The first time he knocked on the door to the sitting room, he was looking for DG. She told him to come in, and he found her sitting opposite her sister, the Princess Azkadellia, who looked at him without expression. He shivered in spite of himself. He had come to tell DG that some new visitors had arrived, and that she was summoned by her family. She nodded, said goodbye to her sister, and followed him eagerly.
The third time he knocked on the door, DG was not there. Instead, her sister asked him to come in. He stood in the doorway, holding his hat in his hands. The Princess had obviously just stood up to greet him. "Mr. Cain? How may I help you?"
"I was just looking for DG, Your Highness, and I thought she might be here."
"What time is it, Mr. Cain?"
There was no clock in the sitting room, but he was wearing a watch, and so was able to tell her.
"Well, then she should be with Mistress Alaram, in the Second Hall, Mr. Cain," answered Azkadellia.
He nodded, thanked her gravely, and left.
The fourth time he knocked on the door, DG was again not there. The Princess Azkadellia looked at him, and glanced at a clock newly installed on one of the walls. "Good morning, Mr. Cain. DG is with Mother, in the Vermilion Room."
He nodded, thanked her, and left.
The fourteenth time he knocked on the door, he learned that DG was out riding with Prince Consort Ahamo. As he closed the door behind him, he saw Glitch approaching, fingering his zipper, something that he did when uneasy. Glitch smiled at him, as if a great weight had been lifted, and his hand fell to his side. "Cain! I was just looking for DG, but I see that you must already know."
"Apparently, she's gone out with her father for the day."
Glitch sighed. "Well, at least you've saved me a trip to the sitting room. I know she's not the Witch, but I don't always remember."
Cain laughed. "I'd noticed that when we all have dinner together you're jumpier than a host of gazelles."
Glitch smiled ruefully. "Well, I'd noticed that you always seem to end up sitting next to DG."
Cain had no suitable riposte.
The twentieth time he knocked on the door, the Queen was just behind him, having just appeared in the corridor. At the Princess Azkadellia's voice, he opened the door, and gestured for the Queen to go through first, inclining his head respectfully. As protocol demanded, he stood a little way behind her.
The Princess looked at the Queen, and said, softly, "Good afternoon, Mother. DG is with Raw, I believe, in the Viewers' Garden."
The Queen nodded regally. "Thank you, my darling. Until dinner this evening." She swept out, the door swinging shut behind her.
He hesitated and looked back. The door clicked shut. The Princess had turned around and walked over to the bay window that looked out over Central City, seemingly unaware of his presence. He waited uncomfortably, not really knowing why he stayed. He supposed that in any case, he could not complete his business with DG until the Queen had finished with her.
The Princess stayed still for many minutes, until at last Cain started to fidget, feeling like an intruder. He looked at the clock (fifteen minutes) and took a step backward. The Princess heard him, and turned round. He did not know what to say.
A light blush touched her cheekbones. "Mr. Cain. Please forgive me; I didn't hear you knock. Or come in." She smiled deprecatingly. "I'm afraid I was lost in my thoughts. DG is with Mother now, I think, although I'm afraid I don't know where. You might want to try the Viewers' Garden first." She looked away in dismissal.
He nodded, but could not muster any words. He backed out, closed the door, and then hurried down the corridor as fast as he could, away from the sitting room.
The twenty-first time he knocked on the door, he was not looking for DG. He entered at the Princess' call. She was standing by her chair, clearly having just put down a book. "Good afternoon, Mr. Cain. DG is with her Tutor in the Emerald Drawing Room."
Her attention was already wandering away. He said, "Thank you, Your Highness. I was not looking for DG, though. I came to see you."
She looked back at him, clearly confused. "To see me? Am I needed somewhere?" Her voice betrayed a hint of eagerness.
"I was wondering how you are."
Her upbringing gave her an automatic response, although her posture seemed to sag very slightly. "Very well, and thank you for asking. And you, Mr. Cain?"
"Very well, Your Highness." He had exhausted his conversation; he had not planned this well enough. She seemed similarly at a loss, and simply stood, looking away at the floor.
Uncomfortable, he glanced around the room, and then saw a chessboard in one corner. He remembered seeing her playing with Ahamo occasionally in the evenings. "Would you care for a game of chess, Your Highness? I believe you play, no?"
She looked at him curiously. "Don't you have work to be doing, Mr. Cain? I don't need a babysitter."
He shrugged eloquently. "I have a free hour at this time of day, ma'am."
