Chapter 9
The day passed quickly as preparations were made to recover the Grimmerie. Fiyero already had his backup detail in place. They saddled up their horses, ran over their checklist and made their final arrangements.
"Are we ready to go?" Fiyero asked looking at Elphaba and Glinda.
Elphaba finished cinching her saddle. "I'm ready."
"Me too." Glinda replied.
Everyone mounted their horses. Elphaba put her hand out to help Glinda mount, but Glinda suddenly hesistated.
"Glinda?" Elphaba looked at her love quizzically.
"Just a moment, I'll be right back." Glinda replied. She ran back into the house, emerging moments later with her wand in her hands.
"Glinda, you know we can't use that. I can't risk the attention." Elphaba reminded.
"You never know Miss Thropp. Fiyero has a backup plan. This is mine. I promise it will stay with the horse, right in this saddlebag unless it's needed, but I want it nearby in CASE it's needed."
Elphaba agreed. She offered her hand to Glinda once again who accepted it this time. Glinda pulled herself up onto the horse behind Elphaba. Elphaba raised the hood on her cloak as Glinda wrapped her arms tightly around her.
"LET'S MOVE!" Fiyero yelled motioning forward with his arm.
The group rode swiftly and silently through the early evening, being careful to stay out of site. Glinda held tightly to Elphaba. She leaned her head against Elphaba's shoulder, desperate to cling to every last second with her. Elphaba felt Glinda's grip tighten around her waist. She knew how apprehensive Glinda must have been feeling at that moment. Elphaba wished there was some way to reassure her, but she couldn't. They wouldn't be able to settle down until the Grimmerie was recovered, Baraq was in custody, and they were back at their safe house. Oz willing, that would be just a few hours from now.
The group arrived at their usual spot in the trees. They tethered their horses, and slowly made their way to the creek tunnel. Solis removed the grate and unlocked the gate with his usual efficiency. Once again, no guard was in sight. This unsettled Glinda immensely.
The group easily made their way through the castle. Linc and Zeph had found the dining hall, and confirmed that Baraq was indeed having his evening meal.
"We didn't see the Grimmerie anywhere near him." Linc said to Fiyero.
"Let's go." Fiyero commanded. They made their way to the upper tier of the castle where their crude map dictated that the bedroom should be. The bedroom was easily found and the group hurriedly made their way inside. Once again, there were no guards to speak of.
"Elphie, I don't like this." Glinda said warily.
"I know what you mean. It seems too easy." Elphaba replied. She was now becoming uneasy.
Baraq's room was enormous. It was approximately thirty yards long by fifteen yards wide. The bed was a gaudy display of masculinity at the far end of the room, with steel posts, an ornate steel headboard, and mahogany nightstands on each side. A cedar chest was situated to the left of an enormous walk-in closet. There were several knickknacks on the chest, but no one bothered to inventory the seemingly insignificant items. Decorative weapons of every sort, spears, swords and staffs were standing up vertically in racks which symmetrically adorned the wall to the left of the bed. The walls were also decorated with Baraq's self-portraits. Glinda felt sick just looking at them. Averting her gaze from the bed, she turned her attention to the small room just to the right of it instead.
Elphaba put her hand on the small of Glinda's back, and they both entered the room with Solis right behind them. Fiyero, Iriiq and the other men were stationed at the door keeping a lookout for any guards that might approach.
The extra room was very understated compared with the main bedroom. Just a few paintings on the wall and some file cabinets. Solis removed the piece of wall art that their inside contact had told them to remove. Behind the frame was a small steel door sitting flush with the wall. Solis quickly began to work on the lock.
Fiyero kept his vigilant watch, but silently wished that Elphaba, Glinda and Solis would hurry. He wanted out of the castle as soon as possible. Something just didn't feel right to him. As they were waiting, Iriiq noticed that there was more than one door leading into the room.
"Fiyero, look at that." Iriiq said, pointing to the doorway. "Did the map indicate that there was more than one way in here?"
