The Experiment

DG rode through the woods north of Finagua. She hated politics. Even on the Other Side, she’d always hated it. Now, her parents and sister were in the middle of heated negotiations with the Little People of the Woods. -Freaky little men-, DG thought. She still hadn’t forgiven them for capturing her and Glitch. She sighed and slowed Missy, her black mare. She’d reached the other side of the lake. She hadn’t intended to go that far, but when she rode, she always went farther than first thought. It was like when she was in the Other Side, and she rode her motorcycle. She start off in the morning, and by nightfall she’d be three towns away, calling her foster-parents from a pay phone to say she was getting a hotel room and would be back the next day. They used to get so mad. DG smiled as she thought of the looks on their faces.

Her foster parents were still around, though she didn’t see them as often as she liked. They ran a shelter for orphans of the war. Even though she missed them, she knew they were needed. They were so good with kids; it was what they were made for. And there were so many orphans. She knew it made her sister feel guilty, but it wasn’t Az’s fault.

DG dismounted her horse. Missy didn’t wear a bridle or saddle; they were friends, not master and servant. Missy gave a soft neigh, then wandered off to find something to munch on. DG knew she’d be back eventually.

She walked to lake, picking up smooth, flat stones on the way. She stood at the water’s edge. The blue stretched out for miles. She could just make out the palace on the other side. DG threw a stone. It skipped four times, then settled to the bottom. She smiled. Az was much better at it. She could get a stone to skip for days. And when she added magic, it would skip in circles and make pattern on the water.

DG sat down. She dropped the rocks at her feet. For some reason, she felt… lost. She had her family, her real parents, her foster parents, her sister.

It occurred to her then what was wrong. She missed her friends.

Raw had gone back to the Viewers, with the new title of Court Liaison. Glitch had gotten his brain back; he was Ambrose now, Queen’s advisor. He was in the frozen North, using small sun-seeders to renew the crops. And Wyatt Cain was off in the East, training the Tin Men. After Az had been… well, exorcized, the Long Coats had all been disbanded. They called all fallen Tin Men back to court, and began recruiting a whole new force.

DG sighed. And tomorrow was her birthday.

Somehow, that thought just made her sad. She thought back to just six months ago. Her friends at the restaurant had been making plans for DG’s twenty-first birthday. They were going to take her in the next town, to a bar called the Cattle Prod. DG laughed to herself. It was just some cheesy male strip-club, but damn it, she’d been looking forward to it. Now she was stuck in the middle of a dull-as-dust peace conference. Besides a stuffy, formal birthday dinner, she’d probably be spending the day alone.

DG sighed and stood, dusting off her trousers. It was getting dark, and she knew they’d be wondering where she was. She whistled for Missy, then turned to stare out at the water again. She mentally chided herself. -What are you bitching about, DG? You have what’s important. Anything else is just superfluous.-

Even knowing that, she couldn’t help feeling a little lonely. She really wasn’t looking forward to her birthday.

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DG stared in the mirror, not sure what to think. The Court Dressmaker had brought her a dress for her birthday banquet, and her sister Azkedellia had come by her room to see it. But DG didn’t think she liked it.

“It’s beautiful, Deej,” her sister said.

“I don’t know,” DG replied, covering her chest with her hands. It seemed way too exposed for a family dinner.

Az laughed. And even through her discomfort, DG smiled. After everything they’d been through, it still made her irrationally happy to here Az laugh. “What?” DG asked.

“Put you in a corset, and suddenly you look your age,” Az replied, still giggling.

DG turned back to the mirror. The dress was a deep, rich ruby. It made her skin glow, and her eyes and hair stand out, both dark and bright. It was strange, seeing herself look so… womanly. Not to mention that the corset made her breasts seem like they were barely holding onto the dress. There were no sleeves, just thick straps, and the skirt flowed down from her waist like water. Black, glittering embroidery traced the hem and climbed up on side of the skirt. More embroidery framed the neckline, matching her collar necklace made of glittering black jewel, and the earrings dangling down to her jaw line. Her hair was done up in an incredibly intricate knot that Az had done herself in just a few minute. DG was highly impressed at her sister’s skills with a magic comb.

