Lina stepped into the bathroom. She took of the ripped and bloody shift and sank into the water, letting the eddying currents sift away the blood and tension. She closed her eyes and breathed in. The only time she was ever really calm was when she was in the water. It soothed her, made it easier to think.

That was not Zelgadis. No, that wasn't the Zelgadis she fell in love with.

He's a monster. Worse than Xellos ever was, because he doesn't care about plots. Only death.

Lina leaned back and rested her head against the cool porcelain. I just want to be warm and safe, only for a little while. Just a little bit. Not long enough to get soft, to get too sheltered, just to…heal.

Amelia stepped into the room. "Ma'am?"

"What is it, Amelia?"

"There was no body. Only drops of spilt blood."

Lina sat straight up in the bath in shock. He…he didn't die from the fall? She stood suddenly and rushed to the smashed window, glaring out and the ground below. There was no trail she could see from here, but…

He'll have left one. Nothing can keep my hounds at bay but me, they'll find him.

"Get my hunting gear ready, Amelia. Tell the castle there is an alert out, and for every townsperson within a days ride is to be evacuated immediately to the palace." She stood and grabbed a towel.

Amelia stepped back in shock. "Wh-why, your highness?"

"A demon is loose."

* * *

Zelgadis staggered into the woods, cursing and muttering.

"Goddammed stone skin...I couldn’t just die, could I? No, I just hurt all over."

I deserve to hurt. I deserve it.

Zelgadis lowered his head and banged it against a tree.

I deserved that, too. I’m a monster. I’m a soulless demon. I deserve to burn in hell forever. He leaned against a tree.

Maybe if I drowned myself…

I'd go under again, pull myself out of the river, and kill something… I'm a monster. I hurt all I touch.

I knew it. I knew I should never have seen Lina again. All I did was kill her inside. Zelgadis stumbled through the brush in the general direction of water.

I am a monster. An unstoppable monster.

What stopped you this time?

The look…the look on her face…and when she said…

Zelgadis curled into a ball and willed himself to die.

* * *

Lina stood in the stirrups of her chestnut mare to survey the mounted guards that had managed to pull themselves out of bed to come running to her aid. I love my people.

Lina shook her head. That is what's important right now, my people. I can't let him--it, She thought, unable to think of that monster as Zelgadis, stay loose and able to hurt this kingdom. I can't.

She sank back into her saddle and leaned down to rest her forehead on the pommel. I hate being queen.

"Your Highness?" It was one of the guardsman, Gourry, a very young sergeant. Of no relation to the Gourry she met in the woods, although they could be twins. She guessed this one was really Gourry the second, but she wasn't going to assume anything. She glanced over at him. I love saddles. They make everyone the same height. Approximately.

"What exactly are we going to be chasing?"

She turned to look into the forest beyond the castle grounds where the dogs were already pulling towards. "A monster."

"The one in the--"

"Yes."

He looked confused. "But…I thought you said…he wouldn't hurt--"

"I was wrong!" She snapped, turning quickly to face him with anger in her eyes. "I was...wrong…" She finished softly, turning again to look at the blood on the ground.

But…he stopped, and he looked…sane, for a moment. And he threw himself from the highest turret, the closest window, headfirst…did he mean to die? Did he…Could he have…

"It needs to be stopped." She said with more certainty. "It's going to kill this entire continent if we don't."

"Are you sure?"

She turned to look incredulously at Gourry, who had dismounted and was holding onto her mare's reins. He had a firm grim, the horse wasn't going anywhere.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asked, amazed that one so young would dare contradict the queen.

He looked at her face for a moment, cleared his throat determinedly, and spoke up yet again.

"Are you sure?"

"Sure of what?" She snapped.

"Sure that he's a monster."

"Of course I'm sure that IT'S a monster! Why would I--"

"Are you sure HE'S a monster, highness." He pressed on, despite the death glare she was directing his way. "I'm quite sure it's male, ma'am. I was there when they bathed him."

She was only able to sputter for a moment. "What is wrong with you? I know he's a demon!"

Her voice, which she hadn't realized had risen to a shriek, echoed back at her. She stared at the troops, which had all suddenly stopped and were staring at her. The queen was not known for emotional outbursts, because she had never been really stable since Zelgadis had… become this. She was known as the queen of ice, the queen of strength. Not of shrieking.

She glared at them. "To your work!" Everybody suddenly found that his or her mirror shiny buckles were somehow not shiny enough and began to hastily polish them. She turned back to Gourry.

"What were we talking about?"

He glared at her. "I may not be bright, but you're avoiding something, highness. What are you afraid of?"

Afraid of? Afraid of?
"I'm not afraid of anything!" But the words rang like gilded lead in her ears. She winced. "I'm afraid that my people will die." There. The whole truth.

What are you talking about? It is not!

"Highness. You said before that he would not hurt us. You seemed a lot more sure then than you are now about him hurting us."

He looked…sane, for a moment…then flung himself from the window…

"He is a threat and a danger to our very existence. Of course I'm sure."

Gourry looked at her for a moment, then sighed. "If you say so, ma'am."

I am right. I can't let my people be hurt.

* * *

Zelgadis' head snapped up at the sound of hounds baying. What the…

Lina's voice. Calling out to…troops.

She was hunting him.

Zelgadis stood from the spot he had previously been sulking. He turned in the direction the dogs were coming from.

His eyes flashed red…

And everything went a dark rouge.

* * *

Lina's horse threw her to the ground and ran off before being incinerated in mid leap. The troops that were being led in retreat pulled back to ride towards her.

"No! No, get back! Retreat!" She screamed at them, waving an arm frantically at them.

"Not without you, highness!" Gourry yelled, pulling him into the saddle in front of him. She yelled at him.

"what do you think you're doing, disobeying my orders?" She screamed. "You might be killed now!" Gourry shook his head.

"I'm in about the same amount of trouble I was in in the first place," He said confidently. "I lost a few seconds, no more." He raced his horse towards the palace.

"You idiot! You're dismissed! Fired! Sacked!"

"Of course, your highness."

Lina was ready to kill him herself, and was about to say as much when the horse was shot out from under them with a flare arrow.

She turned on the ground to see Zelgadis walking slowly towards them.

"So, a little boy has come to steal my prize from me. Stupid child." He raised an orb of fire to throw at the youth.

"Zelgadis, you had better not."

He turned to her and smiled. "Why, of course, your highness." He lowered the arm and the fire fizzled into nothing. He gave a bow. "Your wish is my command."

She stood and clenched a hand into a fist. "Gourry."

"Your Highness."

"Get back to the castle." She glared at him. "Now."

"But I--"

"NOW! If you care so much for you Queen, follow her orders! I know what I'm doing!"

"Ma'am--"

"Before I gut you myself, and so help me, I will."

He stood there for a moment, then ran off. She turned back to Zelgadis.

"Why do you do this."

"You attacked me, of course. I retaliated."

She shook her head and began to walk towards him. "Why have you become this?"

He raised a hand bristling with lightning to her. "Don't take another step of you value your life, Highness."

"Don’t' call me Highness. I'm Lina. Lina."

"You are my enemy."

"As you are mine."

He paused, then burst into amused laughter. "Very good, Highness! Very good! You just bought yourself life this time!" He grinned ferally, baring his teeth. "But I will not be so lenient next time. I'll be seeing you again, I'm sure." He brushed back his hair and disappeared.

She jumped. When did he learn to do that?