It was blissfully dark in my bedroom, and although I was pretty certain it was past day break, the suns had yet to disturb the tomb-like quality of my hole. Thunder rumbled outside my window, making it clear why I'd been saved the annoyance of having light thrown in my face – it was raining, and hard by the sounds of it. It was because of this fact that I was somewhat oblivious to the time – that and, of course, the fact that I'd probably only drifted off for about an hour before a knock on my door woke me up again.

"Mistress," I could hear Ana calling on the other side of the door, "I've brought you some nice, strong tea. Would you like me to bring it in? Or just leave it by the door?"

I sat up and wiped the moisture from my cheeks, still not registering why Ana hadn't just come in, but then, once I realized that I'd locked the doors after my last crying fit had started, it all made sense. Without a thought, I flicked my wrist and heard the door lock disengage. I might have been impressed with myself any other day, but now I was doing good to not break into tears any time someone said something nice to me. When the door creaked open, I dropped back onto the pillow and curled myself into a ball under the blanket, both out of a wish to stay cocooned in the dark, and keep my emotional state hidden.

"My, what a storm we have this morning. Did you hear the racket it kicked up last night? Came out of nowhere if I didn't know any better. Like someone conjured it almost." I heard Ana say conversationally as she crept towards my bed. She sighed almost maternally as she set the tray down on the table next to my bed, and I was certain she'd stopped to survey me. "Mistress, you'll be late for your lessons if you don't get to movin' soon. Would you like me to draw you a bath? Perhaps a nice soak will help you put your mind at ease."

I squeezed my eyes as tight as I could, hoping to stem the flow of another set of fresh tears. "Thanks Ana, that would be swell," I managed to croak through a lovely, loud sniffle.

"Oh dear, the poor weather must be givin' you a cold. Should I call a medicoat, Milady?" Ana asked worriedly.

I appreciated her concern, really, but I was already feeling so rotten, that her polite concern only made it worse. "Nope, thanks! I think you're right about a bath though. Should clear my stuffy nose right up."

"Yes ma'am," Ana replied sweetly and I'm sure she curtsied when she did it.

I was really grateful for Ana most of the time. She was about my age, and unlike most people I'd met since being here, she never gave me too much grief about being what most people called a slipper – what people didn't seem to realize is that I've always been a bit of a square peg in a round hole, both here and on the Otherside, and it really only hurt now because I just couldn't seem to remember what I was supposed to already have regained. Ana was somehow keenly aware of this, but was never unkind in any way. Really, she was probably one of the nicest people I'd met since the Emerald Wars apart from my friends, and when I was most out of sorts, directly after the end of the eclipse, she'd been one of the first to help me navigate the world I remembered so very little about. I clearly, for instance, knew next to nothing about palace protocol, and nearly broke about a dozen rules of propriety within just a day of being here. I would have too, if it weren't for Ana, who gently led me through all of it without any judgement. She was also annoyingly adept at reading my cues – I was betting she already knew that I didn't have a cold, but she already knew how I loathed anyone fussing over me. I was relieved, really, not to have to explain myself to her. I just hoped that a sympathetic expression aimed in my direction from her wouldn't cause another onslaught of tears.

My spastic behavior was starting to get on my nerves though, and when I heard Ana begin to draw my bath – making a little humming noise as she turned on the taps and added some kind of salts to the water – I pushed into an upright position and flipped the comforter down into my lap. I tried to open my eyes, feeling that testing them out on the low light would be the perfect opportunity to gauge how the rest of my morning might go. I winced at the room, surveying it from end to end to run myself through the paces, finding that even though the room was still dark for the most part, with the exception of the light streaming in from the open bathroom door, it was still way too bright for my eyes. It hurt to open them, honestly, and anything wider than a millimeter made it feel as if someone was shoving a freshly cut onion under my nose. My head was pounding too, and in many ways, it was like having a massive hangover without the benefit of getting even the slightest bit tipsy the night before. Given the evidence, I was supremely pissed with myself for letting my emotions overwhelm me.

Honestly, it felt somehow better to be angry with myself than the alternative of constant, pitiful wallowing. It's funny, though not in a 'ha ha' kind of way, what love can do to a person. You'd think that I would be happy that Cain had kissed me. I'd certainly imagined it about a dozen times a day for the past couple of cycles, but I never imagined it could be like that. In a way, I had felt so consumed – but it wasn't a possessive kind of thing. It was more like I was giving of myself in exchange for something precious from him, and even without him saying the words, I knew. What's more, the way he'd held me, it was like nothing could ever harm me again and as long as I was wrapped up in him, I would be loved and cherished. The feelings rushing over me in those brief moments had overwhelmed me to the point of being speechless, which is a rarity for me on most days. Honestly though, I was angry with myself for letting it happen at all, because all I could see now when I imagined Cain's face, was the hurt and disappointment of learning that I could not be with him, and to be near me at all, he would have to watch his possible dreams being played out by another man. Another man who I could never have any hope of loving back, because my heart already belonged to the man who'd sworn to protect me and would most likely do it even after I'd ripped his heart out and stomped all over it.

"I'm just going to have to get my light up to snuff, then I can tell the counsel to stick it myself," I murmured determinedly, not noticing that Ana had just stepped back into the room.

Ana stopped midstride and stopped humming to glance at me, asking. "Did you say something, Milady?"

I shook my head quickly and climbed out from under the covers, scrambling to get out of the bed and into the bathroom before Ana could get a good look at my face. "Nothing," I called back to her before I shut the door, "thanks for drawing the bath, Ana!"

I leaned against the now closed door and exhaled slowly, fairly certain that I'd dodged the proverbial bullet just then, and when I glanced in the mirror, I was without a doubt. The woman who'd been kissed by Wyatt Cain less than twenty-four hours ago had been flushed and youthful. The woman I now stared at as I crept closer to her refection in my mirror was gaunt looking, with dark circles under her eyes, and ashen skin, as if she had not only seen a ghost, but communed with it personally.

