Disclaimer: I do not own Tin Man or Shakespeare. If you have a problem with this I am spending a good portion of my days recently with a crowbar in one hand and a hammer (sledge or regular, it varies) in the other, I'm sure we can discuss the matter.
Author's Note: So far it's looking like these are going to be short chapters. What was supposed to be one chapter has so far broken down into three little ones. Don't blame me, Azkadellia is driving this bus. I was quite amused by Quality Control's response to last chapter. She said, and I quote, "Me likes. Pray continue." Quality Control has never asked me to continue before (and she was quite indignant when she thought I wasn't going to) so I think she really does like it. Which is kinda funny considering she was so dubious about the idea in the first place.
PS This was supposed to be posted yesterday, but due to an unfortunate combination of dad's inability to perform correct mental calculations (his memories of high school math: the textbook was orange) and my dumping approximately twenty bushels of barley into the middle of the road (I'll be hearing about that all summer), I spent most of the afternoon, evening and some of the night shovelling and hauling grain. Made it a bit late to perform internet invasions. Sigh.
...
Azkadellia very much hoped they could get this meeting over with soon. She understood it was important, in fact on any other day she would be vitally interested in the proceedings, no matter how many times they'd gone through post-Longcoat battle debriefings. Today, however, there was an enigma sitting out in the hall and she very much wished to explore it. Besides, some of the advisors seemed to take an almost perverse pleasure in informing her how much death and destruction her former minions had caused, as if she needed anymore guilt riding on her shoulders. Az could feel quite miserably responsible all on her own, thank you very much.
"Now about our reluctant slipper," Wyatt Cain said, drawing the eldest princess' complete and undivided attention back to the council discussion.
"Ah yes," mused the Consort, "I suppose we should return him to the Otherside as soon as possible."
Daddy no, Azkadellia wailed internally. She hadn't even gotten a chance to study him yet.
"Actually," the Tin Man interjected, "I was thinking of keeping him. He would make a good bodyguard for Princess Azkadellia."
Everyone in the room stared at him. The princess in question, meanwhile, was wondering if she'd ever told her sister how much she adored the Tin Man and that she'd love to have him for a brother-in-law.
"We can't just kidnap Officer Gulch!" DG protested half-laughingly.
Et tu, Brute? Az thought. She wasn't entirely sure of the Otherside expression but she thought it fit the circumstances.
"Not kidnap, appropriate," Cain explained practically, "you said yourself that his main job on the Otherside is to serve and protect. He can do that here. Begging your pardon, Highness," he continued with an apologetic glance in the eldest princess' direction, "but we are having a hard time finding people willing to work Princess Azkadellia's protection detail, much less someone we can trust to select, train and organize it. Thanks to Princess DG's travel storm, though, we now have the perfect candidate."
"You want to put this policeman in charge of my eldest daughter's safety?" Ahamo asked with a look of distaste. Azkadellia wondered why daddy felt so ill-disposed towards policemen.
"There are precedents," the Tin Man replied dryly.
The Consort's lip twitched. "You are not a bodyguard," he refuted, backed by DG's firm nod, "you are a Royal Advisor."
"Yes," Cain replied dryer still, "and as your advisor I recommend that you keep the cop. From what I can tell, his Otherside training is more than sufficient for the job and he has already shown that he has the right instincts. Not to mention I understand he has pulled unofficial princess protection duty in the past so this Gulch already has the necessary experience."
DG, Azkadellia was interested to note, was pretending to find the ceiling fascinating while affecting an innocent air. Racking her memory, Az vaguely recalled her sister mentioning an Officer Gulch, though she more often used the title 'The Menace'.
"We could always return him later if it doesn't work out," Ambrose pointed out. Any further input he might have, however, was lost as mental control was hastily foisted upon Glitch in light of the eldest princess' glare.
"I don't know," DG began but she broke off as Azkadellia's hand seized hers and squeezed.
"Look," asserted the Tin Man, "would you all please consider this a moment. We know full well that there are people out there gunning for the Royal Family, Princess Azkadellia most of all. Everyone needs a fully functional protection unit, we've been lucky to have managed as well as we have thus far, and that is mostly because we borrowed army personnel. Officer Gulch has no reason to wish ill of the eldest princess, he is qualified, and he is available. Give him a trial period if you want but at least give the idea a try."
Nearly cutting off circulation to Deeg's fingers, Az held her breath and hoped for a miracle. She had no idea why she wanted to keep the unknown slipper so badly but she did not like the thought of the first person outside her family or the Heroes of the Eclipse not to flinch at her presence leaving. It was so nice to meet a person's eyes and not see the Sorceress reflected in them. He followed DG home, can we keep him, she begged.
Her thoughts were interrupted when the Consort suddenly let out a sardonic chuckle. Cain's hand twitched towards his gun at the unexpected reminder of his first meeting with the Seeker.
"Can I be the one to tell the cop he's on probation?" Ahamo asked with a slightly malicious smirk.
"If you wish," the Tin Man acquiesced, correctly assuming the decision had been made.
"Doesn't Gulch get a choice in this?" DG inquired, laughing once more.
"No," Cain replied, striding across the room to open the hallway door.
Azkadellia breathed a sigh of relief and waited for Officer Gulch to be ushered into the room. Officer Gulch, it was a strange, Otherside name. Officer, she mentally tested. It was different, unique even, like the man was to her personal existence. Az thought she quite liked it.