Chapter Eleven - Blow
Now what we're taking control
We get what we want
We do what you don't
By the middle of the next week, Azkedellia had begun her plan. Jeb requested, and received, the task of informing the Queen and Prince Consort that Princess Azkedellia was commandeering the main ballroom for an unknown amount of time. The Queen, who was sipping at her morning tea, did a spit-take.
Ahamo said, "Good for Azke. Lavender, we're going to have to push back the Presentation."
"I was trying to avoid that," sighed the Queen. "Tell Azkedellia it is fine, but please stop doing unexpected things. My nerves will not stand for it."
When Jeb relayed this message, Azkedellia laughed. "DG is going to love this. I'll call her tonight and let her know. Or maybe I won't."
"How is DG's project coming?" asked Jeb.
"Pretty well," said Azkedellia. "She has found two of the eight hideouts and ransacked them. Apparently, the last one was traumatic for Uncle Ambrose, so they are taking a bit of a break and helping to rebuild a village and revitalize the fields and orchards."
"That sounds like your sister," said Jeb. "You're actually relieved that DG isn't here."
"Any day now, I will be summoned to a hearing on whether I am responsible for the events of the Dark Annuals," said Azkedellia. "I do not want my sister here for that. I want to get Central City partially cleaned up before she returns home. It will make her tasks easier."
"They're holding a hearing?" said Jeb. "But why has it taken so long to run?"
"The courts have been processing the Longcoats," said Azkedellia. "I think that DG's last gown should be cherry red, like it was when she was a little girl. It will show off her passionate nature."
"You're going to give me whiplash," said Jeb, shaking his head. "Will you be prepared for the hearing?"
"I will tell the truth," said Azkedellia. "Or at the least, the truth as I know it. In the meantime, I have a Presentation to prepare and a city to destroy and rebuild. And an exile to prepare for as well."
"You're determined to do that still, then?"
"Yes. For my family, I must. For the good of the OZ."
"Do we start rebuilding tomorrow?" asked Jeb.
"Yes, we do," said Azkedellia. "I will have an explosives expert help us take down the old buildings, and then the real work will begin."
They worked late into the night, and when they went to bed both were surprised by their lack of nightmares. The next day dawned bright and clear, and Azkedellia appeared in her sitting room wearing her riding clothes before breakfast. Jeb made no comment; he knew that there was nowhere that the princess would be other than the construction site for the duration of the project. Halfway through breakfast, Ahamo arrived at the suite door.
"Good morning!" said Ahamo as he plunked himself down beside a startled Azkedellia.
"Good morning," said Azkedellia, sipping her tea. "I was not expecting you. What brings you to see me this morning?"
"We heard that you were blowing things up today," said Ahamo. "And I decided to come watch."
"I'd appreciate if you were there," said Jeb.
"As would I, really," admitted Azkedellia. "This will be my first expedition into the city. I am… apprehensive."
"You'll be fine, Azke," said Ahamo soothingly. "Your Light will protect you to some extent, won't it?"
"Not if I place priority on others," said Azkedellia. "And today, I likely will be. And I do not want anyone to be hurt from the demolition."
"Is that likely?" asked Jeb.
"Not if I have my way," said Azkedellia, her mouth setting mulishly.
"Yes, you're a Gale woman," said Ahamo fondly. "So what's the news from DG?"
"She is on her way to the third hideout now," said Azkedellia. "So it is probably for the best that the Presentation has been pushed back by a few weeks. It will give her some more time to be out and about with her friends."
"Before her Presentation, you mean," said Ahamo.
"Before she takes her place as Crown Princess," said Azkedellia, "and begins the path to being a queen of the OZ. Before I disappear from the royal court."
"Disappear?" said Ahamo, dismayed. "Your mother and I don't want you to disappear, Azke. We just got you back."
"I'll be moving to Gale House with volunteers," said Azkedellia. "For the good of this family, and this country, I must do this."
"I don't like this," said Ahamo resolutely. "Azke, please rethink this decision. For all of us."
"I cannot see another way that the succession can work," said Azkedellia. "Anyway, I will formally inform Mother sometime in the next few weeks. In the meantime, let us go down to the construction site and get this project started."
"Azkedellia, there is a place for you here," said Ahamo.
"I know, Daddy," said Azkedellia softly. "But I can't be here anymore. We should get going. Tremaine will be wondering where we are."
"You should eat the rest of your orange, your Highness," said Jeb. Azkedellia sighed, ate the last two segments of her orange and wiped her fingers delicately on her napkin. She rose and adjusted pin in her hair. Ahamo threw down his napkin and stood to hug his daughter. Azkedellia melted into the hug for a moment before her father let her go.
"Let's make this city beautiful again," said Ahamo, grinning. Azkedellia grinned back.
The three of them went down to the grand courtyard in front of the palace, passing a number of harried looking pages and officials as they went. The Gale Guard were all mounted and two hostlers held the reins of Jeb and Azkedellia's horses. A third hostler brought Ahamo's horse as Jeb and Azkedellia mounted up. Ahamo swung into the saddle and brought his horse to the right of his daughter's. Jeb took her left side, and the three of them led the procession out of the palace and into Central City.
