Chapter 13, "Girl Talk"
Sergeant Costello and Cain rode in silence. It was broken only when Costello bluntly asked Cain where he wanted to be dropped off.
After a few more short minutes, Costello pulled up to the gate that led to the barracks. Cain opened the car door, got out, and was ready to shut the door when Costello called after him, "Cain... Wait."
Cain hesitated and looked out across the street. It was busy with various guard units coming and going, delivery trucks, and other vehicular traffic. He bent over and looked inside the car.
"Here, take this." said Costello. In his outstretched hand he held both the block of putty and a small piece of folded paper. Cain took them and put the putty in his coat pocket. He then opened up the paper and saw the letters RDX. "That was written on one of the putty wrappers. I jotted it down before I turned them over to the Royal Academy." For a moment, he looked straight ahead through the windshield and gripped the steering wheel a little harder. He then turned back to Cain and said, "Maybe Jill does know what it means."
Cain looked at his old friend. The stone cold expression that had followed him from Spencer's apartment softened. "Thanks Paul."
Costello's eyes narrowed and he growled. "Watch your back. You know as well as I do that this is just the beginning."
"I know….. you too." Cain replied.
Costello simply grunted. And with that Cain shut the door and turned to check in at the gatehouse. Costello watched him go. By the gods Wyatt I hope you're right.
He then put the squad car in to gear, pulled out in to the traffic, and headed back to the precinct.
After leaving the private dining hall, DG did not immediately go to Az's chamber. She instead went to check on Jill's chamber. She wanted to make sure that the chambermaids were able to put it back in to order and that nothing else was amiss. Even though Elsie did her best to maintain her composure she could tell that the sight had still upset her.
The chamber door was open and Elsie was busy directing two younger chambermaids. "Elsie?" asked DG as she stood in the doorway. "Is it okay to come in?"
Elsie turned and quickly walked over to the doorway, "Of course my dear. Meredith and Kyra have worked very hard to tidy things back up." She reached her hands out to DG and motioned for her to come further in to the chamber.
True to Elsie's word, nearly everything was back in order. "Mr. Glucksman is already here replacing the mirror." At the mention of his name, the elderly Mr. Glucksman turned to look at DG, merely tipped his cap, and proceeded to go back to work. Elsie continued, "And a new lamp is on its way from the storeroom as well."
DG saw a pile of clothes in the corner. Jill's pink jacket was on top. "Elsie? Can we get Jill's clothes washed too?"
Elsie turned to look where DG was looking. "Yes my dear. We can take care of that too." She quickly walked over and picked up Jill's jacket. As quickly as she picked it up she dropped it and exclaimed, "Oh!"
DG walked over and picked up Jill's jacket. "Princess Dorothy! Don't touch that!," Elsie exclaimed again. Seeing the blood frightened her and Elsie's exclamations made Meredith and Kyra look up from their chores. DG said softly, "Elsie. It's okay."
"No! It's not okay. There is blood on that jacket.," Elsie whispered loudly.
DG ignored her and deftly undid all of the zippers. She held the liner in one hand and the jacket in the other. "Elsie," she said imploringly. "There was an accident and Jill went to help them." She felt terrible lying to Elsie but she had no choice. If word got out that Jill killed a soldier, out of mercy or not, the palace help would be in an uproar. Enough damage had already been done by her little temper tantrum.
Elsie tentatively reached out and took the jacket. She turned it inside out and then took the liner. She bent over and then took the rest of the clothes. As she turned to leave, she said coolly, "We will have them washed and dried by evening. I will see to it personally."
"Thanks Elsie," DG replied. But Elsie was already on her way out the door. DG sighed and then left for Azkadellia's chamber.
It was a short walk to her sister's chamber. DG knocked on the door. "Come in!" Azkadellia's voice sounded strong and alert.
DG opened the door and walked in. There stood her mother, the Queen, brushing Azkadellia's hair. It was a ritual that the Queen did every morning if she was in the palace.
"Good morning, DG," the Queen said to her as she continued to walk across the room. The Queen's voice was tired but it still had that lyrical quality to it. DG sat down on the bed and took one of the many pillows to cuddle. She noticed that her mother had already applied Azkadellia's makeup.
