Azkadellia looked out at the Kingdom she was in charge of. It was a silly thing, really, she had been in charge of it for longer than she could remember. But seeing it with her own eyes, seeing the daunting task laid out in front of her, it was enough to make anyone feel small. Despite Ambrose's reassurances she still felt almost unworthy of her position, part of her wanted to ask her mother or DG to take the throne but she knew that would not be fair to either of them. As if she had been called there she found her mother standing next to her. Lavender Eyes had approached silently. The former Queen did not walk, she glided in a way that would have Azakdellia on her face in a second if she tried it. Lavender Eyes looked out at the kingdom and then back at her eldest daughter.
"Its beautiful, isn't it?" she said softly, her voice gentle and so unlike Azkadellia's own.
"It will be," Azkadellia vowed.
"It is already," she said, Azkadellia gave her mother a questioning look, "this is the first time in centuries that the Outer Zone has been united my daughter. It is not under the best of circumstances but it could be a lot worse. Rulers always face some kind of opposition," Lavender Eyes explained, "and often the best people make the worst kind of rulers, they try to be fair to everyone without thinking about the land they rule. You need to be both," she smiled sadly at her daughter, "here I am telling you what you already know. You've been ruling this country almost as long as I did."
"I still need your advice," she said, "I need to find how to turn the Witch's work into something good."
"And you will," Lavender Eyes said, "if anyone can it is you, my daughter. You've always been so strong, stronger than anyone I know."
"Mother?" Azkadellia's eyes searched her mother's face, "what's going on?"
"Nothing," she said touching Azkadellia's face, "nothing at all my dear."
"Mother," Azkadellia sighed, "I want to know whose doing this," she said, "they obviously worked for the Witch, they knew they were taking DG," she dropped her head into her hands before looking up, "I'm going to kill them," Lavender Eyes eyes widened, "'m sending a message loud and clear. If they attack my family, if they attack this kingdom then they are going to face serious consequences."
"Azkadellia!" she gasped, horror in her eyes, "you cannot start your new reign with bloodshed--"
"My reign isn't new," Azkadellia said dryly, "like you said, I've been doing i for a while," she looked at her mother, "this is the last time anyone tries this--ever," she turned around and to walk out of the room, "this is ending now!" she shouted over her shoulder. She stopped and fished out the sphere, "Ambrose?"
"It's Zero," Ambrose hissed, "he's the one doing it." Azkadellia's hands clenched into fits, "we're safe, we're in Finaqua."
"Thank you," she said.
"Don't go doing anything stupid," he said.
"I would never," she said cutting off the sphere and clenching it in her fist, "that fucker is going down."
"That what?" Lavender eyes gasped.
"Fucker, its a word DG said, it means something bad," she said, "Jack!" she shouted, "we are going to the barracks, come on," she said walking down the hallway.
Lavender Eyes sucked in her breath and raced after her daughter. She told one of the Guards to go and get her husband before following her daughter down to the barracks. She got there just in time to see Azkadellia climb onto one of the empty tables and shouted at the top her lungs for silence. That certainly got their attention. Azkadellia looked at them and put her hands on her hips.
"You don't like me," she said. There were murmurs of agreement, "well I don't like you either. I was possessed and you aren't even giving me a second chance. But anyway that's not why I'm here. I'm not that crazy to think I can get you to turn around with a few words. No I'm here to give you something," she smiled coldly, "has anyone noticed the Longcoats are gone?" some people nodded, "they've defected. They're now following Zero. That fool thinks that he can run the Outer Zone and I can promise you that there is no-one worse in this land to sit on the throne. What's more, he took my little sister. Now I was going to send in what military we have left until I got a brilliant idea. You all have been wronged by Longcoats," she looked around, "who wants revenge?" for a moment there was silence and then murmurs of agreement began to roll through the crowd, "you will all be outfitted with weapons and transportation to a palace crawling with Longcoats and you can do, well, whatever you want to them."
