A Lady Of Grace
Craning, he could see a woman leaning her hips against the carved stone balustrades of the balcony. The light from the ballroom fell on her golden hair, which was swept up on her head in a bubbly mass of curls hoped by a diamond tiara. He couldn't see how old she was, not her expression, for her face was turned away. She was trim, and fit, though her shoulders were slumped-grief, or despair? Or boredom?
She dabbed a handkerchief at her nose.
…..
Lady Glinda turned, and gripped the rail with both hands, and leaned over as their vessel was slipping beneath a pedestrian bridge.
"Who is it?" called Glinda. "Who's there- I almost thought-"
Son Of A Witch, page 68.
Lady Glinda was leaning against the balcony of their house, her and Chuffrey's of course, in her light green festive dress, crying.
It was supposed to be celebratory night of the Wicked Witch Of The West's death, but to Glinda she was not a Witch. She was her best friend.
As the to be Throne Minister's husband, Lord Chuffrey had gladly offered that he and his wife would host this party. Glinda had no say in it otherwise she would not be having this stupid party. All night she had smiled, laughed, even joked about Elphaba's death all the while her heart ached.
Now she had escaped, if only for a few moments, to silently sob her problems away and then she would return to the party.
She was glad that she had ventured out onto the balcony this night. It was calm, cool and her head-ache was starting to go away now that she was away from all the mindless chatter.
She was facing the glass doors that led to the party, but her face she had turned at an angle towards the river that flowed just to the right of their property.
Now with her mind cleared, she stood leaning occasionally dabbing her nose with her handkerchief. Glinda had never let anyone seen her cry, and she didn't intend to start now. Course she had the occasional slip-ups but never with the good public of Oz. She only cried when she was near the people she cared about most.
Elphaba was an example. That time that she had left Glinda on the train by herself, telling her that she would not be part of Madame Morrible's school, and Glinda had cried the whole ride home. She cried months after that in the privacy of her room until one day the tears stopped flowing.
But now they were back again, and Glinda's self control was lost for those several minutes as she cried.
Suddenly she heard faint music, and she turned around fast, gripped the railing with both hands. She leaned over to see if it was true.
She thought she had heard Elphaba's voice singing that song that she had in the pub after Ama Clutch's funeral.
Glinda only remembered some lyrics, but it was enough to know that that was the song.
But in the darkness, Glinda could not see anything.
"Who is it?" she called out, wishing that she was right, "Who's there? I thought-?"
She heard nothing, and shook her head. She must be going crazy. She straightened the epaulets on her gown, and returned back inside to her party without another word.
All the while she struggled to maintain her authority inside her head. For she was a lady of grace on the outside, Lady Glinda was tripping up inside of her mind.
The first one to crack that would be Liir Ko, the son of Elphaba.
He would see her for the lady of grace that she was, but he would also see the crumbling side to her that he had seen in Elphaba during her last years.
No one else would know.
THE END
I'm having fun writing all of these one shots about Glinda in SOAW. I hope you all like it. This one is a bit short.
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