"I can't freaking believe this!" She shouted, despite the armed guards and general distaste for her throughout the room already.
"I'm here for day being treated like a slave to a bunch of freaks and look at you! You here for a few minutes and suddenly your king of the freaks!' Cordelia continued.
She wasn't really that upset. Doyle had freed her from her captive the second he was put into power, as well as everyone else who had been on her rescue mission but still deep inside she felt gypped. Just because he couldn't change from human to demon like he normally could, just because he was stuck looking like a green pin cushion he got to rule them all. She probably would have been treated like a queen if she had kept the visions like she wanted to so many months ago. It was mostly just a small issue considering if he hadn't become ruler she'd be stuck as a slave still.
"Well I'm sorry princess, wasn't really expectin' this myself either." Doyle retorted playfully.
She smiled to herself as she noticed a few of the minion's around grow confused by Doyle's nickname and moved toward him. Despite his discomfort being stuck in demon form she hugged him gratefully for the rescue before doing the same with Angel, Gunn, Wes, and even Lorne. After wards Doyle explained that after a fairly rigorous test it seems he was a match to a prophecy granting him claim to the dimensions rule but that it appeared as if the book they were going to use to get back did not make the trip with them.
"So right now I think maybe it would be best if at all possible for Lorne and Angel to visit the Deathwok clan and try to find another available portal. In the meantime if Doyle could use his clout to get me into the library of the priest's so that I might find any books of use." Wesley chimed in.
"Hey now my clan isn't really going-" Lorne started, but was immediately glared down by the rest of the group, more eager to get home. He raised his hands in defense and departed with Angel.
"I'll go help Wes" Gunn offered, leaving Cordelia with Doyle, both unsure of what to do next.
There is was again. For some reason, an unknown reason that drove Cordelia mad they just couldn't work things out. It had been clear, pretty much from day one that Doyle like her a lot. While at first the feelings were less than mutual Cordelia was sure he had to know that she felt the same way he did. She had thought she made it particularly clear with that one fleeting moment they had shared a few months back. Sure, she was a little distressed by Angel firing them all, but her feelings were true. Even before that she knew that they had been less than subtle with their feelings. But every time they became anywhere closer than they had been they somehow messed it up. One step forward, two steps back.
She was beginning to think it just wasn't meant to be. They were destined to stay friends because their stupid brains kept getting in the way. Just like it always did. They over think something very simple and can't make the right moves. Even now they sat in silence, unsure of what to do with each other. Unsure of what to say. Cordelia felt like rolling her eyes at the entire spectacle before Doyle finally broke the silence.
"So, Cordy...Want to sit in the thrown?" He asked with a lazy half smile.
Maybe he did occasionally know what to say to make her happy.
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Meanwhile as Wesley perused the various tomes belonging to the high priests Gunn stood arms crossed waiting by the doors. Research wasn't really his thing, but he could bet anything it would be just as boring and twice as awkward to wait with Doyle and Cordelia. There wasn't a word appropriate enough to explain their angst. Despite the door being shut he found it easy to listen to the outside world over Wesley's page flipping. He was sure that despite their insistence that they didn't need watching that the two guards Silas- the head of the council formerly in charge- had given them were not far away.
He stole a quick glance at Wes, deep in thought over a large book before deciding this was possibly a big mistake on his part. Maybe it would have been more entertaining to join Lorne at his family reunion. About to call it in and go back to the main room to Doyle and Cordelia he instead heard rushed whispering voices.
"But he mustn't be the cursed one." Once voice offered angrily.
"Yes, obviously. The prophecy spoke of a female ruler. Thus the need for the Com-Shuk with the Groosalugg to restore the natural order." Another voice, Gunn immediately recognized as Silas offered back to his partner.
"Then why give this impostor- this fool who loves those cows and that traitor- the thrown?" His mate spat questioningly.
"We reveal him to be a fake to the others and dispose of him. It will only serve to strengthen our power in the face of those enticed by the rebels." Silas explained.
"But if the real-"
"If the real cursed one ever appears in our lifetimes we will do what is necessary...is it any use to give them the power to a powerless regime? We must maintain our power..." Silas continued well after they were out of range of Gunn's ability to hear. Not bothering to hear the rest Gunn knew things were going bad quick. He turned to Wesley who seemed to be staring more than reading any of the books.
"Dude we have to get out of here. Things aren't what they seem. They know Doyle's not their leader. Their gonna kill him." He said quietly, in case anyone might overhear as easily as he had with Silas.
"I'm beginning to think the same thing." Wesley agreed, motioning to the three large books on the table. Gunn looked down at them and immediately pieced together the connection to the. Wolf. Ram. Hart. With no more than a brief glance to one another they rushed out of the large library to find Cordelia and Doyle.
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As the others were making strides only in discovering time was now an issue Angel and Lorne had no luck in finding a way home either. After several embarrassingly bad dances by one of Lorne's clan Angel had found himself being paraded around as if he was a hero. Landok, whom they had previously met before Cordelia was sent to Pylea, had praised Angel as a hero and frankly he was beginning to think there was no downside to living there.
No dancing or singing and he was a hero who could actually walk in sunlight and look in mirrors and find something looking back. This place was like a dream come true for him. Except, of course the part where humans were slave "cows". That fact was becoming more and more apparent, though as he was met with a frightened woman he was expected to kill for the amusement of a crowd.
It took no longer than a second for Lorne to understand his glance as the empath began belting out a few high notes. The distraction was more than enough for Angel to make his escape,the young woman by his side. There was no time to look back as he rode the ironically stereotypical white horse out of the town square and into the woods. Had he looked back he might have noticed that he had abandoned Lorne to the ruthless crowd, but he figured Doyle would be happy to pardon the demon later, the girl in distress was more his bag. Now though he was running out of time on a worn out welcome. They had to leave soon. Of course, unbeknownst to him, this was true for everyone. Getting out had just become harder than they thought.
Well I had to break up the last chapter into two but as I was trying to do that the first part just became impossible so I re-wrote it. I'm not a big fan but I think it gets all the important stuff across and sets up the more important second half. Anyway there will be one more chapter before I take a week long break unless anyone objects and really wants the new chapters up really quick, which I doubt.