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DG's magic was everywhere. He could feel it against every one of his senses, teasing him the very second he stepped foot inside the hedge maze that seemed to sway in a non-existent breeze, welcoming them home.

He wondered if anyone else felt it but guessed not as no one else seemed effected by the same heady sensation as he was. Raw had a knowing smile on his face, as if he'd been welcomed home, and in a way, Cain thought he had.

She'd brought it back to life in more ways than one, he realised, infusing the place with her magic in every way possible. He didn't need to ask to know the place felt different to what it had been prior to the Witch's reign but as no one else commented, he didn't think it was his place to say.

When DG herself moved to walk beside him, acceptable given he was her assigned bodyguard, he found his senses were heightened where she was concerned, and every brush of the back of her hand against hers as they walked felt like a far more intimate caress.

It was going to kill him, he decided; there was no way he was going to stay sane so surrounded by her but unable to act on the feelings the sensation created within her.

Torture came to mind, a sweet torture that was as pleasurable as it was painful.

He glanced at DG as they walked, saw a secretive smile on her face transform into something more innocent, and felt his eyes narrow in suspicion.

Oh, she knew what the place was doing to him. He wasn't sure how, but she knew.

The palace at Finaqua was beautiful, glittering in the light of the two suns. It sparkled like the surface of the water of the lake beside it, a shining beacon of light and purity.

A symbol of all things good in the OZ, even more so than Central City.

The guards on duty had been warned ahead and welcomed them inside. The Queen and Consort went to their rooms to freshen up before dinner; Azkadellia opted to do the same, tired from the journey though DG would tell him later than her sister had done little but sleep fitfully as they'd made their way there.

Glitch excused himself to review the file of communications from the Prince of IX he'd been passed from the Council members who'd conducted most of it, and Jeb and Ishta had joined him, taking a keen interest in the proceedings due to their loyalty to DG.

Raw had gone with Azkadellia, having taken on the role of protector where the elder Princess was concerned, and he was accompanied by Rafe, who had assigned himself as Azkadellia's personal guard as well as head of her security detail.

DG opted to wander around the grounds to re-familiarise herself with the family home that had always been her favourite, despite its connection to that fateful day when the Witch had been released. Even though he had little choice in the matter, there was nowhere else Cain would have chosen to be other than at her side, careful to maintain a respectful distance as they walked along the lakeside.

"Are you okay, Wyatt?" She asked quietly, stopping to face him on the edge of the shore. "You've been even quieter than usual since we got here."

He faced her full on, quirking an eyebrow as he tilted his head back to look at her under the rim of his fedora. "You should know the answer to that, DG."

"Should I?" Her expression was questioning but Cain wasn't fooled by her apparent confusion. "Have I done something?"

He took a step closer, not sure whether to be frustrated or amused when she took a step back. Tease. "You've done plenty, DG," he muttered, reaching out to keep her from stepping back again as he stepped forward. He didn't need to glance over his shoulder to know they were well out of sight of the guards patrolling the grounds of Finaqua. "I can feel you everywhere," he told her, his voice low and hoarse with need he'd been trying to keep contained. "You're in the air, in the ground, in the water. Everything feels like you."

"Oh." She went willingly when he tugged her closer by his hands on her hips, fingers digging into her flesh hard enough to mark but she was far from complaining. "I didn't think you'd feel it, too. I mean, I thought it was just me. I can feel my magic everywhere but I didn't think you... Wyatt." His name was a gasp, torn from her throat before he kissed her hungrily, deeply.

He was drowning in her, so it was only fair that he tried to drag her down, too.

He couldn't get enough of her, nor she of him. When Cain backed her up so she was pinned between him and the trunk of an old tree, DG made a keening noise at the back of her throat and clutched at him all the more, lifting her legs with minimal encouragement to wrap them around him, keeping him as close as he could get. He had one arm braced against the tree, the other wrapped around her waist, keeping her anchored to him, lost in the taste of her, the feel of her, the scent of her up against him and all around him.