"Wow, DG," I gaped at myself, touching my face cautiously as if afraid it would crumble, "You look like hell."

I felt like hell too, but in some ways feeling and looking like death was the wakeup call I needed. I pushed away from the counter with renewed energy and let my nightgown drop to the cold marble floor, and I stepped into the bathtub with what I could only describe as renewed purpose. It was true that I'd inadvertently omitted important truths from Cain, but after considering the man he was, I concluded that it wouldn't have mattered. If anything, Cain knowing what I was up against would only complicate matters, and it wouldn't have changed the outcome. I feel like he would have kissed me regardless, so throwing myself under the bus was irrelevant at best, and only served to slow me down at its worst. What I needed was to flip the script, so to speak, so instead of focusing on what I would lose if I failed, I focused instead on what I had already gained so far, and what I stood to gain still if I was successful. Needless to say, Cain figured heavily in either case, but the later possibility sent my heart soaring enough to get me moving where the other only seemed to make the rain pelt the windows harder. Only positive energy could see me through this – almost as it had been for me in the search for the Emerald – where I was focused more on saving my sister than the gem that everyone else was so concerned with. I just knew I had a real chance then, of saving my sister, and I knew now that if I could prove to the counsel that outside help wasn't needed, I would save Cain's heart too.

With thoughts like these, long, leisurely soaks in ridiculously beautiful bath suites seemed a giant waste of time, and I stayed in the bathroom only as long as it took me to get clean. I was equally impatient to get dressed, and if it weren't for who I had intended on cornering this morning, I might have shooed Ana away and pulled on a pair of jeans instead. Since I wanted to make an impression, though, I sat in my underwear at my vanity like a champagne bottle about to pop its cork, waiting on Ana to style my hair into something mother would have liked – an impossibly beautiful up do full of pin curls that cascaded down my back which rivaled any of my mother's styles, except for the tiara that would have topped off her own. Seeing as I still couldn't tolerate jewelry, I waved the simple ringlet away when Ana suggested it, and instead moved to step into the dress she'd set up for me.

Admittedly, as I let Ana pull the dress up and watched myself in the mirror as she fastened the back, I thought I looked a little like Rita Hayworth. The dress itself was made of a simple, white cotton eyelet, but the peekaboo cutout fastened with a simple pearl, coupled with a corseted empire waist and pencil skirt silhouette made me feel like a 1940's style pinup. I was a little sad that Cain wasn't there, to honest, because it's likely that I might have had to pick his jaw up off the floor when he saw me.

"Oh, you look lovely, Milady. Will General Cain be joining you for breakfast before you visit with your mother today?" Ana asked suggestively.

I eyed her suspiciously in the mirror and raised an eyebrow at her. "Ana, you know Cain left yesterday. No, this look is just for mother – this time." I winked at her conspiratorially, not bothering to ask her to keep it to herself since learning another bit of protocol that I'd never known before her gentle reminders: what is said between a Mistress and her ladies stays between them, she'd once said. It was a relief, really, to not have to hide my feelings for Cain from everyone. I could probably even confide in Ana if it all went wrong, honestly, and never have to worry about it going any further. Not that I would though – I still valued my loaner spirit a little too much.

I surveyed myself one last time and nodded approvingly at my reflection. "I don't know how long I'll be today, Ana, but I suspect Tutor will be giving me a good deal of homework. Could you see that some coffee and snacks are sent up around dinner time? I may just dine alone tonight."

"Yes Milady," Ana curtsied in the mirror, shrugging at me when I rolled my eyes silently in response. "You'll never get me to quit, Milady, so you might as well accept it. Shall I turn your bed down for you early too?"

I shrugged back. I honestly wasn't sure if I'd be getting any real sleep anyway, not when there was so much to do. I won't lie – at that point, my tunnel vision was so extreme that I couldn't see anything other than my goal. I needed to know exactly what I was up against with the counsel, and if making some kind of grand, magical gesture to heal the OZ would solve my issue with possible suitors. The only person who could really answer that was my mother, so I made a B-line to her sitting room, hoping to catch her there before another busy day began for us both. I had worked myself up during the entire trek, deciding that for now, I would leave Cain out of our conversation. She had a way of getting certain information out of me when she wanted it though, so I knew I would have to be careful. The moment I reached her doors, however, I was stopped dead in my tracks.

Just as I stretched my hand out to reach for my mother's door, the sound of raised voices on the other side of the door stayed my hand, and I strained momentarily to listen. It then occurred to me that eavesdropping on the Queen, whether or not she was my mother, might not be permitted, so I stepped back and glanced at her guards, wondering if they'd stop me if I tried to enter. Neither of the men flanking the doors seemed interested in stopping me though, and the elder on my left murmured quietly as I moved to grab the handle again.

"If someone was talkin' about me, I might wait a bit before I walked in. Might hear somethin' interestin," he said under his breath, after which he straightened and returned his gaze outward.

I smirked internally. These men were Cain's men – they guarded the entire royal family, and they had to know just as much about me and Cain as they did about my mother. This wasn't a suggestion meant for just anyone. It was meant for someone important to their commanding officer, and that meant a lot to me. In a way, that officer had reconnected me with Cain for just a moment, and it gave me a good deal of focus and strength. So I stopped and waited, knowing now that my mother's guards wouldn't stop me and hoping that I would hear something that would help me.

"She's making good progress, your Majesty," I could hear Tutor's voice, sounding almost defensive.

My mother signed loudly, and there was a pause before she replied with equal energy. "It's not enough Tutor. There needs to be some tangible evidence that she has retained and trained her abilities to the level that will be expected of her. My position could not be any clearer." My mother replied stridently.

