Amelia was walking down the streets of the town the whole crew, meaning Lina, herself, Gaury, Zelgadiss, and Xelloss, were currently staying at. She sighed for the fifth time that day. Her attempt to get Zelgadiss Graywords, a ex-human turned into a chimera by Rezo the Red Priest, interested in her didn’t turn out, which was usual. Amelia had a crush on the handsome chimera for a while now, probably ever since she met him.
"Why won’t he notice me?" Amelia asked aloud as she walked down the streets. She had a vague idea why, when she first met him she was a brat, only judging him because he was ‘different’. She had called him ‘a suspicious person’ just because of it.
Still Amelia made up for it. She was the one who taught him healing magic* after all. Even though Amelia knew it was so that he wouldn’t have to depend on others to heal him, she was willing to help him with it.
It made her happy that he trusted her healing skills so much to ask her, and at the same time it saddened her. That meant that Zelgadiss didn’t like Amelia having to heal him.
Amelia still remembered when Zelgadiss had nearly left for Miwan. Zelgadiss later found out that Miwan was a GUY and not a girl so he didn’t leave. But Amelia could still remember the pain in her as she saw him run after Miwan. That incident clenched what Amelia had been denying all along.
Zelgadiss wasn’t interested in her. It was fairly easy to notice once Amelia considered the possibility. There were a bunch of obvious signs. He cared for her as a friend, but nothing more and nothing less.
The realization hurt like crazy. She’d never let anyone know that she knew the truth. She believed that if she didn’t give up, some how a miracle would happen. But maybe it was time to give up, there was no way Zelgadiss would be interested in her unless she used a
"Love potions for sale"
Yes, unless she used a love potion. Amelia’s eyes opened wide. She must have heard wrong. Love potions for sale? People don’t go around selling love potions, besides to use a potion to have someone fall in love with you was evil!! Amelia had to crush this evil!! Her code of justice won’t allow it.
…But weren’t there always rules that were meant to be broken? Having Zelgadiss in love with her was more than an enough price to pay to break the code of justice. She would make up for it by serving her life to help others in need. She would also destroy this love potion once Zelgadiss was surely hers and make up for it. Yes, she would make up for it. Only this once she would break the code of justice.
"Excuse me, did you say love potions for sale?" Amelia asked a peddler. He had a box and in it were small perfume jars. He was an old man with gray hair, and he had a long beard.
"Why yes young one. I can assure you that I said that." He replied in a jolly voice.
"…May I have one?" Amelia asked as she reached for her wallet. When ever she left on a quest with Lina Inverse Amelia had made sure to carry along some money for herself to cover her own expenses of extra things, as well as help chip in on costs for inn and things.
"Why certainly so. It would be ten silver coins." The man replied with a smile.
"Only ten SILVER coins?" Amelia exclaimed. She didn’t know much about magic potions other than for that it required a lot of skill, knowledge and most of all money to make them. Amelia expected it to be at least fifteen GOLD coins.
"Why yes. I make magic potions as a hobby, and most of all because I want others to be happy. Besides, I am still testing out these potions, although I can guarantee you they work." He added with a smile.
"Um, well, Here are the coins. May I have my purchase?"
"Certainly so!!" He laughed and took out the red-purple crystal perfume container. "This is my best love potion. You are my first customer with love potions so I’ll give you the best one."
"Thank you!!" Amelia beamed. She carefully took hold of the jar and looked at it. Now Zelgadiss would be hers, and she would spare the old man from her beatings, although he still deserved a firm lecture on the way of justices.
"I must warn you though, if you use that the one influenced by it may become slightly over affectionate, and slightly jealous." He said in a serious voice. Amelia just nodded dumbly, she considered that the better, having him over affectionate would certainly make up for lost time, and it would be nice once in a while to see Zelgadiss jealous. Although Amelia would never do anything to provoke him willingly.
"Thank you." Amelia bowed slightly and ran off to the inn. A plan already forming in her mind.