It was somehow all too much and still not enough.

Common sense reminded him that they were outdoors and that there was still an unknown threat to her and her family out there somewhere, and that was enough to act as a deterrent. Tearing his mouth away from hers, Cain panted heavily as he tried to regain his senses and tried to keep DG from losing hers.

"Not here," he growled.

"You keep saying that," DG retorted, her blues eyes flashing with impatience and want and need. "Please, Wyatt."

"Tonight," he found himself promising, resting his forehead against hers even as he warred with himself. There was no way he could continue to resist her, no way he could keep fighting when they were in this place where everything reminded him of her. "I'll come to you tonight. I promise."

Her eyes went wide, her lips parting. It was all he could do not to lean in and kiss her again. "Okay." She nodded, her cheeks flushed and a pleased smile curling the corners of her mouth. "Okay."

It was a promise he hadn't planned to make but one he knew he would absolutely keep.

*\*

She paced the room, clasping and unclasping her hands in front of her.

DG cursed as she moved back and forth in front of the bed that looked far too intimidating, not to mention empty.

She should have asked for a time, demanded he be more specific.

Anticipation built inside her, burning her from the inside out. Her heart was beating overtime, her legs feeling weak though she couldn't stop pacing.

She paused when she heard the outer door to her suite open, spinning to face the door to her bedroom just in time to see him slip inside, closing the door behind him.

He wasn't wearing his duster and had his fedora in his hand. As DG watched, swallowing hard, he tossed the fedora down on her dressing table and stalked towards her.

The second their bodies collided, she knew this was it. The moment she'd been waiting for, hoping for, dreaming of.

She gave as much as she could, took as much as he gave. Her fingers trembled as she helped him undo the fastening of his holster, the buttons of his shirt. Her breath caught in her throat as he kissed her neck, his hands warm as they slid over her body over the thin nightdress she wore.

When he backed her towards the bed, she went with him willingly, her entire being focused on him. She helped him remove her nightdress and crossed her arms over her chest, feeling exposed. When he eased her arms away, fingers linking with hers, she dropped her head and waited.

"You're beautiful, darlin'," Cain murmured, letting go of one of her hands so he could tilt up her face and brush his lips gently against hers. "My Princess. My DG."

Suddenly shy, she lifted her arms to wrap around his neck, pulling him closer so she could feel skin on skin, flesh on flesh. "Show me," she whispered against his lips. "Touch me, Wyatt."

His eyes locked on hers, hands moving to her waist so he could lift her and set her down in the centre of the bed. He followed her down, covering her body with his as she wrapped herself around him, giving him everything.

Heart, body, mind and soul.

*\*

Morning came all too soon.

There was a delicious ache in her body as she stretched, a hum escaping her as she felt a warm body against hers, an arm heavy around her waist.

It wasn't the first time they'd woken up together, but it was the first they'd been so entwined, skin against skin beneath the tangled sheets. She turned in the circle of his arms to face him, pressing her lips against his in a sweet, unassuming kiss.

"Morning, Sweetheart," Cain greeted her, his voice a rumble in his chest she felt vibrate through her own. "Sleep well?"

"Mmm hmm." She stretched again, pressing against him, a devious smile on her face as he groaned and rolled them over so she was underneath him. Loping her arms around his neck, she smiled up at him. "I slept very well, thank you. How about you?"

"Best sleep I've had in as long as I can remember," he told her honestly, pressing a chaste kiss to her forehead. "But I need to get going soon, Deege. I can't be seen leaving your room this early."

She pouted up at him. "But you're my bodyguard. You're just doing your job."

"I'm not gonna be your bodyguard forever, and my replacement is absolutely not going to be doing this with you." His tone brokered no room for argument, and he arched an eyebrow at the amusement that flickered over her face. "I mean it, DG."

"Oh, I know you do. Don't worry, this is a perk that's yours entirely." She smiled again, shifting beneath him to free one of her legs so she could wrap it around one of his. "But I don't want you to go. I want to wake up like this every morning, and stay like this for as long as we want to."

