Chapter VI: Letters Home

"Is father all packed yet?" DG asked as she put another clean shirt over the other two already in a large bag. Her hand gently passed over the cotton like material and the simple buttons down the front. She sat at the end of the bed and looked at the bag as if it was reason that Cain was going away for two weeks. On the other hand, if she were the bag she wouldn't be stuck in the palace with her mother and sister asking her about the wedding at every corner.

Cain walked out from their bathroom with a small towel in his hand, "He says that he should be ready by sun down. Better to leave when no one expects us to and we won't get tied up with others heading North on the first leg of the trip."

DG sighed and buttoned up the bag before he took it from her. He set the two bags they had packed by the door and then joined her on the bed. He took both of her hands in his and kissed her knuckles softly.

"Everything is going to be okay," he said in a whisper, "I'm only going to help and then I'll be right back. We'll get married and then have many little ones running all over the place. They'll keep Jeb busy while you begin your reign with me right there beside you."

She smiled and leaned toward him a little as he nuzzled her cheek with his nose, "What makes you think that he won't be busy with ones of his own? I've seen the ring and talked with Kelly. They wanted to announce it as soon as you came back, but the ring on her hand kind of ruined that surprise."

"Yeah, Jeb told me while we were taking a walk during your lessons the other day."

DG suddenly turned serious and looked Cain in the eyes which made him lean back a little in surprise. Then she laughed to herself for making him worried, "Remember, I don't want more than three. I've always wanted at least two though. Maybe twins- a boy and a girl. According the Azkadellia we're going to have a girl regardless, so…"

He chuckled and laid back into the bed, pulling her with him. He held her close and looked at the ceiling from the bed, "Whatever you say, kiddo."

They both stayed quiet in one another's arms until she knew his time to go was slipping closer and closer. She lightly traced her finger over his buttons on his vest and holster like she had done with the shirt in the bag and then took a deep breath. He tilted his head to look down on her when she immediately sat up and looked down at him.

"What is it?" he asked cautiously, "And before you ask again- No, you still can't come with me and your father, even though I want you to. You need to stay here with your mother."

"No, it's not that," she smiled and put both hands behind her neck to take off the silver locket that she wore from the Other Side. She held the locket above his face and grinned at him, "I want you to take it with you."

"You're locket?" he took it from her and examined it in his hand. She nodded and rested her chin on his shoulder as she laid back down beside him, "You've had this with you since you were a little girl…"

"You don't need to wear it if you don't want to," she said as he flipped it over and over in his hand, his eyes focused on the trinket, "I just want you to keep it with you. It would make me feel better. It will make me believe that you are safe and have my heart with you always."

"I will be safe," he nodded and kissed the top of her head before sliding the small locket into his pocket and buttoned the pocket back up, "No problem, kiddo. I'll keep it with me."

She signed in contentment and closed her eyes. Her ear was planted to his chest and she unknowingly breathed in rhythm with his heart. She savored the quiet moments with him. They didn't have many with everything that was going on around them. Be it another ceremony or another class, they were always running around and only got to see one another before they fell asleep or passing in the halls. They used to have loads of time to do things together when they were out in the wilds of the O.Z., even if they were on a tight schedule to stop a witch… both times. And to think, months ago when she first met him, she would have never guessed that he could be this affectionate toward anyone- much less the kid that was following him around the O.Z. to find a way back to her parents.

"Why does the second sun have to set so fast?" she opened her eyes and looked over his chest to the window where the first sun had already gone behind the hills surrounding the palace. She then buried her face into his shoulder and felt him hug her closer to him, "I don't want you to leave."

"It will be fine, DG. It's going to be in and out," he turned his head and watched the last sun hesitantly, "I'll be back home in no time. I promise."

Less than an hour later the two walked out of their room and down the long hall to the main foyer of the palace. Ahamo and Lavender were already there, saying their goodbyes as well. DG watched respectfully as her mother gave her husband another kiss and whispered something in his ear. He grinned down at her and hugged her tightly before stepping away. The older couple turned to the other two as they made their way forward. Ahamo and Cain shared a nod of the head in a small greeting.

"Is Az and Glitch going to say goodbye?" DG looked to the side and no sooner had she asked then Azkadellia and Glitch round the corner followed by Raw.

"Of course," Azkadellia smiled and walked up to Cain to give him a hug as well as she could with her swelling belly, "Be safe on your trip, Cain. I expect you back here safe and sound and ready to walk down that aisle with my sister in hand. No getting caught by witches or falling asleep in poppy gas and getting carried away."

"I wouldn't plan on it, princess," Cain grinned as Azkadellia turned to her father and gave him a tighter hug. As he hugged her around her shoulders, Cain turned his attention to Glitch.

