Chapter 16
The next few months flew by with a flurry of activity. Lessons for both DG and Cain, meetings with dignitaries and representatives form across the Zone and meetings with vendors about catering, invitations and flowers all made it so that they had very little time for themselves.
DG could tell that Cain was getting irritated so she cleared their schedules for the day. She had gotten up early and dressed in jeans boots, a loose button down shirt and her leather jacket. She had already put in an order for the kitchen to prepare a picnic basket for them. She knocked on the door she had created to Cain's room.
"Come in." he called.
"Hi," she said happily as she walked into the room. He was already up and getting dressed and still had his shirt unbuttoned. She gave him a wolf whistle, he blushed.
"I hate it when you do that."
"I know but that blush never gets old."
"What are you wearing? Your mother is going to throw a fit."
"I cleared our schedules for today. No lessons no wedding plans no meetings, just you and me, 2 horses and a picnic lunch. What do you say?"
"I say forget about the horses and let's stay in." He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her.
Leaning down and kissing her he slipped his hand under her jacket at the small of her back. DG allowed him to pull her closer. His tongue teased her lips as her arms wrapped around his neck. His other hand abandoned it's place at her hip and moved up to tangle in her hair. He trailed kisses down the side of her neck and she tilted her head to give him better access.
"Gods, DG, I feel like I've barely seen you lately." He nipped at her neck, her breath hitched and a moan escaped her lips. His hands moved to her shoulders and he pushed her jacket off and onto the floor. She let her hands travel down his neck and across his bare chest to wrap around his back.
"We shouldn't be doing this," she whispered between kisses.
"I don't care. Love you so much." His hands trailed up her arms over her shoulders and down her back and settled at her waist, casually slipping under the hem of her shirt to stroke the smooth skin there as His mouth resumed it's assault on her neck.
"You are the one that told me we shouldn't," DG was gasping for breath.
"I know what I said. Forget what I said. Need you." His voice was strained and his eyes were stormy dark.
He slid his around the backs if her thighs and lifted her. She wrapped her legs around his waist as she threw her arms around his neck. She pulled him into a kiss and plundered his mouth with her own.
He carried her to his bed and laid her down gently. He knelt on the bed above her, watching her as he shed his shirt. He stretched his long body out over hers, her hands finding purchase, exploring and kneading the tight muscles of his back and she could feel his arousal pressed against her. Leaning slightly on one elbow for support he ran a hand up her side to her face and leaned in kissing her with every ounce of love and passion that he possessed.
-–I love you, DG--
--Oh gods, Wyatt, please--
Cain broke the kiss and pulled DG up till she was sitting. He looked into her eyes; the brilliant blue had gone dark. His hands touched the top button of her shirt.
--Are you sure, DG?--
--Yes, Wyatt, here, let me help you--
She ran her hand down the front of her shirt using her magick to open the buttons. She slid the shirt off and tossed it on the floor. She took his hand and placed it at the front closure of the bra the still kept her breasts from his gaze.
--Please, Wyatt--
As he released the closure, his hands brushed gently against the softness of her skin. He laid her back down on the bed. As she lay before him his eyes drank her in slowly.
--You are so beautiful--
He gently touched her face and ran his hand down her neck over her shoulder and down to lightly cup her breast as he took her mouth with his. He teased her lips, licking and nipping, and when she slightly parted them he plunged inside, tangling her tongue with his own.
Suddenly they were startled by someone knocking on his door. "Commander Cain, sir? I was sent to tell you that the horses and basket that the princess requested are ready."
"Damn it!" Cain groaned. "Thank you, Jonathan. Well, there goes the mood. I guess we better not let all your planning go to waste. What do you say?"
DG sighed. "Yeah, I guess, let's go." She reluctantly extracted herself from Cain's embrace and they dressed. "This is not fair. How do they do that? For the past 3 months every time we get some time together someone interrupts."
"It's alright, Sweetheart, next month we'll get all the time we want, just you and me (and a small squad of my best Tin Men) for a week at the Northern Palace. It'll be worth it, you'll see."
