Chapter 21
"Bonescraper returned to the border with news from Elphaba and Fiyero!" Lieutenant Bahram busted into the main dining room where everyone was eating dinner. Chistery was right behind him. The Flying Monkey had been the one to deliver the message.
"That is good news! Bring it on in!" King Tahir said as he set down his silverware. Quickly the Lieutenant handed over the letter and the King opened it.
"Dear King and Queen of the Vinkus, I am writing to you to explain the plight of Gillikin. My name is Philador and I have become a leader when I did not wish to. Myself and a good number of refugees from Up Town have travelled to Tattypoo. The good people there have helped us with shelter, food, and the wounded. Princess Elphaba and Prince Fiyero have been most helpful as well," he started before reading the rest of the letter out loud. It explained what had happened and how Philador did not want to lead but needed help.
"There is more at the bottom of the note but it looks like gibberish I cannot understand what it is," the King stated.
"Probably a coded message from mother and father," Semir suggested as his grandfather handed over the letter to him.
"Well?" Ayla wondered.
"It's from mother and father though it looks like a little more has been added, probably from Zara," Semir smiled slightly as the text was in dragon. Knowing that only her children could read it, Elphaba was sure the message would get through, the secrets it contained remaining safe. Clearing his throat he read aloud,
"All is not as it seems. Highly trained soldiers are most likely the traitors who hide amongst the refugees. Bonescraper found no trace of life in the Gillikin Council Hall. Council is assumed dead along with the King and Queen. Send Gale Force to border. Zara knows what to do."
"It was a coup then. Well played by Elphaba and Fiyero. Arduenna, who runs the military in the Gillikin?" Ayla wanted to know.
"General Cherrystone, not a man that I would want to trifle with. He's the most experienced military man we have and has a lot of men loyal to him. That being said, it doesn't exclude him from being the one who instigated this. Since we have not heard from him, I would guess that he's somehow involved," Glinda's father said.
"Yes but if he wanted to lead Gillikin wouldn't he had claimed to be leader until the mess is all cleaned up?" Aytac wondered.
"One would think so…" Tahir frowned. There was something on his mind and everyone could tell.
"Semir, do me a favor. Head to my study and retrieve my red ledger," the King said. His grandson nodded and quickly left the room.
"Red ledger? How will he be able to tell which book it is?" Derya asked, knowing that the King's study was full of books.
"There is only one spot that I put the ledger and it is something that I keep for security's sake," her granduncle explained. She nodded figuring that if this Cherrystone guy was in the book it wasn't for a good reason.
"Here you go grandfather," Semir said, handing him the book, five minutes later. The King nodded in thanks and then opened the book, flipping through the pages until he found what he was looking for.
"Just as I suspected, the name was familiar. Cherrystone was involved in an incident that I'm sure most Gillikins weren't told about," Tahir frowned.
"How did the Vinkus know?" Larena was confused.
"Because it happened not far from our borders and the troops guarding the border stepped in and almost started a war," the king shook his head.
"What happened?" Ayla wanted to know.
"An attempted genocide of the Animals living in a little village near the border that no longer exists. Cherrystone and the Wizard would have found much in common with each other," Tahir frowned.
"Then you suspect that he's hiding among the refugees?" Arduenna wondered.
"That would be my guess. Hoping to get an opportunity to get back at the Vinkus. We stopped what he was about to do and some Vinkun soldiers were killed in the incident. To make sure what happened stayed hidden, Cherrystone was supposed to be removed from any position of power and punished. I promised to keep my mouth shut about their transgressions but only because we were at the beginning of the Wizard's reign. Not knowing where the chips would fall, I did not want Cherrystone getting near the Wizard or Morrible. Now it seems that I was lied to and a ghost of the past has come for his vengeance," the King heaved a sigh.
To Be Continued…