"But your Majesty, we need more time! She can't do what's expected of her within the palace walls. She did bring back her garden, and I know she can do much more. How will she be able to prove herself if she can't leave the palace?" Toto cried out, making me suddenly that much more loyal to him.

"There is no time, Tutor. You've seen the signs yourself." My mother cried back, sounding almost desperate. With a sigh, her voice dropped, and she continued, "Besides what you can already see with your own eyes, I have to consider DG's safety. Her wellbeing is much more paramount than her making some grand show of her powers. I'm not entirely certain that it would sway the counsel at this point anyway if she was able to, since Ambrose tells me that they are already moving ahead with plans as discussed. So, whatever she still needs to learn, it simply must be taught within the palace, and it must happen quickly. I can only maintain the status quo for so long." My mother replied firmly, albeit unhappily.

Although Tutor and my mother continued their sparring, I stepped back from the door, not hearing anything else after that last, damning sentence. My chest suddenly hurt, and it felt like all the blood in my body had drained to my feet, which now felt like lead weights as I stepped over to the older guard who had offered me such good advice before.

"Is it true?" I whispered to him, causing him to lean forward minutely to hear me, "Am I in some kind of danger still?"

The guard's expression was suddenly conflicted, like he didn't want to countermand anyone, but he answered, nonetheless. "Well ma'am," he whispered back, "Although we have had reports about Longcoat cells, I'm not sure that there have been too many sightings inside the city. Most people are real glad you and your family are back, but if someone got wind of you being outside the palace, I'm sure they'd find a way to cause trouble. 'Specially if General Cain wasn't around. I'm sorry ma'am."

For some reason, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was missing something, and worse, that my mother and friends hadn't been entirely honest with me. That said, I didn't really need to be told about the Longcoats, but I needed to hear it from someone other than my mother. Seeing as the guard had answered in a sufficiently honest manner, I followed up with a more sensitive question, hoping he'd come through just one more time.

"Do you know if there has been anything said about any young men being scheduled to visit the palace soon? To, you know, visit me and my sister?"

The guards exchanged a knowing look over my shoulder, and the older of the two's expression changed to sympathetic in an instant. "I know why's you asking, ma'am, and I'm real sorry to say yes, but I don't know who or when, and I also don't know which of ya he's comin' to see." He'd tried so hard to sound encouraging by sounding uncertain about the details, but it was too late for that. Knowing that the trigger had been pulled wiped away all thought and positive energy from my body, leaving me feeling like I was standing stranded in a massive torrent. I felt completely helpless.

But then my mind began playing out memories of my Tin Man – flashes of his smile and his laugh seemed to bolster me, and the phantom touch of his kiss reminded me to be strong. There was no way that I was going to let this play out in the alternative – I'd have to turn the tables in my favor, I just didn't know how. Shaking the image of Cain from my mind for a moment, I glanced at my mother's doors again, reconsidering going in at all, and hearing Tutor and Mother's continued muffled sparing I determined that my next steps would have to wait on Tutor. He'd already proven beyond a measure of a doubt that I could trust him – I'd just need to know how far he would go – but it wouldn't be by barging into their meeting. I'd have to go somewhere else to wait on him, so with a small nod to my mother's guards, I stepped back and walked away, determined to beat Tutor to lessons.

Waiting on Tutor gave me a few minutes, at least, to re-evaluate my plan. The library was thankfully unoccupied when I arrived, and so after reigniting the fireplace with a neat little fireball, I paced before it, mentally playing out the next cycle in my mind. I replayed Tutor's words, focusing primarily on his suggestion that I wouldn't be able to truly test myself unless I was allowed out of the palace. This had been my argument all along. I'd felt stifled and disconnected since coming here, and the most connection I'd felt was when I brought that tree to life in the garden. For a brief moment, I'd heard what the OZ needed from me as if someone was whispering it in my ear, and not being allowed to finish what I had started somehow felt as if I was leaving someone midway through their rescue. It felt wrong, and I knew that beyond my feelings for Cain, and beyond my disdain for arranged marriages, I was being kept from what needed to be done to truly help the OZ. Frustration was bubbling up inside of me, though, because as much as I wanted to tell my mother about it, it seemed that her mind had been made up, and wrong or not, she was the queen, so arguing would only strengthen her resolve.

My back straightened automatically with this thought – as much as my mother might love me, I felt that her judgement was clouded by fear. Fear of what, I wasn't sure, but I couldn't shake the feeling that she was keeping something from me. Whatever it was, it was keeping her from seeing the entire picture, or at least, that's how it seemed given that we were a lot alike, and that might have been how I would have responded if the tables had been turned. It simply wasn't in me to back down from something once I'd made my mind up, and for better or worse, I knew that I'd gotten that trait from Lavender Gale. My mind was made up then – I'd have to leave – and I couldn't wait for Cain to do it if I didn't want to end up betrothed to some useless boy-wonder before he came back. I was prepared to give Tutor a very Queenly speech on the matter too, except the moment he walked in, he raised his hand to silence me, as if he knew what I was going to say.

"Before you say anything, Princess, I need you to know that I'm on your side," Tutor announced after he'd thrown a silencing spell on the door he'd just shut.

I snapped my mouth shut at the sight of Tutor, silently wondering why he hadn't thrown up the same charm on my mother's doors. I was interested in what Tutor had to say though, so I tabled the thought, hoping that he might say something that would give me a glimmer of hope.

"I know you heard my argument with your mother, DG, seeing as you look like you're ready to go into battle." When I opened my mouth to protest, Tutor raised his hand once more and pleaded, "Just wait, Princess. You'll get your chance, but hear me out before you say anything. Maybe I can set some things straight, and you won't go getting any wild ideas."

