Chapter Two

Cain waited outside of the Queen's offices, waiting for his son. Jeb was back from trying to rally the resistance fighters flung wide across the country. The hope was that they would promise their allegiance to the House of Gale. Cain didn't hold out much hope for that. In the last month, he'd heard things. The people of the OZ were upset about the lack of justice doled out for Azkadelia's crimes against them. The fact that her head was still attached to her body offended some people.

He could feel a Civil War brewing. Could hear it on the streets of Central City. Skirmishes dotted the country thanks to the few legions of the witches followers that were left, but the grumbling of the Ozian people was worse. The monarchy was quickly wearing out its welcome and if the Queen couldn't figure out a way to reunite them under her rule, Cain didn't think the royal family would be in power much longer.

He'd heard that Jeb was in the castle and had let DG's usual guard escort her back to her room. He could tell she was bursting to talk to him, but he needed to see Jeb first. Cain wanted Jeb to hear about the marriage from him and not anyone else.

It had been incredibly easy to decide to marry DG. The idea had struck him almost immediately. The notion of her having to marry someone left a bad taste in his mouth. A girl like DG needed the whole deal. The romance, the love story, the devotion of a man made only for her. And she was going to lose her chance for that, because of a mistake and the propriety of the OZ. Women just didn't have babies without husbands. He didn't know how they did it on the Other Side, but here, it just wasn't done. And he couldn't stand the idea of her having to marry someone she didn't know.

Maybe that made him a sap, but he didn't care. After all she'd done for him, and the OZ, she deserved better than a cold marriage to who knew what sort of man. Cain had had his great love. He didn't have any illusions when it came to the situation. He just wanted her to have a chance at some kind of happiness with a man she at least liked a hell of a lot.

And, he had to admit that the idea of having another chance at fatherhood was too good to pass up.

The sound of a door opening pulled him out of his thoughts and he looked up to see Jeb leaving the office. He returned his son's smile and pushed off the wall he'd been leaning on.

"Father," the younger man greeted, accepting the hug his father gave him easily.

"Hello, son. Good to see you." It had only been a couple of weeks, but they'd been separated for much longer than that.

"You too. How's guarding the royals going?"

"It's been a thrill a minute." Cain told him dryly. With a look at the woman with the pencil in her hair, he steered Jeb away from the openly curious look on her face. "How are things out in the real world?" Jeb fell into step beside his father and adjust his stride to keep up with the much longer one of the other man.

"Not as good as we'd hoped. The splintered factions of Longcoats are causing a lot of trouble along the coastline. And the few resistance fighters left don't want to pledge their allegiance to the new Royal House. They don't really believe that the witch possessed Azkadelia. And they believe the Queen is releasing that story to protect her daughter."

Cain sighed. The news was just about what he'd expected.

"But that's not why you were waiting for me," Jeb said. It wasn't a question.

"No, it wasn't." As captain of the Royal Guard he would have been briefed on the situation. "We need to talk about something."

"All right." Jeb answered slowly. He followed his father out into a small courtyard. There was a fountain, silent now, and a stone bench. It was secluded and quiet. Perfect for what Cain had to tell him.

"You're going to hear soon enough, DG's in the family way."

"Really?" Genuine surprise widened Jeb's eyes and Cain could see the curiosity in them.

"Yeah. The baby doesn't belong to anybody on this side of the rainbow. It happened before she blew in here. She's just now finding out."

"Ok. That's interesting. But what does it have to do with me?" Cain sighed and sat down on the bench, staring into the stone basin of the fountain.

"I'm going to marry her." The sun was behind Jeb so he had to squint when he turned to look at him. He wasn't sure what he expected to see, but the wide-eyed, stony stare wasn't it.

"Really," Jeb said again, slowly. "Why?"

Cain sighed and ran a hand over his hair. He wasn't wearing his hat and duster, since he hadn't had to leave the palace. He could imagine what Jeb was thinking. He was sure that his son thought he was dishonoring Adora in some way. He hoped he could make the young man see he wasn't.

"She's going to have to marry. The Queen has already said so. DG seems to know that's the only way she can go now."

"So why you? Why do you have to marry her?"

"I don't have to, Jeb. I want to. And not because I'm in love with her." He said this flatly. He needed Jeb to know that. It wasn't that he didn't think he could love DG, or that he would deny the possibility. He was still in love with Adora. Jeb had to understand that.

"This is just because she needs a husband."

"Yeah."

"She's barely older than me, Dad." Jeb practically exploded.

"Age has nothing to do with this, Jeb." Cain replied sharply. Strangely enough, he hadn't even thought about the differences in their ages. It hadn't mattered.

"No, I'm sure it doesn't. The fact that you're old enough to be her father doesn't look strange at all. I mean, you'll be the envy of all the old men in town."

