If someone had told him he would someday have an impromptu tea party with the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good he probably would have had them thrown in Oz Asylum thinking they were crazy. Yet here he was, sitting across from the two women in question, fine china tea cup in hand.
He mentally kicked himself for even thinking of the cursed nickname his daughter had been forced to live with for so long. She wasn't wicked. Hell, she didn't even have a mean bone in her body. All you had to do was watch her with Glinda to know that. Right now they were staring into each others eyes, the love they shared practically pulsating in the air around them.
It warmed his heart to know they were happy together. Elphaba was his daughter and he only wanted the best things in life for her. And Glinda… It was hard to describe his feelings toward the girl.
When she first appeared at the palace with Elphaba he thought of her as a nuisance. Another groupie come to cash in on her friend's good fortune at being invited to meet the Wizard. And after Elphaba ran away he thought she was despicable for not going with her. She claimed to be her best friend yet she let the people of Oz say the most horrible things about Elphaba even as they were growing to love their precious Glinda the Good. But as he watched the Merchants Council get their hooks in her he realized she was a scared, naïve little girl who was just trying to survive. It saddened him in a way, knowing what she had to go through to become the strong young woman who demanded he leave Oz. But on the other hand he knew that transformation was necessary. There was nothing quite like a few hard knocks in life to make you realize what was truly important.
"More tea?"
Glinda's voice pulled him from his thoughts. He grinned as he held his cup out to the blonde he was quickly coming to think of as another daughter. "Don't mind if I do. You make a mean pot of tea Glinda."
She smiled, giving him a, "Thank you," before turning her attention to her lover. "What about you Elphie?"
Elphaba grinned too. "Why not?"
The Wizard watched as Glinda carefully poured the green girl another cup, adding a lump of sugar and stirred it well before giving it back, letting her hand linger on Elphaba's for a moment. They were absolutely adorable together.
Guilt suddenly washed over him. Here they were, safe and sound at Upland Manor drinking tea at the island in the kitchen as if they didn't have a care in the world when Breena was out there somewhere going through who knew what at the hands of who knew who.
Worse than that, he was her father and didn't even know the whole story of what happened. She got upset and rode off into the woods on a horse, but why? What happened to make his normally calm, level headed daughter get so upset?
"Can I ask a question?"
Elphaba looked at him. "Of course you can."
"What happened?" He put his cup of tea down, suddenly not in the mood to drink it. "With Breena. What happened that made her so upset she felt she needed to run away?"
"Uh…" Glinda swallowed hard as she locked eyes with Elphaba, silently asking her what they should say. Telling her lover about Eadlyn had been a necessity. She wouldn't have been able to make it through this whole ordeal without Elphie at her side. But should they tell anyone else?
"It was my fault."
"Dena?" Glinda turned toward the doorway, shocked to see her sister standing there.
"Your fault?" The Wizard watched her walk into the room. "Did the two of you have a fight?"
"It was so much more than that." Addena sighed. "I didn't want to come here. Neither did Glinda. Bree and Elphaba picked up on that. That's why they followed us."
The Wizard frowned. "I thought they were concerned about your mother."
"We were." Elphaba piped in.
"Don't Elphaba." Addena interrupted her before she could say more. "He deserves to know the truth."
"But what about Mom?" Glinda queried. "If Eadlyn finds out he'll…"
"I've come to the conclusion that Eadlyn is full of shit. He's never going to leave our family alone, Linny. He'll just keep torturing us unless we do something about it." She gave the Wizard a baleful look. "But maybe if I tell you the truth you'll be able to help."
"Help with what?" He was more confused than ever. "And who's this Eadlyn you mentioned?"
"He's my fiancé."
"You're what?!" The shocked response came from Fiyero, who had walked into the room unnoticed.
"Oz Fiyero! You scared the life out of me!" Glinda had a petite hand on her chest.
"Sorry. I wanted to let you know an advance rider just came back to let us know that Cade and the others will be here in a few minutes." Fiyero kept his attention on Addena. "And you can't have a fiancé. What about Breena?"
"That's what upset her, isn't it?" The Wizard clinched his jaw. "She found out about your fiancé."
"Yes." Addena's response was barely audible.
The Wizard closed his eyes. "I can't believe this."
"Me either." Fiyero came over to join them. "How could you do something like that to Breena? She loves you!"
"Yero, you don't know the whole story." Elphaba tried to come to her defense.
"There shouldn't be any story to know." He fired back. "You don't tell one person you love them and secretly have someone else behind their back."
