Azkadellia came to with a soft groan, reaching up and pressing a hand to her throbbing forehead. Dropping her hand to her side she turned her head against the satin pillows and looked over out the windows at the bright silverly moon. Carefully she got to her feet, testing her weight. Her body held firm, it always had. She walked over to the balcony, the stone cold against her bare feet and leaned her arms against the railing. It was the first time in a very long time that she had been completely alone. There had always been the Witch there, holding her prisoner in her own body, everything from her mind to her magic had been out of her control. Reaching down she touched her chest, running her fingers along the invisible line that had been created by the odd tattoos that symbolized her bondage. Now her skin was pale and perfect, at least her skin could be if the rest of her was in tatters.
She half expected someone to come in but no-one did. Azkadellia was, honestly, not sure how to feel or what to do now but she had a faint idea where to start. Acting on a hunch, she walked out of her room on her tip-toes, more like the little girl she had once been then the woman she was. Closing the door silently she tiptoed across the hallway to her sister's door where, unsurprisingly, the Tin Man was sleeping in a chair with one hand on his gun and his hat tipped downwards across his face. She thought about turning around but did not want to loose her nerve so she reached out and tapped his knee. He jumped up, his had flying to land at her feet and his other hand going for his gun. She froze, unsure of what to do with the object pointed at her chest. It would not surprise her if he shot her, he had every right too.
"You scared me," he said gruffly, shoving the gun back into his holster. She ducked down quickly and picked up the hat, holding it out like a peace offering, "is there something I can do for you?" he asked taking the hat hesitantly.
"Iwantedtoapologize," she blurted out.
"Excuse me?" he asked, one eyebrow raising.
"I wanted to apologize," she said toying with her hands, "about your family, I know what happened, it was because of me, and I'm sorry," she squared her shoulders, "if you want to do anything you can."
"Well as I see it," Cain said, "you were possessed when it happened," Azkadellia looked away, "and I'm not saying that gets you off scott free, cause it doesn't, but I s'ppose its not entirely your fault either," Azkadellia nodded, "you might want to go down to the infirmary and repeat that to the rest of them," Azkadellia nodded and turned around. Cain rolled his eyes and grabbed her arm, "not now! Are you crazy? You're in your--" he motioned, "pajamas and those people have been fighting against you, not everyone knows you were possessed. Go tomorrow when they're awake and you're dressed and you've got some protection with you."
"Right," Azkadellia said nodding.
Cain sighed. At that moment she did not look like the terrifying woman who had the entire O.Z. at her feet, she looked rather scared, like she was the one who had been possessed. He had to sternly remind himself that was the case and that one of his tasks was to make sure that the rest of the world knew that too.
"There's on problem," she said, "I don't have any cloths."
"Excuse me?" he froze.
"But then again neither do you," she looked at him critically, "and if you are going to be by my sister's side you'll need some better cloths."
"By you're--hold on a second," he began to protest, "I am here to protect your sister."
"Not looking like that you aren't," she said, "you and I and my sister--and my mother and father I suppose are going to have to go to the seamstress first thing in the morning."
"You're joking right?" Cain asked weakly, "DG tried to get me to do that new cloths thing too and I'm not sure its a good idea--"
"Well it is," she said, "and no I'm not joking," she smoothed her dressing gown, "if it makes more sense to you I'll put it this way. If you're going to be protecting my sister 24/7 you need to be able to go around the palace without looking like someone who escape from the jails. Now i need to go and make a list of all those I need to apologize to," she turned on her heel, "thank you Mr. Cain."
"Women," Cain muttered darkly sinking back into his chair by the door.
"Cain?"
For the second time that night he was shocked. DG had just her head sticking out of the door, her wild black hair around her face in a mess. She blinked up at him with sleepy ocean blue eyes and looked up at him. Cain offered her a small smile and looked down at her.
"Go back to sleep Princess."
"What are you doing out here?" she demanded.
"Keeping an eye out," he said.
"Don't be silly," she scolded, "come inside, you can keep watch from the couch if you really want to," he opened his mouth to protest, "come on, if Az is making us get cloths tomorrow we need to get some sleep, the seamstress is a bitch," she added One of her pale hands snaked out and took his wrist, "come on, please? I'll feel bad if you stay out here all night."
