erinm_4600
in
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Fic: Feel as You Believe (2/3)
Title: Feel as You Believe (2/3)
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: DG, an OC and Cain (mention of Glitch, Raw and the family)
Rating: G
Summary: DG's got a new friend and everyone's hearing wedding bells.
Warnings: post-series, probably an annual or so *This started out as this, then went somewhere else. I stopped working on that to try and get this out as it was. The other one, I'm still working on.
Disclaimer: The original characters belong to L. Frank Baum and their respective actors. The current characters belong to Sci-Fi, the movie folks and their respective actors. The rest of 'em are mine. Title comes from Circles 'round the Moon by Geri Halliwell, which I love.
Part One | Part Two | Part Three
We can't hide it / We can't fight it / Just to feel as you believe
I put a spell on my heart for ya / Wishin' on a little star for ya / Kinda magic in everything we do
DG sat in the garden with Roland laMere, the heir to the throne of one of the nearby Realms. They had met a few months prior, at one of the many balls held at the palace and had hit it off right away. It had been unintentional, but Roland had been dragged along to yet another event by his parents and happened to be standing next to some other guests who were around his age.
They all were acting rather pompous and he couldn't help make a remark, poking fun at them. Oddly, none of them even realized what he'd said, all giving him a half-laugh and fake smile and moving on to another topic. Turning away from them to glance at the other guests, Roland found himself face to face with Princess DG.
Judging by the look on her face, she had heard his comment and his eyes went wide. DG, however, simply smiled and leaned toward him slightly to make a comment of her own. They laughed for a moment and both straightened at the looks they were receiving from others on the floor. Roland quickly remembered his manners, bowed and asked her to dance.
DG was thrilled to have finally found one person to talk to who wasn't stuck up on the fact she was the princess and treated her like a person. Roland, of course, commented on the fact that he was expecting a lashing from his father for his behavior by the end of the night; DG offered to protect him, as long as he could find her a stick.
-*-
Almost two weeks later, a formal request arrived from Roland's father, requesting an audience with the Queen and DG, as well as the rest of the family. DG was hoping that Roland would be the same as he'd been at the party, as she had enjoyed his company immensely. Somewhere, deep down, she was sure this was some sort of pre-screening for a semi-arranged marriage or something - she'd seen enough movies on the Other Side - but she was happy to have someone her age to talk to.
Roland and his father arrived with some advisors in tow and the two of them found themselves pretty much shoved into a corner of the council chamber while their royal parents talked about the state of the Realms and other royal things. DG interrupted at one point, wanting to know if they really had to be present for these talks; she'd rather be doing anything else, and she had a sinking feeling that Roland felt the same way.
They were dismissed and DG gave him a tour of the palace, culminating with a visit to Glitch's labs. DG sat back as Glitch switched over to Ambrose and talked technical things with Roland. She was soon joined by Raw, who sat next to her on the metal stairs and took her hand in his. She gave him a smile and rested her head on his shoulder and the two of them listened to the boys jabber on about things neither of them understood.
As time progressed, DG and Roland were spending more and more time together, which had their families buzzing, not to mention the ruckus when DG offered to give Roland a tour of Central City. Security had been a nightmare for Wyatt Cain, because DG didn't want a parade, and he wanted to keep her safe. It had been awkward enough for him to see her with the boy after what had happened, but they'd both agreed to forget it had happened.
He wanted her to be happy, and she surely looked happy. What was worse was the fact that Cain actually liked the kid. It had taken some convincing, but he knew that this was best for everyone. The two of them would be happy and bring stability to two Realms and everyone would live happily ever after. Everyone, of course, but him. But this wasn't about him; it was about DG. So he dealt with it.
-*-
So here they were, enjoying the dual suns and the last decent weather of the season. It would be snowing soon, which DG was looking forward to. As they sat on the bench, DG picked at the flowering shrub next to her and Roland kicked the dirt with his boot. "Why is it that, to guarantee an alliance," Roland started to ask her, looking sideways. "-a marriage must occur?"
DG breathed a smile and shrugged. "Because it's the law," she said with a tinge of sarcasm.
"Wouldn't it be nice if we could just say: 'I like you. You like me. Let's be friends.'" DG smiled again. "'And, while we're at it,'" Roland continued. "'Let's, our countries, be friends, too.'"
"I like the sound of that. Stupid laws," she said with a huff. Roland laughed and glanced back down to the dirt. DG's right hand moved to her left wrist and she fiddled with the knot on her bracelet for a moment before turning to Roland.
"What's her name?" she asked quietly. Roland smiled slightly.