"DG, I saw Elsie in the hallway and she made it a point to speak to me," said the Queen.
DG hugged the pillow a little harder, "And what did she say?"
"She told me that our houseguest destroyed some items in her chamber last night. I believe that she said that Jill lost her temper," replied the Queen rather matter-of-factly. She glanced over at DG, "Would you know anything more about this little incident?"
"Ouch!," exclaimed Azkadellia and she jerked her head.
The Queen stopped what she was doing and placed her hand on Azkadellia's shoulder, "I'm so sorry Azkadellia. There was a knot."
"Mother, I talked to her this morning, and it was just frustration. She's had so much happen to her these past five days," replied DG sympathetically.
"I will agree DG; however, that does not excuse her present behavior. As soon as Major Cain reports back to the palace I intend to speak to him about it," the Queen sternly said.
"Are you going to ask her to leave?" DG asked. They had something in common and even though they had not talked much, she considered her a friend already.
"Not yet. However another incident and Major Cain will have to find another place for her to stay. I cannot have her disrupting this house."
DG said nothing more and continued to hug the pillow.
Out of nowhere Azkadellia piped up and smirked, "Cain and DG were out on the balcony last night."
DG's head snapped back to attention and the Queen stopped her brushing mid-stroke.
"I took a walk last night and I saw Cain and DG out on the balcony near Jill's chamber," she said and she gently patted her cheek. Sometimes the makeup made her skin itch and patting was the only thing she could do without messing it up. "Don't worry DG, I didn't stay long and I couldn't hear what was being said."
The Queen turned to look at DG and furled her brow slightly. "DG. What were you and Major Cain discussing last night? Out on the balcony none-the-less?"
DG swallowed hard and then gave a passing glare to her sister. "Just stuff, Mother."
The Queen's lavender eyes stared at her. DG sighed. It was that type of stare all mothers give their children when they know that they are not quite telling the whole truth.
"Cain had stopped by to check on Jill and he told me how the blood got on her jacket.," said DG. The stare from her mother was unrelenting. "He told me that she went to help some victims from the explosion." This lying is getting to be a bad habit. But how could she tell her mother that Jill killed a soldier out of mercy? If she did, she probably would boot her out on to the street, or call the Royal Guard to take her away.
Thankfully the Queen did not question her explanation, at least not at the moment, "And what else?"
"Mother, there wasn't anything else," she responded. She sighed again. A little voice inside her head said liar. She closed her eyes and felt Cain's strong hands on her shoulders.
The Queen put the brush down on the vanity and then walked over to the bed and sat down next to DG. Her hands were folded in her lap.
"Events happen in our lives for a reason; sometimes they are within our control and sometimes not," she said softly as she looked over at Azkadellia. DG continued to hug her pillow and look down at the floor.
The Queen continued, "Major Cain has moved on with his life." DG looked up at her mother. "And so have you."
"Ambrose……," the Queen reached out for DG's hand and started again. "Glitch is a good man. He cares deeply for you. Your other parents, if they were still alive, would have approved of him as well."
"I know Mother," whispered DG. The mention of her other parents, her guardians, disheartened her even further. She had not thought about them for a long time. Not since Cain had left.
The Queen took a deep breath, "Then you need to give him an answer."
"I will Mother, I promise.," whispered DG again.
The Queen was about to say something else when a loud knock on the door interrupted them. The Queen let go of DG's hand and said in a loud strong voice, "Enter!"
A young courier appeared, "General Turnbaugh is waiting for you."
The Queen stood up and placed her hand lightly on DG's shoulder and her other hand on her head, and she whispered, "Your grandmother had a saying. She told me to not go chasing after waterfalls." She paused and then added, "Please DG, take heed of that." Her hands lingered a moment longer and she gently kissed DG on the head. Then she pulled away.
"Thanks Mother," said DG as she tried to smile.
The Queen gave a hug to Azkadellia and whispered in her ear, "I love you Az, always remember that." And with that she followed the courier out the door.
Azkadellia got up and took one last look in the mirror. As she did so, she asked DG, "So that means you're going to say yes, right?"
DG looked over at her and said, "Yeah Az." But she did not sound very convincing.