"The Royal Family wants to pay for our wedding?" Jeb was a little light headed. He hadn't felt that way since after the 'Battle for the Eclipse' where he had walked around in a daze for weeks.

Cain sipped his coffee; strong, black with lots of sugar, just how he liked it. "I couldn't talk them out of it." He nearly laughed aloud at the blush working up Jeb's cheeks.

Jody Westwind, Jeb's fiancée held up a hand, "Let me see if I got this. The Royal Family wants to pay for all our wedding expenses; they'd let us have the wedding at the Summer Palace and the Queen herself wants to perform the service?"

Wyatt nodded at his future daughter-in-law. "They're probably going to give ridiculous expensive wedding presents too."

"We can't possibly accept," Jeb finally managed. It was all too much…and to think he thought the awards ceremony was bad.

"Jeb sweetie," Jody said firmly to catch his attention. "Shut up."

Jeb's mouth fell open a little.

"When the Royal Family wants to do something nice for you, you let them!" Jody looked from Jeb to his father, "Tell them that we're honored at their attention." Jody was a small woman with pale skin and a main of roan red hair.

And to Cain's great amusement she wore pants.

"I suppose I don't have a voice in this?" Jeb said plaintively.

Jody shook her head, "Nope."

The captain sighed. It was all a conspiracy to get him into his dress uniform.

Cain hid a smile. All of Jeb's experience as a leader aside he was still a remarkably shy boy.

"Is Finaqua really as beautiful as they say?" Jody wondered.

"No, even prettier," Cain confided. The memory of the dry old husk of a forest melting into a verdant green dreamland and a lake like a piece of sky would always be with him.

Jody patted Jeb's hand, "Just nod and smile." Her smile grew mischievous, "Besides, it's not as if you had a lot of say in the wedding preparations anyway."

Jeb sighed, and then smiled deep into his intended's eyes. "Well, I guess the important thing is you'll be standing up there with me."

----

"Father," Jeb said in nervous greeting.

"'lo son," Cain replied as he curried his white horse. As when Jeb was a boy, Wyatt just waited patiently for whatever he wanted to say.

Jeb wordlessly pulled a small suede pouch out his pocket and emptied the contents onto his palm. It was a small gold ring. To be specific it was Adora Cain's wedding ring.

Wyatt sighed and put down the currycomb. The old sorrow rose up in his chest. It was better…he could focus on the happy memory of her and not the nightmare that he'd seen played over and over in that iron tomb these days.

"I was wondering if…" Jeb trailed off anxiously, "If I could give it to Jody?"

Wyatt pulled a surprised Jeb into a tight hug and pulled away just a quickly. The boy was still skittish when it came to paternal affection. "That would be fine, son. Just fine."

Jeb smiled.

"Although, you might want a matching set," Cain twisted his wedding ring thoughtfully. Then with a one swift smooth motion took it off. He regarded it with a feeling of bittersweet memory.

The Tin Man took his son's hand and pressed it into his hand.

"Father…Dad, I can't accept this," Jeb's eyes widened and he felt something warm and expand in his chest.

A smile quirked up the side of Cain's mouth, "It's just time. Think of it as an early wedding present.

Finaqua was every bit as breathtaking as it was said to be. The trees and the water seemed like a painting come to life.

Jeb, Jody and Jody's elderly aunt May, her last living relative stood looking around the foyer of the Summer Palace. The Palace was all clean lines and rich jewel tones and servants in bright livery who bustled about efficiently.

Jody found it was hard not to feel intimidated. For a girl who had spent the majority of her life on the run from men in long leather coats, this was very, very surreal.

"Oh, good you're here," It was Ambrose who ambled down the stairs holding what looked a glass ball full of lightning.

"Your grace," Jeb said politely.

Glitch rolled his eyes, "Unless you're having trouble with the pronunciations, try calling me Ambrose. If you're good, I might even let you call me Glitch."

"Where's my father?" Jeb asked.

Ambrose tossed the lightning ball up and caught it, "Following DG around like a big dangerous puppy."

Jody couldn't help it. She laughed. And Aunt May who had been rendered unusually quiet by the surrounding opulence broke into a smile.

Jeb frowned.

"Something about exploring the ruins of some old stronghold a few miles to the north," Glitch said. "They won't be back for a while."

"I'll just get our things to wherever we're staying," Jeb said with a nod.

"Too late for that, your bags will have already been taken to the guest rooms." Ambrose said dismissively. He caught sight of Jody and Aunt May and smiled his most charming. "Are you going to intrados me?"