For a moment there was silence. Then one person began to cheer and then the rest of them followed until the entire room started to cheer. Lavender Eyes leaned against her husband's shoulders letting out a breath she did not know she had been holding. Ahamo exhaled as well, running his hand down his wife's arm.
"Well she's got spunk," Ahamo said, "I think she gets that from you," Lavender Eyes shook her head, "Ambrose better hurry back, I think she's going to kill her poor guards though."
That night sleep was elusive for Jeb Cain. He knew Zero was still out there he was itching for a revenge that continued to escape him. He had wanted to kill Zero for a long time but he never had. There were many reasons why, most of them were excuses--excuses that no longer mattered. What he had done to his old family had been horrible but Jeb swore that if he tried to hurt his new family, well, he was not going to get the chance to do that. Rolling onto his back he looked at the ceiling and tried to think of something other than revenge. Finally he gave up and got to his feet, telling himself he was going to keep watch even though he left his sword behind and was dressed in only a pair of pants.
Elsewhere in the palace Airofday pushed up the curtains of her room to allow the moonlight to blaze through her room. The moon was full and bright, a bad omen considering all that had happened. The Lunar cycle of Oz had always been an odd thing but it was especially fickle now after the Double Eclipse and the effect of the Sun Seeder. What was really bothering her though was the fact that they were not followed. Any idiot Wizard could have created a TIme Storm or stopped her un-practiced one but Zero's Wizard didn't.
The one explanation she could think of was that he did not have a Wizard. The thought both comforted and troubled her. She knew that Azkadellia had lived for a time in the Northern Isles. Even with all the Witch's power transforming an entire landscape into a world of ice and snow was no small task. It took time and effort and power but mostly time. Azkadellia had pulled it off in record time but it had taken time. It would make sense that she would have stored spells, if Ambrose hadn't come up with an invention that allowed her to do that Airofday would have been very surprised. That meant that Zero was using Azkadellia's own magic against her. That thought was troubling in its self. Too troubling to be alone with.
Her mind elsewhere she walked the halls of Finaqua silently, her arms wrapped around herself. Everyone was asleep and she knew that she was going to regret her actions in the morning. Out of the corner of her eyes she saw Jeb walking down the hallway. He seemed to be in a world all by himself as he walked the hallway with his feet bare and his head bowed. She frowned and almost went to follow him but stopped before he could sense her there like he usually did.
He was such an odd young man. Most of the hardcore resistance fighters were. They all seemed to be people who had lost everything--loss was the only thing they knew. She had never been a resistance fighter, she had been so young and untrained and it was only a matter of time before she wound up dead or worse. Looking at Jeb though, she almost wished that she had been a fighter, that she had a cause to fight for and believe in. He seemed so sure of his purpose most of the time, she wondered if he felt anything except burning anger. She didn't know how long she stood there watching him but eventually he turned and walked up the stairs back to his room and left her in silence once more.
"Get up!"
Jeb groaned and rolled over, grabbing his pillow and pressing it over his head wondering why the hell he had spent time brooding last night. Ambrose rolled his eyes and signaled Airofday who snapped her fingers, removing Jeb completely from the bed and forcing him to hover in mid-air before unceremoniously dropping him on his behind. He fell with a thud and shoved himself up, glaring at Airofday and Ambrose who gave him equally satisfied smirks. Still giving them death glares he got to his feet.
"What?!" he shouted, his voice loud.
"You've got to go and get DG and your dad up," Ambrose said.
"Why don't you do it?" Jeb snarled.
"Well because when we knocked nothing happened and none of us have a death wish so you've got to do," he gave them a look that plainly said they were making no sense, "well you're his kid so he isn't going to kill you and she's like your stepmom so she won't either, the rest of us are all fair game."
"Cowards," he grumbled storming over to where he had thrown his tunic and throwing it over his head before walking past them. He walked down the hallway to the room where his father had been staying, drew back his hand and knocked on the door, "time to get up you two lovebirds!" he called, "and don't come out here until you're dressed, I don't care if one of you is a step-parent I do not want to see you two 'doing' it, I'm emotionally scarred as it is," he turned around to the other three, "you guys happy? Lets see if this place has any kind of food."
