Chapter Thirty Five: The Beginning

'We could run away?' DG suggested. She was sat on the edge of her bed in Central City Palace. There were mounds of paperwork on a table nearby and a disgustingly frilly pink dress hanging on a stand a few feet away.

'Where to?' Cain asked seriously. He was buttoning a pale blue shirt and wearing an expression which was similarly grim to his wife's. His response made DG turn to him and smile. He winked as he began pulling on his boots.

It had been a long month. There had been the week spent in the Reed Lands reassuring the High Mother that the treaty would stand. Then there had been the collecting of the Magicians. The Islar-Nari had stumbled across a boat in their lands a few weeks previously which was acting as a makeshift base for the Magicians. Capturing them really had not been that much of a challenge.

After that they had travelled back to Central City. Where the cure was being administered. The cure was incredibly simple. For such a complicated, hideous illness it felt almost natural that it was a simple cure. The only breakthrough anyone in Central City had made was when General Cain has dosed his son with so much alcohol that he had been dropped into a dreamless sleep. The nightmares were key. The cure was a combination of simple herbs and simple magics. The herbs kept the sufferer awake. It stopped the nightmares. It burnt away the malady's ability to infiltrate the body. For those who had already turned there were herbs which treated the fever. When combined with a potion which brought on pleasant remembering and dreams. It was that simple. Nightmares treated with pleasant dreams… the worst possibilities combatted by the best realities. The trick was the Azkadellia had to make the potions. The hand that created it had to cause its demise.

How the Islar-Nari had known this still wasn't clear. But DG really was not that concerned. Azkadellia had been delighted she was finally able to do something and had begun combining herbs and magics immediately. What did concern DG and her husband was why the magicians had been doing what they had been doing. What was their motivation? Why? Did they work for someone else? Why the malady? It was a swirling mass of questions which left a sour taste. The magicians were not talking. It made DG uncomfortable.

But Jeb and the others were making remarkably quick recovery. DG felt the loss of those they had not managed to save but there was little that could be done about it. Not in the midst of the political turmoil they were in now. Lavender had responded well in the Reed Lands, eventually she had listened and listened well, to DG's plans. She had listened to her worries too, finally letting DG talk about how uncomfortable she felt in the Palace. The Queen had shared a little about her own feelings too. The loss of her family and having to watch Az trapped in her own body… it had felt like a breakthrough for them. Then on their return to the city the Queen had promptly abdicated.

'DG has taught me I was wrong. Az too… they have grown and are far more able to rule now than I ever thought they could be… I feel I need to concentrate on being a wife and mother. Let the new OZ have a new way of being ruled.'

'Meaning I don't get to concentrate on being a wife at all!' DG muttered still sat on the edge of the bed. Cain came over to sit with her. They had been married a month. The news had spread incredibly quickly across the OZ. Especially in the Palace… Jeb had genuinely taken the news well. He had grinned and hugged them both. There was, as he said, going to be a period of adjustment but he was happy for his father. Az was thrilled of course and Raw had simply smiled. But a month was not a long time.

Wyatt Cain had never really stopped thinking of himself as a Tin Man. Even after he became a General and an advisor to the Princess. Then he had married DG becoming a husband and in a few days he would be consort too… It was not what he had imagined. But, he thought, pulling the dark haired princess towards him, her face becoming hidden in his collar, it was worth it. There would be a lot of new roles for them along the way, ambassadors, parents: maybe one day… Queen and Consort would be simply the most public.

'It was goin' to happen.' He told DG resting his head on her head. There was a grumbling noise in response. 'Come on. We're together.'

'We are.' DG said pulling away and grinning.

'There we go.' Cain said at her smiled. Then he kissed her softly.

(###)

Glitch smoothed down his jacket for the third or fourth time. He was stood in the door way to his laboratory moving fretfully for foot to foot. The reason for his nervousness was humming to herself happily from inside the lab. Azkadellia. The Queen's shocking revelation that she had planned for them to marry had rather been forgotten since her abdication. Plans for the joint Queen's coronation were busing everyone including DG, AZ and himself. But however busy he was Glitch couldn't shake the feeling he had gotten when Lavender had spoken about himself and Az in the boat. Rolling his neck Glitch took a deep breath and walked into the lab.

'Hey, I thought you were going to stand outside forever!' Az greeted him cheerfully. She was beautiful. Her hair was loose on her shoulders and her green eyes glittered at him as she smiled. It completely threw him. All of his carefully planned words and arguments flew from his mind and he simply gaped at her.

'Are you okay?' She asked.

