"Yeah, red and white and pink everywhere," chimed in Gourry. They crossed the room to Amelia's desk. Normally, she kept it very neat, but this afternoon there were bits of colored paper all over it. She blushed at them, a pair of scissors in one hand, a piece of blank red paper in the other.
"What's all this? What are you doing?" Lina asked, fists on her hips.
Giggling, Amelia answered, "Miss Lina, haven't you ever heard of St. Valuntyne's Day? It's tomorrow." At Lina's frown, Amelia continued, "About two hundred years ago, the High Priest of Saillune was named Valuntyne. He was so good, so kind, so genuinely loving to all, that the city made a holiday to honor him. Now it's a celebration of love and affection. You give cards to people you care about, and sometimes gifts to those.... very special people." She blushed more, and said, "It's traditional to make the cards yourself, which is what I'm doing. See? You make ones in red, pink, and white for those you love, or you use other colors as well, like blue and purple, for those who are really close friends."
Gourry was grinning. "Would really neat, Amelia." But Lina still frowned.
"Sounds kinda stupid to me," she huffed. "I take it there's all sorts of lovey-dovey parties and things in town?" At Amelia's nod, Lina shrugged. "Then I'm staying in tomorrow." She walked out of the office, leaving Amelia and Gourry behind.
Before Amelia could start one of her speeches about love, Gourry asked her, "Hey, Amelia, can I get some paper like that? I wanna make a card for someone."
* * * * * * *
Lina shut the door to her suite behind her. It was a nice suite, surprisingly tasteful as far as the Saillune palace went. They'd been here a couple of weeks already, just hanging out, and Lina's purchases were strewn all over the room. Snagging a book on the history of Elmekia, she flopped onto a couch.
Valuntyne's Day, huh, she thought. Not like I have anyone to send any loving wishes to. My sister? NO WAY! Gourry? Not likely. Zel...... I wish I dared, she thought, sighing. She'd become a bit more interested in the chimera than was appropriate.
Lina knew what was going on in her heart. She was well aware that she'd fallen for Zelgadis, but she did her best to keep it all hidden. After all, he was very close to Amelia, and never seemed to give Lina anything other than cool respect.
Wait, Amelia didn't say that the recipient of one of those Valuntyne's cards had to know who it came from. Jumping up, Lina rang the bell for a servant. When the maid arrived, Lina ordered her to bring some colored paper, scissors, a small pot of glue, and then swore the maid to secrecy.
* * * * * * * *
Zelgadis looked up as Gourry entered the library. Knowing Gourry would never willingly come in there without a reason, Zel assumed Gourry was looking for him. Sure enough, Gourry came right over.
"Hey, Zel. Um, I need your help." Gourry said, placing a card made of white, pink, and red colored paper on the table.
"What's that?" Zelgadis asked.
"It's a Valuntyne's Day card. That's why I need your help. You're good with words. I need you to help me write the message in it."
Zelgadis knew something about St. Valuntyne's Day. He'd read about it about 7 books ago, in a text called something like "Customs of Saillune." He'd hoped that either the holiday had gone out of fashion, or that he could hide from it here in the library. Of course, someone would have to come looking for him about it.
Sighing in resignation, Zelgadis agreed to help Gourry. "First of all, think of the person it's for," he counselled. "What's she like?" Internally, he cringed. Like he really wanted to hear a love-struck Gourry praise Lina, when he himself......
Gourry grinned brightly. "Well, she's very pretty, and she's got a nice figure, and really nice eyes, and she's a great cook, and she's really sweet...."
Somewhere about the third adjective, Zel sat up, startled. "Geez, Gourry, that doesn't sound like Lina at all!" he said, interrupting the litany.
Blankfaced, Gourry stared at Zelgadis. "Lina? Who said Lina? I wanna send this to Sylphiel!"
Completely shaken now, Zelgadis's brain ran a fast re-arrangement. Gourry didn't love Lina, he loved Sylphiel. Ergo, Gourry was not the obstacle Zelgadis had assumed. So that meant.....
"Gourry, have you ever told Sylphiel that you liked her like that?"
"Well, no, I don't think so."
"OK, here's what you do. Just write down all the things you just told me, the things you really like about her. She'll understand, and I promise she'll like it."
"Are you sure, Zel?"
Remembering the shy sweet priestess of Sairaag, Zel nodded. "Positive. Um, I've got something to do. Why don't you stay here and work on the card?"
"Ok," Gourry agreed, and bent to his task.
