Chapter Three
DG's eyes widened in amazement as she watched Emma's Cain's hands speedily crochet a complicated pattern into the cowl she was making. Not only did the various shades of purple, rose, canary and blue fade into each other as if mimicking the brightening sky above them, but the pattern with which the delicate threads were woven together was like a fine lace-like silk in its intricate quality. DG was awestruck,and seemed completely oblivious of her original mission when she arrived at the stall early on the next cycle's market day. So while Addy bustled about the stall, setting up their wares for the coming day, DG had sat herself close to Emma, and took to holding a skein of thread for Emma while she put the finishing touches on the piece.
"Woah," DG murmured as Emma finally stopped and held the finished piece aloft, "that's really pretty."
Emma sat the piece back down on her lap suddenly when her proud smile turned quickly into a wince, and she rubbed her hands together in obvious pain when she replied, "Well, I don't know that's court worthy, but I'm obliged to you all the same, DG." When DG reached forward and grabbed Emma's hands, closing her eyes in concentration while she worked to provide some magical relief to Emma's joints, Emma filled in the uneasy silence with a small curiosity that had been on her mind. "I certainly hope you haven't gotten yourself in trouble by coming to visit us without more than one guard. How did you convince your parents to let you out of the palace so early anyway?"
DG shrugged her shoulders and replied casually as she released Emma's hands, "I dunno. Mom is always pretty busy, of course, but neither she nor Dad seems to mind if I go out. As long as I take Thomas." She paused to gesture to her rather unimpressed looking guard, who fixed her with a somewhat skeptical expression, and her eyes drifted to the roof of the stall as her mouth twitched guiltily and she added with a sigh, "As long as I don't run off again."
"I thought so," Emma chuckled, "that doesn't sound too much different than a few of the conversations I used to have with my son when he was a boy. Didn't really mind though, to tell you the truth, since he was always late coming home because he was helping someone. I didn't think that boy would make any time for fun until Addy and her brother showed up. Then I couldn't wait for him to have a few adventures."
When Addy scoffed behind them, Emma and DG exchanged a smile, DG's turning somewhat sly as she turned her attention to the younger of the two women to ask abruptly, "Addy, do you love Cain?"
Addy's arms were full of Emma's work, and she fumbled them nervously as she stopped suddenly in her tracks. Her eyes became suddenly wide, and her mouth hung open, and she continued to struggle with righting herself while her eyes darted nervously between the small princess and Wyatt's mother. "I, um. I," She stammered uncertainly, "I don't know how to answer that question." She then averted her eyes from Emma and rushed over to the display of handwoven goods where she quickly deposited the items in her hands.
While Addy appeared suddenly busier than before, arranging wares for the market as if in a frenzy, DG rolled her eyes, and paused only to smile back at Emma, who offered DG an encouraging wink before DG opened her mouth again. "You know, love. The thing where you hold hands, and you let him kiss you and stuff." DG paused briefly to hold back a somewhat disgusted expression at this thought, which caused Emma laugh internally, and DG continued, "I mean, I'm only almost six, and I can see it. Why don't you just tell him?"
Addy stopped what she was doing and gave Emma a sideways glance while she considered her answer. Emma nodded kindly to the girl and spoke in an encouraging voice, "It's okay, Addy. We're all friends here. No one will give your secret away. Or you can keep it to yourself if you'd like, but sometimes, I find it helps to talk to someone when you're not sure what to do."
DG's earnest prodding coupled with Emma's gentle coaxing had finally reached Addy, and she turned to face the pair with a heavy sigh. Addy seemed to gaze past them while she searched for the right answer, and when she looked like she might speak again, she became suddenly choked up and began to gasp and cough. For, when she'd intended to admit what she had been feeling, the very person they'd been discussing appeared down the lane, strolling forward in the morning light with a pleasant smile on his face. He seemed casual today and had abandoned his uniform for a simple pair of slacks and shirtsleeves and carried a sack in one hand that he slung over his shoulder while the other was fixed firmly in his pocket as he walked. He seemed so at ease, that a part of Addy wanted to run to meet him, and this made her throat suddenly close. Then the panic swept through her in a rush, causing the coughs that filled the air where her voice should have been.
