Chapter Three

The witch swarmed at her from behind the coming army of mobats. She tried to duck, to avoid the witch, to stop her from taking over again, but she couldn't, as the witch surrounded her and fed herself into Azkadellia, she yelled out in triumph as Az screamed in agony of being possessed. You're mine again and I'm never going, the witch snarled, while Az whimpered as the mobats came down to pat her. Help, she thought, Someone help me.

Azkadellia jolted out of her nightmare to find herself covered in sweat and wrapped in her sheets, working herself out of her bed, she sat down on the couch-like seat at her window and opened it up, letting the cool night's breeze wash away the lingering feelings. Sighing as she thought upon her latest dream of the witch, wishing that they would just leave her.

Usually she was woken up by DG, or she would come in soon after Az had woken herself, but tonight she was nowhere to be found.

Not surprising, she's probably still working off all the cherry pie and custard she had for dessert last night, she thought, remembering helping her sister work her way through her fifth helping of the custard and pie. It was a miracle she hadn't rolled away from the table.

Sighing one last time for the night, she walked back to her bed and lighted a candle so she could read for the last few hours until everyone else would be waking.

* * *

'Az, come on' DG shouted as she ran into her sister's room. There she saw Azkadellia lay on her bed reading yet another book. Sometimes she thought her sister's head would explode from all the reading she had done since the Witch had been killed.

Azkadellia looked up and smiled at the look on her sister's face. Ever since their mother had told them that Duke Charles was going to be visiting with his daughter, DG had been excited at the prospect of seeing a childhood friend, although she had but a few memories from her visits.

A half-hour later Az walked out of her chambers, dragged by an over-enthusiastic DG to the only throne room in the palace of Finaqua.

'Good Morning, my daughters' the queen greeted them as they walked through the side door to take their together next to the throne.

'Morning' they replied in unison. They greeted their father and there were kisses and hugs all round.

'Queen Lavender, they have arrived' one of the guards announced.

'Send them in' she replied.

'His Grace, Duke Charles of Dunmort, and his daughter, Alana' announced the herald as the doors swung inwards and in came the Duke and his daughter.

The Duke was a slightly underweight man in his mid-forties with all the muscle of a former soldier, and all the evidence that he was going bald.

His daughter, Alana, on the other hand, had hair night as black that flowed halfway down her back, tall and proud she smiled as she looked upon the royal family who had all been her friends throughout her childhood.

'Your Majesty' Charles greeted the queen, then her husband, the Prince Consort.

'Duke Charles, it has been to long' she replied warmly. 'May I re-introduce you to my two daughters, Azkadellia and DG.'

'I remember them well' he said as he greeted them in turn. He didn't hesitate when he turned to Azkadellia, as everything had been explained to all the nobles about the Witch and Az's possession. Of course there were people still crying out for her blood, but they went mostly ignored.

Then Alana walked up and was embraced fondly by the queen, who had been a mother to her when she was growing up. Then she once she had greeted Ahamo and the sisters, Lavender invited them to breakfast.

Throughout the whole meal, there was talk about the OZ and its affairs among Lavender, Ahamo and Charles, and of childhood adventures and games and of DG's life in the Other Side among DG, Az and Alana.

* * *

'Hey Az, Alana and I are going to the lake, you want to come?' DG said running into her rooms the next day.

'Yeah, sure just give me a minute' Azkadellia replied, getting up to change.

By the time Az had got down the lake, DG and Alana had already gotten completely soaked, they looked towards her as she walked up to the edge of the water.

'How's the water' she asked teasingly, seeing them both shivering slightly.

'Cold' they replied in unison, grinning up at her. Azkadellia rolled her eyes and jumped in, splashing the other two in the process.

Coming up, she looked around and not seeing either Alana or DG, she knew she was being ambushed. Two can play at this game, she thought. Then she sensed a presence behind her, playing along until she felt them right behind her.

Azkadellia quickly turned around and grabbed her sister, pinning her arms against her side so she wouldn't be able to try and wriggle free of her sister's hold.

'That is sooo not fair Az' DG said while she fought a smile.

'And you trying to drown me is?' Az said, one eyebrow raised.

'Oh come on, I wasn't going to drown you' she argued, enjoying the banter between them. Az was as well, so neither of them saw when Alana came up to them and with a quick 'well I will', pushed them both under the surface of the water.

As the sister resurfaced, laughing the whole time, Az looked at Alana, about to make some comment about ducking them both, when she saw the look in Alana's eyes.

Suddenly Az was taken back to the throne room, where only the day before, Alana had been introduced to the witch-free Azkadellia. She remembered the look Alana had given her, one filled with sympathy and compassion, and the way her lips had lingered upon Az's hand as she kissed it with respect.

As she bought her thoughts back to the present she saw that Alana was still looking at her over DG, and Azkadellia gave her a small, quick smile, still slightly unsure of Alana's feelings and intentions, but feeling better when she returned the smile giving in return one of hers.

She's absolutely stunning when she smiles like that, Az realised, and then wondered at the sudden, unexpected thought.

Well there's another chapter for you all. There will probably be Az/Alana in the next chapter.

Please review.