Zelgadis swept up his cloak, fastening it over his shoulders as he left the library. If Lina and Gourry weren't an item, there was a very different dynamic amongst their little group than he'd thought. Zelgadis was sure Amelia knew by now that they were just friends, and Gourry clearly loved Sylphiel. But, what if Lina still loved Gourry? If she knew about this Valuntyne holiday, and expected something from Gourry, there'd be Hell to pay if she didn't get it. Mind reeling with possibilities, Zelgadis didn't notice Amelia walking towards him until he nearly knocked her over.
"Oh, sorry, Amelia."
"Actually, Mr. Zelgadis, I was looking for you!" Zelgadis noticed a confection of colored paper in her hand, the same colors as Gourry's. Suddenly, Zelgadis feared Amelia would try to force her affection on him again, but her next words eased that fear. "Mr. Zelgadis, can you teach me that modified Ray Wing you use to send small things wherever you want? I'd like to deliver this Valuntyne's card in a really special way."
Blinking, Zelgadis agreed. "Who's the card for?"
Amelia smiled. "My grandpa, the King. He's always so tired, and ill, I thought a special card might cheer him up. I also made cards for Daddy, and Uncle Christopher, and friendly cards for Miss Lina, Mr. Gourry, and uh, you." A blush lit her face, but Zel was relieved that he could expect only a 'friendly' card.
"It's no problem to teach you, Amelia. Maybe we can come up with some, er, effects, too." He followed her back to her Princess office. As he taught her the modified spell, he also snagged some colored paper off her desk.
* * * * * * * *
The next morning, the palace woke to pretty, loving messages slipped under doors. The giggles of unmarried maids drifted throught the halls as they compared their own cards, and speculated on others, while delivering breakfast to their various masters.
The manservant assigned to Zelgadis knew enough of his temporary master by now to simply grop off a tray containing coffee pot and cup, and forebore from commenting on the small group of cards that had been slipped under the door. He merely gathered them up and left them next to the tray.
Zelgadis waited until he heard the servant leave, then went into the sitting room of the suite. Ah, blessed coffee! He picked up the little stack of cards.
The first was plain paper. Unfolding it, it turned out to be a quick note from Gourry: Zel, it turned out good, and I'm going to deliver it myself, Gourry. Smiling, he picked up the next one, a blue and white card with the seal of the Royal House, bearing a generic wish for a good day from Prince Phileonel. Zelgadis bet that everyone in the palace got one of those.
The third card was a preety thing of purple and pink from Amelia, and Zelgadis privately thought it was sweet, though he'd never admit it out loud. It didn't express her usual enthusiastic ideas about "their love", and Zelgadis understood that she'd finally come to realize that there was no "pure love" between them, only the affection of good friends. His small card to her, delivered late last night after bedtime by his servant, had been similar. But the last card......
It was the red, white, and pink of a true Valuntyne's Day card. The cover bore a pink flower, and inside was a red heart with the words "With Love" written on it. It wasn't signed, but if Lina thought that Zelgadis wouldn't recognize her handwriting, she was wrong. Elated, Zelgadis slipped Lina's card into his pocket. He put on his cloak and headed for the small dining room they all used. He had to know how she reacted to HIS card.
* * * * * * *
Lina sat at the long table in the dining room, a magnificent spread of breakfast foods laid out before her. No one else had shown up yet, and was alone, but instead of gleefully hogging everything, she just stared at the card in her hand. On the white cover was the image of a beautiful rosebud, and inside was the image of a rose in full bloom, made of red and pink paper. The only message it bore was "For she who holds my heart." No signature, yet Lina trembled, knowing she should recognize the handwriting, but her brain refused to acknowledge it.
Behind her, a door opened. She heard footsteps approaching, the steady gait she knew meant Zelgadis had come in the room. He stopped just behind her, but Lina didn't dare look up. What if he knew that card was from her? She might just die of embarrassment if he was angry, or worse, what if he laughed?
His hand appeared beside her, laying a card on the table. She instantly recognized it as the one she'd made for him. Oh boy, I'm in trouble now, she thought. But instead of the accusations she expected, when he spoke, his voice was quiet and soothing.
"It's lovely."
She blushed to the roots of her hair, but he went on.
"Did you like your card?"
It was from him! All Lina could do was nod.
He reached out and took her hand. Turning it palm up, he placed something on her hand, then let go. It was a small paper rose-bud, just like the one on the card he'd sent her. But as she watched, a tiny touch of magic took effect, and the paper bud grew before her eyes into a gorgeous paper rose in bloom. Gasping, she cupped the rose in both her hands. "Oh, Zel," she whispered.
She felt his breath soft on her ear as he said, "I love you, Lina." She turned to him, only to be met with a soft, sweet kiss from him across her lips.