The next morning Lina awoke with a mission. She was going to get the prince to kiss her, and she was going to use every trick in the book to do it. Lina gazed at her still sleeping bed fellow, Rezo. Aw. Just like a little innocent baby. She thought smiling, before shaking him awake.
"Glaaah! Wha?" Rezo sputtered. "Oh its you. Don't do that!"
Lina shrugged and outlined, on paper, her plans. She shoved the sheet at Rezo who had to lay it down to read it.
"So. You actually think this'll work?" he asked.
Lina nodded and snapped her fingers. Piece of cake.
"Well you're not going to leave me behind. You'll probably need my help." He stated rising. "Now let's see. What are you going to wear today? Something subtle but alluring."
Lina snickered knowing Rezo probably couldn't care less about her love life. He was still shaky about the whole chef thing. But she figured, not to look this gift horse in the mouth and opened up her closet of borrowed, yet highly fashionable, clothes.
After about half an hour of the two of them arguing about style and what looked good and what didn't they finally gave up and got the Emperor's Sister to pick something out.
E, Sis: Sheesh you'd think I was your mother or something.
Finally, all dressed and ready to go, Lina descended the main stair case in search of her prey.. er prince.
E, Sis: Meanwhile...
Back under water in the sea witch's realm things were... dull.
Martina: You're telling me! I was wondering when you were going to mention us again.
Naga: The great serpent Naga should always be center stage! OH WAHAHAHAHAHAHAHH!
While the dastardly duo were getting cabin fever and their boss, the sea witch Amelia wondered what was happening with her latest customer.
"I wonder what Miss. Lina is doing." Amelia pondered out loud.
"Probably trying to suck face with his royal highness." Quipped Martina annoyed at having absolutely nothing to do.
"Hmm. Ah I know! We'll pay them a visit and see how things are progressing!" Amelia jumped with joy, and with a squeal made ready to go on an impromptu visit. In moments the trio were swimming through the sea towards the not too distant shore.
Flopping onto the sands Amelia gazed about searching for Lina. As she was preparing to call out, a breath taking sight, took her breath away.
E, Sis: They tend to do that.
Prince Zelgadis raced about the horizon, topless, playing fetch with Lassie. With a care free laugh he tossed the stick far and wide and watched the playful collie race after it.
Amelia forgot everything as she stared, ogling the stone carved Adonis before her. OH he's so CUTE! she sighed before fainting away into the sea's embrace. Naga and Martina looked at their fallen boss, to the prince, back to Amelia, and then at each other.
"You think we should tell her that he's taken?" Martina asked her partner.
"What? And break her little heart? What nonsense! I say we rig it so that princey boy marries our little Amelia!" Naga announced.
"Oh? And why, although I'm really for this believe me, should we do that?"
"BECAUSE!! When Amelia marries the Prince. We'll move into the palace and meet handsome and RICH prince's our selves. Not too mention that we'll be able to lord on over on Lina!"
"What and excellent idea!!"
The duo proceeded to laugh hysterically and grabbed at their boss before swimming off.
E, Sis: I should do something about their getting off topic but, * shrug* eh I'm kinda curious as to what'll happen next with those two.
Zelgadis and Lassie looked up from covering their ears in agony and searched the water line. "What in the abyss was that horrendous noise?" Zel asked, not really wanting to know the answer. Shrugging, Zel and his faithful collie marched back to the palace.
E, Sis: Later on...
Prince Zel, now fully dressed in his casual prince's attire, was walking the palace grounds, bored out of his mind and wondering how his silent guest was faring. The good doctor diagnosed her as physically fit, the other day, and assumed her voice would return eventually. Zel figured she was probably as bored as he was right about now and thought that was as good an excuse as any to pay her a visit.
He had just turned around and headed for the stairs when he saw her descending. Lina was wearing a subtle, yet alluring, ensemble that was perfect for a jaunt through town. She had on a dark blue skirt dress with a pale blue, almost white, Grecian style top. The outfit was completed with a matching short coat, half boots, and a short rimmed hat. She looked down at the prince and smiled.
Zel's jaw almost hit the floor as he gawked at the red head in front of him. "Ah. Hi." Zel managed to get his vocals cords to work and proceeded to invite her on a tour of the city. Smiling and laughing, mutely, Lina latched on to his arm and towed him out of the palace to the waiting curricle outside.
