Curious fact: According to imdb . com Lavender Eyes was another name for Glinda the Good Witch.. therefore the queen's name is Glinda... interesting...
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So, without further ado... What you have been asking me about... Chapter Two!
To Have and To Hold
"Hello! Sorry! Excuse me! Hello!" Ambrose/Glitch hopped through the hallway dodging servants and courtiers alike as he went on a mad goose chase for the youngest princess. While jumping out of the way of one servant he crashed into a solid furry object and nearly tumbled to the floor. Large paw-like hands grabbed him and kept him away from the solid marble of the polished floor.
"Glitch okay?" A gravelly voice asked as Raw righted the former headcase. Glitch's shining curls bounced slightly as he nodded and straightened his red jacket.
"Great, thanks Raw!" Glitch was about to bounce off again when he stopped, wobbling as a result. "Hey... Have you seen DG?" The Viewer patted Glitch and stepped back.
"No... DG troubled.. Hiding somewhere." Raw said "Maybe Azkadellia know..." Glitch beamed, and bounced on the balls of his feet.
Thanks Raw!" He darted off on his mission again, leaving a bemused Viewer in his wake.
--
Ahamo stalked through the halls, wondering how the proposal had gone. He hadn't seen either Cain or DG since the day before. The suspense was killing him, he had no idea whether he'd have an elated princess or a depressed former Tin Man. A bobbing head of shiny dark hair caught his eye and he jogged over to his wife's happy-go-lucky advisor.
"Have you seen DG?" He greeted the man. Glitch looked up and gave him a big grin, but shook his head.
"No Highness, I haven't... I'm looking for her myself." Glitch informed the Royal Consort, "Although, Raw did tell me that she's hiding somewhere and that she's troubled." He shot the slipper Consort a sideways glance.
"Damn!" Ahamo muttered, "This is probably about Cain's proposal... I wonder why she's troubled, I could have sworn she loved the man." Ahamo glanced at the man beside him, looking for advice.
"I can't help but wonder if it's not her feelings she questions, but Mr. Cain's... after all, there has never been a time when he wasn't willing to protect her from anything. Maybe she thinks that he's just helping her out again." Glitch offered, proving that he wasn't the queen's advisor for no reason at all.
"For a man who was once missing his brain, you are astoundingly astute, my friend." Ahamo announced, steering him by his elbow down the hall. "Now, if you were an emotionally troubled princess... where would you hide?"
--
As always the servants parted and bowed before their queen as she passed. The queen sighed, she had broken them of that habit before the witch took over, now it seemed they were still used to the reign of terror thrust upon them by the evil woman. She had more important things on her mind than skittish servants however. Most important of them all was the fact that her youngest daughter should be announcing a betrothal to her ever loyal bodyguard... but was nowhere to be found. The thought that she could have refused Mr. Cain was one the queen did not entertain for even a moment. She had seen them together constantly ever since they had saved the O.Z., they had this love for each other that even a blind man could see... Though, she had been worried that they might not realize it in time.
"Glinda!" She whirled and smiled as she saw her own beloved coming towards her. Ahamo smiled and kissed his wife briefly in greeting.
"Hello, my love." She said with a smile, a giddy feeling rushing through her, as it always did when she saw her husband. "Have you seen DG by any chance?" Ahamo's face fell and he shook his head.
"No, Glitch and I are trying to find him ourselves. All we know is that she's troubled and hiding somewhere in the palace." The queen sighed.
"Oh... I tried to find her with a spell.. but I guess she is blocking herself off..." Ahamo wrapped a comforting arm around his wife.
"Maybe this is our fault... we did suggest that Cain ask DG to marry him." Glinda pulled away, a shocked look on her face.
"It was not a mistake to suggest they wed! We can all see how happy they are together!" Ahamo bowed his head in agreement.
"That is true. However, DG is exceedingly stubborn, and may be a bit confused as to why her loyal bodyguard and close friend suddenly proposed marriage." The queen sighed.
"I supposed, but we need to find her to talk this through!" Glitch coughed suddenly, nodding his head in the direction of a blond head that was making it's way towards them.