"It better be because I want an answer to the eternal question."
"What question?"
"What does a Tin Man turned Royal fiancé prefer; boxers or briefs?" she said as she took off down the hall, Cain fast on her heels.
They rode the garden trails most of the morning and found a large shade tree to have their picnic lunch under. Cain spread out a blanket and DG laid out the food. They talked about how lessons had been going and about what they wanted in the future.
"Wyatt, we haven't really talked about this much. And since I'm gonna be Queen everyone is going to expect it… And you've already been there done that, yeah you missed a lot but that so wasn't you fault. So …"
"Deeg, you're rambling. Just ask me what you want to ask."
"Well what I was trying to ask is how you feel about kids. I mean there's the whole secure the royal line thing that the council is going to be hanging on. But just between us, do you want more kids?"
"Of course I want more kids. I always wanted more than one. Adora and I tried for a couple of annuals before we had Jeb. Then, well you know. So the answer to your question is, yes, DG, I want more kids with you."
DG smiled and opened the picnic basket again. She pulled out some small plates and forks and laid them on the blanket. Then she pulled out the desert she had made. DG took the top off the platter and cut the confection into pieces and gave him one then served herself. Cain didn't recognize what it was but it did smell good. "Ok, DG, are you going to tell me what I'm eating or do I have to guess."
"Just try it then I'll tell you." She was smiling, he loved that smile.
Cain lifted a bite to his mouth and tasted it. It was creamy, tangy, smooth, rich and sweet all at the same time. He'd never had anything like it. "DG, this is great. What is it?" he asked as he finished off his piece and getting another.
"It's cheesecake," she said smiling.
"Cheesecake?"
"Yes, Wyatt, cheesecake. It's one of the few things Carter actually managed to teach me how to make. I made it last night. Dad helped me find the right OZ equivalents of the ingredients I needed." She was slowly eating her slice of cheesecake, savoring every bite. "You might want to go easy on that. It's pretty rich and a little goes a long way. I'm glad you like it though. Look at this place. It's so beautiful. It's almost hard to believe that it's only been 6 months since we destroyed the witch. Even the fields of the Papay are beginning to thrive. City governments are running smoothly so far and your friend Andy Harkness has really done wonders with the new Tin Man academy. The OZ is really starting to come back to life." They both finished their slices of cheesecake and lay back on the blanket together. DG's head was pillowed on Cain's shoulder and they were watching the clouds drift by. Slowly they drifted off to sleep.
It was late afternoon, nearly dusk, when Cain woke to someone shouting. "Dad? Dad?! DAD?!?" Jeb yelled while for searching the gardens for his father. Cain gently pulled his arm out from under DG and walked over to meet his son.
"Would you keep it down. Don't wake her up. What is wrong?"
"You two have to get back now. It's the Queen. She's sick." Jeb told his father.
"Help me get things packed up." Cain walked back over to where he left DG. "DG, Sweetheart, you need to get up. We gotta go back to the palace."
DG stirred, "What? Why? We have the day off."
"I know we do, Deeg, but Jeb is here he says your mother's sick." DG shot up and looked for Cain to Jeb, a question in her eyes. "It's no joke, DG, we got to go."
Cain began picking things up and getting ready to leave. Jeb helped DG mount her horse. It wasn't long till they were back at the stables. Cain help DG down and Jeb took care of the horses and basket. They held each other's hand as they ran to the Queen's quarters.
DG rushed to her mother's side. "Mother, what's wrong? What happened?"
"Oh, DG, my Angel, I had hoped to keep this from you all for a while longer. To give you more time to learn and adjust. I am dying, my darlings. Since I used my power to bring you back to life and protect your memories, it was only a matter of time. We are going to have to move up your coronation, DG, and your wedding. You and your dear Wyatt are going to have to take over sooner than we had hoped." Lavender spoke quietly and weakly.
DG was crying as she held her mother's hand. "No, mother, you can't die yet I just got you back! It's not fair." She broke down sobbing as Cain held her in his arms. No one went back to their own rooms that night.