Title: The O.Z.'s Greatest Treasure
Author: N'kala
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Summary: Ambrose holds the key to the O.Z.'s greatest treasure. Some people will do anything to possess it.
Author's Note: I began this story back in 2008 and picked it up again when I recently re-watched Tin Man. It isn't finished, but I hope by posting it that it will push me into finishing this one. BTW- this is set 2 months after the eclipse, and I tend to set my own canon. No relationships or slash to be found here! See end for more notes.
The O.Z.'s Greatest Treasure
Chapter One
Strong, steady footsteps echoed off of the walls, sending the palace servants scattering to the side. Wyatt Cain nodded sharply at them, his coat flaring behind him as he strode purposefully down the corridor through the path cleared for him.
Only two months had passed since the eclipse, but so much had happened that it sometimes seemed to Cain that two annuals had passed. Between his duties as the head of the palace guard and his appointment of lead consultant in rebuilding the police force in Central City, Cain barely found time to spend with his son. It did help, though, that Jeb had accepted the position of royal bodyguard to DG. With Jeb in the palace, Cain got to see more of him than he would have otherwise.
Cain paused before a large, heavy oak door. Adjusting the hat on his head, he pushed it open and stepped inside.
Twenty people were milling about in the large, ornate conference room, speaking lightly with one another. Upon Cain's entrance, they moved to the elongated table in the center of the room and claimed seats. Cain nodded to several men and women as he walked by, heading for the empty chair at the head of the table.
"Good morning," he greeted everyone, sinking into a chair. "I know everyone has a full schedule with preparing for the upcoming visit, so let's make this brief."
A few winces met his words. Cain understood how they felt; large gatherings were always a security nightmare, but with all of the noble houses and several royal visitors from neighboring countries arriving for the celebration that the queen had planned, Cain's team had been working overtime to prepare. It didn't help, either, that there were still renegade Longcoats still at large, terrorizing the countryside and making threats against the royal family. Cain certainly had plenty to keep him busy.
Cain glanced at two of his more experienced guards; both men a little older than Cain. "Karson, Dell; anything of concern to report?"
The two looked at one another. As personal guards to the queen and Ahamo, any security concerns of theirs were high priority.
"We have nothing new to report," Dell answered for them both. "Both his and her highnesses are busy with the restoration of the O.Z. Neither have had much opportunity to leave the palace grounds."
"Nor has the princess Azkadellia," Summer spoke up. A young woman and relatively new to the palace, she was one of the very few who were willing to serve as bodyguard to the formerly-possessed princess. "She rarely leaves the east wing of the palace. Not many people are ready to approach her just yet."
"Just be careful," Cain warned her. "Once people get over their fears, we might start seeing some problems." He turned to his son, sitting a few chairs away. "What about DG?"
Jeb leaned forward and clasped his hands. "The team you assigned last week has helped. DG still hates having 'babysitters', as she calls us, but now that more of us are watching her, it's harder for her to slip away."
Cain nodded. "Then we'll keep up the detail until she's more settled." He shifted in his seat, preparing himself for the next report. He'd been saving it last for a reason. Icy blue eyes sought out an attentive pair of hazel eyes. "Cam? Dare I ask?"
The thirty-annual-old guard folded his arms and leaned back, scowling. "I want reassignment, Cain."
Cain sighed heavily. "It's only been two weeks, Cam. Surely he's not that bad?"
Cam glared at Cain. "Easy for you to say! He's impossible! When he's not evading me, he's using me for some crazy experiment!" Cam took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. "Don't get me wrong. As a person, I think he's great. He's a good man. But as his guard? He's a nightmare!"
Cain rubbed his face wearily. "I don't suppose anyone here would like to volunteer to serve as bodyguard to the queen's high advisor?"
Silence answered him. Cain looked around the table, taking in the averted gazes.
"Oh, come on!" Cain exclaimed. "He's a scientist! I refuse to believe I need to reassign him a bodyguard for a fourth time!"
"Why does he even need one?" Kerrin, Ambrose's second guard, asked. "He's not even royalty."
"And none of the other advisors are assigned guards," Summer pointed out. "What makes Ambrose so different?"
"Because Ambrose holds the key to the O.Z.'s greatest treasure."
Silence descended on the room once more. All eyes turned to Karson.
Karson met Cain's inquiring eyes. "I heard the queen mention it to her consort annuals ago; before the witch. She stated that the high advisor held the key to the greatest treasure in all the O.Z., and that he must be protected as if her were royalty himself. That's why he needs his own guard."
"Treasure?" Jeb spoke up, confused. "But the royal vault has guards of its own."
"It sounds like the queen was talking about a different sort of treasure entirely," Kerrin replied thoughtfully. "Maybe one no one knows about?"