DG sighed, placing a hand on her abdomen. She could barely feel it through the layers of fabric and boning. “I can’t breathe very well.”

Az laughed again. She came up behind her sister. She hugged her, leaning her head on the others girl’s shoulder. They watched each other in the mirror. They looked a lot alike; the biggest difference were the eyes. DG’s were big and blue; Az had black eyes, as glittering and beautiful as the jewels at DG’s neck.

“Happy Birthday, Deej,” Az said.

DG smiled. “Thanks.”

“I’m sorry we couldn’t do more,” Az continued. “It’s just, with the conference and everything - “

“It’s fine,” DG interrupted. “I’m just glad we’re all here.”

“Oh!” Az exclaimed, pulling back. “Speaking of… I have a surprise for you.” She walked over to the call-horn at near the door. She lifted it and said, “Guys, you can come in now.”

DG turned to the door as it opened. Her face broke into a grin as Glitch, Raw, and Cain stepped in.

“Oh my God!” she cried as they ran forward.

Raw got there first, and swept her up into a bear-hug. “Raw missed DG,” he said in her ear.

“DG missed Raw,” she said back. He put her down, but she was picked up again, this time by Glitch.

He spun her around, laughing, and saying, “I swear, DG, I thought they’d never let me out of the North!”

DG laughed, too. After their escapades at the Northern Palace, Glitch had made it clear that he HATED the cold.

Glitch set her down, and she turned to the third man. Wyatt Cain stood apart from the group. His hands were resting on his belt. He looked slightly uncomfortable, as he always did when people began hugging. DG walked up to him, and for some reason, he seemed to grow more uncomfortable. He started fidgeting. That was odd; Cain was stoic. He didn’t fidget. “Hi,” DG said.

He looked down at her, those unnaturally blue eyes unreadable. “Hi,” he replied, his voice almost hoarse.

DG looked at him, concerned. Something seemed off. “Are you okay?”

Cain frowned at her. “Fine.” He glanced around over head. Looking back down at her, he said stiffly, “Happy birthday.”

“Um… thanks.” DG was more than a little disappointed. She’d thought Cain was beyond this coldness. -Maybe he had a fight with Jeb-, she reasoned. As great as his son was, the two of them were too much alike, and they tended to butt heads.

“DG,” Az said. DG turned, glad for the interruption. “It’s time to go downstairs.”

The group headed down to the banquet hall, Glitch, Raw, and Az chatting happily. Cain remained stone-faced. It broke DG’s heart to see him like that. She wondered again what was wrong.

The banquet hall was full of people. Most of them were citizens from around the O.Z., there to pay homage to the beloved Princess who’d saved them all. They were all sitting at two huge round tables. On a small dais sat the Royal table, where DG, her family, and her friends would sit. That table was also round; it had been DG’s idea. She felt it showed the people that no one person was more important than the others. They were all equals in the eyes of the Queen and her family.

DG sat down, her mother at one side, Raw at the other. Across from her was Cain. He stared at the empty silver plate in front of him. Just then, Ahamo, DG’s father, stood, raising his glass. All chatter stopped, and all eyes turned to him. “Today is my daughter’s 21st birthday,” he said, his voice strong and sure. “There was a time when I thought I’d never see it.” DG saw Az’s lips tremble at that. Ahamo reached down with his free hands and gripped her fingers in his. She managed a smile, and he continued, “My daughters, together, brought us a new era of peace. And today, we celebrate DG’s entrance into womanhood. So, let us all raise a toast in her honor.” He turned to DG, who raised her glass at her father as thousands of glasses were raised in unison. “I love you, DG,” he said quietly. To the rest of the room, he continued, “Happy Birthday, my dear child.”

