The visitors were guided through the hallway by two Winkie Guards.
The Wizard had never been so nervous. He was palpably sweating and breathing heavily. For the past three years, rumors spread throughout the land of Theodora's cruelty. While the witch grew up at the Emerald City, no one who lived there really knew who she was because her parents, King Pastoria and Queen Lurline, had kept her hidden from the general public and confined to her bedroom at the palace. As such, no one who lived at the Emerald City after her banishment had addressed the witch by her real name. Whenever she was brought up in conversation, the Emerald City residents referred to her as the Wicked Witch of the West and only spoke about the witch as someone to be feared and loathed. Everyone believed that she was a monster, a figure relegated to the realm of terrifying nightmares.
As those three years passed and his memory began to fade as to who Theodora was, even the Wizard started to believe this.
He still remembered when he last saw her. She was green, she was vile and she was ugly. When she appeared at Glinda's castle, the green witch would have incinerated him had it not been for Glinda's timely intervention. The witch then tried to kill him again when she hurled a fireball at one of the Wizard's hot air balloons. She flew away to the west, her terrifying cackle echoed throughout the dark Ozian sky and sent chills down the spine of every single Emerald City resident.
The Wizard hoped that things would go according to plan and that the Wicked Witch would not throw him into the dungeon of her estate in a fit of rage, or worse. By making this trip, he was acting on a leap of faith and completely relying on Glinda. He was hoping that he could succeed in this mission, whatever she wanted him to accomplish. Still, he trusted Glinda and knew that she would not put him in danger.
And maybe she even blessed him? The Wizard heard that Glinda had special abilities to protect others, and while she did not do anything to the Wizard to make him think that she blessed him, he kept telling himself she did to assuage his anxiety and feelings of dread.
Still, because he had not been detained upon his arrival, the Wizard kept thinking that things were going relatively well.
Regardless, Glinda's cryptic letter and the exiguous details left by his messenger gave the Wizard very little information to go on and a very uneasy feeling. As such, he was taking a huge risk and making an enormous gamble.
With very little to work with, the Wizard engaged in magical thinking. If things did not go well, he anticipated that Glinda would appear out of thin air to rescue him. And maybe Glinda was watching him from her own crystal ball even now. The Wizard reassured himself that this must have been what she was doing, because he certainly lacked the power to resist anything the Wicked Witch could throw at him. She could incinerate him. She could even crush him with her bare hands if she so wanted to. The witch could even use her mind to control him when the Wizard was in visual range of her.
Filled with Emerald City gossip about the cruelty of the Wicked Witch of the West, he was absolutely terrified of Theodora.
As the Wizard was escorted into the main dining area with Finley, the visual splendor of the room began to soothe his frantic mind. He was again in utter amazement at how beautiful the space looked. The floor was covered by a beautiful red carpet with intricate designs. A gold chandelier hung from the ceiling, while the wallpaper was a rich cardinal with flower-like patterns. Across from the thick oak dining table was a grand fireplace with an ornate French Victorian arched oversized mirror affixed to the wall right above it. Two expansive bay windows directly behind the dining table were partially covered by beige drapes.
His heart began to race as he then saw Theodora sitting at the center of the sturdy oak table, her head down examining a map of Oz. Her skin was not green, but a peach complexion that he originally remembered her as. She was dressed in a stunning red gown, with white pearls hanging around her neck. She looked up and, for the first time in three years, saw the Wizard.
To him, Theodora looked just as beautiful as the first day he met her on the river bank. As he approached the mahogany dining room table, time started to slow. He felt both light headed and nauseated as he began to hear the thump of his beating heart in his ears. Suddenly, this feeling became intense, like he was about to puke. Luckily for the Wizard, this feeling quickly dissipated.
For the witch, her own chest was screaming in anguish. She tried to maintain a stoic expression on her face. Her eyes wide, she stood up from her chair, her hands clutched together below her waist.
The Winkie Guard stood near the table to announce the arrival of her guests. "Mistress, I give you…the Wizard…" The Winkie Guard slightly bowed to her, then turned and walked away.
An awkward silence permeated the room, with both parties waiting for the other to initiate the conversation.
Finally, Theodora motioned with her hand, a coy smile betraying her impassive appearance. "Please…have a seat." All three ceremoniously took a seat at the table, with both the Wizard and Finley seated across from the witch.
The Wizard quickly glanced at his monkey companion, who seemed to be way more composed than he was. His heart was still beating so loudly that he was surprised no one else heard it.
