Disclaimer, the usual
The next day dorothy and alex found themselves sitting at a café in emerald city's business district. Brianna's parents had opened it the day prior but because it was still early, yet it was mostly empty.
"cozy little café isn't it?" Alex asked looking around at the décor.
The café was decorated similar to Brianna's ice cream parlor, which made both of them question whether or not Brianna actually got a say in how the place looked.
"we try our best to provide the best." Mrs. Shive said coming over with a set of sandwiches.
"has wiser been through here at all since yesterday?" Alex asked curiously.
"yes, he was our last customer, you know I know Ozma abolished the whole currency thing that the wizard introduced, but why does he have money?" Mrs. Shive asked.
"I wasn't aware he did." Dorothy said.
"perhaps has been collecting loose coins he's found lying on the ground and along the yellow brick road, I mean, I've seen a few that ellie keeps around and they're a bit of a novelty worth collecting." Alex said.
"many do, for years the wizard had new coins getting stamped out, even tried paper money for a time, that was a catastrophe." Mr. shive said.
"because of counterfeiting?" alex asked.
"No because paper is more easily duplicated by magic than the gold, silver, and copper the wizard used for coins." Mr. Shive replied.
"so, same reasoning." Alex said.
"how come you don't open a carpenter shop here in the city, we could use a decent one around here." Mrs. Shive said.
"what job is that for a prince?" Mr. shive asked.
"an honest one?" alex asked in response
"does dorothy love you because you smell of sawdust in the evenings?" Mr. shive asked.
"of course not, I love him for him." Dorothy said.
"well…" was as far as Mr. Shive got before Brianna walked in,
"Dad, no judging people for their lifestyles please and no starting arguments, while dorothy doesn't consider herself one, she is technically a witch in training all things considered and if she gets angry it'll be liable blow out the windows, but that's not why I'm here either." Brianna said.
"then why are you here?" Alex asked.
"Ozma's coming down in a few minutes, and I want to make sure they don't embarrass themselves again like last night." Brianna said.
"we didn't embarrass ourselves." Mr. shive said.
"we'd beg to differ." Brianna said.
"hey, leave us out of this." Alex said finishing off his sandwich.
"sorry alex, but you agreed with me last night, as did you dorothy, well, my mother was alright, but dad, dad you made a complete fool of yourself just as soon as dorothy walked through the door." Brianna said.
This wasn't entirely false, as at the opening, the moment dorothy and alex walked in, or rather, were led in forcibly by Brianna, not only could you have heard a pin drop with how silent it got. Then you couldn't hear yourself think with how Mr. shive got so flustered, and how everyone burst into laughter. He made a mess of himself with drinks and dishes several times trying to impress them. And no matter how hard dorothy and alex tried, they could not get him to treat them like normal customers.
"our family motto is try our best to do our best, but you get flustered as soon as someone popular walks through that door." Dorothy said.
"you know dear Brianna is right, heck, while tin man and lion were here the other day helping us get the sign up, you did everything you could think of to try and impress 'em." Mrs. Shive said.
"and let me guess, they weren't amused?" alex asked.
"not even a smile." Brianna said.
"you once said, when we first met them at your ice cream parlor, that he would likely go running down the street shouting I was there." Dorothy said.
"no, I told him I didn't want him doing something like that, I wouldn't put it against him though, mother has always been a bit more level headed that father." Brianna said pulling up a chair and sitting on it.
"I'm surprised you guys are even able to open today considering last night's turn out." Ozma said coming in.
"oh, your majesty, what'll you have?" Mrs. Shive asked.
"same as last night, just a simple sandwich if it's alright with you?" Ozma asked
"yes, your majesty, right away." Mr. shive said running to the back, stumbling the entire way.
"he's a bit of a silly goose isn't he." Ozma said.
"Oh, right, Ozma, dorothy, alex, I was mixing things together in the kitchen, when I knocked over a bottle of Lacasa." Brianna started to say before her mother stopped her.
"Brianna don't tell me you made another big mess." Mrs. Shive said.
"well, yes, but it landed in the bowl of exotic punch I was making, last night, and I found the right thing to counteract the sourness of the pink-fruit I got from Glinda." Brianna said taking out a canteen.
Brianna's experiment with making a punch out of the more exotic yet largely edible fruits of Oz was a wild endeavor that Dorothy's aunt wouldn't have approved of testing even in a controlled environment. The pink-fruit Glinda had given her, though she did so reluctantly, is known as one of the sourest fruits in Oz. it's the same shade of pink all the way though so anyone dumb enough, or brave enough, to consume it usually are only permitted a small amount. When dorothy and alex tried some when they got the worst shock of their lives thus far.