She stared at him for a beat too long, and then moved to set up the board, waving him towards a seat opposite. "Would you care for a cup of tea, Mr. Cain? Milk, sugar?"
He perched on the seat, feeling silly. "Milk only, please, ma'am."
She walked over to the teapot and set of cups on another table, and poured out two cups. She handed one to him in the saucer and sat down on the other side of the board. "I thought you might like to be white, Mr. Cain."
He nodded and moved a pawn forward before taking a sip of the tea. It was stone cold. The Princess surveyed the board and took a sip of her own. She grimaced, and then said, "I do apologize, Mr. Cain. I thought the tea had only just arrived. I can arrange some more if you like."
"No, it's quite alright."
She frowned, and placed her teacup on the table, before moving one of her pieces. The match was carried out in silence, and did not last longer than a half an hour. Cain had not played in a while, and after making several errors, his king was surrounded, and the Princess claimed the victory. She smiled crookedly, and then stood up. Cain leapt to his feet.
"Well, thank you for the game, Mr. Cain. It was most enjoyable."
"Likewise, Your Highness." He inclined his head in a small bow, and left.
The twenty-second time he knocked on the door, it was the following morning. This time, he was looking for DG. The Princess was once more standing to greet him. She paused on seeing him enter, and hesitated before finally saying, "Good morning, Mr. Cain. If you're looking for DG, she is with Mistress Alaram, in the Second Hall."
He nodded, and said, gravely, "Thank you, Your Highness. Good day." He took a step back, and watched her blink, slowly.
"Good day, Mr. Cain."
The twenty-third time he knocked on the door was that very afternoon, the same time as yesterday. He admitted to feeling a little guilty.
"Mr. Cain. Twice in one day. I fear that you do not look after my sister as well as you should." A smile almost stole the sting from her words. "She is with Mother, I believe, in the Grand Hall."
He frowned and shuffled uncomfortably. "I thought perhaps you might care for another game of chess, Your Highness."
He had surprised her; although outwardly he saw no change, he could tell nonetheless.
"It would be a pleasure, Mr. Cain, although I must apologize in advance as I have no suitable refreshments to offer you."
She set up the board, this time taking the white pieces, and replicated his opening of yesterday. She beat him again, easily, although the game lasted thirty-five minutes this time.
The twenty-fifth time he knocked on the door was for their fourth game of chess. This time, she had clearly been hoping that he would come at the usual time, as she had a teapot of hot tea this time, accompanied by some biscuits. He did not particularly like tea, as he was really more of a coffee man, but he drank it anyway. They played in silence, and he managed to spot some errors in her play and snatched his first win.
She smiled ruefully at him, "Well played, Mr. Cain."
He smiled more easily, and looked at the clock. Nearly an hour had passed. "I must be on my way, Your Highness."
The thirty-third time he knocked on the door, he was annoyed. The evening before, he had played five games of chess with Ahamo, and been handily beaten in all of them. On complimenting Ahamo on his abilities, he had learned that Ahamo had been classed as a 'master' on the Other Side, whatever that might mean. Ahamo had also said that the only person in the O.Z. who ever beat him regularly was the Princess Azkadellia. Cain beat her perhaps one time in four. As far as Cain knew, she had not told anyone about their daily games of chess, and so he had not mentioned it to her father, but the discrepancy had niggled at him all day. Then, he remembered the ease with which she had won in their first two games, and he felt like a fool.
Their daily routine had regularized now, and the chessboard was always set up ready for his arrival. After a quick greeting, they would start to play, and always managed to finish within an hour. Then, he would leave.
This time, he watched the board extremely closely, concentrating as hard as he could on following the game. Finally, he caught her out. Her hand wavered over moving a knight just so, before falling onto her remaining bishop to move him apparently out of danger. After staring at the board for several minutes, Cain was able to see the gap in her defences left by this move, and he then spent a few more minutes trying to follow where she might have moved the knight. It would have been checkmate in three moves for her.
He looked up angrily and tipped his king over. She shrank back before his gaze, and blinked, slowly. "Your Highness, play to your full ability, or don't play at all. I don't care to be toyed with."
He stood up smartly. "By your leave, Your Highness."
She nodded automatically, and he strode out of the room.
The thirty-fourth time he knocked on the door, he had calmed down somewhat. It had been three days since their last chess match. He had seen the Princess once in the intervening period, at one of the staff dinners where everyone ate together. She had seemed her usual self, but afterwards, on their nightly stroll, DG had mentioned that her sister had seemed even less talkative than normal. He had felt a little guilty, and expressed some concern. DG was apparently glad to hear someone else concerned about her sister, and had pulled him down into a kiss. That had chased thoughts of chess out of his mind for a while.