After several moments of additional awkward silence, Theodora spoke. "Wizard, what can I help you with?"
With his elbow firmly planted on the table, the Wizard tried to hide his smirk with his hand. This was the Theodora that he remembered: her wide-eyed innocent eyes, her ruby red lips and her smooth peach-colored cheeks. Nervousness was clearly evident on her face. And even though her tone was clearly polished, her soft and delicate voice conveyed her usual warmth.
If there was anyone that could pull off such beautiful charisma while terrorizing half of the Ozian populace, it was her.
The Wizard turned to Finley, who was sitting next to him at the table. He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his forehead. He looked at the witch and calmly began to speak. As the conversation started, he began to feel better and more relaxed.
"I want Finley to have a home."
Finley turned his head and looked at the Wizard. "He's been at the palace for the past three years, but I want him to be reunited with his family."
Finley sought to interject. "But master, I am happy where I am…"
The Wizard turned to the monkey and placed his hand on his shoulder. "No Finley, your home is here…"
Theodora stared at the Wizard as he gazed at her again. "I know you have the Golden Cap." The Wizard smirked as he saw the shocked expression evident on Theodora's face. She tried to hide her surprise, but the Wizard knew that Theodora could never be a poker player.
"Let's just say word travels fast. All I'm asking is that you watch over Finley. You treat him like he is your family. You take care of him. You don't make him do anything that he doesn't want to do. You give him autonomy and agency. He deserves that."
Theodora gave the Wizard a mildly surprised look. She was bewildered that he would give Finley up like that. Her eyes darted at Finley and then back at the Wizard while they were talking. She then nodded.
"I will, Wizard. Finley can be with his family and I will treat him like he is my own."
The monkey looked saddened at the Wizard. "Master, but I don't want to leave you."
The Wizard turned to his companion, placed his arms around him and looked directly into his eyes as he quietly spoke. "Monkey, I see how stressed you are at the palace. I see how much you miss being with your family."
Finley nodded his head. They hugged. He was about to shed a tear. "I'll miss you, Wizard."
The Wizard continued to embrace him in their hug.
"I will always be your friend…"
After their conversation ended, he went outside with Finley and saw him reunite with his family. The flock of Winged Monkeys stayed on the castle grounds, always at the ready in case Theodora summoned them. After he hugged Finley, the Wizard beckoned him to go.
"I am not good with goodbyes." He smiled at his monkey companion as he nodded with his head. "Go."
He smiled at the Wizard, fluttered over to his family as they gave each other hugs. They then flew away.
The Wizard lowered his head and sighed, seemingly lost in his thoughts. He then felt a soft tug on his arm sleeve. He turned around and saw the scarlet clad witch. She beckoned him with her head, indicating that she wanted the Wizard to follow her.
The pair walked leisurely around the castle grounds in silence. As usual, it was a beautiful day in Oz, with a brilliant rainbow dashing radiantly across the deep blue sky. The walk reminded the Wizard of when the pair journeyed together to the Emerald City those years ago.
Underneath her serene exterior, Theodora was intensely anxious, her thoughts filling her with dread and panic. She was still angry at the Wizard for what he did to her, but since his arrival, her anger towards him had dissipated and she was only left with questions, many of which she did not know how or when to ask.
Despite showing a calm exterior towards the Wizard, her inner emotional storm continued unabated. This would occur daily and for as long as she could remember. And depending on the external social stimuli of the moment, her emotions could swing from sheer joy and glee to intense sadness or rage in a matter of seconds. These outbursts would often be followed by shame, embarrassment, humiliation and feelings of utter worthlessness.
Even though she was now the de facto ruler of Winkie Country, Theodora never felt she truly deserved or earned what she had, or that she would ever be good enough for the role. Her negative self-talk and self-blame were perpetual; she had lived with this emotional and psychological suffering for years. Despite this, she had incredibly high and idealistic hopes for those around her. She had high expectations for Glinda, Evanora and the Wizard, all of whom devastated her in their own unique and horrible ways. And even while the Wizard was walking with her, the negative thoughts were still present and ever pervasive in her mind.
It made sense that the Wizard and all of Ozian society had abandoned you. It was deserving what happened to you those years ago at the Emerald City. You are ugly. You are wicked. You are awful. You are nothing more than a mistake. The Wizard will probably leave you again now that he left Finley. He did not come for you. He does not love you. How could anyone love you?
The Wizard broke the silence as they approached a beautiful brook surrounded by flowers.
