Thanks for your patience, my life has been a little crazy lately, I broke off my engagement last week and the ex is moving out and blah blah blah. Anyways, now to the part you're interested in!

Thanks to all who reviewed! Special thanks to Ginnia for planting this little Az/Lavender plot idea in my head a while back...

It was a rainy afternoon. Dark clouds had covered the sky all day, finally exploding around noon in a downpour. It had softened to a depressing drizzle by the time Azkadellia arrived at the library with her paper and pen.

She had completed a rough draft, but kept struggling with a few sentences she was not happy with. She wrote another copy, changing some words around. Unsatisfied, she crumpled it up and tried again. When Ambrose entered twenty minutes later, she had a small mountain of discarded paper on the floor next to her chair.

"How is it coming?" He asked, eying the paper pyramid with amusement.

She glared up at him from her current copy.

He put his hands up in mock surrender. "Okay, okay. What's giving you trouble?" As he pulled up a chair next to her, she slid the letter over to him.

"The end. I need a word here."

Ambrose studied it for a moment. "Favor. And change this one to 'fulfill'."

Az's eyes narrowed in concentration. "Yes." Her pen scratched out what was written. "Okay, now read the whole thing."

He picked up the page and started reading from the beginning.

Dear Mother,

I feel there are many things that have been left unsaid between us since the defeat of the witch, and I wish to get some of them off my chest.

I missed you so much, Mother. It hurt immeasurably to see the things the witch was doing to you and our family. I could see, hear, and feel everything that was going on, but I was merely a spectator in my own body. It was like a 16-annual long nightmare.

I feel the need to apologize often for things the witch has done, but a friend made me promise to only ask forgiveness for things I had control over. I will then say that not a day goes by that I don't wish I had followed my instincts, thrown little DG over my shoulder, and carried her bodily from the cave. I fought the witch fiercely at first, but after DG's death, I realized it was pointless. I couldn't even stop her from murdering my sister. I gave up. One question has been eating away at me since that day. I don't mean to affront you, but I need to know. Why didn't you fight for me? In all my years, you never tried to exorcise the witch. It was as if you believed me to be an acceptable loss.

Being alone in my head again after the witch's demise was shocking at first. The adjustment to a normal life has been challenging for me, particularly since my face was the one that oppressed the OZ for the last several annuals. Perhaps that is the reason you avoid me so? I am sorry that I don't seem to be meeting your standards of late. I do try to please you, and I am doing well in all of my lessons.

I am beginning to think that perhaps my actions are not to blame, but that you will forever associate me with the witch. I understand that I can never become Queen, but I would be distraught if my own mother could never look me in the eye again.

How can I regain your favor, mother? I see you so affectionate with DG and try not to be jealous, but you haven't touched me since I was 15. I am sorry that I don't fulfill your expectations. Please tell me if there is anything more I can do.

I always have been, and remain

Your loving daughter,

Azkadellia

"It's very good." He said as he reached the end.

"Do you think she'll respond to it?"

He looked at her earnestly. "Az, I know you don't think so, but she does love you. Just wait and see."

Even though she was still skeptical, she nodded.

They sat together as she wrote out a final draft in her neatest handwriting. The completed letter was carefully folded into thirds and tucked into Az's pocket.

She sighed, and turned to face Ambrose.

"Sometimes I wish I had just turned and run from the cave. Just left DG. Then she would have gotten the witch. Maybe then I could have been the daughter drawn to the light." She mused before her face turned serious. "I know that makes me sound terrible."

"No, it sounds like a perfectly normal thought to me. Az, have you ever thought that maybe you are the daughter drawn to the light?"

Her brow furrowed in pure confusion. "That's not possible."

"Isn't it? Who was it that heard the witch from outside the cave?"

"Well, Deej, but-"

"And who needed help using her light magic?"

"Again, Deej, but-"

"So, logically, who would most likely be the dark one?"

She was silent for a moment as she drifted into her thoughts. "I never thought about it that way."

He looked at her, grinning slightly, before he turned his attention back to the letter. "Are you going to give her the letter today?"

Snapping back to the present, she scratched her head. "I think I'll leave it in her study. I hope I'm not making a mistake." Her chair legs dragged across the floor as she pushed away from the table and stood up. Ambrose followed suit.

"No matter what happens, at least you've told her how you feel, right?"

She nodded, still worried, avoiding his gaze.

He stepped closer to her, and she looked up as he reached out and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "It'll be okay, I promise, Az."

His hand lingered for a moment against her skin. Her heart started beating twice as fast as she realized just how close he was. That look in his eyes made her want to dissolve. He paused for a moment, giving her a chance to back away. When she didn't, he leaned in and gently brushed his lips against hers. All of Azkadellia's worries suddenly disappeared and he was the only thing in her mind. She immediately responded, kissing him back. It was so gentle, so unlike anything she had experienced in the past sixteen annuals.

It was then she knew he was right – no matter what happened, as long as she had him, everything would be okay.