Fiyero removed the map from his shirt pocket. Just as they thought, there was no indication of another doorway in the bedroom, nor of anything that may lie beyond that door.
"I'm going to go check it out." Iriiq said.
Fiyero nodded in agreement as Iriiq and half the men started to cross the enormous room to the other door.
Solis quickly and expertly picked the lock to the small steel door. Elphaba stood back and let Glinda take over. The petite blonde slowly stepped forward and opened the door. To her amazement, the book was right where they said it would be. Glinda pulled the book out of its encasement, and held it out before her. She looked at the prize with incredulity. She finally had it back. Over a year had gone by since it was first stolen. She had vowed to get it back for Elphaba, and she had done it. She turned towards Elphaba, holding the book out for her to see. Elphaba didn't take the book. Instead she walked over to Glinda and put an arm around her shoulder so that both could admire it at the same time. Elphaba looked at Glinda and smiled at the marvel on her face. Glinda felt Elphaba's eyes on her. She returned the smile.
"Come on. Let's get out of here." Elphaba said.
Glinda nodded, and they prepared to leave. Solis reset the lock on the steel door, then replaced the wall art. Iriiq reached the opposite door at the far end of the bedroom and slowly opened it, ready to have a look. He wasn't ready for the rush of guards that came flooding into the room. The guards had been waiting for the signal to ambush, but Iriiq's curiosity set their attack in motion sooner than they had planned. The guards yelled as they rushed into Baraq's room. Their weapons were drawn. The first guard through arced his sword at Iriiq, and sliced him across the chest. Iriiq fell to the floor in pain. The rest of the resistance fighters drew their swords and engaged the onslaught of guards.
"COME ON!" Elphaba yelled. Solis, Elphaba and Glinda started running towards the door they had come in through.
"ELPHABA HURRY!" Fiyero yelled.
As they ran , Glinda chanced a look at the cedar chest. An object on top of it caught her eye. Sitting atop a pair of satin, white, long-sleeved gloves was her necklace. The necklace she lost the day Baraq attacked her. The necklace that her Elphaba had given her was on Baraq'a cedar chest. 'That bastard had it all along.' She thought. She ran back to retrieve it, and in doing so, noticed a another item that belonged to her. A gold bracelet that she had bought in The Emerald City was sitting not far from the necklace. Glinda was furious. 'He probably took that when he stole the Grimmerie.' she thought.
Elphaba, Solis and Fiyero had already run from the room, not noticing that Glinda had stopped running with them. Not far from the bedroom doorway, Elphaba stopped suddenly and looked around. Fiyero stopped and looked after Elphaba.
"Where's Glinda?" Elphaba asked fearfully.
"What?" Fiyero looked around, not seeing the blonde woman anywhere.
"Glinda's not here, I have to go back for her." She said frantically. She started to head towards the bedroom at a brisk pace.
Fiyero caught up with her. "Elphaba, you can't go back in there." He said in a panic.
"Fiyero, I can't leave her." Elphaba pleaded. "I made a promise."
"Elphaba, we need to go back and get our reinforcements. We'll get her back."
"I'm sorry Fiyero. I made a promise." Elphaba pushed Fiyero back with all her strength, catching him off guard and causing him to stumble. She hurried into the room, shut and locked the door, effectively shutting Fiyero out.
"Elphaba!" Fiyero pounded frantically on the door. "ELPHABA!"
"Fiyero, come on. There's nothing we can do now. We have to go to the backup plan." Solis said pulling on Fiyero's arm.
Solis pulled Fiyero away from the door, and the two hastened their escape from the castle just as another contingent of guards rounded the corner and headed towards Baraq's room, cutting off any escape route for the one's still inside.
Elphaba turned, ignoring Fiyero's yells and door pounding. 'It's up to you Fiyero, unless I can get us out of this.' She thought, but she had no idea how.
Elphaba looked towards the door at the opposite end of the room. Five of their men were lying on the ground, cut down by the castle guards. One of the men moved, and Elphaba ran towards him. She bent down and put her hand on his shoulder. "Iriiq!"
