A/N: Shout outs to my anonymous reviewer and James Birdsong! Oh the Wizard is definitely going to be trouble. Glad you liked it!
Chapter 13
Just as suspected, no one had heard from the Munchkins. The letter had indeed been delivered a week prior by a loyal Bird, who had returned safely to the Emerald Palace. Glinda's parents were more than happy to help and they had arrived with troops within four days of receiving the letter. The Quadlings were playing a bit coy. They had responded with a letter to Lady Glinda but said they would not send troops. They would send a new representative who would be arriving within the week to replace Councilman Pepi.
In the meantime, Gale Force, Vinkun troops, and Gillikinese troops were sent out into the city on roving patrols. All civilians behind the Palace walls were returned to their homes – some had claimed bodies and some were not sure where their missing loved ones were. People were urged to provide a description of their loved one to the Emerald City Herald. All ads would be paid for by the Emerald Palace.
"Is everything ready for our new Quadling Councilman?" Glinda asked Lieutenant Bayram. They were sitting inside Morrible's office trying to sift through everything. She had filed court documents on the Wizard and his custody had been transferred from the Flying Monkeys to inside the Palace, in a cell, in the basement. This was able to be done as the Palace was certified to be safely occupied and the hole blasted in the wall was being repaired. The repair was not a final one, but one that would hold up against the Ozian weather. Down in the basement, the Wizard was being guarded by Vinkun troops whose only loyalty was to the King and Queen of the Vinkus. The Wizard was not allowed any visitors and his meals were being prepared by the same trustworthy chef who was feeding Glinda.
"Yes. We have made preparations for his arrival. The roving patrols have brought more of an easy calm to the people of the Emerald City and we have troops who will escort him to the temporary Council Chambers when he arrives," Bayram explained.
"Excellent. What of Fiyero's progress?" The blonde wanted to know.
"He has been progressing through his list of men kicked out of the Gale Force. A good number of them have been confirmed killed but some are still unaccounted for. He intends to take some of his loyal Gale Force soldiers and Lieutenant Dilek with him to see where the others could be hiding. Those who were serving but were not of the Emerald City were sent back to their home countries so hopefully it won't take long to finish the list," the Lieutenant said.
"That is good to hear. They were obviously well organized and I feel much better now that Momsy and Popsicle brought some troops of their own. The more troops we can trust and show the Wizard-loving ones, business is meant, the better," Glinda heaved a sigh.
"Have you given any thought to the speech that Queen Ayla suggested you make?" Bayram wondered.
"Elphie is going to help me write it. She was always better with words and I fear that if I say the wrong thing, I'll accidentally back us into a war that no one really wants," she told him.
"Is she going to be your speech writer?" Bayram asked.
"No. When this is all over, she intends to follow Fiyero wherever he goes. As much as I would like for them both to stay here, Fiyero will need to be prepared to rule over his people. Captain of the Gale Force was never going to be a permanent position for him," the blonde sighed.
"Even though his father could have another thirty years of ruling before handing everything over?" Bayram raised an eyebrow.
"Fiyero isn't running away the instant the Wizard is convicted but he's not going to stay here forever. Once things have calmed down, he will leave and I imagine introduce Elphie to his people," Glinda clarified.
"You think they'll marry? I think Miss Elphaba is still afraid of the shadows that lurk around every corner," the Lieutenant said. Considering that Elphaba had spent the better part of her life on the run, it wasn't entirely a crazy thought. After a while, the constant feel of needing to run just became a habit.
"I think they will. The King and Queen have said nothing to me but then again they wouldn't considering I'm the ex and considering that they literally just met Elphaba and found out that their son is in love with a former public enemy," she said.
"Good point. It's a lot to digest," Bayram nodded. There was a knock on the door and Bayram bid the person to enter. It was Corporal Bock.
"The Quadling Councilman makes his way here, sir, ma'am," he announced.
"Excellent. Thank you Corporal. We will head to the Council Chambers," Glinda smiled. Bock bowed and quickly ducked out of the room.
"I hope we can work with him, rather than fight like we had to do with Pepi," she said.
"I hope so too," the Lieutenant said. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach that he just couldn't shake though. All of the uncertainty that still loomed was making him paranoid, or so he was hoping.
To Be Continued…