The
Lady In Red
By:
Amaya Shinkuyoake
I've
never seen you looking so lovely as you did tonight
I've never seen you shine so bright
Zelgadis sits in a back corner of the ballroom, sipping
decorously at a glass of red wine.
'Why did I even come?' he wonders, 'Balls are always the same.' He looks out at
the dancers and one particular figure catches his eye.
If it weren't for the wild loose waves of cascading red hair, he never would
have recognized her, Lina is stunning. He can't see much of what she's wearing
through the crowd, but he doesn't need to, just her face, so sublimely happy, as
he's never seen her before, makes her gorgeous.
She's replaced her usual black headband with a delicate headpiece of jet, and
she looks almost regal to him.
I've
never seen so many men ask you if you wanted to dance
They're looking for a little romance
Given half a chance
Her dance partner says something to her and Lina laughs and
blushes a little, shaking her head, then looks around as the set ends. Whatever
or whoever it is she's looking for doesn't appear, and she seems a little
disappointed. She shakes her head again slightly and is going to leave the dance
floor, but another man catches her arm and bows to her, asking her to dance. She
shrugs and nods, and they dance a boisterous number.
As they near Zel's corner, he can see that the man has a grin on his face, but
Lina's smile is fading a little.
And
I've never seen that dress you're wearing
Or the highlights in your hair
That catch your eyes
Now that she's on the outside ring of the dancers, Zelgadis can
finally get a glimpse of what Lina's wearing. She has on a dress…well it is a
Ball, but he's never seen her in a dress before…not for anything.
The dress is truly stunning; it's floor length with a train tucked up to become
a bustle for dancing, and it's the colour of rubies or wine or blood, he can't
decide which since it seems to shimmer slightly in the light. It has a simple
bodice, with a classic but low v-cut neckline and spaghetti straps, and it seems
to cling to every curve. Her hair glows like burnished copper, and a necklace of
delicate teardrop rubies drapes across her collarbones, each echoing in part the
sparkling colour of her eyes.
Zel sighs…he's never noticed before how exquisite Lina is…he always knew she
was attractive, but…
I
have been blind
As she dances close, Lina catches sight of Zelgadis
"hiding" in the corner. She curtsies a hasty farewell to her dancing
partner and goes over to where he is.
"Zel!" she grins, the faintly bored look vanishing, "I knew you
would come, I just knew it!" She sits down beside him, "Thank L-sama,
I've been so BORED!"
Zel gives her a 'look' and shakes his head. "You didn't look bored to me,
you looked like you were having the time of your life...dancing with all those
guys…all the attention…all the flirting…"
Lina reaches over to take Zel's hand, a serious look in her eyes. "They
were flirting with me, yeah, but none of them interested me…none of them were
you…"
She adds the last part on very quietly, and Zel isn't sure he has heard her
correctly…can it be that she actually cares about HIM?
A slow song starts, and to show her how he feels, Zel asks, "Would you like
to dance?"
The
lady in red is dancing with me
Cheek to cheek
Lina nods and they both stand and walk hand-in-hand to the dance
floor.
Carefully and seriously Zelgadis puts one arm around her, splaying his fingers
across her shoulder blade, and Lina slides her hand up behind his neck. With his
other hand Zel pulls her in close, and as they begin to dance, Lina sighs
happily and lays her head on his shoulder.
Zel leans his head gently against hers. "I love you Lina. I've wanted to
tell you for so long." he whispers, "I just never thought you might
feel the same."
There's
nobody here
It's just you and me
Zel can feel Lina's face relax into a smile, and in a barely
audible whisper, she says, "I love you too."
The room seems to fade away, even the music becomes muted to his ears, although
he can still hear it well enough not to lose his steps as he leads Lina in a
graceful waltz. Nothing else matters, only her. For just a little while, Zel can
actually imagine that his appearance doesn't matter, that all there is to the
world is him and the beautiful woman in his arms.