"Regardless, the fact remains that Ambrose needs a guard," Cain stated, halting the growing murmurs and speculations. "I don't suppose a detail like DG's would do any better?"
"Not bloody likely," Dell told him. "If you can't find one volunteer, how do you think you could get more?"
"Wishful thinking?" Cain muttered, mostly to himself. Raising his voice, he addressed the group. "So not a single one of you brave men and women are willing to keep an eye on one little scientist?"
Cam scowled again. "I'll make a deal with you, Cain. If you agree to be his guard for two whole weeks without a problem, then I'll get some volunteers to do a detail with me."
"And my other duties?" Cain asked.
"Surely you have some people who can step in for now," Kerrin said. "If you can go two weeks without a problem, then I'll be on that detail too."
Cain looked at the expectant faces of his people. "Two weeks? No problems?"
"No losing him," Cam said.
"No losing your temper, either," Kerrin added.
"Put up with his experiments."
"Deal with some practical jokes."
"Make sure his orders are clear."
"Learn when to duck."
"Don't let him goad you into sparring."
"All right!" Cain exclaimed. "Two weeks. You've got a deal! I have a meeting with him in an hour to discuss security for the dignitaries visiting us, so I'll let him know then. Now, on that topic . . ."
Ambrose emerged from the palace and moved gracefully along the path to one of the royal gardens. Pausing, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The sweet scents or roses and orchids in the air washed over him, calming his frayed nerves. Opening his eyes, the advisor continued on the path but at a more sedate pace.
He knew he should be grateful that he lived such a good life in the palace; certainly better than most, especially after the eclipse. Since regaining his brain, however, it seemed as though he'd also regained the weight of duty and responsibility, and all that went with it.
Not that Ambrose was one to shirk his duty; not at all. It was more about what went with that duty that had driven him for a walk in the garden.
His personal guard's angry words still rang in Ambrose's ears. The scientist regretted pushing the man so far; Cam was actually quite good at his job.
Too good. With Cam dogging his heels, Ambrose couldn't get any of his work done. Something had to be done about that.
As Ambrose followed a curve in the path, he wondered if he could convince the queen that he didn't need a bodyguard after all.
"Which ones, Lisi?"
"I'm . . . I'm not sure. Does it matter?"
Ambrose glanced to his left and spied two servant girls. He recognized them at once; the two girls were sisters who worked with the housekeeping staff, and at the moment they looked worried.
"Good morning, ladies," Ambrose addressed them, coming closer. "Can I be of some assistance?"
Both girls gave a start at the advisor's sudden appearance, then bowed at the waist.
"Good morning, Lord Ambrose," the older girl, Lisi, replied. "We apologize for disturbing you."
"Nonsense," Ambrose replied, grinning broadly. He waved a hand at her. "And no more of this silly formality. I am just Ambrose."
"Yes, sir . . . Ambrose," the fifteen-annual-old girl replied. "My sister and I just came from the princess Azkadellia's rooms. She's feeling so sad at the moment, and we wished to cheer her up with some flowers, only . . ."
"Only you don't know which kind," Ambrose finished. His smile softened. "What a wonderful thought; I know that the princess will be very grateful for your efforts."
Lisi and her sister flushed with pleasure at the praise.
"I do happen to know that Princess Azkadellia is quite fond of the white roses just over there." Ambrose pointed back the way he'd come. "In fact, she was sitting there just the other day with a mug of sweet tea, enjoying those very flowers."
The girls lit up with excitement and turned to one another. "Karyme, you cut some roses," Lisi told her sister. "I'll fetch some tea and meet you at the lady's door."
As the younger girl scurried away, Lisi bowed to Ambrose. "Thank you, sir, for your help."
Ambrose shrugged. "What help? I only offered an observation." He bowed to her. "Good morning."
Leaving the girls to their task, Ambrose continued on down the path. The quiet sounds of nature filled the air once more. Time slipped away, leaving the advisor with badly needed peace; something he had missed since his time as Glitch. Ambrose spotted a collection of delicate yellow orchids and approached them. Leaning forward, he inhaled their scent and smiled faintly as one more elusive memory clicked into place.
"We need to talk."
Ambrose suppressed his start of surprise and turned. Wyatt Cain was standing behind him, his arms folded and a no-nonsense glare on his face.
"Good morning, Cain," Ambrose said, straightening. He smoothed a hand down the front of his jacket. "Er . . . yes, we do need to talk. That's why we have a meeting scheduled in forty-five minutes."
"It's ten minutes, and that's not what I meant." Cain reached out and hooked a hand around Ambrose's upper arm, guiding him down the path. "We can talk as we go. C'mon."
"Ten minutes?" Ambrose patted the pockets in his jacket and trousers, fumbling as he hunted for his timepiece. "Surely you're mistaken."
