Hitched!

Author: Michael Hopcroft Title: Hitched

Michael Hopcroft
HITCHED
A Slayers lemon fanfiction
By Anonymous
I do not own the Slayers. Someone else does. I'm just borrowing them. *

"No!" said the Priest in Atlas City. "We don't want you in here!" His scowl was decidedly uncharitable.
"Come on!" Lina Inverse replied, offering a small bag of gold. "All we want is a simple little marriage ceremony." Gourry Gabriev was standing behind her, blushing slightly and looking a little bewildered.
"Absolutely not! This temple only serves the true followers of Cepheid, and it would be defiled by the presence of the Mortal Enemy of All Who live!"
"For two bags of gold?"
"NO!" The priest slammed the door in her face. As if anticipating her temper, a golden field of protection appeared surrounding the temple.
"Dammit! I really thought Atlas City would have forgiven me for that time!" Lina fumed.
Gourry stomach began to grumble. "Lina, it's almost lunchtime. A good meal will calm you down."
Lina brightened at the thought of food. "I can't believe a jellyfish-brained stud like you can actually have a good idea every once in a while! But I'm afraid a meal won't be enough to calm me down from this."
"Then how about...." And Gourry bent down and whispered some things into Lina's ear that brought a flash of color to her cheeks.
Lina was torn between slapping him for suggesting such a thing in a public place and stripping down to perform the act right on the spot. "All right, Gourry, after lunch. I think that will definitely calm me down in addition to being a lot of fun."
Gourry smiled, at the dual pleasures in store for both of them.

Lunch had been the usual battlefield, although lately they had been spoending more tiem feeding each other than feeding themselves. Lina won the race up to their room at the inn, and Gourry locked the door behind them.
"Do you think the maids will mind?" Gourry asked.
"Why should they? This is an inn,and we're sharing a room. They expect this." Lina then playfully reached for Gourry's trousers and, with a fourish, pulled them down his hankles. He had caught his undergarments in the same motion a manuever she hadn't though she could pull off and found that his member was standing at attention. She grasped it with her hand and stroked up and down its lenth to test its hardness. "Oh. Yeah, this'll do, and just seeing it is making me all hot." She got up and gave Gourry a full kiss on the lips, only to feel a sudden breeze on her legs. Gourry had manbaged the same trick, and within a moment his hand was reaching between her legs and stoking her sex.
"Hmm." said Gourry. "You really are hot for it. What say we skip the appetizer and proceed to the main course?""
Lina dragged him to the bed and pulled him down over her. "I love the way you think sometimes, Gourry." She spread her legs to give Gourry easy access while Gourry guided himself into position. "I don't want it gentle this time," Lina said. "I want you to fuck me so hard my teeth fall out!"
Taking that as his cue, Gourry slammed his full length into Lina. She gave a sharp cry of delight. Gourry found her sex unbelievably tight, but managed to make saveral hard, fast thrusts. Then instinct took over and Gourry began ramming it home, deeper and deeper each time.
"yes! Yes, Gourry!"Lina cried between screeches oif pleasure. "Fuck me hard! Make ti stretch! Go deper than you've ever gone before!" Gourry, his mind no longer in control, obliged. 'AH! AH! Ah! That's it, Gourry! Hard, fast and rough! Oh Cepihed! You're making me so hot!" Then the sensations built up to the boiling point i her. :Gorruy, dear, I'm going to come! Yes! YES! I'M COMING!" Lina was hit with an explosive orgasm justas Gourry's member had penetraated her at his depest. Gourry felt her muscles clamp down and feltl ready to unload.
"Lina! Lina, I'm cooming! It's almost there!"
"Come, honey! Shoot right into me!"
"Ah! Ah! AHHHHH!" Gourry felt himslef shoot an impressive load of sperm deep into Lina, then collpased on top of her."
"Gourry?" Lina said after a moment.
"Yes, Lina?"
"You forgot to take it out, you jellyfish."