Iriiq, while visibly in pain motioned Elphaba on. "Forget about me, they have Glinda. Go get her and the Grimmerie."
Elphaba felt helpless. She didn't want to leave her friend vulnerable on the floor like that. Suddenly she could hear the pounding on the door as someone tried to gain entry to the room.
"Go Elphaba, I'll be alright." Iriiq pleaded.
Elphaba felt conflicted inside, then suddenly she heard Glinda yelling from the other room. She felt an immense fear for Glinda's safety as she ditched her cloak, no longer caring about revealing her identity. Glinda was in trouble and she had to get to her as soon as possible. Elphaba bottled up her emotions, ran to the wall of displayed weapons and pulled a staff from its rack, then she ran through the door where she spotted Glinda struggling against her captors.
"LET HER GO!" Elphaba yelled.
The guards stopped; stunned at the sight of the woman they thought was dead. Glinda smiled widely and hopefully upon seeing that Elphaba had come back for her, but her elation quickly turned to terror as the guards started running towards Elphaba with their weapons raised.
"ELPHIE LOOK OUT!" Glinda yelled, trying to pull herself free from the restraining guards who each had a hold of her arms.
Elphaba calmly let the guards approach. She walked casually towards the assault, twirling the staff from one side to the next. The first guard charged her, screaming at her as he raised his sword and swung it down towards her. She block the blow and turned the staff over and downward, knocking the sword out of his hands. Then she quickly brought the staff back up delivering an uppercut to the guards jaw. He was knocked out immediately. She faced the next group of guards, dodging their swords, and parrying their attempted blows. She fought furiously. All she could think about was Glinda. That gave her a rush of adrenaline and the ability to fight off every attack she was faced with.
Glinda stopped struggling and watched in awe of the display Elphaba was putting on. She had never seen this side of Elphaba before. She had no idea that her Elphie was even capable of this. The last time they had faced off, bickering over Fiyero and Nessa's death, she had disarmed Elphaba so easily. This was not the same woman she fought that day.
Baraq's guards were finally successful in breaking down the main bedroom door. They ran through his room to the opposite entry. Iriiq had managed to drag himself behind a large armchair, out of sight of the onrushing guards.
Elphaba kept fighting and dispatching her attackers. One by one they fell. In the midst of the fighting, Baraq entered the room from his bedroom casually strolling at a safe distance from the melee. Seeing that Elphaba was getting the upper hand against his guards, he quickly ran to Glinda, pulled a knife out of the sheath attached to his belt and placed in against Glinda's neck.
"Put the staff down Elphaba, or I'll slit her throat." Baraq yelled menacingly.
Elphaba was in the full fury of fighting when she looked up and saw Baraq holding Glinda at knifepoint. The guards backed away from Elphaba.
"Let her go Baraq." Elphaba pleaded.
"I don't see that you're in any position to bargain." Baraq pointed out. "Drop the staff, or I'll kill her."
"Elphie don't!" Glinda cried.
Elphaba took one look at Glinda, and dropped the staff.
Glinda felt her hopes die when the staff fell to the floor. She looked at Elphaba with despairing eyes.
"Guards! Shackle her!" Baraq commanded.
One of the guards picked up the staff as two others brought the shackles. They clamped her ankles then stretched the length of chain upwards to clamp her wrists in front of her.
"Is this really necessary?" Elphaba asked
"Oh Elphaba. I think you and I both know that you're still capable of conjuring many spells. I think we also both know that it's not just the chanting that makes the spells work, it's using the proper hand and arm movement that enables you to cast the most potent spells properly. I'm not taking any chances with you. With your wrists and ankles shackled together, there's no chance of you conjuring up something I can't fight against. Oh, and incidentally, those shackles were materialized specifically for you, compliments of the Grimmerie. There's no chant you can utter that will magically unlock them for you. The only way to get them off is with this key." He gleefully held up the skeleton key. "There's only two. I have one, the Dungeon Master has the other."
