Perfunctory Disclaimer- I don't own any of the people or places except the ones I create.
Chapter 9- Onward Towards the Inevitable
Glinda's belief in fate was something she grew up with mixed feelings about. There were some things in her life that were simply destined to be, and she had little say over the matter as she grew up. The family she had been born into, her career, and her education were three such examples. She considered this to be the working of fate. Even her chance meeting with Orrie had been fate, but here was something that Glinda had been given the opportunity to alter had she wished. She also had choices in the people she chose as friends, although fate had arranged her encounters with them. However, Glinda had never really stopped to consider whether or not it was ever anyone's fate to be good or evil until Mombi killed her grandmother. If fate was involved, was there a choice, or was it pre ordained?
Six years later, Glinda was no closer to knowing the answer. The only thing she could determine as far as Mombi was concerned was that evil, in her case, had at least forty different faces. Therefore, finding her would need to rely on recognizing her by deed, not by appearance. Plenty of deeds kept the Royal Regiment hopping from one quadrant to the next, but no one knew for certain whether any of the crimes could be blamed on Mombi. She had apparently learned that her favored graveyard had been discovered, and no more bodies had been buried there since it was found. But, three girls had been reporting missing in recent years. They were between the ages of 15 to 22. Only one of them had turned up. Her body had been discovered in the Quadling region, in the Quickreed Tract, floating in a bog. She was missing her head, but family members were able to identify her by an heirloom ring found on her right finger, and by a distinctive scar on her left calf.
Meanwhile, anytime there was a drought, a crop failure, an influenza epidemic, or a stillbirth in a village, people were fast to name Mombi as the culprit. Rumors would spread quicker than a weed could take root in a lawn, and a regiment squadron would have to be sent to investigate the claims. Eventually, the military's wire system improved enough to where the different squadrons could field regional complaints to the main headquarters, and the Emerald City Headquarters was then able to track how many transmissions were received at any given time from all regions. Eventually, they realized that there were far too many for it to be Mombi's doing. True, the woman may supposedly have forty heads, but with only one body, she could not possibly be forty places at once…could she? A task list was then given to the senior officers. They were to comprise a list of all of Mombi's known conspirators. Then, they were to separate the list according to who they knew was dead, who they knew was still living; and of the living, who was currently in police custody, and finally, they were indicate if there was anyone on the list who's living or dead status was unknown. Those lists were then to be passed on to the H.Q., compiled together, and verified for accuracy. Then, a master list would be made, and copies of it would be sent to each squadron head. H.Q. hoped to find out if any of Mombi's accomplices were gifted with magic in any way. They also wondered if maybe Mombi was securing them alternate identifications, somehow, with these heads she was obtaining. Perhaps there was a way for her to be forty places at once!
In the years that had passed, Orrie had advanced in the ranks and was now at the head of his squadron. This meant that he would be in charge of compiling this list. His unit was finally made stationary in the Gillikin region, which meant that he would only travel around the Northern Quadrant. At last, after nearly four years of marriage, he and Glinda could spend a regular amount of nights together.
Finally, the family was reunited within a reasonable distance. Gandy had completed his studies at Broden and was spending his second year in apprenticeship as a veterinarian to the only accredited animal doctor in the Northern Quadrant. As Glinda had promised him when he'd declared to her that he'd wanted to change his major, his services would be in high demand. He and Grimmz shared the House In Waiting, while Gareth Minor and his wife, DeMia, lived in their own home nearby. Caprio was now eleven, and Erystin was nine, and any day now, DeMia would be giving birth to their new, baby brother or sister. Glinda was thrilled at the prospect. Though she loved Caprio and Erystin, she hadn't known them since their infancies, as they'd become her brother's children through his marriage to DeMia. This child was the first to be born to any of her siblings…her first blood niece or nephew. And, since Gereth Minor was the eldest of the four of them, it only seemed right that he should be the one to marry and have children first.