It's
where I wanna be
But I hardly know this beauty by my side
Zel smiles and hugs Lina gently as they dance. She's wearing a
light, slightly musky perfume which tugs at his senses and he breathes it in
deeply. He can still smell her own slightly sulphurish scent beneath it, the
same way the wild, loose hair which brushes his arm is still reminiscent of the
wildly independent "bandit killer" he's known so long, and yet, it
seems, never really known at all. Holding her feels so right somehow.
He has wanted so long to feel her warm soft body beneath his hands, to perhaps
feel the weight of her thick, silky hair running through his fingers like
water…and now here he is, and she is in his arms, and loves him after
all…it's almost too perfect to be real, and yet it is.
I'll
never forget the way you look tonight
Zel closes his eyes, trying to commit every aspect of this golden
moment to memory. He doesn't want to ever forget anything about this most
incredible of happenings. Through the years beyond, he intends to be able to
look back at this first, incredible baring of emotions and remember just how the
music sounded, just how Lina's lace-gloved hand felt in his, the faint sound of
her fast-beating heart…he opens his eyes again and looks at the one he loves,
drinking in the sight of her, eyes closed, trusting so implicitly in him that
she doesn't feel the need to look around as they dance…it is incredible.
I've
never seen you looking so gorgeous as you did tonight
I've never seen you shine so bright
Zel thinks back to when he first met Lina. He hadn't really known
what to expect from her. After seeing the destruction she had brought to that
village, he knew she was powerful, but from Zolf's description (which had been
sketchy at best) he had expected a petulant child. When he walked into her room
at that inn what he saw stirred feelings he had thought impossibly locked away.
She was an angel with the face of a child and the fiery locks of a demon
temptress, and he could tell that, were it not for the toll of using Black Magic
extensively, she would have every man she wished eating out of the palm of her
hand. His offer to her to join him had been heartfelt, and he had swiftly
contained the burst of anger at her refusal…this was all part of the
negotiations, he knew.
you
were amazing
When she faced down Shabarnigdo, imbuing the Sword of Light with
her powerful Giga Slave, fearless and supremely confident, he had been amazed
not so much by her power as by her control, and wondered secretly, afterwards,
why she didn't exert that same control most of the time. It hadn't been until
much later that he realized that most likely the laughing, crazy girl who killed
bandits randomly for fun and profit and beat up on
Gourry for making stupid comments was just another aspect of that control. From
that point on, he watched carefully to try to see beneath, to the true face of
this remarkable, changeable girl he realized he was falling in love with.
I've
never seen so many people want to be there by your side
Zel shakes himself out of his memories and looked around them as
he realized the song was ending. A number of men approach them, but one glare
from Zel is enough to send them looking elsewhere for a dance partner.
Lightly he kisses the top of Lina's head and she whispers to him, "I never
want to dance with anyone else…not after this…you dance wonderfully
Zel…"
He tightens his grip on her for a second, then another slow song begins to play,
and they dance again.
And
when you turned to me and smiled
it took my breath away
Losing himself in memories again, Zel remembers protecting her
after he had released her. Her comment about "falling for his lovely
captive" had hit a little too close to the mark for Zel's tastes…he had
hated to think what Rezo might do to her in order to drag out the information he
was looking for; whatever else he had been at one time, Rezo was thoroughly evil
now, and would stop at nothing, as Zelgadis' own form so eloquently stated.
He couldn't have borne it if this beauty, this fiery spirit, was destroyed, even
if he knew it would be impossible for her ever to feel anything for him, so he
had released her. The reasons he gave her were part of it as well, of course,
the best lies are partly truth, but there was so much more to it than what he
told her. After he explained the situation to her, feeling a little guilty for
dragging her into something which should really have been none of her concern,
he was surprised by her reaction. She actually…smiled at him. He was stunned.