E, Sis: For those of you who've never read a regency romance novel, a curricle is a small carriage for two that men always drove. They were usually pulled by a team of two to four horses, depending on the style of the design.
As they were about to depart Lina begged for the chance to drive. She had never driven before and didn't want to miss out on any new experience. Zel figured she could do much harm and handed her the reins. With a crack of the whip the team and curricle sped off faster than the speed of light. Zel cried out and held on for dear life as Lina, enjoying herself, drove about the country side, like a mad woman. Finally when the horses were to tired to run any more and Lina was tired of driving through rivers and flying over crags, she handed the reins back to the shaking prince. Zel vowed to NEVER let the girl drive anything EVER again.
The two proceeded to ride on into the city that, as luck should have it, was in the midst of a large and wondrous festival. For the next few hours, Lina dragged the prince from one stall to another, trying any and all forms of delicacies, and of course leaving Zel to foot the bill.
Lina was having the time of her life. Wow! What a wonderful world! The food! The music! The food! The dancing! The food! I never want to leave this place! Now where oh where could I put my plan into action?
Rezo, who all this time was hiding inside the inner jacket pocket, piped up. "The fair would be an ideal place to get this charade over and done with you know."
Excited, Lina grasped Zel's arm and pointed toward the fair grounds. Looking into her sparkling kittenish eyes, Zel gave in and bought them some tickets.
Lina gazed about the grounds in search of the perfect setting, as Zel managed to knock down all the rigged cups, three times in a row, and win Lina a cute and cuddly chibi doll.
E, Sis: Any everyone should know how hard THAT game is.
Lina was triumphant. As she clutched the doll in one arm, and Zel's arm in the other, she set a bee-line course, straight for the 'Tunnel of Love'.
Zel blushed several shades, as the smirking attendant pushed him into the Giant swan boat next to Lina. They rode into the dark and poorly lit cave and sat, in relative silence, listening to the cheesy loves songs that were being poured into the sound systems.
Gathering up some much needed courage Zel turned to his ship mate. "So.. ah. Say I don't know your name and I should call you something." He babbled.
Lina smiled and snuggled closer mouthing the word 'Lina' over and over until he got it right.
"Lina! The.. that's a n..nice name." Zel winced as he stuttered like a nervous school boy. Come on Zelgadis Greywiers! You'll never get anywhere this way! he mentally berated himself.
Rezo sneaked out of Lina's pocket and climbed the swan's back. Leaning close to Lina's ear he proceeded to give her instructions. "Okay. He's a little shy so try and be subtle. Don't move too fast or you may spook him."
Nodding Lina pulled the old 'pretend yawn' and wrapped her arm around Zel's shoulders. She looked up at him expectantly and saw, to her disappointment, that he hadn't noticed. Zel was berating himself and re-running that old 'Who could like a freak' speech in his head. He was so absorbed that he wasn't aware of anything. Not The lame love songs, the obviously rocking motions of the swan boat ahead of them, nor of his partner.
"OK." Rezo tried again. "Forget being subtle!"
Lina nodded and swung her self into Zel's lap, wrapping both her arms around his neck. Startled, Zel came back to earth with a crash and grabbed her tight to make sure the boat didn't tip over and they both didn't fall into the recycled river water.
At that precise moment the song "Kiss the Girl" began to play and Lina raised her eye brows suggestively. Embarrassed Zel broke eye contact. Before he had a chance to remove her from his lap, Lina took advantage of his turned face to nibble on his ears. Forgetting everything, Zel not only let Lina continue, he revised his total opinion of such Make-out spots as the 'tunnel of love' and found them to be the most wonderful places on this earth.
Throwing caution to the winds, Zel leaned in and was about to give Lina the kiss everyone had been waiting for when... Both the effect of the two evil, match-breaking, eels' pushing and Zel's weight, tipped the boat over and SPLASH!
E, Sis: Talk about wrecking the mood.
With and un-wanted, and very cold, dunking, the drenched couple stood up in the waist high water stuttering and at a loss on what to do. "Well, I guess we should get back." Zel stated finally, emotionally confused. He helped Lina out of the water and turned to go. Lina nodded, shakily.
As Zel trudged onward, she looked back and retrieved her submerged red priest, who looked as miserable as she felt. Shoving back into her pocket, she rushed after the prince thinking, This was no cheery walk in the park. This was a night mare. And just when he was about to do it too!