel stared at her incredulously, his face contorted with embarrassment and shock. "Lina!!" he almost shouted.

She, however, continued as if he hadn't said anything. "Wouldn't that just be the most embarrassing thing? And--oh wait--there’s some guy walking up to Erika."

Zel turned away from Lina. Folding his arms and fuming, he growled, "I’m not looking because I don’t care."

Lina wasn't listening, however. She leaned forward, and then stood up on her tiptoes to see over a man who had just stepped into her view. Furrowing her brow, she muttered, "Hey...it kind of seems like she knows him."

Not taking the bait, Zel kept looking away, and said dully, "Why don't you go ask to be introduced?"

"Hmph. Maybe I will," she replied. She considered her sulking friend for a moment, then grabbed his arm and tugged him away from the wall. "But first, we're going to go rescue Ameria from those knights. Come on."

"L-Lina, wait!" he protested, but it was no use. As tiny as she was, Lina was deceptively strong. Grabbing Gourry's arm as they passed, she dragged them through the throng of people, a mischievously determined look on her face.

To say that Erika had met with some hostility as she stopped to talk to her guests would be an understatement. She had noticed right away that Sirin Shovak and the rest of King Rolard's most outspoken allies weren't present, but that didn't mean that the rest of the representatives there were friendly to her. She was beginning to wonder how she was ever going to rule a country with such a distrustful legislature when some minor local lords and knights struck up a conversation with her. She could guess why they seemed so interested in her; now that she was to be queen, there would be a lot of pressure on her to marry. Groaning inwardly at that thought, Erika managed to detach herself from them, and began looking around for her friends. She thought she spied a shock of blond hair above the sea of moving heads that looked like it belonged to Gourry, and headed toward it.

She stopped short, however, when someone stepped in close to her from behind and spoke almost in her ear. "Your highness, there seems to be a scoundrel in the palace."

Erika arched an eyebrow. "Oh?" she said softly. Without turning around, she said softly, "Is he a dangerous scoundrel?"

"Very dangerous," the warm, baritone voice assured her. "He's the craftiest scoundrel ever to set foot inside this palace."

With that, Erika turned slowly, amusement twinkling in her green-blue eyes. “Crafty, hmmm? The craftiest you’ve ever been was when we played games in the castle orchards, and you'd jump down off the tree branches right in front of me to scare me,” she said teasingly.

"Whoever said I was the scoundrel?" The man who had spoken to her grinned and spread his hands out in front of him in a gesture of innocence, his green eyes alight with mischief. He was as tall as Gourry, with long, sandy brown hair tied back in a low ponytail and a ruddy complexion. Like Gourry, he had a swordsman's build, with broad shoulders and a muscled torso.

Erika grinned and threw herself into the man’s arms, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly. “Janak Chakar, what are you doing here?” she exclaimed. “I haven’t seen you in ages!”

“Well, hello to you too,” he said amicably, returning her embrace. “Has it really been that long? The days just fly by when you’re traveling. Oh, and people are staring,” he observed, not changing his tone. The men from whom Erika had just separated were watching them, the disappointment on their faces evident.

“Let them stare,” she replied, her face buried in his chest. “I haven’t talked to you in such a long time! When did you get here?”

“Just now,” he said, gently squeezing her before letting go. "Father heard what happened--did you know the Elder of the tribe sensed your uncle's death? Anyway, Father got a message from a royal courier about the coronation this afternoon, and he contacted me a few hours ago, and told me to teleport here. He would have come himself, but it was such short notice, and he has his hands full with some trade delegation from Merudia that's been giving him trouble."

"Elder knew, hmmm?" she murmured. "I'll have to contact him." She stepped backward and put her hands on her hips, looking him up and down appraisingly. “If you just got here, then how did you get those clothes? That looks like the suit you wore last time you were here.”

“It is,” he said simply. “I slipped into the palace and snuck up on one of the tailors. Literally. After she climbed down from the chandelier,” he said with a wink, “she pulled it out and fixed it up to be a little more fashionable.” He pulled on the collar of his ruffled shirt uncomfortably and gestured down to his navy coat and breeches. “Although, truthfully, I’d much rather be in my riding gear.”