"Nope," Cain replied. "And this conversation needs to happen now. Just how many personal bodyguards did you go through before you lost your marbles?"
Ambrose gave up looking for his watch and frowned. "So Cam finally asked? I was wondering when that would happen."
Cain, his hand still grasping Ambrose's arm, halted and brought Ambrose around to face him. "This isn't funny, headcase. Three guards in two months?"
"You can't count Matthew," Ambrose argued. "He had trouble with glitching, before and after my surgery. That one wasn't my fault!"
"All right, I'll give you Matthew, but Kerrin and Cam?" Cain challenged. "Your reputation is starting to precede you. I couldn't get a single volunteer to guard you."
Ambrose lit up. "Really?"
Cain glared at him. "Not good news, sweetheart. The queen says you need a guard, then you need a guard. The problem is, no one wants the job."
"Ah, but you see, I'm going to talk to her majesty about that," Ambrose countered. He began walking again, trusting Cain to follow. "It's an embarrassment, really, having a guard. No other advisor does, you know. Well, of course, you know, you assign the guards. I fail to see why it's necessary. I can take care of myself."
"Beside the point," Cain replied, surreptitiously guiding Ambrose inside the palace and herding him in the right direction. "Do you think maybe you need one now because of your role in bringing down the witch?"
"What role?" Ambrose asked, turning a corner. "DG saved the O.Z. by finding the emerald. Yes, she lost it, but she got through to her sister in the end. You, well, you protected all of us. You got us into the tower, twice I might add. Raw was the one that made it possible for us to learn about the Sun Seeder and stop it. Do any of you have guards?" Ambrose stopped abruptly, frowning in thought. Cain had to dart to the side to avoid knocking the advisor to the ground as Ambrose continued.
"Well, DG does, but she's a princess; she has to have guards," he said. "You're the head of them, so I guess you wouldn't need one yourself. Raw doesn't! He's not back from his village yet, though. So you see, Cain, that can't be it. I didn't do anything but wander off and get into trouble."
"Hey!" Cain grabbed Ambrose's arms and gave him a forceful shake. "Don't say that! Don't ever say that! You did more for than that for the O.Z. and for us. How do you think I got us into the tower that first time? And the Sun Seeder? It wasn't Raw who found those codes. It was you. You were every bit as instrumental in saving the O.Z. as the rest of us, so I don't want to hear you talking like that again, got it?"
Ambrose blinked wide, brown eyes at Cain, too stunned for words.
A door nearby opened, and Queen Olivia emerged into the hall, her trademark lavender eyes studying both men. A faint smile tugged at her lips. "Good morning, gentlemen. I hope I'm not disturbing you?"
Cain released Ambrose and bowed low. "Of course not, your majesty. I'm sorry we're late." From the corner of his eye, he watched as Ambrose recovered enough to bow as well, though the shock never quite left his eyes.
"Not at all," the queen replied. "I only just arrived myself. Though I trust Mr. Cain has made his point?"
Cain took some comfort in the fact that Ambrose's blush was significantly deeper than his own.
"Er, about that, your majesty," Ambrose said. "I was hoping to discuss the matter of my needing a personal guard."
The queen waved both men into the room she had just come from. Cain nodded to Karson on his way in, ignoring the spark of amusement in the guard's eyes.
"Oh?" the queen said to Ambrose.
"Yes." Ambrose straightened. "Your majesty, I would like to request the dismissal of my personal guard. I do not feel that such a thing is necessary."
"I see." Lavender eyes flickered over to blue. "Lost another one, has he?"
"I'm afraid so," Cain answered.
Ambrose shot Cain a dirty look. "Nevertheless, I fail to see the necessity. I am more than capable of looking after myself. Assigning a guard would simply be a waste of manpower."
The queen fixed Ambrose with a firm gaze. "I believe we've already had this discussion."
Ambrose bowed his head slightly, but bravely carried on. "Yes, your majesty, we have, but I still fail to see why I merit a guard. I'm no different than your other advisors."
Queen Olivia gave him a soft smile and lightly patted Ambrose's cheek. "I'm afraid that's a point we will continue to disagree on."
Ambrose's cheeks turned pink.
The queen drew back and turned to Cain. "Who have you assigned to replace Mr. Stevens?"
Cain opened his mouth to reply, but Ambrose, seeing his chance, took it.
"I'm afraid there's no one available, your majesty," the scientist cut in. "Cain told me as much."
"That's not exactly true," Cain contradicted him.
Ambrose fully turned to face Cain, confusion on his face. "You said you had no one to assign to me."
"No," Cain drawled out slowly. "I said I couldn't get anyone to do it. I never said I had no one."
"Well, then who?" Ambrose asked. He stared at Cain, studying the older man's face when the answer suddenly clicked into place. Ambrose began to shake his head, dismay dawning on his face. "No. Oh no. You can't be serious."
