"She took mine."

"Great, that's just great."

Gregor frowned at Eadlyn's response. "I thought you would be happy she didn't take your horse. Not that you're overly attached to it or anything."

"Of course not. It's only a dumb animal." Eadlyn dismissed the thought with a wave of his hand. "But your horse still has a thing for Mason's mare, doesn't it?"

"Oh yeah." Gregor grinned. "He's been trying to get at her for a little horsie hanky panky ever since we left Winkie Country."

"And you don't see the problem with that?"

"No."

Eadlyn smacked him on the back of the head. "Use you pea brain to think about it for a second. Where is the mare?"

Gregor rubbed his throbbing scalp. "At camp?"

"And where will your horny mount go?"

"Camp." He still wasn't grasping what Eadlyn was saying.

"And do we want miss broken heart stumbling across what we're doing so she can come back here and blab about it to everyone?"

"No." Gregor's eyes got big with understanding. "Oh shit."

Eadlyn nodded. "Now you get my point. If that horse takes her to our camp..."

"Your goose is cooked." His friend finished his thought for him.

"That's why you're going to take mine and catch up to her."

"What should I do once I find her?"

"Get your horse back." Eadlyn stated the obvious as a slow grin spread across his face. "And then get rid of her."

"You mean..." He left the question hanging.

"I can't have the poor little love bird crashing the ceremony tomorrow can I?"

"So do you just want me to get rid of her or can I have a little fun first?"

"That's completely up to you."

"Oh boy." Gregor rubbed his hand together. "I've never had one that didn't like men before."

Eadlyn smiled. "I'm sure you'll make her see the error of her ways. Just don't leave the body where anyone can find it this time."

"I won't. I learned my lesson." He pulled himself into the saddle.

"Good to know." Eadlyn watched him turn in the direction the other horse had gone. "And give her a message for me."

"Sure. What do you want her to know?"

"Tell her I can't wait to make Addena scream in ecstacy."

Gregor smiled. "I'll be back by sunset." And with that he took off after Breena.

"Elphie."

Glinda's voice barely registered as she made her way further into the house. She knew the blonde's short legs didn't stand a chance of keeping up with her long strides. That's why she pulled away when Glinda tried to take her hand. She couldn't afford to be slowed down right now.

"Where is the coat closet Bernice was talking about?"

"What?" Glinda was too busy trying to catch up to her lover and so shocked that Elphie had finally spoken that she didn't hear the question.

"I asked where the coat closet is."

"How am I supposed to know?"

Elphaba shot her a look over her shoulder. "You've lived here your whole life and you don't know where the closets are?"

"I never had to."

"Just because you didn't have to doesn't mean you shouldn't."

The blonde brow furrowed. "What?"

"Nothing." Elphaba turned back around, clearly not in the mood to try to explain what she was saying. Sometimes she forgot not everyone grew up in a hovel like her or a house where everything had its place like Breena's. She couldn't blame her love for not knowing where the closet was. This place was ridiculously huge. No one could have known where everything was even if they tried. But all she wanted was her broom, was that too much to ask?

"Elphie, slow down. You're practically sprinting."

She never should have let the maid take it in the first place. Then she wouldn't be running the risk of getting lost with an obviously distraught Glinda following her. The idea of her lover being upset made her want to stop and take the petite woman into her arms, but she couldn't. She had to concentrate on Breena right now. Her sister needed her.

Elphaba was so lost in thought she didn't see the man coming around the corner in front of her. The cup he was holding flew from his hand when they hit, hurling its contents down the front of his shirt.

"What in the name of..." Max clinched his jaw when he saw the mess he had become. "Why don't you watch where you're..." The biting tone he used when he expected to look up and find one of the servants standing there died in his throat when he caught sight of Elphaba. "Going?" His mind finished his initial question as his mouth dropped open in surprise.

"Sorry." Elphaba reached out as if to help him but realized there wasn't a whole lot she could do. "I didn't see you."

Max continued to stare. "You... You're..."

"Elphie." Glinda's relief at finally catching her was short lived when she saw her father. "Don't talk to her."

Elphaba frowned when she found herself being pulled behind her girlfriend.

"Don't even look at her."

"Glinda." Max seemed shocked to see his daughter. "You... You know her?"

"What are you doing?" Elphaba asked at the same time.

"Protecting you." Glinda answered her lover as she scowled at her father. "I won't have him hurting you like he's already hurt Breena."

"Breena?" Elphaba's frown deepened. "But he wasn't even..."

"Who's Breena?" Max interrupted her.