Jeb nodded stiffly, "This is my fiancée Jody Westwind and her aunt Maybelle.

Glitch sauntered over and gallantly kissed their hands.

"Hello," Jody managed as a blush graced her freckled cheeks.

"Aren't you the charmer?" giggled May.

Ambrose smiled urbanely, "I do try." He adjusted what looked like a small row of toggles on the side of the ball and the electricity inside turned blue. "Say, Jeb why don't you hold this? I need as many different bio readings as I can get."

Jeb found himself saying, 'Yes, sir." As he took the glowing thing in hand he could here his father's urgent voice, "If the zipperhead asks you for help with an experiment or even to hold one of his contraptions…for the sake of all the gods say no!" And as his hair stood up straight all over his head he knew he should have listened.

----

"Usually, it goes for about four-five minutes," Princess DG confided to a perplexed Jody as Princess Azkadelia ranted. The seamstress had made the mistake of suggesting a corset.

Jody and May found themselves in the fitting room with both princesses. To say that either was what they'd expected was putting it lightly. They were given Champaign and chocolate cover strawberries and a multitude of sumptuous fabrics to choose from.

First, Azkadelia; it was a shock to find out that the elder princess was not the tyrant that held the O.Z. in thrall. That she had been the victim of the spirit of a witch had staggered the population. It was also, something of a relief. One of the most dependable traits of the House of Gale was the ruling families…goodness for lack of a better word. That a Gale could go bad was not a happy thought.

Jody's first impression Azkadelia was a shy sweetness and regal poise. There was a depth of pain to her dark lavender eyes.

Even without someone else's in the driver's seat, she could be pretty scary, "And whatever sick women-hating bustard that first thought up the lung squeezing sadistic things should have been publicly flogged!"

Jody's eyes widowed as Azkadelia went on with this vein.

"She's usually not like this," DG confided.

Then there was Princess DG, savior of the O.Z; the princess who died and came back as a gutsy farm girl. She was adventurous, kind and funny with an outlook on life that was one part innocent wonder and one part low key cynicism. It was as if she couldn't believe that this was her life.

"Why does she hate corsets so much?" Jody wondered.

"The witch made her wear them everyday for twelve annuals," DG replied.

Jody did the math, "But, didn't the witch take her over for fifteen annuals?"

DG nodded, "Yeah. But, Az had to grow boobs first."

"Uhmm…" Jody said. The younger princess's penchant for saying the most outrageous things was not exaggerated in the least.

She looked down at her own chest, "I'm still waiting."

Jody giggled.

----

"I already have a formal suit," Cain grumbled as a tailor fussed over a bolt of something black with a dark blue sheen.

"Wore it to ceremony," Raw said.

The Tin Man scowled. The viewer seemed to be enjoying his discomfort to an indecorous degree.

"If I have to get fitted for a new dress uniform, you have to get fitted for a new suit," Jeb grumbled.

Cain ignored his traitorous offspring and turned his scowl to Glitch. "What are you laughing at?"

Ambrose gave his best innocent look, "Nothing at all. Although, Sir Wyatt one wonders why someone who's so vehemently opposed to getting dressed up is here."

There was a long silence.

Wyatt Cain wore a rueful expression that generally indicated something to do with DG.

"Oh," Glitch smile went wide and toothy.

Raw laughed.

Jeb craned his head as best he could in the uncomfortable collar, "What?"

"Nothing," the two other men chorused.

Cain looked away from his son's searching gaze.

----

"Maybe this," Az held a swash of silvery blue gray in front of aunt May. She turned her head and critically looked over the effect.

"So, do you want a bachelorette party or wedding shower?" DG asked the bride to be.

Jody raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Pre-wedding calibration that takes place on the night before," DG explained.

"What's the difference?"

"At a wedding shower it's mostly presents and cake and at a bachelorette party you get drunk and very pretty men strip down to their underwear and dance around," DG explained cheerfully.

Az let out a strangled squeak. And May gave her a disapproving tisk.

As for Jody, she blushed bright red. What kind of place was the Other Side? Jody bit her lip, "The shower thing…Jeb wouldn't like the other one." The former resistance leader had jealously issues. "I don't think that Mr. Cain would like it either…"she ventured.

Azkadelia snorted, "That's putting it lightly."

----

"Naked dancing pretty boys?" Cain's voice was strained. DG could see his cheek twitching.

She shrugged, "It's a custom."

What had her Nurture Units done…let her run wild?

Cain's scowl grew. "It's not going to happen," he said flatly.

DG rolled her eyes, "Jody opted for cake so you don't have to pat down some poor stripper."

