14.

(A few weeks earlier)

Brrr had never been happier. His whole life had been turned around with the only person that had the power to do just that, Ilianora. This was his fairytale ending; this was his lifetime goal; this was the memory he wanted to hold close to his heart.
Brrr was in his chambers when a knock was heard.
"Come in," he said. The door slowly creeped open, it was Scalry. "Scarly, what is it?"
Scarly seemed timid, she was trembling almost. "Sir, there is someone who would like to see you."
Brrr saw the fear in her brown eyes. He was now alert. "Send them in."
She nodded and opened the dorr all the way revealing a boy who had his arms crossed and was leaning against the entryway. His smile was crooked and evil.
"Who are you?" Brrr asked, almost growling.
The boy chuckled. "You don't see the resemblance? You are a fool. I am Le Kay: Le Kay Upland; I'm the son of the late Glinda Upland."
Brrr's eyes widened, he was confused and shocked. "How is that possible? There's no way she could've had any children-she was too old-furthermore, her husband died two decades ago."
The boy only laughed agian. "You are correct,but, you are missing a very important possibility: She had an affair. Yes, an affair with a respected man from Shiz, Gillikin. A man named Jake Upstorm." He paused, seeing the puzzled look on Brrr's face. "She was anxious to have children, but she wasn't getting any sexual attention from that bastard Chuffery. So, what does she do? She takes a nine month vacation and finds my father; thus, having me, but she coldn't have anyone find out about her new-born child because of political standing, and the way Ozians are, there would be no way to hide it. So, she had my father raise me.
"After the tragic death of my stepfather and the disappearance of the once great Wizard, my mother took it upon herself, as a public figure, to encourage everyone that she'd handle the matter at hand in which she became the new Wizard of Oz.
"Mr. Brrr, why do you stare? Do you know why Lady Glinda stepped down and gave her power to the idiot Scarecrow?"
Brrr scoffed. "Of course, because the strains of Wizardship were too much for her to handle, so she resigned for a better, smarter figure."
The boy shook his head, he was very amused. "No, that is incorrect. Do you really think that the Great glinda would step down and hand over her authority to an idiot made of straw? Surely, sir, you'd think my mother would be so blond as to do that act of weakness?"
The Lion shook his shaggy head.
"Of course no-unless she had an alterior motive: my father and me. She wanted to return to her lover, but unfortunately by the time she got to Quadling Country-where we resided- my father had been killed in an army raid. The armies came and they burned everything to the ground in a nearby town. I went with him and watched him get taken away after he tried saving a little girl from falling to her death in the poisonous lake of Kellswater."
Brrr Lion didn't know what Le Kay was getting at. Who cares about what happened to his father, but Le Kay wasn't finished.
"Cowardly Lion, I am ordering you to step down from your throne. The authority of Wizardship rightfully belongs to me."
"Not if my life depended on it," said Brrr, chuckling at the thought.
Le Kay only smirkd. "Oh, but it does. You're more of a fool than you are a coward. You haven't even taken the time to notice the bloodstains on my shoes, nor the stains on my hands; not even the presence of Scarly announcing my arrival has phased you. Le me ask, sir, isn't that Shell the Priest's job?:
The thought never had occurred to Brrr. The boy was correct. But, then, another thought chilled and surged through his body, making his heart sink: What happened to shell? Brrr didn't need to know the answer; it was written all over Scarly's face.
Le Kay then added, seeing that the daft Lion finally got the picutre, "So, if you don't want to end up as one of my throw rugs, I suggest you bestow the vigor of Wizardship to me."
Clever bastard, Brrr thought, but he had no choice in the matter. He bowed showing his humbleness in relinquishing his might. Le Kay smiled widely. "Wise choice, Cowardly Lion. As my first order as Wizard of Oz, I will start by, not only limiting Animal Rights, but diminishing them completely. No Animal will have any freedoms that will threaten my reign; therefore, Cowardly Lion, I will be so nice as to let you and your woman dissipate to the far borders of Oz; beyond even the Vinkus."