"Lyss- what?" His eyes widened and his head shot up. DG smiled again and shook her head. Roland let his head hang. "Is it that obvious?"
"It's your eyes," she grinned.
"Forgive me," he sighed.
"Don't be sorry," she started, waving toward him slightly. "I think it's horribly romantic." Roland looked up to her and she nodded. "Does she know?" Roland's lips pursed slightly. "How you feel?" DG added.
"She does."
"'Hang the code'," DG said a moment later, nodding once when Roland looked up and raised an eyebrow. "It's from a movie on the Other Side," she explained. "Pretty much," she said, taking a deep breath. "-forget the law. Do what you have to do." Roland’s eyes moved to her wrist again, watching her play with the knot. Again.
He sometimes wondered if she even knew that she was doing it. His head lifted slightly, just enough so that his eyes could glance to the far wall, then he nodded to her wrist. "Will you tell me about that?" DG looked from him to her wrist and smiled. "It's a rather odd piece of jewelry, I must admit," he said with a grin.
DG fought a blush and she held her hand up slightly. "It's called a Friendship bracelet; it's an Other Side-thing. I was extremely bored one afternoon and, um..." She nodded again and pointed to the yarn. "Brown for Raw, purple for Glitch and grey for Cain."
"To be a friend worthy of such a-" he nodded to the bracelet again. DG smirked and raised an eyebrow.
"I will be most happy to make you one. Just pick three colors for three friends and-" she ended with a click of her tongue.
"Only three?" Roland asked with a frown.
"I'm not smart enough for five. Or four," DG shrugged.
"How about two?" DG smiled again and looked Roland up and down.
"I'm thinking hot pink. It's you."
Roland bit his cheek and nodded. "And a brighter pink for you."
"Pink and pink, it is," she said with a sharp nod. "I'll get right on it." They both laughed and Roland glanced again to the far wall.
"Your Mister Cain won't kill me for breaking you heart, will he?" DG frowned and let her mind wander to the image, then smiled.
"Are you saying that you intend to break my heart?" she asked with feigned shock. She laughed again and threw a quick glance to the far wall. "No, he'll leave you alone. I'll see to that."
"I always wonder if he'll pop around a corner and throttle me for sitting too close or offending your family's honor with a simple word," he laughed, looking down at his lap.
"He’s really into his job," DG said with a chuckle.
"It must be nice to have a guard who is so hands-off," Roland sighed. "I'm lucky to get a whole five feet of space between me and mine.
DG blinked, trying not to think about Cain being "hands on", and shook her head. "Cain's always there, but you never really know where 'there' is," she lied. She always knew exactly where he was, no matter how hard he tried to disappear from view.
Roland nodded, knowing that Wyatt Cain was always nearby, watching. "So, while I 'hang the code', as you say," Roland asked, turned to DG. "What will you be doing?"
"Well," she said with a smile. "It won't be as eloquent, coming from me. Luckily, I can blame being raised on the Other Side. But... the same.”
"So, we are friends?" Roland asked with a nod. DG smiled and nodded.
"Best." Roland nodded and let a smile slip.
"Well, if you'll excuse me," he said, planting his hands on his knees. "I have to return home and disappoint my father."
"Good luck," DG replied sincerely. Roland nodded and pushed himself up from the bench. Turning toward DG, he gave her a proper bow. "Invite me to the wedding."
"Your invitation will be the first sent," he said with a smile. DG held out a hand and he helped her up from the bench, then pressed a quick kiss to the back of her hand. "Thank you, Princess. For everything." DG smiled again and watched as Roland moved across the garden, heading for the guest house. Looking to the ground, she tried to fight the smile on her lips and took a deep breath.
-*-
Across the grounds, hiding in the shadows, Wyatt Cain frowned as he watched the private discussion between DG and Roland. He was too far away to read their lips, but he wasn’t stupid. He hadn't seen DG smile like that in a very long time, and he remembered being in a similar situation when he was trying to ask Adora to marry him.
When Roland got up and left, Cain's heart leapt slightly. Where was he going? He knew the boy wasn't worthy of making DG happy. Stupid kid. Then he saw the smile on DG's face after Roland moved out of his view. His heart fell again; she was gone. Out of his reach forever. Not that she was ever in his reach before. Even on that day.
-*-
DG glanced down to the bracelet on her wrist and smiled again, thinking back to the day she created the stupid thing. She'd been sitting in the library with her mother and her sister, listening to them talk about some royal function or other. She'd found a piece of scrap paper and torn it into strips, weaving them together until she ran out of paper.
