Disclaimer: I own nothing from the Tin Man universe.

After the Witch had been defeated, the Zone had rejoiced in their new-found freedom and the reinstatement of the Gale line to the throne. The Royal family was given a month to become reacquainted and spend time with each other. The Queen, her Consort, and their two daughters were rarely seen out of one another's company. Once that month was up, however, the Queen was expected to start rebuilding her kingdom. Plans for the future of her people had to be made, no matter how much the family wanted to be together. The Queen was seen more often with her advisors than with her loved ones. The Consort was found to be looking over maps and strategies to round up the last of the Longcoats. The princesses were together much more often than the rest of the family, but their time was taken by lessons that they had missed for fifteen years.

One of the first matters of business was which daughter would be the Queen's successor. While she was in perfect health and was many years from stepping down from her position, an heir would have to be chosen. Azkadellia was the older sister and so the obvious choice, but many citizens of the Zone were distrustful of the woman. Her possession by the Witch had been explained to the public, but the fear of the face that suppressed them for years was not easy to be rid of. This left Dorothea Grace, better known as DG, to eventually rule over a place she had not known to be her home for over fifteen years.

When the news was first revealed to her, DG retreated to her bedroom and refused to leave. It took her sister, her Viewer friend, the newly-reinstated First Advisor, and a certain Tin Man two days to finally convince her to come out and talk about it.

A Royal announcement was made that the Princess Dorothea Grace Gale was to be the heir apparent. The day after the announcement, the girl's lessons increased twofold. When not in a lesson, she was found in the company of the viewer, Raw, and the Tin Man Wyatt Cain, who acted as her protection.

...

This was how she was found by her sister one afternoon two annuals after the Eclipse and one and a half annuals after the Royal announcement. DG was curled up on a couch, her head in Raw's lap as her petted her hair, and Cain sitting in a comfortable chair facing the door reading a book.

Cain looked up as Azkadellia walked in, giving her a curt nod before turning back to his book. Raw saw the look on the older princess's face and started gently shaking the younger one lying in his lap.

"DG must wake up. Sister here to fetch her." DG slowly stirred and looked up at the Viewer, shooting him a small smile. She sat up and stretched and looked at her sister's face.

"Hey, Az." No response.

"So… How are you doing today?" Still nothing.

"They've finally decided it's time, haven't they?" Azkadellia simply nodded before stepping out the door to wait for her sister. DG stood up, dread filling her. She knew this was coming. She had heard the whispers for an annual now. That didn't mean she was ready. She squeezed Raw's hand, quickly did the same to Cain's shoulder and walked out of the room.

"I'll, uh, find you guys later." The Viewer and the Tin Man shared a look after watching the princess retreat from the room. Raw rose and left the room. Cain, however stayed where he was, trying to read the words on the page in front of him, but failing miserably.

He knew what this meeting was about. DG never talked about it with him, which he had no problems with. He would rather avoid that awkward conversation. But he heard the whispers, too.

...

Dorothea Grace Gale had trekked across the O.Z. with a headcase, a Tin Man, and a cowardly Viewer, and then faced the darkest witch the Zone had ever known. She was going to be a queen. But right now, facing a room full of officials, DG didn't know if she would make it.

Though the room itself was not actually very large, the table in the middle of it took up almost all possible room. It was the Queen's official conference room. The walls were a dark marble stretching up, almost into a point at the top where it turned into an emerald-tinted window. The suns were currently just past their peaks. The table they were sitting at was made of dark wood with a class top much like the window above.

She was sitting at the head of the table, her mother facing her at the other end with her consort at her side. Azkadellia was standing just behind DG for support. Twenty assorted men and women lined the shinning emerald table on either side. DG sat quietly, looking down at her hands clasped in her silk-clad lap, waiting for someone to say something.

Finally, her mother cleared her throat before speaking, trying not to make eye contact with her daughter.

"Dorothy, it has been quite some time now since you were named heir apparent. The Council has allowed you sufficient time to adjust and continue your lessons. While you still have much to learn, there is something else that you must start considering." At this the Queen finally looked at her daughter.

"You must start looking for a husband."

A sharp intake of breath from the heir apparent was the only indication that she had heard what her mother had said. DG knew it was coming. She had read many times in her studies how important it was for the queen to have a successor and she knew for many months that she would be asked to find a consort. She had thought she was ready, but hearing it out loud made it that much more real.

DG could feel Az's hand on her shoulder and twenty pairs of eyes staring at her, waiting for her to explode, to burst into tears and run from the room like she had when she was declared heir. But instead, the young princess lifted her head took a calming breath and said, "How long before the first suitor arrives?"

Author's Note: Hello Tin Man fandom! Nice to see you! I know it's been years now since the show aired, but I still love it unconditionally. I've been reading a lot of Tin Man fanfics lately and thought I'd try my hand at one. I was writing another story in the Harry Potter universe, but I seemed to have lost my muse. Much like that story, I can't guarantee when or if this will continue. I have about a half of the next chapter finished. My plan is to write at least 1,000 words per chapter. We'll see how it goes!