When he moved to sit in one of the armchairs by the fire, I followed him, murmuring under my breath, "I don't get wild ideas. They're more like flashes of insight."

Tutor chuckled under his breath and shook his head. "You don't know how right you really are, DG." He paused to sigh before his mournful brown eyes leveled with mine across the expanse of the sitting room. "Look. I can't tell you everything that your mother and I talked about, but what I can tell you, is that she's given me permission to teach you what I see fit, as long as you stay within the palace walls."

"But Toto," I pleaded in frustration, "that's the problem, remember? I know what I need to do, I've known it since I healed my tree, and in order to do it, I have to leave. Why can't she see that?"

Tutor sighed, clearly understanding my feelings seeing as I'd just mirrored his own frustration. "It isn't your mother that's the problem DG, and before you make me say more than I'm prepared to, why don't you just ask me what she's agreed to you learning?"

I folded my arms and huffed. "What?" I rumbled in a very Cain-like growl.

Tutor's mouth quipped into a smirk and replied in a somewhat conspiratorial voice, "You're going to learn how to change your appearance, among other things."

My eyes widened on their own accord and my mouth dropped. About a second after that initial feeling of surprise worked its way through my brain, though, my eyes narrowed and I asked suspiciously, "Why would mother agree to that? Doesn't that kind of go against what she said?"

Tutor shrugged. "She said that you had to stay. She said nothing about anyone else."

I continued to squint at him, not certain that I was buying what he was selling. Seeing as it was getting me what I wanted though, I finally gave in – with one caveat. "Fine, but I want to learn that silencing charm and how to conjure a travel storm."

Tutor suddenly looked alarmed. "Now look DG. I said I'd help you get out of here, but not out of the entire OZ! Besides, that's really advanced stuff, and we only have so much time." He stopped when my expression didn't clear, and with a loud sigh he relented somewhat and added in consolation, "Look. If we can get through this hurdle, I'll teach you the travel storm next. You have my word."

I can play poker with the best, and I wasn't quite ready to show my hand, but the truth is that Tutor had given me what I wanted. So, without changing my expression much, I replied in a bored voice, "Fine. It's a deal. Just don't tell anyone about what we're doing. I don't plan to leave a lot of bread crumbs when I leave." Tutor didn't try to hide the mixture of worry and disappointment on his face, and I offered him my own bone when I murmured quietly, "Cain will find me no matter what, Toto. Don't worry. I just don't want anyone else to, not yet anyway."

"Do you promise that you'll come back?" Tutor asked, and I could hear a trace of Toto's whimper there and in his eyes when he asked.

I nodded as a flood of warmth rushed through me. "I promise Tutor, that I'll come back when the time is right, and you know that I always keep my promises."

The worry was still evidence in Tutor's eyes, but he smiled anyway and laughed, "Well, if you don't come back on your own, I'm glad at least that Cain will look after you."

My face felt suddenly warm when I imagined Wyatt Cain. I won't lie that the prospect of having him to myself without the eyes of the palace intruding on us was a tempting thought, but that wasn't why I was doing this. "Me too," was all I could say through the upwelling of emotion that was threatening to take hold of me again.

Thunder rumbled outside, breaking Tutor's silent study of me, and he turned to look out the window for a moment before he arose with another sigh. "Well, we'd better get to work then before this storm of yours makes it hard for you to concentrate."

I swiped at the tear threatening the corner of my eye and took a deep breath. He was right, of course, that there would be a lot to do, and only part of it would take place within this room. The next few weeks were truly grueling, and what time I didn't spend in the library with Tutor, I spent in either mine or Cain's rooms. At first, I'd gone to Cain's office on a late night whim. I couldn't sleep after another long day, and the rain that now constantly battered the palace grounds kept me from visiting my garden, where at least my memories could connect me to the person I was sorely missing. So I'd snuck into Cain's suite from the door that connected our rooms, using little more than a bobby pin and a modified letter opener.

"MacGyver be damned," I'd muttered as the door connecting his bedroom to my sitting room sprang open, for now the third night in a row.

Thunder shook the window panes again, and I swiped away a fresh set of tears as I stood up from my crouching position and padded into his room. I was still so awed by having broken in so easily that I didn't even bother to close the door behind me, and I stood looking around Cain's room like I'd just entered a foreign country. I almost didn't know what to do or where look first, except I felt a sudden wave of cold air wash over me, and I quickly decided to start a fire. With logs already set for Cain's return, a simple flick of my wrist was all that was needed, and I was soon smiling at the flames dancing happily in the grate. With warmth flooding my bones, I felt suddenly so tired, that I dropped onto Cain's bed with a tired sigh. I might have left, and probably should have, but the pillow still smelled of my Tin Man, and I just couldn't. My heart ached for him, and I wished I could leave him something tangible that might throw light on my situation without giving my whereabouts away.

"I don't know where I'm going yet," I murmured sleepily into his pillow, which caused another set of tears to erupt.

I sighed again, knowing that I was too tired to work it out tonight, and my eyes slipped closed before I could utter another sound. When I awoke, presumably in the morning, it was to a gentle shaking from a hand at my shoulder.

"Milady," Ana whispered in her quietest voice. "We need to move you. You shouldn't be in the General's bedroom."

"He's not here, Ana, I'd don't see why it's a big deal," I grumbled sleepily, wishing to go back to sleep.

"It might not be any secret that the two of you have feelings for each other, but you and I both know that you don't need to be implicating him for anything, not now at any rate. Come on. Up you get." Ana scolded me quietly still.

She was right. Raw had already caught me in Cain's office a few nights ago, when the rains had become steadily worse. I guess Ana wasn't the only one who'd gotten me pretty well figured out, because Raw didn't seem to have any trouble finding me. That time, I'd been curled up in Cain's chair, wrapped up in a blanket and staring at a picture of him and Jeb that he'd left on the mantle.