"for Lurline's sake Brianna, no one should eat the pink-fruit it's too sour for anyone to handle." Mrs. Shive said.
"Well Lacasa nectar is a great and I mean great, counter measure." Brianna said pulling some small glasses from her pack and placing them on the table.
"also, eating more than one in less than 24 hours can leave one really, really sleepy." Ozma said.
"that's only if you eat a whole one your majesty, and only 3 people have been known to have done so." Mrs. Shive said.
"4 if you count me, when I was tip." Ozma said.
"now that's a story I'd love to hear once I forget how sour the fruit actually is." Dorothy said laughing.
"that takes about 6 months, usually." Ozma said shrugging.
"so, anyways I was about to dump the entire batch out the window, but knocked the Lacasa into it, I've got the spots it hit on the counter soaking in a vinegar mixture, and then decided to try mixing it up, and you know what? It works." Brianna said pouring equal measures into the small glasses.
"Elena is outside right?" Alex asked looking at the hot pink mixture Brianna had just served them
"alex, since I'm here now, obviously it's not a danger to anyone." Brianna replied
Alex looked at dorothy who nodded and picked up a glass for herself, as did Ozma and Mrs. Shive. Downing it, they found that it wasn't unbearably sour anymore, it was the perfect mixture of sweet, sour, and zesty.
"wow, it really does taste better." Ozma said.
"I told you, didn't I?" Brianna asked chuckling.
"Brianna, how much Lacasa is in this?" Mrs. Shive asked.
"it was a fresh bottle so, give or take how much splashed onto the counter, maybe half the bottle, but it was also a rather small punch bowl." Brianna said.
"would you be able to scale it up? For like a large party?" Mrs. Shive asked.
"probably, it might take a bit of finicking with the recipe a bit, but otherwise, yes most likely." Brianna said as her father emerged from the back
Once Ozma had her sandwich she quickly consumed it before pulling out a hand mirror and looking into it. She then sighed with relief.
"Thank Lurline, Glinda hasn't left her room." Ozma said.
"you didn't tell Glinda you were coming here?" dorothy asked.
"I wanted to, but it would have erupted in an argument." Ozma said.
"why?" Mrs. Shive asked.
"Glinda doesn't really approve of either dorothy or Ozma leaving the confines of the palace, this is the farthest Dorothy's been in the business district since her first trip to Oz, I should think" Brianna said.
"that sounds about right." Dorothy said nodding
"I see, well, don't you have authority over her?" Mrs. Shive asked.
"she's the queen of course she does." Mr. Shive chimed in.
"Glinda is really quite protective, she'll put up a fight to at least try to keep dorothy and Ozma within shouting distance." Brianna said.
"Glinda sees Ozma as a protégé almost, and looks at dorothy as a daughter, which reminds me, how come your aunt and uncle don't have a problem with that?" alex asked curiously as he turned to her.
"they do, they just don't vocalize it, they think I should be allowed to make my own decisions so long as I'm not doing anything dangerous." Dorothy said sighing.
"well it's not like you go looking for danger." Brianna said cleaning up the glasses and starting for the door.
"No, it usually finds me, it's nice that no one has tried to kill me in a while." Dorothy said smiling
"I imagine it's been relaxing." Mrs. Shive said.
"sort of, I mean, there's always something to keep me busy." Dorothy said.
"for example, if I ever go on a long travel, dorothy is obligated to serve as princess regent until I get back." Ozma said smiling at her.
"which fortunately for me, you haven't done yet." Dorothy said smiling back.
The scepter, finally having decided it had been quiet long enough, pinged in agreement.
"it'll have to happen eventually dorothy, I serve as Oz's representative at the council of Immortals." Ozma said smiling.
"but they don't meet incredibly often." Mr. Shive said.
"I know, but I still have to go if they do." Ozma said sighing.
"well I guess we'll have to have plan for when it does eventually happen." Dorothy said nodding.
"well, anyways it was nice chatting, the sandwich was delicious, but I should be getting back to the palace before Glinda notices I'm gone." Ozma said sighing as she looked in the mirror again.
"we should probably get going as well, it's almost time for the rush to start and I don't think neither dorothy or myself want to deal with any reporters today." Alex said getting up himself.
"well, I hope we'll see you all here often." Mrs. Shive said.
"you will I'm sure, when they aren't at Brianna's ice cream parlor." Ozma said smiling.
"thank you for the delightful meal and the delightful chat." Dorothy said getting up and taking the scepter in hand.
"it was a pleasure to serve you, your majesties." Mr. Shive said bowing.
Dorothy smiled and took Alex's hand, and with that, the three of them left, only to find Brianna had been waiting for them, looking at her watch.