Deciding she needed actual string or yarn, DG excused herself and worked her way down to Glitch's lab, stopping along the way to ask one of the women on the house staff where she could find yarn. The woman directed her to the laundry room and the head laundress, who was also a knitter, and DG soon was headed to Glitch's lab with a handful of scrap lengths of yarn. She plopped down into one of the chairs on Glitch’s side and sat while he worked.
At some point, Raw and Cain showed up and Glitch looked over to see what DG was doing. She unwrapped the weaving and had him hold the knot, let him watch as she slowly twisted the yarn around itself, creating the pattern. Glitch decided he wanted to try it and she directed him to pick out some colors, suggesting he keep it simple and only go for three when he had eight different colors picked.
She tied a knot in one end of the strands and let him entertain himself before she asked Cain or Raw if they wanted one; both declined. An hour later, Glitch had finally managed to create a semi-knotted bracelet of his own and DG tied it around his wrist, assuring him that the extra length of yarn wouldn’t be a problem because she would cut it off.
Glitch was so excited about his new decoration, he wanted to show the Queen, Az and anyone else he could find. Raw followed after him to make sure that Glitch reached his destination, but both DG and Cain wondered if he’d left them alone on purpose. DG glanced at her finished bracelet and sighed, trying to tie it around her wrist.
"Here," Cain offered, reaching for the creation. DG held up her hand and said nothing as Cain tied the ends of the yarn together and knotted it. DG reached for the scissors and cut the excess yarn off at the knot and tried not to think about Cain's hands that close to her hand and wrist. The last few months had been awkward enough, and this was the closest they'd been since that day.
So, eight months later, the simple bracelet of yarn was still on her wrist and she was no closer to getting married off for the sake of the Zone than she had been the day she made the thing. Now, she had to tell her mother that the expected union between the Outer Zone and the laMere’s Realm was not going to happen.
Taking a deep breath, DG nodded once and started moving across the grounds, directly for the doorway she knew Cain was standing in.
__________
How's that for a complete 180? o.O
I like Roland... part of me wanted to expand on this, but then part of me is too tired to deal with the details. Just know that he rocks.
Actually, I'm beginning to think he might be someone at THIS party....
Maybe...
EDIT: midnight_burn says Roland's at the party. So that settles it. Now to wonder about what to do with Gwen. Does she know about Cain? CRAP...
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: DG, an OC and Cain (mention of Glitch, Raw and the family)
Rating: G
Summary: DG's got a new friend and everyone's hearing wedding bells.
Warnings: post-series, probably an annual or so *This started out as this, then went somewhere else. I stopped working on that to try and get this out as it was. The other one, I'm still working on.
Disclaimer: The original characters belong to L. Frank Baum and their respective actors. The current characters belong to Sci-Fi, the movie folks and their respective actors. The rest of 'em are mine. Title comes from Circles 'round the Moon by Geri Halliwell, which I love.
Part One | Part Two | Part Three
We can't hide it / We can't fight it / Just to feel as you believe
I put a spell on my heart for ya / Wishin' on a little star for ya / Kinda magic in everything we do
DG sat in the garden with Roland laMere, the heir to the throne of one of the nearby Realms. They had met a few months prior, at one of the many balls held at the palace and had hit it off right away. It had been unintentional, but Roland had been dragged along to yet another event by his parents and happened to be standing next to some other guests who were around his age.
They all were acting rather pompous and he couldn't help make a remark, poking fun at them. Oddly, none of them even realized what he'd said, all giving him a half-laugh and fake smile and moving on to another topic. Turning away from them to glance at the other guests, Roland found himself face to face with Princess DG.
Judging by the look on her face, she had heard his comment and his eyes went wide. DG, however, simply smiled and leaned toward him slightly to make a comment of her own. They laughed for a moment and both straightened at the looks they were receiving from others on the floor. Roland quickly remembered his manners, bowed and asked her to dance.
DG was thrilled to have finally found one person to talk to who wasn't stuck up on the fact she was the princess and treated her like a person. Roland, of course, commented on the fact that he was expecting a lashing from his father for his behavior by the end of the night; DG offered to protect him, as long as he could find her a stick.
-*-
Almost two weeks later, a formal request arrived from Roland's father, requesting an audience with the Queen and DG, as well as the rest of the family. DG was hoping that Roland would be the same as he'd been at the party, as she had enjoyed his company immensely. Somewhere, deep down, she was sure this was some sort of pre-screening for a semi-arranged marriage or something - she'd seen enough movies on the Other Side - but she was happy to have someone her age to talk to.
