wish1

    "Are you contradicting me?!?"
     "Lina, all I'm saying is that I'm tired of running around beating up bandits. Now that there's no Mazoku after you, well, it's getting boring. We need a change."
     "WHAT?!? But I have a reputation to maintain! Beautiful Sorceress Genius Extrordinary!"
     "Yeah, 'flat-chested, bad-tempered little witch that not even a dragon would tangle with...'"
     "DIL BRANDO!"
     "Ow..... you see? You ARE bad-tempered. Let's take a vacation."
      "...... a vacation?"
      "Yeah, let's go see Amelia! Something always comes up in Saillune."
      "Great. Little Miss Justice and her scary father."
      "You know, you're being a brat."
      "What did you call me, you overgrown jellyfish?"
      "Don't call me a jellyfish! I am so sick of you picking on me just because I can't do magic!"
      "I pick on you because you're an idiot!"
      "That's it! I've had it! I'm going to Saillune to see Amelia." The tall blond man walked away without a glance back.
      The red-headed girl just stared. What just happened? She'd seen a side of him she never knew, not in five years of travelling together.   "Gourry! Wait!" She ran after him.
      He shrugged when she caught up. "You wanna come? Fine."

      The trip to Saillune went thankfully quick. They travelled hard by day, slept hard by night. The didn't even fight over food as much. They barely spoke. But both seemed to relax a little when the Holy City of Saillune came into view. Getting into the city was no problem. In fact, hundreds of people were entering, all excited and cheerful as if a festival was happening. Banners and flowers of all colors hung everywhere.
      "Gee, did we get here in time for a celebration?" Lina wondered out loud.
      "I don't know. Hungry" Gourry asked.
      "Yeah!" Lina grinned up at her companion, tension forgotten.
       They picked a cafe with sidewalk tables, scarfing their food and watching the happy crowds. as they ate, they heard a cheering start up the road. Lina craned her neck. "I wonder what that is?"
       Just as a carraige bearing the Great Seal of the Saillune Royal House came into view, Gourry snagged a piece of meat off Lina's dish.
       "Gourry! That's MY lunch!"
       "Well, you weren't paying attention. I thought you were done!"
        The noise of the ensuing tussle over lunch meat reached the royal carriage. It came to a stop in front of the cafe, and the soldiers in escort cleared a path. The door to the carriage opened, and to cheers, a black-haired head poked out.
       "M....Miss Lina? Mr. Gourry?" piped the head's voice. Lina and Gourry both paused and looked up. "MISS LINA!" Like a rocket, the occupant leaped out of the carriage and glommed onto Lina's neck.
       "Ack!" was Lina's swift response.
       "Lina! Gourry! You got my message! I'm so glad! But, why didn't you just come directly up to the palace? Oh, I'm so happy you could make it!" Princess Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune blurted all this out, hugging Lina and planting a kiss on Gourry's cheek.
      "Eh?" was Gourry's intelligent response.
      "Come on! Come on! You can ride up with me!" Amelia tossed a small pouch to the waitress and dragged the two adventurers to the carriage. Somehow she managed to have a hand free to wave to the crowd, who responded with even louder cheers.
      Once on board, the carriage travelled throught the streets of the city. Princess Amelia seemed to bounce more than the carriage. "Oh, I'm so glad you made it! Please say you'll do it, Lina! Please? It would mean so very much to me, and I know you'll look WONDERFUL and..."
      "WHOA WHOA WHOA! Amelia, what are you talking about? I didn't get any message from you. Gourry and I are... are on.. vacation!" Lina forced Amelia to sit still and listen.
      "You didn't get my message? How strange. Well, lucky thing you decided to come in time anyway. And to think you didn't get the message..."
      "Uh, Amelia," asked Gourry. "What's going on?"
       Amelia looked shocked. "You really don't know? I'm getting married!"

       "Prince Orin of Atenveldt, meet Lina Inverse and Gourry Gabriev, my friends."
       The handsome prince sketched an elegant bow, then stepped forward to vigorously shake Gourry's hand, and genteely kiss Lina's. "A genuine pleasure indeed! Delighted you could make it! I was almost afraid my darling Amelia woudl postpone if you didn't get here in time!"
       Lina and Gourry just stared in shock. Prince Orin was of medium height, with the dark green hair of his royal family pulled back in a pony-tail, dressed in fine but serviceable clothes. He smiled sincerely at them, and gestured for everyone to sit. He and Amelia took the loveseat and held hands.
      "Whe....when did this happen?" Lina asked faintly.
      "Last summer." Amelia giggled. "Orin's father came to renew treaties, and Orin came too, and we just.... we got along so well that...."
      "I got down on my knee and proposed in the middle of court on the last day. I couldn't leave without it," Orin finished. "I'm the second son, so I can come here and stay. And Amelia will be Queen. I'll just be her consort."
      Amelia elbowed him. "Silly, you'll be King with me. Equals."
      "Inseparable," Orin agreed, and kissed the tip of Amelia's nose while she giggled. Then he stood. "Darling, I've still got preparations to oversee. Prince Christopher want me to met with the mages who will stand guard during the ceremony."
      "OK, we'll see you at rehearsal tonight." With another bow, Orin left.
      "Wow," said Gourry. "He's cool."
      "Yeah, he's an excellent swordsman too. Not as good as you or.... I mean, he's very good. He's been keeping in shape with the guards, and so far he's beaten every one. No magic though, but he loves that I'm a sorceress, and keeps saying he hopes our children will be too."
      "Um, Amelia? You still haven't said what you want me to do," Lina pointed out.
      "OH! Of course! Lina, I want you to be my Maid of Honor!"
       Thunk. That was the sound of Lina fainting.

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