Elphaba took a deep breath and looked down at her shackles. She knew that Baraq was right. She needed the freedom of her hands and arms to produce the type of spells that would be necessary to effectively disarm him. At this point, it had been so long since she'd used her magic that she wasn't at all sure what she was capable of anymore.
Baraq moved away from Glinda and nodded his head at the guard with the staff. The guard acknowledged Baraq, came up behind Elphaba and brought the staff down across the back of her head and neck.
"NO!" Glinda cried as Elphaba fell to the floor. Glinda struggled to no avail.
Elphaba was dazed, but she remained conscious. She tried to regain her bearings as she fought against the searing pain she was feeling.
"Please, let her go. You don't want her. It's me you want. Just let her go." Glinda pleaded with Baraq.
"I will let her go. On one condition." Baraq replied
"Anything! Just let her go."
"Marry me!" Baraq replied with a sinister smile plastered across his face.
"What?" Glinda was shocked and horrified.
Elphaba was beginning to rise to her feet again. "Don't do it Glinda. I don't care what he does to me. Don't give in to him."
Baraq turned his attention back towards Elphaba. "Really now, you don't care what I do to you? I've been decoding the Grimmerie for the better part of a year now Elphaba. Let me give you a taste of what I can do to you."
Baraq re-sheathed his knife, raised his hands, waved his arms and started speaking an unintelligible chant that Elphaba couldn't make out. She took a step back, looking back and forth at the guards on each side of her, not knowing what to expect. Suddenly, Baraq thrust his arms in her direction and a violent pain reverberated throughout her body. Elphaba threw her head back and arched her back at the pain. Every muscle in her body felt like it was seizing up as an intense, vicious fire possessed her internally. She let out a pained yell and fell to her knees. Glinda couldn't watch anymore. It was too much for her to take.
"Stop it. STOP IT! YOU'RE HURTING HER!" Glinda yelled as the tears sped down her cheeks.
Baraq stopped his assault. "You can stop all of this. Agree to marry me, and I'll stop hurting her."
Elphaba was still on her knees, out of breath with her hands pressed to the floor. She slowly raised her head and looked directly at Baraq. "Is that all you've got?" she said venomously.
Baraq'a eyes widened. He couldn't believe the resolve of this woman. It infuriated him. He conjured up the same spell, thrust his hands outwards and Elphaba was swathed in pain once again. Her muscles screamed in agony. Her insides burned. She hunched her back against the pain, curling forward until her head was just above her knees. She tried to stifle her screams, but it only took a few moments before she let out another anguished cry.
"STOP!" Glinda yelled. "PLEASE STOP!... I'll marry you."
"What was that? Say it louder!" Baraq demanded.
"I SAID I'LL MARRY YOU DAMMIT! NOW STOP! STOP IT" Glinda screamed at the top of her lungs.
Baraq released his hold on Elphaba. She pitched forward and collapsed on the floor. Trying with all her might to get up again, she found her muscles were extremely uncooperative.
Glinda struggled ferociously against her captors, yanking her arms as hard as she could. "Let go of me. LET GO!" she yelled as she broke their grip and ran to Elphaba. As she reached the prone woman, she carefully sat down beside her.
Baraq held his hand up keeping the guards at bay.
Glinda put one hand over her mouth, hoping that Elphaba would be alright. With Glinda's help, Elphaba managed to roll over on her back.
"Elphie?" Glinda whispered hesitantly. She gently put her hands on Elphaba's shoulders and pulled her upwards so that she was sitting in Glinda's embrace.
Elphaba blinked her eyes. "Glinda, don't do it." She struggled as she spoke. "He needs you to validate him."
"She's absolutely right about that." Baraq conceded. "You see, mastering the Grimmerie alone would give me the power I seek, but I would never have the endorsement of the people without you as my wife."
Glinda kept her worried gaze on Elphaba. Using the palm of her hand, she pushed the green woman's disheveled hair away from her face.
