Wow, thanks. Elphaba thought.
"Yes?" Glinda sighed turning back around.
"You said you would answer our questions."
Glinda sighed again, "That I did. Do you have a question for me?"
"Yes I do. Can you explain the photo that was put into the paper last week?"
Elphaba tightened her grip on Fiyero's hand.
"That photo was taken at a ball that the prince Fiyero Tigelaar had arranged," she stated simply.
"Yes but is that not you? Next to the wicked witch?"
"Yes it is," Glinda said nonchalantly.
"No…" Elphaba said under her breath. That had to be the straw to break the camel's back. That one sentence.
The crowd erupted into yells of rage.
"But!" Glinda yelled to calm the crowd, "but it is not what it looks like!"
"It looks like you are dancing next to the Wicked Witch of the West!" someone yelled.
"Yes it does, and yes I am, but please fellow Ozians let me explain!"
The crowd calmed enough to where they could hear her. Fiyero thought his fingers might fall off Elphaba was squeezing so tightly. Not that he minded. It kept him grounded.
"I had taken pity on her," Glinda explained, "She seemed harmless at the moment and I took pity on her."
The crowd quieted further.
"But were you two not room mates?"
"Yes, again I took pity on her."
"You're so kind!" someone yelled.
"Yes but how do we know that you did not help her while you were roommates?" the reporter accused.
"If I learned anything while we were roommates it is that she was- is-" Glinda paused either for dramatic effect or to compose herself Elphaba could not tell. "That she is the wickedest thing that will ever roam Oz. She always will be."
Fiyero squeezed her hand, "She doesn't mean it," he whispered in her ear.
"Is it true that you were at Kiamo Ko when she was killed?" asked another reporter.
Glinda struggled with this answer, "Yes," she said finally.
"What!? Why?" another asked.
"To make sure the job was done. The girl was an alien she could not be trusted. The tin man was heartless, he could easily change sides. The lion was a coward if it came to it he would not kill her. The scarecrow-" this time Elphaba squeezed Fiyero's hand, "he was brainless; he wouldn't know how to kill her even though it was so simple. I had to know that- that she was dead."
"Then why do you still have her book? You have it every year."
"I- I stole it from her years ago. I keep it so that it does not fall into the wrong hands. We don't need any of her followers to find it," she said clutching the Grimmerie tightly.
"Followers?!" someone yelled panicked.
"Worry not my sweet Ozians! Worry not! I will protect you! You do not have to fear her or her followers. I promise this to you."