Inside the room DG sighed and buried her face in Cain's shoulder. His rough hands trailed fire up her bare arm and she wondered how anyone could be so gentle and so rough at the same time. Craning her neck upwards she fixed his grey-blue eyes with her own and smiled sleepily. Cain couldn't help but return the smile. She looked so wide eyed and innocent, he had the same urge to protect her as he had the second they met. Some of the fire that had been in her eyes when they first met was back in them, growing bit by bit and he vowed that someday it would all be back.
"I guess we should get up," he said after a moment. She groaned and buried her face in his shoulder, "I know, I don't want to either but we have to," he shuddered, "before we emotional scar Jeb."
"I think Jeb's been doing a bit of emotional scarring on his own," she said.
"Yeah he and Airofday were making out in the dressing room when we got her that dress," he shook his head, "or lack of anyway," he added with a shake of his head, "she's not quite as bad as I thought--" he craned his neck downwards, "you remember her right?"
"At the window," DG said, "she had those two girls who made her look like she had many arms."
"Right," Cain said, "seems she's a Witch."
"What is it with you Cain-men and Witches?" she teased, "you just can't keep your hands off us."
"It would seem not," Cain said, "alright we need to get up. We've got a lot of things to do," he said with a sigh, "staying in bed isn't going to get them done," he sighed and rolled over, standing up. DG sleepily propped her head up on her hand and smiled.
"I saw you in the seamstress," she said as Cain began to dress, "back when we were getting fitted for the cloths for the ball. I saw you half naked, that's why I wasn't talking to you. I came up with some stupid excuse," Cain smirked, his hands holding his shirt, "I felt like you did when you saw me in my underwear."
"And you made fun of me for reacting like I did?" he raised his eyebrows.
"Back then," she said throwing off the covers and walking over to pick up her own cloths. Pulling them on she sighed and held up the dress, regretting the fact that she had no other cloths to wear. Sighing she brushed back her hair and frowned at the dress on her, "I feel like a doll--" she looked over at him, "I never liked dresses did I?'
"Well you put up quite a fuss when the seamstress tried to put you in only dresses," he added.
Together they walked to the kitchens of the palace where the rest of their group had found enough food for breakfast. Ambrose was standing by the window, a look of disbelief on his face as he spoke into his sphere with someone else. Lowering the sphere he frowned and looked out the window, an unreadable expression in his eyes. DG touched Cain's arm before she got up and walked over to him.
"Ambrose?" she asked softly, "what's wrong?"
"Your sister," he began, his voice tight with anger and worry, "your sister seemed to think it was a good idea to go into the barracks where the people who want her dead more than anything else in the world are," DG sucked in her breath, "she's fine, she managed to convince them to listen to her, armed them and sent them North to kill the Longcoats and Zero."
"It sounds like she did a good job," DG said, "it sounds like she's a good leader."
"She is," he sighed roughly, "I just--" he stopped, "I worry about her. I don't want to loose her again," he closed his eyes, "it seems stupid but I can't bear the thought of her getting hurt further because of what that Witch did."
"She won't," DG said firmly, "and you two will be together again soon."
"You sound so sure," he said softly.
"I am sure," she said, "you two have been away from each other too long to be separated again so soon," she continued firmly, "besides you haven't even proposed yet," he reached up and scratched the back of his neck, "you did?!" a grin broke out on her face, "when?"
"Right before we left," he said.
"Did she say yes?" she asked, "of course she did," she said, "then you really can't be separated, you've got a wedding to do," she smiled.
"So how's things with you and Tin Man over there?" he nodded towards Cain. DG blushed all the way to the roots of her hair, "that good huh? Jeb seems to like you," he smirked, "I hope you aren't planning on being an evil stepmother."
"No of cour--I think you're getting a little ahead of yourself," she said, "one wedding at a time here."
"Right," he smiled and looked at the sphere in his palm which jingled softly, "hold on," he held it up, "Az?"
'Way to hang up on me," her voice came through the sphere.
