This is my first Wicked fic so naturally I couldn't decide if it would be book or musical-verse. So I compromised. Also it will be a fem-slash, just not right away. So do us all a favor and don't read it if it's not your thing.
Disclaimer: I do not own Wicked. I sincerely love that show/book and will forever be in awe of the writers who created it.
Any similarities with previously existing FanFiction stories here are completely unintentional and will be publicly apologized for upon notification.
Chapter 1: Premonitions
Just get it over with.
Glinda mentally checked herself one final time: hair flawlessly curled, eyes shadowed and coquettish, dress smoothed, tiara straight, wand gripped tightly. And most important: fake smile plastered convincingly on her face.
Today is a happy day. She reminded herself. Be happy.
Drawing a deep breath, she knocked on the door.
"Come in!" A muffled voice called.
Glinda entered the office in a flurry of satin and bubbles, beaming her trademark smile. Entrances were her thing after all. The action had its desired effect: the man behind the desk looked up suddenly and his face immediately lifted.
"Lady Glinda!" He made as if to stand and bow but she waved him down.
"Master Gyp, how long have we known each other?" she asked with a flattering wink and a slight twist of her wand. "Just Glinda is fine!"
Gyp chuckled. "Force of habit I guess. Lady Morrible never lets me forget her titles."
Glinda had to clench every muscle in her body to stop her hands from curling into fists and her smile from falling to a glare. Practice makes perfect: she didn't even twitch.
Gyp shuffled several papers around his crowded desk. "She was in here earlier for her briefing… gave me a right good piece of her mind about her speech she did…"
"Did she insult you?" Glinda asked sympathetically, once again quelling her rage.
Gyp shrugged. "Nothing I haven't heard before…. 'doesn't glorify our Wonderous Wizard enough… down plays the importance of the day… etc. etc.'" He lifted a heavy book on the corner of his desk to peer underneath it. "Where did those papers go? I swear I just had them…"
Gyp swiped a tiny pair of glasses from a teetering pile of books next to his chair and balanced them on the edge of his nose. Glinda tried to remain patient and happy as he excavated his desk one mess at a time. Fortunately, his goal wasn't buried very deep this time.
"Ah! There they are!" He yanked a small ream of thick papers from under a stack of maps, sending the maps tumbling to the floor. "Oops!"
Glinda concealed her smile behind her hand. With a wave of her wand the maps flew back to their original precarious position.
Gyp thanked her with a nod. "Here's your speech and the timetable for tomorrow." He said handing her the stack of papers. Glinda hefted them uncertainly.
"Seems a bit excessive for a simple public event…" She said, mentally beginning a page count. 34….35….36….oh sweet Oz…
Gyp removed his spectacles. "Would you care to discuss the speech?" He asked. "I can get a new draft done tonight if need be."
Glinda tucked them under her arm and smiled. "No, thank you. But I have somewhere to be tonight."
On her way out, she turned back to the draftsman. "And knowing you Gyp, I'm sure these are picture-perfect." Then she winked as he blushed and shut the door before her smile could fade.
Glinda sat alone in the Fatum café, quietly going over the packet of papers for tomorrow's event, nodding occasionally as citizens called out to her in recognition.
Gyp had really outdone himself this time. But Morrible probably had a hand in some of this… Glinda decided as she flipped to the opening of her speech and began to read.
Fellow Ozians, I couldn't be happier to stand before you today, on this glorious day! I know I don't need to remind you what we are celebrating. I don't need to remind you of the great triumph that was won by our mage, our leader, our hero, our Wonderful Wizard!
I'm going to be sick…Glinda thought as she turned the page.
Exactly one year ago, the joyous news finally reached the Emerald City: the Wicked Witch of the West is dead!
Glinda had to close her eyes and push the papers away from her. Already she could hear the joyous cheers that would accompany her as she made that statement. Already they made her ears ring.
She pulled off her reading spectacles and made soothing motions along the bridge of her nose. She knew the speech would continue like that, praising the Wizard and his reign, glorifying his decision to send a poor little girl deep into the heart of the Vinkus to murder public enemy number one: Elphaba Thropp, the Wicked Witch of the West. Recounting in great detail the events that led to the throwing of that fatal bucket of water.
Glinda touched the papers just long enough to flip the biting words out of sight. It would be easier to fake the emotion if she didn't read it before hand. That way she wouldn't have it turn the words over in her mind all night, thinking about how wrong they were. How much it hurt her to say them.