With a sigh he nodded and followed her into the room. Closing the door he made sure it was secure before turning around. The room was like a little girl's dream with soft pinks all over. There was a spectacular canopy bed with the sheets rumpled. Near door was the couch she had spoken of. DG had disappeared into one of the closets. She was rummaging for the blankets she knew were somewhere in the back.
After the Double Eclipse had finished, there had been enough of the melted Witch to prove that Azkadellia had, indeed, been possessed. The reprimand for both Princesses had been that they could not take the throne for a considerable amount of time. Frankly neither objected to the punishment, none of them were ready to take the throne any time soon. They were just thankful that neither of them was banished or worse. And then the whole debacle with Ambrose and the apologies and things were crazy enough without them running the Outer Zone. There was one more side effect. The two had been stripped of their magic for the time being. They had to work to get it back and be retrained by Tutor and their mother. It was the harder part of the punishment but one the girls had no choice but to accept.
"Ah-ha!" DG grabbed the blankets and got to her feet before walking out of the closet.
Cain's eyes widened and his mouth fell open before he blushed and looked away quickly. DG frowned, confused before realizing that she was wearing nothing but her underwear. Her old cloths were in a neat pile on the vanity, actually they were thrown over the chair like she used to back at the home she thought was hers. Since there was no alternative she walked over to him with the blankets at her side.
"Are you okay?" she asked, her voice feigning innocence.
"Yes-no-I mean you're naked," he stumbled over his words.
"I'm in my underwear, think of it like a bathing suite," she said matter-of-factly.
"That is not what bathing suites or underwear look like here," he said keeping his eyes averted and hoping the moonlight hid the red in his face.
"All the cloths in here were made for a little girl which I am obviously not anymore," she said, taking his thoughts exactly where he did not want them to go, "they don't fit, all I have are my old cloths and they smell funny. This magic thing is a lot harder than you'd think."
"Well can you get your sister to lend you something?" he asked.
"Az looks like a dominatrix," DG said wrinkling her nose.
"A what?"
"Someone who ties people or hits them who think of it as foreplay and then--"
"Okay I get it," Cain said, trying not to think of DG tying anyone up or wearing one of Azkadellia's tight, low cut outfits, "why don't you, uh, just get into the bed and I'll go to the couch and we'll call it a night?"
"Cool," DG walked over to the couch and Cain quickly turned away. She put the blankets down and walked over to the other side, forcing him to turn away again. She forced back the urge to smile and walked over to her bed, flopping onto it and pulling the blankets up to her chin, "alright I'm all covered," Cain breathed a sigh of relief and walked over to the couch, sitting down on it, "goodnight Cain and thanks," she said, "for everything."
"Goodnight DG," he said, "and thank you too," he added much more softly.
The next morning the sun woke Cain from his light sleep. He rolled over onto his side and pushed himself up, looking over at the sleeping girl. It was hard to think of her in terms of being a Princess, it was hard to think of her in any kind of terms except the Little Girl one he had forced onto her. However with the sun just coming up and painting the room an array of golds, he felt something that was not entirely fatherly protection tug at him.
She had pulled the covers up, leaving only her head, neck and one shoulder bare. Her black hair was spread out along the pillows like a stain, painted gold by the light. Her skin was pale but also golden by virtue of the sun. The one shoulder had a dark strap across it where her bra strap had slid down her arm. She looked like a golden angel at that moment, peaceful and calm and--as he reminded himself harshly--completely off limits to a Tin Man. Instead he looked out the window at the bright sun and wondered what the hell he was supposed to do now.
He had been fighting for the better part of ten annuls, that was a long time to hate someone who was now dead. He had been a Tin Man before then and even if he had been good at his job he knew that sometimes it was hard to protect random strangers. His son was a grown man right now with a life of his own, one that he did not have a place in. At the moment Cain was a lost man and he knew that if he stayed that way bad things could happen.
'Stay by her side, at all costs, she's the key' the Mystic Man's words rang in his ear. Cain knew that was as good a place to start as any, protecting DG. If anything had been proven beyond a doubt in the past adventure it was that for all her abilities DG still had a serious knack for getting herself into trouble. Ambrose and Raw were probably staying as well, maybe he would too.
"Cain?"
Cain turned around to see a confused DG slowly lift her head and look around the room. Her eyes went onto him and brightened a bit too much for him to be comfortable with. He quickly looked away, toying with the edge of his hat.
"Hey Princes, sleep well?" he asked looking at the bright sun before glancing back at her.
