Chapter 7: The Offer Repeated

That morning Fiyero awoke to find himself nestled next to a naked Candle. He was shocked by this, for only a moment, before he discovered that under the covers he was naked also. The flood of memories the day before came crashing back like waves upon a gentle shore.

Fiyero then got up but not before wrapping a blanket around his naked body. He let out a sigh, for the guilt of betraying Elphaba and her family hit him stronger than ever. No matter what he did the guilt would not leave.

...X...

"Once again you impressed the crowd with your amazing fighting skills. I couldn't be more pleased," Avaric said, as he motioned to his larger than normal sack of gold made from the last match. "And this afternoon you will have the chance to do it again. My only suggestion is give the crowd a more bloody fight." He chuckled slightly. "They do love a gruesome killing." The green woman gave an anger sigh as she turned her head to one side in disapproval. Avaric saw this and frowned. "Come now, Elphaba, it's much more sporting to give the crowds a gory massacre. I mean why do you think they fill the seats as they do?"

"I grow weary of this." Elphaba's voice wasn't the witty and confident tone of days passed. It was filled with despair and hopelessness.

Avaric tossed his head in an arrogant manner as he replied, "Get use to it because I'm staying here at least until next year."

"Next year?" The green woman questioned in shock.

"Oh yes, I know it's early yet to think about this, but I won't have you fight in the winter. Too cold to bring out a good crowd even with you as a main attraction."

"This is insane! You are going to keep my family and I prisoner for a year!" Elphaba slammed her fists against the desk Avaric was sitting at.

"That's the plan...well unless something changes my mind." The green woman hung her head in sorrow and Avaric shook his head. "Oh do not feel so miserable. I mean, come on, you look more distraught with sadness than Thelma when she went to face the Tin Man."

Elphaba's head shot up instantly at the sound of her old friend's name. "How you know Thelma?"

Avaric gave a sigh. "I watched her last battle. She was an amazing fighter. I admit she was one of the best I have even seen, and she would have survived too if the Tin Man had listened to the pleads of the masses. If it makes you feel any better her last thought was of you. Well that is what the other gladiators say."

The green gladiator fought back tears that were threatening to fall from her eyes. How she missed her old friend Thelma. Even though the Tin Man was dead Elphaba still cursed the merciless gladiator who took her friend's life much too soon.

"Now go and see your wife. You have my permission to see her for at least ten minutes. You better make the most of it." Avaric's voice had a bit of spitefulness tone.

Elphaba didn't move right away, for she was sure the second she turned around Avaric would have stabbed her in the back. He seemed normal enough, but there were times where he appeared to fall into a madness state. She waited until his eyes fell back down to his desk before making a quick exit out of his office and to the royal bedchambers.

...X...

Elphaba entered her old bedroom slowly, so she wouldn't startle her wife. She scanned the room to find Glinda resting on their large kiing size bed. Her eyes were closed and she was sleeping in such a peaceful way.

The green woman was tempted to leave, for she assumed Glinda had not been sleeping well with all this stress with Avairc and his minions. Still...Elphaba couldn't bring herself to leave, for she missed her wife so much.

The green woman quietly walked over to the sleeping Empress and gently took a seat on the bed. Her heart seemed to melt as she gazed down at her lovely spouse resting as peacefully as an angel. But it was when Elphaba reached out a hand to caress a pale cheek when Glinda stirred slightly. It only took a minute for her eyes to flutter open and lock with Elphaba's brown ones.

"Elphie?" She cooed as she suddenly perked up.

"I'm glad to see you are getting your sleep in. I take it you haven't been getting much with Avaric hounding us," Elphaba ran an emerald hand through golden locks as she spoke.

Glinda answered by kissing her green love with a gentle passion. Her tiredness quickly forgotten now that her spouse was here. She then wrapped her arms around Elphaba's neck as she deepened the much needed kiss.

"Elphie, I need you...now." Glinda's breath was hot and her tone was distinct from her arousal.

Elphaba knew she didn't have much time to spend with her wife, so with a raw passion pinned the Empress to the bed in great haste as she tore at Glinda's dress. They continued to kiss as they peeled away clothes.

"Oh Elphie," Glinda moaned as emerald lips found their way to a pale neck.

The green woman grinned and let her hands roam lower, for both women knew every second counted.

...X...

Avaric came to Glinda's bedchambers twenty minutes later. He didn't bother to knock and entered hoping to see even a glimpse of the Empress' gorgeous naked body. Avaric was very much disappointed to see both women were just finishing putting their clothes back on.

"Pity I wasn't a few minutes early," Avaric jeered with a huff.

"Thank the gods you weren't," Elphaba interjected, as she nibbled her wife's neck. She did this for two reasons. The first reason was she didn't want to stop touching Glinda just yet. She longed to be close to her, for this time apart was hard to deal with. And the second reason was she knew it made Avaric jealous to see Glinda accept her affection.

"Elphaba leave, I gave you extra time so no complaining," Avaric barked, his tone impatient, he wasn't pleased with the green woman taunting him so.

Elphaba turned her head to him, and titled it to one side like she was challenging him. Her eyes seemed to focus slightly as she rose to her feet. Only to drop to one knee and kiss Glinda's hand. "Until next time, my Empress."

"Until then," Glinda whispered, her voice sort of cheerless because she didn't want her green warrior to leave her side, but all too soon Elphaba had left the room. When Avaric didn't leave, with Elphaba, the blonde Empress frowned.

"Can you leave?" Glinda asked with a huff. "There's the door."

"I'm here just wondering if you changed your mind about my offer?" Avaric answered, as approached Glinda and lightly blew her hair.