"Enough. You might be grown but you will not talk to me like that." Cain had surged to his feet and towered over his son.

"I'm sorry." Jeb looked anything but.

"Since it seems to matter to you, I'm not that much older than her. In case you forgot, you're mother and I married young." They were glaring at each other. This wasn't how Cain wanted this to go at all. "I'm sorry this is upsetting you. I'm trying to help a friend. A friend that helped save this whole damn country that's now about to fall apart. I think you can understand that. And if you can't," Cain bit out, fighting to keep his temper in check. "You can at least pretend long enough to stand up with me at the wedding."

"What about mother?"

And Cain figured that was the root of the problem. He'd known it would be. Telling him he didn't love DG didn't seem to be enough.

"You're mother, is dead." He still choked on the word. It still hurt to think it. He saw Jeb flinch but he didn't completely shrink from it. "And nothing is going to bring her back. I'd hope that she would understand and approve of me helping a friend."

They fell into silence then, as Jeb seemed to digest his father's words.

"I don't have to call her mother, or anything do I?"

Cain's lips twitched and he shook his head. " I think that would be a bit awkward for both of you." Jeb gave a quick grin that did a lot to settle Cain's nerves.

"I always wanted a baby sister."

"Raw says the baby is a boy."

"Even better." Jeb smiled now and slapped Cain on the arm. "I don't know how to feel about this."

"Yeah. I'm still getting used to it too." Cain admitted with a smile.

"I'll stand with you. I just hope you know what you're doing."

"Son, I never do anything without thinking it through." Cain reminded him. Jeb nodded, his doubts written clearly in his eyes. After a moment, Jeb flashed a tight smile and walked away. Cain sighed and watched him go, hoping he hadn't damaged his relationship with his son beyond repair.

IIIII

DG felt like she was swimming in quicksand. Since the night of the storm, one thing after the other had happened to her. And if she was a whiner-which she could be sometimes-she would scream and cry and holler about how unfair life was. Like finding out your life is a lie isn't enough. Then she has to find out that she's pregnant. And there was no way that the father would ever have anything to do with the baby. Because she was a princess, no matter she wasn't raised like one, she had to marry to cover her little mistake.

Like people can't count the months between her marriage and the birth of the baby.

She was going to marry Cain. Wyatt Cain. Former Tin Man and current captain of the Royal Guard. Because he wanted to do her a favor. How the hell was she supposed to pay back a thing like that?

DG felt sick and it had nothing to do with being pregnant. She was going to be trapped. Cain was going to be trapped. How could she let him do this? He was her friend and even though that was his motivation for marrying her, it was her motivation to not marry him.

So what are your options?

Did she have any? She could run away. But she had a feeling that no matter where she went, unless she figured out how to get back to the Other Side, Cain would find her.

Could she go back to the other side? She had no idea how to conjure a travel storm. Az might.

With this thought, DG left her room. She figured Cain would come back eventually and want to talk to her. She'd just make sure she wasn't around.

The silent figure of her bodyguard slid behind her. She bristled knowing he was there, but she'd given up that fight a long time ago. There was a lot going on in the OZ that her parent's were trying to keep from her, but she wasn't stupid. The country was falling part and the Royal Family was in danger. So she dealt with her ghostly guard. At least Az's rooms weren't that far from hers.

"Az, do you know how to conjure a travel storm." DG barely let the door swing shut behind her as she walked in without knocking. She'd been so lost in her thoughts it hadn't occurred to her that she should. Az merely looked at her sister with an upraised brow and set aside the book she was reading.

"I do. Not planning on leaving your Tin Man at the alter, are you?" She asked with a touch of amusement.

"He's not my Tin Man, and how did you hear about that already?" DG corrected and flopped down next to Az on the window seat.

"That dreadful woman that keeps our parents appointments told her daughter who's the maid that cleans this floor. I happened to hear her telling my guard."

"Lissy?" Az nodded and patted DG's shoulder at her miserable look. "Great. That means everybody in the castle knows by now. And the rest of the OZ should know by midnight."

"Sooner, I'd suspect if they talk as fast as Lissy."

"So, travel storm. I need one." Az's smile turned sad.

"DG, I know how to make one. But it's not magic. A machine did it. And that machine was destroyed to keep the rogue Longcoats from being able to escape to the Other Side."

If DG had thought it was impossible for her to feel more miserable, she was wrong. She was stuck. Truly and completely stuck.

"You know, little sister. There is a way to take care of your problem." Az said this carefully, slowly. She was uncertain of how DG would react and she didn't want to upset her.

"I know. I figured there was. That's just not for me." DG told her. Az nodded, smiling slightly.

"Then, if you don't want to get caught in this marriage, the only option is to run away. And I don't think you'll get far."

