Title: 5 Easy Steps to Becoming Queen of the OZ
Character/Pairings : DG/Cain, pretty much the cast of Tinman plus some characters of my own.
Rating: M to be safe but probably not.
Warning/Spoilers: All three parts of Tinman.
Summary: DG has two months to learn how to be a Queen with a little help from her friends.
Disclaimer: Sadly I own nothing
I finally found some time to write Chapter 3. Sometimes there just isn't enough time in the day to get everything accomplished. I know everyone and their mother has done a dancing fic but I decided to jump on the bandwagon for this chapter!
Chapter 3:
Step 2- Dancing
Four weeks until my coronation. The time is going by entirely too fast. I have an appointment with Glitch/Ambrose to teach me formal dancing for the Coronation Ball. My shoulder is finally out of it's sling and almost feeling normal again. Since Glitch got his brain back everyone has been calling him Ambrose and we haven't been able to spend any time together. I'm a little nervous about our meeting.
"Hi Glitch... I mean Ambrose."
"Good afternoon Princess." Why won't anyone just call me DG anymore? It's driving me nuts.
"So you're going to teach me to dance? I hope you ate your Wheaties this morning because I have no rhythm whatsoever."
"I had eggs for breakfast but I'm sure we'll do just fine. I'm an excellent instructor."
Ambrose is being so formal and it makes me wish he didn't have that pesky brain back. He puts on a waltz to start. I am predictably awful and step on his toes every few minutes.
"Ow! Watch it there doll!"
"I'm sorry Gli-Ambrose. I'm just not any good at this and hey you called me doll..." I am smiling but Ambrose looks horrified.
"I'm sorry Princess. I meant no offense..."
"No! I want you to call me doll and DG and anything but Princess or Highness. I want it to be like it used to when we were friends."
"DG, we are friends. It's just since I got my brain back everyone expects me to be Ambrose the Queen's advisor but inside I still feel like plain old Glitch."
"I don't expect you to be anyone but yourself. And I really just want to be DG again." I jump up on my toes and hug him. At first he is stiff but soon he wraps his arms around me and squeezes until I squeak.
"Oh Deege, I've missed you and I want you to call me Glitch. It'll be my nickname only my friends call me."
"Of course friend. Now, what are we going to do about my total lack of coordination?"
"Rhythm comes from the soul dollface. You just need to reach for it. Let's try this with a different partner so that I can observe where you're going wrong. Colter, come be DG's dance partner."
Colter, who had been standing guard at the end of the room walks slowly over to us as if he is walking up to the gallows. I know that Colter is just getting used to calling me DG when no one else is around and is probably uncomfortable with the though of actually touching me. Colter and I assume a formal dance position and Glitch starts the music again. After about the twentieth time I stumble and step the wrong way I call a halt to the lesson.
"Stop! Stop! I can't do this."
"Yes you can DG. You just have to stop thinking about the movements and let it flow."
"Ugh, now you sound like Tutor. If we keep this up much longer poor Colter's going to have a permanent limp."
"I'm fine Princess."
"Oh sure, let's see if you're still saying that when I break one of your toes."
"Just try one more time DG." Glitch pleaded.
The music starts again and I try my best to remember the movements. I almost immediately stumble over Colter's foot when I go left instead of right and he catches me before I fall flat on my face. Colter has his arms wrapped around me, my face is in his chest and I am gripping him arms when the door opens. Cain walks in and stares at Colter and I clinging to each other. His face remains blank but his eyes give him away. He looks angry. But why should he be angry? He is the one that doesn't want to spend time with me. He pushed me away. So why does he look like a jealous man?
"Hey Cain. What brings you here?" Glitch comes to stand beside us oblivious to the tension. I have regained my footing and push away from Colter.
"Thanks for not letting me fall Colter and for letting me step on your toes."
"No problem Princess." Unlike Glitch, Colter senses the tension in the room and backs away from me. I turn to look at Cain.
"Was there something you wanted Cain?"
"Tutor asked me to tell you that your magic lessons start tomorrow."
"Okay."
Everyone is silent until Glitch says, "Hey Cain maybe you can help us. We're trying to teach DG how to dance. Time to show us your moves Tin Man."
Glitch starts the music and pushes Cain and I together so that I thump against his chest. His arms automatically come around me to steady me.
"Come on you guys, let's dance."