After Lina had recovered from her unplanned "exercise", she sat down at the desk of their room at the inn. A few months after Gourry had confessed his feelings to her and proposed marriage, Lina had taken to taking single rooms in the inns they visited. She told herself it was to get herself used to the idea of sharing a room, but the fact was that she had developed an insatiable appetite for Gourry's body. The thought that she could finally let go of all those desires she'd been suppressing all those years had been replaced by a desire for Gourry that bordered on addiction. Even during "that time of the month", she had found ways to pleasure her partner that did not involve penetration. When she was available for intercourse, it happened every night, and somehow each time was getting better than the last.
Gourry sat up in bed. "Who are you writing?"
"Amelia. I think she's in the palace at Seyruun. She might know a solution to our dilemma."
"What dilemma?"
"Why we can't get anyone to marry us, jellyfish! Why every priest or justice of the peace we visit turns us away. Much as I enjoy the way we're living now, I'm tired of getting the fish-eye from all the innkeepers."
Unfortunately the word seemed to have gotten out that Lina and Gourry were looking for a place to get married, and there were no takers. They had wandered the length and breadth of the countryside for weeks, and most of the temples and shrines either only married locals or were scared away by Lina's fearsome reputation.
"Can Amelia marry us?" Gourry asked. "Isn't she a shrine maiden?"
"Yes, but she's also a princess. She hasn't had to perform shrine duties in months." Lina sealed the letter. "There, at least she'll know about our plight before we arrive. I'll ask the innkeeper to put it in the post for me." One advantage of the Subcontinent was that, with Seyruun leading the way, the local city-states in the region had developed a very efficient, safe postal system. If you knew where someone was, you could get a message to them. Lina had already sent a letter to her family explaining what had happened and why she wasn't coming back, but since she maintained no fixed address she had gotten no reply. Which was just as well, she thought, as the last thing she had wanted to hear was the righteous anger of an outraged Big Sister.
A few minutes later the letter was on its way and Lina had paid the innkeeper for two week's rent in advance. "In case we get turned away from Seyruun, too." Lina explained to Gourry before they went back upstairs.

It only took a week for a reply to reach the inn, but it came in a most unexpected fashion. A man in very fancy clothes had walked up to Lina and Gourry's table during lunch.
"I'm on vacation," Lina said, "so if you're offering me a job I'm not interested. Try in a week."
"Ahem." The man said. "I am Count Weyland, Ambassador to Atlas City from the Court of Seyruun."
Lina gulped. "Is there trouble?"
"Probably. I bear a letter from princess Amelia wil Tesla Seyruun, but I have been asked not to read its contents." He handed Lina an ornately-decorated letter. Lina opened the letter and began to read it.

Lina-san,
That is such great news! I saw it all along, of course, and wondered when you would swallow your pride long enough to admit to yourself that you'd found the right man.
I talked it over with Daddy, and we agreed that you can have the wedding here in Seyruun. I want to go over some of the details first, so if you could come to Seyruun, I'd really appreciate it. This'll be so great! I wish you'd come to me first! You could have saved yourself a lot of headaches!

Lina grinned broadly and showed first Gourry and then Wayland the letter. Weyland looked a little bit surprised. "This seems highly irregular to me, but if His Highness says so. I shall arrange your transportation to Seyruun as soon as possible. Would a carriage suit you?"
"Make it enclosed." Lina said with a wink directed at Gourry. "We don't want to be disturbed."