The Princess Azkadellia called for him to come in. She was surprised to see him, and did not look directly at him. "Good afternoon, Mr. Cain." The chessboard was not out ready.
He stood in the doorway. "I wanted to apologize for my behaviour the other day, Your Highness."
She gave a wan smile. "Mr. Cain, you have nothing to reproach yourself for. You were quite correct that I was not playing to my full strength, and that it was not fair to you."
His pride forced him to ask, "Why, ma'am?"
She looked away, at the floor. "I think you would agree that there is no fun in always losing, Mr. Cain. I … enjoyed our chess matches."
He almost thought he heard the words that she had left unsaid. I wanted you to keep coming. He smiled nervously. "I thought that perhaps we could play a different game. Both your father and DG have been trying to teach me an Other Side card game, but they always win. I thought that perhaps we could learn it together."
She cocked her head to one side. He took that as a yes, and stepped inside, pulling some cards from his pocket along with a sheet of paper detailing the rules.
The forty-seventh time he knocked on the door, the Princess had a pot of coffee along with her tea. When he looked at it, she said simply that she had noticed that he only drank coffee at the formal dinners they both attended. By now, they were both reasonable poker players, although the Princess Azkadellia had picked up the game a little faster than he had. Her expressionless face was a great advantage, although he had picked up a few tells: a slow blink when she had bad cards, or if he called her bluff; a slight widening of the eyes occasionally at good news. After playing with her, both DG and Ahamo were like open books.
After their last hand, as the allotted hour came to a close, they both stood up. He said, "Your Highness, duty calls me away to the Fields of the Papay for a few days. I will see you when I return."
She nodded. "Safe journey, Mr. Cain."
The forty-eighth time he knocked on the door was a week later. The mission had been tougher than anticipated, but he was back safely. The Princess called him in and gave a genuine smile when she saw him. "Mr. Cain! I'm glad you're back safely. Please, sit, and have some coffee."
The fifty-fifth time he knocked on the door, they played in silence until, after about half an hour there was a knock on the door. Before either of them could stand up, the door burst open. Cain's back was to the door, and he watched the Princess stand up and say, her eyes widening, "DG! Come in!"
The younger sister spoke quickly. "Hi, Az. How are you? I was just looking for Cain. I can't find him anywhere, and then I thought he might have come here looking for me."
Cain watched as the Princess' face relaxed and she blinked slowly. She gestured towards him, and he remembered himself and leapt to his feet. "DG. We were just playing cards."
DG looked at him and at her sister, clearly at a loss for words. He said, "Do you want to join us?"
"What? No. Actually, I wanted to ask you if you were free tomorrow. I thought a ride in the forest to the north might be fun, but I know that you need some time to organize the security."
Cain said, "Of course. You'll have to show me where you want to go."
He looked over at Azkadellia. "If you'll excuse me, Your Highness?"
She nodded. "Of course, Mr. Cain."
DG chewed on her thumb. "Don't you guys want to finish your game?"
Azkadellia smiled thinly. "Not at all. I was losing anyway." She gathered all of the cards together with a snap.
Cain and DG left, closing the door firmly behind them. As soon as they were out of earshot, DG turned to him, saying, "Since when do you play cards with Az?"
Cain remembered the Princess, blinking at DG's question. "How often do you spend time with your sister these days? It's been a long time since anyone has found you in the sitting room during the day."
"Hey. That's not fair. We have breakfast and dinner together every day. We talk a lot. She never mentioned that she was going to be playing cards with you today. I did ask her what she had planned for today."
"And what did she have planned for today?"
"Same as every day. Not a lot." DG grinned weakly. "I always make sure she has my schedule in case she needs someone to talk to, but she hardly ever comes. But, let's get back to the surprising point. You, her, cards."
Cain paused. "We've been playing cards for a little while. I don't think she sees many people during the day, and so I felt a bit sorry for her and offered to play chess one day. I knew she played with your father. She's too good at chess, though, so now we play cards now and then."
DG hugged him impulsively. "Oh, Cain, that is so nice of you. So few people make any effort at all." She pushed him to arm's length. "Is that why your poker has been improving so quickly?"
He grinned and tapped the side of his nose. "My secret."