“Have you seen the Prime Minister yet? I’ll have to formally present you to him, since you are, after all, a prince,” Erika said.

Janak shook his head. “No, I watched you from one of the balconies above until I saw you were alone, then snuck down here.” He gently pulled her closer by her arm, and leaned down to speak softly in her ear. “I heard some of the story, but your enemies did a great job of spreading distrust--there are already a lot of people in the city who don't believe a word you've said. The tailors were able to tell me a little more. I think I can speak for my country when I say the Dimas's reaction to everything you told them stinks like the Miranda Sea on a bad day. We’ve always been in support of you, and we always will be. If this Sirin Shovak person I keep hearing about starts to give you trouble, all it’d take is a few minutes for me to contact his majesty, my honored father, and we could have guards ready to protect you from anyone who opposes you. I hope you know that. The kingdom of Orios doesn’t take disrespect for your family lightly.”

Erika looked up into his worried eyes and nodded. "I don't think it's come to that, but..." Forcing a smile to her face, she placed a hand on his arm and said, "Thank you."

Janak smiled ruefully. “You’re very brave, Erika. Braver than I could ever be in this situation.”

Her smile became a sad one, and she shrugged. "At least while they were alive, my honored parents tried to prepare me for the throne. You just weren’t brought up to rule a country, that’s all,” she said. “If you didn’t have all your brothers ahead of you, you might feel differently.”

“That’s all right,” he replied, waving a hand casually. “I’ll leave the task of ruling Orios to my brothers any day. I’d much rather be outdoors, seeing the people firsthand, rather than ruling from on high on a throne.”

Erika nodded, then took a deep breath and wiped the glum expression off her face. “Speaking of seeing people, I have to introduce you to the people I met while traveling." She turned and scanned the circles of people chatting in low tones around her. Since Gourry was the tallest, she spotted him first. He was being pulled somewhere by Lina, who had a curiously impish grin on her face. Zelgadiss was also being half-dragged, but, unlike Lina, he looked upset. "There they are!" she said, and gestured for Janak to follow her as she plunged between two groups of representatives who were eyeing the exits and whispering among themselves furtively. Her voice started to take on an excited tone as she explained, “They’re from within the barrier. Just imagine how different their world is--three of them can use magic and everything! And one of the men once carried the legendary Sword of Light, which he used to help defeat DarkStar!”

“Really?” Janak rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he followed her. “I think I may have heard about that, then. My father mentioned something about some foreigners with strong magic running around the continent, but I didn’t pay too much attention to it. I was too busy breaking up a thieves' gang in one of the northernmost cities of Orios with my men.”

Erika and Janak arrived just on time to watch Lina extract Ameria from a pack of knights, to whom she'd been animatedly describing her homeland. They looked disappointed when Lina dragged her away, but Ameria promised to tell them more sometime later. In the meantime, Erika brought Janak over to Zel and Gourry. "Janak, I'd like you to meet Gourry Gabriev and Zelgadiss Greywords. Gourry used to carry the Sword of Light, and Zelgadiss knows all kinds of magic," she said enthusiastically. "Gourry, Zelgadiss, this is my childhood friend, Janak Chakar, the fourth prince of Orios and the third captain of the Orian secret police." She leaned closer to them and whispered, "Don't let the last name confuse you--we're not related. His family, like mine, is just part of the tribe."

Gourry smiled and stuck out his hand, which Janak clasped briefly while saying hello. Zel shook hands as well. "Your highness," he murmured with a nod.

Janak shook his head. "Please, just call me Janak. Any friend of Erika's is a friend of mine," he said warmly.

Just then, Lina arrived with Ameria behind her. "Sorry about that, Erika!" Ameria said, "They were just so interested in Saillune, they didn't want me to leave!"

"I'll bet," Zel muttered under his breath.

"Janak, this is Lina Inverse, the world-famous sorceress," Erika said, and Lina stepped up to the prince. "And this is Janak Chakar, the youngest prince of Orios."

The prince bowed. "I've heard a little of you, Lina, if I may call you that," he said. "It seems you're famous even outside your homeland."