And
I have never had such a feeling,
such a feeling of complete and utter love,
as I do tonight
Gazing blissfully down at the one he loves, Zel is taken a little
aback by the strength of his own feelings…he has known for a long time that he
was in love with Lina Inverse, but it seems as though knowing that those
feelings are returned has increased those feelings. No longer is it necessary
for him to hide his heart's desires, and this is an incredible feeling of
freedom.
Feeling suddenly braver than he ever has in his life, he leans his head down
slightly to whisper in Lina's ear. "Lina, I love you more than anything.
Someday, when I'm cured and worthy of you, will you…marry me?"
Lina looks up into his eyes and kisses him. "Why wait for a cure? I love
you just the way you are, and besides," her eyes show a glimpse of worry,
"the quest for your cure has been so fraught with dangers, if you were to
die before…I couldn't bear it! Please believe me, you are worthy of me just
the way you are…I would marry you right now if there was a priest here willing
to do it."
Zel is utterly speechless at this, and can only reply by pulling her into a
deep, soul-fulfilling kiss.
The
lady in red is dancing with me
Cheek to cheek
As they dance, Zelgadis holds Lina tenderly to him, stunned and
happy, with a silly grin on his face as he imagines what their future will be
like.
'Lina will probably want a proper wedding, but then, nothing less would be
worthy of her.' he grinned slightly, 'And honestly, I guess I've always wanted
that too…'
Zel stands at the alter, watching slightly nervously for the doors at the other
end of the chapel to open. He still can't believe this day is actually here,
that he is finally going to marry the one he has loved from afar for so many
years…the one who, for some still-mysterious reason, loves him back. When the
doors finally open, she stands there for a moment, a dazzling vision in a dress
which shimmers like freshly fallen snow in the moonlight, the fiery red of her
hair muted by her gauzy veil. It is almost too much to be believed, and yet, all
of a sudden, it is more real to him than it has ever been. The rest of the
ceremony passes in a haze of wonder until he hears the priest say "you may
kiss the bride", and he draws Lina into a deep, soul-searing kiss,
eliciting a loud cheer from the small audience.
There's
nobody here
It's just you and me
The reception is finally over, and Lina and Zel have decided to
forgo the usual carriage, instead casting Ray Wing and flying off to find a
hidden place. Knowing that with their friends, they would never get any privacy
at an inn, during the week before the wedding Zel had scouted out the most
beautiful and well-hidden grove he could find and, using some of the quieter
Shamanist spells, had enclosed it almost completely and enhanced its beauty with
a bed of flowers.
When they get there, Zel speaks silently to the trees, entreating them to close
the grove off completely, then casts a protection spell similar to the one Lina
had cast so long ago to hide the Orihalcon Statue. With another soft spell, the
grove is filled with muted light and all his preparation is worth it for the
gasp of wonder Lina gives him.
"Zel!" she says, "It's beautiful! You did this yourself?"
Zel smiles. "Well, I had a good base to work with, I just made a couple of
little additions." he says depreciatingly.
Lina pulls him into another deep kiss, and nothing else matters for the rest of
the night but her, the lights slowly fading as dawn breaks, and they lie
together on a bed of bright flowers, Lina tucked safely and securely in his
arms.
It's
where I wanna be
It's now a year later, and the couple has settled down in a small
village located somewhere between Sailune and Zephilia. Despite all expectations
to the contrary, Lina is obviously pregnant, and Zel couldn't be happier.
They had wanted this child so much that Lina had actually ASKED him to cast a
sealing spell on the darker side of her powers. Since Black Magick goes against
life, it generally prevents conception, and since Lina knew there was no way she
would have been able to control herself for over nine months, the sealing spell
was her only option. She seemed to be getting along fine with just Shamanism,
though, and had actually mastered more of White magic, if only to keep herself
from getting bored.
Luck, or L-sama, seems to be with them, because during that time, nothing has
attacked which would have required her to use Black Magick. 'It won't be long
now.' Zel thinks as he finishes some of the scrollwork on the intricate
double-cradle he has constructed.