"I want to do that, too," he assured, stealing another chaste kiss from her lips. "But we've slept too long to linger this mornin', DG. Your parents will be expecting you for breakfast."

"They'll be expecting us," she pointed out, tightening her leg over his when he tried to roll off her. "I'm not supposed to go anywhere without you, remember?"

"I remember, and I'm glad you do." He quirked an eyebrow. "Let me go now and I promise I'll make it up to you later, sweetheart."

She huffed but let her leg drop to the side. "I'll hold you to that, Tin Man."

He smirked and kissed her again before rolling away. "I'm sure you will." She watched him get dress, smiling innocently when he turned around, trousers on but as of yet unfastened. "Enjoying the view, Deege?"

"Absolutely." She grinned, unabashed.

He shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips even as he fought to keep his amusement at her antics from showing. Once fully dressed, he leaned over to kiss her again. "You've got fifteen minutes, then the Queen will probably send a search party."

He retreated to his own room, and DG wondered idly if he managed to sneak past the guards outside her room or didn't bother trying. After washing and dressing herself, she slipped out of the doors into the hallway and found Bran and Elliot on duty. They greeted her with genuine smiles and she found herself grateful for having people she knew with her rather than the palace guards who still insisted on observing protocol and tried to blend into the walls rather than have her acknowledge their presence.

They wouldn't have batted an eyelid at Cain leaving her room first thing in the morning, either, which was a relief as it meant there'd be no gossiping about it later.

Not that she was ashamed of it, or that she particularly felt like hiding her feelings for her Tin Man. Her family were already well aware of how she felt and if not for the upcoming visit for her potential husband-to-be, she was confident her parents would have already given them their blessing to make their relationship official in the eyes of the OZ.

Maybe one day, DG thought to herself wistfully, making her way along the hallway towards the breakfast room, aware of the guards falling into step behind her.

"I'm sorry you had to get dragged here after getting back to the city," she apologised to them both, slowing so they were a mere pace behind her. She would have preferred them to walk in step with her but knew that while they'd have had no problem if they were still out in the middle of the forest, it wouldn't be looked on favourably for them to do so in the palace.

"It's not a problem, Princess," Bran told her with a smile. "We weren't planning on being home just yet, anyway."

"No, I suppose not." She sighed at the reminder that she should still be touring the realm, though comforted herself with the thought she had made it to the South and might be able to salvage that leg of her tour while she was home in Finaqua. "I bet you'll both be glad to get back to the city, though. Get back to your own lives instead of being pulled from them by mine."

"It's our job, Princess," Elliot assured her, shrugging a shoulder when she glanced at him. "It's a nicer job than fighting Longcoats every day."

"But you must have things you want to get back to," DG persisted, warming to the subject. "A girl or guy, friends, family?"

"We're each other's family," Elliot answered, though the blush creeping up his neck suggested there was perhaps a special someone waiting for him at home. "Been that way for a while now."

"Don't worry, DG," Bran added, allowing the informality since there was no one else around. "The Captain's generous with the leave we're allowed. If we didn't want to be here, we wouldn't be."

"Well, thank you. I do appreciate it." And because they knew she did, they were all the more willing to do what they could to help her.

Approaching the breakfast room, she saw Cain standing at the doorway waiting for her. Her lips twitched but she tried to keep her smile at bay, not wanting anything to give away the night they'd spend together. His own expression was impassive as he turned to greet her, but there was a knowing glimmer in his eyes that hadn't been there the day before, and a promise that what they'd shared was just the beginning. It made her stomach flip and her pulse pick up.

No longer needed, her guards dropped back, allowing her to close the gap between herself and Cain on her own. There was no outward change in the way they greeted each other but when Cain offered her his arm to lead her into the room, DG accepted with a shy smile.

