First Watch

Part Three

By Relm

The next day found Lina and company hunting down bandits that were terrorizing the city. They had been promised to be paid if they got rid of them. Plus bandits being bandits meant that Lina could take their loot too. Except somehow someone must have given the bandits a warning because they were nowhere to be seen.

"I should have gotten the money upfront." Lina stomped her foot. After spending the whole day searching they did find the bandits' camp. But it was empty. The bandits had packed up and left.

"There's no way they would have given you the money first Lina. They would be taking a big risk if they did that." Zelgadis rationalized. "They could pay you and you could have taken the money and run."

"Well my reputation should prove I'm trust worthy."

"It just proves you're destructive."

"Bleh, we'll I'm taking a big risk too you know. Why I could do the job and they could refuse to pay me."

"Not really because you were going to go after the bandits for their money anyway. These are probably the same bandits that stole from us the other nights."

Mentioning that renewed Lina's anger toward Gourry and she glared at him.

Gourry didn't notice/care, he just looked around the bandit camp to see if there was any food left behind.

"What do you want to do Lina? Continue tracking or stop and make camp? It's going to be dark soon." Zelgadis surmised looking up into the sky.

"Let's make camp here, since it's already been made anyways. And maybe we'll get lucky and the bandits will come back. Then we could beat them up!" Lina said cheerily thinking of all the gold and treasure she could steal.

"Okay I volunteer for first watch!" Zelgadis said immediately. Since started to read Gourry's story the previous night he was eager to finish it.

"Do I have to take a watch?" Amelia whined. "I'm so tired!"

Lina rolled her eyes. "Zel and I have to do it all the time and we don't complain. So suck it up princess, because I'm not letting that jellyfish fall asleep on a watch and get us ransacked again!"

"But we don't have anything left to steal but food!" Amelia whined some more.

"Because you're whining so much you're getting the second watch!" Lina threatened the little princess.

Amelia grumbled.

...

The moment Zelgadis was sure everyone was asleep he tip toed over to Gourry to take the story. This night proved to be harder to get the rolled up pieces of paper. Gourry kept moving in his sleep. But Zelgadis was a patient man and he managed to finally get the papers from the slumbering swordsmen.

"Ha!' Zelgadis said softly in triumphant. "Now where was I?"

...

Two royal knights, a princess, a priestess and a prince all rode towards to the dark kingdom of the monster king. The closer they approached to the dark castle the more they saw that the dark kingdom was very true to its name. No matter how brightly the sun shined no light could penetrate the castle walls. A shroud of darkness cloaked the castle as if light itself had forsaken it. It was also cold, so very cold that it made everyone's teeth chatter the closer they got to the castle.

"Why's it so cold?" Prince Gourry mumbled while trying best not to succumb to shivering.

"It is the power of the Monster King." Priestess Filia started to explain. "His heart is cold, twisted and full of evil. So much so that he poisons the land around him into his cold darkness."

'Maybe he's just lonely?' Prince Gourry wondered. But he didn't dwell on it long. The fiend had taken the fair Princess Sylphiel there into the dark. And a beautiful light such as Princess Sylphiel shouldn't be enveloped in such darkness.

As they got nearer to the castle they could see the darkness. It was so dark and thick that they could not see through it.

"How do we get in?" Prince Gourry tested the darkness. It felt like a terribly cold sponge. He could push forward into it but not through it. It pushed his hand back.

"The legend says that the light of Atlas can cut through any darkness." Lady Lina mused as she tried to cut the darkness with her own sword. Whatever slices she made in the darkness reformed once she pulled back her blade. No ordinary sword would cut through the darkness that's for sure.

Prince Gourry pulled out his kingdom's nation treasure, the holly light of atlas. It was a sword hilt with no blade.

"Where is the blade to that sword?" Princess Amelia questioned. She had only heard stories about the fabled light of atlas, she had never seen it. Some even wondered if the light was a myth and not a true tale at all.

"Right here. Light come forth!" Prince Gourry commanded and a brilliant blade of pure light emerged from the hilt. "Stand back everyone!" Prince Gourry commanded. He stared down the wall of darkness before him. Gourry quick slashes and a path was cleared into the castle.

"Now to venture forward into the belly of the beast." Sir Zelgadis commented as they proceeded into the dark kingdom.

...

King Xellos smiled as he brought Princess Sylphiel her breakfast.

Princess Sylphiel wasn't locked up in a dungeon, but a lavish bedroom filled with anything a person would want. But as lovely as the room was Princess Sylphiel could not enjoy it. She was taken against her will and her leg was chained to the bed with a long dark chain.