Thankfully, the waiter, a quiet Tiger with a beautiful pattern of stripes brought her her drink at that moment. "Will there be anything else Lady Glinda?" He asked in a polite whisper. She gave him a sincere smile and shook her head.
"Thank you." He nodded and backed away to see to the other customers. Glinda watched him for a second before picking up her cider and sipping it delicately, wincing as the hot liquid burned the tip of her tongue. Glinda's personal triumph this past year had been the repealing of the Animal Adverse law that had denied them any job but menial labor. She had attempted a complete eradication but of course, Morrible wouldn't have it. And Morrible's subsequent Animal Employment Act regulating wages had made Glinda's gesture downright insulting to the Animal population. Every change Glinda had tried to make, Morrible had shot down. The Wizard was no help. Ever since Dorothy's visit, he had become strangely quiet and reserved. There were days when he just sat and mumbled incoherently to himself for hours on end, a mere shell of a man.
With the Wizard so reluctant to take action, that left his staff in charge of major decision and everyday politics. Unfortunately, the power shift had not entirely been equal. Glinda may be the public favorite but it was Morrible who still held the power.
Glinda shuffled through her stack of papers, looking for the schedule of events for the following day. But just as she liberated it from its companions, a shiver went through her, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Glinda knew this feeling. I'm being watched… She looked up.
"Lady Glinda! Fancy finding you here." She let out a tiny sigh of frustration at the familiar voice. But when she turned to face the speaker, her plastic smile had seamlessly fallen into place.
"Lord Chuffrey. I'd never imagined you a coffee shop frequenter." She tried not to glare as he seated himself next to her without her consent. Really, the nerve!
"Why so formal?" He asked, smiling dashingly at her. Glinda remained composed, unmoved. "Please call me Charles. I like to think we've reached that point." It took all of her self-control not to roll her eyes.
"I simply adore these cafes." He continued, oblivious to her lack of interest and forced manner. "One meets such interesting people in them." Glinda couldn't help noting his emphasis with chagrin as the Tiger walked by, balancing several coffee cups in his enormous paws with difficulty.
The Lord's eyes regarded the Tiger condescendingly. "But, alas that's not why I came." He leaned towards her, finally sparing the poor Tiger. "I'm sure you're aware that Sir Avaric is hosting a ball tonight in anticipation of tomorrow's festival." He leaned closer as if sharing an important and intimate secret with her. Only Glinda's eyes moved. "He's calling it the 'Emerald Meltdown.'"
Glinda felt her blood boil and feared some of her anger might've slipped through in her eyes.
"I'm sorry but I really must be going." She stood before he could and collected her things. "I have many things to do for tomorrow." She gently laid payment for the untouched cider on the table, making sure there was a generous tip for the Tiger. She inclined her head slightly to her companion. "Good day, Lord Chuffrey." And she took her leave of him.
As Glinda left the café, the shiver went though her again. She turned around but all she saw were chatting customers and the Tiger darting among them, making an obvious effort to avoid her vacated table where Lord Chuffrey was trying to flag him down. So again, she shook it off.
Outside, Glinda climbed into her waiting carriage. As the door shut behind her and the driver snapped the reins, her plastic composure finally broke.
A tear slipped from her eye, quickly followed by another.
She could hold back the tiny sob that escaped her as she remembered. One year ago tomorrow, she had hidden behind a curtain and watched as Dorothy melted Elphaba. And now she had to stand up in front of all of Oz and pretend that this was a reason for celebration.
Glinda gently dabbed at the tear tracts on her face as the carriage rolled through the Emerald City on the way to her apartments. She couldn't cry here. She'd have to wait until she got home to mourn. Tonight she would light a candle for her. The one everyone else knew as the green Witch. Her Elphie.
In the back of the café, a lone, hooded figure watched the blonde as she entered her carriage. When the driver pulled away, they rose, tossed several coins on the table and left the building in a hurry. They followed the carriage at a distance, blending into the crowd as easily as a snake conceals itself in a field of flowers. The figure remained undetected the whole journey back to Glinda's apartments, seamlessly weaving among people, animals and Animals, keeping to the shadows, eyes never leaving the target. And the gardener remained oblivious as the snake hid itself among the borderline bushes and turned its face to the window of Glinda's bedchamber as she lit a single candle in remembrance of the Witch. Hidden there, deep in the bushes, the snake curled up. And waited.