DG smiled, a little embarrassed at the attention. She took a drink of the wine. It was sweet and tart, and she decided she liked it. She set her glass down, and glanced across the table. Cain had his hand on the stem of his glass and was twisting it slowly, staring into it’s depths as if the secrets of the universe lay in the red liquid. She was starting to really worry about him.

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DG walked in the coolness of the lake. The banquet food was delicious, but it seemed to drag on. Eventually, she’d stood up and announced that she was exhausted. She’d told the group to keep the party going as long as they wanted; just about everyone seemed happy to oblige. The group of nearly a thousand had been going through wine as if it was the end of the world, and everyone wanted a chance to truly celebrate the new world.

DG found herself at the beautiful marble gazebo, that place where she’d gotten her first message from her mother. She sat on the swing, staring out at the water. The air was fragrant and cool, and DG closed her eyes, letting the peace wash over her. She breathed deep. The flowers were in bloom, and they smelled heavenly. The lilies were her favorite, especially the blue ones that floated on the water. She took another deep breath… and smelled leather. And musk. She realized someone was standing near her. DG opened her eyes. She didn’t immediately see anyone. Then -

“Running from your own party?” DG jumped at Cain’s voice. She turned. He was standing right behind her.

“Damn you and your sneaky Tin Man ways,” she said. “You scared the crap out of me.”

“Sorry,” he said, sounding totally unrepentant. “So, why ARE you out here, anyway?”

DG shrugged. “Stuffy court functions aren’t really my thing,” she replied.

“Me, neither,” Cain said.

DG laughed. “Yeah, I could’ve guessed that about you. At least you’re talking now; you seemed kind of upset earlier.”

Cain sighed. “Not exactly.”

“So, what was wrong?” DG gripped the ropes on either side of her and pushed the marble floor with her bare toes, swinging slowly. She’d discarded her shoes the moment she left the party.

“Nothing.”

“Bull,” DG said matter-of-factly. “You were colder and stiffer than a corpse earlier.”

Cain laughed. It wasn’t a warm sound.

“What’s so funny?” DG asked, a little annoyed. She knew she hadn’t been imagining it; there’d been something wrong. Why wouldn’t he just tell her?

“’Stiff’,” he replied. “That’s funny.”

DG was confused. “Huh?” She looked back across the lake. Cain was getting cryptic, which was not common for him.

Rough hands suddenly covered hers, and the swing came to a stop. DG looked up. Cain was leaning over her, pulling the swing against himself. He was staring down at her, those steel-blue eyes blazing. For some reason, the look on his face made DG squirm. She hopped up from the swing, taking a few steps away. Cain followed, until he was right in front of her, and she had to look almost directly up to meet his eyes. Several seconds passed in silence. Finally, DG placed her hands on her hips and demanded, “What the hell is up with you?”

Cain smiled, showing sharp teeth. “That’s a damn good question.”

DG was getting annoyed now. She shook her head, muttering, “Whatever,” and started to walk away. As she passed him, Cain’s hand gripped her by the arm, hard. She froze, and looked up at him.

His eyes were positively smoldering. It almost hurt to look at them. “Wyatt, what - ?” she began, but he cut her off.

“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?” he asked, his voice low and fast, catching her completely off-guard.

“Um… what?!” she asked, her voice squeaking slightly.

Cain took her by both arms and pulled her close. Heat was radiating off him as he leaned forward and said, “Look at you. What were they thinking? A dress the color of sex, so low-cut it looks like… God, it’s like they WANT something to happen to you.”

“Dress the color of… what?” DG felt a bit like Glitch. Her mind hadn’t quite caught up yet. “Wyatt, what are you…?”

“Stop saying my name,” he hissed. “God, hearing my name on your tongue, it’s torture.” He released her abruptly, taking several steps away, looking out at the lake. DG was frozen to the spot. “I thought,” he began haltingly, “that, if I was away from you for awhile, that it would go away.”

“That what would go away?” DG asked, her voice breathy.

“This… this obsession with you.”

-Okay, WHAT?!- DG couldn’t wrap her mind around it. Since when was Cain obsessed with her?