"You keep your eyes on his majesty and I'll take care of the girls. Agreed?" Glitch held out a hand and Cain gripped it hard in a shake.

"Agreed," Cain nodded, "Watch out for DG. I think she may make a run for it and she's not the best at being watched over."

"I heard that," DG hit him in his side.

"Alright, Spitfire, do I get a goodbye too?" Ahamo asked and opened his arms for her. She laughed and hugged him. Be it still a little awkward to show affection with her new family, but with her memories slowly coming back and the time she spends with them it was starting to come easier to her.

"Goodbye, 'Seeker'," she smiled with a laugh and stepped back, "Have a good trip and be careful."

"No worries, no one will know it's me until we get to the settlement. And if anyone does manage to recognize me I have my own personal Tin Man with me," he smiled and nodded his head at Cain, "And even better it's the one that's usually protecting you. How much trouble could I get into?"

"After protecting her, I doubt there isn't any trouble that we can't handle," Cain commented which earned another hit in the side from DG. As soon as she stepped away he swung her back in for another hug and kept an arm around her waist until they got outside to the horses.

He got on the back of yet another white horse and DG stood with Azkadellia hand in hand to his side. Raw stayed silent and away from the others until Cain had mounted his horse and stood next to the two princesses.

"You're not saying anything, furball?" Cain asked down to Raw.

"Not need say much," Raw explained, "Raw feel everything. Safe journey ahead."

Cain laughed as he heard DG breathe a sigh of relief, "You put her mind to rest."

"DG want safe," Raw put a hand on the horse's flank and looked up at Cain, "Cain be careful and return well."

"I plan on it."

"Isn't Jeb going to come by and say goodbye too?" DG asked and looked at some of the royal guard saddling up, "I thought I would have seen him by now."

"He's going to meet us at the first town. His platoon already left for their training and for some negotiations with the Eastern Guild. He and his men said that they would be helping us when we reach our first stop," Cain looked at the road ahead of them, "Kelly should be with them too. That should be ample time for me to get to know my new, soon to be daughter-in-law."

"Another bonding adventure?" she asked with a smirk.

"Just maybe," he chuckled, "Stay out of trouble, kiddo."

"Wouldn't want you galloping back here on your white steed, would I?" she smiled sadly and watched him trot his horse up to her father. Her mother settled beside her and all three women watched the horses vanish in the near distance.

Four days had passed and DG still had heard nothing from Cain or their party. During that time she had been on auto pilot through the palace, and actually welcomed some of the lessons from her mother and Tutor. She would sit quietly and tried to distract herself with anything else other than Cain's departure with her father. Emily and Hank helped to distract her while she was out of class too. Azkadellia had tried to help, but sometimes would make it worse if she was in one of moods. Raw would sit and talk with her as he was a good listener and explained to her that she worried too much for Cain and that he would be back soon. She would only give him a small smile and then go off to distract herself with her drawings.

She and Azkadellia was walking through the gardens with Glitch trailing behind them. He had some free time and wanted to stay close to Azkadellia. The baby was kicking and he wanted to be there when it happened. He felt as if he had missed enough while advising to the queen.

"How slow are the messengers?" DG asked as she passed by a very well known pond in the gardens.

"Give it some time, DG," Azkadellia grinned and patted her sister's hand which was looped through her arm, "They are almost on the other side of the O.Z. from us. It will take some time to reach back here."

DG sighed and looked toward the entrance to the palace where messages were received, "I just hate not knowing is all. He's been gone before and taken care of himself, but I-"

She paused and saw a horse coming toward the front of the palace with a small bag for letters. Her feet stopped moving for a moment and she watched carefully to make sure that he was going to stop and drop something off.

"DG, what stopped you?" Azkadellia asked not having caught view of the messenger yet.

"Letter carrier," DG whispered and promptly turned around and headed toward the palace. She nearly ran Glitch over as she ran past him and into the side door. Azkadellia stood in her place and waited for Glitch to regain his balance and come over to her.

Glitch brushed off some of the dirt from his uniform and stood beside Azkadellia, taking her hand for her balance, "What was that all about? I haven't seen her run that fast since-"

"Before Cain left," Azkadellia smirked and laughed lightly, "She said something about a letter carrier. She may have seen one coming up to the palace."

"Ah," he nodded and then felt Azkadellia jumped a little, "Are you okay? Do you need to sit down?"

"The baby's just moved," she took his other hand and laid it over her stomach. She watched closely as his face turned from awe to ultimate happiness.

"That's amazing," he laughed. Azkadellia smiled with him. This was one thing that he had never known of. For once she was able to show him something he would never know from reading books.

Meanwhile, DG ran straight for the front foyer toward the letter carrier. She turned the corner and ran right into the young man with the bag. They both crashed to the floor and DG sat up with a small laugh.

