Chapter 12

Glinda held Dyre's little hand tightly in hers so she wouldn't lose him among the crowd. The market place was packed with people, as it always had been on spring time. Usually, Glinda would have sent one of the servants there to do the shopping for the castle's residents, but Boq was out of town for business and she and Dyre were bored. It looked like a beautiful day out there, too. They went alone since Elphaba had several important meetings that morning and Fiyero had to take care of Dawn, who had the flu.

Even though they only had the company of each other, they had a great time. Glinda was very proud of her son; he was so smart and intelligent for a boy of six. Since he has just learnt how to read, Dyre insisted on reading every sign and ad along their way. When they faced one of the graffiti that announced Death for the Wicked, though, Glinda wouldn't let him read it.

"I know what's 'wicked' now, Mommy," said Dyre, looking wiser than his six years of age. "It's people who do bad things to other people. Daddy explained that to me."

"More or less," Glinda replied. She hoped the distress was not evident in her voice. She couldn't face those words on the wall. It brought back so much, too much; more than she wished to remember.

"And I know what 'death' is," said Dyre as they took a seat on a nearby bench.

Glinda nodded. She wasn't sure where was he going with that. She wasn't sure she wanted to know. "But I don't understand why it is written on our wall," he ended and looked at his mother seriously.

She returned his look, momentarily speechless. She wasn't expecting him to phrase it so clearly. What was she supposed to do? How was she supposed to answer?

As if feeling her distress, Dyre looked up at her; his expression both careful and pleading. "Am I old enough so you can tell me?" he asked. He still remembered the way she snapped at him that day when they saw the first graffiti, and he didn't want to upset her in any way. He just wanted to know.

Glinda laughed softly. "I guess that if you old enough to see evil deeds like this," she said, looking sadly at the graffiti, "you are also old enough to understand their meaning." She took a deep breath, and started. "A long time ago some people thought that your Auntie Elphie was a wicked witch."

Dyre gasped. "But she is not!" he protested. He loved Elphaba dearly, almost as much as she loved him.

Glinda nodded. "That's right, she is not, but the people in Oz weren't as smart as you are, so they believed that she was. One day when you are older we'll tell you the whole story. Most people now know what we all know, that Auntie Elphie is good, but some of them-"

"…Still think that she's wicked?" completed Dyre, his eyes huge and understanding.

Glinda nodded, saying nothing.

It took Dyre a moment longer to process this. "So… they want Auntie Elphie to die?" he asked quietly once he realized the connection.

"That's right, sweetie," said Glinda slowly, quietly. "And that's why we all should be very careful and take care of each other. Will you promise me to do that?" Dyre nodded seriously. "That's my boy," she smiled. "Now, let's buy something for Dawn to make her happy, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy."

Glinda smiled and kissed the tip of his nose. "Let's go, then. I'll buy you some candies too."

She didn't notice the man at first. It was Dyre who first saw him as they left the candy store. "Mommy, look!" he whispered excitedly, grasping her wrist.

Glinda raised her head just as a man in a dark cloak turned away from them and melded within the crowd. She had seen him before, it now dawned on her, earlier that day when they stopped for lunch in one of the City's restaurants. He went out right after they did, she remembered. She was stood there frozen for a moment. Panic washed all over her. Sweet Oz, was he following them?

"Dyre, listen to me," she said, looking seriously at her son. "Don't look at that man and don't let go of my hand. We have to get home, now."

Dyre nodded and didn't ask questions. Not after everything he heard from his mother before about the bad people who wanted to hurt Auntie Elphie.

They did exactly what the strange man did and melded in the crowd the best they could. Without drawing too much attention to themselves, they were able to quickly leave the City's square and head for the castle. Glinda greeted the guards in the gates. Dyre, who was a very shy little boy, hid himself behind her skirts. She told them about the man that followed them and they promised to watch the castle even more closely.

She left Dyre in his playroom with Chistery and went to find Elphaba. She had to know about that.