That notion did not stop Glinda and Orrie from trying to start a family, though. After four years, she was disappointed that nothing had happened yet, but then again, up until his permanent assignment close to home, she did not get to see him much, either. Making babies required a couple to actually be together, among other things, regardless of how many hopeful spells she cast. At least the spell casting results had the desired effect on DeMia, who'd come to her in confidence one morning, and confessed to her that she and Gereth Minor had been trying for a baby for a long time, with no success. They had been married a little longer than Glinda and Orrie had, and did spend every night together. Though DeMia had borne two children before, it had been nearly a decade since her last pregnancy, and the father of her other children had been a different man. Also, she had been somewhat younger, although she was now only thirty. Glinda had cast the spell for fertility, and a very short time later, DeMia had joyfully announced that she was expecting.
Grimmz, it seemed could be living his life as a confirmed bachelor, possibly because Tambra was still involved with Nick Chopper. The official word on the status of their relationship was 'engaged', though no date had been set yet, as Tambra's father was a bit over protective about his daughter's affairs. He dictated to the couple that Nick should have a certain amount of money saved up, and a proper house built before he would consent to any marriage between him and his daughter. Nick, it seemed, was dedicated towards achieving these goals to win Tambra's hand. Grimmz kept his opinions to himself about the whole thing, but Glinda could tell he was not entirely happy about it.
To lessen the pain of rejection, Grimmz dedicated himself to his work, and was becoming one of the most respected physician/sorcerers in the quadrant. His reputation had already outshined Gereth Minor's, (as he saw more patients on a routine basis), and it was plainly obvious that he was cut from the same cloth as his father. He also spent a great deal of time researching the strange sleeping curse that had felled Kyndie. It troubled him that the girl still slept on, almost in a deathlike state. Furthermore, she did not appear to age. Eventually, Kyndie's parents had come to collect her and take her back home, but every now and then, Grimmz would make pilgrimages to Quadling Country to check on the sleeping patient. He would observe her for a time and note down any changes that may have occurred since his last visit. If he had stumbled upon a new spell to chant over her still form, root tea to trickle between her lips, herb bundle to tie over her bed, or crystal to tuck under her pillow, he would try it as well.
Glinda's potency in magic increased the more she used it. Now, she was much more confident of herself and her abilities to perform her job, though she still read her grandmother's journals for inspiration. She also had taken to wearing a pair of her mother's earrings when she wasn't dressing up for formal occasions. The ones she chose were a simple pair of filigreed silver hoops that would match just about any daytime outfit she wore.
With Orrie taking up more of a presence in the palace, more staff was called for. A personal manservant was hired for his needs, and he came with references from Orrie's family in the Emerald City. His name was Kazby, and according to his resume, he had worked for the Embreed family before. Orrie would also require his own tailor; one with experience servicing uniforms. Additionally, Orrie's Regiment Mount would have its own groom when stabled at the palace. These changes were enough to cause Nanny Ma to whip herself up into a frenetic mood, as she did not fancy change very much. Suddenly, there would be a manservant entering the room at any given time to attend to Orrie's needs while she supervised her staff as they attended to Glinda's.
"Heavens, Nanny Ma!" Glinda laughed, "I've only been married for four years! This is the way it should be! I'm sure any manservant would have the good sense to knock, the same way you do!"
"Will he be under my supervision?"
"Not exactly. Right now, he's under the supervision of Captain Hibbs, but Orrie has the final say in the matter."
"Well, my dear, you should be the one with the final say. Am I not the appointed supervisor of all attending personal staff up here?"
"Yes, those that attend to me. However, none of my personal staff have been assigned to attend to Orrie, and his manservant has not been assigned to attend to me. Therefore, his supervision is not your concern."
"May I point out that Captain Hibbs never comes up here?"
"Yes, it's prudent to point that out, but if Orrie has any complaints with his manservant, he'll be sure to report them to the Captain, or deal with his manservant himself. Besides, I doubt you'll see too much of him, either. Orrie has his own dressing suite for shaving, shoe polishing, hair grooming and all the like that his manservant will be assisting him with. It would be difficult for you to supervise one whose duties you do not routinely observe, now wouldn't it?"