Wyatt's carefree expression melted in an instant, and quicker than DG and Emma had realized he was even nearby, he'd already rushed to Addy's side, only pausing long enough to gently deposit his satchel on the dusty ground before he took her hand in his, "Adora, are you alright?" Wyatt asked in an anxious voice as he helped Addy into the chair vacated by DG.
DG stepped back to watch the scene unfold, curious to see for herself whether the affection that she just knew Wyatt had for Addy was so subtle that it could explain Addy's reticence or not. Her concern for the young woman had faded by this point, of course, since Addy's coughing had subsided, and she sipped slowly from a flask of water that Emma had handed her while Wyatt continued to fuss like a mother hen.
"I'm alright, Wyatt, I swear. I just had a tickle in my throat all the sudden from the dust. I'm sorry I startled everyone." Addy finally spoke between sips of water, while she looked sheepishly up at the young man whose expression had yet to clear. "Thank you for the water, Mrs. Cain," she ended graciously, adding a small smile for the woman who held her gaze with a kind smile of her own.
Emma nodded and her warm eyes seemed to intuit the young woman's discomfort, and flicked quickly to her son, who she swatted lovingly on the shoulder when she spoke in false gruffness, "Oh, stop being such a fussbudget, son. You'll make Addy self-conscious." When he straightened to fix his mother with a raised eyebrow, she grinned and opened her arms and with a laugh. "Give me a hug, Wyatt. It's been too long since I've seen you."
Wyatt happily slid into his mother's embrace, and easily dwarfed the small woman with his height and the way his arms completely encircled her when he squeezed her warmly. "Hey Momma," he greeted his mother at the close of their hug. "How have you been feeling lately? Are your hands still troublin' you?"
Emma's eyes narrowed and she swatted his chest before she replied warningly, "Now don't start doin' my job for me, Wyatt. I'm fine." She paused when her son huffed unhappily, and she arched an eyebrow at him as she turned the interrogation on him, "Now, not that I'm not glad to see you, but I'm guessing that you weren't just strollin' by."
Wyatt's expression finally broke when the corner of his mouth curled upward, and he turned to retrieve the sack from the ground, handing it to his mother while he explained. "Well, there's no easy way to say this," he hesitated slightly and paused to scratch the back of his head, and continued only after expelling a dramatic huff, "but I got a promotion."
Emma and Addy's faces lit up, and Wyatt happily searched their faces while they both babbled in excitement. He laughed as he waved them both down to explain, "Hold on there, I told you all so you'd understand why I brought so much extra inventory for the booth." His eyes flicked on the young princess standing in the back of the stall with a smirk on her face, and his eyes narrowed somewhat on her while he explained, "I accepted a position on the Mystic Man's protection detail. I start next week, and since I'm going to be pretty busy, I thought I would try to knock out as much as I could just in case I don't have much free time."
Emma's eyes were misty, and she hardly had a voice when she wrapped her son in another hug. "Oh son, I'm so proud of you," She whispered to his chest, sniffling all the while and stepping back only to wipe her eyes.
A cue seemed to form behind Emma, with Addy and DG both vying for the opportunity to offer Wyatt congratulations. Addy had been slow to move, her eyes still watching Wyatt in uncertainty while she sat clutching her flask. Her hesitation was born out of the unknown, and while she was happy for Wyatt, a pit had formed in her stomach caused by the small voice in the back of her mind niggling her that she'd already missed her chance with him, and he would become just as absent as her own brother had with this new job. DG was not so worried, however, and grinned wide at the lawman when she stepped into his periphery and jutted her hand out in a congratulatory manner.
"Congratulations Mister Cain," DG offered brightly.
Cain smirked at the small girl and took her hand, allowing her to shake his hand like she was going to take his arm off. "Thanks kid," He laughed all the while, and he kneeled down to her level and added softly, "after all, it was your stunt that got me the job."
DG searched the man's seemingly serious expression, and she caught a twinkle in his eye that belied the humor behind his words, "Nah," DG answered nonchalantly, "Uncle only wants the best. Besides, I wasn't really lost Cain. He knew where I'd be all along."
