Chapter Four - Sisters

Sisters, Sisters

There never were such devoted sisters

All kinds of weather, we stick together

The same in rain and sun

When Jeb returned to Azkedellia's suite the next morning after a gruelling session with the Queen and Prince Consort, he found his charge eating breakfast with her sister and Glitch. Wyatt Cain was leaning against the wall by the mantle. Jeb nodded to Azkedellia and took up a position next to his father.

"How's Azkedellia been?" asked Jeb quietly.

"She laughed once," said Wyatt. "I take that as good."

"How've you been?" asked Jeb.

"Not as busy as you," said Wyatt. "Mostly, DG has princess lessons, so I go and keep an eye on Glitch. Stops him from doing ridiculous things."

"Like what?"

"Trying to put his brain back in. You'd need an Alchemist or a Gale woman to get it all right."

"At this point, it's Azkedellia."

"Right. Heard you went to the Tower yesterday."

"It was hard on her. She pushed through the panic and told us what to look for."

"She's brave. Braver than most people give her credit for."

"Yeah."

"Hey Cain," called DG, "come join us. I feel weird eating while you're just standing there."

"Please, Mr Cain, Captain Cain," said Azkedellia, "join us."Her eyes are brighter than he's ever seen them, and Jeb doesn't want to be the person to ruin Azkedellia's happiness. Not anymore. But that was before he understood what had happened to her, before anyone knew about her possession outside of the royal family. He took the seat between her and Glitch. Wyatt took a seat between Glitch and DG.

"Az and I were talking about the records problem," said DG, " and I was thinking that we could go to some of the other labs and look for notes from those places."

"We meaning who?" asked Wyatt warily.

"You, me, Glitch and Raw," said DG. "Az can mark the places on a map and we'll go. It'll be a break for all of us."

"It'll be just like our last trip," said Glitch cheerfully, "except with less being attacked and more campfire songs."

Wyatt thought about it for all of a minute. "Formally ask your mother. If the Queen says yes, then we'll go."

"We were also going to do some woodworking this afternoon," said Azkedellia, "and wondered if you wanted to join us, or if you perhaps wanted to just spend some time together."

"Thank you for the offer," said Jeb, "but I doubt that it would be a restful afternoon for either of us. I'm far too used to having you under my watch."

"I'll help," added Glitch. "It'll be a party."

"I'd like that very much, Uncle Ambrose," said Azkedellia. "I miss spending time with you. I am not sure that you remember, but I used to help you in your labs."

"I'll take your word for that," said Glitch. "What were we working on?"

"The Sunseeder," said Azkedellia softly. "And reversing lobotomies."

"Knowing that would be really useful right about now," said DG. "Did any of the research survive?"

"We will see once you raid those labs," said Azkedellia. "On a completely different subject, have you thought about your Presentation?"

DG made a face. "You have to remind me. Do I have to?"

"As Heiress Presumptive, yes you do," said Azkedellia.

"I thought you were the heir," said Jeb.

"No one will trust me after the Dark Annuals," said Azkedellia. "Thus, DG's princess lessons and Presentation."

"That's not fair to you!" cried DG. "They're cutting you right out."

"If you die childless, then my children get the throne," said Azkedellia. "And we are off topic. I was wondering if you wanted me to handle the wardrobe for the seven balls that make up your Presentation."

"You're a lifesaver Az," cheered DG. "Absolutely. Anything you pull together will be better than Mother's choices. She likes ruffles way too much."

"It is unfortunate," agreed Azkedellia. "Leave everything to me. I will have everything made up while you're gone, so I am going to need your measurements."

"What are your plans while we're out?" asked Glitch.

"I am going to wrap up as much of this mystery as possible," said Azkedellia, "and then I am going to submit a proposal for the reconstruction of Central City. If possible, I am going to convince Mother to let me revitalize the Fields of the Papae."

"It'll be dangerous for you to leave," Wyatt pointed out. "You're safer in the palace."

"If I stay, I will go mad," said Azkedellia. "There is only so much guilt I can take before I cave to it."

"Oh shoot!" said DG. "I have a meeting with Mom this morning. I have to go, Az, but I'll see you at dinner."

"Good luck with her," said Azkedellia. DG dashed out followed by Wyatt. "Uncle Ambrose, would you help me go through the notes brought back from the Tower? Just for a little bit?"

"You're just trying to make me feel useful," said Glitch.

"I need the help," said Azkedellia. "Please Uncle Ambrose?"