Glinda scoffed. "Look who's talking." She blushed when she realized she had spoken out loud. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have…"
"No, you're right." Fiyero cut her off. "I should have told you about my feelings for Fae from the beginning."
"And I should have told you about mine for Glinda." Elphaba added.
"Not to be rude, but can we table that discussion for another time and concentrate on Breena?" The Wizard looked at each of them in turn before returning his attention to Addena. "I think you have some explaining to do."
"Yes I do." Addena nodded. "To make a long story short, my father used me as a pawn in a business deal when I was a baby."
"A baby?" Fiyero echoed her words.
"He arranged for me to marry Eadlyn in exchange for Eadlyn's father becoming a client with his firm." She continued, ignoring his comment. "The wedding was supposed to happen when I turned eighteen but Father, out of the goodness of his heart, managed to get the date moved back to my twenty-fourth birthday so I could finish medical school." Her tone was bitter. "I knew that's why Father sent for us."
"You mean your birthday is coming up soon?" Fiyero interrupted again.
"Today." Glinda confirmed.
"I'd say happy birthday but it doesn't seem appropriate."
Elphaba smacked Fiyero on the shoulder. "Would you let her finish?"
"I had every intention of telling Father I wasn't going through with the ceremony but I didn't want Bree to know anything about it so I came up with the lie that our mother was sick and Dad wanted me to check on her. Then I begged Glinda to come with me."
"But Father didn't expect us to have a magical assist in getting home." Glinda picked up the narrative. "If we had used one of the carriage companies we wouldn't have arrived until this morning."
"Just in time for the wedding." Fiyero made a disgusted face. "Your father is twisted."
"It gets better." Glinda continued. "He could have avoided all of this by paying Eadlyn off but he didn't want to part with the money. That's why Eadlyn showed up here demanding to marry Dena. Mom tried to tell him to leave and he took her."
"Took her?" The Wizard frowned.
"As insurance." Elphaba answered him. "To make sure Addena would go through with the wedding."
"And after she said she would to keep Mother safe, Eadlyn demanded the money Father had already refused to give him."
Fiyero shook his head. "This is like a bad dream."
"Then Elphie and Breena showed up. I thought they would be able to help us get rid of Eadlyn but he threatened them." Glinda reached for Elphaba's hand.
The Wizard's nostrils flared. "He did what?!"
"He thought it would be fun to make me break up with Breena in front of him." Addena spoke again. "I told him no and he made it very clear that he wouldn't hesitate to hurt her if I didn't do as he said. So I..." She swallowed hard, obviously trying to keep her emotions under control. "I told Bree he was my childhood sweetheart. That we'd been engaged but I thought he died. She asked me if I loved him and I..." A tear rolled down her cheek. "I told her yes."
Fiyero flinched. "That would definitely upset her enough to make her want to get away from you."
"She was doing what she thought she had to do to protect her." Glinda glared at him.
"And I ended up hurting her worse than Eadlyn ever could have." Addena licked her lips. "That's why she ran away. Why she's missing now." She hung her head, more tears falling. "Because of me."
"Dena." Glinda let go of Elphie to go to her sister, pulling her into a hug.
"You've been through a lot." The Wizard tried to quell the anger he was feeling toward two men he'd never even met. "But I have to ask why you didn't come to me. My daughter loves you Addena." He spoke before she could. "That makes you family in my eyes."
"It all happened so fast. I just wanted to keep my mother safe." Addena pulled away from her sister, letting Glinda keep an arm around her waist as she spoke to the Wizard. "That's not a very good excuse but it's all I've got."
"Well you're definitely not marrying the bastard." Fiyero growled.
"Of course not." The Wizard agreed.
"But he still has our mother." Glinda argued.
"We'll find her too." The Wizard assured her.
"Or beat her location out of him." Fiyero slammed his fist into his open palm.
"Either way, you don't have to worry about him anymore." The Wizard went over to Addena, taking her hand in his. "And when we have Breena back safely you can explain everything to her."
Addena avoided his gaze. "I doubt if she'll listen to me."
"Addena, I already told you, she loves you." He used his free hand to lift her chin, making her look at him. "She'll not only forgive you, she'll insist on getting her fair share of time using Fiyero's method of getting information out of him."
"If we find her." Addena still sounded defeated.
"Oh we'll find her." Fiyero spoke as he and Elphaba joined them. "She's too stubborn to be gone for much longer."