To this, Nanny Ma could only purse her lips in a grim pucker that would look suspiciously like a pout if she was Glinda's age.
Nanny Ma's protests were noted, but they had little effect. Eventually, Kazby was moved in and settled into a servant's quarters upstairs, where he could easily be of service to his master any time, day or night. His room was located on the left side of the Master Suite, Glinda's maid servant Tikka's to the right, and Nanny Ma still kept her routine room across the hallway. Down the hall a ways was another suite of rooms, with their own servant's quarters. These rooms, Glinda hoped to fill with their children, and their children's nurse.
When Orrie finally did return from the field, he came with a task to do, and a grim determination to get the job done. The years away from any sort of permanent home, coupled with the desire to see Mombi get her just deserts for what she'd done to his cousin were taking its toll on him. Glinda could see the exhaustion hidden behind the joyful smile he wore upon his homecoming, and Nanny Ma was quick to point out how thin he'd become from the meager 'road rations' the soldiers endured. His once decorous uniform was now barely serviceable, as it had seen so many repairs. He had two others in his trunk, and he assured Glinda that the one he wore was the best one he had. He was right.
Once they were alone in the master suite, Orrie had a chance to catch Glinda up to date with all he'd since the last time they'd been together. His last leave had been nearly nine months before. The letters he wrote to her during his tour time were full of loving and longing, yet spare of regional gossip or intrigue.
It was just past seven o'clock now, long past when Glinda would have any official duties to attend to, unless they were festival or ceremonial appearances. Dinner had been served and consumed, but it was not yet time to retire to bed. They each occupied one of the overstuffed chairs on either side of the brazier in the sitting room of the master suite, sipping on mugs of fresh mulled apple cider. After bathing, Orrie had changed from his threadbare uniform into a dark blue satin robe, belted at the waist. His long, unclad legs were stretched out before him, and his bare feet were propped up on a padded stool in front of his chair. Glinda was similarly attired, only in her long, pink robe. Her copper locks were still damp from the bath and they were piled up on top of her head to keep any residual moisture from dripping down her neck and staining her robe.
"You really had Lile figured out from the beginning. From as early as I can remember, you've said she has the makings for trouble. Well, I can assure you, it's true. Most of Munchkinland is probably wishing they'd never ousted Landa," Orrie was telling her.
"I haven't heard much from Tambra lately to judge, but I can't always rely on constant contact with her. She seems more paranoid with each letter, too, and sometimes, I wonder if she'll stop writing altogether," Glinda replied.
"She probably can't afford the postage. Lile has raised taxes through the roof. Special financial projects to improve the Quandrant, she says. Repairs to the yellow brick road and the Eastern Rails, new supplies for the community schools…And here's the real laugh: Money to be raised for the hospitality of the Royal Regiment in the Eastern Quadrant. Hah! Some hospitality! We were directed to a field, which we later learned was forcibly taken from a farmer, and told to pitch our tents. Local gentry were kind enough to supply us with bread and farm goods when they had them to spare, but otherwise, we ate our provisions. This is the way it is everywhere….and not a drop of extra money was donated for any of our hospitality!
I've learned that some citizens are exempt from taxes due to their status as 'State Friends', but the rest must donate a quarter of their earnings or farm profits to the treasury. Some of the locals are forced to work long, hard hours just so they can bring in enough wages after taxes to feed their families. I tell you, it's a form of slavery!"
"That's disgusting!" Glinda agreed, "But I would think that Lile would need the County Council and the Mayor's permission before enacting such terrible policies. That's the way it is here. I can't just decide to make a law…anything I propose must also be approved by the council and the Mayor."
"Lile has managed to get her minions voted into these offices. That's how she gets her approvals," Orrie responded.
"What about the West? I haven't heard much from Mira lately. How were things the last time you passed through there?"