That night they had climbed into the carriage and, to the sound of galloping horses and cries from the coachman, drove away. Then suddenly the sounds stopped.
"Is something wrong?" Gourry asked, wondering if he should inquire about the driver.
Lina smiled predatorily. "No, I just cast a Silence spell so the driver can't hear what's going on in here."
"And what's going on in here?"
Lina got down on her knees on the floor of the carriage. She crawled until she was kneeling right in front of Gourry. "Spread your legs, darling." She said.
"OK." Gourry spread his legs and Lina snuggled between then. Then she reached for the fastenings of Gourry's trousers. "What are you doing?" Gourry asked in astonishment.
"What do you think?" Lina answered mischievously, tugging open his trousers.
"Here? IN A CARRIAGE?"
Lina tugged down his undergarments. "Looks good enough to eat to me. Ikedakimas!"
"What if the driver sees us?" Gourry asked in a mixture of surprise, anticipation and panic.
"That's why I cast the Silence spell, silly!" Then she set to work, using her hands and mouth on Gourry's rapidly growing member, and Gourry was almost instantly in too much of a pleasant daze to say anything except the usual noises associated with the activity Lina was performing. Which basically consisted of her using her mouth to do wonderful things to Gourry's member. When she had achieved the result she wanted, Lina did up his trouser again and smiled. The only sign that anything had happened was Gourry's blissful expression and a little drop of sperm on the corner of Lina's mouth. She wiped it off with her finger. "Well, I almost got every drop." She said gleefully. "Why the hell weren't we doing this two years ago?" She got up and kissed Gourry on the cheek. "Don't get too sleepy, Gourry. In about half an hour it'll be my turn."
"I'll do my best," Gourry replied dreamily. Of all the sides of Lina he had come to know, the "sex maniac" side continued to be the most surprising. It didn't take him half an hour, though, to get up the nerve to make room for himself at her feet in the carriage and apply his own oral skills. And he appreciated the Silence spell, because he rightly feared what the coachman would have done if he had heard Lina's screams of delight as she came around his calloused fingers. When he felt her muscles clamp down around his fingers and Lina scream like a banshee, he knew he had done his work. One thing Lina would never have to do, he realized early in their physical relationship, was fake an orgasm. The woman who was going to be his wife had an appetitie for physical pleasure as powerful as her appetite for food.
A few hours passed and Lina looked out the widnow at the passing copuntryside "Gourry," she said, "do you think there's enough room in this cariage for me to sit on your lap?"
"Of course there is. I think Amelia must have selected this carriage special."
"I wonder why I bothered to redo my pants." she said. She quickly undid her belt and let her trousers slip to the floor of the carriage folowed by her panties. Gourry in turn undid his own trousers and let them slip to the floor.
"This is gonna be so much fun!" Lina said, as she grabbed his cock and brought it to life. Gourry's hands wantered to Lina's privates and soon he had her ready to go. Lina got, slid over to a position where she could straddle Gourry, and lowered herself onto him. "Oh, L-sama!" she cried as he penetrated her. "That's so good."
"Lina, I can't believe you're so tight after all these months!" Gourry cried. "I don't know if I can get it all the way in!"
"Leave everything to me!" Lina said, and began to bounce up and down over him. Gourry grabbed her first by the waist, then let his hands wander upward as he reached under her tunic and squeezed her breast, to a squeal of delight from Lina.
"Yes! Yes! Squeeze it harder!" Lina cried. "Let me ride that big cock of yours for all it's worth!" Lina rode it even harder, imapling herself onto it ever deeper. "I love you so much!" she cried. The pace continued to quicken until it almost becaome outside of their control. "Squeeze my tit hard!" Lina cried. "That'll put me over the edge!" Gourry suqeezed hard, pinching her nipple, and Lina fell into a massive organsm.
If the spasms felt good over his fingers, they felt absolutely wonderful on his cock. "I can't hold it in any longer! Gourry cried.
"Yes! Yes, darling! Fill me up with that wondererful sperm!" And at that moment Gourry gave a loud cry and did exactly that. Lina fell back exha\usted, resting on his chest, not even bothing to remove his cock. Gourry had to reach down and pull it out.
"Three more days until we reach Seyruun." Gourry murmured. "Can we take it?"
Lina nuzzled into his shoulder. "Of course we can take it. The question is whether the silence spell will hold that long, because I want to keep busy." She liftyed her head and kissed his mouth, a deep, loving emotional kiss. "I feel like we're newlyweds already."

