Chapter 10
The next morning Scarecrow gets up as the sun peeks over the horizon with a loud yawn. He starts off with his everyday routine. First a light shower, because of all the magic he had both Marvel and Glinda do to him, his body has become as human-like as it could. Luckily for him, it meant no more waterlogging, but he now had to keep up on his hygiene which was whole new expertise on its own. That meant sleeping, eating and bathing all at once became part of his life. As the water rained down his face, he thought to himself. First, I must meet get the border reports, form a plan with everyone on how we will win this war, and… , he places a hand on his cheek as his mind go to Dorothy and the night before, and figure out what to do next. By what the guys told me before she was definitely um… flirting with me, (sighs) just thinking about it makes my heart beat so rapidly. This is too good be true, his smile fell as the impending war came across his mind, I wish this war could have happened any other time, but now, I just hope we can make it end peacefully maybe then I can… give this kingdom the Queen they have been asking for, he steps out of the shower that Marvel had designed, after I court her properly of course. Next, he gets dress before heading to his office where he has most of his meals sent every day so he could look at his work as he eats. He reaches for his coat in its regular spot but only grabs air, he stops for a second as he thinks of where it could possibly be, his face becomes red as he remembers that he had given it to Dorothy while they were in the garden. He had forgotten to get it back before saying goodnight.
"I guess I should visit her on my way to my office, it will be a nice surprise."
He smiles joyfully as he exits his room and heads down the hall. Once Dorothy's door is in sight, Scarecrow notices 3 figures huddled together as they peeked into her room. He walks up quietly, once he was able to get close enough, he realized it was Glinda, Lea, and Niccy giggling, he tapes on Glindas shoulder. They all jump and fell to the ground with a thud as Glinda looked back and said quietly
"(gasp) Scarecrow."
He looked down on them
"What in Oz are you guys doing at her door?"
Niccy rubbed her neck as she looked away
"We wanted to take her out on a trip around town, but when we open the door we saw umm…"
Scarecrow looked over them and was able to see Dorothy turn over showing that she was still had his coat in her grasp. He blushed madly as he took a deep breath, he opened the door fully as he stepped over the 3 ladies as they whispered
"Your highness what are you doing
He smiled back as he whispered
"Waking up her up."
They stayed there watching as Crow brushed aside Dorothy's hair to kiss her forehead while sitting beside her. He said sweetly
"Come on it time to get up Dorothy."
She mumbles out
"Five more minutes."
Her grips loosen on the coat allowing him to get it away from her as he retorted softly
"No can do there is a lot planned for today, and everyone is waiting for you."
She groans as she opens her eyes looking at the coat trying to grab at it weakly
"Give me back."
He chuckled
"Not till you have breakfast."
She rubs her eyes as she sits up
"Fine"
Once she opens her eyes seeing Scarecrow sitting in front of her, she turns red. Scarecrow smiles happily as he gets up and walks out the door stepping over the 3 still gasping ladies as he waved his coat.
"You want it back right, you can get it after the meeting today."
With that, he was gone leaving 3 fangirling ladies and a shocked Dorothy alone until Dorothy asked
"What just happened?"
Glinda stood up before suddenly jumping all over the room singing happily
"The Cutest thing ever~~~~."
Dorothy watches Glinda dance around as the other two come over to her side. The lioness purres as she sits beside the confused lass
"Well, just the fact that your tall, smart, and dorky just flirted with you big time means that things are going to get real interesting quick."
Dorothy sits there staring blankly as she slowly covers her head with the sheets. She then squeaks out
"So… this means he like likes… me."
Niccy sits on her other side after picking up Toto to set him on her lap
"Painfully so."
She stays quiet as the 3 other ladies waited for her to pop out of her cozy dom, Dorothy sighs as she reveals herself slowly. Lea laughs as she sees Dorothy's shy smile
"And it looks like its not one-sided, Glinda you might not need to use your matchmaking skills after all."
Glinda jumps on to the bed forgetting all the rules and elegance while being lost to the excitement of the recent events.
"Dont count your bubbles till they fly Lea, the fun has only started. Both of them are clueless when it comes to romance."