"Good morning!" King Xellos said cheerily as he brought in a tray of food. "I hope you slept well."

"I'd sleep much better if you freed me of this chain." Princess Sylphiel tugged on the chain to prove her point. It was a very long chain that allowed her to go anywhere in the room except out of the door.

"But if I take that chain from you what's stopping you from leaving? If you married me then I would free you."

Princess Sylphiel shook her head. "No I'll never marry you!" She declared.

"Then you'll stay chained until you do agree to marry me. Eat your breakfast before it gets cold." He put the tray down and left, leaving Princess Sylphiel alone once again.

In the halls King Xellos felt the wave of power that disrupted his shield of darkness. It made him smile in amusement. "So they think they can come in and steal my princess away from me? Fools." He phased out and appeared in the great hall of his castle, the throne room. Which was exactly where the band of heroes were heading.

...

"Where is this monster?" Prince Gourry looked around as they cautiously trekked the halls of the massive castle entering two very large doors.

"Why right here of course!" King Xellos greet them sitting on his throne. He rose to stand before the heroes. "It's been so long since I've had uninvited guests. And it is very rude to arrive announced." He waved a scolding finger at them.

"It's also rude to kidnap people you piece of raw garbage!" Priestess Filia sneered.

"Raw garbage?" King Xellos' left eye twitched. He stared down the priestess but the woman just glared right back. "You dare call me such a name?!"

"I call you what you are!" Priestess Filia brandished her mace, an odd weapon for a woman of the cloth to be wielding.

King Xellos wanted to be very angry but he couldn't help but be a bit amused by this priestess. 'That one has fire.' He mentally mused. "You mean to harm me with that?" The smile on King Xellos' mouth was a mischievous one. "Such a blunt weapon for such a holy woman."

"It won't seem so blunt when I crack it over your head." Priestess Filia threatened.

"You couldn't even get close enough to touch me! Unless you choose to use your feminine wiles on me. I have a weakness for sure fair beauty." He winked at her.

Priestess Filia's face turned every shade of red a person could turn. Rage paired with embarrassment as Priestess Filia screamed out her frustrations. "I would never try to charm an evil creature such as you!"

"Why my dear you already have." Kina Xellos responded.

Prince Gourry, Princess Amelia, Sir Zelgadis and Lady Lina looked on in wonder. Priestess Filia and King Xellos may as well have been the only two people in the room. The duelling pair ignored everyone else.

"Maybe you should try and sneak away to find Princess Sylphiel." Sir Zelgadis whispered.

Prince Gourry nodded and very quietly exited the room.

Once he was sure he was far enough away not be heard Prince Gourry ran. Since prisoners were usually kept in dungeons that was the first place Prince Gourry checked. But alas the only prisoners Prince Gourry fond lacked the flesh on their bones. 'Where is she?'

Prince Gourry did the only thing he could, check every room he came across hoping to find the imprisoned princess.

Room after room he checked. Each room he checked was empty and he was about to give up and go back to challenge the King Xellos when he heard a song softly drifting down the hall. It was sung so soft and sweet with a voice of an angel. As beautiful as the voice and the song was Prince Gourry heard the sadness that laced it.

'That must be her!' Prince Gourry ran to the door the song was coming from and opened it. "Princess Sylphiel?" He called out wheezing and out of breath.

Princess Sylphiel stood before Prince Gourry with confusion on her face. "Who are you?"

Prince Gourry had been breathless upon arriving into the room, but now he was breathless for a completely different reason. He remembered what he had been told in the past about Princess Sylphiel. She was kind, sweet and gentle to everyone she met. And her beauty was supposed to be unparalleled. Princess Sylphiel was so shockingly beautiful that Prince Gourry forgot how to speak.

"Sir?" Princess Sylphiel prompted while blushing. The man before he was very handsome. And Princess Sylphiel didn't know what to make of him. His gaze on her was so strong.

"Um... sorry! I'm Gourry, second crown prince of Atlas kingdom." He introduced himself. "I've come to rescue you."

"Oh my, how wonderful! But these chains... I doubt a normal sword could cut them. And I don't know where the key is." Princess Sylphiel worried.

"Don't you worry!" Prince Gourry once again unsheathed his sword. "Light come forth!" With his sword of light he slashed the chains freeing Princess Sylphiel.

"Wow..." was all that Princess Sylphiel could say.

"We'd better go before King Xellos realize what's going on."