At first I just stand there, waiting for Cain to make the first move. His arms adjust so that one of his hands is in mine and the other is on my waist. I move my other hand to his shoulder. I look up to see his face and he is staring me straight in the eye. He hasn't done that in what seems like forever and I can do nothing but look back. Cain and I gently sway with the music and I'm not thinking about where my feet should be. His eyes are no longer angry. They look happy. But that can't possibly be right. Cain can't be happy to be dancing with me. He doesn't even like me anymore. Somehow we have become less than an inch apart and Cain's hand has moved to the small of my back where he used to put it when he escorted me to my room at night. God I've missed that hand. I decide that this is as good a time as any to try and figure out what Cain really thinks about me because if the wandering hand is any indication he thinks of me as more than a friend.
"Cain, how have you been?"
"I miss you DG."
Whoa. Apparently we're just going to jump right into it.
"I've missed you too Cain." I let myself smile at him for the first time in a month. "I miss talking to you and hugging you and I care about you Cain. I thought you cared about me too."
"I did DG. I do."
"Then why did you push me away? I understand that you can't be my personal guard because you might get distracted but why won't you even spend time with me anymore?"
"I'm trying to protect you DG." And there goes the eye contact. He's looking over my shoulder now and the distance between us is growing.
" Oh no you don't Cain. You look at me!" I close the distance between our bodies so that we are pressed together. His eyes shoot back to mine.
"What do you mean protecting me?"
"DG you're a Princess soon to be Queen of the OZ and I'm a rusted up old Tin Man. I have a son almost the same age as you. You deserve someone better."
"What if I don't want someone better? What if I want you?"
"It wouldn't work DG. The people would never approve. You'll find some young Earl to marry someday, someone who isn't so... broken."
"No Cain. I won't be happy with some young Nobleman and if anyone knows about being broken it's me. I want you Cain. Just you."
"I'm sorry DG. I know you feel close to me because of everything we went through together..."
"No Cain! I know what I feel and I know you feel something too."
Our heads are only a few inches apart and I start to close the distance when we both realize that the music has stopped and Glitch is talking.
"...really. Absolutely beautiful. You two are a natural pair."
Cain abruptly lets me go and steps back.
"I've got to go. Glitch, Colter, Princess." With a nod to each of us he turns to leave.
"Cain wait..." I put my hand out but he keeps walking.
Glitch, oblivious to my heartache says, "Well that's enough for today I guess. Good job DG. You and Cain are going to look perfect together at the Ball."
I just nod my head too busy trying to keep in the tears until I can escape to my room and cry in private.
"See you later Glitch. Thanks."
"No problem doll."
I run out of the room and barely make it around the first corner before I break down. I slump against the wall and slip to the ground. I am crying so hard that I don't notice Colter sit down beside me until he puts his arm over my shoulders. I start at first but then I turn my face into the shoulder he has offered and continue to cry.
"What's wrong with me?" I hiccup.
"Nothing DG. He's the fool." I look up startled that Colter knows what I'm blubbering about.
"I'd have to be blind and deaf to not to see the connection between you and Commander Cain. That's why you take my arm sometimes. You never need any help walking unless Cain is around. I can understand why you'd want to make him jealous though. He's an idiot."
I laugh, wiping away my tears. "Oh thanks Colter. So I'm in love with an idiot then?"
"Looks that way. He's got the love of a young, beautiful, brave woman and he just walks away. That says idiot to me."
"Me too. But I do love him. What am I going to do?" Colter helps me to my feet.
"Well the jealousy thing seems to be working. I swear he was going to hit me when he walked in on us dancing. And the next minute he was wrapped around you."
"You're right and you're also a good friend Colter." I reach up and hug him. He is still a little uncomfortable with my random hugs but he returns this one.
"Thank you DG. You know, you're not like other Princesses. You're definitely one of a kind."
"Why thank you Colter. Now let's go figure out how to make Cain insane with jealousy."
"Why do I have the feeling this is going to end with me having a black eye?"
I laugh and we walk arm and arm down the hallway. Things are starting to look up.
Author note: Thanks for the feedback folks. It's the air I breathe. I know I'm a bit slow with the updates but I'll keep trying. In the next chapter there will be less of the Cain/DG interaction and DG will be taking magic lessons with Tutor. If you have any ideas for a funny Other-Side saying that might confuse the OZ people let me know. I'm trying to work some in but it's hard. I thought the Wheaties bit was funny though!