Dorothy pouts as she yells out
"Hey,... I'm not that helpless.
They all giggle until Niccy grapes Dorothy's hand and pulls her off the bed to the closet, she opens the doors to reveal many dresses of all kinds and colors mostly blues and greens. Niccy pulls some out and says happily
"Let's get ready then."
With that, the 4 ladies browsed over all the dresses. Finally, they chose a solid blue dress with long sleeves that has lace cuffs and a flared skirt that reaches down just before her ankles. Her shoes where simple white flats with matching blue lace. They lead Dorothy out of her room with Toto in hand to venture out into the city to enjoy the morning and to get some breakfast at a local cafe by Glinda's "request."
~^0w0^~
Back at the castle, Scarecrow watches from his balcony as they walked off with the reports in hand.
"At least she will be able to enjoy herself for a bit before the danger ahead."
He walks back to his desk where his food sat with countless papers with the plan after plan he had been designing for months now. His two friends come in as he sits down, Scarecrow gestures to the cart nearby that held their meals.
"Sorry if this seems improper, but you can imagine why. The report I had received this morning is quite a … game changer."
Lion announces
"No kidding with how ooowww…"
Tin had jabbed Lion's ribs as he says in a serious manner
"Be careful with your words furball, you dont want to start panic do you."
Lion sighs as he continues while whispering
"Fine, (sigh) by what they said we are outnumbered 100-1 by those things. We need back up or some miracle to help us out."
Scarecrow stand up determined as his friends watched him. Since he took over as King, they stood with him after battles and wars he ended with his brains. With almost 8 years of his rule, the kingdom has flourished after 4 years of wars for change and equality for all. He has repaired already so much damage caused by unworthy kings and has tried to set for the kingdoms formal glory.
"We must try diplomacy as always to find a middle ground if that fails at least we will know the core of this madness. In the meantime, Glinda will teach Dorothy some self-defense magic as we…"
He is cut off by his friend's shock, Tin says with the forgotten worry of being discreet
"She can use magic!"
Crow sighs as he sits back down while saying nonchalantly
"Well yea, you guys didn't know."
He was met with blank stares, he releases a massive sigh as he tells them to sit down as if he was a teacher.
"First, yes she is, and that's because of the fact she is the reincarnation of some of the first witches from back when we all lived in peace. Second, eat your food."
The two stared at Scarecrow then to each other as they sat down just dealing with the shock of Scarecrow's statement. Eventually, they all ate in this awkward silence till Lion couldn't take it anymore and said in his uncommonly calm voice
"What your saying is that she, this whole time, has been using magic without realizing it."
Scarecrow nodded, Tin continues as he lays his head back as a swirl of emotions confuses him.
"and that you believe that she will be able to master some part of herself that she or anyone else for the matter has realized she has. What if the Ozians find out and disapprove of her and want her banished and we never get to see her again and and and…"
He is hit with a grape to the face which snaps him out of it. Scarecrow sighs as he smiles
"First off they would probably treat her like Glinda, second I would never let her get banished I'm the king remember, and third we just got her back I won't los… let Us lose her again."
His two friends stared at him again and sighed as they grin knowing what he was going to say. Tin stands up and puts his hands together
"Alright, I'll make sure the conference room is set up for this evening. Lion if you could make sure that the ladies know, I'm sure you could find them easier than I. I'll get a hold of Marvel, let's not let many know of this. Making to much of a fuss just makes a mess."
Lion nods as he gets ready to leave, while they start to walk out Scarecrow stands up quickly as he blushes lightly
"Wait guys umm there's something else I needed to speak to you both about."
They turned to him eyebrows raised as their friend rubbed his neck
"You know how last night we all had split up while heading to our rooms."
They noded
"and that Dorothy and I were the last two since our rooms were at the end of our corridor."
They nodded again as they smiled
"well, I ended up taking her on a small detour to the garden where one thing leads to another. By the time we got to her door she had kissed me on the cheek, and now I don't know what to do. I think she was flirting with me and now I'm not sure what to do because of this…"
His rambling was cut off by Tin snapping his fingers
"First breath, we can't understand you when you rambling, and second what in Oz did you do."