She flounced off before he could say anything else. He stared at her retreating back with an expression like thunder.

Maybelle Westwind was sure she was having an out of body experience. It was the only logical explanation; dinner with the Royal Family. Here she was talking about governmental educational policy to Queen Lurline, at last to the throne restored and Lady Emily, one of the first A.I.'s to be risen to the nobility. Also, it was an unheard of opportunity for a teacher to get the chance to influence actual policy.

She could hear snatches of other conversations. Prince Consort Ahamo and Lord Henry( all me Hank)conferring with that charming Ambrose about the upcoming harvest in Gillikin Country with occasional comments from that nice viewer.

Jody was talk to the princesses about her experiences at the nursing academy. Goodness, if that girl's hands were tied down she'd be mute.

Jeb was talking to his father about the latest military news…apparently; there was word of a group of disgruntled Longcoats terrorizing a few villages in the east.

Every few minutes he'd smile goofily at Jody who'd smile sweetly back. Ah, young love.

Cain would glance over at Princess DG and scowl and the princess would make a face.

Interesting; the Tin Man and the Princess didn't have subtext so much as large libraries full of…text.

This wedding would be something special. Maybelle knew it.

----

In the three days to the wedding and the Summer Palace was embroiled in what Glitch called 'Controlled Chaos.' Presumably, the wedding planner knew what she was doing; everybody else just seemed to be in a state of confusion.

The night before the wedding the ladies had what Princess DG called a wedding shower. There were three kinds of cake, champaign with a multitude of rainbow bubbles and presents.

Jody all in all found it a pleasant custom. Aunt May gave her a cameo that had been her mothers. From the Queen there camea gleaming silver tea service. Lady Emily gave her a whole made quilt with a 'double wedding ring' pattern. Princess Azkadelia gave her a pair of diamond earrings cunningly wrought in the shape of pansies.

And then there was Princess DG who somehow thought it appropriate to gift her with a dozen nightgowns. Lacy, silky, translucent nightgowns, that fell to the floor or hit just above her thigh. Apparently, this was a tradition gift to a bride from a friend on the Other Side.

Jody politely thanked the suddenly anxious royal. They were kindly meant and very pretty. She just wouldn't tell Jeb where she got them…he was awkward enough around the younger princess.

"Too bad about those dancing boys," Aunt May said after one to many glass of champaign to everyone's considerable amusement.

Jeb found himself packed into an overfull (himself, his father, Ambrose, and Lord Henry…Raw who disliked heights opted not to go) balloon for a fishing trip. His father, the Prince Consort and Lord Henry all felt the need to give him copious amounts of advice about women and marriage. Glitch made sardonic comments about all the fish they didn't catch.

The morning of the wedding dawned clear but with a touch of clouds on the horizon that made the wedding planner have hysterics until Azkadelia pointed out she could just put a magic bubble over the festivities.

It took exactly until four o'clock for the staff to finish putting on the finishing touches.

"Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue," DG recited.

Judy blinked at her, "Another Other Side wedding custom?"

DG nodded, ignoring the head dressers complaints. "It's for luck."

"There's my mother's cameo…that's old," Jody said thoughtfully. Every marriage could use a little extra luck.

"If you wear the earrings I gave you that could be something new," Az said from Jody's other side.

DG smiled, "Your bouquet has blue irises in it."

"And would this do for something borrowed?" Queen Lurline who had breezed in to check on the girls held out a slender bracelet of gold linked flowers. "It was a fifth wedding anniversary present."

Jody smiling at the Queen, she had found that she actually liked her ruler. How many people could say that? Lurline was simply a lovely person. "Thank you."

----

Jeb glared at his father. "But, I don't want to wear my medals." Usually, they were kept in a small box in his sock drawer.

"Tough," Wyatt Cain pinned the third shiny little metal trinket to the front of Jeb's red dress uniform.

"Officers of the Crown are required by regulation and custom to wear all awards given to them by the Crown when present at a formal event hosted by the Crown," Glitch said helpfully.

Jeb transferred his glare from Cain to the royal advisor, "How do you know that? Why do you know that?"

"Don't ask him questions like that," Wyatt warned. "He might just answer you."

"I'm not that bad," Ambrose replied as he preened.

"Are too." Grumbled Raw as he slid into the room. "Glitch goes on and on and on."

Glitch looked over the viewer's distinctly peeved expression, "What's got your fur in knots fella?"

"Hair dressers. Raw does not like ribbons. Raw male. Hair dressers do not listen," Raw huffed.

"I'm getting married," Jeb's eyes held a blank stare. Suddenly, getting married was very real.