Roland and his father arrived with some advisors in tow and the two of them found themselves pretty much shoved into a corner of the council chamber while their royal parents talked about the state of the Realms and other royal things. DG interrupted at one point, wanting to know if they really had to be present for these talks; she'd rather be doing anything else, and she had a sinking feeling that Roland felt the same way.
They were dismissed and DG gave him a tour of the palace, culminating with a visit to Glitch's labs. DG sat back as Glitch switched over to Ambrose and talked technical things with Roland. She was soon joined by Raw, who sat next to her on the metal stairs and took her hand in his. She gave him a smile and rested her head on his shoulder and the two of them listened to the boys jabber on about things neither of them understood.
As time progressed, DG and Roland were spending more and more time together, which had their families buzzing, not to mention the ruckus when DG offered to give Roland a tour of Central City. Security had been a nightmare for Wyatt Cain, because DG didn't want a parade, and he wanted to keep her safe. It had been awkward enough for him to see her with the boy after what had happened, but they'd both agreed to forget it had happened.
He wanted her to be happy, and she surely looked happy. What was worse was the fact that Cain actually liked the kid. It had taken some convincing, but he knew that this was best for everyone. The two of them would be happy and bring stability to two Realms and everyone would live happily ever after. Everyone, of course, but him. But this wasn't about him; it was about DG. So he dealt with it.
-*-
So here they were, enjoying the dual suns and the last decent weather of the season. It would be snowing soon, which DG was looking forward to. As they sat on the bench, DG picked at the flowering shrub next to her and Roland kicked the dirt with his boot. "Why is it that, to guarantee an alliance," Roland started to ask her, looking sideways. "-a marriage must occur?"
DG breathed a smile and shrugged. "Because it's the law," she said with a tinge of sarcasm.
"Wouldn't it be nice if we could just say: 'I like you. You like me. Let's be friends.'" DG smiled again. "'And, while we're at it,'" Roland continued. "'Let's, our countries, be friends, too.'"
"I like the sound of that. Stupid laws," she said with a huff. Roland laughed and glanced back down to the dirt. DG's right hand moved to her left wrist and she fiddled with the knot on her bracelet for a moment before turning to Roland.
"What's her name?" she asked quietly. Roland smiled slightly.
"Lyss- what?" His eyes widened and his head shot up. DG smiled again and shook her head. Roland let his head hang. "Is it that obvious?"
"It's your eyes," she grinned.
"Forgive me," he sighed.
"Don't be sorry," she started, waving toward him slightly. "I think it's horribly romantic." Roland looked up to her and she nodded. "Does she know?" Roland's lips pursed slightly. "How you feel?" DG added.
"She does."
"'Hang the code'," DG said a moment later, nodding once when Roland looked up and raised an eyebrow. "It's from a movie on the Other Side," she explained. "Pretty much," she said, taking a deep breath. "-forget the law. Do what you have to do." Roland’s eyes moved to her wrist again, watching her play with the knot. Again.
He sometimes wondered if she even knew that she was doing it. His head lifted slightly, just enough so that his eyes could glance to the far wall, then he nodded to her wrist. "Will you tell me about that?" DG looked from him to her wrist and smiled. "It's a rather odd piece of jewelry, I must admit," he said with a grin.
DG fought a blush and she held her hand up slightly. "It's called a Friendship bracelet; it's an Other Side-thing. I was extremely bored one afternoon and, um..." She nodded again and pointed to the yarn. "Brown for Raw, purple for Glitch and grey for Cain."
"To be a friend worthy of such a-" he nodded to the bracelet again. DG smirked and raised an eyebrow.
"I will be most happy to make you one. Just pick three colors for three friends and-" she ended with a click of her tongue.
"Only three?" Roland asked with a frown.
"I'm not smart enough for five. Or four," DG shrugged.
"How about two?" DG smiled again and looked Roland up and down.
"I'm thinking hot pink. It's you."
Roland bit his cheek and nodded. "And a brighter pink for you."
"Pink and pink, it is," she said with a sharp nod. "I'll get right on it." They both laughed and Roland glanced again to the far wall.
"Your Mister Cain won't kill me for breaking you heart, will he?" DG frowned and let her mind wander to the image, then smiled.
"Are you saying that you intend to break my heart?" she asked with feigned shock. She laughed again and threw a quick glance to the far wall. "No, he'll leave you alone. I'll see to that."
"I always wonder if he'll pop around a corner and throttle me for sitting too close or offending your family's honor with a simple word," he laughed, looking down at his lap.
"He’s really into his job," DG said with a chuckle.