"Uh-huh," she muttered sleepily standing up. He quickly looked away as she went to her cloths. Someone knocked on the door. Cain glanced back at her but then looked at the door. DG walked over and peeped through the small hole before opening the door a crack while Cain ducked onto the farther wall, "Mom," DG said.
"I assumed that you and your sister would be heading to the seamstress," the Queen's voice said, "in the meantime I brought you this, it should fit. I need to speak to you after you dress."
"Okay," DG said slowly easing her head and arm back into the room and holding up a frothy pink dress that Cain had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing at the sight of. DG made a face but begrudgingly slipped the dress on. She was at the door when she stopped and turned to him, realizing how it looked for him to be there while she had slept almost naked in the bed a few feet away. There was one entrance to the room. She looked at Cain who looked back, neither sure what to do. Then DG grabbed him by the hand and pulled him by the closet, "just stay in here and be quiet."
"Its a closet," Cain hissed.
"It's where I smuggled my boyfriend when I was 15," she sad pushing him inside, "my mom didn't find out then and she isn't going to fid out now," she went to close the doors.
"I'm not you--" Cain began to protest.
"Do you want to go under the bed?" DG asked looking at the canopy bed.
Cain let out a sigh and stepped back behind the multiple rows of lacy, childish gowns. He silently fumed, wondering not for the first time what the hell he was doing here. DG opened the door for her mother and did an odd sort of bob-curtsey like she had seen in the movies. The Queen smiled and put her hands on her daughter's shoulders, looking at the grown version of the little girl she had called her Angel.
"Hi mom," she said with a little wave.
"DG," the QUeen began.
"I'm sensing a speech coming on," DG said. The Queen shot her an odd look, "it's just whenever my other, well, you know, used to give me a speech she'd say my name like that."
"Well she was programed too," the Queen said, "to act a little like your father and me so that when you saw us again it wouldn't be so odd," she sighed, "although I suppose it is odd."
"I hit dad with a broom when I saw him," DG admitted. One hand flew to the Queen's mouth, "well I thought he had abandoned you because that's what that Witch told me, so after he saved me I woke up in his little hut thing and whacked him with the broom," the Queen dropped her hand and after a moment her lips quirked up in a genuine smile of amusement.
"I'm sure he loved that," she said.
"Well I liked me better after I stopped hitting him," DG said toying with her hands.
"We do need to get you to the seamstress," the Queen said eyeing her daughter, "I only imagine Azkadellia's going to have the same reaction."
"Maybe," DG said biting her lip, "maybe you could call her Az."
"Az?" the Queen repeated.
"Its a nickname," DG said, "I called her it and after all that happened, I know she feels like it was her fault when it wasn't and maybe if you called her by a nickname she wouldn't feel so guilty?"
The Queen seemed to consider it for a moment before nodding.
"I'll try," she said, "but there is something I want to talk to you about. With the Longcoats gone, you and your sister need bodyguards. I have your father who is a far better fighter than he appears at first glance. We also have a regular guard but you and your sister need to pick other guards. Initially, of course, your sister had Ambrose, by my choosing, as her own. Now I understand if you want to meet a few of your potential--"
"I know who I want," DG said interrupting her mother, "I want Mr. Cain."
"The Tin Man?" the Queen asked.
"Yes and my friend. He's been protecting me this whole time, if I ask him I'm sure he'll say yes," she said, "is there something wrong with the Tin Man?"
"No," the Queen said, "I think he's a fine choice. Tell me of his reply while I go and try to convince your sister to wear this for the morning until her fittings," she said holding up an almost identical gown. DG covered her mouth to hide her snort of laughter, "oh you and your sister haven't changed one bit!" the Queen smiled brightly, "and I couldn't be happier."
The second the door closed DG raced to the closet and yanked open the doors, sifting through the mess of lace and fabric until she got the neck of Cain's shirt and tugged. He almost tripped over one of the lower bars and their faces wound up inches from each other. It was one of those endless moments when neither could really move. Her wide blue eyes met his haunting blue-grey one. She could see the shock in his just as he could see the surprise in hers. Finally though he got his composure back and straitened up as her hands fell to her side.
"So, you've got something to ask me?" he said finally.
"Oh right," she looked up at him, "would you continue to be my bodyguard?"
"Nice use of the word continue," he said, "well I don't have anything else to do really," he added instead of just shouting out yes, "so sure, why not?"
"Oh thank you!" DG cried and threw her arms around him.