"I always forget how beautiful the Ozian countryside is." The pair stopped walking and admired the flora and its numerous species. As he stared at the collection of colorful flowers, the Wizard could sense that Theodora was nervous and that she wanted to speak.
Her eyes wide, Theodora turned to him, her red hat covering her head from the sun. Her jaw was tight. She began to open her mouth, but hesitated for a brief second before finally speaking. She was terrified at what the Wizard's response could be.
"Wizard…was bringing Finley the only reason you came here?"
He continued to stare at the blue, red and violet fauna, admiring the beautiful Ozian countryside that laid before them. The Wizard was silent as the sound of birds were heard chirping in nearby trees and a soft delicate breeze blew past him, bringing with it the sweet smell of jasmine.
After several more moments of silence, he finally responded.
"No."
He continued to look at the fields and flowers as the witch stared at him with wide and anticipating eyes. The Ozian farmlands stretched endlessly for as far as his eye could see, with the Winkie Peaks appearing far into the distance, the original location where the Wizard landed in his hot air balloon. The sounds of the streaming water of the brook added to the tranquilness.
He then spoke calmly again. "Remember that day when I went after Glinda?"
Theodora nodded. "Yes", she quietly and sadly admitted. She remembered the Wizard's betrayal. It broke her heart. It tore her to pieces. She thought he was in love with Glinda and that she put a magical enchantment on the Wizard, turning him against her.
The Wizard turned to the witch. He grabbed her hands with his and pulled her closer to him. He looked into her eyes as he spoke earnestly.
"But when I did, I never understood one thing. Why were you angry with me?"
The Wizard knew he left without never actually saying goodbye to her. But it still did not warrant such an extreme reaction from the witch. Something else must have happened.
Theodora gasped at the Wizard's question. She eyed the Wizard suspiciously with disgust in her voice as she pulled her hands away. She glared at him. "You should know why, Wizard…"
But the Wizard looked at her with wide eyed confusion. "But I don't know why. All I know is that Evanora sent me after Glinda the first day I arrived at the Emerald City…"
The witch interrupted him as her eyes narrowed. "Wait. My sister sent you after Glinda?..."
The Wizard continued unabated as he spoke over Theodora. "…and the following day, you are not only flying around and incredibly angry with me, but going so far as physically attacking me. And I never understood why you went from being such a gentle, kind and loving person to someone like that…"
He looked into her eyes as he finished speaking, confirming the witch's question about Evanora. "Yes, she did…"
Theodora's gaze broke with his and her jaw became tight. She was contemplating what the Wizard said about her sister. The witch then looked at him again. She was still annoyed. "Wizard, all I know is that you disappeared and then my sister said you danced with her all night in her room. She showed me a music box you gave her." As she spoke, her voice became more edgy and accusatory with each passing word. "Now don't lie to me Wizard. I don't like it when people deceive or lie to me…"
As Theodora told him this, the Wizard maintained his stoic composure, but this information left him flabbergasted. For the longest time, he wondered why Theodora had utterly and completely turned against him. He suspected it was Evanora's doing, but he was not sure what she did or said. In the past three years, he pondered what role he played that made Theodora literally want to kill him. He had given musical boxes to many women, but none had ever wanted to kill him or desired revenge.
And unlike the others he had been with, the Wizard was taken aback that Theodora said they belonged together. None of the other women he had been with had ever rushed into something that quickly before. While the Wizard believed that space from the witch would make her get over him, he never believed in his wildest dreams that his actions would have caused such catastrophic consequences.
He understood heartbreak, but this was such an extreme reaction that it made no sense.
Her admission about Evanora appeared to be the missing piece of the puzzle. Things finally started to make sense. While the Wizard was good at hiding his emotions, a slight scowl spread across his lips as his mind thought of the witch's elder sister.
That fucking bitch…
Despite rising feelings of anger, he took a breath and remained composed.
He held up his hand. "Look, I…" He paused, thinking of what to say and how to say it. He shrugged his shoulders as he raised his hands.
"…Yes, it is true I had other music boxes. And yes, it is true that I gave music boxes to some women I cared about…wait!" The Wizard gestured with his hand, sharply exclaiming the last word just as the witch sighed in exasperation and opened her mouth to speak, urging her not to. She continued to glare at him silently.
"But I never gave a music box to your sister. I never danced with her. I never did any of that. Whatever she told you, it never happened…"
As he spoke, the witch gazed at him intently. He didn't know what she was going to say. She simply stared at him for several moments after he finished speaking.