Glitch sighed. "Alright, Azkedee, pass me a chunk of those papers." Azkedellia jumped up and hugged him, then went to her desk and divided the papers so that Glitch's pile only had about a third of all the documents. Jeb summoned Glitch's usual clerk - his aide prior to the coup - and when the man arrived, Glitch and Azkedellia got to work.

Jeb brought his own paperwork in. It would be nice to just have a few moments to simply get things done. Between forms, he watched Azkedellia for a few moments. She took thorough notes, brow furrowing as she probably recalled the events she was reading about. Jeb hadn't seen any of the papers, but he could guess from the notes that Glitch was dictating to his clerk that her stack was the nasty stuff. Near the end of his own pile, an alarm sounded and the walls flashed white.

"What's happening?" asked Glitch.

"There's been an assassination attempt," said Azkedellia, "on one of the royal family members. Don't open the door, Captain Cain. That will break the wards."

"Wards," said Jeb flatly.

"Yes," said Azkedellia. "I put them in when I redecorated my rooms. They're complex, and they're my insurance policy. In case something went wrong."

"Lavender can't protect herself," said Glitch. "We have to go to her!"

"Mother has the best guards," Azkedellia reminded him. "And Deege has her Light and her Tin Man. Daddy's no pushover, and we are safe within my wards. When the crisis passes, the wards will go down and we will find out what happened and who the target was."

"Who do you think is the target?" asked Jeb.

"Any one of us," said Azkedellia. "Mother is not popular right now, since her decisions have come to light. Daddy has never been popular with some of the nobility. The Witch did horrible things in my name. DG defeated the Witch, and her followers are angry. Uncle Ambrose is known for his brilliant mind; if I am going to piece together the puzzles of the Dark Annuals, I am going to need him. Perhaps someone does not want the mystery solved."

"And the Cains are targets for Longcoats too," said Glitch. "Resistance leaders turned royal bodyguards close enough that Azkedee gave Jeb her precious furniture set."

"That too."

"I'd appreciate it if you told me about things like this," said Jeb. "It would make my job a little bit easier if I knew what security measures you've put in place."

"I wasn't sure when you took the job," said Azkedellia, "that you were here for purely professional reasons. Perhaps it was paranoia, perhaps it was common sense, but I did not trust you, former Resistance leader with good reason to hate me and want me dead. I had to make sure that I was safe."

"That's hardly fair, Az," said Glitch. "Jeb's a good guy."

"I did not know that then," said Azkedellia. "I know that now. I know Captain Cain better now, and I am less shaken than I was on the day of the Eclipse. Less frightened."

With that, she returned to her pile of papers. Glitch sighed and followed suit, resuming dictation of his notes. Jeb, still unsettled, did a perimeter inspection of the suite. When he looked closely, he could see the anchor points for the ward system embedded in the walls, ceiling and floor. The balcony was excluded from the ward, but that was expected. No one wanted to seal a killer in with their intended victim.

Two hours later, the wards faded. Immediately, Azkedellia rang for lunch, while Jeb poked his head out the door into the main hallway. A pair or flummoxed guards noticed him and came down the hall to where Jeb was standing.

"Mr Cain sent us to help guard Princess Azkedellia," said one, "on'y we couldn't find her rooms til just now. We been pacing this hall for the last few hours."

"I appreciate the effort you've made," said Jeb. "We heard the alarm and her Highness might have panicked a bit. No harm done; everyone's quite alright here. Report to Mr Cain and the Queen."

"Yes sir!" The guards head towards the Queen's public rooms, where she spends most of her time, running the country. Doubtless, that's where DG was when the alarms went. Wyatt would be with her.

He hoped his father was unhurt. He hoped that Princess DG was okay, for Azkedellia's sake.

The Royal family and their heads of security had a private dinner that night. Wyatt informed them that they had found three intruders, all armed. One was trying to break into Azkedellia's official office. The other two were wandering through the Royal wing of the palace. Wyatt had managed to get one of them to talk. They had been hired to kill Azkedellia.

"This isn't the first time," said Azkedellia, "nor will it likely be the last either."

"What happened the other times?" asked Ahamo.

"They couldn't find me or DG," said Azkedellia, "so they left the palace."

"Why am I a target?" asked DG.

"Some people just don't like the royal family," said Ahamo. "I'm glad you're both safe."

Jeb listened and filed information away for later perusal. Tomorrow, he and his princess would have a chat about her hidden security measures. For now, he listened to the Gales as they went over a brief history of their dynasty with DG and the Other Side's take on Dorothy Gale's story. From there the conversation moved to childhood stories and gentle teasing. Wyatt and Jeb laughed along, occasionally sharing stories of their own. It felt good, to Jeb, ending this bad day with laughter and family.