"Hang up?"
"Its when you stop talking to someone," DG said.
"DG?!" Azakdellia's voice came through the line, excited and thrilled.
"Hey Az," DG said.
"Are you alright? Are you with Cain--he knows I'll kill him if he hurts you right or do I need to remind him? Is Airofday still with you? What about Jeb, did he kill Zero yet because I've got the rest of the resistance, the ones who wanted me dead, heading North to go and kill all the Longcoats."
"You got the rest of the resistance to follow you?" Jeb demanded coming over, "that's impressive."
"I simply told them they could go in and kill the Longcoats," she said, "they may not like me but everyone understands revenge," she stopped, "speaking of if you're about to go back to the Northern Isles with guns blazing I suggest you be careful, I don't want any of you dying."
"We're not going anywhere," Ambrose promised, "except back to the palace and you."
Jeb said nothing. He turned and walked out of the room making his intentions frighteningly clear. No-one said anything but after a heartbeat Cain stood up and walked after his son. Jeb had made it up to his room where he stood, dressed in his old cloths. He was pulling on his boots and doing up the buttons of his shirt, his back to Cain. He sighed but did not speak when Cain walked into the room.
"I don't suppose I can change your mind," Cain said.
"No," Jeb said bending down and picking up his sword, strapping it on, "I'm going after him," he stopped, feeling the disappointment coming off of Cain or maybe it was the disappointment he was feeling in himself, "we tried your way, it didn't work," he picked up his cloak, "now we're doing it my way. You get them back safely, I'm going to finish this once and for all."
"We'll come with you," Cain said.
"No," Jeb said, "you have to get them back--that's more important for the Kingdom," he looked at his father levelly, "you need her dad, she needs you. You can't go and get yourself killed after all that's happened."
"And you can?" Cain demanded, "you're not nothing."
"Someone once told me that without heart you've got nothing," he said, Cain inhaled sharply as his words were twisted, "I don't mean it like that," he said, "I haven't felt, really felt, anything since I came out of that suite. If I kill Zero, if I finally end this then maybe I can move on with my life, I don't have to always be stuck in the past."
"What if it doesn't work?" Cain asked.
"Then I'll try something else but right now this is all I've got," he walked past his father.
"Hold on," Cain held out something. Jeb looked over at him. It was the toy horse that had saved his life, "take this with you, it brought me luck maybe it'll do the same for you," he said. Jeb hesitated a moment before nodding and taking the horse, "be careful."
"I will be," he said walking past him and hurrying down to the stables. Grabbing his horse he saddled it and swung himself up, turning onto the road. He made it about half a mile away before she caught up to him, "go back Airofday," he said turning his head to face the Witch.
"Like hell," she spat, "I'm not letting you do this alone."
"You only get the money if you get the Princess back," he said, "I don't think the Queen will mind if I'm not back."
"Oh yes because your father's going to let rain touch her hair," Airofday said sarcastically, "DG will be fine and this is not about money," she smiled coldly, "this is about revenge. That bastard Zero's backstabbed me to and you couldn't pay me enough to miss the chance to put him in a considerable amount of pain--even if I don't get the chance to kill him myself."
"But--" he began and then stopped, nodding finally, "thank you."
"Who said I'm doing this for you?" she scoffed, "but you're welcome," he laughed and shook his head.
"Hey!" he cried when she used magic to smack him upside the head, "not fair," she wiggled her eyebrows at him and kicked her horse to life, taking off down the road with him on her heels.
Back in Finaqua Cain wrapped his arms around DG as Jeb rode off down the road. DG said nothing, she just leaned against him and wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning her head against his chest and closing her eyes. She hoped that soon things would settle but until they did she was glad that he was there. She knew he was worried about his son, worried about her, worried about everyone even if he didn't show it. Faintly she smiled and thought about a child with his steel blue eyes and her black hair who would make him smile and worry in the good way, who would drive Jeb crazy and play with her cousins. Mentally she decided that the child would have the middle name Adora, though why that name had to be included she was not entirely sure--yet.