"DG have much she want to say to Tin Man. Princess should tell him." Raw had admonished me gently as he crept into the room and sat down on the floor next to me.

I almost thought that he'd somehow figured out what was really going on, and had been seconds away from giving myself away, but instead, I answered him more cautiously as I stood up to return the picture to its home. "I don't know what you're talking about, Raw," I replied as I turned around to face him, tugging the blanket around my shoulders more tightly to protect from the draft.

Raw had growled at me only slightly, but his implication was clear. He didn't think I had anything to hide from him, and in some respects, he was right. He stood up to face me when he answered me, and he fixed me with a warm, almost paternal expression as he placed his hands on my shoulders. "DG have much on her mind. Don't know how to tell Cain. Not sure he'll understand, but Cain always understand Princess. Loves Princess. Princess loves him. Raw know this."

I ducked down to swallow down the urge to cry again and muttered roughly, "Yeah well, there's not a lot you don't know, Raw, but Cain and I are a bit of an open book, apparently. At least, to everyone else except us, that is. The problem is, I don't know how to tell him what I'm thinking. Even if I know he'll understand in the end. I don't want to get this wrong."

Raw smiled a secret kind of smile and squeezed my arms. "DG know. It easy to say. Can't be wrong if from DG's heart."

With that, Raw had padded away just as quietly as he'd come, leaving me to work out the details of his cryptic advice. Despite having been discovered by Raw in Cain's room, I wasn't upset, especially not after being reminded by Raw that it didn't have to be as complicated as I was making it out to be. I'd just need a vehicle – something that only Cain would know was from me – to drive the message. The message itself didn't have to be much. It didn't even have to be very well hidden. It just needed to be enough of a carrot – or apple – set my personal private detective on his own little hunt. When the idea hit me, I nearly laughed out loud, except Ana's still very concerned expression stopped me.

"Alright," I grumbled instead as I quickly wiped the smile off my face, "I'm coming. Help me clean this up." I'd indicated to the unmade bed and nearly spent fireplace with a cast of my eyes across the room, causing Ana to sigh at me in exasperation.

"Never you mind that, just get into your own bed, and eat the breakfast I've left you on the tray. By the time you get done, all of this will be set to rights, and not even General Cain will know that anything was amiss."

I gave Ana one last grateful look, and she replied only by smirking at me slightly and shooing me out of the door. She was right about so many things, and it was hardly a surprise that just as I polished off the coffee in my cup, she came bustling into my bedroom, looking breezy and brilliant where she'd been anything but not long before.

"Well, shall I prepare a bath for you? Help you prepare for your day?" Ana asked with a polite smile.

I shook my head. "Nope. Tutor thinks I've made such good progress that he wants me to take the day off. I have nowhere to be. Literally." I'd said that last part as rain lashed the windows outside, making it clear that it would not be making outside trekking very easy today.

Ana grinned brilliantly and clapped her hands together excitedly, nearly causing me to do the same as if she'd infected me. "That's lovely, Milady!" She paused in her happy exclamations and flashed a confused look at me, "but if you've earned yourself a breather, why were you so troubled, Milady? Missin' General Cain?"

I sighed at my hands laying open in my lap. "I'm always missing Cain, but no. I just don't know what to do with what Tutor's taught me."

Ana's confusion persisted, so to explain best, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Time seemed to slip as I let my breath slow, and just as slowly, an image I most wanted to copy filled my mind. Cain's crystalline eyes nearly blinded me with their dazzling brilliance, and his platinum hair seemed to catch rays of the suns in them. When I could finally see these beloved features clearly, I raised my hands to my face and held them there, willing my light to flow through my hands and into my face, and then my hair like I was some kind of human copy machine. I knew it had worked when Ana gasped, and when I opened my eyes and glanced at the vanity mirror near the bed, I was without a doubt. My hair had turned a kind of white-blonde that most women on the Otherside spend thousands of dollars trying to get, and my eyes had turned from stormy blue to crystal clear, as if I was some kind of feminine doppelganger to Wyatt Cain.

"I've got everything I need to make a break for it, Ana. I just don't know where to go." I continued casually, as if we were talking about going on a picnic. "I don't need to go far either. Just out of the palace for now until I figure out what to do next."

Ana eyed me thoughtfully, and finally sat down on the bed so she could speak more quietly. She didn't say anything for a moment as she appeared to be thinking something over, and she was almost hesitant when she finally whispered, "I might have a way, Milady, but you'll have to wait until my shift ends. That'll be late tonight. Can you do that?"

I nodded eagerly, to which Ana added warningly, "Now, don't go leavin' your rooms today. As far as everyone else is concerned, you're not feeling well. Since they'll all assume that you've been overworked and probably a little heartsick, they'll probably believe it. I'll bring you some lunch, and try to give you dinner, which you'll probably turn down. Don't go pokin' your head out though, otherwise your guard might not believe the story I give them. Do you understand?"

When I nodded again, she gave me a nervous smile and shook her head as she stood up and reached for my tray. With a final turn, she winked at me as she swept across the room and exited noiselessly, leaving me feeling a little lightheaded and giddy. My mind was racing, and a thrill swept through me when I considered how very soon I'd be putting my thoughts into action. I'd felt so hampered in the past few cycles that I had almost forgotten how it felt to be able to move on my own power without having to look over my shoulder. Of course, there was a chance that I wouldn't get past my own guard, and then there were other obstacles to get past: the whole rest of Cain's men, who patrolled the grounds and entry points, not to mention the rest of the staff, who might sound the alarm unwittingly if they thought I was some kind of imposter trying to sneak by to get close to a member of the royal family. Then, there were the ever-present thoughts of Wyatt. Would he understand as Raw had intimated? Would he find the clues that I had planned to leave for him, and eventually me, and when he did, would he help me finish the task that I just knew I needed to complete to heal the OZ and get the counsel to back off? All these thoughts racing through my mind led me to my next, worrying thoughts: could I actually do this without getting caught, and was I doing this too soon before Cain's arrival? Cain hadn't really specified when he was getting back to Central City, after all, but if I counted out the days from his departure, he'd be due back within a week at the very least. Judging by Cain's usual status quo, who'd been the one to set procedure for the Queen's guards, someone would figure out I was gone within a couple hours of my leaving – a day at best – and it wouldn't be long after that that someone would be assigned to finding me. Ultimately, I wanted Cain to be that someone, because if it were anyone else, they'd take me back without a second thought. That would only happen if I waited to leave just before Cain's arrival though, making a late night departure for tonight too soon.