He didn't know why this hug was different. Maybe because head been terribly close to kissing her a moment earlier. Or maybe because he still had the mental image of her clothed in almost nothing imprinted on his mind. He tried to think that he was just hung up on Adora, but when he thought back to his deceased wife, all he could think about was the horrible images of her being beaten up or killed. He wrapped his arms around DG so she wasn't going to ask him about it and when she pulled away he smiled.
"What's wrong?" she caught him before he could say anything and used her smaller frame to trap him in the god forsaken closet.
"Nothing," he said.
"Do you not want to be my bodyguard?" she asked.
"No!" he said quickly, "no that's not it," he sighed, "its really nothing DG, just the stress and--" he stopped as she covered one of his hands with hers.
"If you need to talk I'm here," she said, "you've done so much for me, if there's anything I can do just let me know," she said before stepping back and letting him out of the closet.
Meanwhile down the hall Azkadellia held up the dress with a look of total and complete disbelief on her face. Her promise to be nice to her parents to make up for what she had done flew out of her mind as she turned to look back at her mother with her eyebrows arched up. The Queen seemed to forget her promise to be careful and understanding around her eldest daughter who had been possessed for the longest time and walked right over to her.
"You have no other cloths," she pointed out, "unless you want to walk around looking like a," she motioned abstractly in the air
"I know that!" Azkadellia cried, "but mother, this is," she held up the dress, "this is unwearable!"
"You are so stubborn!"
"I get it from you!"
Both women crossed their arms and stomped their right foot in anger. Then slowly they looked at each other and before either knew what was happening they were laughing and crying at the same time. Azkadellia and the Queen hugged each other tightly. Neither heard the doors open and close quietly until someone cleared their throat. The two of them broke apart and turned around to see Ambrose standing there, still in his loose, white cloths shifting his weight from one foot to the other rather anxiously. Azkadellia looked down and tightened her dressing gown as if were protection.
"Ambrose," the Queen said, "are you alright?"
"Your Majesty, I didn't know you were in here, I was hoping to have a word with Azkadellia."
"Of course," the Queen said, "let me go," she squeezed her daughter's hand before walking out of the room.
The second she was gone Ambrose all but collapsed against the wall. Azkadellia walked over to him with concern on her face.
"Are you a--" he clapped a hand over her mouth and she heard the pounding of feet on the floor. Glaring at him she reached down and locked the door before stepping away from him, "sorry about that. They seem to have mistaken impression that something is wrong with me."
"Why would anyone think that?" Azkadellia demanded sarcastically. Ambrose nodded and then glared when he realized she was joking, "its fine, you can stay in here if you aren't scared of being alone in the same room with me."
"Why would I be scared of you?" he asked, his eyes confused, "the Witch did those terrible things."
"With my face," she said.
"People will know it wasn't you Azkadellia," she stopped and looked over her shoulder at him, "what? I always called you Azkadellia, at least until you started to call me Glitch and then I'm not going to repeat what I started to call you."
"Well thank you," she held up the dress critically, "now if you'll turn around I don't think I have much of a choice when it comes to this," she sighed, "I suppose I'll need to figure out what kind of color looks best on me now,' she eyed herself in the mirror, "pink is obviously not it."
"Its violet," he said suddenly, "like your sister, you both look splendid in violet, though it always looks better on you but I never told you that because I was your bodyguard."
"You were also my betrothed," she pointed out rather critically, "though that was--"
"I'd like to go back to being your bodyguard," he said suddenly turning to face her, "if that's alright with you," she nodded, "even if right now you are saving me," she sighed and walked over to the door, putting her ear to it. Ambrose did the same, both straining to hear if the medical people were still running down the hall after him. There was nothing but silence but they were absolutely sneaky enough to make it seem silent, "we should probably wait a bit," he said.
"So how's your brain?" Azkadellia asked, "I know the surgery is a complicated one."
"I'll be okay," he said, "but you know, remember that rhyme 'The majestic Queen of the OZ, had two lovely daughters she, one to darkness she be drawn and one to light she be shown. Double eclipse it is foreseen light meets dark in something I can't remember between but only one and one alone shall hold the emerald and take the throne'?"
"Ambrose its a nursery rhyme," Azkadellia said rolling her eyes, "no-one is going to take the throne for a while."
"Yes," he said, "Yes I know but you had the emerald and we both know what that means," he looked up at her, "you're going to be Queen."