"Glinda, who is this?" Elphaba pointed over Glinda's shoulder at Max. "And what does he have to do with what happened between Addena and Breena?"

Max growled, "Who's Breena?!"

"My sister." Elphaba answered in the hopes he would shut up so Glinda could speak.

"Your sister?" Max sighed wearily. "Let me guess, Addena claims to be in love with her."

"She doesn't 'claim' to be anything." Glinda corrected him. "She loves Bree."

"Don't be stupid." Max shook his head. "I thought I broke her of that before she went away to school."

"Slapping someone and threatening to disown them in the hopes of bullying them into changing their mind doesn't work with people like Addena."

"I was not bullying her!" Max snapped. "I was merely trying to get it through that thick skull of hers that women belong with men and vice versa. Only sick demented fools think otherwise and I didn't raise either of you to be a fool."

"It sounds like you're the fool to me." Elphaba slipped her hand into Glinda's as she came to stand beside her.

"Excuse me?" Max's spine stiffened when he noticed the gesture. "What are you doing?"

"Loving me." Glinda looked at her Elphie with complete adoration.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me." He paled like he was about to be sick. "Glinda, I know you've always looked up to your sister but..."

"Dena didn't have anything to do with this." The corner of Glinda's mouth turned up as she continued to stare into the brown eyes that hypnotized her. "Love snuck up on me when I least expected it."

"You don't love her."

Glinda's eyes went from warm to icy in the time it took her to switch her attention to her father. "I most certainly do."

"Wait a minute." Max snapped his fingers. "You're that green freak Madame Morrible stuck Glinda with at Shiz aren't you? The one she wrote home about."

"Freak?" Elphaba repeated the insult.

"I never called you that." Glinda was quick to reassure her. "All I did was..."

"Can't you see what this is?" Max interrupted her. "It's not love, it's infatuation with the unknown. Everyone has the urge to experiment when they're young. You thought you felt something for her before she went against the Wizard and now that she's come out of hiding your fascination with her has resurfaced. But you can't let yourself be led astray. What you need to realize is..."

"No, you're the one who needs to realize how wrong you are." It was Glinda's turn to interrupt him. "This isn't just some school girl crush. I love Elphaba with all my heart."

Max shook his head again. "No you don't."

"Yes she does." Elphaba countered. "And she has my heart as well."

"How could someone like you possibly know what love is?"

"Someone like her?" Glinda's voice was full of disbelief as she echoed his words. "She's the most kind, considerate, caring person I've ever met. Someone like you would be lucky to sweat in her shadow."

"How dare you speak to me that way?!"

Elphaba let go of Glinda, catching his arm as he started to hit her. "Who are you to raise your hand to her?"

"I'm her father! Who are you?!"

"She's my everything." Glinda answered before Elphaba could.

"This is your father?" Elphaba couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Unfortunately." Glinda replied.

"And he had something to do with Breena leaving?"

"I don't even know Breena. I..."

Elphaba tightened her grip on the wrist she still held, using the fact they were the same height to stare into his eyes. "I didn't ask you."

"This is all his fault, Elphie." Glinda started talking before he could open his mouth again. "He used Addena as a bargaining chip in some business deal he was trying to make for his firm when she was just a baby."

"An arranged marriage." She suddenly understood.

Glinda nodded. "She'd never even met Eadlyn until we got here yesterday."

"Glinda, what are you doing?!" Max tried to pull free from Elphaba. "You know what will happen if he finds out about this!"

Elphaba's hand was like a vice. "Hold still."

"The marriage was supposed to happen when Dena was younger but somehow the date got pushed back when she decided she wanted to go to medical school."

Max tried again. "Glinda I'm ordering you to stop."

She ignored him. "Eadlyn's father died when Dena was in school and Dad, in his infinite wisdom, thought that meant the deal was off. Until Eadlyn showed up here asking for Addena."

"Don't do this." He begged.

"Apparently Mom stood up to him and he..." Glinda's voice cracked. "He took her away."

"Took her?" Elphaba frowned. "What do you mean took her?"

"Just what it sounds like!" Max raged. "She told him he couldn't have Addena and he had his men drag her out of the house! I hope you're happy Glinda! You've just signed your mother's death warrant!"

Elphaba's eyes were big. "He's threatening to kill her?"

Glinda nodded. "He told Addena he would if she didn't go through with the ceremony. She had already agreed to do it to save her when you and Breena showed up and he decided it would be fun to make her break up with Bree."

"That sick bastard." Elphaba spat the words.

"Yes he is a sick bastard! And he's going to kill my wife!"