A few days later the carriage arrived in Seyruun's capital. The driver stepped down opened the door, and shut it again.
Amelia, in full court regalia, had walked up to the carriage. "What's the problem, coachman?"
"I think we should wait to let them out of the carriage until they are, er, completely dressed."
"Dressed? Why wouldn't they be dressed for a carriage ride?" Amelia flung open the door and gasped. Gourry had not even noticed the door opening, and was paying full attention to a topless Lina, who was sitting back and moaning in clear enjoyment at the things Gourry's hands and mouth were doing to her.
Amelia closed the door again, blushing a bright red. "Oh my," she said, noticing that her body had reacted to the sight of her friends' foreplay in unexpected ways. "Wait here until they open the door on their own then show them to their rooms. I'm going to go douse myself with cold water."

A few hours later Lina had settled into her room in the Palace. She was disappointed that Gourry was in a separate room he had definitely lit a few fires that she wanted put out.
A knock came on the door. "Gourry!" Lina cried in hope.
"Actually, it's Amelia? Can I come in? Are you decent?"
Lina felt like pouting. "Yes, I'm decent. Come on in."
Amelia entered the room with a deep crimson blush on her face. "I'm sorry about that back there," she stammered, "I didn't mean to peek."
Lina blushed as well. "What did you see?"
"That your breasts aren't as small as you thought they were, and that Gourry seems to like them a lot. And why was his hand between your legs?"
"I'm NOT going to demonstrate!" Lina said. "You'll just have to find out for yourself when you get a boyfriend. Fiancιe. Husband. However you princesses do it."
"That brings me to my point, Lina. Do you want Zelgadis to come to the wedding?"
"Of course I do! Is he here?"
"No, but I've sent for him. The medallion I gave him is like a beacon. It lets me know where he is. I've already sent a court messenger to fetch him. Lina, can I ask your advice as a woman?"
"As a woman?" Lina was slightly puzzled.
"Do you think Zelgadis would marry me?"
Lina gulped. "First, you'll have to convince him he's worthy of marrying anybody. That's not going to be easy. Then you'll have to convince your father to let you marry him either that or run away from home, for good this time. But if you can do that, yeah, I think it'll work. But it'll take some doing."
"So I shouldn't wait for him to propose to me?"
"Hell, no! If you want to wait that long you might as well become a nun!"
Amelia shook Lina's hand. "Thanks a lot, Lina! You've been a huge help. Just for that I'll tell you how to sneak into Gourry's room when the guards aren't looking...."

A few days later Zelgadis appeared at the palace in the company of a herald. Amelia greeted him at the gate. "What took you so long, Mister Zelgadis?" she said. "I was hoping you'd come by for months!"
"I've been searching fruitlessly for a cure. I didn't think you'd want to me to show up at the palace looking like this."
"You look fine, Mister Zelgadis. You got the message that Lina and Gourry are going to have their wedding here?"
"Yes, and that the priests might not allow Lina to wear white. I read the whole letter, Amelia. Who would have thought it of them? You actually SAW them...."
"Yes, and I was surprised by my reaction. I should have been shocked or angry that they would do such a thing in a carriage I provided, in the middle of the palace courtyard, but watching them sort of addled my thinking."
One of Zelgadis' eyebrows shot up. "Really? And what did it make you think?"
"Come with me...." Amelia said, and took Zelgadis by the hand and practically dragged the chimera through the palace.