"It was you at the lake wasn't it?" Elphaba said with disdain as she turned her irate eyes towards Baraq. "You were in the woods watching us."
"Close, but no." Baraq replied smiling. Glinda, sitting behind Elphaba put her arms around her love in a protective gesture. "Actually Elphaba, I'm quite impressed with you. My man Veloc was sent to spy on you and your comrades. He's by far the best I've ever had at covert operations. You're the first person to actually sense his presence. Kudos!"
Baraq started pacing back and forth. "You see, everything I've done here, the storms, the land shakes….they were all a ploy to bring Glinda here." Baraq looked at Glinda.
Elphaba started to get up, but Glinda held back. "We were all here twice before. Why didn't you just take us in the library? You had plenty of chances." Elphaba stated flatly.
"Mmm! Good question, with a simple explanation. But first, I have to give you and your lap dog Tanon some praise as well Glinda. Your ruse actually worked. I never knew you were actually on your way here due to Tanon's quelling speeches. You had everyone convinced that there was nothing to worry about, and no investigation was warranted. You even fooled me. In fact, I didn't even know you were here until my guards spotted your carriage in the woods. It didn't have your name on it, but the craftsmanship, the quality, and the manufacturer label all pointed to it belonging to you. Very clever of you to ride here instead of bubbling here. My men were never the wiser."
Glinda didn't say a word. She just squeezed Elphaba tighter.
"Obviously, we missed you the first night you were here. I needed to get you back here, so I conjured up the land shakes to entice you over here once again, but in spite of the fact that I posted guards at the door to dissuade you from that location, you went to the library anyway. I know how you think Glinda, and I know all to well that you're aware of the museum incident. But really now! Placing something as valuable as the Grimmerie in such an insecure location? Did you really think I would be so stupid?"
"You want me to answer that truthfully?" Glinda replied sarcastically
Baraq glowered at her. "Obviously, I had to make you aware that you were searching in the wrong place, and I couldn't really just walk right over and tell you, so I conjured up the land shakes again. Now I really must apologize Miss Elphaba. I understand you were injured in my library. Really, you should be more careful."
Elphaba narrowed her eyes at Baraq.
"So to answer your question Elphaba, we weren't aware of the first breach of the castle, but we were ready for Glinda to arrive the second time. The only thing we weren't ready for was the appearance of this group of ragtag resistance fighters tagging along as well. We simply erred on the side of caution when we let you go the second time. You see, I knew you'd be back. After all, you still didn't have what you came for. Sooooooo I sent Veloc to trail all of you, report on your group, your plans, your activities, every bit of information he could give me. I also sought to supply you with the very information you needed in order to get you where I wanted you to be." Baraq walked over to a line of men standing by. "I even went so far as to allow a SPY in my midst."
At that, Baraq grabbed one of the men by the shirt collar and threw him to the ground. Elphaba recognized the man as one of their own. She tried to get up again, but Glinda held fast to her.
"Hello there." Baraq smiled at the cowering man on the ground. "Have I told you what happens when we find a spy?"
"Baraq, leave him alone." Elphaba said emphatically.
The man continued to cower, putting his arm over his face defensively.
Baraq grabbed the man by his shirt collar again, pulled him up to his feet, and with one quick motion, he unsheathed his knife and plunged it straight into the man's belly.
"NO!" both women screamed in unison.
Baraq was face to face with the dying man. He smiled, pulled out his knife and let the man fall to the ground dead.
"You bastard!" Elphaba said angrily.
"Don't blame me Elphaba. It was you people who put him in that position, and quite honestly, I have no compassion for any of you. It was you people who kept me from ridding Oz of those blasted Animals."
"You mean mutilating them." Elphaba
"Call it what you will. I was doing all of Oz a favor. Their kind aren't needed or wanted in this land. If I had my way, all of Glikkus would be rid of them."
Elphaba shook her head in disgust.
Baraq was starting to relish the looks of disgust and despair on the faces of the two women. He continued his boast.
