Chapter 2 - Suddenly I See
And everything around her is a silver pool of light
The people who surround her feel the benefit of it
It makes you calm
She holds you captivated in her palm
Queen Lavender was displeased when she was finally invited to Princess Azkedellia's apartment along with the rest of the family. While everything that Azkedellia now had in her rooms was from royal storage, she had needed the queen's permission to use it. Azkedellia shrugged her mother's objections off and showed them the room her maids, Meimei and Saria, lived in, which was a pretty confection of pink and beige and filled with refinished furniture from her bedroom.
"I'll admit that you have taste," her mother told her. "And you certainly take good care of those in your employ, Az. But really, did you have to use beige?"
"Meimei and Saria picked you the colour combination from the four I offered them," said Azkedellia resolutely. "Beige is the one colour that never seems to be used in the palace. Jeb, may I show them your room?"
"Of course," said Jeb with a slight bow, mostly to hide his smirk. Azkedellia wasn't going to let her mother rule her completely.
"Oh, Azke," breathed Ahamo when he saw what his daughter had done with the space. "Look at all of this! You broke your finger making the wardrobe, remember? And this footstool was your first ever woodworking project. I remember this desk. It's the one you made yourself, from the design up, isn't it?"
"It is," said Azkedellia. "Do you mind that Captain Cain is using it, Daddy?"
"Not at all, Azke," said Ahamo, pulling his little girl into a hug. "I'm glad to see it used."
"You two made these?" said the Queen, looking over one of the embroidered pillows. "When? I didn't know about it."
"Just after Deege was born," said Azkedellia. "I made her teething toys as well."
"Way cool," said DG. "You're a pro, Az. This is all high quality stuff."
"Come see my room," said Azkedellia, ushering them out of Jeb's space and into her own. The heavy blue velvet drapes were gone, replaced by lightweight gold curtains that had Light woven into them. Dark wood furniture stood against royal blue walls; the dark sleigh bed was covered by gold-embroidered blue linens and crowned by a gold Light canopy. Blue-and-gold rugs sprawled over the floor. The original wall sconces and chandeliers glittered and flooded the room with light.
"Better than the last time I was here," said DG, running a hand over the curtains. "Where did you find these?"
"In the warehouse," replied Azkedellia. "They haven't been used in a century, but when I found them I fell in love with them. They're reassuring." Her family nodded in understanding. If their Az wanted to surround herself with light, then they wouldn't stop her.
"The rooms suit you, Az," said Lavender. "You've done beautiful work on them. I would have appreciated a warning, though."
"My love, you know that if Az had formally applied, you would never have found the paper," said Ahamo. "Your desk is covered with requests for help from all over the OZ."
"While we're on the subject," said Azkedellia cautiously, "Mother, I was wondering if I could do some renovating work in the OZ. Things like revitalizing the Fields of the Papae, helping with road repair."
"Both of those things will be hard work," warned her mother.
"Badly needed work," said Azkedellia. "I have control over my magic. I know the history of the OZ and all of the deportment anyone could ever want. It's my mess, Mother, let me help clean up."
Queen Lavender thought for a moment. "Very well, Azkedellia. Take the next week and do an inventory of the warehouses, from furniture to food supplies. Everything must be noted. Feel free to include the Treasury in your accounting."
"Of course, Mother," said Azkedellia. She pulled her sister over to her desk to show her one of the sketches Azkedellia had done overnight. Ahamo joined them when the women started talking about design details.
"Captain Cain," said the Queen quietly. "I realize that Azkedellia is your priority. I would appreciate it if you would keep a very close eye on her for me. Tell me what's going through her head. Diary entries, interesting bits of conversation, anything that you deem relevant. I want all of the details."
"You want me to spy on her?" said Jeb incredulously. The Queen nodded.
"I've never been the one who was close to her," said Queen Lavender. "She is my daughter, and I want to help her if I can. But I don't know our Az very well. And I worry for her."
"Of course, your Majesty," said Jeb, bowing to the queen. "I'll be the soul of discretion."
Lavender nodded and went back to the sitting room. Through the open doors, Jeb could see her looking at the portrait of her family, almost wistfully. Watching the Gales, Jeb felt sympathetic. He had grown up without his father, and they were awkward around each other. Lavender and Ahamo had watched their eldest daughter kill her sister, imprison her mother, and inflict misery on thousands of people, never knowing until it was too late that Azkedellia was possessed. Lavender was trying to pull her family back together, but didn't have the means to reach her firstborn.
Jeb promptly resolved to make more of an effort with Wyatt. Surely they had something in common other than being stuck in Iron Suits and Adora. And their respective headstrong princesses. Although that could be a good place to start.
The Queen and Prince Consort were called to a meeting with representatives from the various regions of the OZ soon after Jeb's conversation with the Queen, and shortly after that DG had to go to 'princess lessons'. Azkedellia sat heavily on one of the soft armchairs in her bedroom and rested her head on her knees. Jeb watched with some concern as the unflappable princess breathed long deep breaths, as though trying to hold off a panic attack.
"Are you alright, your Highness?" Jeb asked. Azkedellia made the universal gesture for 'give me a minute, please'. A few moments later, she sat up and resumed her perfect posture.
"Shall we make our way down to the treasury?" said Jeb. "Perhaps today is not the best for riding down to the warehouses."
"Of course," said Azkedellia, "though I'm not sure if there will be any relevant information there. I'm fairly sure that the Witch kept all administrative work in the tower. At some point this week, we'll need to take a task force out there and clear it out."
"I'll see what I can pull together for three days from now," said Jeb.
"Thank you, Captain Cain," said Azkedellia. She stood and, with the air of perfect composure she wielded so well, swept out of her rooms and down to the Treasury's record room.