Disclaimer: I want Cain! (Wails piteously)

She glared at the cards in her hand in utter irritation. There was no way she had lost again. This was some sort of set up. Glowering up at the viewer she grumbled accusingly. "You're cheating!"

Warm brown eyes looked back at her serenely. "Raw not cheat." He tapped his finger on the cards he had laid on the table between them indicating his victory.

"I don't believe you at all!" She pulled her knees under her so she was sitting cross-legged in the chair. She heard the door open behind her but ignored it. She was too incensed to care who had walked into the study now. "There is no way you won six times in a row without using your gift!"

Raw grinned at her. "Not Raw's fault DG cannot win children's game."

"Oh, please!" She tossed her cards down over his. "This is the most horrible game you have ever taught me."

"What are you two playing?" The Tin Man sat down in the chair next to her as he surveyed the cards.

"The worst game ever."

He shot her an amused glance with those too blue eyes that sent her heart racing. She still wasn't all that sure what to make of this man. He had nearly scared her out of her wits a few days ago when he'd come into the study so late. Then, when she hadn't accidentally stunned him, he had managed to trick his way into sitting with her. After that he had somehow managed to get her to talk, something she had sworn to herself she wasn't going to do. To top the whole thing off he had succeeded in figuring out that she didn't trust him as far as she could throw him. He had been able to work his way around that with barely any effort at all.

She was torn between annoyance over how well he had worked her out, fear over what he might do with the information, and a hesitant kind of delight that he apparently only wanted to be her friend. The experience was so novel that she had actually cornered Raw the next day and demanded an explanation as to what was going on. The viewer had simply patted her head and told her to relax. Relax! She had chewed him out for a good five minutes for that, though her heart wasn't really in it. When she was done snarling he had chuckled at her and gone to breakfast leaving her staring at his door.

Since then Cain had been anything but nerve wracking. He treated her nearly the same way her viewer did when they were alone. When anyone other than the three of them were around they both slipped back into the roles they were supposed to be in. She did it out of habit and a desperate need to keep herself as emotionally detached from her parents as possible. They were severely trying what little patience she had.

She figured the Tin Man did it to stay as invisible as possible. He couldn't do his job properly if he stuck out. She did notice how he watched her when there were other people around and his eyes often reflected his curiosity over her behavior but he had yet to ask her about anything more personal than her favorite food. That made her feel better than anything else had.

"It can't be that bad." He moved the cards she had thrown down so he could see what Raw had played to win. "Is this the first time you've played Ruko?"

She huffed. "Yes."

He hummed in the back of his throat. "You're trying to sequence them wrong."

"Huh?"

"You need to work your way out from the middle. You've been trying to get them from the biggest cards to the smallest. You won't win that way." He pointed to the viewers cards as he explained what she had been doing wrong.

She sat up straighter. "Oh." Then she glared at Raw. "Why didn't you tell me that?" He simple gave her an evil grin. She stuck her tongue out at him.

Wyatt shook his head and picked up the cards. As he began to shuffle them he gave her a smile. "Happy Birthday."

"Thanks." She was far more excited by the new set of cards he dealt her than the fact that it was her birthday. In another hour or so she was sure she would be abducted by Az and there would be no escape from the dreaded ball. She would be dressed up and thrown to the wolves. Her first court appearance in over four years was sure to be spectacularly disastrous. She began to arrange her cards in the way the Tin Man had explained.

"That was an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response." He tossed down a card in the discard pile that she snatched up.

"Because tonight is sure to be such fun." She considered her cards carefully and shooting Raw a skeptical glance threw down her own card. He quirked an eyebrow and she rolled her eyes. "Have you ever been to one of these things?"

"Not recently."

Ok then. "Yeah, well, me either. I didn't miss court functions while I was away."

"I was under the impression this was a party for you."

She cast him a glance that clearly stated he was far too innocent to be here. "You think that."

He picked up a card from the deck and set it between two others he was already holding. "Who's it for then? You apparently want nothing to do with it so why are you going?"

"It's not exactly optional."

Raw rumbled. "DG go for sister."

