Chapter 25

"Wait...Do you feel that?" asked Cain, stretching his hand outward.

Azkadellia moved to stand by his side and mirrored his movements. After a few seconds her eyes went wide.

"It's DG... but how did you-"

Her words were ignored as he moved forward toward the gorge, peering over the side.

He could see her, a soft glow on a ledge far below and he grabbed Az's forearm.

"Is there any way you can lift her out?" he asked but she was already shaking her head.

"Force magic doesn't work like that...I could probably do it but I'll likely drop her."

Footsteps behind them alerted Cain that they were no longer alone. Commander Bowen, Glitch, and Raw came through the tunnel with a few men, weapons drawn.

"General, the enemy has retreated for now. Where is princess Dorthea?"

Cain didn't answer, and instead turned to one of the lower ranking men.

"Go get the longest ropes you can find and my horse. Bring them, as fast as you can," he instructed, taking off his coat and rolling up his sleeves.

"Cain?"

"You can get her up but you need something to stabilize her, right? I'll go down there, put a rope on us both, use the horse to take up the slack. You do the lifting, I'll keep DG from falling and the horse will keep us steady. Unless you've got a better idea?"

Az glanced down into the black void and felt ill but said nothing.

"I worry the ledge might shear the ropes," said Glitch peering over the ridge, "but there's no time to rig a pulley system and the structural integrity if the roof is questionable at best." He paused. still thinking. "In the time frame we have to work in , it'll have to do. Just one itty bitty question... where's Roquat?"

Cain gave him a meaningful look before nodding toward the ravine. "I'm betting DG took care of that little problem already." He moved to take the rope from the returned soldier and tied one end around his chest under his arms before securing the other to his horse.

He looped the coil of spare rope over his head and started down the cliff face, Azkadellia ready to take his weight should he slip. The ledge DG was curled up on was narrow but there was room for his feet on either side of her body. He knelt on one leg over her, turning her onto her back. She was still glowing and a cut over her left eyebrow was oozing but she otherwise appeared unhurt. She let out a soft moan as Cain pressed his fingers to the wound to slow the bleeding, jerking his fingers back at the heat of her skin. Her eyes fluttered open.

"Hey there, Princess," said Cain, his voice cracking on her title. She blinked a few times, focusing in on his face. Slowly the glow of her skin began to fade and a look of relief washed over her features.

"Cain!"

"There are easier ways of getting rid of me than a heart attack, sweetheart," he said smiling, one of the few full truly happy ones she's ever seen.

"Cain, I don't think I can move."

"I'm not surprised. You tore a mountain in half and then blew it up. I'm lucky you're not dead from the magical drain alone."

"Did I do it? Did I get rid of Roquat?"

He nodded and her eyes closed in relief. "But we still got to get you out of here. This isn't exactly the best place to be taking a rest." Cain removed the rope from his shoulder and secured DG to him before lifting her in his arms.

"Ready?" shouted Az from the ledge above. After a quick affirmative, he felt the slack in the rope take up as Azkadellia's magic swirled around them. It was a jarring ride, the occasional slip causing the rope to catch tight around his chest, but Az eventually managed it. He set DG down and tried to ignore the horrified look on Glitch's face as he inspected the frayed rope that had just brought them to safety. Raw examined the princess, his palm over her heart before releasing her and looking up at Cain and Az.

"DG alright. Just need rest."

Cain sighed in relief, rocking back on his heels to give Azkadellia room to hug her sister.

"General," began Bowen,"I think we should depart soon. The enemy appears to be gone but until we're certain, we should regroup. Then there is the matter of the refugees and the royal family..."

Cain nodded his assent and barked some orders to the soldiers milling around and they darted quickly to fulfill his requests. He lifted DG again into his arms and started back out the tunnel, Azkadellia and Bowen at his side. The rest of the army had made its way toward the entrance of mountain along with the occasional straggelr refugee. They parted to make way, many either saluting or falling to one knee as the four of them passed. Azkadellia's eyes darted from one person to the next, unnerved by the display.

This is different from before...but how?

Her eyes landed on the young scout she had saved during the first skirmish at the encampment, the one who had looked at her with such terror when she offered her a hand. But now the scout, flexed down on one knee, smiled as their eyes met, her fist coming up to her chest in salute.

"They do it out of love, my Lady, for you and your sister. Not fear," Commander Bowen whispered, leaning into her slightly.

Azkadellia's head whipped sharply to look at him but he just stared ahead, and Azkadellia wondered if she imagined him saying anything at all.

"You're doing what now?" asked Azkadellia, a small hint of alarm in her voice. Was it possible she had suffered a blow to the head she could not recall? Surely she did not hear her mother correctly.

"I'm stepping down," her mother repeated.

Azkadellia sat on the cot in her parents' tent, her hand gripping the metal frame.

"Do you think it wise, mother?"

"My dear, I cannot think of a better time. You and your sister have the full support of the military, you've rescued citizens, and defeated an enemy. Word will reach the far ends of the OZ and unlike last time, there are hundreds of witnesses to testify to its truth."

"But what if I'm not ready-"

"Azkadellia," spoke the queen, rising to move to sit next to her eldest daughter, taking her hands,"you have been through more than many Queens twice your age and are still standing. You are still doing your duty to your people, family, and country, even when we all abandoned you and thought you lost. We don't deserve you and yet here you are."

The Queen raised her hands to hold Azkadellia's face.

"You will be the Queen I wish I could have been." Lavendar pulled Azkadellia into a hug, which after a second's hesitation she managed to return.

"I hope you're right, Mother."