Raw glanced over to the groom, "Jeb panicking."

Cain rolled his eyes, "I was wondering when it set in." He patted Jeb on the shoulder. "Don't worry son. This is a wedding—not a battle."

----

"Remember, a wedding is like a battle." The wedding planner surveyed the bride and the princesses like a sergeant looking over a squad of solders and labeling them, 'barely adequate.' "You must plan ahead of for every disaster." She nodded briskly to Jody and curtsied stiffly to the princesses before marching out of the dressing room.

"Is it wrong that I'm a little afraid of that woman?" Az wondered.

Jody had never had any real girl friends growing up. In truth she had never felt the loss. But, now she wondered at the bond she felt with the royal scions.

"How do I look?" Jody asked shyly.

"Perfect, like summer in bloom," Azkadelia pronounced with certainty ringing in every word."

"Jeb is going to swallow his tongue!" DG said with enthusiasm.

The three girls hugged.

Wyatt Cain and Ambrose Regent waited at the end of the stairs.

"So, you're escorting DG." Glitch gave his friend a sly smile, "Again."

Strangely, it seemed that the Tin Man escorted the younger princess to most formal functions; three out of four if you wanted the specifics. Or maybe not so strangely if you knew Cain. He claimed that he didn't trust the majority of courtiers that tended to circle DG like ravenous Papay.

Sometimes it just paid to ignore Ambrose. The headcase saw too much of everything and would comment on it at length if encouraged.

Glitch resplendent in a formal dark green suit with gold epaulets snickered into one gloved hand.

Azkadelia came down gliding down the steps first. The elder princess wore a modest misty blue-violet gown that glittered with crystal beading and her long silky black hair fell down her back like a dark waterfall.

Glitch let out an appreciative whistle.

Az blushed, "You clean up quite well too, your grace."

"Highness," Cain bowed politely at her from the waist.

"Mr. Cain," she acknowledged him with a gracious nod. "You might want to brace yourself."

The Tin Man blinked at her, "What…"

Whatever he was going to say died a sudden death. DG was descending the stairs.

The princess was simply radiant.

DG stopped in front of him. Ice blue eyes caught morning glory and the two regarded each other with an almost frightening intensity.

Wyatt Cain was without his hat allowing the sun to light up his short white-blond hair. He wore a pair of dark trousers and a white linen shirt with a slate blue vest.

The princess wore a deceptively simple ivory dress that pushed off her creamy shoulders with red flowers…poppies maybe…embroidered in the skirt.

"Hi," DG said softly.

Wyatt bowed, "Hello." A pause. "You look…nice." He kicked himself mentally. 'Was 'nice' really the best I can do,' he wondered.

Her lips quirked up in a smile, "So do you."

"Uh, guys…" Ambrose waved a hand between them, "We've got to go. Guys!"

----

The field the wedding was held in was full of the former resistance and representatives from the Royal Army and their families sat in a in a half circle around the small platform.

Cain and DG followed Azkadelia and Ambrose to where Ahamo, the Gales, Raw and Aunt May all sat together where they would get the best view.

A sheer silk chuppa-like awning fluttered in the wind as Queen Lurline mounted the steps and turned to face the expectant crowd. She wore a plain lavender-gray gown.

From opposite ends entered the bride and groom.

Jeb, handsome and a bit forbidding in the formal dress uniform were it not for his sparkling eyes and tremulous smile.

The bride wore green. In the color of the newly born spring and a garland of white starflowers, Jody looked like a stray wood nymph. They met at the dais to the melody sound of a single harp.

Hand in hand they mounted the steps to face the Queen.

Naturally, it was at that exact moment it began to rain. Azkadelia rolled her eyes at the sudden anguished howling of the wedding planner. She made an airy gesture and with a shimmer of silver-gold light an iridescent bubble formed over the wedding party.

Jeb and Jody didn't notice.

Queen Lurline spoke aloud (at last getting the couple's attention, "We are gathered today to witness and to celebrate the drawing together of two separate lives."

"Jebediah Cain, do you come here to be joined to this woman of your choosing without reservation?"

"I do so come," Jeb said firmly.

"Jody Westwind, do you come here to be joined to this man of your choosing without reservation?"

"I do so come," Jody replied.

Lurline smiled, "Then pledge your troth one to another."

"I am your husband from this time onward, to join with you and to share all that is to come, to be yours faithfully, to give and to receive, to speak and to listen, to inspire and to respond; a commitment made in love, kept in faith, and eternally made new," recited Jeb who wondered at not forgetting his lines.