Lina glowed as he said that and curtseyed. "Of course you can!" she said with a silvery laugh. This is what a prince should look like, she thought, remembering what she thought of Prince Phil when she had first met him. Lina stepped to the side as Erika gestured to Ameria, who curtseyed gracefully.

"And, last but not least, this is Princess Ameria Wil Tesla Saillune, daughter of Crown Prince Philionel el de Saillune. Her grandfather rules the holy kingdom of Saillune far in the northern part of the New World!" Erika introduced, smiling exuberantly.

Janak studied Ameria while Erika gave her title; then, with a sweeping bow, he took her hand and brushed it against his lips. "It is an honor to meet you, your highness," he said formally. "If your homeland is half as lovely as you, it must be a beautiful place."

Ameria blushed and giggled daintily, unobservant of the fact that Zel had just rolled his eyes and folded his arms in a huff. "The honor is all mine," she replied. "Erika has told me a little of you--I'm glad I've had the chance to meet you."

"She did?" he asked, glancing at Erika with a smirk. "Well, don't believe everything you hear."

"I didn't say anything bad," Erika protested, hitting him lightly on the shoulder and returning his smirk.

Lina lifted an eyebrow. He's smooth, she observed. She glanced up at Gourry, who looked like he had sized Janak up quickly and was now watching Ameria and Erika. Then she looked over at Zel. He was eyeing the prince with a mixture of cool suspicion and another emotion she couldn't interpret, all the while avoiding looking in Ameria's direction.

"I'm so glad you came, Janak, so you could meet everyone," Erika gushed happily. "Come on, let's find the prime minister. I want you to be up there on the stage during the coronation with everyone." She turned and led them through the crowd toward the raised platform in the back of the room.

Janak held out an arm in a sweeping gesture toward Ameria and Lina. "Ladies first," he said, winking at them. He filed into step after them after a friendly nod at Gourry and Zelgadiss.

As Gourry and Zel followed after him at a distance, Gourry said, "He seems nice."

"I don't like him," Zel said gruffly.

The swordsman looked at him skeptically and almost knocked over a man who was scurrying toward the exit. "Sorry about that!" he called to the man, but he had already disappeared. "Aw, come on, Zel. He's just being friendly."

"Yeah..." Zel muttered darkly.

"Well, Erika seems happy he's here--does she know him from somewhere?" Gourry asked innocently.

Zelgadiss blinked, and shook his head in disbelief. "Just walk, Gourry," he said resignedly.

Gourry shrugged. "Sure thing, Zel."

As it turned out, it was almost nine thirty--the time the coronation was set to begin. Prime Minister Macallah smiled warmly at everyone who came up onto the stage, and bowed when Erika presented Janak. Erika's happiness melted into anxiety as she gazed down at the people who were now beginning to realize that the coronation would begin soon. At the same time, the prime minister quickly placed everyone on either side of the throne, which had been moved from the throne room to the stage earlier that day. Two guards stood stiffly on either side of the pedestal near the throne that held the crown, and a full honor guard stood far to each side of the stage in brown and burgundy tunics.

Ameria stood to Erika's left, with Lina and Gourry taking up positions next to her, leaving Janak and Zelgadiss on Erika's right side. Zel didn't look too happy about that, Lina noted, but he didn't say anything. Prime Minister Macallah then led a suddenly very nervous Erika to the throne. It took her a moment to arrange her skirts once she sat down, which gave Gourry some time to study the people waiting expectantly for the coronation to start. He fingered his sword hilt absently, noting how a group of fifteen or so men had gathered near one of the tall, wooden doors that led out of the ballroom, each of them wearing a smug expression. He couldn't be sure, but it looked like one of them was the man he had bumped into as he headed up to the stage. Eyeing them suspiciously, he leaned down and whispered to Lina, "See those guys near the leftmost exit? They're up to something."

