Sighing, Glinda collapsed onto her throne as she glanced out the window. It had been a week since Gabriel had left with the Gale Force, and he still hadn't come back. It was almost sunset, and she was hoping that he might at least arrive soon with a tidbit of news that he had found. She was starting to worry that they might not be able to find the Scarecrow at all, that he had just disappeared into the oblivion of the past. She yawned and slumped down further on the uncomfortable chair, certain that she would fall asleep while she sat there waiting. Suddenly, the door flew open and Gabriel crept inside as he made sure that no one had seen him.
"What did you find out?" Glinda asked, her exhaustion forgotten at the sight of him.
Gabriel gave her a hasty bow before hurrying to her side, "I'm sorry, my lady, but we haven't found the Scarecrow yet. We did find the Tinman, though, and he's on his way here."
"Why didn't you bring him with you?" Glinda said, furrowing her brow in confusion.
"We had…some difficulty with getting him to cooperate," Gabriel explained. "I was forced to incapacitate him so that my men could carry him here. I came ahead with two others in order to give you the news."
Glinda smiled, 'Thank you, Gabriel. Now, quickly, get on to bed and make sure that no one sees you. I don't need any interference from the politicians that creep around this place looking for trouble."
Gabriel nodded, "Yes, my lady. If you need me for anything, you know where I am."
Squeezing his hand, Glinda said, "Thank you, for everything you've done for me. I couldn't ask for a better captain."
Gabriel blushed, "Good night, my lady."
Turning around, Gabriel hurried out of the vast room, checking to make sure the hall was clear before disappearing into the dim exterior. Glinda stretched her stiff limbs before floating out of the throne room and to her own private rooms. She hoped that she would be able to actually sleep for once. The stress of ruling Oz and trying to find the Scarecrow were haunting her night and day, and she was starting to find that her insomnia was having severe repercussions on her ability to carry out her daily duties. Stumbling through her door, Glinda shed her crown and began to work on unfastening her dress. She really hated the elaborate costumes she forced herself to wear every day, but there was no way around it. She had an image to maintain. She finally managed to get her dress off, and she threw it across the room as she collapsed on her bed. Closing her eyes, she snuggled under the covers. A few minutes later, her eyes flew open. Gabriel had said that the Tinman had not wanted to go with them.
"What does he have to hide?" Glinda mused, sitting up and curling her legs up to her chest.
Groaning, she flopped back onto the bed before getting up and wandering into her study. Even though she knew that she wouldn't find anything out about the Tinman until he arrived, she wasn't going to be able to rest until she knew something about him. She shook her head and pulled the Grimmerie towards her, settling down to study until she fell asleep or the new day started. Her eyes wandered over the unfamiliar words as she tried to understand what spell she was reading. She didn't understand how Elphaba had managed to interpret the book, but she didn't allow herself to think about it. With the discovery of the Tinman and the search for the Scarecrow, her feelings were more easily excited, and she couldn't handle Elphaba's absence at the moment. She blinked and tried to focus again on the Grimmerie as she mumbled the words carefully under her breath. She could feel the power building behind the syllables she was speaking, so she cut herself off; it wouldn't be a really good idea to use a spell when she didn't know what it would do. Sighing, she got up from the table and wandered back to her bed, collapsing on the soft mattress and closing her eyes.
Several hours later, Glinda opened her eyes to see the sun shining into her room. She quickly jumped up and pulled on a dress as she hurried out the door. As she ran down the hallway, she pulled aside a girl who was walking past.
"Why wasn't I woken up this morning?" Glinda demanded, trying to smooth her curls away from her face.
The girl said quietly, "Your servants said that you hadn't been sleeping, so we must all leave you alone and make sure to be very quiet when we went past your rooms so you could get your rest."
Nodding her head, Glinda told her, "Thank you. You may go."
As the girl walked off, Glinda wandered back into her room and shed her wrinkled dress in favor of her robe. She looked into her mirror and made a face at her pale face, noting the dark circles forming underneath her blue eyes. She shook her head and went into her sparkling bathroom to take a hot shower, lingering under the soothing water as she scrubbed away days of stress and worry. About an hour later, she turned off the water and combed out her wet hair before pinning it up. She found a new dress to wear and began the arduous process of applying her make-up. Looking into the mirror, she flashed a bright smile at her reflection, pleased with the difference that one night of sleep had made in her appearance. Placing her crown carefully on her head, she pinned into place and swept out of her room to find out if the Tinman had arrived yet.
She walked into her throne room, appreciating the beauty of the grand place, the sunlight streaming in through the soaring windows and illuminating the elaborate fixtures and smooth marble floor. Glancing out a window to the courtyard below, Glinda saw a Gale Force troop carrying a metal lump into the palace; quickly, she ran out of the throne room and down to the basement of the palace where she had placed Gabriel's office of operations. Striding into the busy main room, she made a beeline for Gabriel's office.
"When can I speak to the Tinman?" she asked as she glided into the room, settling into one of his chairs.
"My men are placing him in one of the upper cells in the dungeon," Gabriel told her. "You can see him after we get him settled in, but you'll have to have two men outside the cell at all times just in case he tries to harm you."
Glinda frowned, "I don't understand, Gabriel. He helped kill the Witch. He actually hates her. So, why would he refuse to come and see me when I say I need him? It doesn't make sense to me."
Shrugging, Gabriel said, "I really don't know, my lady. He mainly seemed hesitant, like he thought he had done something wrong. He's not a very trusting person, and I really didn't have the time to convince him that you just wanted to talk to him."