"He's right." Elphaba pursed her lips, regarding the blonde for a moment before speaking again. "Addena, I owe you an apology. I…"
"No you don't." Addena spoke over her. "You were protecting Bree from the woman who had just broken her heart. To be honest with you I think I got off pretty easy."
"You did." Glinda confirmed.
Elphaba shook her head. "If I had known…"
"But you didn't." Addena interrupted her again. "I'm glad Bree has someone like you in her corner. People like all of you."
The corner of the Wizard's mouth turned up. "That's what family is for."
"Master Fiyero!"
They all turned to look at the young man who sprinted into the kitchen, barely managing to come to a stop before bowling into them as a group.
"Yes Milton?" Fiyero sounded annoyed.
"Captain Cade has just arrived with his men sir!"
"Tell him I'll be there momentarily."
Elphaba gave him a nudge and said, "Say please," through clinched teeth so only the former scarecrow could hear her.
"Please." Fiyero added with even more annoyance.
"Yes sir!" The boy made a show of bowing at the waist. "Right away sir!" He bowed again before scurrying back out of the room.
Glinda raised her eyebrows as she watched him go. "Who was that?"
"More like what was that." Addena corrected her sister.
"That's Milton, the youngest member of the Gale Force guard. Cade thought it would be fun to assign him as my assistant while we're here."
"Wow." Glinda gave him a wink. "You're very own assistant."
"More like my own overly hyper puppy to keep an eye on."
"Fiyero!" Elphaba chastised him.
"What?" He rolled his eyes at the look she gave him. "I know, he's just a kid and I should cut him some slack, but you don't know what's it's like to have him following you around everywhere. I'm lucky if he lets me go to the restroom by myself."
The Wizard coughed, trying to cover his chuckle.
"It's not funny." Fiyero pouted. "I had to send him on a wild goose chase so I could sneak off and come in here a few minutes ago."
"You poor thing." Glinda's voice dripped with mock sympathy.
Fiyero narrowed his eyes at her. "I think I'll just go meet with Cade now. Fae, are you coming?"
"Of course." Elphaba nodded.
"So am I." Addena added.
Fiyero gave her a look. "You want to help with the search?"
"Yes."
"Dena I..."
"I can't sit around here doing nothing anymore, Linny." Addena cut her off. "I'd rather be out there where I'll actually know what's going on than here imagining the worst." She added, "Besides, someone might need a doctor," for good measure.
"I was going to say I think it's a great idea." Glinda gave her a reassuring squeeze.
Addena furrowed her brow. "Really?"
Glinda nodded. "Really."
"So do I." The Wizard piped in.
"Then I guess that settles it." Fiyero pointed at her. "But you're sticking close to me. I don't want Breena coming after me if, Oz forbid, something happened to you out there."
"Out where?"
They all turned when yet another new voice sounded from the doorway. Eadlyn gave them a cocky grin for their troubles.
"Well don't just stand there, Addena. Introduce me to your friends."
Addena gave him a dirty look as she finally stepped away from her sister. "This is the Wizard," she used her hand to gesture at the older man. "And this is Fiyero," she repeated the gesture. "That's Eadlyn."
"Eadlyn." Fiyero repeated his name, his hand curling into a fist as he started toward the other man.
"Yes, this is Addena's fiancé." Glinda stepped between them, putting her back to Eadlyn so she could mouth, "Don't do anything rash," to Fiyero.
"We've heard a lot about you my boy." The Wizard took advantage of the distraction to get closer to Eadlyn.
"I could say the same about you." Eadlyn was all smiles. "I can't believe I'm actually meeting the Wizard."
Elphaba tensed as her father scrutinized the younger man for a moment before offering his hand.
"It's a..." Eadlyn's voice trailed off, giving away his shock at the strong grip the Wizard was using on his hand. "Real pleasure." He finished his thought before practically ripping his appendage away.
"Sorry." The Wizard gave him a fake smile. "Sometimes I don't know my own strength."
Eadlyn flexed his hand. "Think nothing of it."
"I was just telling everyone I'd like to help with the search." Addena spoke as if nothing happened.
"You can't!" Eadlyn realized how forceful he sounded. "I mean, you shouldn't be trudging around in the woods so close to our wedding. What if you sprain your ankle or something?"
Glinda mumbled, "I'm sure Father would be more than willing to carry her down the aisle to you."
"Don't be ridiculous." Fiyero sidestepped the petite blonde. "There will be plenty of us big strapping men out there to keep her safe." He thumped Eadlyn on the back. "Let her help if she wants to."
Eadlyn breathlessly replied, "Maybe you're right," as he tried not to flinch.
