Dear Readers, This is Chapter 1 of what I hope to be more than just a few chapters. However, I believe I am going to need you to tell me if you like what I'm plotting.

I have rated this story 'M' because I am not sure how... mature this story will get. The rating is subject to change.

Wyatt Cain sat in his very clean and very organized office finishing reading a report about Zero. They had decided to leave Zero in the Iron Suit for a little longer and now Wyatt was receive weekly reports on him. Not that the reports said anything new—Zero was still in the suit and it was still closed.

It had been about a year since the Eclipse and everyone had everything had been healing, little by little.

Raw and Kalm had been getting better acquainted and they had become close to inseparable. They had decided to look for any viewers that may have escaped the Witch's clutches. Raw stayed at the palace most of the time because they were having little luck finding viewers. Raw had also become Kalm's legal guardian so Kalm had little choice if he was leaving the palace or not. Kalm was a good kid though and did not have wanderlust so he was perfectly content to stay.

Glitch was still at the palace, too. Although he was also Ambrose. They had gotten his brain back into Glitch's "noggin'" as Glitch had put it. However it was not a perfect fit. His personality now switched between Glitch and Ambrose depending on the people he was with, his mood, and the situation. The head-case really hadn't change with the exception of his personality swings.

Azkadellia was still trying to win the public's trust back. That in itself was seemingly impossible for her. However, Azkadellia seemed to be doing much better now that the Witch was gone. She was not much of a talker now but she was able to convey her thoughts and feelings through her actions. The Queen and the Consort had been constantly with her on her road to recovery from the Witch's possession. They seemed overjoyed with the return of their eldest princess. The Queen and Consort were back on the throne and busier than ever.

He had been helping as much as he could by reassembling and retraining Tin Men and Royal Guards. He had done a damn good job of it with his son Jeb's help. Jeb had recruited many of the resistance fighters and Wyatt himself had interviewed them.

Wyatt chuckled at a memory of DG scoffing when he told her that he was interviewing people.

"More like interrogation, Cain," she laughed. She had also accused him of being paranoid and he fully agreed.

"It keeps us alive, Princess." He just smirked.

She had shot him a look of disdain at the title and with the excuse of princess-y duties she turned on her heel and pretended to flounce out of the room.

Cain allowed his thoughts to linger on DG. He personally didn't believe that the girl was transitioning well to life on this side of the rainbow. She did fine when she could bury herself in her work or reading or some other activity that didn't require her to think too much or interact with anyone she wasn't familiar with. Her mother and father once mentioned in passing to Wyatt that DG was a very studious and hardworking individual. Raw never mentioned anything on the subject and Glitch was constantly working with the Queen and Consort to help fix the realm, so he had precious little time to spend with DG. And for Azkadellia, well, her and DG were still close, although Wyatt had a strong hunch that there were many topics of conversation that they couldn't, or wouldn't, talk about.

DG, as Wyatt observed in the last months, had developed a few strange habits—even for her. Granted DG was an oddity herself. Lately DG had been almost avoiding people. Yes, she would speak with them if they tracked her down and still had time to talk, however she almost never sought out people unless it was for "royal duties". She had also developed weird sleeping patterns. As the guards had been reporting to him about her he found out that she had been seen leaving the library close to 3 in the morning and was back or in her office by 7 in the same morning.

Wyatt Cain needed to speak to her and that's exactly what he planed to do. Determinedly he stalked down the halls of the palace bypassing guards, servants, and a dignitary—some young prince from somewhere or another. Some where in the back of his mind he noted that he needed to figure out where exactly this man was from and his intentions here at the palace.

It was approximately seven and the suns were setting when h stomped into the girl's office The setting suns sent a warm glow through the spacious office and seemed to spotlight a dark haired head that was resting on a dark wooded desk. The scene before him threatened to take his breath away, not that he'd ever admit to that. "Kid," he barked.

