Chapter Five - In the Dark of the Night

In the dark of the night

Terror will find her

Soon she will feel that

Her nightmares are real

Jeb woke abruptly from a deep solid sleep. Something wasn't right, his instincts screamed. He could hear erratic movement in Azkedellia's room. The princess had gone to bed immediately following dinner hours ago, citing magical exhaustion. Jeb, Meimei and Saria had played several hands of cards in the reception room before going to bed themselves. So what was going on in Azkedellia's rooms so late at night?

He pulled on his boots, double checked that his revolver was fully loaded, and slipped out of his rooms. He stopped outside of Azkedellia's doors, listened carefully and flung the door open with his gun ready in his hand. Jeb and Azkedellia looked at each other in surprise.

"What in the OZ are you doing?" asked Azkedellia.

"I could ask you the same question," said Jeb. "It looks like your wardrobe exploded in here."

"It does, doesn't it," said Azkedellia ruefully. She picked up a black and gold gown with gold epaulets and looked at it critically. "This would look good on DG, wouldn't it?"

"Not particularly," said Jeb. "What in Ozma's name are you wearing?"

Azkedellia flushed. "The Witch preferred revealing clothing, even in her nightwear. I, um, don't have anything else."

"And why wasn't this fixed before?" said Jeb. "You're uncomfortable." And I'm getting uncomfortable.

"The royal seamstresses are coming in the morning," said Azkedellia as she grabbed a robe that wasn't much better than her mostly sheer nightgown, "and while I have a wardrobe, it's not comfortable for me, particularly the nightwear. I'm taking the Witch's dresses apart and repinning them into new ones. The bodice of this one would be a perfect base for one of DG's Presentation dresses."

"Does it have to be done right now?" asked Jeb.

"I can't sleep," said Azkedellia, "so I'm making myself useful. Getting things done."

"You slept fine at the Tower."

"I passed out repeatedly from a malnourished body and exhaustion. It's not the same thing."

"How long have you not been sleeping?"

"Nearly seven weeks now."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

Azkedellia put the dress down. "I cannot sleep because I am tormented by nightmares. I have nightmares because I spent thirteen annuals trapped in my own mind with a sociopath for company. DG tells me that in the Other Side they call what I have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."

"And everyone knows about that," Jeb finished for her.

"The point is, I am ill," said Azkedellia, "and I have to process my trauma in my own way, at my own time. I slept for four hours, which is a complete sleep cycle. That, Captain Cain, is progress from when we first arrived."

"How long could you sleep then?"

"I couldn't at all. I simply went until I no longer could, and then passed out for two or three hours. Every few days, then."

"Your Highness, this can't be good for your health."

"Many things are not good for my health," said Azkedellia. "I am sorry to have disturbed your rest."

"No worries," said Jeb. "Maybe I can help with this wardrobe thing."

Graciously, Azkedellia cleared off one of her chaises. Jeb took a seat on it and watched as Azkedellia ripped out the stitches that held skirts and bodices together, piling the former on her bed and the latter on her reading chair. Sleeves and shoulder pieces went into a pile on an ottoman. Jeb fell asleep as she began sorting the bodices into different piles.

Meimei woke him the next morning as the suns were rising. "The princess wants you to eat breakfast with her."

Jeb sat up in the chaise where he fell asleep. He stretched his neck and looked around the room. Dressmaker's forms were set up with skirts and the beginnings of gowns on them, some of which he recognized from Azkedellia's wardrobe. Sighing, he pulled himself up and went through to the sitting room, where the princess usually had her breakfast.

"Good morning Captain Cain," said Azkedellia. "Please join me. I trust you slept well."

"If I didn't know you better, I would say you were joking," said Jeb.

"I am joking," said Azkedellia. "Thank you for staying with me last night. I managed to get another few hours sleep."

"I'm glad," said Jeb. "What did you dream about before I came in?"

"The night DG died," said Azkedellia, "except in my dream, Mother never came to check on her, so DG died for real and I was trapped with the Witch forever because there was no one to save me."

"It felt real, didn't it."

