Disclaimer: Still don't own them sigh

Cain entered the room looking extremely agitated. "How long?" he ground out finally. "How long have you been sneaking around and not telling me anything? And why did I find out like this?" he spat out, slamming a piece of paper on the table next to him.

A look of confusion fell on both DG and Jeb's faces at the piece of paper. Jeb leaned over to pick it up, looking curiously at his father. Cain merely motioned to him to read it, which he did.

"What is it Jeb?" DG asked, growing more concerned at the heat that was coming off of Cain in his angered state. 'If looks could kill, Jeb and I would be dead, that's for sure.'

"Deege, I think you better go see your mother."

"No, I'm not leaving. This is my fault, as per usual, but I'm not gonna let you deal with it on your own."

"It's not that. Look at what she did," he said, handing her the paper.

She read it and her eyes went wider than the Cain men had ever seen.

"How could she? But I…she must have known we haven't had time to deal with it much less tell anyone. It's bad enough it was halfway back here when we got back, but this?" she asked, sighing and sinking to the floor.

"Would somebody please tell me what is going on here and why I got an invitation to my son's wedding when I didn't know he was courting anybody and why for Ozma's sake he's marrying a princess I thought was my friend and told me nothing of the relationship either?!" he roared, hurt that they didn't tell him and insulted that they had managed to sneak around without him figuring it out sooner.

"It's not like that Father. We had some…complications…at the Eastern Guild last week. You know how temperamental they can be, not to mention very set in their ways."

"What does the Eastern Guild have to do with this wedding?"

"Well, you see Cain," said DG, finally accepting Jeb's helping hand to stand up. "They didn't like us traveling around there on our own. They refused to let us pass because I was alone with my bodyguard."

"I don't understand. You're the princess. They have to let you pass. And what, pray tell, is wrong with being seen with your bodyguard?"

"Apparently everything," she said sighing heavily. "They thought we would be a bad influence on their children if we continued to be alone out there, but refused to offer chaperone or let us bypass them to the woods beyond since they knew we would definitely be out there alone then. What was I supposed to do, Cain?"

"The better question right now is what did you do?" he said, looking exasperated. Never in his life had he met someone so troublesome and that included working protection detail for the Mystic Man. 'What have you gotten me into' he mentally asked, wondering what had possessed him to promise to protect her.

"I might have said something along the lines of we were a couple."

"Well, that explains why they wouldn't want you to spend time together alone," he said, as if this was obvious.

"They were already of that small mindset, Cain, it didn't do any good."

"Then what happened?" Clearly there was something more here they weren't telling and Jeb had remained silent, allowing DG to tell her side of the story before having a breakdown.

"I said…well, I thought it would help! On the Other Side it would have meant everything was fine and could be fixed later, but nooooo, not in the O.Z. Sheesh!" she said, turning away from Jeb to resume her earlier pacing.

He reached for her and wrapped her up in his arms. "It's ok, Deege, you didn't know it couldn't be undone. It's not your fault." She sobbed into his shoulder, clinging to him. Cain watched with interest, touched at how loving his son was being toward this girl. 'She certainly has that affect on people' he noted, watching Jeb hug her a little tighter.

"Basically Father, she told them we were engaged, thinking that it would solve everything."

Cain groaned. Telling the Eastern Guild fighters there was an engagement was the worst move she could have made. It was bad enough going into their territory with just one guard but this?

"Why did you two go alone in the first place? You know the Eastern Guild doesn't like unwed couples."

"I didn't know that Cain, and we weren't heading there exactly, we got sidetracked and ended up there and it was getting late and we were on the edge of their territory and it just happened. I'll never understand this place," she said, curling back into Jeb's arms.

"So what happened after you told them you were engaged?" he prodded, far less angry now, as concern had taken over. He didn't trust the Eastern Guild, never had.

"Well, they threw us a party. A big one. And gave us a place to stay for the night."

"I see. So a huge engagement party. You accepted?"