When Amelia opened the door and pushed Zelgadis into the room, he was stunned. First of all by the collection of stuffed animals in heroic poses, second by the canopied bed in the center of the room, and third by Amelia emphatically shutting the door behind them and locking it.
"I don't want us to be interrupted." Amelia explained. "We have to talk."
"This is not a room for talking, Amelia, this is the room where you sleep."
"It's also the one place in the entire palace where I have absolute privacy, as we need that for what we're going to d I mean talk about."
Zelgadis sighed heavily and took a seat on the bed. "All right, Amelia, what did you want to talk about?"
"Mister Zelgadis, if I have to wait for you to propose to me I'll die an old maid. I don't want that."
"Isn't Phil going to be...."
"No, Daddy is not selecting a husband for me. What you keep hearing about princesses and arranged state marriages does not happen in Seyruun. We've been marrying by our own choices for several generations. So you're not getting out of this that easy!"
Zelgadis looked stunned. "I suppose I should also forget about Seyruun princesses being demure, blushing flowers. What do you want from me?"
"Simple. Lina is getting married in a few days. I thought it would be an excellent idea to surprise her with a double wedding. But you're so down on yourself that you're never going to realize what's really been going on between us all this time and propose. So that's become my job."
Zelgadis' eyes widened. "Amelia, are you serious about this? How can you marry a monster?"
Amelia sat down beside him. "First of all, you're not a monster. You're more human than anyone I know. Secondly, I am in love with you, and I have reason to believe you're in love with me. Thirdly, you are the hottest thing on two legs and I can't possibly let you fall into the hands of some other woman."
"But but what if I hurt you? What if our children turn out to be chimeras?"
"Then we have children who are chimeras. I'll love them just as much. As for whether you will hurt me, there's only one way to find out..."
"You don't mean you can't mean " Zelgadis gulped. Amelia was grinning at him with a combination of wickedness and innocence. "I guess you do mean. But it may not be the best indication how will you tell the difference between any damage I'm doing and what normally happens with girls their first time?"
"Didn't they ever tell you about that spell they teach all the shrine maidens? The spell took care of that for me long ago."
"Spell?"
"It dissolves the hymen magically. All shrine maidens and sorceresses learn it. It is important for people with magic powers that their first joining be in joy and not hampered by needless pain or fear. And even shrine maidens fall in love eventually."
"You mean it doesn't matter whether or not you're a virgin?"
"Not for pain purposes. But for the record, you will be my first. Now, will you marry me or not?"
Zelgadis smiled. "I guess this IS what I've always wanted since I''ve met you. Fact is,. I've tried to imagine not having you with me and it's always made me cringe. I've been seeking the cure more for you than for myself recently."
"I love you the way you are, Zelgadis."
"All right, Amelia, I'll do it. I'll be your husband." He then leaned over and kissed her. They broke the kiss a moment later with a sharp intake of breath from Amelia.
"Does the rest of you taste like this? Like soft, warm stone?"
"I don't know." Said Zelgadis. Amelia stepped away and turned her back to him. "What was that for?" Zelgadis asked.
"Fastenings. It takes me fifteen minutes and three handmaidens to get into this dress. Do you have any idea how to get me out?"
"Do you have another dress in here?" Zelgadis asked. Amelia nodded. Zelgadis chanted a spell and in an instant the fabric disintegrated, to reappear completely intact in a heap a few feet away. "Wouldn't want to ruin the dress, if that was what you were wanting."
Amelia turned around and raised her hand. Before she could do anything though, Zelgadis had placed a hand on one of her now-exposed breasts and was beginning to gently massage it. Amelia felt like she was going to melt no man had ever dared touch her there before, much less with such gentleness and feeling. "Ooh, Mister Zelgadis, that feels so nice."
"Glad you like it," he replied, as he found the nipple and gently rubbed it between his fingers. "I can teach you that disrobing spell if you like. Saves a lot of time. Actually, though, that's the first time I ever used it on someone else. Usually I cast it on myself when i need to get out of my clothes in a hurry for a bath or something like that."
Amelia smiled. "I heard the incantation". She proceeded to recite it, and Zelgadis suddenly found himself completely naked, his clothes in a rumpled pile at the foot of the bed. Amelia smiled with approval. "You look just as gorgeous without your clothes. And that thing between your legs it looks pretty big."
It was Zelgadis' turn to blush, turning the grey skin of his face a dark purple.. "It's not normally like that. Is there something I should do about it?"
Amelia sat down beside him and placed her hand on the member. It was smooth to the touch, like marble, with little pebbles on the head and sides. "You know, I don't think this is going to hurt at all. But I don't know if I'm ready for it yet. Make me ready? Please?"
"As you wish, princess.' said Zelgadis with a smile, as he reached between Amelia's legs and began to caress her thighs. "You have such gorgeous white skin," he said, "I hope I'm not damaging it." He leaned over and kissed her more deeply, while his hand explored her private regions.
Amelia clung to the member she was holding even more tightly. "Oh, Mister Zelgadis, you're sending me to heaven!" Zelgadis' fingers were a little clumsy, but they felt really good against her privates. Amelia was feeling very warm and moist in that region. When Zelgadis leaned over and took one of her nipples into his mouth, Amelia felt an incredible feeling of closeness to him, as if something in her spirit were reaching out to his and his was answering. Then she felt one of his fingers gently enter her and she began to moan uncontrollably.
Suddenly the finger wasn't enough. She pulled away, silently guided Zelgadis onto his back, and seated herself astride him. Although there was no penetration, she felt his member hot and hard against her privates and it was an incredible feeling of warmth.
"I'm ready now, Mister Zelgadis." Amelia said. She lifted herself up, positioned him in what she thought would be the right spot, and guided him inside her. After inserting the head, she bore down onto it, letting gravity do the rest of the work. Zelgadis let out a throaty moan as a feeling he had never experienced gripped him, as his penis was gripped by Amelia's most secret place. "Aaah!" Amelia sighed, caught up in the feeling of being full and seemingly complete for the first time in her life. Soon, without any conscious thought, Zelgadis began to push himself upwards, deeper into her, with Amelia thrusting herself down to meet him. Their pace quickened, and Amelia felt a hot pressure building up and spreading all over her body. She was riding him for all she was worth, her hands clutching the sheets to her side ever more tightly. She felt like she was building towards the feelings she had gotten touching herself, only ever so much better. A few more bounces and she toppled over the edge, mentally shattering into a million pieces. Moments later Zelgadis gave out a cry and his hot semen shot into her with astonishing force.
Amelia fell forward onto Zel's hard chest. She hungrily kissed his face and lips and stroked his shoulders. "That was incredible!" she said. "I never realized this could be so good."
Zelgadis looked tired but extremely pleased. "I never knew either. Being inside you like that is the most wonderful feeling on Earth. I'll never leave you again, Amelia."
"What about your cure?"
"If I can make you this happy," Zelgadis said, "is there anything really wrong with me?"