She released his arms, and then said slowly, "I know that I am not being the best sister. It's just I've found it so difficult adjusting to life here. Being a princess, having all these responsibilities. I don't know how to help Az, and hardly anybody else cares. Mother was confined for ten annuals and can't let it go. It's too much." DG turned away refusing to look at him. "I never asked to have a traumatized sister, and she never asks for anything. It just makes it easy to say that she can wait until after everything else that needs attention."
He looked around for any unfriendly eyes, and then pulled her close and kissed her forehead. "You're doing your best, DG." She started to cry softly, and he hugged her more tightly. "Shhh. Let's sort out this trip for tomorrow, hey? You need a break."
"Perhaps Az would like to come."
"I'm sure she would, but your mother would never allow it. It's bad enough finding guards ready not to attack her on sight inside the palace."
The forty-ninth time he knocked on the door, the Princess asked him if his trip yesterday had been pleasant. They then proceeded to play poker, and he lost all of his chips in short order.
The eighty-second time he knocked on the door, he was generally nervous. Something was burning a hole in his waistcoat pocket. Halfway through the game of poker, he put his cards down on the table, and broke their habitual silence.
"Your Highness, there's something I wanted to ask you."
The Princess also placed her cards on the table and rapidly schooled her features into their blankest state, clearly expecting some form of bad news. "I noticed that you were a bit agitated, Mr. Cain."
He tugged at his ear, and then started to speak quickly, looking away from her eyes. "I'm going to ask DG to marry me. I've spoken to your parents, and they've given me permission, but I wanted to get your blessing too before I ask."
"Mr. Cain, that's marvellous news! Congratulations. When are you going to ask her?"
He looked back, and saw her warm smile, although he noticed that it was not mirrored by a widening of her eyes. "This afternoon, I think."
"Then you must be on your way to do so, right now."
He smiled. "Would you like to see the ring? I want to know if she'll like it."
She nodded, and he pulled the little box out of his pocket. Inside was a slim gold band, with a single emerald stone. It was beautifully cut and set. The Princess smiled again. "It's perfect. The family colours."
She closed the box, and said, "I think you win this hand, Mr. Cain. Now, be off and make an honest woman out of my sister."
"Thank you, Your Highness. Your opinion means a lot to me."
He stood and walked to the door. Azkadellia stood as well. As he opened the door, she said, hesitantly, "Mr. Cain? I hate to ask, but will you still be coming to play cards in the afternoons?"
He looked at her, glad to know the reason for her reticence, and laughed happily. "But of course, Your Highness. Why, by all the O.Z., wouldn't I?"
He dashed off, wanting to ask DG before his nerve gave out.
The eighty-third time he knocked on the door, he had an apology on his lips, for he had, of course, failed to come the day after his proposal. The Princess had batted aside his apology, saying that she had not expected him to show up. She congratulated him again, and all was well in the world. The wedding was set to take place in two months; the Queen was keen to have the celebration as soon as possible, to reassure the people of the O.Z. that normal service was being resumed. DG had asked Azkadellia to serve as her bridesmaid at dinner the previous evening, and Cain thought it an excellent chance for the Princess to move outside the limited world of the sitting room again.
The one-hundred-and-thirty-seventh time he knocked on the door, there was just a week remaining before the wedding. He settled down to play poker, glad to have this hour of relaxation every day. The Princess Azkadellia had not been playing at her best for the last week or so, and finally he decided to comment on it. "Your Highness, you haven't been fooled by that trick for a long time."
"Yes, you're right, Mr. Cain."
He said no more, but she picked up her game, and trounced him in the next two hands, but then gathered up the cards and instead of dealing them put them to one side. "I am afraid that I am feeling a little tired, Mr. Cain. Perhaps we can continue this game tomorrow."
He nodded, but he did not believe her. She looked a little pale, but not tired. "I guess it will be the day after tomorrow. I understand DG has set the final dress fittings for tomorrow."
She stood and walked over to the bay window, not looking at him. "I can't go."
"Well, I'm sure it can be rescheduled."
"No, I mean I can't go to your wedding." He did not reply, and so she continued, "I would have liked to go, very much so. I hope you know that."
"Why?"
She hesitated. "Well, I like to consider you a friend, Mr. Cain, and DG is my sister."
"No, I meant, why can't you come? Nobody told me you weren't coming."
"Nobody? DG didn't mention it?"
"No, but to be honest, I haven't seen as much of DG as I might have liked, the past few weeks. Ahamo keeps dragging me off to tell me 'all the things I need to know'."