Lina scanned the doors that led out of the ballroom, her eyes narrowed slightly. She spotted the men Gourry had pointed out and nodded. "I think you're right. We should--"

"Honored ladies and gentlemen," Prime Minister Macallah began at that moment, cutting Lina off. He stood in front of the pedestal with the crown on it, his arms held out to gain everyone's attention, and began a short speech, his voice carrying through the ballroom better than she would have imagined possible for a man of his age. As he spoke, one man near the exit stepped out from between the rest, pulled open the door behind him, and slipped through it. Lina and Gourry glanced at each other, and Lina subtly dropped her hand behind her skirts, a pinprick of light that was the beginning of a Fireball spell hovering an inch away from her palm. She glanced at Ameria, but she was paying rapt attention to the prime minister's address. Lina leaned forward just slightly, but it was enough to catch Zelgadiss's gaze. He glanced meaningfully at the leftmost doors, and Lina slowly and subtly inclined her head in acknowledgement.

It seemed as if time was slowing as Zel tuned out the rest of his surroundings to focus on the suspicious-looking group of men in the back. They all looked like they were from the Dimas...and in fact, now that he thought about it, he was sure that he hadn't seen most of them at all during the party. By now, another one had slipped out the door, and the rest were starting to look impatient. His thoughts were interrupted, however, when he heard Janak murmur, "Zelgadiss...those men...I can't quite tell what they intend to do, but..."

"What do you mean, you can't quite tell?" Zel whispered out of the side of his mouth.

Janak shook his head just slightly. "Tell you later. Be on guard."

"I know," he muttered back, throwing a skeptical glance at the prince. His sea green eyes slid over the crowd of people, all of them listening to Macallah's speech with anticipation. Not all of them... he mentally corrected himself; across the ballroom another cluster of people were gathered near another exit. A woman in green skirts had her foot wedged in the door and was looking at Erika with smug satisfaction. Beyond the two doors, Zel could see a row of men in brown and burgundy tunics, broadswords clipped to their belts. "More guards?" he breathed.

"Where?" Janak whispered quickly.

Zel didn't even realize he had spoken. "To the right," he whispered back, startled.

Janak's eyes narrowed. He glanced at the two guards beside the crown; they were eyeing the exits as if they expected the doors to burst open any moment now. They're in on this, he realized. He shot a glance to his left at Lina, who didn't notice him, but Gourry looked as if he had also noticed the guards beyond the door on the right. He sucked in a breath. He knew he shouldn't be doing this, but...

Lina and Gourry almost jumped when they heard a voice echo through their minds. "Everyone, I'm sorry to have to do this, but those people in the back are about to interrupt the coronation. The guards by the crown know it, too, and I'd expect the honor guard on the sidelines are in on it as well. We're the only protection Erika has. Get ready... " Janak's voice trailed off, and Gourry and Lina turned and looked at him in surprise. Judging by the fact that Ameria had snapped her head to the right, they could guess she had heard the voice, as well. She glanced around in shock, then down at Erika, who had risen half out of the throne, her mouth open in astonishment.

All the while, Prime Minister Macallah continued his speech, unaware of the guards gathered behind the doors. He reached between the two guards and hefted the glistening crown in his hands, holding it aloft. He turned and stepped toward Erika, who was looking around frantically. As soon as he saw her expression, he glanced behind him. His wrinkled eyes widened, and he quickly brought the crown downward over Erika's head. "...crowned this day as Queen Erika Chakar the--"

A thundering crack as the doors burst open and a cry of "STOP!!" interrupted him, and everyone seemed to move at once. At the same instant, one of the guards that had been standing near the crown drew his sword, darted toward the prime minister, and knocked the crown from his hands with the blade. As it sailed through the air offstage, Gourry, Zelgadiss, and Janak all drew their swords and dashed toward the guard, but he turned and leapt off the platform. Meanwhile, the honor guard rushed toward the throne, but stopped when they met a dangerous-looking Lina and Ameria, who flanked Erika, holding equally dangerous-looking, glowing, red spheres of magic. Erika stood up, furious, and rushed to Prime Minister Macallah's side. He was unhurt, but equally angry. After patting Erika's hand reassuringly, he turned and ducked under Gourry's raised sword, which was flashing golden, and pointed at the dark-haired man in brown robes who was now striding through the parting crowd confidently, with guards pouring into the ballroom from the exits behind him. Some followed him toward the stage, while others took up positions near the exits and the grand staircase to prevent anyone from interfering or escaping. "What is the meaning of this?!" Macallah demanded over the confused shouts of some of the assembled people.