The announcement of the very brief engagement came at dinner that night. The courtiers that had assembled for the state dinner expressed surprise silently, then looked to Phil for guidance on how to react. When Phil applauded they applauded too.
"I'm looking forward to fine, strapping grandchildren who will be stout Warriors of Justice!" Phil declared while lifting his wine.
"I'm sure you'll get them' Amelia replied with a blush, "but it's not like I'm going to retreat into some cloister and become a baby-making machine. I have my duties still, my work."
"Which brings me to the point," Phil said. ""Amelia, you've been handling more and more of the details of state for the last several months,, and now you have a fine, intelligent and resourceful helpmate to advise you. I long for the road, for the simple life of the adventurer. I want to spread justice in person. So as soon as you get married I'm going to retire from ruling and become a full-time adventurer."
The entire crowd gasped in astonishment.
"Daddy, is that wise? You could get killed!"
"Besides, after your sister's disappearance and the way she gave up her claim on the throne, it's time you received your due, Amelia. You are to be my successor. Amelia I, Queen of Seyruun! And you, Zelgadis my old friend...."
"I will not take a throne that is not mine." Replied Zelgadis. "If my darling Amelia wishes to give me a title, she may, but I will not be King. That privilege belongs to the Royal house."
Amelia smiled. "You'll be my Prince Consort then, plus chief advisor. Uncle Christopher, will you remain as Prime Minster?"
Christopher, who having removed himself from the line of succession three years before and had settled nicely into the role of counselor, smiled. "Of course, my darling niece. I will serve at your pleasure."
"Well, I guess this means my adventuring days are over." Amelia sighed. "I'll miss them, but then again if I'd never have gone out and seen the world I would never have met Zelgadis, or Lina, or Gourry, or all my other friends. But now I can throw my passion into statecraft and work for the benefit of my people. And please, everyone, not so formal. I'm still the Amelia you've always known." She then turned her attention to Lina and Gourry. "You will always be welcome at my court, Lina, Gourry."
Lina smiled. "Just because we're finally making it legal doesn't mean I have any plans to settle down. I'll just think of Seyruun as our safe haven in times of need, but for now it is the life of the road that calls to us. There's still places I haven't seen, food I haven't eaten, wonderful things I haven't tried. The life of a court sorcerer or a duchess would bore me to tears. I need excitement! I need adventure! I need more food!"

