Weekend came. Glinda felt young and jovial wearing a casual pink dress. She had to wear formal almost everyday because of her work so she felt nice wearing such clothes for a change. She hummed a happy tune while preparing her luggage for her and her friends' trip to Vinkus.

Later, Glinda heard a knock at her door. She knew who it was, so she eagerly skipped towards the door to greet her visitors.

"Good morning, Fiyero!" she chirped happily.

"Morning, Glinda," he replied. "Ready?"

She nodded happily, gathering her winter coat. Fiyero grabbed her bags and loaded them into the carriage.

"Good morning, cupcake! I'm so glad you're finally coming with us!" ShenShen greeted Glinda with a hug, and then she held her at arm's length. "Your dress is so prettiful!"

"I know, right?" Glinda twirled like a ballerina, showing off her clothes to her friends. She simply had to do that before putting on her coat. "Ooh! Wait 'til I show you the dress I brought yesterday."

Unlike ShenShen, Pfannee did not seem to be too happy when she saw Glinda. "Eek! No! Glinda, we're wearing the same hat!"

Glinda looked at Pfannee's hat and gasped.

"Pfannee, you idiot! How dare you copy Glinda's outfit? Get rid of that thing!" ShenShen told the other girl, removing the hat.

"Hey!" Pfannee protested.

"Girls, wait!" Glinda tried to calm her girl friends. "I know! Let's just buy another one of this hat for ShenShen. That way, we'll have matching hats!"

Hearing that from Glinda the Good, herself, the other two girls' eyes brightened.

"Ooh, you're so smart Glinda!" The three girls giggled.

Fiyero watched the interaction between the girls in amusement. They were all too giggly and giddy to his liking, but he was glad to see the perky Glinda again. He barely saw her like that in the past three years. She looked happy whenever she appears in public, but he suspected that her expressions then were not so genuine.

The girls and Fiyero entered the carriage, along with ShenShen's fiancé and Pfannee's boyfriend. It was going to be a triple date.

Their carriage was driven north, towards the port of Gilikin River. Along the way, they passed by the town of Shiz, which brought back college memories. At the sight of Shiz University, Glinda gulped, trying to keep herself together as memories of a long lost friend came to her. She did well, after five years of practice.

From the port in Gilikin, they rode the ferry towards the port in Vinkus. Their journey almost took the whole day but they barely noticed. ShenShen did most of the talking among the group. It seemed that she could never stop talking about the plans for her engagement party and wedding. Her fiancé was not as talkative, but he was equally as enthusiastic. Glinda, Pfannee and Pfannee's boyfriend eagerly obliged to the conversation.

Sitting beside Glinda was Fiyero, who mostly slept during the ferry. He did not have much sleep last night.

While the rest of the group was laughing about something, Fiyero let out a half-awake groan.

"No, Fiyero. We weren't talking about Glinda calling you 'Fifi' when we were in college," Pfannee told him. The others laughed out loud.

Another groan and then Fiyero fell back to sleep.

"Oh, you guys. Please don't mind him. Let him wake up later with regret missing this conversification," Glinda said, winking. The others snickered.

They stayed in a villa near the Vinkus River. In the afternoon, they had a picnic near the river amidst the snow-covered shore. They satisfied themselves with some food, drinks, stories and a beautiful view of the sunset over the snowy mountains of Great Kells.


They called their second day in Vinkus off as free day. Knowing that they do not have a particular schedule until dinnertime, Fiyero got off his bed late in the morning.

In the dining room, he saw Glinda, who was about to have breakfast.

"Morning," he greeted.

"Morning, dearest!" she replied. "They left early. Shen's uncle and cousins are in Vinkus, too. They're paying a visit. You wanna come?"

While getting food, Fiyero thought of it for a while. "I'd love to, but I promised mother a visit around Kiamo Ko and the castle while we're here," he answered.

"Oh" was all she could say.

The two ate breakfast silently.

As far as they know, Glinda and Fiyero were the only people who remembered Elphaba. Glinda was ever thankful for Fiyero because after her best friend's disappearance, he was the only person she could run to for comfort. Aside from their similar personalities, it was their common grief that bound them together in their old days in Shiz.

Glinda felt ecstatic when she heard that Fiyero was going to work in Emerald City – in the palace, even. She looked forward to seeing him there everyday. Unlike in Shiz, however, their time was not their own. Glinda's was of the Ozian people and of the hopes and dreams she and her best friend shared. But, to do that, she also had to work under the Wizard and train under Morrible.

She figured that it must have been similar for Fiyero.

They spent some time together from time to time, but they could not anymore afford the luxuries of time and money like they did while they were in college. Is this what growing old feels like?

ShenShen is engaged and will be married before the year ends. Pfannee will definitely follow soon. Although the two girls adore Glinda so much, they had no idea how much she envies them.

The silence was too loud to Fiyero's ears so he decided to break it.