"Not good, as usual. It was nearly time for Prince Avinus to take the throne, but he took off, and no one could find him, last I know. We were consulted in the matter, because many wondered if Mombi might have anything to do with his disappearance, but it turned out that this was not the case. His mother, Queen Nangeli, was in possession of some magical cap that allowed her to control the Winged Monkeys of the region. She used her last wish to have them find her son. They found him, alright. Apparently, the lad was having a terrible case of nerves at the thought of taking the throne and took off running. The monkeys fetched him and returned him home. Then, of course, a big stink was raised over this cap. Queen Nangeli had exhausted it, so the Winkies felt that they should get it back, as they had originally discovered it to begin with. Queen Nangeli wanted her son to have it next. So, then there was a feud between the lions and the Winkies. Eventually, the cap returned to Mira, and now both groups are somewhat miffed at her."
"Why would Queen Nangeli be mad at Mira? The conditions agreed to only gave her possession of the cap for three wishes; not to keep it in her pride. She was to return it. Furthermore, she didn't get it from the Winkies, she got it from Mira, so the Winkies have no business getting mad with anyone!"
"You knew about this?"
"Some of it. Queen Nangeli's pride had been keeping Kyndie safe after they found her wandering around dazed in the woods. In exchange for her return, Mira gave her the cap that she took from the Winkie guard in her palace that found it. Earlier, that guard has used two of his wishes; one was to kill Landa, and the other was for the monkeys to keep their mouths shut about what they did. Mira forced him to use his third wish to…uh…give her control of the cap. She then intended to hide it, but then that whole deal with Queen Nangeli came up. Mira made the Queen swear not to use the monkeys to cause any harm to anyone in her kingdom, and she agreed. When Mira turned the cap over, Kyndie was returned. Then, Kyndie was brought here for her safe keeping until her family could take her back home."
Orrie shook his head.
"Well, when it comes to possession of magic among common folk, no deals are sacred. Mira's got problems with all three of her peoples, now. The Winkies hate her for being related to Mombi, the Lions are mad because they want the cap back, and the monkeys are uneasy, because they'd rather see the cap destroyed. But, you see, the cap is cursed. To prevent the monkeys or anyone else from destroying it, Queen Gaylette, the sorcerer who made it long ago, weaved another spell within it. As long as the cap exists, the Exalted Ruler of the Monkeys…in this case, Nikko, remains immortal. Furthermore, his descendants will live long, fruitful lives. If the cap is destroyed, Nikko and all of his descendants will die within 3 days. I was told this by Nikko himself while we searched for the Lion Prince. Since Nikko has lived a very long time now, and mated many times, none of the monkeys themselves know if they are Nikko's descendants or not. Still, there are some who'd rather take a gamble that they are not, so they can be freed."
"Well, that complicates things, doesn't it? So, things have gone from bad to worse in the West," Glinda sighed.
"Indeed so. But, the worst news is yet forthcoming. I've told you of my little cousin Tarin, and what her fate would be if…"
Orrie looked down at his hands, which were folded in his satin lined lap.
"Yes, I remember," Glinda urged.
"There's no hope for Queen Ozma. She's lying in state right now, as I speak. No one knows this, of course. A preservation spell has been cast over her…"
"She passed away!" Glinda gasped.
"I'm afraid so. My family notified me just as I was about to leave. Tarin will be coroneted, but until we know it's safe to do so. I tell you, that's a laugh. At this rate, we'll never catch Mombi!"
"There has to be a way to protect Tarin. Maybe she should be sent away somewhere after she's crowned. Someplace where it would be too much of a bother for Mombi to get to her…or deadly for her to. I know of a royal family in Ev that has many children; ten I'm told. One more would not look suspicious."
"It's a marvelous idea, but how would we get her there? Ev is on the other side of the Deadly Desert!"
"It will take some magic to contrive of a way, but I'm sure it can be done. In any case, your cousin's coronation should be a private affair for family only, for the girl's protection. A public announcement can follow after she's safely away."
Inwardly, Glinda was terrified, yet excited at the same time. She had never undertaken such a monumental task as this before, yet she knew that it was of the utmost importance that she was successful. Not only did the fate of a small child now rest squarely on her shoulders, but so did the possible future of Oz. Whether fate had willed any of this, she could not be sure, but Glinda was bound and determined that Orrie's little cousin would not fall prey to fate as Mombi's next victim.