She sighed in defeat. "It's important to Az. What was I supposed to say?"

"How about no?" Cain was shaking his head. "Do you do everything she asks you?"

She thought that was unfair. It's not like Az asked her for much. "Considering I haven't seen her in four years I thought it would be a nice gesture considering her announce-" She clamped her mouth shut hurriedly.

Both men looked over at her and she hid her face behind the cards. "Oops."

Raw tilted his head. "DG have secret?"

"No!" She tossed a card down. "Forget I said anything!" Her sister would kill her for sure if news of her engagement got out before their big announcement.

Raw let out a soft growl of surprise at her denial and the Tin Man's eyes narrowed with a roguish glint. Before she knew what was happening he had poked her in the ribs. She squeaked in surprise. "Liar." He commented with a chuckle at her reaction. "You'd best tell." He poked her again and she thrashed sideways in the chair.

"Az'll skin me!" She whacked him with her cards.

Raw waggled a finger at her. "Tin Man get you if no confess." Wyatt poked her again to emphasis the viewers point.

"Ok, ok!" She gasped out. She had started to giggle at the tickling sensation. "But you can't tell!"

Cain pulled his hand back as he smirked. Turning her head around toward the door to make sure no one was about to burst in on them, she threw a silencing spell up with a quick wave of her hand. "Az and Ambrose are announcing their engagement at the ball."

She thought the Tin Man's eyebrows were going to disappear into his hair. "She's marryin' the advisor?"

Her viewer was watching her carefully. "Why DG not tell Raw?"

"I didn't know until we got to Finaqua."

Suddenly Cain was frowning. "That they were engaged?"

"That she was even being courted."

"You're sister didn't tell you?" He sounded bothered by that, and for some reason that made her feel better about feeling left out.

"No." She shrugged feeling disheartened. "I guess she wanted to surprise me."

"By springin' a brother-in-law on you?"

"I don't know." She didn't know what her sister had been thinking. "Az was so happy… I think she wanted me to be happy for her."

That was as far as their talk got because at that moment the woman they were talking about practically skipped into the room. "Deeg!" She cringed at her sister's tone. She was eerily perky. This was not going to end well for her. "Time to get ready!"

She glanced longingly at her cards. She only needed one more to win. "But it's only six. We still have two hours before the party."

Her sister grinned and took hold of her arm. "That's barely enough time." The heir apparent began to drag her out of the chair and she made a sad sound as she laid her cards down on the table. "Come on! We have to do your hair!"

She sighed quietly and allowed herself to be dragged from the room. "Bye." She waved a hand over her shoulder as the two men watched her being led away by her overly excited sister.

Az didn't let her go until they arrived in her sister's rooms. She spotted her own dress lying over her sister's bed through the open door and beat back her annoyance. This was a big day for her sister. She needed to act like she was supposed to. She kept that thought firmly in her head as her sister and one of her maids began to make her up.

An hour and a half later and she had bathed, been tied into her dress, had her hair put up in an intricate style that fell in strategic ringlets around her face, and had her face dabbed with makeup. To top the whole thing off her sister, who was in a stunning emerald dress, had revealed the jewelry she was going to be wearing. A beautifully made silver choker encrusted with dark blue sapphires that set off her dress was placed around her neck without the slightest hesitation before a matching pair of drop earrings were put in her ears. To top it off her sister set a thin, intricately woven silver circlet over her hair.

Catching site of herself in the mirror made her wish, for the first time, that she had never come back here for her sister. The woman starring back at her was someone she had never in her life wanted to be. She was radiating her birthright without even trying. Turning away she let her mask fall in place while she mentally prepared herself for the marathon of court politics and protocol she was about to endure.

"You look beautiful, Deeg. Happy Birthday." Her sister wrapped her arms over her shoulders and gave her a peck on the cheek before she turned to put on her own jewelry.

After smiling at her sister over her shoulder she moved to the window and stared down at the city. As Az put on the finishing touches of her outfit she let her mind go blank. She had to focus to fall into that place that kept her calm, she wasn't used to doing this anymore.