With that decided, I concluded that I'd have to do a dry run of my escape to test the system and then I'd know what to do next. If I got caught this time, I could play it all off as needing to blow off steam, at the very least, but at some point or another, I'd have to address the elephant in the room: Cain. I didn't have any way of knowing how he'd react to the whole scenario. Without any doubt, he'd have serious misgivings about me being offered up as some kind of carrot to a stronger nation that might otherwise overrun the OZ. I also knew that he'd have serious issues with me running on gut feelings – again – but seeing as my instincts hadn't led us astray yet, I could see me winning that argument easily. The real issue was what would happen if I was wrong in any way. Although I knew Cain would follow me regardless of whether or not the counsel backed off, I wasn't sure that I was willing to let him. He'd nearly lost everything because of my childish mistake the first time, and knowing what he could lose this time gave me more than a little hesitation, but then I remembered what he'd reminded me when we were up against it the last time: "If you don't have heart, you have nothing," he'd told Jeb, not long before he drilled the same into me.

By the time Ana returned with lunch, I'd made up my mind. I'd be giving away my heart by bowing to the counsel. As well-meaning as they were, none of them were Daughters of Light, and therefore not tied to the Outer Zone like the Gales. It was our responsibility to heed the call of the OZ and act on its wishes, and its demand had been clear when I'd healed my apple tree. I simply needed to be able to carry out that wish – a wish to heal the land – and I'd have to leave to do it. I knew now that the counsel wouldn't understand until the work was already done: We didn't need assurances from any other country or protection of any army, we just needed to bring the OZ back, and it would do the rest to repel outsiders who would seek to grab power. I was scared to admit that I might not be up to the task, but I was out of time, and I would just have to have a little courage that what I'd learned was enough.

When Ana arrived with my lunch tray, I was so eager to speak with her that she'd barely had time to shut the door before I threw up a silencing charm. She was so close to the wave of energy from the charm that she nearly dropped the tray, and I had to scramble to help set her right.

"Milady!" Ana exclaimed as I took the tray from her and set it on the coffee table before the fireplace, "You must warn me before you do that!"

"Sorry Ana, I guess I'm just a little edgy about tonight," I replied apologetically.

"About that ma'am," Ana began, only pausing to edge closer to the couch that I'd sat at, and gingerly sitting on the edge as I'd silently indicated. "I've been thinking. There's a lot that can go wrong. Are you sure you want to do this?"

I nodded. "Yes, but I was thinking the same thing. Maybe tonight should be a sort of test run, where we work out the problems and correct them. I have to leave, but if we can't do it ourselves, I'll have to get Cain's help, and I'd like to avoid that if I can. So we'll test it tonight, and our final attempt will be at the end of the week. What do you think?"

Ana seemed relieved to hear that, and our next few minutes were spent hurriedly discussing what needed to be done before the night. In the end, we agreed that she'd come back with a spare set of servant's clothes and an ID badge, and I would pack a set of casual Ozian clothes to wear after we left the palace. I'd have to masquerade as a servant coming and going though, so I'd have to stay close to Ana, and copy everything she did. Until then, I'd have to continue playing sick, and hope that my guard bought it.

Just before Ana left with my day clothes hidden in the bed sheets we soiled with bits of the soup she'd brought me, I swept my hand over my face and presented myself to her, hoping I'd done the charm right. "How's this Ana?" I asked her, letting her look over me closely to see if I'd projected a sick enough image that Gates would believe it.

Ana's face widened in surprise like it had the first time and she replied with a grin followed by a nod. "Oh yes, Milady. You look rightly sick."

"Good," I answered, adding, "now stand back. I'm going to lift the silencing charm. You go out first, and I'll poke my head out just after you leave to tell Gates to make sure I'm not bothered for the rest of the day."

Ana nodded while she balanced the empty tray and bag of soiled clothes in her arms. With a tight nod, she indicated her readiness, and we moved ahead with our plan. I could hear her muffled voice on the other side of the door seconds after the door shut, letting Gates know that I had been taken ill. After assuring him that it was nothing more than a case of a nervous stomach, her voice trailed away, and I was relatively certain that Gates was alone once more. I gave my hair a quick ruffle before I opened the door, and peered out at Gates sleepily.

"Gates," I muttered weakly.

When my guard turned, his face paled at the sight of mine. "Ma'am, are you sure you don't want me to have a medicoat brought up? You look a green as grass."

"Ugh," I grunted in disapproval. "I hate doctors. No, I'll be fine. I think I'm just overworked. I don't have a fever or anything, I think I just need to rest."

Gates seemed satisfied with this answer and the worry lines on his giant face eased a little. "Would you like me to have Ana cancel your schedule for the day? Make sure no one bothers you?" Gates asked, sounding a little like a mother hen. I almost felt bad for lying to him, and I silently hoped I wouldn't be getting him in trouble later when I made my escape.

"I've already had Ana send a note to my mother, but if you could just make sure that no one comes in other than Ana, that would be fantastic," I answered instead.

Gates nodded his agreement and straightened as a formal "Yes Ma'am," left his lips, sealing me to my lie and hopefully making my escape that much easier.