Much to the Wizard's surprise, she then smiled at him radiantly.
"Oh", the witch gasped cheerfully and gleefully.
"What?" The Wizard's eyes narrowed, confused by Theodora's sudden shift in behavior.
She spoke warmly. "Since Evanora was the wicked one and since I now know she was lying, then this means you really do want me to be your queen and that you had been truthful to me all along…" The witch shot him an incredibly bright and loving smile. "…and not to have Glinda as your queen like my sister said…"
The Wizard rolled his eyes to the side, trying to make sense of what Theodora was saying. He was not expecting this response from her. He expected her to question him further about what he was saying and then possibly come to some sort of amicable understanding. He did not, however, expect her to suddenly act happy like nothing had happened and then to simply assume she was going to be queen of the Emerald City.
While her behavior was bizarre, the Wizard decided to ignore it for now since at least she was happy. He wanted to appease her.
She continued, gazing at him in awe. "And that's why you never took a queen. And why my sisters were never made one." Her eyes then darted to the ground as she contemplated her newfound discovery. She looked up at him and smiled once more. "It all makes sense now…"
The witch then decided to tell the Wizard everything that happened to her, that she became incredibly angry upon hearing what Evanora told her, that she used her hand to smash her own mirror and that her sister induced her to bite a magical green apple in order for her to forget her heartbreak. She then blithely told him that she was able to remove the curse once she settled on her family castle in Winkie Country without giving much details and that everything was wonderful now that he was here.
She then removed her red hat from her head. "…And you are the wonderful Wizard…", the witch bowed to him before placing the hat back onto her head.
As she spoke quickly and excitedly, the Wizard's eyes were wide. He simply flashed a big nervous grin and nodded his head.
Breaking glass with her bare hands because a man she knew for only 24 hours was allegedly flirting with her sister? And even if he was guilty of this transgression, this kind of violent outburst was alarming and inappropriate.
The Wizard had no clue that any of this took place. And here he was, in front of an overly idealistic but incredibly volatile young witch who was already fawning over him and making him nervous about her desires to be his queen. Again.
While he was not on every street corner peddling his music boxes to his Emerald City groupies, he simply had no interest in making anyone his queen. In fact, he was not even ruling the Emerald City as a king.
In the time since Evanora was banished, it was decreed by the Wizard that an elected council would advise and supervise both Glinda and him. And even though it was still Glinda who had the last word on administrative decisions, the council could overrule her. Additionally, if Glinda or the Wizard were not doing their job or the populace became unhappy with their rule, a vote of no confidence could be designated by majority vote. And since the Emerald City governed the entire land, all Ozian residents would be able to vote on whether to remove the Wizard.
But a question persisted in his mind. How was he going to respond to all of Theodora's persistent fantasies? He did not want to lie to her, but he exactly did not want to be completely honest, either.
The Wizard rationalized his deception. If he was being honest with himself, the old Oscar would have gotten out of there as quickly as possible. By not being completely truthful, at least he was still protecting her.
Clearly, the witch remained ignorant of developments at the Emerald City because everyone was afraid of her. In those three years, no one had bothered to venture into Winkie Country and give any type of update on Emerald City politics. As a result, Theodora was still that naïve and idealistic young witch who the Wizard met those years prior, fully believing in a fairy tale romance that did not exist.
As Theodora continued to overshare and lament about how she was victimized by all of Oz, the Wizard only thoughts were on Glinda.
Glinda, how could you do this to me? How could you leave me here with this…crazy and dangerous witch? You better know what you are doing…
The Wizard then thought about simply leaving. The only reason why he did not run away was because Glinda sent him there. And he also remembered the lessons that were taught to him about being a good and fair leader.
Still, Theodora persisted about this whole queen business, which made him very uneasy. The Wizard was still ultimately fearful and scared to give her the blunt truth.
In his mind, he had every right to be scared. With a wave of her hand, the witch could light him on fire or she could throw him against the wall like a ragdoll. For the time being, he decided to ignore her probing.
"What do you think, Wizard?" The witch then looked at him with wide anticipated eyes.
The Wizard grabbed her hands. He decided to bury the hatchet and, for now, await further orders from Glinda.
"Leaving the Emerald City after I had just arrived was the worst mistake I made. I really care for you." He shook his head as he tried to find the right words.
"And when you left the Emerald City, I really struggled with the feelings I had for you for a long time. It was one of the hardest periods of my life. I felt very lonely."