Prince Gourry and Princess Sylphiel ran through the halls of the castle blindly. Princess Sylphiel was lost because King Xellos had teleported her straight into the room she was being held in. And Prince Gourry was lost because he couldn't remember which way he came.

"How did you know to come rescue me?" Princess Sylphiel asked in between shallow breaths. "Word couldn't have gone out that fast of my kidnapping."

"I had just finished slaying the demon beast Zanifar and I was close to your kingdom. My parents keep telling me I need to find a princess to marry so I can become a King. So I decided to head to Siaraag and I met up with your royal knight, Princess Amelia of Sailune, her royal knight and Priestess. They were on their way to find me to rescue you."

"They're all here? Where are they?"

"In the throne room keeping King Xellos busy."

"How?"

"That Priestess... I think King Xellos likes her." It was then that Prince Gourry noticed something odd. The constant chill that he had been feeling the whole time he was in the castle was starting to fade. 'Is it me or has it gotten warmer in here?'

...

"I'm surprised you would flirt with me so when you've already kidnapped a princess to marry. Seems like you're cheating on your future queen." Priestess Filia spat out.

"Hmm... I suppose what I'm doing is in poor taste. Perhaps I could have the two of you compete for my affections. I wonder would win?" He winked at her suggestively.

"Argh!" Priestess Filia screamed. "The only thing I would compete for is the chance to beat you to death!" She was so flustered and upset that her dragon tail popped up from under her skirt.

"You keep threatening to harm me but you fail to do so. Could it be you just can't bear to harm me? Have your feelings already grown so strong?" King Xellos smiled; he was enjoying the banter far too much. So much that he wasn't aware of his darkened lonely heart being warmed and his darkened shield was waning.

As Priestess Filia was about to really march up to King Xellos and beat the crap out of him the doors flew open with Princess Sylphiel and Prince Gourry running through them.

King Xellos' attention shifted from Priestess Filia to the new arrivals to the room. "Cleaver plan, distract me and save the princess." The monster king held out his hand and a sword of pure darkness appeared.

Prince Gourry readied his own sword. "Light come forth!" The light of Atlas appeared and the swordsmen prince stood ready.

"The holy light of Atlas. I wonder how it will stand up to my darkness?" King Xellos went flying forward for a lunge attack at Prince Gourry.

Prince Gourry blocked and shoved back the monster king.

Sparks flew as the two blades met. Both men grunted as they furiously attacked one another. No matter how skilled one was the other was a match. Each strike was blocked, showing that this was going to be a battle of strength and endurance.

Princess Sylphiel stood behind her royal knight watching in fear. With each quick strike by King Xellos, Princess Sylphiel felt her stomach lurch. Each time it looked like the monster king was going to land a solid attack but each time Prince Gourry managed to block.

"Give it up, you're never going to win." King Xellos taunted the prince.

"Of course I'll win. Because I won't let you keep a beautiful princess locked up here in your darkness. Especially Princess Sylphiel!" Prince Gourry screamed as he slashed at King Xellos' sword with all his might. The light of Atlas cut through the blade of darkness. "I command you to yield!" Prince Gourry held his sword at King Xellos' neck.

King Xellos smirked evilly as he phased out of the room leaving everyone standing in paranoia.

"Where did he go?" Prince Gourry looked around frantically as did everyone else.

King Xellos appeared behind Princess Sylphiel holding a knife to her neck.

"Prince Gourry!" Princess Sylphiel screamed in terror while trembling with fear.

"Crying out for your precious prince? You can't have fallen for him already?" King Xellos protested.

Prince Gourry pointed his sword in King Xellos' direction. "Let Princess Sylphiel go and I'll spare your life." Prince Gourry threatened.

"You can't harm me without harming her! Unless you want your precious princess to lose her head." King Xellos laughed. He was quite enjoying all the misery he was causing.

With King Xellos distracted Priestess Filia took her chance to give the monster king that beating she promised. She crept up being him and smacked him god and hard on the back of his head with her mace.

King Xellos shocked by the blow stumbled dropping the knife and his grip on Princess Sylphiel.

Princes Sylphiel ran into the safety of Prince Gourry's arms.

Prince Gourry held her tight and close as he brought his sword of light to the monster king's throat.

King Xellos hissed as the blade of light touched his skin.

"King Xellos you will not bother Princess Sylphiel ever again. As I will be protecting her from now on." Prince Gourry announced. "If you do I will slice off your head."

...

Months later the kingdom of Atlas got strange news. Their second crown prince was going to be staying in the kingdom of Siaraag most indefinitely.

The King and Queen didn't know what to make of this news. Was their second son to be married? Or was their another reason?

