The following days were stressful on nearly everyone in the castle. Azkadellia was as cold and indifferent to everyone as she was on the first day. All she did was sit by herself and talk, thought to whom she was speaking to, no one knew. The Queen had attempted to sit and talk with her, but the reply would simply be 'mother, there is no need to worry about me,' or something to that effect.
DG did eventually tell her parents the truth about what happened, all the while holding my hand. Naturally, they did not blame her any more than I did. Life had seemingly sunk into an odd routine of watching Azkadellia and attempting to make life seem as normal as possible. It wasn't until DG attempted to sit with Az outside that the evil within our walls revealed itself.
I was just coming out from a work break when I saw DG approaching her older sister, and then say something. Sensing trouble, I quickly came over just as I heard DG say "Where did those marks come from?"
"Mind your own business!" Azkadellia hissed venomously.
"Az, I'm so sorry for all that I've done. Please let me help you!"
"I said go away!"
Azkadellia smacked DG hard across the face, sending her sprawling at my feet. I helped her up and put her behind me.
"Leave her alone! Don't you dare touch her ever again!" I ordered, "Do you hear me?"
"No," she smirked, rising from her seat and swaying with every step; definitely not the walk of the Azkadellia I knew, "no, I think I'll leave that to you, won't I?"
I didn't respond, knowing she was trying to make me angry.
"Don't you think it's sick that you adore this girl so much?" she said softly, "there must be something wrong with you, Ambrose."
"He is not!" DG protested, looking around me to glare at her sister.
"DG," she smiled sweetly, "shut up."
I once again stood firmly between the two girls and glared down at Azkadellia, daring her to come any closer. Azkadellia smirked, and waved one arm in the air. Instantly, DG and I were both sent flying in the air and we landed at Tutor's feet. Tutor screamed some magical word, and a large bubble suddenly enveloped Azkadellia, who pounded her fists against it in rage.
"You can't hold me here forever!"
"Are you alright?" Tutor helped us up, and DG wrapped her arms around my waist. I nodded and simply limped inside with DG just as the King and Queen were dashing out to see what had happened.
"She needs to be contained," I said weakly, "I'm so sorry."
"Get DG inside," the Queen said, before following her husband out.
I nodded and took her to my rooms. She sat down in an armchair and I bent down to look at her. She had a scrape on her knee, which I bandaged up wordlessly.
"All patched up," I said as brightly as I could manage.
"Your cheek," she reached out for a bruise that I could feel expanding over the left side of my face, but I recoiled.
"You're thinking about what she said," DG concluded darkly.
"How could I not?"
"You shouldn't listen to her. She's wrong."
I sighed and was about to get up and walk to the bathroom to get more bandages for the both of us, but she grabbed my hand and held it firmly.
"Don't leave me," she begged, "please."
And then the tears that she'd held back the entire time spilled out, "Ow…ow…ow…"
She clutched her arm, which was badly scrapped and bruised.
"Sssh…" I gently lifted her up and carried her into the bedroom to lie down, before going to get more bandages, "hold out your arm."
She obeyed shakily, and I wrapped her arm up as well as I possibly could. Then I took care of myself.
"She's gone, isn't she?" DG asked as I looked after my own arms.
"They'll brig her back," I replied.
I gently lay down next to her and she clung to me like she did the night they'd first returned to the castle.
"Ambrose?"
"Yes?"
"You're not going to leave me?"
"What?" I asked, taken aback.
"You said you could only love some people from far away, and after what Az said to you…"
"DG, no," I said, "no, don't compare this to my family. I would never leave you. I'll never leave you."
I hugged her and held her there, letting her play with my hair the way she always liked to do.
"I like your hair Ambrose," she said quietly, twisting her fingers around one of my curls.
"You always have," I smiled down at her, "the first time we met, you chewed on it."
DG quietly laughed, though I could tell she was miserable. Hell, we were both miserable! We were silent for a few moments, just lying there lost in our own thoughts.
"Ambrose?"
"Hmmm…?"
"When we're married, will you protect me as much as you are now?"
I stared into those blue eyes and realized how scared she must be. We'd never openly discussed out future marriage before, and for her to talk about it made it seem like the world was about to unravel around us.
"When we're married, I'll protect you. I don't think I'll ever stop wanting to protect you."
"I'll look after you too," she said, and I knew she meant it and was immensely grateful for it.
"We'll be happy together."
"I know," she smiled weakly up at me, "I've always known that."
From that moment on, DG practically lived in my room. Azkadellia was kept inside the containment bubble, and we could hear her endlessly screaming in fury at being captured. DG would come to my rooms and I would distract her. Magical lessons with Tutor had stopped, so as I worked on my own inventions, I would teach her what I could about science and machines.
"Moritanium?" I asked, looking from the notes I'd been scribbling.
"Big M, little T-can amplify magical energies," DG recited.
"Very good," I nodded.
DG got up out of her seat-the green armchair closest to the fire had become her seat-to go find a book to look at.
"Advanced Chemistry Volume 3?" She read.
"Deeg, that will be far too difficult for you," I said, not even bothering to look up. I knew exactly what shelf she was at, "everything on that shelf is advanced. Try one closer to the fire place."
DG eventually located a book called The Basic Science of Farming and flopped back down in her seat to read it. Just then, a particularly loud scream erupted from Azkadellia's prison, no doubt somehow magically amplified so as not to give anyone a moment's peace. Our eyes met, and it occurred to me how weary DG looked.
"DG, why don't you go take a nap?"
She just shook her head, "It doesn't make things stop, Ambrose."
I sighed, put down my work, and got up to sit with her. She sat in my lap and curled up, playing with my hair as she always did.
"What's going to happen?" she asked quietly.
"Well," I said, "Azkadellia will be kept locked away until they find a way to drive the witch out of her, and in the meantime things will progress as normal as we can possibly make them. You may have to get a new magical teacher if Tutor is preoccupied with Az."
"And I'll grow up and we'll get married."
"We'll be happy together," I promised her and she nodded absentmindedly.
DG fell asleep in my lap, which didn't bother me, for I fell asleep almost immeditaly after. DG often slept in my rooms now as well, as far away from her sister as she could possibly get. It didn't bother me at all; it was always comforting to know that with something so horrible and evil in the castle with us, she was with me, away from it all.
"Do you want some tea?" I asked. DG, who had decided to lie down while I worked, sat up and rubbed her eyes.
"Yes please," she nodded.
I rose to go heat some water, and when I returned, DG was once again lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
"How is your machine going?" she asked.
"Um…fairly well actually. I have a few problems to work out, but the plans should be done by the end of the year…and then I can build my first attempt in the M.L.S.D."
"That's good. People will stop thinking you're a fool."
I smirked and sat on the edge of the bed, "Is that what they think of me?"
"That's why no one dances with you at parties, right?"
"Where did you hear about that?" I asked, wincing slightly.
"I hear servants gossiping. Some of them say you're crazy."
"And do you think I'm crazy?"
"You're as sane as I am."
"Deeg, that's not reassuring at all."
DG threw a pillow at me and giggled when it bounced off my head and hit the wall.
"DO I have to tickle you?" I asked mischievously.
"No!"
"I don't know…you threw a pillow at me…I don't think I appreciate that very much."
"But it made your hair go bouncy!"
"That's it!" I jumped forwards and tickled her.
"Ambrose," she giggled, "stop it!"
I did, and the kettle began to whistle, "I'll be back in a flash!"
I got up off the bed, stumbled over the pillow that was lying on the floor (much to DG's amusement) and went to take the kettle of the fire. This was normal for us now, and it was the routine that lasted for five months.