Cain turned back to her, looking pained. “You have no idea how much I want you. From the moment I saw you, I wanted you. What kind of horrible person am I? I watch my wife and kid being tortured over and over, and the first face I see when I get out makes me want nothing more than to throw her on her back and -” Cain took several steps forward, and DG resisted the urge to back away. This was her friend. No matter what.

Cain raised a trembling hand and brushed a strand of hair off her shoulder. His light touch made her shiver down her spine, and lower. Maybe there was something more there, something she hadn’t noticed before. Cain took a deep breath, as if he was steeling himself to do something.

Sure enough, he leaned down, and placed his lips on hers.

DG froze, unsure of what to do. This was Wyatt Cain; he was nearly twice her age. His son was just a few years younger than her. They were friends.

But, apparently, her body didn’t care about all that, because as she was thinking, she began kissing him back. Her arms wrapped themselves around his neck, deepening the kiss. As her mind debated, Cain leaned down and lifted her into his arms. He carried her down the stairs and into the woods, towards the cabin he had on the grounds. All of her friends had been given their own homes at every one of the palaces around the O.Z., a way for her to tell them that they were always welcome.

He opened the door and carried her inside. Settling her onto the bed, Cain turned, shut the door, and lit a small lamp on the table. It’s flickering light filled the cabin, warm and glowing. DG still wasn’t sure exactly what was going on, though she had an idea. Her idea seemed preposterous, though. What would a guy like Cain want with a girl like her?

Cain turned to her, and the look in his eyes made her blush, red and hot. He took off his hat and his coat, then came to stand next to the bed. DG couldn’t help but pull back a little. In that moment, Cain seemed… dangerous. He leaned down and kissed her again. DG kissed him back, her mind completely blank. As they kissed, Cain managed to remove both his vest and his shirt. DG pulled away, her hand against his warm, strong chest.

“Mr. Cain,” she began, “what exactly - “

“You know,” he said, his voice deliciously husky, “I think right now I’d prefer it if you called me Wyatt.”

DG bit her lip, and she saw his blue eyes dart to her mouth. “What are you… trying to do here?” she asked.

His eyes never leaving her lips, he replied, “If I can have you, just once, maybe I’ll be able to get past this… obsession with you.”

Have her? That sounded dirty. And the thought of what he could have meant by that caused heat to ripple through DG’s body like goose bumps, finally settling between her thighs.

Oh, yeah. There was DEFINITELY something more than just friendship there.

Wyatt’s eyes met hers. And then, DG did something that utterly surprised him. She leaned forward, and kissed him.

Wyatt wasn’t surprised for very long. He pushed her back down onto the bed, resting some of his weight on her. He wrapped an arm around her back, his other hand running itself through her hair. DG wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. His chest rubbed against her, her breasts nearly popping out of her corset. Wyatt’s hand traveled down from her hair to her chest. His fingers slipped under the neckline of her dress. He tugged at the fabric as if annoyed that it was still there.

She pushed him away. He looked angry for a split second, then saw that she was undoing the buttons down her back. She slipped the straps of her dress down, taking a deep breath before exposing her breasts to him.

The look on his face was completely worth it. He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close again. His lips went down her neck to her chest, leaving a trail of heat. His mouth closed over her nipple, and DG gasped. Wyatt’s hands tightened on her waist as he sucked on her breast. A moan bubbled in her throat, and the sound seemed to spur him on.

Without warning, Wyatt pulled away, then shoved DG onto her back. His hands went to her dress and he began pulling it off. DG’s breath caught in her throat. The sight of him, kneeling on the bed, taking her clothes off, was so hot she wondered why she’d never noticed how attractive he was before.

Soon, her dress was gone, and she lay before him in nothing but underwear. His hands went to his own pants; DG saw that they were shaking so hard he couldn’t undo his belt. She sat up and nimbly removed his belt buckle, then unbutton his pants. She began to unzip them, but Wyatt caught her by the wrists. She looked up at him. He gazed at her, breathless. “You don’t have to do this,” he said.