Dawn looked much better in the afternoon, after several hours of sleep, a medicine and endless cups of tea. Since Elphaba was occupied with several meetings that were impossible to postpone, she couldn't stay with her sick daughter, so Fiyero did his best in cheering Dawn up.

"So what will we do now, princess?" he asked.

She smiled at him, her sweet, irresistible smile. He felt as if his heart was melting every time she smiled at him like that. "Now you tell me story, daddy," she ordered.

Fiyero looked puzzled. So far, story telling was considered to be Elphaba's job. No one could possibly beat her in storytelling. He loved listening to her while she told Dawn, and sometimes Dyre, too, a story. Fiyero knew he could never tell a story as well as Elphaba did. Yet now, how could he possibly refuse his sick princess, when she asked him so nicely? He had to think of something.

"A story, huh?" he returned her smile. "Well, let's think. Have I ever told you the story about the little girl, the scarecrow, the tin man and the cowardly lion and how they melted the Wicked Witch of the West?" While asking that, he heard the door being opened and then shut again. When he finished talking he turned to see who was standing there and was horrified to see Elphaba at the threshold, her lips curled in an amused smile. He blushed when he realized she had probably heard what he has just said. "Some other time, baby," he said quickly, flashing an apologetic smile at his daughter.

"Why, sounds like a good story," remarked Elphaba. Her skirts rustled as she approached them. "I am more interested to hear how the scarecrow got the Wicked Witch under his spell, though," she murmured seductively in Fiyero's ear before she moved to sit on the edge of Dawn's bed. Fiyero swallowed, hard. "Hey, my little pretty, how do you feel?" she asked as she put her palm on Dawn's forehead. It was still hot, but not as it was that morning.

"'Kay," answered Dawn.

"Did you take your medicine?"

"Yes, mama."

Elphaba smiled. "That's my girl."

"No more work?" asked Fiyero.

"Thank Oz, no more! For today, at least," relief was obvious in Elphaba's voice. She was exhausted. "Are you having a good time with daddy, sweetie?"

Dawn nodded. "Want daddy to tell story."

Elphaba laughed softly and glanced at Fiyero. "Come on, daddy, tell us a story," she said sweetly.

Fiyero smirked. He shot her a teasing look. "Do you want to sit on my lap, too?"

Elphaba looked at him innocently. "What if I do?"

"Oh, don't even start this here, or I'll-"

"Or you'll what?" she asked, her smile playful.

"You're teasing, Miss Thropp," he scorned her jokingly.

"Why, I am, Master Tiggular. What are you going to do about it, though?"

"Daddy, story!" called Dawn, interrupting their silly conversation.

"Your wish is my command, my lady," replied Fiyero, pulling Elphaba into his lap.

She yelped in surprise. "What in Oz?"

"Shh… we want to start the story now," he murmured into her ear. "So. Once upon a time in this far away country called Kansas lived a little girl named Dorothy."

Elphaba wrinkled her nose in disgust. That wretched little farm girl went back to that Kansas place wearing Nessa's slippers. Poor Nessa. In spite of everything, Elphaba wished that her sister was still alive; no matter how angry and bitter was their last meeting. She realized that she stopped listening to Fiyero's story only when someone knocked on the door.

"May I?" asked Glinda from the threshold. Elphaba and Fiyero nodded simultaneously. Glinda came in and closed the door behind her. She turned to Dawn first. "Hey, sweetie, feeling any better?" she smiled. Dawn nodded. "That's good, because Dyre and I got you something from the candy store," she said and gave Dawn a huge pink lollipop.

"What do we say, princess?" asked Fiyero.

"Thank you, Linney," said Dawn.

"You're very welcome, sweetheart," replied Glinda. She turned to face Elphaba and Fiyero then, her expression anxious.

"What's wrong?" asked Elphaba.

"Someone was following us here," was Glinda's quiet reply.