"Majesties." Cain greeted, without bowing, Glinda noted with relief. He nodded to her advisor, "Glitch."
"Wyatt, how can we help you?" Ahamo greeted, clapping a hand on the younger man's shoulder. The poor man looked miserable and exhausted.
"I was hoping that one of you had seen DG..." Cain admitted. The other three sighed and shook their heads.
"That makes four of us." Glitch sighed, surreptitiously counting on his fingers to make sure that four was right. "Why haven't you seen her? You were supposed to propose to her." Cain shot the advisor an annoyed look.
"That was yesterday, headcase." Glitch huffed.
"I'm not a headcase anymore!" He protested.
"You'll always be a headcase to me..." Cain drawled, turning back to Ahamo and the queen. "I haven't see DG since I asked her to marry me." He admitted.
"And..." Ahamo asked, prompting the man to give him details.
"I'm not sure if 'flee' or 'bolt' would be more appropriate to describe the situation..." Cain said by way of explanation.
"Oh.." Ahamo muttered uncomfortably. "Well, with all of us looking I'm sure we can find her!" He announced confidently.
"My dear, I'm sure that she will come out of hiding soon enough to give you her answer." The queen tried to reassure Cain. "She loves you, of that I have no doubt." Cain gave a weak smile, but nodded his thanks.
"I believe I will retire to my rooms for a while, should you find her..."
"We will tell her that you were looking for you." The queen assured him.
--
The servants quickly got out of the way as a short, squat, dark skinned man stormed through the halls of the palace. He spotted the queen and consort and strode over to them.
"Majesties," He puffed, out of breath from his trek through the halls. "Have you seen the Princess DG? She did come show up for her daily lesson. Again!" The queen smiled kindly and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"We are looking for her as well, Tutor. Be assured that we will tell her to report to you as soon as we have located her. The man puffed up a bit, but seemed to be placated as he bowed to the queen and consort.
"Thank you, majesties." He said as he bowed. "I shall return to my rooms to prepare a tiring lesson for our wandering princess." He strode back the way he'd come, at a much more sedate pace. He passed the elder princess as he passed, paying her no mind as she watched him bemusedly.
"I take it that DG is still hiding then." Azkadellia said as a greeting. Her parents turned to her and smiled.
"Yes, dearest." The queen said, "She has decided to disappear. Do you think you can talk some sense into her?" Azkadellia smiled and nodded.
"Of course, mother. I will try." The queen smiled and kissed her cheek.
"Thank you." Azkadellia smiled, as though it did not bother her to chase her younger sister across the palace grounds. Of course, she did have a very good idea as to where her baby sister was hiding.
--
DG was sitting on the highest balcony of the palace with a stump of charcoal and pages upon pages of sketches. Many of which were of Wyatt Cain, which was slightly counter-productive seeing as how she was trying to get him out of her mind. The skirt of her blue dress fanned out before her, scattered with sketches and charcoal smudges.
"Deeg, are you up here?" She heard her sister call. As much as she wanted to be alone, DG also wanted someone to rant to. And lucky for Azkadellia, she was the first person to show up.
"Here!" She called, leaning against the once cool marble wall. The stone had absorbed her body heat and now served to keep her warm despite the cool breeze. A swish of green fabric and a warm breeze later her older sister sat across from her, not saying anything. Just waiting.
"Cain asked me to marry him." She told Azkadellia, looking up at her through her lashes. Az kept her surprise and happiness in check, something told her that DG didn't need ecstatic exclamations quite yet.
"What did you say?" She asked, DG had been in love with him for ages, she should be over the moon.
"Nothing." DG laughed bitterly."He came to me with his heart in his hands, promised me everything I've ever wanted. His love, 'til death do us part. And I ran." She looked at her sister with wide eyes. "I've loved him since the day he rescued me from the tower, and when he gave me his heart I threw it in his face and ran away!" She buried her face in her hands. "Az, I'm such a fool."
