Here's something a little different, I'm trying something new...I hope you enjoy...please leave me a review!

Ian had not signed up for this.

When he had come to the Palace looking for a position they had taken one look at his large frame and imposing face and immediately pointed him in the direction of Wyatt Cain, personal bodyguard of Princess DG and informal head of the Royal Security Force. He had liked Cain instantly upon meeting him.

Of course he had heard of the man before ever setting eyes on him - everyone across the O.Z. could recount the tales of the Heroes of the Eclipse and their great deeds that had saved them from the sorceress' age of darkness. Ian had chalked a lot of those tales up to exaggeration, but upon meeting the man, he knew the stories were truth and felt a slight sliver of shame course down his spine at having doubted their validity.

He had interviewed with Cain for about an hour, one of the most grueling periods of his life. Then he had been given a handshake and was told to return to the palace and report to Cain the next morning.

That was four months ago.

The past four months had been tough, but Ian had known it would be. He had been assigned to become one of the Princess DG's personal bodyguards, and Ozma knew that if you were to be protecting her, you had to be the best. Cain personally oversaw the training for all the guards, but Princess DG's regiment was given extra attention (much to the dismay of the regiment itself).

Many of the other groups wondered why they even put up with it because everyone knew that hardly any of the men assigned to Princess DG would ever get the chance to actually guard her. Wyatt Cain himself took care of that duty. Ian knew why, in fact he had mentioned it to Cain himself during his interview and if he wasn't mistaken that's what had gotten him the job so quickly. A few of his comrades had explained their week long interviews they had had to endure and Ian was immensely grateful he had been given a reprieve from that at least.

The fact was that Princess DG was not just that, eventually she would become Crown Princess DG, future Queen of the O.Z., and THAT protection detail required the best that the realm could offer.

That's not to say that Princess Azkadellia's regiment had any easier of a time of it, as Jeb Cain was infamous for his demands and punishments for recruits stepping a toe out of line.

Ian had quickly climbed the ranks to become the best of his regiment and had passed his final tests with flying colors well ahead of his fellow recruits. Today was his first day of active guard duty.

Ozma he wished he was back with them in the barracks….

He had come to not only highly respect Wyatt Cain, but had felt a camaraderie with him not uncommon among those who take up arms to protect others. Ian would go so far as to say they had become friends in the past few months. A fact that elevated his discomfort rather than alleviated it any.

Among the regiments, the palace, and the O.Z. in general, Wyatt Cain was known as a man of few words. He only said what was absolutely necessary, without unnecessary description or explanation. He also had the uncanny ability to issue orders without raising his voice in the slightest. In fact Ian had never heard the man yell in the four months he had been at the palace, and Ozma knew his displeasure with the recruits was expressed in a very different way.. The man could convey whole sentences with a look or a gesture. The entire regiment had become fluent in "Wyatt Cain" within a matter of weeks, and if they hadn't their legs would have surely fallen off from running laps around the palace. No, Wyatt Cain didn't have to say one word to get his point across, and Ian knew that most of the other regiments didn't have a clue as to what his voice even sounded like.

Ian just wanted to block that damn voice out now. As his first protection detail he had been given a door to watch. Not just any door mind, but the door to Princess DG's office, where she conducted her stately business and performed various tasks designated to her by the Queen, such as responding to correspondence or reviewing official documents from neighboring kingdoms. Princess DG's grooming for the Throne had begun and subsequently had been given a chamber in which to do it. Since the Princess was behind this door, he had to stay and watch it until she emerged, escort her to her chambers and relinquish his watch to the guard stationed there, then he could go find some dinner and then his bed.

For the better part of the day Ian had observed servants hustle and bustle in and out of the room, as well as various diplomats beg a moment here and there until the day had faded into night. The Princess had yet to emerge from the chamber. Ian had been contemplating poking his head into the room to see if she had perhaps fallen asleep when Wyatt Cain himself appeared in the hallway. It was apparent he had been searching for the Princess when his gaze fell upon Ian, still standing guard at the door, his shoulders relaxed just slightly and some tension vanished from his face. Without acknowledging Ian's presence he quickly opened the door, entered, then shut it right behind him.

He was the first person that day not to have knocked. It should have been a warning….but he'd had no idea.

Ian had heard a few odd noises from behind the door but had not thought anything of it until a repetitive "thump" began to slowly increase in speed and volume. He had thought his face would burst into flames when he heard the first low moan emitted by the Princess….and then Wyatt began talking…..

Wyatt Cain, the man who spoke volumes with his eyes and hardly any with his tongue to the population of the O.Z., was a definite "talker" when it came to Princess DG.

Sweet Ozma, the man had a talent for vivid description….and judging from the sounds the Princess was making, he had a very rapt and appreciative audience.

Ian thought he was going to die of embarrassment until a strangled "WYATT!" reached his ears followed by three more loud "thumps" then total silence once again descended upon the hallway. Ian was completely scandalized, embarrassed, completely flabbergasted, and oddly enough, felt a little pride for his commander.

Before he could completely recover the door swung open and the flushed faces of Princess DG and Wyatt Cain appeared before him.

Cain's facial expression clearly said: "What the hell are you doing here?"

Confused, Ian could only stammer that he had been given DG's guard duty for the day.

Cain snorted, made a gesture with his hand that screamed "I'm here you idiot, you're not needed"

"Oh….ur….well….that wasn't re-really explained Sir, and I…I…hadn't re-realized th-that my shift w-was over if y-you were t-to uhh…." In the back of Ian's mind he was musing how quickly he had been brought to stuttering in under 20 seconds.

Wyatt Cain glared at him and he immediately shut up. He didn't dare glance at the Princess as he was pretty sure Cain would have a precious private body part or two removed from his person if he did. He tried not to flinch under that look, really he had, but the fight was useless.

Princess DG stepped forward into Ian's field vision, laid a hand on Cain's arm and whispered something into his ear. She then turned towards Ian, gave him a small smile, big blue eyes dancing with laughter and her face still fiercely flushed, then proceeded down the hallway. She stopped at the end, obviously awaiting Cain in order to proceed to her chambers.

Cain gave one last look that Ian interpreted as a threat to one specifically precious body part then followed after the Princess and the two of them disappeared around the corner.

Ian sagged against the wall and sent a quiet blessing to the Princess who so obviously had just saved his hide from Cain's wrath.

Then it hit him that Cain hadn't actually said a single word, then flushed when he remembered all the things he had heard the man say only minutes before.

Yes…Wyatt Cain definitely had a way with words, thank Ozma it was only DG who had to listen. He'd let the other recruits figure it out for themselves. If word got around that he had told anyone about this incident, the promise on Cain's face would certainly become a reality….and Ian was rather attached to his precious private body parts.