"Oh gods I’m starving." Lina Inverse muttered as she walked down the stairs. She was dressed in her usual sorceress outfit, a red tunic with red pants, shoulder guards, a black cape, the talismans Lina claimed she bought from Xelloss, her friends had other opinions, her bandanna, and her earrings. She had her long hair down like it always was, and her mouth was set in a frown from hunger.
Gaury smiled inwardly. He was content to wait until the girl turned into a woman to tell her how he felt. He had no rivals, and he and Lina shared a special bond between them that no body can possibly break.
Lina looked quizzically at her self-appointed-guardian. He had a dreamy look on his face and didn’t seem to be paying any attention to the dinner they were going to go eat. The restaurant at this inn was buffet style, an all you can eat one. She was sure the blond swords man who was dressed in his usual clothing would be smiling like crazy and dancing around. Lina concluded that he was probably just day dreaming about his food.
When the two reached downstairs, Amelia was sitting at a table that was neatly prepared. When she saw the two she waved and yelled at them to come over.
"Stop screaming Amelia, we can hear you." Lina scolded as she came over to the table. Amelia was just smiling like a maniac.
"Lina-san, I designed this table like it is at the Seyluun palace. In the palace they designate where everyone is sitting. I am sitting here." She pointed to her self and then pointed to Lina. "You would be sitting next to me Lina-san, and Gaury-san next to you. Xelloss-san next to Gaury-san, and Zelgadiss-san next to me." Amelia finished with a smile. "I already got wine for everyone and all I have to do now is go get the food."
"I’ll go too. I want to check out this buffet myself." Lina said and she walked towards the buffet.
Zelgadiss came soon after the two left and Gaury waved to him. "Amelia has set this table up like it is in the palace. See the bouquet and all this fancy silverware and the candles. She even has designated sitting spots for us." Gaury smiled at his friend. He wished that Zelgadiss would appreciate some of Amelia’s efforts for him. Gaury understood Amelia’s feeling since he received one like it from Lina fairly frequently.
"Well then, where am I to sit?" Zelgadiss said with a scowl. Was that princess home sick? Zelgadiss hoped so, that way he won’t have to deal with her endless affection. Amelia was his friend, period.
"Um…let’s see… next to me, she said." Gaury smiled as he remembered her exact words.
"Okay." Zelgadiss breathed a sigh of relief. At least next to Gaury he was far enough from her, unless she was sitting next to him.
"And Xelloss’s next to you." Zelgadiss scowled. If Amelia wasn’t going to situate herself next to him, couldn’t she have been nice enough to put Lina next to him instead of the trickster priest. Oh well.. he’ll have to live with it.
Just then Xelloss comes in and Gaury tells him that he’s sitting next to Zel. Xelloss cheerfully acknowledges that and sits down.
"Well, the glasses are full." Gaury observed as he looked to each glass. He then noticed that the one in front of Xelloss was different from the others. "You might be careful of that one Xelloss, I mean, you know what Amelia thinks of mazoku, she could’ve poisoned it."
Xelloss laughed off the comment. "Amelia-san would much rather prefer to take out that microphone of hers and start singing praises of life towards me than use poison. Besides to use poison would go against her ‘code of justice’"
Zelgadiss wasn’t paying attention to the conversation Gaury and Xelloss were having, most of all he wondered why there was even a conversation going on. Zelgadiss thought that Gaury should be suspicious about Xelloss just as much as the others in the group were. But although Zelgadiss had his reasons to believe Gaury didn’t really trust Xelloss, he didn’t make any outward show of it. Out of frustration Zelgadiss took a sip of the wine Amelia had set up for them.
"This is good…" He muttered out loud as he took another sip. He tried to identify the wine, it was good, the best that he had ever had, save the time he went to… "Oh my lord…she’s out done herself. How rich is she?!"
"…What are you talking about Zel?" Gaury asked curious to his companions sudden ramblings.
"This." He said as he showed them the cup that the wine was in. "Is Zefirian wine." He stated and swirled the glass around a little. Gaury just blinked his eyes to that not understanding what Lina’s homeland had to do with the wine, but Xelloss for once showed an outward reaction.
