Slayers: Chaos

Chaos 24

Slayers: Chaos

Episode 024: Gloom! A Dark Day

After quietly following Zelgadis to the location of the old Flagoon, Filia made an astonishing discovery, Amelia was with child and her state of health was fragile at best. Flagoon had slowly started to revive, the temple that Fibrizo once put in its place being all but disintegrated by the branches and roots that took on a new life. It was all because of the effects of the energy from the Sea of Chaos that had been used to fight off the Stillness a little over a year ago.

"Amelia..." Filia curiously approached, feeling a concern she didn't even know a monster could feel. It was happening again; emotions that she shouldn't have were surfacing and going wild. This was different from what happened when she was around Xellos; it was another type of connection akin to what she felt for Lina, friendship.

Amelia smiled beckoning Filia to come closer while Zelgadis remained paralyzed and silent. "It's good to see you again."

Filia nodded curiously and with her attention captivated by the situation before her, decided to leave her inner debates for later. "It's... good to see you too..." She wasn't sure what to say, as her mind was filled with unanswered questions that continued to pile up by the second. To ask what happened felt rather silly, as it was plainly obvious. So instead she inquired, "how are you?" Which felt like a fairly stupid question as well, given how pale and sickly Amelia looked.

"I'm fine," the smile was strained for energy but not for sincerity. Not one to be discouraged easily, the Seyruun princess was ready to face any challenge that life might throw at her. "How are you doing? Did you come by Sairaag on your own, or are the others here too?"

"They're here," Filia glanced at Zelgadis for a split second to see his reaction. He remained still with a solemn expression.

"How wonderful," Amelia's face continued to brighten despite her condition. She had lost the perception of time since the area was dark anyway and had to be lit with spells. She didn't realize that it was the middle of the night. "It'll be good to see them again."

Zelgadis' mouth opened to speak, but for several seconds no sounds came out until he finally voiced a quiet, "Amelia..." He tried to gather his words and progress with what he was trying to say, though he wasn't sure of it himself. "You know they can be a little noisy," he warned as gently as possible.

"Don't worry," Amelia assured, dismissing the overprotective concern. "Everything will be just fine. Besides, they had to find out eventually. A baby is not something that can be kept a secret for so long."

Zelgadis nodded, lowering his head and remaining silent. Every time he saw how hard this was on Amelia, his guilt increased, though she had never blamed him for her difficulties. Ever since she realized what was going on, she took the situation in stride and was ready to face the consequences of their actions. They were engaged anyway, she knew she wanted to spend her life with him, so it didn't seem like something all that bad, even if the timing could have been better. As her condition rapidly became obvious, Amelia realized that if a royal wedding took place then, there would be a scandal.

Thus Amelia did what she thought would look best in the eyes of diplomacy as long as the truth was never known, for the sake of her kingdom. She resolved to have the child first, get married and then make the announcement of the child's existence. If anyone inquired about the speed of the process, she would explain that the baby was born quickly due to being a chimera, which was actually true anyway. Albeit she intended to tell her father and sister the truth, Amelia decided that she would speak to them upon her return to Seyruun after the birth.

The original plan was to return to Seyruun quietly and give birth there, but after some complications along the way with which Sylphiel helped when they met on the road, they decided to head to the closer town of Sairaag to get some rest. Sylphiel volunteered to help nurse Amelia, but the Seyruun princess never became well enough to get back on the road. As her pregnancy progressed, she spent more time sleeping and Sylphiel suggested that it was best not to move her. The atmosphere of the reviving Flagoon was calming and filled with positive energy, thus it helped Amelia relax, the reason for which she was kept there.