Chapter II
The elder princess came to, feeling the impact as she hit the ground before a strong grip pulled her against a firm chest, rolling her to avoid the dirt. Dark eyes closed, she counted her breaths, slowly syncing them with the man beneath her.
Finally opening them, she saw his parted lips and wild blue eyes.
"That was insane, princess."
"I'm not a princess anymore, Jeb. You'll have to call me something else." She slid from his warm embrace, slightly reluctant, but gasped.
"Look Jeb!"
The young man glanced up seeing to his amazement a single sun in a wide blue sky.
"We made it. We're in the I.Z.," Az gasped.
Jeb nodded in agreement. "Now what?"
"Deeg said we could stay in her house."
Searching around, the pair could see a cheerful yellow house on a vast tract of land, further down the road. It took only a moment for them to find the false rock with the spare key through her younger sister's instruction.
"At least your aim was good, your highness," Jeb remarked as they stepped over the threshold.
"You'll also have to stop calling me that if you want to avoid questions, you know."
The younger man shrugged before splitting up to explore the property.
Hank and Emily had kept the dwelling in tip top shape. There was still electricity and running water. Staples such as flour, rice, and spices were sealed in labeled containers in the pantry.
"There's even a garden with vegetables in the back," her companion announced.
Azkadellia was too busy being in awe of the bathtub upstairs. It would be heavenly to soak there for a spell.
Sure the Northern Island had its hot springs, but all of their manors had advisors and servants crowding every room.
Here in this quaint farm, Azkadellia could finally be alone to sort her troubled mind and heart.
There was a soft roar outside as Jeb started up the car outside.
Well, maybe not entirely alone, the former Sorceress smiled.
The next few days were spent exploring the homestead, and getting settled.
"You sure you don't want DG's room? It's the largest." Jeb questioned her.
The woman shook her head. "She may come back to visit. I'm fine with the guest room."
She already picked out one with the sunniest window. Her sister's talent of drawing was also carried by the elder royal, and she placed a sketch of her family at her bedside nightstand.
"I'll take this room then."
Jeb chose the room directly across the hall from her, slinging his bag and whistling a jaunty tune.
"You don't want a bigger room too, Jeb?"
He shook his head. "I don't need anything fancy after sleeping in the forest for a few years. Plus I still need to stay close to you." His door shut with a soft click.
Az jumped into her newly chosen bed and let out a muffled shriek into her pillow.
It was hard not to fall in love with the younger Cain.
Leader of the resistance, handsome with flowing blond locks. Kind to every child, getting them to laugh with his whimsical painted carvings of animals, he was every girl's dream.
"But he's so much younger than me."
Az had confessed her crush to Glitch one night knowing with his scatterbrained noggin, he'd forget by morning.
"Well Az-ka-dee, your emotional growth was kind of stunted at 16 due to being possessed by the witch. Even though your body grew ten years, your mind was still the same girl it was at Finaqua. Nevertheless, no matter your ages, Jeb's perfectly fine for you."
Azkadellia disagreed with the air headed advisor. "It must be because he's the only man who's been constantly around me."
She tried entertaining envoys from Munchinkinland, princes from Ev, and travelers from every corner of the O.Z. Many men had ventured to the Emerald City to see the restoration of the long ruling House of Gale, and to see the true princess with their very eyes.
The former insurgent leader remained a quiet figure by her side as she accepted the flowery compliments and well wishes to her restored self.
No one could compare to Jeb, Azkadellia scribbled in her journal, an activity she relished in partaking in after a ten year pause. It helped to reorient her sanity, to know that there was only one voice in her head: her and hers alone.
She glanced at the pages before in her old diaries. Entries about her hopes and dreams - running the country, uplifting the populace, falling in love and raising a family. All of that was dashed now.
Now it was time to start over, and put the past behind her.
"Maybe we should check out D.G.'s old work place, just in case," Azkadellia mentioned. She added with a smirk. "Plus I know you're itching to take Hank's car out for a spin."
The young man blushed, turning his pale skin pink. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"You've been tinkering with it every day, Jeb."
The man refused to acknowledge her observation, but carefully drove his way to D.G.'s former place of employment with a small grin. Luckily the streets are quiet. Only a single police car quietly lurking behind a billboard interrupted the emptiness.
Mabel, the establishment's owner, gave a wary look up and down the young pair.
"Well we do need every hand we can get in this place. It's a mad rush during lunch. What's your names?"
"Ash," the former princess replied. She knew her cumbersome name was a mouthful even in the O.Z. Her companion could at least keep his own.
The ticket system and computer baffled the two newcomers, but they didn't drop any orders on the floor. Coming in on time during the next couple days greatly raised them in Mabel's esteem.
"No offense to your sister, Ash, but D.G. was a real flighty one. Though we worried after that tornado hit her house and didn't find her, Emily or Hank."
"They decided to return to Hank's childhood home in Mill Town."
Mabel chuckled. "Well that's mighty nice of them. That man constantly talked about that place every minute he could."
The older woman was about to warn the pretty brunette about crass truckers and their wandering hands, but the icy stare of Jeb Cain kept the men in check.
When news of a pair of young workers at the diner spread, the eatery grew crowded with chattering college students and unattached singles.
"Are they dating? Married?" the sorority girls giggled as they threw subtle looks at the handsome blond.
The elders sniffed. "They live together, and there's no wedding rings."
The girls scoffed at the antiquated mindset, then gabbed merrily with the tall brunette.
"We love your hair!"
Days were filled with gathering orders, bussing tables, and cheerfully entertaining the regulars. Ash charmed even the gruffest of men, and Jeb was a complete gentleman to girls young and old alike.
Nights were a different story.
The Lavender Eyed Queen had instructed her how to run a kingdom, but Ahamo had taught her how to master a kitchen. The Nebraskan man had a knack for baking and cooking and wanted his girls to know the same. It was a fond memory for the elder princess until D.G.'s death had upended it.
The look on the younger Cain's face as she made them their first dinner was one that she would treasure for the rest of her days.
"I can wash. It's only fair when you cooked, princess."
She settled into the wooden chair at the newly cleared kitchen table, making small talk as the man cleaned.
Finally she broached the topic that had been bothering her since they set foot in the Inner Zone. "You never call me by my name, Jeb. It's always princess or your highness. You can't separate Azkadellia from the Sorceress, can you?"
The blond paused, rinsing the last of the plates.
"No, I can't."
Thanks SpawnGirl234 for reviewing. This story is complete. Hope everyone enjoys reading.
Grignard