"I'm sorry," DG shook her head and got up to help the young man off of the floor. He looked to be around seventeen and completely terrified that he had just knocked the heir to the kingdom to the ground. In all actuality, she was the one that knocked him down.

"I'm so sorry, your highness! I didn't mean to get in your way! I- I was just-" he stammered. DG held up a hand to stop him.

"Don't worry yourself about it," she shook her head, "I said I'm sorry first and I mean it. Now, what news do you have for us?"

"One letter from the Seeker to the queen…" DG smiled and rolled her eyes at her father, "And one from a Wyatt Cain to you."

"I'll take them," she smiled brightly and took them both from the young boy, "Thank you."

"Your welcome, your highness," he stood there with his hands at his sides.

"You may go if you like," she smiled.

"I am to wait here until you and her majesty finish responses," he explained.

"Ah," she nodded, "Okay, but you don't need to stand like that. Go down the hall to the right and make yourself comfortable in the sitting room. I doubt that my mother and I will be finished for a little while."

"Yes your highness," he nodded to her and wondered wide eyed at the inside of Finaqua on his way to the sitting room. DG guessed that it was his first time.

"Mother," she knocked on the study's doors and came in to find her mother at her harp. Emily was tidying up the study as she used to do back in Kansas all over the small farmhouse. She loved to listen to classical music while she worked. More than likely Lavender's harp playing was just like classical music was on the other side.

"DG, you look happier today," she smiled and then looked at what was in her daughter's hand, "No wonder. Correspondence from Mister Cain?"

"And father," she nodded and handed the letter to her mother, "The carrier is in the sitting room once you're done writing back to him. I'm going to go read mine and write back as well."

"Alright, my angel," she nodded, "But don't keep the carrier waiting too long."

DG nodded and ran back to her room where she closed the door and ran to her small desk to read the letter and write one of her own.

Hey there princess,

I hope you're behaving for Glitch and the others at the palace. And I mean your best behavior. Now that I've said that, I wanted to say that yes, I do miss you. Especially out here in the middle of the forests.

Your father and I are doing fine. We reached the first town and as I write to you we are finishing up the last of the work. Jeb was here before we were and began the process without us. We should be leaving in a day or so. Probably around the same time you'll be reading this. He and Kelly are doing great. They say hello and send their love.

We have two more stops to make then it's a straight shot home. Jeb will ride with us half way to the next town then head for the Guild Fighters in Munchkinland.

It won't be much time now, sweetheart. I hope you have most of the wedding plans knocked out. I'll be going over them with you as soon as I get home. I love you.

Your Tin Man,

Wyatt

She smiled to herself and hugged the note tight to her chest, "Now to write back."

She quickly pulled out her quill and parchment, wrote a couple of small paragraphs down and looked them over. Her head tilted to the side she finally nodded and sealed the letter with some blue wax. She quickly walked back down the hall to the messenger still in the sitting room. She handed him the letter and looked the young man in the eyes.

"This goes only into Wyatt Cain's hands. Do you understand?" she asked.

He nodded and tucked it into his bag. It looked like he already had a letter from her mother. The queen seemed to read and write fast. Something that probably would do her a world of good to learn.

"Good trails," she nodded to the messenger and sent the young man on his way.

She watched him ride out into the maze and caught another group coming in. She suddenly got a strong feeling in her gut and made sure that the messenger had made it out until she concentrated on the small group again. From the look of the group it was a dignitary for her mother.

"DG," Glitch showed up directly beside her.

She put a hand over her heart and took a deep breath, "Damn it, Glitch! You scared the crap out of me."

"Sorry, Doll," he apologized and threw a glance over his shoulder back at Azkadellia, "I think it may be a good idea for you and Azkadee to lock yourself in your room."

"Why? Who are they?" DG asked and felt a little magic jump to her fingertips as a defense measure.

Glitch turned to her in full Ambrose mode, "Please, just do what I ask, your highness. Tell your mother that someone has raised the colors."

"Okay," she nodded and slowly backed away from the front foyer. She took Azkadellia's hand and went straight into her mother's study, "Mother."

Lavender looked up and her face fell immediately at seeing her two daughter's expressions, "What is wrong?"

"Glitch told me that someone has raised the colors," she explained with a frown. The queen immediately stood and looked at Emily who was still in the study, "I will be with my daughters. Send for Raw the viewer to meet with us."

"Yes, your majesty," Emily nodded and walked toward DG. She put a comforting hand on DG's shoulder before leaving the room to tell Glitch the message and to find Raw.

"What's going on?" DG asked as her mother push at both her and Azkadellia's backs.

"Someone is outside…" the queen began and looked sadly down at her daughters, "and they want to start a battle."