A/N: Just an epilogue after this. Thanks for sticking with me!

A/N2: Shout outs to my anonymous reviewers and James Birdsong! So glad you liked it. Thanks so much!

Chapter 38

Over the next few weeks, the lawyers from around Oz made their way to the Emerald City. Since lawyers began arriving, quite a few of the arrested, admitted they'd been suckered in and hadn't realize that things would go so far. Still about thirty of the men refused to make any deals and they would be tried for treason. Since the number of full-blown Wizard supporters had dropped, the Judges decided that the cases should be combined with the Wizard's.

Glinda and Fiyero's parents had managed to get the Quadlings to sign paperwork saying that they would swear allegiance to the petite blonde. It wasn't as hard as they thought mostly due to the new Councilman, Chalumpo. The enthusiastic man had worked diligently to help the blonde and royals reach his fellow Quadlings. They had been more receptive once they had learned the full story behind what had happened to Councilman Pepi and what was going on with the Wizard.

The Vinkuns and Gillikinese had signed early on, but the Munchkins had been harder to deal with, as expected. Still Councilman Arif had managed to get the Munchkin leadership to agree to a meeting. Needless to say, talks were still ongoing. Glinda didn't hold out much hope, but she knew that they couldn't give up.

The fear that had gripped the streets of the Emerald City, had dissipated quite a bit since the major arrests. The Gillikinese and Quadling troops had been sent home, while the Vinkuns remained, mostly because the entire royal family was inside the Palace. Though admittedly, some of the Vinkuns had been sent to Southstairs to assist the guards there with the new prisoners. There were still some logistics to work out with regards to that, but it was a problem for another day.

Now, gallows were being erected in the middle of the city square. Most of those that had admitted they'd been wrong had been sentenced to long prison terms, but some of those, who stood with the Wizard, would not be so lucky. The man who had confessed to burning the meeting hall down, was given twenty years.

The sniper who had attempted to shoot Glinda during her recent speech, had been given ten years – he hadn't actually hit anybody and it turned out that he'd been ordered to just scare people. Those that had been rounded up were intending to mount a charge while the focus had been on protecting Glinda. They'd assumed that the gates would be less guarded. They were wrong of course but then again, they had dynamite. The traitorous people knew that even with a distraction, dealing with the extra troops from the Gillikin, Vinkus, and Quadling Country, would not have been successful. The explosives would have given them a shot. Still, they refused to admit where they had gotten the dynamite – it was a relatively new invention and only the Gale Force had access to it. Fiyero had immediately called for the stock to be checked and for all those that had been instructed to guard it to be interrogated. The source was still unknown, but Fiyero had vowed they'd figure it out.

Now Elphaba looked at Fiyero; they were seated behind the prosecution's table in the courtroom. Between the defendants, reporters, and dignitaries, the courtroom was jammed with people. Prosecutor Doruk gave them a knowing look before sitting down at the table designated for him and his co-counsel. Glinda and the Vinkun King and Queen had stayed at the Palace. They wanted no possible inference that they influenced the Judges and their verdicts.

"We will read each person's name off and the verdict for the charges against them. Sentencing will commence forthwith," Judge Mikhail told the group. One by one, the defendants were found guilty of the charges against them.

"The remaining defendant, formerly known as the Wizard of Oz. You are hereby found guilty. You willingly made every other defendant, not only in this room, but those already convicted, believe that their fellow countrymen were attempting to ruin them. This in turn made them hang on your every word. You then attempted to kill Lady Glinda and other followed in your footsteps. Your crime is the most heinous of all because you had the power to stop all of this, but you refused," Judge Griffin read out the verdict.

"Your Honors, we respectfully ask that the Wizard get the same sentence as the other defendants," one of the defense attorneys stood up and addressed the court.

"I have to ask; did you expect we would treat him differently?" Judge Cenk, leveled a look at the attorney, that would have made an iceberg melt.

"No, your Honor. Just voicing what needs to be said," the attorney said.

"The penalty for treason is clear. Once the guilty verdict was read everyone in this room knew what was coming and that includes the Wizard," Judge Griffin banged his gavel and Elphaba looked at Fiyero. She wasn't so sure that this was a good idea.

To Be Continued…