"Don't yell at her!" Glinda stepped forward to poke him in the chest. "You could have avoided this whole thing if you'd only paid Eadlyn off when he asked you to!"

"He asked you for money and you turned him down?"

Max clinched his jaw at Elphaba's question. "I thought he was bluffing."

"Some bluff." The green woman scoffed. "Now he's holding your wife hostage and has your oldest daughter over a barrel."

"What are we going to do Elphie?" All of Glinda's anger disappeared when she turned back to her lover. "We can't let him hurt Mother. But we can't let him have Dena either. He has said the most awful things to her."

"It will be all right my love." Elphaba finally let go of Max to draw Glinda into her arms. "We'll figure something out."

"You can't." Max rubbed his arm where she'd been gripping it. "There's nothing to be done."

Elphaba glared at him over Glinda's head. "You might be willing to give up on your daughter but I'm not. She's my friend and I'll be damned if I'm going to let something like this happen to her."

"Really?" Max's tone was condescending. "And just what are you going to do?"

"I don't know yet." Elphaba answered honestly. "I think the first thing we should do is find Breena and fill her in on what's going on."

"That's a good idea." Glinda agreed.

"No!" Max shook his head. "It's bad enough that you know. If Eadlyn..."

"Screw Eadlyn!" Elphaba yelled back. "My sister is out there somewhere right now thinking that the love of her life is engaged to someone else! She needs to know the truth!"

"Maybe it's better if she doesn't." Max countered. "Has Glinda mentioned that Addena is infamous for breaking people's hearts? Countless boys have wanted her and even more girls have had her only to watch her walk away when the novelty of being with them wore off."

"That's a lie!" Glinda pulled away from Elphaba to glare at him. "She's never been in a relationship before, let alone one like she has with Breena!"

"Because she's confused and doesn't know what she wants!"

"You're wrong!" She started toward him again only to be stopped by Elphaba.

"We're wasting precious time arguing with him Glinda. It's pretty obvious he doesn't know you or your sister so who cares what he thinks?"

Max shot her a look. "Now see here..."

Elphaba locked eyes with him, instantly shutting him up. "Don't try your scare tactics on me. They won't work. Now where's the coat closet?"

"The what?" He squinted his eyes.

"He won't know either. Bernice!" Glinda called for the maid. "Ber..."

"Yes Miss Glinda?" The woman seemed to appear out of thin air behind them.

"Where did she come from?" Elphaba nearly jumped out of her skin as she turned to look at her.

"There are servants' passages throughout the house." Glinda explained. "Bernie, we need Elphie's broom."

"Right away miss." She bustled away.

"So you still ride your broom all over Oz terrorizing people?" Max goaded Elphaba.

"She never terrorized anyone." Glinda defended her lover. "She was the one who was terrorized."

"Is that why everyone called her wicked? Because she was misunderstood?"

"She's not wicked!"

Max smirked. "I just bet she's not."

"Here you go Miss Elphaba." Bernice made another appearance before Glinda could reply, gingerly handing the broom to the witch. "Sorry it took me a moment, but I think it was trying to have a talk with an umbrella someone left at the last party."

Max looked at her as if she had sprouted a second head. "What kind of nonsense are you spouting off?"

"I wouldn't doubt it." Elphaba gave the woman a half grin. "It has a hard time understanding why other things are inanimate."

"Right." Bernice started to back away. "If you don't need me for anything else..."

"Thank you Bernie." Glinda dismissed her.

Max watched the servant walk away. "Has everyone lost their minds around here?"

"Are you coming with me?" Elphaba asked Glinda as if he hadn't spoken at all.

"I'd really like to tell Dena what's going on but I think you were right before. We need to find Breena first and let her know what's happening. That way she can help us come up with a plan to get Mother back and be rid of Eadlyn."

"Then let's go." Elphaba reached for her hand.

"Just like that?" Max inquired as they started back the way they had come. "You think it's going to be that easy to make this all go away?"

"We didn't say it would be easy." Glinda clarified. "But at least we're willing to try."

He threw his hands at them in a 'go away' gesture as they rounded the corner and disappeared from view. They were only going to make things worse by angering Eadlyn. And that wasn't going to solve anything. It was only going to make things worse.

Unless someone told Eadlyn.

He swallowed hard at the idea. He wanted to find a way out of this for Addena just as much as anyone else, but he wanted his wife back even more. If he had to sacrifice his daughter to make that happen, so be it.

He hurried in the direction the girls had gone, his mind made up. While they were flying around on Elphaba's broom, he was going to have a little chat with Eadlyn. But he needed to change first. After all, a gentleman had his standards.