Glinda nodded her head and got up, "Thank you, Gabriel. Would you mind walking down with me to the dungeons so I can go ahead and interview him? I have other matters to attend to today, and I wanted to handle this first."
Getting up, Gabriel took her arm and led her out of the room.
They walked in silence for a few moments before Glinda asked, "How is your fiancée?"
Gabriel smiled, "She's been doing well. She's been busy planning the wedding, and after I finish this search, we're going to get married and have a short honeymoon in Munchkinland."
"That's good," Glinda said quietly. "I'm glad that you're both happy."
"Here we are, my lady," Gabriel told her, opening the door and following her down the steep stairs.
Glinda lifted her skirts gingerly up to her ankles and kept her eyes trained on the uneven steps, the chill of the dungeon seeping underneath her skin and into her bones. A few moments later, they came upon a few members of the Gale Force loitering outside of a cell.
"Three of you, come with me," Gabriel instructed, pointing at a couple of men. "You two, stay here with Lady Glinda and make sure the Tinman doesn't try to harm her. My lady, just let them know if you have any trouble."
"Thank you, Gabriel," Glinda said as the captain left with his men trailing behind him.
She turned to look at the two Gabriel had left and gave them a hesitant smile before she swept inside of the dim cell. She looked around the damp interior and faltered at the sight of the Tinman standing in a corner as he stared at her.
"My men tell me that you refused to cooperate and come with them," Glinda said calmly. "Can you tell me why?"
"I didn't do anything wrong," the Tinman growled defiantly.
"I know that," Glinda replied patiently, smoothing a wrinkle out of her dress. "I've just been reading the records kept during the time of the Witch and I was curious about your connection to her. You said that she made you into tin out of anger and spite. But, what I don't understand is why. Why were you so important for her to go to that kind of trouble?"
The Tinman sighed and turned away from her, "It doesn't matter now, I guess, but it was all about her sister. I was going to leave Nessa, and the Witch got so angry that she took away my heart and put me in this tin prison."
Glinda drew in a sharp breath. There was only one person she knew of that would matter that much to both Nessarose and Elphaba.
"Boq?" Glinda whispered, her hands shaking as she moved towards him.
The Tinman looked up and met her eyes, those familiar big brown eyes staring into hers with that same adoration now mingled with hurt and bitterness.
"Oh, Boq," she sobbed as she reached out to him.
Hesitantly, he took her hands, "Yes, it's me, Glinda. Look at me. This is what she did."
Glinda backed away, shaking her head, "No. I can't believe it. Why would she…she would never…"
"She was wicked, Glinda," Boq interrupted. "You just couldn't see it. But, she did this to me. The proof is all here. No one else had the power to change me like this."
"You liked her at Shiz, though," Glinda insisted quietly. "You didn't always think this way."
Sighing, he nodded his head, "She took us all in. But, I know you believed in her innocence long after most of us. Surely, though, you must have realized what she was like when she stole Fiyero from you."
"No, don't talk about things you don't understand," Glinda said fiercely, pushing him away. "Whatever Elphaba may have done to you, she never stole Fiyero from me. He loved her, not me."
"How could anyone love her over you?" Boq murmured. "I'm sorry, Glinda, but I can't believe that he would ever choose her over you."
Shaking her head, she gave him a sad smile, "It really doesn't matter now, Boq. They're both dead. What does matter is that I know where you are now, and maybe I can even find a way to help you."
"Really?" he asked excitedly.
She grinned up at him, "Yes. Now, let's get you out of here. You need to have better rooms than this."
She took his hand and led him out of the cell, nodding her head at the waiting guards.
"Thank you, gentlemen, but I no longer need you to watch over me," she told them graciously. "It seems that the Tinman is actually one of my very old good friends, and I'm going to make arrangements for his rooms. Tell Gabriel that he doesn't have to worry about a new prisoner, and I'll need to see him again before he leaves next week."
One of the men stepped forward, a look of confusion on his face, "But he specifically told us to keep the Tinman in this cell. It's for your safety, my lady."
"I think I'm perfectly capable of knowing when to overrule Gabriel's orders. Boq means no harm to me or anyone else in this palace. Now, please, he's had a long journey and a humiliating one at that," she replied icily, moving in front of Boq to shield him from the guards.
The guard shook his head, "My lady, I'm sorry, but I can't allow…"
"I rule Oz," she snapped, raising herself to her full height. "I will not be ordered around by any of you. Now, step aside."
Sighing in resignation, the two guards bowed to her and followed after them up the stairs before turning to their left to return to Gabriel as Glinda and Boq continued walking towards the inhabited part of the palace.
"I think there are a couple of rooms that are empty that would be good for you," Glinda said as they walked together, Boq's joints squeaking slightly.
"That sounds fine," he replied.
Glinda pulled aside a passing servant and asked, "Will you please show Boq to the empty rooms on the third floor?"
The manservant bowed and said, "Yes, my lady."
Turning to Boq, she said, "I would take care of it myself, but I have so many things to take care of. I'll see you when I can."
She gave him a small smile before hurrying down the hall. Boq stared after her longingly. He had never thought that he would see her again, and now, he wasn't sure how he felt about her. He could feel the vague memory of love stirring in his chest, but it wasn't the same. His smile faded as he looked down at his metal hands, remembering the tin prison he was confined to. There was no way she could ever love him the way he was, so he might as well just let it go and try to forget. It was so much easier for him to live life without feeling anything.