A few minutes later and there was a knock on the door. Her sister stood up from her vanity and smoothed her dress out. "Come in."

"Are you ready, Azka-D?" The advisor opened the door and after one look at her sister broke into a soft smile as his eyes locked with hers. "You are radiant."

Her sister smiled at him. "Thank you. You look very handsome." She had to agree with her sister. The tall man was wearing a beautifully made brown suit. His green vest, which matched her sister's dress, had intricate embroidery peeking out from under the coat and he held himself in a way that clearly conveyed he was used to dealing with this kind of event. She would admit to a slight bit of jealousy over that.

Reaching out he tugged Az to him and gave her a peck on the cheek. Moving away from the window she was about to edge past them and out the door when he caught sight of her. He gave her a friendly smile. "You look as lovely as your sister, Doll."

Returning his smile she thanked him for the compliment and followed them from her sisters room without further conversation. They must have been the last one's to leave the family wing because the area was unnaturally silent. By the time they got within two hallways of the main hall she could hear that the ball had started without them. No doubt people had been arriving for nearly an hour.

Reaching the outer foyer at the top of the stairs she saw her parents waiting for their arrival before descending into the chaos that awaited them in the large room. Her parents greeted them all and her father even tried to wish her a pleasant happy birthday before they were announced. She nodded at him saying nothing, her face blank. Ahamo sighed as he and her mother exited the small room at the call. Az and Ambrose were called a few seconds later and she waited her turn with dread born of knowing what was going to happen.

Then she was announced and taking a deep breath she walked to the top of the stairs and was plunged into the noise of the ball. Holding her dress carefully she walked down the stairs, she rather thought she did her etiquette teacher proud as she kept the expected smile on her face, and didn't trip or stumble. When she reached the floor her father took her hand and led her toward a group of waiting courtiers. They bowed to her respectfully but she had already seen the false smiles and could practically feel the whispers going up around the room at her appearance. Fighting every instinct to run she began to chat with them demurely as her eyes scanned the room.

She felt Raw's gift before she saw him and felt her shoulders ease out of their stiff position. Eyes jumping to a far corner she spotted him standing against a wall as he watched her and the constantly moving crowd. He gave her a small wave and she pushed her gratitude at him, feeling much more secure about being there with him waiting to spring in at any moment.

There was already music playing and it wasn't long before the boldest of the young men asked her dance. With no option but to agree she allowed him to lead her to the dance floor and spin her around. Keeping herself in check she spoke to him without interest, finding him as dull and predictable as every other man she had ever been forced to dance with. As soon as the song was over she was accosted by another young man and the whole thing started over again.

An hour later and she had managed to sneak away for some water before Ambrose dragged her out on the floor. She actually managed to relax as he led her in a graceful waltz. "You're good at this." She said with a hint of shock.

He winked at her. "It's all about rhythm, Doll." She let out a short laugh and he gave her a jester grin. "Are you having fun?"

"Are you nervous?" She shot back with a knowing smirk.

"Not at all." He seemed very sure that he was happy.

She was about to teasingly threaten his life if he hurt her sister when a man with slightly wavy, blonde hair politely asked Ambrose if he could cut in. The advisor bowed over her hand and gave her away. The tall man extended his hand and she took it without much thought. When he grasped it and pulled her into the proper dance position she jerked in shock.

She felt dark magic lance into her arm as he began to twirl her slowly with the music. Meeting his pale blue eyes she clenched her teeth in rage. He grinned dangerously when he met her eyes and silently acknowledged the fact that he knew what she did. Holding her with the utmost respect was the source of magic that had been plaguing her from afar for over a month. How he had managed to get in without her knowing, how he managed to catch her so easily in a crowd, terrified her. As he twisted her closer he leered at her.

"Hello, my beauty." She hissed at him and he chuckled lowly. "You and I need to have a talk." He turned her and his voice dropped in a deadly warning while a calm smile played on his lips. "If you try to get away before it's over this is going to end rather badly for someone in this room."

Author Note: And you thought a ball would be boring! Would I do that to you?