Lina sat in the women's bath in the royal chambers later and started to mentally kick herself. She realized Amelia had been about to offer her a very high position in the court, and she wondered whether she should have accepted it. The hot water was soothing, though, and eased her concerns. The door silently opened and closed and Amelia, wrapped in a towel, sat down in the bath beside her.
"I see you got things worked out with Zelgadis," Lina said. "Did you propose or did he?"
"I followed your advice and pressed the issue." Amelia said. "It's going to be hard making marriage work Zel still has a lot of issues. But it'll be worth it if what I had today will be available all the time."
"You didn't!" Lina giggled. "How was he?"
"Hard as a rock, of course!" Amelia laughed heartily, grateful she finally had someone to confide in. "It was wonderful, like smooth marble only hot. It was awkward, but gods did I enjoy it!"
"I could have told you once you've had a man you love there's no going back. And it gets better with time and practice, especially if you both apply yourselves."
"Does Gourry apply himself?"
"Does he ever! He pays more attention to me when we're in bed than the whole rest of the day put together. He's developed some skills you would not believe. And of course, since our hearts are tied so closely even when we're tired or down it's still great. The connection is the important thing having found the right man. Even if he does seem to be a few cards short in the smarts department."
"Of course, what I thought was the happy ending is turning out to be the beginning. You know how they say 'and they lived happily ever after'? Well, this is my happily ever after, and it's going to be hard work. I'm going to have to run a kingdom and raise a family, and that's going to take effort and perseverance."
"Was Phil serious about grandchildren?"
"Not only was Phil serious, but if when I'm detecting in my own magical signature is any indication I may already be pregnant."
Lina gasped. "From the first time? No way!"
"A shrine maiden learns to become very much in tune with everything that happens in her body. Already I've noticed some changes. The priestess who taught me told me that if I was really in tune with myself I'd know it the moment I conceived. And I think I have. Don't tell Zelgadis yet, OK? He'll panic if he finds out!"
"We don't want a panicked groom on our hands," Lina agreed. "Would you know if I was pregnant?"
"Of course I would! I'd be able to read it in your aura. You're not pregnant, by the way. But the way you two go at it it's probably inevitable unless there's something wrong with him."
Lina sighed. "If a baby comes, I'll live with it. I'll never give up the life I lead, Amelia. I love it too much, especially now that I have a true companion and lover to share it with. If we have children, they'll be vagabonds like us, going wherever we're needed doing whatever we have to do."
Amelia smiled blissfully. "I would have offered you that court sorcerer position if you wanted it. And don't worry as long as I'm the ruler in Seyruun you'll never have to worry about going broke. You'll always have a refuge here, and when it does come time for you to have children our healers and temples will be at your disposal. You're my best friend, Lina. Without you none of the wonderful things in my life would have happened. I'll always be grateful for that. Without you I would never have met the wonderful man I'm going to share my life with."
Lina gave Amelia a tap on the shoulder. "I owe you a lot too, Amelia. If you're ever in trouble here in Seyruun, seek me out. I'll be in there fireballs at the ready. That reminds me, did you feel it too?"
Amelia looked puzzled."Feel what? I did feel very close to Zelgadis while we were making love, but isn't that normal?"
Lina smiled."I thought so too, but then I realzied something seemed different after my first time with Gourry. We seem to know what each other are thinking or feeling, and we desire each other so intensely it's almost unbearable. I think something about the way we make love has caused me to bond to him magically."
"Sorceresses and shrine maidens, I guess, are like that. Their magic binds them closely to their partners. I guess that's why you never hear of a promsicuous sorceress well, almost never."
"It must have been even stronger with you since Zel's a mage too. But Gourry has a very strong spirit. His heart is really big. And, of course, so is that gorgerous cock of his."

