Chapter 9: Offer Accepted
It was Lexa who nearly dragged Elphaba back into the underground. The emerald gladiator was shaking like a leaf in a storm. Her face was stained with tears, and her breath was ragged and heavy. Lexa had taken the green woman to her cell, placed a blanket around her shoulders, and whispered words of comfort.
"Elphaba what happened?" Lexa asked, once in the safety of the cell.
"I...killed so... many today. I slaughtered them all," Elphaba answered with a shake of her head.
The Amazon shook her head and touched the green woman's shoulder in the attempts to soothe her. "You had to, for that was the point of the match."
Elphaba shut her eyes tight. "That last foe was begging me not to kill him, and I do so anyway. I had this uncontrollable bloodlust!"
"It was either him or you and you made the right choice," The Amazon's words were strong.
The green woman shrugged her shoulders before whispering, "Lexa, please, check on my wife if you can. I can't see her in this unstable state."
Lexa nodded but she was determined to convince Elphaba she had no other option in the last match. The Amazon could see that she still felt guilty. That really worried Lexa because in this line of work guilt could be a killer.
...X...
Meanwhile Glinda was pacing in her bedchambers holding back tears of her own. It pained her beyond belief to see her green spouse drop to her knees and weep because of the pressure of these matches.
"I told you so," Avaric's voice suddenly came out in a monotone. He saw Glinda's own distress and decided this was the best time to pitch his offer again. "Elphaba is suffering far worst than she lets on." Glinda didn't answer with words. Instead she let out a soft sob as her mind pictured Elphaba crying from her inner torment. Avaric saw he was getting through to the Empress so he continued. "You can release her from this pain...from this mental anguish. All you must do is agree to submit to me, and I leave early. In turn your wife is freed from some matches. Don't you want to keep her safe from such pain?"
Glinda nodded and covered her eyes for a beat as she weighed her options. A half a minute passed and Avaric thought he had lost her. Just as he was about to leave the blonde woman made a mummer that he couldn't understand.
"Pardon?" he asked in a hopeful tone.
"I'll submit to you," Glinda repeated, her voice much clearer this time.
Avaric's eyes widen. He was stunned at the Empress' answer. He then raced over to her and gripped her shoulders, "You accept my offer of letting me have my way with you?"
Glinda nodded without hesitation. "Elphaba has done so much to protect myself and our children. I need to do my part as well to protect her."
"You are doing a wise thing," Avairc commented in an eager tone. He sounded like a child being told he could have unlimited treats or toys. He then nuzzled his nose against her neck as his hands trailed down her back in lustful manner. "When do you want to hold up your part of the deal?"
"Now," Glinda answered, her voice sounded scared as well as determined.
Avaric grinned as he lowered one of the blonde's straps that held her dress up before answering, "As you wish, my Empress."
...X...
Lexa was making her way down the hall of the royal chambers searching for Glinda's room. She then came to a door that had the royal Roman seal on it.
"This has to be it," Lexa noted as she knocked on the door but there was no answer. She then slowly opened the door to see a horrible sight.
Both Avaric and Glinda were naked from the waist up, and Avaric was groping at the Empress' chest as he sucked on her neck before turning his attention to her shoulders. The Empress made a soft cry of discomfort as he pawed at her like a piece of meat.
The Amazon assumed the worst and took off as fast as she could back down to where Elphaba was. Lexa pushed though the crowds of gladiators until she got back to the green woman. Immediately Elphaba saw the terror in the Amazon's eyes and she panicked.
"Avaric is trying to rape Glinda!" Lexa exclaimed in a out of breath tone.
Elphaba's eyes widen in fury as she seized her sword and took off running out of the underground forgetting all about her inner pain. Avaric's minions tried to stop her, but the green warrior rammed through them like a raging bull.
Meanwhile Avaric had just pushed Glinda down onto the bed and gotten on top of her. He then began to make short work of his belt. The Empress gave a whimper of distress as she felt him pulling her dress down even more so in a ruthless fashion.
"Remember you are doing this for your Elphie," Avaric whispered, as he started to bite Glinda's neck to leave marks.
Just then, however, the door to the royal bedchambers exploded open and Elphaba charged inside. She wasted no time kicking Avaric in the jaw, and with that powerful strike, he fell off of Glinda and onto the floor. She then pointed her sword blade at his throat. She was so tempted to drive the weapon though his neck in the most gruesome way possible.
"Bastard! I should kill you this very second for trying to force yourself on my wife!" Elphaba's brown eyes were fiery and aflame with pure wrath. After she said that the lit candle on the desk blew up. No one barely noticed however as the wax poured onto the floor.
"Sorry to disappoint you Elphaba but this..." Avairc nodded to Glinda, himself, and the bed. "Was not forced. It was agreed upon." He then tried to rise up.
"Liar!" Elphaba roared, as she kicked him in the chest to push him back down.
"Ask your wife," Avaric taunted, trying to mask some fear but he failed.
Elphaba turned her head slowly to her blonde Empress. The look in the green woman's brown eyes changed from rage filled to concern. It was clear she was frightened of the answer. "Glinda?"
Glinda pulled her dress back up, to cover herself, before hanging her head in shame as she answered, "Avaric promised me that if I let him have his way with me, he then would leave earlier, and that would save you from fighting more matches in the arena. Oh, Elphie, I just don't want to watch you suffer any longer." The Empress then broke down into tears.