Cain raised himself back up to full height and eyed the princess suspiciously. These mages. What a tricky bunch, he thought with a slight frown, shaking his head at the girl all the while. He had already considered that there had been some angle behind the Mystic Man's offer of employment, but the fact that Princess Dorothy was again present at his family's stall, making fast friends with his ma and Addy, only seemed to confirm it. There was some greater intent to it all, for as impish as both the Mystic Man and his niece seemed to be, there was purpose behind their blue eyes, and Wyatt was suddenly uncertain if he really wanted to find out, given the girl's apparent penchant for mischief. For now, he would take the girl's compliment at face value, but he suspected that he'd somehow signed up for a much bigger task that just guarding the Mystic Man.
He wiped the skeptical look off his face though, for Addy had finally arisen from her seat, and had stepped forward to offer her own wishes. Wyatt found that he couldn't seem to concentrate on anything any longer, and the expression on Addy's face seemed to cause Wyatt's stomach to flip while he wondered what she really thought of his new job. He worried internally that she was somehow disappointed, for her eyes seemed to have trouble meeting his, and the slight downturn in her mouth threatened to turn into a full-blown frown.
"Addy," Wyatt gently spoke, his eyes fighting to capture hers, which continued to dart downward as she stood before him, "You haven't said much. You're not unhappy, are you?"
Addy's eyes finally met his, and she allowed a small smile to brighten her face when she replied in an almost chiding manner, "Of course I'm happy for you, Wyatt. I'm just worried about your ma –"
"Not now Addy," Wyatt cut in quietly, his eyes speaking volumes as they darted from the small dark-haired child watching them still to his mother. "But I promise I won't disappear on either of you."
Wyatt's expression when he'd uttered this oath was in deep seriousness, and he'd held his mother's gaze for most of it, only meeting Addy's eyes at the end, showing her the depth of pain that he had been holding so close to the vest. Addy unlabored a sigh and nodded then, finding it difficult to argue when it wasn't her mother that she was defending, it was his. What was more, she felt suddenly silly for having said anything at all, since Wyatt hardly needed reminding, and had just about worked himself to the bone in the last four annuals to help her. It was just her anxiety speaking, she knew, and she would have to accept Wyatt's earnest vow for what it was. He'd never broken a promise to her or anyone else, she reminded herself, unlike her own brother who was a mercurial as the weather.
With that issue seemingly settled, Wyatt sighed. "Well, I gotta get going. Looks like the market is about to open, and I don't want to get caught in the crowd. I've still got a lot to do before I go on shift today." He paused to kiss his mother on the forehead, and ruffled DG's hair with a chuckle on his breath, adding as he began to exit the booth, "I'll be seein' you all soon. Stay out of trouble, kid."
DG offered the retreating man a jaunty salute as he departed, her face a picture of mock seriousness that he could only grin at before he turned around and ambled away. DG's childish importance should have been enough to make even Addy smile, but her eyes were still trained on the man as he disappeared around the corner. Another heavy sigh left her, and her blue eyes flickered back onto Emma and DG's when she admitted painfully, "The truth is, DG, that I think I do love him, but he always treats me like a little sister. I don't see that he'll ever feel any different about me than he does now."
DG plopped herself back into the chair vacated by the anxious young woman, being careful to swipe a box from the display of the Tin Man's work. Although mildly distracted by a puzzle box in her hand, giving the small, carved object a concentrated frown while she fiddled with it, her eyes lifted from her work to eye Addy carefully. She then suddenly stopped her mental study of the curious object to scoff in response to Addy, before she resumed her study of the box. "I guess so," DG finally replied, adding with a sly smile, "I can't see someone as totally in love as him is acting any different."
DG paused to fix Addy with her wide, challenging eyes, and Addy shook her head with a laugh, "DG, how could you possibly know? You're just a kid."
DG's expression grew indignant and she jumped to her feet and fixed her hands on her hips when she replied defensively, "Look, I know, I'm just a kid, and I think this lovey dovey stuff is totally gross, but I know what I saw. He loves you. He just about threw himself at you when he thought you were in trouble." DG paused to recollect something personal, and she giggled when she added almost to herself, "Ambrose has been like a brother to me and Az all our lives, but its Az he treats like she's some kind of precious doll. I'm just the snot nose little sister to both of them."
