According to Glitch, Cain was possessed of much psychological baggage. This baggage came in the form of a massive Boy Scout syndrome, bitter pessimism, and paranoia… a lot of paranoia.
Paranoia that Cain felt was justified. Especially, since the moment he walked into the foray of the headcase's (former!) impressive laboratory the first thing he saw was Azkadelia and Raw in whispered conference. Every few seconds they'd give Ambrose's office a furtive glance.
That couldn't bode well.
"Your highness." Cain said with a pleasant smile. He gave a seeping bow. "Raw." He nodded at the viewer.
The elder princess and her furry companion started at the sound of his voice.
"Cain," The viewer nodded and smiled wide and fake.
Az gave a high pitched giggle. "Sir Wyatt! How…unexpected."
The lawman looked from one worried face to another. People only got that expression around him, an expression that was one part terrified and one part baffled, was when Az's sister did something they knew would make him explode.
Az gave the office another surreptitious peek.
And the only thing more likely to give him a coronary was when DG teamed up with Glitch for what she liked to call adventures.
There was a reason the people had taken to calling DG their 'Princess Errant.' And by errant they did not mean delinquent (though sometimes that fit), no they meant it in a specific context. a context such as knight errant.
Cain wondered if it was too much to ask for DG to let him to slay a few of the dragons she found; or to at least let him watch her back.
Raw gathered together his newfound courage and addressed Cain, "Raw make one point."
Cain and Az looked at him expectantly.
"This not Raw's fault!" with that out of the way he folded his arms around himself with a huff.
Cain's scowl left Raw and fell on Azkadelia. She offered him a weak smile.
"Tea!" the elder princess said abruptly. "Would you like to take tea with me ambassador?" she asked Raw, her eyes pleading.
Raw blinked at her for a moment. Sometimes when people called him ambassador he still looked behind him in confusion for whomever they might be addressing. "Raw delighted." He gravely held out an arm.
Az took it in shear relief and the pair swept out the laboratory door.
Cain glowered at their retreating backs. Raw hated tea. He had said so on a number of different occasions. He held that it tasted like boiled skunkweed.
A delighted female laugh fell on his ears and despite himself; Cain felt his own lips quirk up. On their strange passage through the O.Z. DG had been so solemn and now to hear her let go so joyously was impossible to get enough of.
Ambrose's office was large and spacious and meticulously neat like his entire laboratory. It sported shelf of various things that beeped and a large polished desk roughly the size of a small duck pond. Behind the desk was a painting of the lush and ardent countryside of Win-Kia in which a scarecrow was depicted keeping watch over an endless cornfield.
Wyatt Cain's smile faded at the sight before him. DG was dancing about spastically only to stop every few minutes to grab Glitch in an enthusiastic hug and to cover his unresisting face with kisses.
Cain's face was a downright grumpy when he saw the reason for all the affection she was doling out so generously to the scientist.
It stood on the plush carpeting like some unholy sculpture of steal, black paint and leather. It was DG's beloved motorcycle. It had blown over in the same Travel Storm that DG had traveled on in the beginning.
"No." Cain said flatly.
Ambrose covered a grin with his hand. He'd bet anything that the bike wasn't the only reason for the lawman's ire.
A familiar air of stubborn filled DG's eyes. "Sir Wyatt," she said with great dignity. "You are not now. Nor have you ever been the boss of me." DG smiled sweetly at him. She'd been working on her princess-isty. She just about had what Az called 'the voice of total confidence' down.
"You don't seem to understand, kiddo." He smiled at her wrinkled nose. She hated being called that. "You are not going to zoom around the O.Z. on that deathtrap."
DG snorted, "I've been riding around on that 'deathtrap' since I was sixteen. I'm not in any danger." She smiled smugly. "Besides, it's not like you can stop me."
Cain wondered for the umpteenth time what her reaction would be if he turned her over his knee and gave her the spanking she so richly needed at times. Sometimes he thought it would be worth being thrown into a cell for putting hands on her royal person.
"Just keep testing me, highness and I guaranty you a response," Wyatt bit out.
DG rolled her eyes, "That would be what is known as an empty threat."
"If I might interject," Ambrose asked leaning against his desk.
"No!" this came from both the Tin Man and the princess.
Ambrose twitched into his Glitch persona, "Hey, were all friends here. At least I think so."
He flung his exuberant arms over two combative sets of shoulders, "If you would both simmer down long enough to take in my beyond brilliant addition's to DG's bike…" His time with half a brain had really made him more modest.
"You'll notice I've tricked this baby out with a fab new engine. It now runs without all that messy fossil fuel. And twice as fast!" Glitch tried not to cower at Cain's low growl.
DG laughed.
Now was probably a good time to get to the part that would disarm the two antagonists.
"Did I mention that I provided a force field that will protect our girl no matter how fast her little heart desires to go?" Glitch had a hopeful smile.
"I suppose that's alright," muttered the Tin Man.
"Are we all friends again? No more verbal gladiator contests?" Glitch asked bumping two different hips with his own.
"I guess," DG said carefully not looking at Cain.
Cain did not look at DG just as carefully, "Fine."