"It must be nice to have a guard who is so hands-off," Roland sighed. "I'm lucky to get a whole five feet of space between me and mine.
DG blinked, trying not to think about Cain being "hands on", and shook her head. "Cain's always there, but you never really know where 'there' is," she lied. She always knew exactly where he was, no matter how hard he tried to disappear from view.
Roland nodded, knowing that Wyatt Cain was always nearby, watching. "So, while I 'hang the code', as you say," Roland asked, turned to DG. "What will you be doing?"
"Well," she said with a smile. "It won't be as eloquent, coming from me. Luckily, I can blame being raised on the Other Side. But... the same.”
"So, we are friends?" Roland asked with a nod. DG smiled and nodded.
"Best." Roland nodded and let a smile slip.
"Well, if you'll excuse me," he said, planting his hands on his knees. "I have to return home and disappoint my father."
"Good luck," DG replied sincerely. Roland nodded and pushed himself up from the bench. Turning toward DG, he gave her a proper bow. "Invite me to the wedding."
"Your invitation will be the first sent," he said with a smile. DG held out a hand and he helped her up from the bench, then pressed a quick kiss to the back of her hand. "Thank you, Princess. For everything." DG smiled again and watched as Roland moved across the garden, heading for the guest house. Looking to the ground, she tried to fight the smile on her lips and took a deep breath.
-*-
Across the grounds, hiding in the shadows, Wyatt Cain frowned as he watched the private discussion between DG and Roland. He was too far away to read their lips, but he wasn’t stupid. He hadn't seen DG smile like that in a very long time, and he remembered being in a similar situation when he was trying to ask Adora to marry him.
When Roland got up and left, Cain's heart leapt slightly. Where was he going? He knew the boy wasn't worthy of making DG happy. Stupid kid. Then he saw the smile on DG's face after Roland moved out of his view. His heart fell again; she was gone. Out of his reach forever. Not that she was ever in his reach before. Even on that day.
-*-
DG glanced down to the bracelet on her wrist and smiled again, thinking back to the day she created the stupid thing. She'd been sitting in the library with her mother and her sister, listening to them talk about some royal function or other. She'd found a piece of scrap paper and torn it into strips, weaving them together until she ran out of paper.
Deciding she needed actual string or yarn, DG excused herself and worked her way down to Glitch's lab, stopping along the way to ask one of the women on the house staff where she could find yarn. The woman directed her to the laundry room and the head laundress, who was also a knitter, and DG soon was headed to Glitch's lab with a handful of scrap lengths of yarn. She plopped down into one of the chairs on Glitch’s side and sat while he worked.
At some point, Raw and Cain showed up and Glitch looked over to see what DG was doing. She unwrapped the weaving and had him hold the knot, let him watch as she slowly twisted the yarn around itself, creating the pattern. Glitch decided he wanted to try it and she directed him to pick out some colors, suggesting he keep it simple and only go for three when he had eight different colors picked.
She tied a knot in one end of the strands and let him entertain himself before she asked Cain or Raw if they wanted one; both declined. An hour later, Glitch had finally managed to create a semi-knotted bracelet of his own and DG tied it around his wrist, assuring him that the extra length of yarn wouldn’t be a problem because she would cut it off.
Glitch was so excited about his new decoration, he wanted to show the Queen, Az and anyone else he could find. Raw followed after him to make sure that Glitch reached his destination, but both DG and Cain wondered if he’d left them alone on purpose. DG glanced at her finished bracelet and sighed, trying to tie it around her wrist.
"Here," Cain offered, reaching for the creation. DG held up her hand and said nothing as Cain tied the ends of the yarn together and knotted it. DG reached for the scissors and cut the excess yarn off at the knot and tried not to think about Cain's hands that close to her hand and wrist. The last few months had been awkward enough, and this was the closest they'd been since that day.
So, eight months later, the simple bracelet of yarn was still on her wrist and she was no closer to getting married off for the sake of the Zone than she had been the day she made the thing. Now, she had to tell her mother that the expected union between the Outer Zone and the laMere’s Realm was not going to happen.
Taking a deep breath, DG nodded once and started moving across the grounds, directly for the doorway she knew Cain was standing in.
__________
How's that for a complete 180? o.O
I like Roland... part of me wanted to expand on this, but then part of me is too tired to deal with the details. Just know that he rocks.
Actually, I'm beginning to think he might be someone at THIS party....
Maybe...
EDIT: midnight_burn says Roland's at the party. So that settles it. Now to wonder about what to do with Gwen. Does she know about Cain? CRAP...