“I know,” she replied. He released her, and she finished unzipping him, and slid his pants and underwear off. She was getting impatient, and wanted nothing more than to see him nude.

His pants slid down his hips, revealing his arousal, and DG had moment of panicked, ‘Holy crap, where will I PUT all of that?!”, before he swooped down and kissed her. Wyatt almost ripped her panties off, then slid a hand up her thigh. Her thighs, and what was between them, were on fire. She lay back on the bed, staring up at him, her lips full and red.

Wyatt kissed her again, laying his full weight on her. It occurred to Dg then that she was a virgin, and that this would hurt. It occurred to her a moment later that she really didn’t care.

“I love the feeling of you beneath me,” Wyatt said, his voice thick.

DG took a deep breath, then said, “What are you waiting for?”

It was all the encouragement Wyatt needed. He gripped the bed sheets, then slid himself inside her in one fluid motion.

DG bit back a scream. It did hurt, for an instant. Wyatt wrapped his arms around her. He pulled out, slowly, steadily, then thrust again, and this time, it didn’t hurt. This time, it was nothing but pleasure.

Wyatt kissed her, hard and urgent, as he thrust. DG’s nails dug into his back as he brushed a place inside her that was so good it was bad, so good it almost hurt. There was a hot, wet heat building inside her like a wave, and she worried that when it broke she would fly apart. She would come undone.

Wyatt began to lose his steady rhythm, and broke the kiss, burying his face in her neck. His teeth bit into her skin, but the pain was eaten up in pleasure. “Oh, God,” DG hissed without thinking. There was a low moan in her ear, making the hair on her neck stand up. The wave was at it’s peak; she was about to go over the edge. She shifted her hips up to meet his thrust, and he struck that spot inside her hard. She came, crying, “Oh, God, Wyatt!”

Her body exploded in wet pleasure, white heat receding in smaller and smaller waves. At the same time, Wyatt came shuddering and moaning, pulling her hair so hard she thought it might tear.

When it was all over they lay panting, Wyatt still inside her. They were sweaty, and her skin was beginning to cool. After nearly a minute of silence, Wyatt finally pulled away. He rolled over onto his back next to her and stared at the ceiling.

DG didn’t realize it, but soon she slipped into a deep sleep.

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DG groaned and rolled over. She was still in Cain’s cottage. From the light streaming into the windows, she could tell it was late morning. She looked around, but was alone.

Dg stood, wincing a little at her sore muscles. She got dressed, then went to the door. Stuck to the wood was a note. She pulled it off the nail and read,

“DG,

I’m sorry for leaving like this. But my little experiment didn’t work. I woke up wanting nothing more than to repeat last night again. And again. And again. There’s nothing I can do. I’ll just have to stay away from you. As much as that hurts, it hurts more to be around you, knowing we can’t be together. Last night was incredible, but you’re a Princess. I’m too common for a woman like you. I hope you understand.

Love, always,

Wyatt Cain.”

DG laughed. -What a dumb ass-, she thought. She dropped the note on the floor, then headed back to the palace.

She walked in to find a very worried sister. “Deej, where have you been?” Az asked, hurrying to her the moment she walked in the door.

“It’s a long story,” DG replied. “And I’ll tell you all about it, but first, I think I’m going to make a small staffing change around here.”

“What?” Az looked highly confused.

“Yeah, I think we need a Chief of Security, don’t you?” Dg asked with false innocence.

“Um… I suppose…” Az said.

“Yeah. And who better for the job than Wyatt Cain? He left not too long ago. Let’s send a messenger to catch him.”

DG headed off to find a page to deliver the message, leaving a very confused Az behind her. -Oh, silly Cain-, DG thought to herself. -You won’t get away that easily.-

She smiled to herself as she walked. This was going to be fun.

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Hey, if you guys like this, leave some reviews, because I may try and write a full-length sequel to the mini-series!!