"What offer?" The Empress questioned, secretly cursing in her head when he got so close to her.

"What offer do you think?" Avaric snickered, as he looked the Empress up and down in a seductive manner before licking his lips.

"I will NEVER lay with you," Glinda's eyes narrowed in frustration as she growled.

"Don't you understand? Elphaba is suffering, and I can guarantee I won't leave you and your family alone for at least a year. I'm making too much gold to depart now, and I can't have gladiators fight in the winter so I must stay."

Glinda shook her head and began to shake. "A year? You're crazy! You can't hold us hostage for a year! The royal guards will suspect..."

"They will suspect nothing because if they do your children will pay the price!" Avaric snarled. His eyes seemed to glow red and it sacred the Empress a bit. Just as quickly however his eyes softened and so did his voice. "But you can ease Elphaba's suffering in the arena. I swear to you, on my life, I will leave much sooner from Rome if you just submit to me."

Glinda shook her head. "Your words are poison."

"Just you wait, Glinda, you'll see my words are the antidote to Elphaba's suffering. She puts up a good front, but mark my words these matches are getting to her. It's only a matter of time before she shows it instead of hiding it. There is only so much pain you can keep inside before it spills out like a raging flood." Glinda turned her back to him, waved him off with her hand, for she hoped he would get the hint. Avaric just shook his head in annoyance as he added, before leaving, "Just you wait."

...X...

Back in her cell Elphaba was sharping her weapons when someone came to visit her. Her brown eyes lifted only to narrow in anger. "Leave me, Scarecrow, I don't wish to speak to you. Seeing you standing there is enough to make me want to break these bars and beat the tar out of you!"

Fiyero cringed at the sound of his old gladiator name. "Elphaba, you must understand I never knew Avaric had this malevolent plot planned. I was barely getting by and I was offered a job, so I took it. I never knew the plan would effect you and your family."

The green woman placed her weapons to the side and walked up as close to the bars would allow. She looked even more threatening as well as majestic as ever and Fiyero's face flushed. "Then tell me this," Elphaba growled. "When you found out what Avaric's true plans were why didn't you quit?" Fiyero stuttered and stared at his boots, but he gave the emerald gladiator no answer. Elphaba suddenly gripped Fiyero by the neck, in an iron like grip, with one hand as her other grabbed his shirt to make sure he didn't escape. "That's what I thought!" She waited until he was coughing and gagging before pushing him away. "You are now a rich man Fiyero, but was it worth it? Was it really worth it?" Fiyero just stared at the gaudy but expensive golden jewelry that was around his neck and on his fingers. He then gave the green woman a foul stare, kissed his most favorite necklace, and walked off. Neither of them saw Avaric hiding in the shadows watching the whole conversion take place.

Elphaba hung her head in dread, for she knew her old friend had given her his silent answer. It was the answer she was afraid of.

...X...

That afternoon the grey cloudy skies had turned black and rain descended on to Rome in buckets it seemed. Avaric was tempted to cancel the matches for today, but a large amount of people were already sitting in the stands waiting. They had hats and blankets covering their heads to shield them from the heavy rain that was falling.

"You bring out the crowd even when the weather is horrible. You are indeed the people's champion," Avaric looked in Elphaba's direction but she didn't meet his gaze. "Still thinking about Glinda?" Elphaba's head shot up at the mention of her wife's name. "Of course you're thinking about her. Her beauty excites the most strong-willed men...and women. Do you know how lucky you are that you get to kiss her and love her with such passion? Most would kill for that opportunity."

After a minute of silence Elphaba changed the subject, "What's my match today?"

"An elimination match. Shenshen will tell you the details." With those words Avaric nodded to the door and went to the task of counting his gold. He then lifted his head and shouted to her, "Don't take it personal that Fiyero betrayed you. I mean who could resist this...." He then held up a huge bag of gold. It was clearly Fiyero's cut in the profits. Elphaba gave a scoff as she hurried away only to be answered by the falling rain outside. Which was falling so hard it almost sounded like pebbles hitting glass.

...X...

Elphaba found Shenshen in the mess hall eating with Lexa. The two were talking about weapons of some sort, and no doubt having a grand old time.

"Elphaba good to see you pull up a chair and join us. We have save you a bowl of gruel and some fruit that is actually not rotten!" Shenshen said, as she pushed over so the green woman had some room around the table.

"I'm not here to eat. I need some information, for Avaric said today's fight will be an elimination battle. I have never fought in one of those before. I have heard of the name but know little about it." Lexa made a face at hearing the word elimination and Elphaba's heart sank at seeing that.

Shenshen ate a spoonful of her gruel before answering, "An elimination match is a very tough battle, for it focuses on endurance and pushing yourself beyond your limits. You see, in an elimination battle, there are three rooms. In each room there is a certain number of rival gladiators. You must kill all the foes in each room to win and move to the next room. You will always be out numbered and you can't leave the room you are currently in until all the gladiators have been killed."

"It is a brutal battle," Lexa added as she rested a comforting hand on the emerald warrior's shoulder. "I have seen many elimination battles. The old underground I was a part of did them quite often. But alas I prayed you would never have to be subjected to such slaughter."

"Avaric really likes to push me to my limit," Elphaba said coldly.

"He must think very highly of you if you are being put in that sort of battle," Lexa noted.

Shenshen frowned. "Or he just wants more gold. I heard he's still having the match even though it's raining so hard." She then reached over and gripped one of Elphaba's hands in her own.

The green woman shrugged her shoulders, trying to mask her nervousness, as she answered, "Well you know what they say...the show must go on."