Kiamo Ko had transformed into a bustle of activity when it became the official residence of the Vinkus's ruling couple. It had been totally redecorated with the proverbial gold of Winkie Country. Everywhere tawny tapestries were draped over the cold, stone walls. Lavish furniture, rubbed with oil until it shone, furnished the extensive rooms.

Elphaba hadn't realized exactly how big Kiamo Ko was until all its many wings and passages were in use. When she'd lived there a single tower had been sufficient for housing. Now the green girl was sharing a massive suite with Fiyero.

"Your majesties?" came a timid voice from outside their bedroom. Elphaba rolled free from her husband's drowsy embrace to answer the door. It was still early.

"Yes?" An intimidated looking Antelope in the flaxen uniform of a royal maid looked up at her.

"I was cleaning your parlor and…well…a bright light started flashing from within that special room. The one we're not allowed to enter," the worried Animal explained. "It's been rumored that you use magic in there and I wanted to be sure that nothing had gone wrong…My apologies for waking you so early."

"It's quite alright," Elphaba assured her, pulling on a rich, golden robe. In the green girl's opinion it made her look like a Lurlinemas decoration, but apparently royals were meant to wear the Vinkus's color as much as possible. She crossed the lavish parlor and entered her sorcery chamber. It was lined with shelves containing book after book of magical theory. The Grimmerie was stored in a locked drawer near the back. However, at the moment, Elphaba's attention was drawn to her crystal ball. The shimmering sphere of glass stood on a pedestal in the center of the floor. It was glowing.

The witch, who knew precisely what this meant, muttered a quick spell. Slowly Glinda's face surfaced in her magical globe. When it became obvious that the two women would be spending a great deal of time apart, what with Elphaba ruling the Vinkus and her blonde friend helping to keep order in Gillikin, they'd rigged a pair of crystal balls to work as a form of communication.

"Elphie!" Glinda exclaimed, her expression slightly distorted by the glass.

"Is something wrong?" Elphaba demanded.

"Of course not silly," the blonde replied. "Does something have to be wrong for me to contact you?"

"Well it's very early in the morning," Elphaba pointed out.

"Oh, I forgot about the time adjustment," Glinda admitted sheepishly.

"It's ok," the green witch sighed. "Continue." Before the northern witch could do just that a grinning, eight-year-old face wavered into sight.

"Hi Aunt Elpha!" Farrah, who had clearly leapt into her mother's lap, squealed.

"Hello Farrah," Elphaba replied. "Aren't you a little big to be jumping on Glin…your mother like that?"

"Yep," the eight year old replied enthusiastically. "Two more years and I'll be in the double digits."

"Darling I think you're old enough as it is," Glinda teased, pulling Farrah into a ticklish cuddle.

"Mommy I'm too big for tickling," Farrah protested around her giggles. Elphaba grinned at them. For what seemed like the millionth time the green girl's thoughts turned to her own daughter. If only she'd known Selky when the stubborn girl was this young and happy.

"Farrah why don't you go get Daddy up?" Glinda suggested after a few more minutes of high pitched laughter.

"Alright," her daughter agreed, disappearing from view.

"Sorry," the blonde witch apologized. "I didn't mean to get distracted."

"That's ok," Elphaba chuckled. "What were you going to tell me?"

"Well, as you know letters get to Gillikin faster than they do to the Vinkus because of the Gillikinese railroad," Glinda began. "Earlier I got a letter from Selky. Apparently she'll be headed out to the Vinkus for some sort of investigation next week. I can only assume that she sent a message to you as well, but it might take its sweet time getting there."

"Oh. Well thanks for the heads up."

"Don't pretend you aren't thrilled Elphaba Thropp," Glinda chastened as she took in her friend's suppressed grin.

"You should come join us," the Witch of the West suggested. "Oz knows there's plenty of space in this castle."

"That would be amazing!" Glinda squealed. Thirty three years and she still hadn't learned how to contain her enthusiasm. "Just give me a tick tock to check my schedule."

/

Selky loved the Emerald City. Its thrumming, lively atmosphere always made her feel energetic and purposeful. Of course the bustling town did have its annoying quirks. One such quirk was exhibited when a quick fingered boy in ragged clothes snatched the ripe moneybag dangling from Selky's belt. Being Oz's Captain of the Guard meant the irritated woman was in good condition to reclaim her purse. She sprinted after the boy and wrapped a deceptively thin arm around his waist.

"You should know better than to steal from the Captain of the Gale Force," Selky muttered, carefully extracting the stolen coins. "I'll have no choice but to turn you in to the nearest guard barracks." The pickpocket spun around to reveal huge brown eyes and a horrified expression. He couldn't be older than Farrah.

"Oh please, please don't turn me in Captain Tiggular," the boy pleaded. "My family can't pay to get me out."

"Then you shouldn't be pick pocketing," Selky responded in a softer tone.

"If you let me go I can tell you where the rebellion headquarters are," her captive promised, eyes beginning to well with tears. Immediately he had Selky's attention.

"What do you know about the rebellion?"

"I heard some neighbors talking about it," the pickpocket explained. "They're really nasty, stubborn people who were doing well under the Wizard's rule."

"Where is this headquarters you're talking about?"

"I can show you," the boy volunteered.

/

Elphaba's preconceived notions about Vinkun royalty couldn't have been further from the truth. She and Fiyero were more like guardians than rulers; there to help the people when times of trial arrived. Otherwise citizens of the Vinkus ruled themselves; each village had a democratically elected leader. Therefore, apart from the servants scurrying to keep Kiamo Ko in proper, self sufficient condition, Elphaba and Fiyero were mostly alone.

It was more than the green witch could've ever asked for.

"So," Fiyero began as they finished breakfast, "would you be interested in a picnic near Aelphaba's Waterfall?"

"I feel like we're being horribly lazy," Elphaba admitted. "This isn't even one tenth of the work we had in the Emerald City."

"Well now you've cleverly divided that workload among several council members. We're not being lazy now, you were just overworked before."

"Says the man who used to be intent on 'dancing through life'," the witch chuckled. Fiyero rolled his eyes.

"That man died a long time ago. Now how about that picnic?"

/

"Do you realize how significant this is?" Selky demanded of Curyn and Chistery in Raven's Roost. "The notes I found indicate that this rebellion has been building for years. News is only slipping out now because their leader has appeared."

"They were leaderless before?" Curyn wondered in confusion.

"That's what these papers say," the Captain of the Guard replied. She pulled a roll of parchment from her vest and read aloud. "The Great Princess is nearly old enough to come out of hiding; then we will gather. What do you make of that?"

"It rings a bell," Chistery observed in his perky, chattering voice.

"It does," Curyn agreed, nodding. "Something about the title Great Princess; it's as though I've heard it before." Contemplative silence settled over them for a few moments.

"Maybe my parents will be able to puzzle it out," Selky considered as she packed her things away. "I'm headed for the Vinkus today; there's been more news of a rebellion there than anywhere else."

Any guesses to who the villain will be?

I couldn't resist slipping in one more chapter before I disappear for two weeks :)