Emma had been conspicuously arranging Wyatt's inventory on the back table, and avoided adding anything while DG was speaking. In all her annuals, she'd learned that children were, by far, the better judges of human nature, and since their social filter was ordinarily undeveloped, they were often much more adept at pointing out their findings to anyone who would listen. It was only when Addy continued to question the young princess that she finally stopped what she was doing and turned to face the girls fully.
"She's right, Addy." Emma offered gently, "Wyatt's been over the moon for you for ages. He's just always been so sensitive. I think he's afraid you may not feel the same, and he doesn't want to damage your friendship by saying anything. You mean so much to him. To me. I don't think he could take it if you said no to him."
Addy dropped into DG's chair. Her eyes were wide and faraway, and her face suddenly pale as she absorbed this information. "Am I really so blind?" She searched DG's eyes specifically when she finally understood just how transparent she and Wyatt had been. DG nodded silently and Addy asked with even more urgency, "But what do I do now? He said it himself, he's going to be so busy in the next cycle or two that we may not see him very much. How am I going to tell him? Is this something I can put in a letter?"
DG's frown became thoughtful, and Emma watched with moderate amusement as the small girl paced across the small space, taping on her chin while she chewed on her lip. Then she stopped and swung around to Addy and exclaimed brightly, "You get him a gift. You know, like, a 'congrats' kind of thing. Mom does that all the time. People love it."
Addy leaned on her knees and her brow furrowed as she too began to concentrate hard. This meeting of the minds caused giddy amusement to bubble up within the older woman, and Emma had great difficulty maintaining a straight face. For, it seemed like an age ago that she'd pined over a young man, and he'd left this world too soon, long before age and circumstance crumpled her small body. It was a nice reminder of such a bygone era, and for a moment, she felt as if she were a girl again herself and reveled in the enjoyment of watching Addy and Wyatt's romance bloom. She continued to work then and listened only passively as the girls plotted together.
"What do you think he'd like?" Addy asked no one in particular as her own thoughts formed.
There was an audible gasp from the little girl, and she cried out excitedly, "He needs a hat! I noticed he winces in the sun, and he should look cool when he starts working for Uncle. Yup. A hat."
"Really?" Addy replied incredulously, and her blue eyes scanned everyone's faces, still uncertain if it was an appropriate gift for the occasion.
Emma and DG both shrugged noncommittally, causing the young woman to huff in defeat. She'd almost given up altogether, but for the gentle clearing of the otherwise silent guard that stood in the far back corner of the booth. "Um, if you don't mind me saying," Thomas cut in kindly, "but I think the princess has a real nice idea. She's right. He seems real uncomfortable in the sun without a hat. He might like somethin' to make him look real sharp for his new assignment."
DG winked at Thomas before her eyes roved back to Addy, a smug smirk emerging as she swung her head slowly around. "See," she commented childishly, causing the other women to smile in turn.
"Well, now that that's settled," Emma finally cut in with a put-upon sigh, "you've got some shopping to do." She handed Addy a satchel and shoved her out of the protective cover of the stall, and she laughed as she added, "and don't come back without a hat. Take the little one and Thomas with you if you think you'll need help." Addy was clearly speechless, and gawked at Emma for a moment while she absorbed her instructions, and smiled sweetly when Thomas and DG wordlessly stepped forward to follow her. As DG passed the older woman, Emma placed a hand on the young girl's shoulder and kneeled carefully before her. "Thank you, DG," She murmured to the girl.
DG bit her lip to stem the smile forming, and she nodded in reply while Emma continued to speak, "You're a good friend to Addy and my son. I'm grateful."
"You're welcome Mrs. Cain," DG replied sweetly.
Emma took DG's hands in her own, and she squeezed them before she spoke again. "I hope I can return the favor one day, but if not, I want you to know how very special you are to me. To all of us. Okay?"
DG grinned wide and hugged the woman with a sudden, careful warmth that the older woman could do nothing more than accept it with a contented groan. Then she was, just as quickly, gone and racing to catch up with Addy. They were still close enough that Emma could hear Addy ask thoughtfully, "but how am I going to get it to him, DG?"
To which DG replied conspiratorially, "Don't worry about it. Just make sure you bring it with you to the next market day."
Emma smiled broadly, and her heart seemed to swell a little as she watched them leave. A feeling of overwhelming gratefulness swarmed her for the two girls who had wandered into her life, who felt oddly more like daughters than friends or strangers.