Her family were already sitting around the table when they walked into the room, all three looking up to greet her with tired smiles. Raw was there, too, sitting in the seat beside Azkadellia. DG knew it wasn't just her imagination that his dark gaze lingered on her and Cain, and again had to fight back a blush when he gave her a smile that was both knowing and full of approval.

Glitch, Jeb and Ishta were missing, which surprised her; she'd been expecting Glitch to be there as he usually was, and had hoped for an update from Jeb after he'd taken oven looking into the assassination attempt on Azkadellia.

"Good morning, my angel," her mother greeted her. "Please, join us. And you, too, of course, General. We were just discussing what we might down while we're here."

"I've no doubt you've got a suggestion or two, DG," her father added, a grin on his face.

Since it was true, DG shrugged as she reached for a piece of toast. "I was thinking we could invite some of the people I was due to meet here for a gathering of some kind. Not all of them all together," she added, seeing the look of concern that flittered across Cain's face echoed on her fathers, not to mention the alarm that flashed in her sister's eyes. "Maybe the families of those here in the South I was supposed to meet. Not enough to be a security risk, I promise."

The Queen answered before her husband could. "It's a good idea, DG. It's been too long since we saw our friends here in the South, hasn't it, my husband?"

Knowing he'd been backed into a corner by his wife and daughter, Ahamo sighed as he reached for his coffee. "It has, my love. We could ask Ambrose to make the arrangements."

"Speaking of Glitch," DG chimed in, "where is he this morning? I thought he'd be here. It's not like him to miss a meal."

"He was going through the correspondence we've had from the Prince and his people," Ahamo informed her. "For some reason, there were no copies kept of the letters Montague and Faraday sent so he's trying to figure out what was said from the responses received."

"I'm guessing he's already tried just asking them what they said?" DG enquired, rolling her eyes when her father nodded. "And I'm also guessing they simply couldn't remember?"

"Something like that," Ahamo agreed wryly. "Don't worry, Spitfire, I don't think we'll have to worry about them for long."

"Oh?" DG paused, her slice of toast part way to her mouth. "I thought we couldn't risk upsetting any of them?"

"We haven't," her mother replied, sounding a little smug. "The other members of the Council are aghast at their behaviour and have petitioned to have them removed from their position. I sent my approval of their request this morning."

"Oh." Surprised, DG set her toast back down on her plate. "Is that what you were waiting for? For the other Council members to take a stand against them?"

"It's a good thing, DG." Azkadellia's voice was quiet but reassuring as she met her sister's gaze across the table. "It means the others are on our side, that they've accepted us."

DG nodded but didn't reached for her food again. Her appetite had vanished. It was all well and good for the Council to have decided they would support the Royal Family and stand up against those who wouldn't but hadn't it come too late – and at her expense? She couldn't bring herself to be as pleased about it as her parents or sister, not when there were still so many unknown factors about what was in store. Frustration ate away at her, too, a little voice at the back of her mind ranting that if they'd stood up sooner, maybe the agreement with the Royal Family of IX could have been forgotten about all together.

Cain nudged her leg under the table, picking up on her mood but unable to question her on it in present company.

Thankfully, her parents didn't seem to pick up on her mood and were content to carry the conversation, speaking about those friends from the South they could invite along with the nobles DG had been unable to visit. Azkadellia interjected every so often, usually when prompted to remember someone from their childhood by their parents. Raw glanced at DG, concern on his face, but nodded in understanding at the slight shake of the head he got from Cain.

Just as they were finishing their morning meal, a harried looking Glitch arrived with Jeb and Ishta on his heels.

"The Prince will be here tomorrow," Glitch announced, his eyes a little panicked as he looked from DG to her parents. "He was already on the edges of the OZ when he got the letter saying we'd relocated here for the time being. He said... He said he looks forward to discussing plans for the wedding and subsequent marriage. I'm sorry, DG."

Glad she hadn't managed to eat more than a mouthful, convinced it would have made a reappearance if she had, DG gave him a small nod to show she didn't blame him and excused herself as quickly as she could.

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