"Zefirian wine? Are you sure?" He asked doubtfully at Zelgadiss and silently laughed, the roles had switched for this time.
"I’m positive, this taste of it…no other place could make wine as good as this."
"I don’t get it." Gaury stated as he interrupted the conversation. "What’s the significance of that wine?"
"Gaury, do you know how far away we are from Zefiria, at least two countries. Wine made in Zefiria would cost roughly…a hundred thousand gold coins here."
"A HUNDRED THOUSAND?!" Gaury screamed leaning forward to take a look at the wine. "THIS IS A HUNDRED THOUSAND?!" Zelgadiss and Xelloss nodded. Gaury sank back to his chair and shook his head. "She way out did herself."
"I guess we should be grateful. Zefirian wine IS the best." Xelloss said as he took up his cup. "A rare delicacy even between the mazoku."
"Mazoku have taste buds huh." Zelgadiss said sarcastically towards his not-ally, not-technically-his-enemy.
"Why most certainly." Xelloss replied with a smile. "It is my masters favorite wine, unusual that she likes anything other than authentic Seyluun dishes."
"Huh, a MAZOKU likes a Seyluun dish? Unheard of."
"Most humans do not wish to know about the hierarchy of mazoku." Xelloss replied.
Gaury sighed as he saw Zelgadiss tension, as well as anger towards Xelloss, grow. Gaury didn’t particularly trust the trickster priest either but couldn’t Zel be a little more…civil at the dinner table?
"Why don’t we each take a sip of the wine." Gaury offered in attempt to keep the dinner table at peace. Lina would not enjoy it if her precious meal time was ruined by the atmosphere the two were creating. To much of Gaury’s relief the other two dropped the subject and each took a sip of their wine.
Xelloss frowned slightly at the taste of the wine. It was Zefirian wine, no doubt, just that he could taste something else, a bitter taste of something he couldn’t quite identify what it was. It wasn’t that the wine was rotten or anything, for it still tasted good, it was just the weird taste. He reached over the table and took one of the other glasses and took a sip. That tasted fine, with out the weird taste.
"What’s wrong Xelloss?" Gaury asked. If there was one thing Gaury can say, it was that he kept his temper well, and although on occasion he had allowed his temper to slip he tried to keep it under control, unlike his other companions.
"This wine…tasted different." He replied as he held up his glass and looked at it. He twirled his glass for as if to see if he could find anything different or wrong about it when he noticed a figure walking towards the table and his eyes swiftly moved to concentrate on her.
She wore a red tunic and red pants that stuck to her legs, revealing their sliminess, her fire colored hair went down to her waist and curled at the end. Her red crimson eyes sparkled as she laughed over something her friend said.
Xelloss sprang from his chair and in the blink of the eye was standing in front of her.
"Xelloss!!" She gasped as she saw him. "Don’t suddenly appear out of no where!!! You scared me to dea-" Lina never finished her sentence for Xelloss’s mouth claimed hers in a demanding kiss.

Lina’s mind was blank. She couldn’t think of ANYTHING. It wasn’t functioning correctly, her mind had left her completely the moment Xelloss kissed her. After what seemed to be eternity to Lina he released her to take a breath when her senses returned to her.
"WHAT IN GODS NAME DID YOU JUST DO!!!!!!!?" Lina demanded as she jumped back, away from him. She hugged herself as to try and comfort herself as she glared at Xelloss. She didn’t care that she was causing a scene. WHAT HAD HE JUST DONE!!!???
If Lina wasn’t feeling completely mortified and angry she would have noticed that Xelloss seemed to be in somewhat of a daze. But her anger and mortification made her completely oblivious to the world around her. All she wanted to do was crawl up in a hole. NO ONE had ever even dared to kiss her, yet alone in public. Oh was he going to pay for humiliating her!!!
Xelloss was indifferent to her anger directed towards him as he walked closer to her. Why hadn’t he noticed the beauty she possessed before hand. It was completely obvious to even the most foolish person on the face of the world. Her big round red eyes looked at him in complete shock, her long lashes curled perfectly. Xelloss felt the urge to claim her his, the strongest urge he had EVER felt.