Princess Dorothy Gale, otherwise known as DG, shot ramrod straight in her chair and for a millisecond her eyes wildly canned the room. Settling her sight on the Tin Man he saw her physically relax.

"Yes, Cain?"
He stopped short before the beginning of his rehearsed lecture on the importance of a regulated sleep schedule. He had expected her to at least chew him out for interrupting her or waking her. He was faxed for about a half a second. However he needed to speak to her, "What are you trying to pull?"
DG's eyes searched him for some kind of extra information that might help her figured what he was trying to ask. "What do you mean?"
He growled, of course she didn't track the conversation he wanted to have, as she couldn't read his mind. But he was frustrated. The Kd wasn't taking care of herself and that was pissing him off. "What is wrong with you, Princess? You're sleeping patterns are off." She started and looked carefully at him. She smiled brightly as understanding seemed to dawn on her face.
"I have this treaty to write and it needs to be finished by next week, its super complicated, Cain. I'll finish this and get back to my regular sleep schedule."
He grunted in disbelief, "Somehow-".
He never got to finish as some one knocked on the office door.

"Enter." DG called.

Glitch entered the room, "Your Majesty." He greeted with a bow.
Check that. Ambrose entered the room.
"Glitch, what's up?"
Ambrose's eyebrow twitched, "Your highness, my name is Ambrose, not Glitch."
"Of course, Glitch."
Inside Wyatt snickered as Ambrose fought back a scathing reply.
"What do you need, Glitch?"
Ambrose sighed, "Your majesty, there is a dignitary here from the Northeaster OZ. He wishes an audience later in the day."
Wyatt Cain watched DG's face turn dark for a moment before she sighed, "When, exactly, is later today, Glitch?"

"He wishes to eat brunch with you in a half hour."
"No," she deadpanned.
Ambrose almost went into a conniption, "Surely, your highness, you understand how important this dignitary is. Your Majesty, you really must attend."
"Tell him that I am busy working on a treaty."
"Your Majesty-"
"I will meet him for lunch." DG finally compromised.

"Your Highness-" Ambrose protested.
"That's enough, Head-Case." Cain snapped. He had seen DG's shoulders and body tensed up.
"Geeze, Tin Man, I didn't mean it." Glitch was back.
"Out." He barked at Glitch. Glitch wheeled out of the room and Wyatt turned to DG.
"Dignitary?" he questioned.

"Some prince of some-place-or-another." DG sighed.

"Why is he here?" His voice sounded tense, even to him.

DG stared at him surprised, "You really don't know?" She paused, "The Queen is presenting me with…options." She said the word options carefully as if she was rather disgusted.
"Options for what?"

DG winced as she spoke the answer, "A consort."
Wyatt felt pure rage course through his veins.

Wyatt couldn't push down the rage he felt and he knew why. However he would never—never—allow himself to feel that way toward a certain younger princess. He was currently at a shooting range, which were simply targets attached to trees. He was off his game. He couldn't hit anything, not even, it seemed, if his life depended on it. Well, if DG's life depended on it he could probably hit anything.

DG…How could he ever tell her.
Bang.

Missed the middle.

He could never…

Bang.

Missed even farther from the middle.

Never tell her…

Bang.

Didn't even hit the target.

…that he loved her.

Bang.

Bull's-eye.

"Mr. Cain." The Queen's voice came to him.
"Your Majesty." Cain bowed deeply to the Queen as she approached him and he put his gun back into its holster. "What can I do for you?"
"Where is my daughter, Mr. Cain?"
"She should be at a lunch with a foreign dignitary."

"She did show up, according to Prince De'Mat."

"So, majesty, what is the problem?"
"She stayed for a total of five minutes before dismissing him and disappearing."

"I'll find her, Majesty."
The Queen nodded once and turned and left. Biting back a curse Wyatt Cain went looking for a missing princess.

Do you like it? Perchance you will review it? Maybe you should tell me whether or not you like it?

Yours Truly,

-The InvisiblePuppeteer