"Of course I am." Fiyero thumped him again.
"You said something about volunteering earlier didn't you?"
Eadlyn shot Addena a look. "I might have mentioned it."
"Great." Fiyero gave him another smack. "Now I'll have a chance to get to know the newcomer to the family."
"You're related to the Uplands?" Eadlyn frowned.
"Not by blood, but I think of Glinda and Addena as my sisters." Fiyero gave him a menacing look. "And this way I can keep an eye on you."
"An eye on me?" His frown deepened.
"Yes." Fiyero nodded. "We can't have you going off in the woods by yourself and run the risk of you getting caught too now can we? Not with your wedding right around the corner."
"There's safety in numbers," the Wizard rocked back on his heels and tugged on the lapels of his jacket, silently challenging Eadlyn to contradict Fiyero.
"I never took that into consideration." Eadlyn looked back and forth between them, feeling increasingly uneasy. "Of course I'd be honored to join you. I'll just go get my horse saddled."
"One of my men can take care of that for you." Fiyero offered, not wanting to let the slime ball out of his sight.
"I better see to it myself." Eadlyn countered. "He's kind of skittish around strangers."
"Then I guess I'll meet you out front in a few minutes."
Eadlyn nodded. "I'll be there."
"I hope so." Fiyero grinned. "I'd hate to have to have my men come looking for you so we can leave."
"I won't hold you up." With that he practically bolted out of the room.
Elphaba clinched her jaw as she watched him go. "Do you think he'll run?"
"He wouldn't have the guts." The Wizard assured her. "Not with half the Gale Force milling around outside."
"We won't give him the chance." Fiyero added. "Let's get moving."
"I'll go grab my medical bag." Addena headed out of the room.
"How about you?" Fiyero asked the Wizard.
"Much as I'd like to help I'm afraid these old bones don't take too kindly to traveling." The Wizard pursed his lips. "Have some fun torturing that bastard for me. I'll stay here and help Cade organize the next leg of the search."
Glinda sighed. "I guess I'll keep you company."
"No, I think you should come with us too."
The blonde's mouth popped open at her lover's statement. "What?"
"I want you to come." Elphaba took her hand. "I think it will help with our overprotective, feeling we need to prove ourselves tendencies."
"Oh Elphie." Glinda threw her arms around the green woman's neck.
Fiyero frowned. "Do you have any idea what they're talking about?"
"None." The Wizard clapped the boy on the shoulder. "Be safe and keep an eye on the girls."
"You know I will." Fiyero smiled.
"And you two." The Wizard's walked over to the girls. "Please be careful."
"We will be." Elphaba pulled him into their hug.
The Wizard held them both close for a moment before taking a step back. "You'd better get going."
Glinda stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek. "Hold down the fort."
"I will." He reached out to cup Elphaba's cheek. "Come back to me. And bring your sister with you."
"I will." She said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
He whispered, "I hope so," as they walked away.
Meanwhile Addena was already on her way back downstairs, the satchel she used to carry her medical supplies slung over one shoulder. For the first time since she came home she felt like she was actually accomplishing something. Even if they didn't find Breena while they were out at least she was doing something besides feeling sorry for herself.
"Would you just shut up and listen to me?"
She stopped, letting herself melt against the wall at the bottom of the steps when she heard Eadlyn's voice. He and Gregor were in the front entryway talking.
"You're actually going to help them?" Gregor looked at him like he was crazy.
"I don't have much of a choice now that big brother Fiyero has invited me." Eadlyn sighed. "Just go to the camp and tell the others I'll be there as soon as I can slip away."
Addena frowned. Camp? Others? What was he talking about?
"So you want to cancel the gauntlet?"
"Did I say that?" Eadlyn snapped. "I'm going to need some entertainment after spending time with all of those sad sacks. Tell Mason not to let anyone touch the witch until I get there."
Addena's blood ran cold when she heard the word 'witch' come out of his mouth. Could he be talking about Bree? Was he somehow connected to the trappers?
"All right." Gregor shook his head. "But the guys aren't going to like this. They've been preparing all night."
"Well tell them to drink a little more mead and hold their panties on until I get there." Eadlyn turned his head sharply when he heard voices coming from the direction of the kitchen. "We'd better go. It wouldn't do for anyone to see you sneaking off into the woods."
Addena pushed away from the wall as they hurried outside, her head spinning. She wasn't quite sure what she just overheard but she knew one thing for certain. She had to get to Fiyero and Cade and tell them someone needed to follow Gregor.