Amelia was at loss of words as Xelloss kissed Lina in front of her. It wasn’t right, it was completely off the ways the priest usually acts. Amelia could tell that it was a spontaneous act, and THAT was something Xelloss just did not do. Amelia knew that although the lower mazoku tended to do things with out much thought, the higher and stronger mazoku preferred to think the situation and the best course of action through. They just didn’t go ahead and kiss someone just because they wished!!!
Amelia turned to the table that she was suppose to sit at, in order to seek an explanation from Gaury or Zel, if she could find the words. She was quick to notice that Zelgadiss was sitting in the seat that she had assigned Xelloss to, and that his, Gaury’s, and Xelloss’s wine glasses were half empty.
Amelia was clumsy but she was not an idiot. It took her only a few minutes to figure out what had happened. Amelia could hear her heart beat wildly. Xelloss had obviously drank out of the glass that Amelia had used some of the love potion in. Amelia gulped in fear, if Lina or Zelgadiss EVER found out what she did she would surely be in deep trouble.
She turned back to Lina and saw that she was being embraced by Xelloss, squirming and trying to move, but Amelia knew the struggle was worthless. Lina was strong, but her physical powers were not much compared to the general male population, Xelloss would haven no problems holding her down.
Amelia suddenly remembered the old man’s words. ‘I must warn you though, if you use that the one influenced by it may become slightly over affectionate, and slightly jealous.’ Amelia didn’t think slightly over affectionate was the correct word. She decided that the one under the influence was OVERLY affectionate.

Gaury just stared as Xelloss held Lina. What was that priest doing with something that Gaury had the right to claim possession to? Gaury knew that he was the only one that could possibly handle Lina’s temper tantrums and calm her down, everyone else just got her riled up even more.
If Gaury hadn’t been at a complete loss, he knew that he would have slashed at Xelloss with his sword right now, not caring the scene he would cause. It was still just as an appealing idea. He probably should.
With that Gaury reached for his sword, ready to attack the mazoku priest when Zelgadiss kept him down.
"you’ll hurt Lina if you slash at that guy right now." He stated and then went back to glaring at Xelloss’s wine glass. Gaury cursed under his breath and decided that Zelgadiss was right. But he didn’t feel like sitting down.
Instead he walked towards Lina and Xelloss, grabbed her by the arm and whirled her behind him. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER???!!!" He demanded through clenched teeth and glared at the priest and was surprised when the priest actually glared back.
"Claiming her." Xelloss replied in a tone more deadlier than Gaury had ever heard him use. "She deserves someone who respects her as well as someone who doesn’t ask her to explain her every other sentence."
"Well she certainly deserves happiness, and I KNOW that a mazoku can not give her the happiness she deserves." Gaury replied, not backing back, standing in front of Lina as if he were her shield. "She deserves to be protected and I know that mazoku don’t protect anyone."
"She deserves to be treated as a person with her own mind. You shelter her, claiming you can protect her, in truth I have never seen you capable of doing so."
"Yeah, well can YOU protect her? I’ve never seen you really do it before. In fact, all you’ve done was cause her trouble!!"
"I have protected her before, although I won’t deny that I did cause her trouble as well. You would not understand how much power the absolute rule of an order has in the mazoku society."
"I don’t care to understand and neither does Li-"
"STOP IT YOU TWO!!!!!" Lina screamed, drawing more attention to the three than they had already drawn. "Look, you two are obviously debating over me, but aren’t you guys forgetting that I have NEVER asked either of you to protect me. I am capable of doing so myself. NOW I’m going to excuse myself and you two can work out ALL your guys problems." Lina declared and stomped out of the restaurant and back to the upstairs inn.

Gaury and Xelloss glared at each other before turning away from the other. Amelia just stood there and looked around, praying that no one would suspect her, Zelgadiss started diagnosing the wine with a bunch of tools he had carried along with him. Lina plopped on her bed and buried her face in her pillow, her face as red as her eyes.