"Oh. Mother thinks it would be a bit too distracting for everybody if I am there as DG's bridesmaid. It would distract them from thinking about the future, and remind them only of the past. She's quite right, of course. DG argued with her for a while, but eventually came round."
He stood up and took a step towards her, but she did not turn round. "That's ridiculous. It's our wedding, not your mother's. I can't think of anyone that both of us would rather have there."
"Don't be silly, Mr. Cain. You know that it is not your wedding. It is the O.Z.'s. You are marrying into royalty, after all."
He looked at her, and then said, "Nonetheless. Good day, Your Highness."
The one-hundred-and-forty-first time he knocked on the door, DG was with him. Princess Azkadellia professed no obvious surprise on seeing her sister, but he could tell that she was curious. DG sat down with her usual aplomb, and dealt herself into the game. They played a couple of hands in silence, apart from DG's conversational gambits. Clearly, she was not as comfortable with the silence as they were.
Finally, DG said, "Cain and I have been talking, and we would both like you to come to the wedding."
Azkadellia looked at them, blinking slowly. "But Mother said …"
DG interrupted brusquely. "Oh, hang Mother. What she doesn't know can't hurt her. So, maybe you can't be the bridesmaid, but there are plenty of other people being invited. We can come up with some sort of disguise."
"I don't know, that seems a little dangerous."
Cain leaned forward. "No, it will be fine. We can arrange a haircut, you can dye your hair, some different clothes. There are going to be loads of people there, including people from outside the palace."
DG took over. "Plus, I was speaking to Tutor, in a round-about sort of way, and he said there are some ways to change your appearance using magic."
Azkadellia looked down. "It is true. I can change my face, my hair, but only for short periods at a time. Three hours at most, before I would need to rest for an hour."
DG smiled. "Well, that would be plenty of time. Sorted. I'll get you a dress on the sly."
"But Mother would be furious if she found out."
"Then she won't find out."
The last time he knocked on the door, nobody answered. He stood outside for a moment, waiting for an answer, and thought about when he had last seen the Princess Azkadellia. She had come to their wedding disguised as one of the middle-class Central City residents invited to witness the event. Her dress had been a simple cotton affair, and she had used a touch of magic to give her newly trimmed hair a salt-and-pepper look, and to diffuse the sharp lines of her face. DG had pointed her out to him discreetly in the crowd, smiling at them, just after the ceremony. She had joined the line of wellwishers afterwards to congratulate them and give them a wedding present, the chess set from the sitting room, with the pieces imbued with a certain magic to allow them to play themselves or offer advice to players.
He knocked again, now a little concerned. She had not been present at the family dinner to welcome them home. DG had asked after her, and the Queen had said that she had received a note saying that Azkadellia had been feeling a little under the weather lately.
He knocked a third time, and then just opened the door. There was no one there, although he saw that a different chessboard was set up on the table. He walked over and looked down. Nothing unusual, except there - a corner of paper was sticking out from under the board. He pushed the board to one side, and saw an envelope with 'Mr. Wyatt Cain' written on the front in cursive script. Underneath were two others, addressed to 'Princess DG' and 'The Queen'.
Now more than a little worried, he picked up his letter and ran his finger along the lid, cracking open the wax seal.
Dear Mr. Cain,
I hope that this letter finds you in good health. To get to the point, as you may or may not have noticed, I have decided to leave the palace. I cannot stay here, and the assistance that both you and DG provided in preparing for your wedding gave me confidence that I could manage an escape. I would have liked to have seen both you and DG after your return from Finaqua, but I do not doubt that you would have tried to prevent me from leaving, and this period gives me the best chance of leaving unnoticed for several days. I suspect that you will be the first person to uncover my letters. Please deliver them as and when you see fit.
It is my vain hope that you at least may understand my reasons for leaving, though I do not enumerate them here as I am sure they would come across as weak and self-serving. Nonetheless, I do not want you to think me acting out of evil or ignorant silliness. I assure you that I have thought through my plans carefully, and am confident that I can avoid detection, at least in the short term. If I feel that I present a danger to those around me, I assure you that I will surrender myself to the authorities immediately.
Finally, I would like to thank you for your many kindnesses towards me, for which I am most appreciative, and I owe you a great debt. I am content that my sister has found a true gentleman for a husband, and I task you to keep her safe. As and when the opportunity arises, I will endeavour to be in contact,
Yours sincerely,
Azkadellia
He fingered the paper softly, and then slipped it sharply into his pocket. He picked up the other two and walked out of the room. He gave her two more days before he passed on the letters.