Theodora knew those feelings all too well. Growing up in the palace, most of her family would rarely pay attention to her. For her, maintaining normal and healthy relationships were difficult because her parents, King Pastoria and Queen Lurline, would limit who she could see. She smiled at him, knowing what the Wizard had went through.
"I thought about you too, Wizard. I thought about you a lot." She smiled at him. A slight frown then replaced the smile on her youthful face.
"But Wizard…why didn't you talk to me about this before? Why did you wait all of this time? Why didn't you talk to me about this immediately? Why didn't you tell me any of this? Why Wizard? Why?" Her voice was pleading, similar to the way a small child would ask a parental figure what they did wrong.
The Wizard looked down at the ground. For one, he had no clue that any of this had actually happened. For several moments, he genuinely was speechless. But then he looked into Theodora's pleading eyes once more. He would answer in a way that she could understand.
"Because…when I saw you…when you were…green…I…I was scared to…"
Upon hearing this, she gazed at him, her jaw relaxed. As the witch stared at him, the Wizard could not discern whether her facial expression was one of pity, sympathy or sadness. Maybe it was all three.
The Wizard continued to hold Theodora's hands and squeezed them tighter as he drew her closer to him.
"It wasn't that I loved Glinda. I just…didn't have the courage to say what I needed to say. I was afraid. I couldn't find the right words."
Again, he decided to tell a white lie. While he believed Glinda did have feelings for him and he for her, their duties made it impossible to continue any type of courtship. She reminded the Wizard of Annie, the girl that he left behind in Kansas. Still, this was information that Theodora did not need to hear.
As he spoke, the witch continued to look at him with wide eyes. Her jaw became more relaxed.
The pair gazed at each other as the Wizard continued speaking. "This is why I didn't reach out after you left the Emerald City. But for a long time, I agonized over it. I was torn. I convinced myself that you had only used me to become queen. I thought about all of the negatives of what happened: especially with what happened at Glinda's castle and when I returned to the Emerald City. I was often angry and depressed, walking throughout my day in a fog."
Theodora interrupted the Wizard, a perplexed look on her face. "But that wasn't true! I did also want…I mean…I would be honored to be your queen, but I also love…"
The Wizard held his hand up, beckoning the witch to stop. He knew what she was going to say, and he also knew that she didn't have to rehash it. He continued.
"I know. After thinking of those negatives, I then remembered that life is not so simple. That there are a lot of grey areas. I know now that what you expressed to me was genuine. You have a goodness within you, but you also have a wickedness, just like I do. You are a unique person, which is why you..."
As Theodora furrowed her brow in confusion, she interrupted and corrected him. "Wizard, Ozians don't have both wickedness and goodness. We either have one or the other. I am only good…and I hope you are now, too." She hoped that he was on the side of goodness now.
She looked at him. "So, what now?"
The Wizard pursed his lips. It was decision time. Should he just hightail it out of there? The old Oscar definitely would have done this. He would have told the witch that it was lovely to see her again, but that he had an important imaginary function to attend. He then would have run out of there as fast as he could, preferably on his hot air balloon, leaving Glinda to her own devices.
But that was the old Oscar. That Oscar had died when Theodora shot down his balloon. The Wizard made a promise to himself that he was going to do this, and that he was going to carry through with whatever mission Glinda had planned for him. He also had that emotional and vivid dream for a reason. Still, he was fearful of being in the Wicked Witch's domain and his mind screamed for him to take the coward's way out.
What ultimately persuaded his own internal voice to stay was his own ego. While he did not know why he was sent on this "diplomatic mission", he believed that Glinda ultimately sent him to strengthen ties with the Winkie Country. And that was what he was going to do. He could only imagine the cheering crowd at the Emerald City when they inevitably found out that the wonderful Wizard finally saved the land from the "Wicked Witch of the West". All he would have to do is turn on his charm and then his mission would be accomplished. What could go wrong?
The Wizard looked at Theodora and grinned. There was no going back now.
"I'd like to spend some time here. I want to see if we can work things out. Let's explore what we had when I arrived in Oz. And…" A look of hesitancy spread over the Wizard's face as he tried to smile again.
"I really did miss you…and I am hoping that something good can come from this…"
Theodora looked at him with a quiet gasp, followed by a big, bright smile. Her face went closer to his. She removed her hat from her head. "I missed you too, Wizard…" They embraced each other.
"Come, Wizard. Let's talk more inside." She placed her hat back onto her head as she then led him back to the front of her castle.