The worst part of the next hours was the waiting. It was almost as bad as languishing in the Sorceress's dungeon for how it forced me to consider and reconsider all the options, not to mention the doubts that niggled at me like a mouse nibbling away at a piece of bread. I was dead set on my plan though, and although wild horses might have given me a run for my money, there wasn't much else that would stop me at this point. As nervous as I was, by the time Ana arrived with my dinner tray and another set of linens, I was itching to leave.

I threw up another silencing spell when Ana shut the door, this time waiting for her to set the tray down on my coffee table. She handed me the set of linens in a laundry bag and watched me unpack them, revealing a spare uniform, shoes, and an ID badge hidden at the bottom of the bag.

"You're about my size, so I've lent you a set of my clothes so they won't be missed. The ID Badge was going to be a bit more tricky to get except I forgot that I'd been complaining about mine getting a bit beat up. Got the new one today, so you can have the old one," Ana explained, sounding just slightly proud of herself for what she'd managed to do.

I had my own tricks up my sleeve though, and while she explained herself, I was examining the ID Badge, deciding how best to modify the badge so Ana wouldn't be implicated if I got caught. I thought back to my sessions with Tutor, and how he'd taught me to manipulate my own appearance, and I wondered if I might do the same with the badge. I shut my eyes for a moment and imagined my appearance at the Cain doppelganger and I began to manipulate the badge almost as if I was changing it on a computer screen. The face slowly morphed into mine, and the letters began to slowly flip and move until the name changed, finally appearing as "Dorothy Able" instead of "Ana Smith." Ana's voice, expounding on how careful I'd have to make sure no one examined the badge too closely, suddenly trailed away, and she let out a small gasp.

"Ma'am," she exclaimed in quiet awe, "You keep doin' things like that, and I'm just gonna step back and let you take over! We could have used someone like you in the resistance! You're a marvel!"

I shrugged. "I didn't know I had it in me until about five cycles ago. I was just a part-time college student and a waitress before then, you know. Nothing special."

"Well, I don't know about that Miss, but maybe we can put that to use later too." She stopped to pick up the now empty laundry bag and shoved it under her arm as she turned walk back to the door. Before giving me the signal to release the silencing charm, she turned to look at me with an almost excited expression. "I'll be seein' you in another hour, ma'am. I'll come back for your dinner tray, and that's when we'll make our move. Make sure you're ready to go when I arrive."

I smiled and nodded, and she chuckled a little before she added, "I haven't done this since before joinin' Captain Cain's resistance unit. Use to do quite a bit of sneakin' around Central City for him, ya know. Pretty dangerous stuff, truth be told, but I do miss it sometimes."

She offered her own shrug and signaled for the charm to be dropped, after which she merely winked at me before she slid out of the room and closed the door with a nearly silent click. I shook my head at her, wondering how she could see me as a marvel but not herself. As far as I was concerned, I couldn't do this operation without her, and the new knowledge that she'd been a kind of Mata Hari for the Resistance under Jeb kind of blew me away. You wouldn't have known it, looking at the young woman, who appeared so sweet and unassuming. That was probably why she had never been caught, honestly, but it didn't lessen my respect for her in any way. I was grateful really, and the knowledge gave me just enough renewed courage that there was a bounce in my step as I changed into the servant's uniform and then a overlarge robe just in case Gates didn't keep his word. I was in luck though, because the next time the door opened, it was Ana once more.

Her usual sweet expression was wiped clean from her face the moment she entered, now replaced with a look of such firm resolve that we moved through our plan in complete silence except for the lines we'd decided on before.

"Good night, Ma'am," she spoke gently to the room while she straightened my uniform and slipped a bobby pin into my now platinum hair, taming my still unruly curls into the bun she'd created just moments before.

"Goodnight Ana," I replied weakly as we both moved closer to the door, while I removed the robe and threw it into the corner and she swiped the dinner tray from the table and returned to the door. Then, with a tight nod from me, she opened the door once more, while I moved behind it. The door slipped shut once more within seconds, and I began a silent count, waiting for the appointed moment when Gates would step away at Ana's behest.

"Oh goodness!" I heard her exclaim down the hall at exactly thirty seconds.

When Gates' shadow moved away, I slid out the door and walked briskly in the opposite direction, heading for the separate set of stairs that headed to the next floor below. I glanced in Ana's direction only briefly to see Gates helping Ana up from the floor, completely unaware of my presence at the other end of the hall.

"Miss Ana, what happened?" I could hear Gates asking kindly as he continued to escort her down to the stairs at the other end of the hall. I don't know what Ana said though, because I'd already dashed down the other stairs, willing myself not to run as I got myself out of my guard's line of sight.

My heart was thumping in my ears as I descended and my ears were pricked up for even the smallest sound, like I was some kind of human bloodhound. My entire body was so flooded with adrenaline though, that I had no room for nerves, and I continued to run through Ana's instructions as I walked purposefully down the hall on the next floor. With any hope it would be Ana that I ran into next, and I only hoped that she had shook her escort before descending. When Ana appeared a few steps ahead of me, her harried expression eased, and she puffed like a steam engine as she fell into step with me.

"I thought I'd never get Gates to let me leave on my own steam," She complained quietly, "Steady now though, Dottie, we'll go downstairs to put away and change, and then we'll be done for the day. You just stay close to me and keep your eyes down, and no one will pay you any mind."

When Ana had uttered my alias, she I caught a hint of discomfort in her voice, as if she was having to undo a bit of her own training not to call me "Ma'am" or "Mistress." My heart thumped a little harder with this knowledge, and I glanced at her as we headed down another flight of steps. "I can go back, if you want, Ana. You won't be in any trouble."