"You wanna come along to the castle?" he offered.

Her heart thumped in excitement from the prospect of having some quality time with Fiyero. "Ooh! I would love to!"

For almost fifteen minutes, Glnda stared at her closet, undecided which outfit to wear to her and Fiyero's date.

Is it right to call it a date?

She shook her head and tried to focus in her current dilemma. Should she wear formal? After all, it will be the first time she will meet his parents in person. But before going to Kiamo Ko, she and Fiyero will walk around the town. Perhaps she should just wear something comfortable.

His parents. She blushed at the thought of Fiyero introducing her to them.

Finally, she settled with a safe choice of yellow dress that was both comfortable to wear and presentable enough for a meeting with dignitaries.

She went out of her room to be met by Fiyero, who looked dashing even in simple casual clothes. It was as if she saw him again for the first time, like when they first met in Shiz.

"Let's go?" Fiyero asked, offering an arm to Glinda. She gladly accepted it.

The two walked along the streets of Kiamo Ko, treading over a few snow-laden dirt roads and cobblestone pathways. It was a progressive town with less glamour than that of Emerald City or Glinda's home country, Gilikin. The Emerald City's jewels and golden linings were replaced by wildflowers and intricately woven Vinkun tapestries. There were only a few carriages; people there seemed to prefer walking, which, with the town's unique charm, she understood. The ensemble made by gushing of water from the fountain, laughter from children playing and instruments played by street performers served as background music. In a long time, it was her first time to see something so provincial.

Having the typical appearance of a Gilikinese, Glinda certainly attracted some attention from the townspeople. It seemed that the people wanted to approach her, but they also seemed too shy to do so. To bridge the gap, Glinda smiled at the passersby and waved at them occasionally. In no time, she was already talking and playing with some Vinkun children.

Fiyero watched her as she mingled with his people. Her genuine friendly smile was a very lovely sight, unlike the kind of smile she plasters on her face when she works as the Wizard's press secretary; he thought that the latter is more heartbreaking than lovely, knowing that it was mostly false.

"Your place is lovely, Fiyero," Glinda commented as they continued their walk. "People in the city aren't as friendly as the people here."

Fiyero smiled, proud of the land where he was born and raised. Without really thinking, he said, "This is the kingdom I will someday preside over. Together with my queen." He turned his head towards Glinda. Their eyes locked.

There was a message, she was certain of it. But she was never the best in interpreting subtle messages. She could name a few instances of miscommunication between her and Fiyero. She and her friends would laugh whenever they recall those moments.

This time, even Fiyero was unsure of what he really wanted to imply. Who was he referring to when he said "queen"? Did he just try to propose to Glinda?

The two continued their walk in silence.

"Fiyero, do you remember that day when Elphie and I went to Emerald City?" Glinda asked, looking towards the setting sun. He nodded. "I was aimless back then. I never gave a thought for what to do with my life. But Emerald City helped me discover my dreams. Of course, it was mostly Elphie's then. But I now claim them as my own," she continued reflectively.

Finally, she looked at Fiyero. In her eyes, he saw determination – something he saw in someone else's eyes five years ago.

"I want to become a better sorcerer, not just for me or Elphie… I want to be of service not just to Emerald City or to one country. I want to become a source of hope for all of Oz," she finished.

That way, she rejected his offer. With her response, he realized what he just did. He wanted to punch himself for being a jerk, offering her what he could give only half-heartedly. She just saved them both from heartache. He wanted to hug or kiss her for that, but he chose not to.

"I understand," was all he could say, grateful that she did not take his message negatively. "I shall look forward to working with you in the future, your Goodness." He bowed to her respectfully.

Glinda giggled. "Likewise, your Majesty." She curtseyed, acting as if the young prince was already the king. "I hope to befriend our dear queen soon." She winked. They laughed.


"Oh, no, no! We met in college and became very close friends. But we're not a couple," Glinda told the interviewers in a press conference held shortly after her weekend in Vinkus. The conference was meant to entertain questions about the Wizard's new projects but the press people knew that the audience was also curious about the private lives of their public figures.

"Besides," she continued. "My heart can accommodate only so much…"

Murmurs and gasps were heard from the audience. It was obvious that the people had one common question in mind. Finally, someone among the interviewers asked the big question. "Milady, if you don't mind answering, who is the lucky person who has captured Miss Glinda's heart?"

Glinda could not help but laugh a little. She smiled sincerely and uttered her answer. "My heart goes to the people of Oz."

Morrible clenched her fists as she watched the press conference through the magic box in the Wizard's office. "How dare that brat ruin my plan? That little…! She doesn't know who she's dealing with!"

The Wizard took a sip of his tea. "Relax, relax," he told Morrible. "It wasn't something we can completely control. Anyway, there is always plan B."

"Right. Of course." Morrible took a seat and tried to calm down. "If we cannot put them together, we might as well just separate them."