"Now, where was I? Ah, yes! Veloc. I had Veloc following you. He followed you to the good doctor's office" Baraq saw Elphaba's eyes widen at the mention of the doctor. "but don't worry, I have no use for him. He is unharmed. So far!"
Elphaba felt a brief sense of relief
"Once you left the doctor's office he followed you back to your safe house. Imagine my surprise when he reported to me that the injured party was one Miss Elphaba Thropp, the Wicked Witch of the West. Now wouldn't all of Oz be interested in knowing that instead of being dead as everyone thinks, you're very much alive.
Glinda squeezed Elphaba's shoulder for reassurance. Elphaba could feel her anger begin to rise.
"But that wasn't the only fascinating tidbit of information, not at all. You see, once I found out that Elphaba was alive and that you two were, well, intimate with one another, I had a slight change in plans. You see dear Glinda, you've been a part of my plan all along. Elphaba was absolutely right when she said I needed you to validate me. After all, you can't beat an endorsement from Glinda the Good."
"How could you know that I'd agree to any of this?" Glinda scoffed.
"Well, I didn't. In fact, I knew you wouldn't agree unless you were provided with some…..incentive."
"What incentive?" Glinda asked angrily.
"I have men stationed back in Gillikin. They were going to take your trusted friend Tanon captive. It would have been his life in exchange for marrying me."
"I swear, if you hurt Tanon…"
"Not to worry my dear. When I had you followed the first time you left here, and I discovered Miss Elphaba was still alive, well, it's like I said, my plans changed. The fact that you two are lovers made it all the more viable of a plan. Instead of holding Tanon's life over your head, it would be hers. It worked like a charm don't you think? No pun intended." Baraq smiled sinisterly at Glinda and Elphaba. "I have to thank you though Miss Glinda. In spite of all my plans and preparations, my inept guard was still a step behind in responding tonight. If you hadn't managed to get yourself captured, the lot of you might have escaped tonight.
"I hate you!" Glinda sneered. "I hate you with every fiber of my being."
"What do I care about your hatred? I have more important matters to attend to, like becoming the next Wizard of Oz." Baraq said this enthusiastically, relishing the incredulous looks from the captive women. "Come now, I'm tired of this conversation." Baraq proclaimed. "Guards! Take Miss Elphaba to the dungeons."
"Wait, you said you'd let her go if I agreed to marry you." Glinda cried.
"Oh I will, but what assurances do I have that you actually will marry me? No, I think I'll keep her around until after the wedding. That way I can also be sure that she won't conjure any spells against me, and that you'll hold to your word."
The guards came and roughly separated the girls, pulling them both up to their feet.. "Elphie!" Glinda cried reaching out to her love.
"Glinda!" Elphaba yelled as she was dragged off by the guards. Glinda's guards backed off as Glinda sank to her knees and began to cry.
"Don't worry my dear. It'll all be over soon. The wedding will be in just a few hours."
Glinda looked up. "What? A few hours!"
"That's right. I already have your dress ready and fitted to your size. You can put it on here." Baraq snapped his fingers and a guard hurried forth with the dress, the pair of white gloves from the cedar chest, Glinda's necklace and bracelet and a pair of matching shoes.
"I won't wear this necklace at the wedding. It has a special meaning for me, and I won't desecrate that memory by wearing it when I wed you." she said angrily.
"Have it your way." Baraq looked at the guard. "Put it back on the cedar chest."
"You might as well take this back too." Glinda said, holding up her gold bracelet.
The guard looked at Baraq, who nodded his consent. The guard took the items, and headed back towards Baraq'a bedroom.
"I want to see Elphaba. Before I marry you, I want to see her and make sure she's alright."
"I don't see why I should allow it." Baraq said. He began rubbing his chin, then seemed to have a change of heart. "Then again, there could be a benefit to your going to visit her. Very well then. You may visit her, but only after you put on the dress. I want her to see you in your wedding gown. I want her to see what she can never have again. That would please me a great deal."
"I hate you!"