"It did. Too real. I had to check on DG to make sure that it had only been a dream." She paused and sipped her tea. "What are your nightmares about?"

"Watching my mother die. The Suit, mostly."

"I am truly sorry. For everything you have suffered."

"It wasn't your fault."

Azkedellia pursed her lips. "Then why do I have nightmares? On some level, I am guilty." She sighed. "Mother wants to know how the Records reassembly is going."

"You've put a lot of work into putting things back together," said Jeb.

"That is true," mused Azkedellia. "However, key documents are missing. DG must go on her trip soon, and I must return to the Tower and do a proper, thorough check. And there is so much other work to be done."

"We'll drive you over," said Jeb, "and you can sleep on the way there and back if you want to. We wear blue coats, not black coats, and I'll stay with you if you want, or perhaps Ahamo can come along and help us. You won't be alone."

"Thank you for the offer," said Azkedellia, "and the suggestion. I will ask Daddy if he will come. Have you spoken to your father lately?"

"Not in depth," admitted Jeb. "It's hard to reconnect after so long. But we're trying."

"I am glad," said Azkedellia. "Family is important. Perhaps you could visit with him while the seamstress is here?"

"It's an idea," said Jeb. "Maybe having Glitch as a third party will make things easier. Someone else to keep the awkward away."

Once the seamstresses arrived, Jeb wound his way through the palace to Glitch's labs. Since DG was at her princess lessons, Wyatt would be there supervising his friend. Jeb paused in the doorway to listen to the tail end of a lecture on the properties of titanium.

"What brings you here Jeb?" asked Wyatt once he noticed his son.

"Azkedellia's getting a new wardrobe," said Jeb, "and she pretty much ordered me to spend some time with you. So here I am."

"She's sweet, isn't she?" said Glitch dreamily. "It's hard to believe she's thirteen already. That's not right, is it?"

"She's almost twenty-seven," said Wyatt.

"Time flies," said Glitch cheerfully. His face fell. "I missed her Presentation! I was going to dance the third dance with her. It's her favourite, the pavane."

"Azkedellia never had a Presentation," said Jeb. "DG's is coming up. You could probably dance with Azkedellia then."

"So I could," agreed Glitch. "Remind me to ask her, won't you Tin Man?"

"Sure thing," said Wyatt. "How're you holding up?"

"Every day is an adventure," said Jeb. "She was up at two this morning destroying the Witch's wardrobe. I fell asleep in one of the fainting couches."

"You're living in her suite?" interrupted Glitch.

"Apparently, it's tradition," said Jeb.

"It is an old tradition," said Glitch, "but it's a Lurlinian tradition. Not a Gale one."

"What does that mean?" asked Jeb.

"Before the Gales was the Charlatan," said Wyatt, "And before him was the Ozma dynasty, and before them were the Fairie Queens, called the Lurlinias."

"Their heads of security were also their lovers," said Glitch. "So they had rooms in the Queen or Princess's suite. Azkadee loved that era of history."

"So Azkedellia wants me to be her lover," said Jeb flatly.

"Good luck with that conversation," said Wyatt. "You're pretty into that era as well, Glitch."

"This palace is Lurlinian," said Glitch. "Finaqua is more Ozman, and the Northern Palace is true Otherside. This is one of my favourite places. It's Lurlinian."

"From what I've seen of Azkedellia," said Wyatt, "it may just be that she wants people close by. She trusts you. And that's a compliment. Tutor tells me that the Gale Light needs to attune itself to people. Could be that's all she wants from you."

"I'll have to talk to her," said Jeb. "You're still living in the barracks?"

"Nope," said Cain, "I've got a room in the palace. Not in DG's suite, but it's a nice space."

"Maybe I can convince Azkedellia to host a card night," said Jeb. "If you wanted to play. Think your princess is up for it?"

"Have you met DG?" asked Wyatt. "She's up for anything but etiquette lessons."

"Aha!" said Glitch. "That's where I put those tungsten wires. Did you know that tungsten gives of a bright, clear light when it's hot?"