The city itself was a muck-filled mess. The streets were caked with garbage and mud, and the walls were marred by graffiti that made Azkedellia blanch. The citizens weren't in much better shape than their city. Tattered clothes in faded colours were worn by most passerby, who stopped to stare at Azkedellia and Ahamo. The princess was self conscious; the Prince Consort ignored the stares and chatted quietly with his daughter. By the time they reached the construction site, Azkedellia was more relaxed, though still wary of those who lined the street to look at her.
Explosives expert Tremaine met them at the edge of the district that was about to be demolished. Having grown up in the palace as the child of a cook and a Gale Guard, Tremaine knew Azkedellia and had happily worked under her, demolishing bridges and rebuilding them better without the Witch really noticing. Her brother had joined the Resistance, and was now thinking of joining the Tin Men. Tremaine trotted up to Azkedellia.
"It's good to see you as yourself again," said Tremaine. "I was worried about you, you know."
"It is good to be me again," replied Azkedellia. "I was afraid that I would never be myself again."
"Welp, now that you're here, we can get started," chirped Tremaine. "I'm really excited about this. Rebuilding the city is going to be so much fun!"
"Tremaine, if I asked, could you take over this project for me?" asked Azkedellia.
"It would be my pleasure," said Tremaine. "You'd need to design the buildings and the like, but I could take 'em down and build 'em back up again no problem."
"I'll keep that in mind over the next few months," smiled Azkedellia. They reached the first block of houses. A cluster of people and luggage stood in the centre of the square that the houses looked onto. It was the most decrepit square in the entire city, and so Azkedellia had chosen to start here. Looking at the houses' inhabitants, Jeb felt a sense of foreboding. They looked ready to fight with whomever they had to in order to get their houses back. Ahamo and two Gale Guards went over to talk to them.
"Thank goodness for Daddy," said Azkedellia. "He's good with people. DG got that from him."
"I'm sure you have it too," said Jeb. "You just need to practice with it."
Azkedellia snorted. "I won't need it. But thank you for your confidence in me. Are you ready Tremaine?"
"As ready as I'm going to be," said Tremaine, rubbing her hands together excitedly. "As soon as the civilians leave, we can get started."
"I don't think they're leaving," said Jeb, eyeing the group that was arguing with Ahamo. "Your highness, you might want to go over and help your father."
"Must I?" asked Azkedellia. She looked over at the group in the centre of the plaza. "I must, I suppose. Come with me, Captain. I am going to need backup."
Azkedellia turned her horse and crossed the plaza, halting a few feet away from the civilians. She made no move to dismount, even when Jeb halted beside her. A child was the first to notice the princess' arrival. Her mother noticed immediately after, and addressed Azkedellia.
"And who might you be?" demanded the woman.
"Princess Azkedellia," said Azkedellia. "And you are?"
"Maureen," said the woman. "Haven't you done enough damage to the OZ? Do you have to destroy our homes too?"
"They are a health and safety hazard," said Azkedellia. "We will rebuild your homes together, and your daughter will have a safer place to grow up, with better sanitation. And trees."
"Trees?" said Maureen. "What good are trees?"
"They'll create shade for your daughter to play in," said Azkedellia, "and for you to walk in. It will help clean up the air in Central City."
"And sanitation?"
"We are building an improved sewage system under the city with running water in each house," said Jeb. "Princess Azkedellia herself has designed the systems, with the support of the Queen's engineers. It will make the city a healthier place to live."
"But right now, we need you to go up to the palace," said Azkedellia. "I do not want you to get hurt by the demolitions. But I will need you for the reconstruction process."
"Very well," said Maureen. "Alright you lot! Stop arguing and let's get going. The princess has work to do here, and we're holding up better houses and better sewage systems. Let's get going!"
With some grumbling, the group gathered their belongings and left, with two Gale Guards accompanying them. Jeb lifted his eyebrows at Azkedellia. "And you said you had no people skills."
"I don't," said Azkedellia. "They would have come around eventually for Daddy. Thank you for warming them up for me."
"You're welcome, Azke," said Ahamo. "Sorry that I couldn't do more for you. But we can get started now."
"That we can," said Azkedellia. "Tremaine! You can begin now!"
"Roger that!" said Tremaine gleefully. She moved everyone to the middle of the plaza and manipulated a few controls on her master control. Focusing, she pressed a button. And with a loud crash, the houses came down.
"Wonderful," said Azkedellia, levitating rubble into the backs of trucks. "Tremaine, please oversee the rest of today. I have a good feeling about this project."
"As you wish, your highness," said Tremaine. "I've got a good feeling too. See you tomorrow!"
Azkedellia nodded to her explosives expert and turned her slightly spooked horse towards the palace. Jeb and four Guards followed her. The rest stayed to help move rubble away from the area where new homes would soon come to be.