...

Prince Gourry mumbled happily as he ate another slice of pie while he sat in the Siaraag dining hall. He had been in the Princess Sylphiel's kingdom the whole time since he had rescued the princess from the clutches of the evil monster king. He had stated that he was going to stay in Siaraag to keep Princess Sylphiel safe, but that wasn't the real reason. He had been enamoured with the gentle Princess since he met her. And staying in the castle with her just those few months solidified those feelings. The longer he stayed the more entranced he became. Princess Sylphiel had casted a spell on him it seemed. And the fact that she kept feeding him her baked goods was bonus to the situation. Prince Gourry did love food after all.

"Really Prince Gourry you don't have to finish everything I make." Princess Sylphiel giggled. She liked to cook and bake but never really considered herself good. She didn't feel her cooking was good enough but each time she tried Prince Gourry was more than happy to eat her creations.

"Your food is so good! It's so good that I can't stop eating!" Prince Gourry exclaimed.

"Thank you." Princess Sylphiel blushed. Those past few months it seemed that Princess Sylphiel's face was always red. More so when Prince Gourry was around. She herself couldn't help but feel charmed every time she was around the innocent prince. He was goofy, honest and took so much joy out of simple things. His constant positive attitude uplifted Princess Sylphiel. For the first time since before her father died Princess Sylphiel had a reason to smile. But still she felt guilty. "Prince Gourry..." Princess Sylphiel started off saying.

"Hmm?" Prince Gourry stopped mid chew to look her in the face.

"You know you needn't stay here this long. It's been months and King Xellos hasn't shown his face. I doubt he's a threat anymore. He's not going to come after me." Princess Sylphiel couldn't look the blond prince in the eyes. Her gaze was low and fixated on the pattern of the tablecloth.

Prince Gourry swallowed what he had in his mouth and thought very hard for a moment. "I don't want to leave and have something bad happen to you."

"But I don't want to be the reason you can't become a king! Your parents want you meet a princess to marry. I don't want to be the one keeping you from finding that special woman you will end up marrying. I have many knights to protect me. How are you going to find that princess you'll want to marry being stuck protecting me?" Tears threatened to spill from Princess Sylphiel's emerald eyes as she dared to look at him. She didn't really want him to leave. But she didn't want to be the one keeping him from fulfilling his destiny.

"But you're here... You're a princess. A nice beautiful, kind one. Why would I want to meet anyone else? Couldn't I just marry you?" He looked at her with his eyes full of hope.

"But we barely know each other!" Princess Sylphiel blushed far redder then she had ever before.

"Can't I have the chance to get to know you? Would you at least stay for that? I really don't want to leave you... You make me feel... like nothing I've ever felt before." Prince Gourry admitted taking her hands in his.

"Okay." Princess Sylphiel said bashfully. She tried to look away again but Prince Gourry pulled her forward. Her eyes were wide in shock as he captured her lips with his own.

Though the pie had been wonderful the taste of Princess Sylphiel's lips was a far better desert to Prince Gourry. He was in heaven.

...

Priestess Filia let out a deep bored sigh as she looked out to the streets of Sailune from one of the castle towers. Since Princess Sylphiel now had Prince Gourry, Princess Amelia didn't feel the need to visit Siaraag so often. The regular outings to Siaraag was one of the few escapes from Priestess Filia's otherwise boring and repetitious life in Sailune. Sailune was too much of a peaceful kingdom, things rarely happened. And usually when they did it was the doings of Lady Lina.

But even then Priestess Filia didn't have Lady Lina to keep things interesting. Even though Prince Gourry decided to stay in Siaraag to keep Princess Sylphiel safe, Lady Lina also decided to stay there too. She told everyone it was just in case King Xellos came back. But the rumour was that Lady Lina had gotten a bit too friendly with Sir Zelgadis and the pair wanted to pursue their secret affair.

Priestess Filia was about to turn around and head to the throne room when she bumped straight into someone standing behind her. "Oh I'm sorry!" Priestess Filia bowed her head. "I didn't realize there was anyone behind me, I wasn't looking where I was going." She apologized.

"You can make it up to me by joining me for dinner." The person Priest Filia had bumped into purred in a sultry voice.

Priestess Filia's head snapped back up and was horrified to see that it was Xellos, king of the Monsters standing before her. "Why you!" Priestess Filia swung her mace right at King Xellos' head.

King Xellos laughed as he avoided the attack. "I do love that spitfire of yours my dear."

"Why the hell are you here?!" She demanded while attempting to hit him again.