"Hate me all you want. After tonight, your hatred won't matter one bit. Put on the dress. I'll have one of the guards escort you to the dungeons."
He walked over to Lothier, his Chief Justicier who had been silently watching the events unfold. "Once Glinda and I are married, see to it that Elphaba is killed. I can't have her coming after me with some permanent transfiguration spell."
Lothier nodded.
Glinda was given the dress, and accessories. Baraq and all but one guard then left her alone in the room. She raised the dress up to look it over. Then she put it down on the floor next to her and began to weep again.
"Where is he?" Fiyero asked anxiously. He had been waiting for what seemed like an eternity for one of his men to return with news as to the welfare of the girls.
After a while longer, the messenger appeared. "They've both been captured. Elphaba's been taken to the dungeons. He's forcing Glinda to marry him. The wedding is to take place in the Great Hall in just a couple of hours." The man said.
"A couple of hours? That doesn't give us much time." Fiyero noted worriedly.
"Sorry it took so long to get the information to you. Our inside man was killed. Apparently Baraq knew who he was all along, and merely gave him the information he wanted us to have."
"So it was a trap." Fiyero noted. "How did we get the information on Elphaba and Glinda then?"
The man looked behind him and pointed to three men moving slowly in the distance. Iriiq was being supported by the other two men who were guiding him from the castle. "Some of our men stayed behind and went back to check on any survivors. He was the only one. All of Baraq's guards were in the next room. He overheard most of what took place before we extracted him. I'm sorry Fiyero. There were too many guards in the next room. We couldn't attempt to rescue the girls."
Fiyero acknowledged the messenger, thanked him, then walked over to Iriiq. "My friend, are you going to be alright?"
"I'll be fine. I'll head on over to Dr. Frinly's and have these wounds addressed." Iriiq replied.
Fiyero put his hand on Iriiq's shoulder. "I'm sorry this happened. We should have suspected something was up."
"Fiyero, those girls need you. You have to get them out of there." Iriiq grimaced as he spoke.
Fiyero nodded. "I intend to do just exactly that."
Supported by the two men, Iriiq was helped up onto his horse. He gave Fiyero one last glance. Fiyero acknowledged Iriiq with a wave, and Iriiq set off for the doctor's office.
"Alright men listen up." Fiyero started. "Elphaba and Glinda are being held prisoner. It is up to us to get them back safely. The Grimmerie is secondary right now. The girls are our main concern."
The men nodded in agreement.
"The backup plan is now in place. You need to make your way to the great hall, then standby for the signal. Solis will lead you there. Linc and Zeph will try help me get to the dungeons. Solis, you're in charge now. You know what to do."
Solis nodded. Fiyero took Linc and Zeph with him, grabbed a bottle of wine, and headed towards the front gate of the castle.
"Baraq, here's the book that Miss Glinda was carrying. What would you like me to do with it?" Lothier asked as he caught up with Baraq in the hallway outside his bedroom.
"Just toss it on my cedar chest. I'll deal with it later." Baraq said dismissively.
"Sir?" Lothier was surprised that Baraq would be so cavalier with the Grimmerie after the attempted break-in.
Baraq noted Lothier's inquisitive tone. "It's a fake Lothier. A very aesthetically good forgery. There was no way I was going to risk actually putting the real Grimmerie in their hands. I had Veloc put this one together weeks ago."
"Amazing!" Lothier said as he looked the book over.
"It's a very clever forgery. The cover is excellent, but if Elphaba had taken the time to look at the contents of the pages, her trained eye would have eventually discovered that it was a fake. We just made up the chants. They're an ineffective collection of jumbled prattle. The real Grimmerie is being guarded in the Great Hall. I thought it appropriate to have it visible for the wedding." Baraq laughed at his cleverness. He never could resist the urge to brag.
"I'll put this one on the cedar chest." Lothier said. He bowed slightly before returning to the room.