"My sweet..." Elphaba replied, as she left Avaric's side and embraced her Empress. With the sword away from his neck Avaric rolled away and jumped to his feet.
"Elphaba she's doing this for you," Avaric tried to interject as he touched his neck to make sure no sword nicks were left on it.
The green gladiator's top lip curled in anger. She wasn't mad at Glinda, but her dislike for Avartic had now turned into complete disdain. "Shut up and put your belt back on as well as your other pieces of clothing. This offer will not go through. I rather fight in a million battles than have my wife suffer from your lustful deeds."
"This is not your choice Elphaba. It's Glinda's choice." Avaric was beginning to fear his offer wasn't going to go through after all.
Elphaba paid no attention Avaric's pointless dribble as she replied, "Please, Glinda, don't do this. I saw how hurt you were after Sir Chuffrey had forced you in such a way. Yes, today's match was hard, but I got through it. I will continue to get through it. Submitting to Avaric it will be one more play into his hands. Don't give him the pleasure....I beg of you."
"What do you say Empress?" Avaric asked, his voice sly for he was certain Glinda would still take him up on his deal.
Glinda stared deeply into Elphaba's brown eyes before kissing her deeply. It was a long kiss that both women didn't want to end, but when they did pull away for air Glinda knew her answer.
"Avaric, after weighing the options, I have decided to decline your offer."
Avaric's face dropped and he looked like someone had just stabbed him with a sword though his gut. "But...but Glinda do you know what you are giving up?" His voice was beyond desperate.
"You have my answer now, please respect my wishes and leave," Glinda answered, as she stared him down.
Avaric growled, grabbed his clothes, and left the room as quickly as he could. Elphaba noticed that his face was flushed from embarrassment and shame. Once he was gone the two women embraced tightly for a lengthy moment.
After a minute Glinda pulled back and said, "I hope you are not cross at me for what I almost did."
The green woman shook her head. "You were concern for me. I know you wanted to spare me from such painful matches, and Avaric offered you an easy solution."
They shared a second kiss. Elphaba wrapped her arms around her wife's waist and went to deepen it but suddenly the door opened and three of Avaric's minions charged in. They pointed swords at the green gladiator. Elphaba lifted a eyebrow at them, but made no sign she was going to fight back.
"Come with us," The leader ordered.
"Am I in trouble?" Elphaba mocked and in turn the leader sneered.
"Let's go," He growled as he pushed the green woman towards the door. Before they exited the Empress could only give her emerald spouse a loving look. She was clearly silently thanking her for stopping Avaric.
Elphaba just only had time to give a bow before being pushed out into the hallway. The green warrior was brought into Avaric's office. He was standing in front of his desk holding a club. He gave a snort and the minions grabbed Elphaba's arms to prevent her from fighting back.
"I bet you are feeling quite good right about now for messing up my fun," Avaric's voice was spiteful and venom seemed to drip from his tone. "Well here's your reward for mucking things up." With those words he pulled back the club and brought it down against Elphaba's ribs. A second blow fell onto her side and a third hit her ribs again.
Elphaba hissed in pain as every blow met its mark, but she stared up at Avaric and spat, "You coward! You only fight when you know you have back up." She motioned to the minions keeping her from fight back. He then back handed her in the jaw. Blood flew from her mouth and hit the wall behind them in a splatter. Elphaba coughed as blood pooled in her mouth and her eyes grew heavier with each direct blow. She was fighting off unconsciousness but it was a losing battle.
"How do you feel now, Elphaba?" Avaric taunted.
"Good, I stopped you from doing unspeakable deeds to my wife," The green woman declared with a crafty grin. "Sorry to disappoint you, Avaric, but beating me will not make Glinda love you."
Avaric's face hardened at Elphaba's defiance and hit her once last time in the head. This caused her body to go limp from unconsciousness. "Take the green freak to Glinda's room. Show the Empress how her gladiator suffers now."
The minions carried Elphaba's body to Glinda's bedchambers, and dumped her onto the wooden floor with little concern. The Empress let out a distressed sob as she rushed over and held her green wife's body in her arms. She let fresh tears fall down from her face as she rocked the battered body of Elphaba and cursed Avaric's name over and over again.
...X...
Back in his office Avaric was sitting at his desk gathering sacks of gold. He let out a frustrated sigh when a knock came from beyond his door.
"Come in!" He bellowed. Candle walked in and immediately noticed his irritated attitude. She then placed her arms across her chest and waited for him to speak but he said nothing. Candle gave a sigh knowing she would have to start things up.
"So did you have your way with Glinda?" Candle asked as she approached Avaric who was now counting his gold pieces on his desk. He gave a cough and his eyes shifted in a unpleasant way. "You were unsuccessful?"
Avaric slammed his fists on the desk. This sent the gold coins flying in every direction and rolling to every corner of the room. "I was so close! I had her on the bed laying there...waiting for me to have my way with her! Her skin was touching mine and then out of no where Elphaba comes flying in like a hero and stops me! She declares that she rather fight a million battles than have Glinda submit to me in that fashion!" His eyes were dark from the wrath and his chest was heaving from yelling with such fervor. "I don't even know how she knew about the offer I gave Glinda."
"You can't win them all," Candle replied, with a shrug of her shoulders and a deceiving grin.
Avaric cleared his throat and cocked his head to one side as he said, "I hope you are making out better than I."
"Oh I am," Candle answered, as she patted her stomach. Avaric didn't understand what she meant by that and didn't give it a second thought...at least not at that time.