"You are not!" Azkadellia exclaimed. "You're surprised, confused, and in love. It's perfectly acceptable to be irrational." DG shot her sister a wry look.
"Irrational, great. Thanks for putting it so delicately Az." Her sister smiled and reached over and took her hand.
"What's stopping you from declaring your love to him and accepting his proposal?" She wanted to know. "For as long as you've been back in the O.Z. I've rarely seen you without him at your side." DG smiled, tilting her head back against the wall.
"What if he doesn't love me?" She asked, voice small. Az stared at her sister incredulously.
"He asked you to marry him." She said bluntly.
"I know." DG said, "But he's always there for me, without complaint. He does his best to keep me happy, anyone could see that I hated the whole suitor thing. What if he proposed because he thought that it would make me happy?" Azkadellia sighed and moved to sit next to her sister, leaning against the wall.
"Deeg, you're my sister and I love you. But you're an idiot." She said. "You love him, he loves you. He wants to marry you, you have dreamed about being his wife for ages. The only problem here is you!" DG opened her mouth to protest and found that she couldn't say anything to that accusation. "He's in his chambers. Go to him." Azkadellia urged. "You won't be sorry."
"But.." Az placed a hand over her mouth.
"No buts, you love him. And, if these drawings are any indication, you can't get him off your mind." Az gave her sister a look, one that brooked nothing but obedience.
"What should I say to him?" DG asked, standing slowly.
"The truth." Said Azkadellia as her little sister pulled her to her feet.
"You make it sound so easy." DG half-joked as she steeled herself to go tell the man of her dreams that he was the man of her dreams.
She made it down the steps from the balcony and slowly found her way towards the living area of the palace. Wondering the whole time what to say. The truth, a voice that sounded suspiciously like Azkadellia's whispered in her ear.
DG hummed nervously as she danced her way down the hall to Cain's rooms. She pirouetted as she reached his massive doors and knocked purposefully on the painted wood. She frowned when she didn't hear his customary "come" in response to her tap-taptap-tap knock. DG bounced from foot to foot, knocking again impatiently, silently urging him to answer the door. When no response came her wide grin slowly faded and she found herself sitting on the window sill across from his door, waiting for her Tin Man to come back.
"Are you alright your highness?" DG looked up in surprise to see a kind-looking palace maid standing before her, a look of concern gracing her features.
"I'm fine, thank you. I'm just waiting for Mr. Cain." DG told her, hoping that she didn't look too foolish to the older woman. The maid just smiled knowingly, and leaned forward as if to share a secret.
"Well, Highness, if you're in a hurry to see him, he just went to the garden." DG looked up hopefully, wide-eyed and bolted down the hall a faint "thank you" drifting back in her wake. The maid smiled and shook her head. It was about time that the two of them figured it out!
--
Wyatt Cain paid no attention to the beauty of the gardens surrounding him. things were not going the way that he'd hoped and planned. DG was supposed to jump into his arms at his proposal, not babble an excuse and run away.He came to the same pond where he'd asked DG to marry him the day before. The water was as calm as it had been then, Cain leaned against the trunk of an old willow that draped out over the pond and tipped his fedora over his eyes.
Ozma, he didn't know what he'd do if DG wouldn't marry him. Because she was a princess and he was a former tin man, he'd never seriously thought about marrying her. But when Ahamo had been the one to suggest it, Cain had leapt at the chance.
He loved her, there was no doubt in his mind about that. He'd loved her ever since he saw her give Raw and Glitch pep talks before the assault on the tower. He could see that she was scared out of her mind, and yet she'd still put her friends first. She'd come to mean the world to him, unfreezing his heart and helping him cope with the death of Adora. And now here he was, ready to marry again. to a woman barely older than his son.
His son. He hadn't told Jeb about his plans yet. Cain scrambled to his feet with every intention of finding his son before he hunted DG out of whatever hiding spot she had squirreled herself away in. He turned and stopped dead in his tracks. She was standing there, absolutely beautiful and looking even more terrified than the day she'd saved her sister. He absently realized that he probably looked just as shell-shocked and fearful.
"Wyatt..."
TBC