Title: Silence
Chapter: One-Shot
Characters/Pairings: Ahamo/Queen, Azkadellia/Zero, DG, Cain, Glitch
Spoilers/Warning: PG-13
Summary: Playing the Blame-Game, Royal style.
Disclaimer: Tin Man and all its characters belong to Sci-Fi, RHI Entertainment, NBC Universal Television. The Wizard of Oz is the property of L. Frank Baum. I'm just doing a bit of borrowing.
Author's Note: This is the new, updated version as of 1/25/12. I re-read the original version and felt it could use a little more "oomph".
It's been a very long, very emotional day and just as the Giliken representatives are packing up their belongings, one of the Royal Guards slips hesitantly into the conference room. He waits while the Gilikenese shuffle past him and then slowly steps up to the long table the Royal Family, excepting Princess Azkadellia who has taken to her chambers to rest (in reality, she wasn't sure how many more snide little remarks made by the Gilikenese ambassadors she could take before she snapped and was forced to show off some of the Witch's more imaginative magical tortures), and their closest advisors, Glitch and Cain, sit.
"Cutler," the Queen says shortly, raising an eyebrow at the way his eyes dart nervously from Royal to Royal. After a moment of silence, she adds, "There is something you needed, yes?"
Cutler looks like a deer caught in headlights when he answers, "Yes… Yes, you're Majesty."
There's another long pause wherein the room's occupants eye each other, amused, until Lavender snaps impatiently, "Well?"
"General Zero has been apprehended ma'am," Cutler tells her while trying desperately not to fidget. "He's requesting an audience?"
"Denied," the Queen responds crisply and looks down at the paperwork in front of her, a clear dismissal.
Cutler is just about to turn and leave to inform the prisoner his request has been denied when the Prince Consort suddenly speaks up. "Send him in Cutler."
Everyone in the room turns to look at him, their faces incredulous, but Ahamo ignores their stares and watches Cutler expectantly. Cutler opens his mouth to accept the order, but is cut off by the Queen before he can utter a single word.
"His request has been denied," she says, never taking her eyes off her husband.
Ahamo glances at her briefly and then firmly repeats his command, "Send him in Cutler."
Cutler, who wishes desperately he could be anywhere but here, turns quickly and scurries out of the room before his Queen has the slightest chance to argue. A few, short moments later he's leading the former General (who looks like he's gone a few rounds with a champion Guild Fighter) through the giant, ornate archway and into the room. Cutler stops a few yards away from the table and looks to Ahamo for further instruction.
"Take off his bonds," Ahamo orders.
Cutler, just as shocked as everyone else, numbly unclips a key-ring from his belt loop. It takes him three tries because his hands are shaking so badly, but he finally turns the key in the hole and the cuffs snap open with a 'clank'. While the prisoner rubs his raw wrists, Cutler waits for his signal to leave. The second Ahamo waves his hand, Cutler is out the door praying he'll never have to deliver a message to the Royal Family ever again.
"Zero," Ahamo peers at the man opposite him, "what are your requests?"
"Safe passage to The Other Side," Zero says, still cocky as ever despite the black eye and obviously broken nose. "And the funds we agreed upon. Plus interest."
"Done."
"No, not done!" Lavender exclaims, staring at her husband in wide-eyed confusion. "He is one of the Witch's highest ranking followers. We will not give him safe passage anywhere but to the hangman's noose."
"We had a deal." Zero's voice is quiet, but the edge is there. He's followed his orders to a 'T' and he will not be denied his dues.
"A deal?" Lavender demands. This day, which hasn't been very merry to begin with, has just taken a turn for the surreal. "You made a deal with this man?"
"I did," Ahamo says as casually as if they're talking about the weather, "yes"
"Explain," Lavender hisses and bangs her fist on the table.
Zero winces. Not out of fear, he knows she can't physically or magically hurt him, but because the look on her face is all too familiar to him. "Not that this hasn't been fun and all, but I highly doubt you want our agreement broadcast so publicly."
"We're family," DG says slowly from her seat beside her father. "And I think I'd like to hear this one out."
Zero snorts in disagreement, but chooses to keep his mouth shut.
"Tell me." Completely ignoring Zero's advise, Lavender glances from Ahamo to Zero and back again. She doesn't like being left in the dark, especially when it has to do with her husband making pacts with hardcore criminals, and she intends to get to the bottom of this right now. "Tell me what is going on."
Zero smirks and defers to Ahamo.
"I hired him," the Prince Consort says simply. "I hired him to protect Az."
"You what?"
Lavender disregards her younger daughter's outburst and asks, "Ahamo, is this true?"
"Yes."
"But… But why?"
Ahamo takes a few moments to collect his thoughts and, though his words are for his wife, he stares straight ahead determinedly. "Because you…" He takes a deep, shuddering breath as he remembers his wife rushing frantically into their bedchambers that night all those years ago, DG hidden under her stole. He remembers the look of abject horror on her face, the way her hair had gone suddenly grey. He remembers DG crying as his wife explained what had happened and confirmed their earlier suspicions. "Because you used all your light that night to save DG without thinking about the repercussions."
He can hear the sound of someone gasping behind him and his stomach drops. He hadn't wanted her to find out like this, to overhear it said like that, and he's suddenly terrified as he turns to find Azkadellia standing under the same archway he just came through. The witch may have had the power to suck out his soul, but the woman before him has the power to shatter his heart into millions of tiny pieces and that, above all else – the generous deal with Ahamo, the undisputed power that came with leading the Longcoats, the Witch's maniacal threats – was what kept him in her service for the past fifteen annuals.
"I was told you were given an audience." Her eyes are narrowed and he's suddenly reminded of the way the Witch looked at her victims just before she condemned them to death. He cringes at the thought.
"Azka-"
"Any measure necessary, Zero?" Azkadellia asks, her voice low and dangerous. He can't tell if she's going to scream at him or cry as her fingers curl into fists at her side. "Any measure necessary?"
"Az, please," Zero whispers, eyes wide.
"No," Azkadellia spits and spins abruptly on her heel.
Zero watches her until she turns a corner and is gone from his sight before whirling back to the remaining Royals. He glares at them. "Well?"
"Your contract has been fulfilled," Ahamo says steadily. "You will be awarded the amount agreed upon and given safe passage to the Other Side." Zero nods. "Let there be no question, you are not to come back."
Zero nods again and then, without receiving permission, rushes out of the room. Those remaining can hear him call for Azkadellia as he sprints down the hallway after her.