Jody smiled sweetly into Jeb's eyes, " I take am your wife from this time onward, to join with you and to share all that is to come, to be yours faithfully, to give and to receive, to speak and to listen, to inspire and to respond; a commitment made in love, kept in faith, and eternally made new."

"Do you come with an outward sign of your bond?" Queen Lurline asked.

"Yes," Jeb and Jody replied. With infinite tenderness Jeb placed his mother's ring on his bride's finger. Jody shook with happiness as she slipped his father's ring onto his finger.

The Queen then recited:

Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other.

Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other.

Now there will be no loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other.

Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you.

May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all the years.

May happiness be your companion and your days together be good and long

upon the earth.

"By my authority as Queen of the O.Z., Head of the House of Gale, Heir of Ozma; I bind you together as husband and wife!"

Jeb and Jody kissed as the crowd roared in happy approval.

The rain pounded against the seemingly delicate bubble that protected the wedding party and the sound of it mingled with the music.

"You did good son," Cain smiled. "For a minute I thought you might pass out."

Jeb rolled his eyes. "Dad," he pleaded, "not in front of the troops." He was saved from further potential paternal embarrassment by Jody who grabbed him by the arm.

You're in my arms

And all the world is gone

"We're dancing," she said simply.

"We are?" Jeb said as she dragged him off to the dance floor.

Cain chuckled, "Never argue when a women wants to dance."

And when I'm with you

So close to feeling alive

Hank spun Emily about. "Do you ever wish we did it that way?"

Emily giggled, "By that way do you mean the clumsy way organics seem to stumble around in the dark for so long? Look at DG…I swear her love life's moving as fast as a glacial thaw."

"Not that; the stumbling around. I mean getting courted and having a wedding." Henry sighed, "You deserve all those things. I'm not just saying that because I'm programmed to love you."

Emily kissed his cheek. "Programming or not our sparks were meant for each other."

"You sound so certain," Hank murmured.

Emily sighed as he pulled her tighter into his arms, "Have a little faith, hon."

A life goes by

Romantic dreams must die

So I bid mine goodbye

And never knew

"Where's Azkadelia? Ahamo asked Glitch who was studiously contemplating cake.

Ambrose looked up startled, "I don't know." He scanned the surroundings. "Think she's ducked out of another party."

Ahamo rubbed the space between his eyes wearily. "She was doing so much better with crowds."

"Don't worry," DG piped up. She hugged her father and smiled. "Az is taking some cake to Linus."

"The librarian?" Ahamo wondered.

The princess smiled mischievously at her father, "She hasn't said anything but, I think Az has a crush."

The Prince Consort's expression was a picture.

Glitch caught sight of said picture and looked around widely, "Hey, Maybelle! My date ditched me to go check out a book. Wanna dance? I've got rhythm…" with that he bounded off.

Ambrose stared at the Ambrose shaped hole in the air. What was his problem?

He turned back to see his younger daughter be led to the dance floor by a Tin Man.

Ahamo contemplated this development. "At least the librarian is close to Az's age."

"Is your dance card full?" purred Lurline into her husband's ear.

Ahamo smiled, "Oh, I think I can fit you in.

So close to reaching

That famous happy ending

Almost believing

This one's not pretending

Now you're beside me

And look how far we've come

So far

We are

So close

"The guys are never going to let me live this down," grumbled Jeb.

Jody laughed, "The guys."

"Yeah, my subordinates and my superiors are gonna give me the hells for having a royal spectacle for a wedding," Jeb explained.

"Jeb, forget what the guys say. They're just jealous. Besides, think of the story we'll get to tell our grandchildren," Jody said soothingly.

Something caught her eye. "Oh. Look!"

Jeb looked. It was his father. And he was dancing with the younger princess. Jeb swallowed uncomfortably. "So."

"They make such a cute couple," Jody sighed happily.

"What?!" Jeb yelped.

Jody shook her head, "Sometime I could swear that you're blind.

Oh, how could I face the faceless days

If I should lose you now?

Wyatt and DG spun in lazy circles around the dance floor. Anyone who saw them would assume that they were lost in a dream.

We're so close to reaching

That famous happy ending

Almost believing

This was not pretend

Let's go on dreaming

Though we know we are

So close

So close, and still

So far

I got a bunch of wedding stuff at the 'My Wedding Vows' site.

Excerpt from an Apache Blessing.

Yes, the song 'So Close' is from the Enchanted soundtrack…Don't laugh at me! And yes I know that's a little song ficcie at the end…there needed to be music…okay.

The concept of A.I. having a soul called a spark is from the Transformers.