He had been so shocked when Sylphiel's examination had indicated two children,
but Lina was overjoyed, and after he got over his shock, he was too…soon they
will be a family…'It has been too long since I had a family.' Zel thinks.
But
I hardly know this beauty by my side
Zel smiles, his arm around Lina as she watches the little
one-year-old twins toddling unsteadily around the nursery. Everyone has come to
celebrate their birthday, and Lina is grinning proudly at her progeny as they
make their way toward her. Both girls have coppery hair and eyes the colour of
ripe blueberries, sometimes purple, sometimes dusky grey or dark blue, and
always enchanting. Their skin, much to his delight, shows few of his chimeric
traits, although it is a cool, icy blue colour and rather tougher than that of a
normal human's. They haven't learned to talk yet, or at least, not to their
parents, but Zel has heard them prattling on to each other when no one's in the
nursery, even though he can't understand a word of it.
Although he never would have expected it, Lina is turning out to be a wonderful
mother…he would have thought that more Sylphiel's department, but Lina seems
so adept at it, it surprised all of their friends. Zel has discovered that there
are many things he never knew about the real Lina Inverse, and now, he's
resolved to uncover them all, to understand this marvellous, beautiful enigma by
his side if it takes until the end of time.>
I'll
never forget the way you look tonight
On the girls' second birthday, Lina had rolled over in bed and
whispered in his ear that he should cast another sealing spell, and now Zel
paces nervously outside as Sylphiel, four months pregnant herself, helps Lina to
deliver their third child. His head is filled with memories; their first
meeting, the night they admitted their love for each other, the next day, when
they had announced their intention to marry to the others, their wedding, their
honeymoon, the birth of the twins… and through it all, Lina's irreplaceable
beauty, charm, wit, and intelligence, not to mention stubbornness, has carried
him to this place of happiness.
The door opens and Sylphiel peeks through and whispers, "You can come in
now."
He walks in and kneels by the bed where Lina is sitting up, holding a little
bundle in her arms. He kisses her gently and she smiles.
"You have a son." she whispers in a tired but happy voice.
I
never will forget the way you look tonight
The lady in red
Zel wakes out of his daydreams as he hears the song beginning to
come to its conclusion. While she's here in his arms, he wants to show Lina just
how much he feels, since for him, actions are much easier than words. Up until
now he has been dancing only the easiest steps, his mind distracted, but he
decides to end this dance with a flourish. Catching her eye he winks at her,
then swings her into a wide promenade. Pulling her back in he follows with a
lock-step, then a wide step-turn.
As the music winds to a close, he dips her low, grinning at her surprised
expression…there are a few things she didn't know about him as well, and the
slight flush spreading across her cheeks pleases him no end.
He pulls her back up and draws her into a deep kiss.
The
lady in red
The lady in red
Lina says she's feeling a little light-headed and wants to sit
down for a bit, and Zel agrees. Truth be told he's feeling a little giddy
himself.
"Gods Zel," Lina says as she sits down, "You really can dance,
can't you!"
Zel smiles at her. "You follow well." he says depreciatingly.
The sit across the table from each other, both gazing into the other's eyes,
happy and contented. Zel reaches out and takes Lina's hands in his, squeezing
lightly.
"I promise I will always be with you." he says. "You're not going
to try to sneak off to look for a cure by yourself anymore?" Lina asks, and
he can see the echo of pain in her eyes.
"No," he says, "not now… For a long while now, my quest has
only been to find some way to be worthy of you, but now that I know how you
feel, I have no wish to hurt you by leaving like a thief in the night."
My
lady in red
Lina
grins at him. "Well, you'd better stick to that promise, because if you
don't, you'll be getting a fireball so big even YOU will feel it!" she
promises with a spark of that fire glimmering in her eyes.
Zel just smiles at her. No matter how different she may look all dressed up,
she's still his Lina, and he loves her for it.
"Lina," he says, "there's something I want to tell
you…something which comes out of the deepest feelings I have, and something
which I intend to tell you every day and every night for the rest of our
lives…