Elphaba leaned against the wall of her dungeon. Her back was turned to the latticework of bars that confined her. Her ankles and wrists remained shackled, even though she was behind bars. Elphaba cursed the chains that confined her. The length of chain between her ankles barely afforded her the ablility to walk, and the vertical chain that lead from her ankles to her manacled wrists prevented her from lifting her hands above her waist.
As she leaned against the wall, she tried desperately to formulate a plan of escape. However, she couldn't get her mind off of Glinda and her impending wedding to Baraq. It was driving her crazy. "Fiyero where are you?" she said to herself. He was her only hope now.
She looked down at her cuffs and yanked on the chains a couple of times to no avail. Suddenly, she heard the jingling of keys and the unlocking of a door. She turned around to see who was entering the dungeons. The door at the top of the stairs opened, and Glinda walked through with the gatekeeper close behind her.
Elphaba watched as Glinda descended the stairs in her wedding gown. It pained her heart to see her love looking so beautiful when that beauty was meant for someone else. She couldn't help the tears that arose.
The Dungeon Master lead Glinda to Elphaba's cell.
"Can you open the gate please?" Glinda asked.
"I'm sorry Ma'am. Baraq insists that the two of you be separated" he replied.
Glinda looked at Elphaba's chains. "Why is she still shackled? She's in a cell for cryin' out loud."
"Again Ma'am. Baraq'a orders."
Elphaba let a tear silently slide down her cheek.
"You have ten minutes." He said. He turned and ascended the stairs, locking the door behind him.
Glinda turned towards Elphaba who took small steps to the front of the cell.
"Oh Elphie. I'm so sorry about this."
Elphaba stopped at the edge of the cell, and rested her hands on the horizontal bar that was just about waist high. "Sweet Oz you're beautiful." She said wistfully.
Glinda removed her gloves, slipped her fingers between Elphaba's and held there.
"Glinda, don't do this. Not on my account. I'm not worth it. I don't matter now."
"Elphie, don't you see? You're the all that matters to me."
Elphaba looked at the floor and started to cry. Glinda moved her right hand to Elphaba's face, and lifted her head so that their eyes could meet.
"Elphie, you saved my life only a few days ago, and now I can return the favor. I love you, and I would do anything for you."
Glinda wiped the tears from Elphaba's face.
"Glinda, you don't owe me anything. I told you that. You can't go through with this. You can't."
"I have to go through with this. It's the only way." Glinda's blue eyes held to the teary brown ones in front of her. "Elphie, all that matters to me is that you're safe. As long as I know you're safe, I believe there's still a chance for us. I believe in you."
Elphaba shook her head. "What can I do? I'm manacled, and right now, I feel like my spirit is broken."
"I don't believe that. Not for one clock tick. The Elphaba I know never gives up. You'll find a way Elphie. You always do."
Elphaba reflexively tried to raise her arms, but was stopped by the tightened chain. "Damn it! I just want to touch your face." She said.
"Come down here." Glinda replied. She hiked up her dress slightly, and lowered herself to her knees.
Elphaba followed suit. Kneeling created enough slack in the chain to allow Elphaba to lift her hands level with her eyes. She put her hands through the metal bars as much as the unforgiving barricade would allow. Glinda moved forward and put her face in Elphaba's hands. Elphaba softly caressed her face, as Glinda melted into the touch. Glinda closed her eyes, savoring the moment.
Slowly, Glinda opened her eyes and covered Elphaba's hands with her own. They stared for a long moment before both impulsively moved together for a long kiss. Kissing through bars was uncomfortable, but it was all they had to hold onto.
The keys were heard opening the door to the dungeon. The women broke off their kiss, but maintained their eye contact.
Elphaba pleaded with Glinda one last time. "Don't Glinda. Please don't." she said softly.
"I'm sorry Elphie. It's the only way."
"Times up Ma'am" came the call from the top of the stairs.
Glinda and Elphaba stood up. Glinda cast one last, long glance at Elphaba before turning around and climbing the stairs. Elphaba watched silently as her love made her ascent and disappeared behind the door once again. She took a ragged breath. "Come on Fiyero. Please hurry!"