Scarecrow took a deep breath then said
" This morning I went to get my coat from her, and I saw the other ladies peeking in her room. When I looked in, I saw her cuddling with my coat and… I may of went in and woke her up while taking the coat saying she can have it back after the meeting."
He looks away and whispers loud enough
"I also kissed her forehead as I woke her."
His friends where silent till they unleashed a bellow of laughter using each other to stand. Scarecrow sits there embarrassed like as if his secret was being presented to the world till his friends calmed down, Tin said between fits of laughed
"You haha you two are hopeless and haha horrible with timing."
Tin continued trying to steady his breathing as Lion charmed in "with the way you two won't let go of each other's hands last night this was the last thing I thought you be swiping her off her feet without acting like a nervous school girl."
Scarecrow pouted
"I'm not hopeless just a bit inexperienced that's all."
Both took a side of his desk as they said one after the other
"that's an understatement more like."
"you have never gone on a date."
"never kissed."
"courted"
"fancied"
"ogled"
"flirted"
In Unison they said
"You are so inexperienced with women its painful to watch."
Scarecrow slinks into his chair as his friends leaned over him they sigh while pulling away, they started heading to the door again and as they left Lion called back
"Ask her out."
With the loud click of the door Scarecrow groans in his set spinning slightly. He looked over to the mirror portal on his desk as he ponders. Their right I should just do it yea it's at the worst moment but she seems to like me to and what's the worst thing that could happen she say no. (Sigh) but how do I?
~^0w0^~
The hours past and everyone has turned to get ready. Dorothy sits on her bed brushing her hair, she looks over to the simple outfit she picked out. Glinda had told her though yes the dress she did have on was beautiful, she was going to be in front of some military personnel and had to look professional. She sighs while looking at pointed toe 'death traps' that matched, she thought that once getting to Oz meant no more painful 3+ inch heels. Arent flats fancy enough what heeled wedge boots at least those can stay on your feet. This look of gleeful determination spread across her face, she went over to the closet and dug around hoping that there was something at least close to what she wanted. In every back obviously, someone tried to hide a shoe box labeled with a big M, Dorothy smiled joyfully as she got it out to the light. Inside was a pair of very lovely broke in horse riding boots, on top of them was a letter.
Dear Dorothy
I know you don't quite like all the uptight fashion rules that come with being associated with the king and also your title. Here is a little welcome gift and sometimes…
Rules are meant to be broken.
Your friend,
Marvel
P.S Hide the box high, so Clover doesn't find out it was me
Dorothy couldn't help but to laugh,
"Marvel your the best."
She went to work picking out a more her style outfit from what she had. Her outfit was a light greyish blue button-up blouse with a white cream blazer and a matching blue scarf. Happily, she put on a pair of tan dress pants that match the dark brown boots with light brown decorations. The shoes had a thick wedge heel just tall enough to define her cafes and still be comfy to wear, with the finishing touch she places the broch on her chest though it doesn't match the outfit she felt better with it on. After giving herself a once over and petting Toto who was waiting to go a good pet a knock interrupts her, with Toto in hand she opens the door to find Scarecrow waiting there
"Hey, Dorothy are you ready to...go"
With as much of a cliche as ever they matched color wise and with gender counterparts, and Scarecrow was starstruck by how she was. They soon broke into laughter, Scarecrow giggled out
"Well haha, this is a predicament."
Dorothy while trying so hard to regain her composer
"Should I change."
Scarecrow placed a hand on her shoulder
"Oh Oz No, your perfect as you are, believe me, i love how you're dressed as yourself."
Dorothy blushed as she smiled
"Thanks"
Scarecrow shrugged
"Besides I was wondering how long a certain someone who I quote 'hated to have to wear dresses every day' would find the stockpile of pants I stashed in there once Clover was done filling it."
Dorothy chuckled
"No wonder they have pockets."
They sighed before they got going scarecrow said
"Let's go drop them dead before the meeting, shall we."
He gives her his hand, and she takes it without a second thought
"We shall."