Despite Amelia's original intentions, it was finally decided they would have separate ceremonies for the two weddings. That way Lina and Amelia could be each other's bridesmaids, and Gourry and Zelgadis could be best man to each other. The royal wedding was an extravagant spectacle, with all the pomp and ceremony due a soon-to-be-Queen. The High Priest made his pronouncements, the couple made elaborate ritual vows, and the feasting and general rejoicing lasted five days.
Lina's wedding was, at her request, much simpler. Instead of the High Priest, it was the Palace Chaplain, a lower ranking prelate, who performed the ceremony. Instead of a huge crowd, the ceremony was attended by a small gathering of friends of Amelia and friends that Lina had made on her previous visits to Seyruun. Much of the Sorcerer's Guild was in attendance, as were most of the higher-ranking officers of the Royal Guard (who privately expressed disappointment that the redoubtable Gourry Gabriev had not been offered a place in their ranks). The vows were much simpler than Amelia's as well a simple pledge to love, honor, cherish, protect and nurture. But when it was all over, the result was the same Lina and Gourry were married.
At first Lina had wondered if there was any real point in a honeymoon, given how active they had been before their marriage, but Amelia had convinced her that a week in a mountain resort would do them a world of good. And she had been right although they had spent a lot of time in their room with an obvious call not to be disturbed, they had taken time to take in some breathtaking scenery and to become ever more intimately acquainted.
The couple made it back to Seyruun in time for Amelia's coronation. Lina was grateful she would not have to play any part in the ceremony crowning Amelia as Queen, and could enjoy the spectacle for the grand show it was. She could tell, however, that Seyruun was nearing exhaustion from what had become a month-long party, and soon she was anxious to get on the road. It was a great relief to check into an inn along the road and be able to sign the register "Mr. and Mrs. Gourry Gabriev".
One night a few weeks later news reached Lina that Amelia's pregnancy had been confirmed and that the child would be a chimera like his father. In Amelia's letter, she did not express the least bit of disappointment. "When Zelgadis once thought of as a curse will soon be know the world over as a mark of royal blood, as the sign of a proud lineage and a noble spirit," Amelia had written in her letter. "When Zelgadis found out, he suddenly lost all desire to be cured. Believe me, I'm working on keeping him cheered up. But it's almost like Zelgadis has been rediscovering himself through me. It's a wonderful feeling."
Lina handed Gourry the letter. "Say, Gourry, what do you think our children will be like?"
Gourry smiled. "Does it matter? No matter whether they turn out to be geniuses or jellyfish, we're going to love them. Why, do you think you might be pregnant?"
"I don't think so. But if we do have children, it'll be fine. We've taken on gods how hard can a baby be?"
"Babies," Gourry said quietly, "can be harder to deal with than gods. Gods don't wake you up at one in the morning because they need their diapers changed or because they need to be fed. Gods don't have to be pot trained. And gods won't make you worry your head off when you suddenly realize they're growing up."
Lina stood agape. "You've you've really thought about this, haven't you? How is that even possible?"
"A warrior is prepared for all emergencies, even fatherhood. Let's just say that whenever you're ready, I'm ready."
Lina smiled at him wickedly, the flush in her cheeks indicating desire. She walked over to Gourry and began to take off his clothes. "Gourry, let's get started on that baby."
THE END

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