Cain shrugged. "Sorry, sweetheart."
Ambrose's head swiveled back and forth between Cain and the queen. "But . . . you can't . . . your duties . . ."
"Taken care of," Cain replied.
"But . . . but . . ." Ambrose sputtered.
"You have made your bed, Ambrose, and now you must lie in it," the queen stated. "I'm sure that Mr. Cain will do just fine. Now, let's discuss the arrangements being made to accommodate our guests."
The three moved to a round table and sat down, Ambrose struggling to set aside his disagreement for the discussion at hand.
"I reviewed some of our plans with the palace guard," Cain began. "We're going to bring in some Tin Men to help while your guests are here. I understand that the royalty from the neighboring kingdoms will be bringing their own guard?"
"Custom dictates it," Ambrose confirmed. "We will be receiving the king and queen from Pharos, who will be bringing a complement of twenty guards. The queen of Elysia is the second cousin to our queen; she'll bring five of her own, but as blood kin, she will need five more provided by us."
Cain nodded, pulling papers from his pocket and flipping through them. "That matches what I have. And the king and prince from Saltz with bring twelve?"
Ambrose nodded. "Correct."
"Security for the noble houses follows a separate custom," the queen told Cain. "Each of the six houses require two guards and two servants. Ambrose can coordinate that with you, but all four will need to wear a sash with their assigned house's color to show who they are assisting." She turned to Ambrose. "Do we still have those sashes?"
Ambrose nodded again. "I found them yesterday where we left them, and I took them to the head of household for touching up."
"Wonderful," Queen Olivia said. She turned back to Cain. "Instruct whoever you assign to do the same with their formal uniforms. They'll be wearing them for the full three weeks."
Cain scribbled himself a note. "Yes ma'am."
"And do the same yourself," Olivia continued, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "I dare say that an honored hero of the O.Z. should look his best."
Cain ignored Ambrose's smirk and met the queen's eyes. "Of course, your majesty."
The queen stood, bringing the other two to their feet. "I'll leave the two of you to finish planning the security details, shall I? I promised my girls a walk in the gardens before lunch."
"Of course, your majesty," Ambrose replied, bowing low.
Olivia looked at Cain. "Mr. Cain, may I have a word before I go?"
"Yes, ma'am." Cain shrugged at Ambrose's questioning eyes and followed the queen into the hall. Queen Olivia waved Karson into the room, presumably to keep an eye on the inventor. The queen waited until the door was securely shut before speaking.
"Mr. Cain, I wanted to speak with you regarding Ambrose," she began. "I do not know how much experience you have in working with courtiers, but I feel it necessary to warn you that my Ambrose is . . . a little different."
Cain smiled despite himself. "A little, your majesty."
The queen returned the smile. "He's never been one to fully conform, which is one of the reasons he's so valuable to me as an advisor." She grew more serious. "Do not be fooled, Mr. Cain. Ambrose grossly underestimates his worth to others, and he'll do everything he can to make you underestimate it, too. Do not be swayed; he does not know or remember, but there were attempts on his life before the witch's reign. I hope, after all these annuals, that that's all in the past, but I will not gamble with Ambrose's life."
"Neither will I, your majesty," Cain replied. "I don't know Ambrose very well, but I do know Glitch. Glitch is a good, honorable man, and if he was only half the man that Ambrose is, then your judgment certainly isn't misplaced. You have my word, your highness, that I will protect him. With my life, if necessary."
Olivia's smile was faint, but Cain could see it. "Let us hope it doesn't come to that," she said. "You, too, are an honorable man, and I would hate to lose you as well."
Cain watched her go, then returned to the room where he'd left Ambrose, waving Karson on as he passed. Ambrose looked up from the papers on the table before him. "Is everything all right?"
"Everything's fine," Cain replied, sitting in his chair. "The queen just wanted to talk about our new arrangement."
Ambrose leaned back in his seat. "And thank you for that ambush, by the way. Why didn't you tell me sooner that you were going to be my next guard?"
"What, and miss that performance?" Cain answered. "I needed to get my entertainment out of this somehow."
Ambrose folded his arms. "So it's entertainment you're looking for, is it? Well, Tin Man, I'll be sure to make your job as entertaining as I possibly can."
The mischievous gleam in the scientist's brown eyes sent a sudden wave of unease through the former tin man.
A/N: A few more things to note. I don't do het or slash, but I really love bromances and friendships, so you'll be seeing quite a bit of that. Also, if anything seems OOC or unusual, bear with me as I work through the story. I tend to forge my own path in this fandom, so if you're a stickler to canon (not that there's much), turn back now. Finally, in my 'verse, the queen's name is Olivia. It's the name I prefer to use.
Hope you enjoy what you find here!