'Az…. Az… Az…' Glitch tried to begin. She made a motion as if to move towards him. 'No! I'm fine… I just…'

Azkadellia stared at the advisor. He was about to become her advisor. She was about to become Queen. With DG but still! She was terrified. But looking at Ambrose in his usual black jacket and unruly hair it made her… happy. Being around him made her happy. He was accepting, since she'd… come back to herself, he had been there to help her always. Gentle and firmly helping her to learn how to be an adult when all she remembered was being a little girl. He had become her closest friend and…

'I'm in love with you.' Azkadellia said simply. There was no blush or stutter with the words they just hung there honest and exposed. Glitch suddenly laughed and grinned widely.

'Me too. In love with you I mean.' He replied. There was a moment of silence then they closed the distance between one another and finally, after annuals for whispers and stolen moments, kissed.

It felt like coming home after months away. The solid pleasure of being absolutely comfortable. There was no dizzying passion and feeling that fireworks should be going off behind them. That did not mean there was not passion there was. But this passion was real. It had substance. It like the final book on a shelf being slid into position: making something complete.

'Oh.' Said Az as they parted.

'Did I do something wrong?' Glitch asked panic in his voice.

'No! No. I'm just… that was easy.' She replied a little colour beginning to touch her cheeks now. Ambrose still held her in his arms and he stared at her in absolute shock. In his eyes AZ could see their story being replayed from the moment they met had met so many annuals ago when she was possessed to this very moment. Then he said:

'You thought all of this was easy?!'

(###)

'What I don't want to be queen?' DG asked

'DG good Queen. OZ need her.' Raw told her matter of factly. DG sighed in response.

'It's not like I didn't know it was going to happen… it's just so sudden.' Az agreed. They were sat all together on the roof of the palace. It was one of the last places any runners would think to look for them and as such made an excellent hiding place. Also, as there was a spectacular view of the Central City sunset from there, it was both hugely fitting and a massive cliché. As a Princess in a magical land DG loved it.

'At least you'll be together.' Glitch said. He was leaning against the roof's waist high balustrade. Azkadellia was stood with him, her arm around his waist and his around her shoulders. They made a striking couple.

Raw was lounging nearby looking out at the darkening sky. DG was stood with him, her hands resting on his shoulders. Wyatt Cain was perched on the edge of the balustrade itself. Legs outstretched and elbows resting on his knees. The wind was pushing gently on the edges of his fedora and duster. They made a striking tableau, only missing Sebastian Cook, the brave young soldier who had been such a help in Reed Lands. He was still there. Acting as an ambassador and getting to know Sisara better. Thinking of Seb made DG smile.

'Do you think we can back to Reed Lands once this nonsense with the coronations is over?' She asked her husband.

'Why not?' He asked. Az turned her head to look at him.

'Hey that's right! Why not! Once this palaver is done with we get to make our own choices!'

'No more pink frilly dresses.' DG stated in her most regal voices.

'No more forcing Princesses to marry Princes.' Az replied.

'Everyone must be nice to the Queens.'

'There shall be no more long boring meetings at 9am.'

'There shall ALWAYS be cake!' The two women grinned at one another a mischievous sparkle in their eyes. Raw looked from one to the other and then to their menfolk.

'Raw think you have hardest job.' He said sagely. Cain and Glitch winced slightly. He was probably right.

'But have to rule.' Az said the mischief fading.

'Reign.' Corrected DG. She left Raw and walked over to her husband. She hopped up next to him so her back was against his bent knees. He unconsciously moved a tangle of hair from her face.

'We have to find out why the magicians attacked us…'

'To stop it happening again.'

'One sister not enough. Together enough.' Raw told them in his most comforting voice.

'We're ALL together.' DG said suddenly. 'We faced down a witch together.'

'Saved the OZ.' Cain said with a nod.

'I'm still scared.' Az and DG said in unison then they smiled.

'Probably good. Not being scared would be completely stupid.' Cain said and received an elbow in the ribs for his trouble.

'We're ALL together.' DG repeated.

'I propose a toast.' Ambrose said suddenly. Leaping forward and taking a graceful bow in the centre of their group.

'We don't have cups. Or wine.' Az scolded him.

'I don't care.' He replied simply. Then taking a small step back he bowed again. 'Ladies and Gentleman, raise your… hands… to us! And to the beginning of a new story!' they all laughed and mimed the clinking of glasses repeating-

'The beginning!' as they did so. Then in a comfortable manner they lapsed into silence.

As they sat the light slowly faded.

Author's Note: That's all folks! Thanks for reading. You're all wonderful.