"Well I've been forbidden to go after Princess Sylphiel so you will not have to fight for my affections. They are yours and I will not leave your side until you agree to marry me and be my Queen."

...

It had been such a calm beautiful day in Sailune. That was until a large golden dragon flew over the kingdom while trying to kill a pesky monster.

The End.

...

Zelgadis couldn't help but smile at the end of the story. He had expected that Prince Gourry would get the girl in the end but he didn't see the King Xellos/Priestess Filia ending coming.

'Deep down I wonder if Gourry has feelings for Sylphiel and not Lina. He pared me up with Lina.' Zelgadis spied a look at the slumbering sorceress while blushing slightly. Lina was asleep and curled up into a ball like a cat. She smiled in her blissful sleep. 'Does he think Lina and I would be better together?' As Zelgadis thought that thought he immediately shook it out of his mind. 'No there has to be another reason Gourry would do that. I'll ask him tomorrow.'

...

Zelgadis found his opportunity to talk to Gourry in the morning. Then men had been sent to gather firewood so that breakfast could be cooked.

"Gourry can I talk to you about something?" Zelgadis asked while inspecting a piece of wood.

"Sure Zel what's up?" Gourry sat himself down by a lake and drank some water.

Zelgadis sat down next to his blond haired friend and thought about how he was going to phrase his questions. "These past few nights... I've been reading your story." He admitted.

Right away alarm bells went off in Gourry's head and he checked frantically in his bad for his literary treasure. Seeing it safe and sound he let out a sigh of relief. "Why were you reading it?"

"I was bored a couple nights ago. Thought I could pass the time by reading."

"Oh. Did you like it?"

"Yeah I did." Zelgadis paused for a moment. "But I have to ask you, why did you make Sylphiel the princess in distress and not Lina?"

Gourry tapped in his chin in thought as he tried to remember the reasoning for casting who he cast as who. "Well Lina wouldn't need a prince to come save her." He explained.

At that moment Zelgadis felt foolish. Of course there was another reason. "So Sylphiel was a more logical choice."

"Sylphiel is more delicate and gentle. She'd make a better princess than Lina." Gourry smiled while thinking about the emerald eyed shrine maiden.

Zelgadis noticed the dreamy smile on Gourry's face and assumed the swordsman was thinking about Sylphiel's cooking. "Okay. So then why did you make yourself the prince that saved her?"

"Well I couldn't have Sylphiel end up with anyone else!" Gourry's face crinkled into a degusted frown.

"You don't like the idea of Sylphiel being with another man?" Zelgadis now was confused.

"Of course not!" Gourry answered as though it was the most logical conclusion to come to.

"But in your story you paired Lina up with me. Are you okay with Lina being with another man?"

"Well you like Lina."

Zelgadis just stared at him slack jawed. 'How did he figure that out?!' "I'm not sure what you're talking about... But tell me Gourry do you like Sylphiel?"

Gourry's face turned a bit grim. "Sylphiel deserves a good man who isn't as dumb as a brick."

"If you do like her, then why haven't you told her Gourry?"

"She's sweet, kind and gentle. Beautiful, polite and a wonderful cook. What the heck would she see in a dumb forgetful swordsmen like me?"

Zelgadis couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You can't be serious. Sylphiel is in love with you."

Gourry shook his head. "Nah, she couldn't. There's no way she's in love with me." He insisted.

"If you feel so strongly for Sylphiel why do you stay with Lina?"

"I promised to be Lina's guardian. I'm supposed to protect her."

"You love Lina?" Zelgadis dared asked the most important question.

"I guess I'm supposed to." Gourry admitted. "I thought I did."

"But you don't feel for Lina like you feel for Sylphiel?"

Gourry sighed. "I want to protect Lina. But... I miss Sylphiel."

"Then maybe we should go to New Siaraag and see if Sylphiel wants to join us. Then you can be with her while still protecting Lina." Zelgadis suggested.

"That's a great idea!" Gourry beamed.

"Maybe you can tell her how you feel about her."

Gourry looked at Zelgadis. "Why would I do something like that?"

"Because if you care that much about someone you should tell them." Zelgadis stated matter-of-factly.

"Then you should tell Lina you like her." Gourry shot back.

"WHAT THE HELL IS TAKING SO LONG TO GET THE WOOD?!" Lina screamed over at camp.

Gourry and Zelgadis quickly gathered up the wood they had.

"Why do you like Lina for?" Gourry questioned Zelgadis.

"Shut up Gourry." Zelgadis muttered while blushing.

The End.