It had been three months since the Eclipse and she felt more lost than she ever had on the Other Side. At least there she had an escape plan if all else failed. When she had told her parents she didn't feel at home she hadn't imagine her actual home to be so confusing. Now she felt trapped and more than a little mystified by more customs and lessons than she felt she could handle.

She also refused to admit, at least out loud, that she felt a bit empty. When she was racing across the O.Z. she had a definite purpose, a goal. Get the Emerald, save Az and, well, everybody else in the process. Looking back at her short adventure and then down at the pile of aged and yellowed text before her she wondered if she could go run for her life some more. Really it had been a great workout, and the lack of sleep and definite risk of death seemed a tad bit more welcoming than a pile of books about Ozian economics.

Wasn't she supposed to have advisors for this sort of thing? People who actually wanted to know about trade guilds and such? Honestly the closest she had ever come to economics was splitting her tips with the bussers at the Hilltop Café. Revealing this little fact to her mother had been a mistake. The look she had been given when the reinstated Queen found out she had been a, what had she said? Ah yes a barmaid. That had been enough to make her either want to sink into the floor in shame or go into a fit of pique. And really that was ridiculous because she hadn't done anything wrong.

And converting dollars into platinum seemed to be a bit more of a challenge than she had originally thought. Damn she hated math, and why on earth did platinum's break down into complex fractions? Who the hell came up with that brilliant little idea?

However looking up through her lashes at Toto caused her to reconsider asking this question out loud. Those types of questions, the spontaneous type she was so fond of, often resulted in a forced history lesson, or politic lesson, or the gods help her etiquette lessons. Looking back she though a bit bitterly that no one had mentioned princess lessons while racing across the O.Z. If they had she may have reconsidered the whole lets stop the eternal darkness thing but probably only for a few minutes.

What made things even more frustrated than anything was the giant gaping holes still left in her memory. Toto simply assumed that since she had somehow managed to save Az and kill the witch that she had unlocked all her memories. When she had told him otherwise he gave her that look that clearly stated she wasn't trying hard enough. As if she would purposely forget a lesson she had had ten years… annuals… whatever ago with the threat of relearning everything all over again. Honestly that was just counterproductive.

"Now can you explain to me the difference between the proper trading customs of the eastern tree dwellers and the northern glacial tribes, and why these difference could cause serious misunderstandings between these peoples," asked Toto in his most serious and migraine inducing tone.

"Ummmm…" DG replied trying to look discretely to the side at the scribbled notes shoved between two of the huge volumes before giving up completely.

"The tree dwellers are a little net happy?"

Apparently not the right answer judging by the look she received from her Tutor. However she had been trapped in this dusty room off the library so long she got more than a little satisfaction from his annoyance.

"DG! Are you even trying to focus on this lesson? I am starting to think you may not fully grasp your position in this kingdom! You are going to be the next Queen of the OZ! You must learn these things!" Toto scolded.

Going completely still she looked wide-eyed at her Tutor before her mouth dropped open. He had to be out of his tale wagging little mind.

"Queen!" DG spluttered out, "Az is going to be Queen not me!"

Tutor looked at her as if she had grown a second head before saying, "Azkadilla cannot rule the O.Z. princess. She gave up that right when she overthrew your mother."

"What! The witch is the one that overthrew mother not Az! I don-"

Toto cut her off, "This has already been decided DG if your mother has not discussed this with you then she must be even less impressed with what you have accomplished than I am."

DG could feel the blood begin to pound in her ears. How dare he assume she wasn't trying to learn. Toto was coming dangerously close to pushing her over her boiling point. The lamps in the room began to flicker in response to the magic desperately trying to slip out of her control. Reeling her temper and her magic back in DG stood so fast her chair fell over. Toto took a step back from her sudden magical outburst.

"You need to control your magic Princess! You have more at your disposal than your sister ever did. Which means-"

DG didn't hear the rest of what her Tutor said as she stomped out of the library. As she strode out the door slammed shut as she let her magic slip from her. Tutor was right about the strength of her magic but she had a suspicion that she had far more control over it than the little lap dog thought. She had spent more than a few nights alone in the library researching and experimenting with it. However her anger cooled into a kind of panic as she raced up the stair to the family wing of the Central City Palace in search of her mother.