She nodded, turning to look up at him finally. "I thought we could enjoy the party, get out of there, and send word after a few weeks that the engagement had been broken off and everything would be fine. I didn't know there was some stupid rule about accepting engagement parties from lawn gnomes and having to go through with it."

At this Cain laughed. "Come here, Kid," he said, opening his arms. She ran into the embrace, still crying, but glad he wasn't angry anymore. It was one thing when he was on her side. Against her, it was scary.

"We weren't trying to hide anything, Cain, promise. We were just discussing everything and how to tell everyone when we got back a little while ago. Apparently word has reached the palace already and naturally mother sent out the invitations since we did such a horrible job of allowing the engagement to slip before the announcements or whatever faux pas we committed by not telling her first."

Cain sighed. "I could think of worse things than you becoming my daughter, Kid," he said laughing. It didn't seem to cheer her up though.

Looking up at him she got her courage back and stared him down just as she had done with Jeb earlier. "Think about it, Kid," he continued. "If it had happened earlier in your little adventure you could have been stuck with Raw or Glitch or me." She rolled her eyes.

"Or it could have been some pompous jerk a few months from now who planned it that way to force you to marry him to give him power and money," Jeb pointed out. "Since you don't know the customs as well it would be rather easy. Would you rather be married to someone like that or me?"

"Hmm, let's see. Ruin my friend's life or be married to a horrible person?"

"How many times do I have to tell you it's not ruining my life?" he asked, causing Cain to study his face more closely. A part of him was beginning to think that his son really did have feelings for DG, making him wonder if he hadn't planned it all along. No, surely he wouldn't have stooped to that level.

"Look, Deege. I know this isn't what you had in mind when you told them that we were engaged, but we don't really have much a choice now." At this all of Cain's worry faded away. He could tell that even though it wasn't planned, his son had managed to fall in love with the princess since he had come to terms with the arrangement, though he wasn't sure his son realized it yet. "Come here, Deege," Jeb said quietly. "Please?"

Sighing softly and trying not to start crying again she reluctantly let go of Cain and went to stand in front of Jeb who looked hurt, realizing she wasn't going to run into his arms like she had his father's. 'Maybe she'd rather be stuck with him he thought bitterly, hoping it wasn't true. That would make their marriage that much worse if she not only didn't want him but wanted his father.

Sure, he hadn't been thrilled when he heard her tell the Eastern Guild fighters they were engaged, but it wasn't the worst possible match either. Who knows, if left to its own devices, it may have gone in that direction anyways.

That last little thought still in his head made his heart heavy. 'Was I falling in love with her before this?' he questioned, waiting to see what she was going to do.

"Jeb, I…I just don't want you to resent me. You shouldn't have to marry someone you didn't choose. I just want you to be happy, you deserve it. And I don't think you'd be happy with me," she said, looking up at him with sad eyes.

"I wouldn't be happy with you or you wouldn't be happy with me?" he asked, afraid of the answer. Cain watched from the sidelines where he had been forgotten for the time being. Watching his son in this position he squirmed, knowing how painful this could become. Sure DG would marry him now because she had to, but if she couldn't accept him truly, he'd be shattered.

"Deege? Could you be happy with me?" he asked again.

"I just hate the idea that we're forced into it, Jeb," she said, turning away from him again and sitting down on the couch. "Can I just be alone for a little while before the rest of the palace comes in demanding to know why I didn't tell them either? Cause I could really use some rest right now."

Cain saw the hurt in Jeb's eyes but in a moment it was gone. "Sure, Deege. Get as much rest as you can. I have a feeling we're going to need a lot of energy to do all the explaining we'll have to do." He approached her once more before leaving the room. Finally getting her to give him a quick hug, he took the opportunity to pick her up and carried her to her bed, throwing a blanket over her. "Sleep soundly," he whispered and left with Cain on his heels.

"I think we'd better talk, Son," said Cain, motioning to a nearby room. Jeb followed quietly, too tired to argue.