Ana shook her head. "No, Dottie. You said it yourself. This is too important to be savin' it for later. It's just been some time since I've had to utilize my old skillset, is all. I'm good now, don't worry."

Ana flashed me a brilliant smile and moved ahead of me, forcing me to fall into step behind her as if I was her trainee. As we'd discussed, that was the act we played when we stepped onto the bottom floor, where the opulence and brilliance of the palace was left behind for more modest surroundings. We'd landed in the middle of a long, dimly lit corridor, which was broad and lined with carts at various intervals between the numerous doors that opened on the place. Somewhere in the distance, I could hear dishes clattering, meaning that the vast kitchens were somewhere nearby, and off in the other direction, a man dressed as a butler whistled as he pushed his own cart laden with silver serving vessels into an open door.

As he disappeared around the corner, Ana murmured quietly, "Not too many about this late. Most of the staff goes home after dinner unless they're kitchen staff or waitin' on the royal family. Should make it easier for us though, truth be told. Come on."

I noticed that Ana's accent had turned somewhat more rough the moment we'd hit the hallway, almost like she'd been best buddies with Eliza Doolittle. My respect for the woman just continued to grow, and I suddenly wondered how much I still didn't know about her. Certainly, she could be trusted. She'd worked under Jeb first, and passed all of Cain's security screens, but still, I wondered. What had she left out of her interviews with Cain when she'd been officially hired as my lady's maid? Would it help or hinder me now? I had to shake these questions from my head for now, I decided, and I continued to keep my mouth shut as I followed after Ana. Soon, we were standing in an empty locker room, and without delay, we both began to strip. When we'd both changed, Ana quickly stored her uniforms in a locker with her name printed on it, looking over her shoulder all the while to ensure that no one entered as she shut the door.

I had been worried that the worries in my head would distract me at the worst possible moment, but that moment never came though, and Ana and I were soon walking down a long subterranean hall that led under the palace grounds and opened to a towering wrought iron gate. Central City was just on the other side of those gates, and I held my breath as I stared down those grey pavers glistening with rain and light from the lampposts that flanked the archway. To get onto those cobblestones and away from the palace, I'd have to be let out by the guards, and until this moment, I hadn't really tested my rouse on anyone directly. I could only follow Ana's lead and hope that they wouldn't see past my disguise.

"Evenin'," Ana announced herself to the guards, sounding tired as she handed over her badge for the man's inspection.

The young man in the blue army uniform took Ana's badge and made a note on a clipboard, and handed it back to her with a smile. "Long day, Ana?"

Ana shrugged as she took the badge back. "Not too bad, Jim. Trainin' my replacement for when I go on vacation. Can't complain about that, now can I?"

Jim reached for my badge and replied, "Aw, that's great, Ana! Goin' to see family, are ya?" I handed Jim my badge and smiled, and Jim eyed me briefly before he looked down on his clipboard again. He paused in his conversation with Ana and frowned at the clipboard. "You're not on here. Dorothy is it?"

I started to open my mouth, but Ana stopped me with a loud sigh. "Oh, I'm sorry Jim. That was my fault. I was in such a hurry to get her on that I didn't let Mr. Ambrose finish her paperwork before I set her to work helpin' me with the princess. I'll be sure to fix it first thing. Is that alright?"

Jim handed me back my badge as his frown eased. "Sure Ana. Just as long as you come with Miss Dorothy in the morning. I've made note about it here, and I'll be sure to let the morning watch know so you don't run into trouble. Savy?" I nodded and smiled again, and Jim smiled back this time. "Besides," he laughed, "I might be hopin' to see you again. You're not related to General Cain though, are ya?" Jim had tipped his hat to me, clearly hoping that his prospects wouldn't be marred by a certain protective relative.

I could only laugh coyly at the guard, finding myself a little less than up to the task of flirting. "He might be," I answered suggestively, causing his eyebrows to widen somewhat.

Ana linked arms with me and laughed, "Come on now, Jim, you're not afraid of the General are you?"

Jim only grumbled under his breath at the tease while he opened the gate for us, and Ana and I laughed as we began to walk through, Ana calling back as we headed through to the other side, "Have a good night!"

Jim waved at us as he shut the gate, leaving us on the other side of the gate. I was tempted to glance back when the thrill of having succeeded rushed through me in a wave not unlike being on a roller coaster, but Ana hurried me along, now moving faster since the occasional droplets of rain began to increase. When one good, fat drop hit me square in the face, I realized that I had begun to cry again, and I swiped the rain and tears off my face hurriedly, hoping Ana hadn't noticed.

"I think we'd better get you inside somewhere pretty quick, Dottie, before we both get washed away. Come on, this way." Ana murmured at my shoulder, still hurrying us down the sparsely populated city street.

I knew that the rush of having managed my gambit had worn off, and I was starting to feel fear creeping in. What was worse, I hadn't eaten all day, and between the fear trying to take hold and my empty stomach threatening to out me, I was more than a little distracted. I don't know if Ana noticed my tears or my very apparent hunger though, because her worried eyes continued their scan of our surroundings as she navigated us along the labyrinth of city streets. My head was spinning from it all, and I could barely keep up with where we were going, but before I could open my mouth to argue or wonder where she'd taken us, Ana finally stopped.

"How about a late dinner?" Ana finally proclaimed brightly when she stopped us on the corner of a wet avenue on the edge of the City. She gestured across the street with her free hand, pointing me towards the brightly lit diner sitting on the opposite side of the street.

I could feel relief and elation sweeping over me in such heavy waves that I thought I might just laugh out loud, for this was not just any diner, but the answer to my conundrum. I didn't know before tonight where I would send Cain to go looking for me, only that I would use apples as the key to all the clues I would leave him. Ahead of me stood that final destination, and its ruby red florescent apple perched atop its door reading "Apple Betty's" was the beacon that would lead my Tin Man to me.