"I know I won't. I don't know why he's doing this."

"Maybe you should ask him. Would it be so bad to be married to him?"

DG thought about this for a moment just as she had in her mothers' office. "No, I don't think so. But I just can't imagine marrying for anything else that love."

"Unfortunately, my dear sister. Love is sometimes a commodity us Princesses don't get to enjoy. At least, he's not a stranger."

"I know, I know. I just…" DG ran both her hands through her hair and blinked back tears. "I guess I need to talk to him." She sighed and tried to smile at Az as she stood up. "If this does go through, will you be my maid of honor, or whatever it's called over here."

A look of delight washed over Az's face making DG think that at least one good thing could come out of this.

"I will. Thank you."

DG just nodded and left the room. And found that her guard was once again replaced with Wyatt Cain.

"Do you have radar or something?" Cain flashed a smile and DG couldn't help but return it.

"Where you're concerned, it would come in handy. We need to talk." DG nodded and she followed him down the hall to her room.

"You going to tell me you've come to your senses and you don't want to marry me?"

"Not hardly, kid. I'm afraid you're stuck with me." He'd meant it to sound teasing, but it was exactly what DG was thinking, only more that he would be stuck with her.

"I can't let you do this, Cain." They stood in the middle of her sitting room; much like they did the day she'd told them she thought she was pregnant. "I appreciate the gesture, but you don't want to marry me."

"You can read my mind now, Princess? You so sure you know what goes on inside of me?"

"No, I haven't got a clue." DG admitted with an irritated huff. "But dammit, if I wasn't pregnant you wouldn't be begging for my hand. So, that leads me to believe that this grand gesture of gentlemanliness is strictly for that reason. And I don't want you resenting me later."

"I won't resent you later."

"You say that now. But what are you getting out of this? A wife you don't love and a child that's not yours. How can you believe you won't resent me after this warped sense of duty you feel wears off."

"It's not a warped sense of duty. And do you want to know what I get out of this?" He took a step towards her, his eyes flashing with something she couldn't put a name too. "I get a lot more than you think. You see yourself as baggage. I see you as a brave, strong woman that needs help. Any man would be proud to be married to a woman like you. And as for that baby, if I marry you, DG, that baby is mine. Just because my blood isn't running through his veins doesn't make him any less mine." He spoke softly, his words washing over her like a balm. She could see in his eyes that he meant every word he said, but she wasn't quite ready to give in.

"Cain, if you want to be a father again. Find a woman you can love and do it that way. Have another child that is yours fully and completely. You deserve that."

"I do love you DG." Well, that was unexpected, she thought. "Maybe not like a husband should love his wife, but I don't feel like your father either. I don't know, if I have it in me to love another woman the way I loved Adora." DG had a feeling that was more than Cain had ever admitted about his feelings, ever. "But you shouldn't write me off because you think I'm throwing my life away. I don't do anything I don't want to do."

She knew that. She knew, all along, that he'd thought this through carefully. That he wouldn't just make a brash decision based on his over-protective nature towards her. He would feel he owed her more than that. If he didn't feel he could give her a complete commitment, he wouldn't marry her. The thought was humbling and terrifying.

"Ok." Cain blinked at her as the word slipped from her lips.

"Ok?" DG sighed and slid onto the couch, feeling very tired.

"Yeah. Ok. Cain, will you marry me?"

"I thought I was supposed to ask you?" He said, sitting down beside her. Without thought, she dropped her head to his shoulder.

"I'm from Kansas. They do things different over there." She snickered at the thought. Yeah, Kansas was a real daring state, all right.

"I could guess that." She could hear the smile in his voice, even though she didn't look at him. "What was his name?" She didn't have to ask who.

"Josh."

"Why did you break up?"

"It wasn't messy or anything. He was real smart and he got a chance to study abroad."

"Did you love him?" DG took a minute to answer that question, trying to find the words.

"I thought I did. He was sweet and kind and he made me laugh. But, I look at my parents, the way they look at each other and I know. I've never felt like that. The way you looked when you thought Adora was still alive. I've never had a man feel like that about me." She felt Cain's hand rest on hers and give it a squeeze. She yawned as the fatigue that was always there settled over her again. At least the nausea seemed to be taking a rest for now.

"Go to sleep, kid."

"You know, you're going to have to stop calling me that."

"Then I guess you better get used to calling me Wyatt."

"Ok, Wyatt." She tried it out, liking the way it felt on her tongue. It reminded her of gunslingers and outlaws. It had an almost rugged, romantic sound to it. She liked it. "So, just so we're clear."

She heard him groan in frustration and she giggled.

"What?"

"This is a marriage. Not just in name."

"We're partners, DG. From this moment on."

"Ok." She liked that sound of that, too.