Sirin Shovak flashed his teeth in a nasty grin at the prime minister, and bowed mockingly, sweeping his brown robes outward. "Your highness," he said with a sneer, "allow me to present the people who have made this interruption possible." With that, he raised his hand and snapped his fingers, and people began detaching themselves from the confused crowd to join him. Erika realized with dread that they were all representatives from the Dimas, and they were all the same people who had been scribbling on parchment during Ameria's address earlier that day. All told, probably about half of the Dimas was now making their way toward him. Narrowing her eyes, she took a deep breath and stepped up to the prime minister's side past Janak's and Zelgadiss's swords.

"Don't go any closer, Erika," Janak warned.

"I'll be all right," she murmured back. Raising her voice, she said, "They wouldn't dare do anything to harm me with so many witnesses." Shovak simply shrugged. Glaring at him and the men and women that had surrounded him defiantly, she said as regally as she could, "By what authority have you interrupted this ceremony?"

Shovak's grin became wider, and he swept his arms out in an inclusive gesture over the ballroom. "By the authority of the people of Chorion," he announced smoothly. "They have elected the men and women who stand by my side tonight, thus giving them the power to act on their behalf." He strode forward several paces until he reached the crown, which lay on the carpeted floor a few feet away from the stage where it landed after the guard knocked it from Macallah's hands. Shovak bent down and picked it up, turning it over in his hands carefully. He looked up at Erika, his deep brown eyes glittering, and said, "My fellow representatives and I believe that you are unfit to wear this crown, Princess."

Glancing back, Erika saw her friends seething at Shovak's words. She held a hand behind her to keep them back, and said, "Regardless of your opinion, Shovak, I am the heir to the throne, and neither you nor your comrades have brought solid evidence to keep me from it."

"We don't need evidence! No one could believe that story you concocted!" a man near Shovak shouted, but Shovak held up a hand to silence him.

"Forgive my associate's enthusiasm," he said in an oily voice, "but he is, indeed, correct. We need no evidence to know you killed his honored majesty, King Rolard, to take the throne."

"Believe what you want," Erika threw out carelessly. "My friends and I stand by our testimonies."

Shovak turned to the woman Zel had seen holding open the rightmost exit; she handed him a rolled piece of parchment and he handed her the crown. "Your testimonies mean nothing," he said, unrolling the tan-colored paper carefully and holding it out for Erika to see, "in light of this."

Erika's eyes widened as she read the title written in large cursive on the parchment. At the same time, Ameria and Lina stepped closer to Erika to see what Shovak held, one eye each on the honor guards, their hands still glowing from their spells. "What is it, Erika?" Ameria asked.

Erika swallowed, her stomach filled with dread. "A vote of no-confidence," she said quietly. Gasps from some of the guests assembled below the stage filled the ballroom. Prime Minister Macallah stepped a little closer, squinting at the parchment in Shovak's hands.

"This is not legal," he pronounced quickly. "The law states that a no-confidence vote must be taken while the Dimas is in session."

"And it was," Shovak replied swiftly. "These people all signed this parchment as we listened to the false testimony of these foreigners." Heads nodded around him, and Erika stared at them in disbelief. "Nowhere does the law state the vote has to be taken out loud."

"You...you couldn't possibly have found enough votes to show a majority," Macallah gasped incredulously.

Rolling up the parchment, Shovak tossed it to Erika, who snatched it out of the air and pulled it open. She scanned it carefully, counting the names signed. Meanwhile, Janak moved to Erika's side and glared at Shovak. "If you think the kingdom of Orios will support you if you try to force Erika out of the throne, you're sadly mistaken," he said coldly. "Father would never--"

"Your honored father," Shovak interrupted loudly, "would never want Chorion to be ruled by a murderer...your highness," he added with a tight-lipped smile.

Lina glared at the guards that were slowly edging their way toward Erika. "Take one more step and I'll toast you all," she threatened, splitting the Fireball in her hands into two and holding a ball in each hand.

Shovak noticed this and waved his hand at the guards, indicating they should back off. "Let the princess finish reading," he said mock-politely. "Well, your highness?"

There was a tense moment in the ballroom as Erika and Macalla