Disclaimer: SciFi Channel is the god of all things Tin Man. I am but a lowly fan.
CHAPTER 1
It was hard to believe it was over. It was a strange sensation, being alone in her head after so many annuals of sharing her body. Sometimes she felt scared, but most often lonely. Her parents visited, of course, and DG was with her often. The two nights since the eclipse, her sister had stayed with her through the night, magic light shining from their clasped hands. But Az knew DG had friends, and so she had faked a smile and convinced her to spend a few hours away. During that time she sat at her bedroom window that overlooked the garden. For a moment, she longed to be outside; the gardens were beautiful at this time of year, but then she remembered the reason she hadn't left her chambers in two days. Hers was the face of her people's oppression. No one would believe she was anything but the sorceress.
She turned her eyes from the sunny garden to her lap. Her loose black hair fell around her face like a curtain to hide her tears. She heard the door swing open, but didn't look up.
"Az!" DG cried, running to her side. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have left you!"She grabbed Az's hand tightly and they both felt the rush of magic flow through them. Wiping her face, she looked up into her sister's large blue eyes.
"You can't be with me all the time, Deeg. I need to figure out how to do this myself."
"Who says I can't be with you all the time?" DG retorted fiercely, but even she knew it wasn't practical. "It's okay, you're just not ready." She took a seat next to Az and they both looked out onto the garden grounds below.
--
It was hard to believe it was over. Jeb Cain had built his whole life around fighting the sorceress's regime and now that they had won, and the queen was back in power, he wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to do. Older fighters had trades to return to, but he had just been a boy then. He had spent the first day bidding farewell to old friends and dealing with supplies and tents from his camp. The next day, a message arrived. The queen was summoning resistance leaders to the palace for a meeting. Who was he to refuse a summons from the queen? He packed his few belongings on his old brown horse and set out.
It was odd traveling on the roads in broad daylight without fear of Longcoat patrols or checkpoints. If those sons of bitches knew what was good for them, they'd be running as fast and as far as they could. Of course, you could never be too careful, he thought as his hand drifted to his sidearm.
He came over the last ridge and saw the palace in all its glory settled in the green valley below. Orange light reflected off its towers in the setting sun. The old banners shimmered gold in the wind. A bit of pride stirred in him as he urged his horse onward down the road.
--
Azkadellia lay awake next to DG in her bed. The large clock in her room struck three. She had to get out of this prison, even for a short time. Any distraction from her own mind. Her sister had been breathing slowly and steadily for some time now. As slowly and gently as possible, Az extricated her
hand from her sister's and lifted herself off the bed. When DG didn't stir, she threw a cloak about herself and slipped silently out the door.
The halls were practically deserted at this hour. Dodging only two patrols, she made it to the garden door. She was reaching for the handle when a familiar voice froze her in her tracks.
"Going somewhere, Princess?"
She turned to face Wyatt Cain.
"You've been following me since I left my room." It was a statement rather than a question.
"It's awful late to be wandering the palace."
She decided to be honest. "Mr. Cain, I'm going to go crazy trapped in that room, but I can't be seen because everyone's scared of me. I really just want to walk in the garden for a few minutes. Please? I won't be gone long, I promise." Her eyes welled up at the idea of being forced back to her room.
Cain studied her hard for a moment before giving a curt nod. "Not too long now, I'll be keeping an eye on you through the window so don't be thinking about running off. "
She nodded quickly and disappeared out the door.
The moon was high and cast a faint glow on the paths and plants of the palace garden. A light breeze through the trees was the only sound besides her footsteps. She felt an immense gratitude to Cain for not stopping her. It was nice to be looked after without being smothered.
As she paced through the flora, she was, for the first time, at peace with the silence rather than being unnerved by it. There were flowering trees, bushes, and trellises full of apple blossoms, roses, daisies, and ivy. Az came around a bend to find a bed of day lilies, their petals closed for the night. She held up a closed hand in front of a flower. As she opened her fingers, light beamed from her hand to the bloom. Its petals slowly opened to reveal a striking orange and pink coloration. The silence was disturbed by the palace door opening and closing. Az knew her time was up and hurried back a waiting Wyatt Cain. He held the door for her and accompanied her through the dark corridors.
"DG's worried about you, you know." He stated quietly.
Az sighed. "I know."
After a pause, Wyatt continued, "She's afraid you'll run away or try and off yourself."
She couldn't deny that those thoughts had crossed her mind.
As they reached her door, he added, "Not everyone in the OZ wants you dead."
She met his steady gaze and saw the surprising sincerity behind his statement.
"Thank you, Mr. Cain, for everything." She entered her room quietly, hanging her cloak by the door and climbing carefully back into bed. She slowly placed her hand back in her sister's and closed her eyes.
a/n: A couple of things: first, no I am not a crazy botanist or anything even though I put Az in the garden a lot in "A Mother's Affection". I just feel like it's a great little escape for her within the palace grounds, and being surrounded by natural beauty might be therapeutic for her. Second: This is my first exploration of an Az/Jeb pairing, and I feel it's one of the most under-developed pairings in this fandom.
Third: thanks for reading! Leave reviews please!