(A/N: Sorry for um...what's it called, I'm having a brain freeze....delay! Yes, that's it. Sorry for the delay. I've been doing this writing workshop and it's been keeping me busy. It's more work making up your own characters, I'll tell you that. Anyway. To anyone that gave their condolences for my grandmother, thank you so much! It was so nice of you all. This chapter is a little fast I guess, a bit scattered I guess, maybe not. Anyhu, thanks for reading and all your support and reviews. So review again and make my day! lol)
Finally, James felt like he was able to move. He quickly made his way back to his tent. His advisors followed behind him. Once inside his tent, the advisors exploded with arguments and suggestions.
"You have to think of your people--!"
"You can still--!"
"Fight--!"
"Don't surrender or--!"
"Oz will be destroyed if you let--!"
"ENOUGH!" James roared, "My head is ringing enough without the lot of you spouting shit that I already know!" the advisors immediately shut up. James sighed, "We're not attacking."
"But sir--!"
"Think logically now your highness--!"
"What about Oz--?"
"I've made my decision!" James shouted over them, "We're not attacking! At least not now we aren't! We don't attack until my daughter is out of that vile creature's clutches!" Nobody said anything. Fiyero walked in then, having heard the whole thing.
"I think that is a very good idea sir. Usually I would say to attack right away so she would suffer less, but we would lose considering Frex weakened our forces. We lost a lot of men today because of his surprise attack. And I think that's why he held back in the first battle so that he could weaken us in this surprise attack so that when he made his proposition, it wouldn't be entirely stupid." said Fiyero, "It shouldn't take us long to devise a plan on how to get her out. We've also got Linus, the Bird from earlier who can work as our messenger in case we need to communicate with Elphaba. Once she's out, there won't be anything stopping you from attacking."
"Fiyero you've thought this through." said James, "Now, let's get a plan together, where's Linus?"
"At your service sire!" Linus flew in proudly.
"Linus, go to the palace and see if you can look through the windows and see if the guards are guarding all routes to the exits." said James. Linus nodded and he was off, yelling over his shoulder.
"I won't get lost this time!"
***********
Fiyero and James had been staring at the sky a good fifteen minutes now. Finally they saw Linus. He flew back, out of breath of course.
"Guards at every exit." he breathed. Fiyero and James both cursed under their breath, but of course, this was to be expected.
"Damn, if only we could just fly her out!" Fiyero said exasperated, running a hand through his hair.
"Yes!" James said, looking up, "We could enchant a broom or something and fly her out!"
"There are bars on the window sir." Linus said.
"It'll be easy to blow a hole in the wall or something." said Fiyero dismissively, ideas coming to him at lightning speed.
"Yes!" James said, thinking hard too.
"Who do you know that can enchant something to fly?" asked Fiyero, his spirits declining as realized how stupidly hopeful they had allowed themselves to get. They heard a small clearing of the throat and they both turned to see Galinda, he small hand raised hesitantly.
"If you please sir, I actually took a sorcery class at my last school and I was able to enchant books to float in the air, I'm sure if you got me a spell book, I'd be able to enchant brooms to fly." said Galinda.
"Wonderful Galinda!" said James. He immediately sent two men to go and get a spell book for Galinda. James walked away, needing to check with his generals to see how their side was holding up. For all they knew, Frex could be planning another attack to weaken them even more so that it would even be in their favor to surrender. But all they could do would be self-defense. Fiyero turned to Galinda once everyone had cleared out, getting brooms and spell books and what not.
"You really think you could do it?" asked Fiyero.
"Well I wouldn't have said anything if I couldn't!" Galinda snapped, "Though it might take a few days."
"I hope she can hold out that long." Fiyero sighed.
*************
Elphaba had never felt more pain in her entire life. Frex had never done something this bad to her. She wanted to scream and keep screaming, but she was too cold to. There was a fire that seized through her body but at the same time she felt as though she was drowning in ice cold water. She shivered violently, yet she felt sweat dripping down her face. Every time the wind blew through the barred window, it swept into the open gashes on her back and she jerked uncontrollably. She looked up and saw Linus come through the window. He was horrified by what he saw.
"Princess!" he exclaimed, "Are you--"
"L-linus," her voice shook and was terribly weak, "T-t-tell my fath-ther that Fr-frex is attacking t-tonight."
"Y-yes Princess." Linus' own voice shook from the tears he was trying not to let fall.
"Don't c-cry Linus, brush-finch Birds n-never cry. Now g-go before Frex c-comes back and finds y-you." she managed to say. Linus nodded and quickly took flight, small tears dropping from his eyes like rain. A young girl below from the city looked up as she felt a raindrop hit her cheek. But there were no clouds. She saw Linus. It took a lot to make a brush-finch Bird cry. Most brush-finch went their whole life without ever shedding a tear. You knew things had taken a terrible turn when you felt the tears of a brush-finch on your cheek. Tears ran down her face silently as she watched the Bird soar through the sky. These were bad times. Ever since James had lost power, Frex's men had come into the city forcing money or anything they wanted, any resistance was punished by death. Animals were being hunted and killed because Frex didn't believe Animals should have rights.
************
This time they were ready. Linus hadn't lost his way, thank Oz and he managed to inform James before Frex attacked. They stood ready at the border line, expecting the shadows of Frex's men to lurk and stretch themselves across the hill before actually seeing their bodies. They seemed surprised that James was already at the ready. They attacked none the less. This time however it was a fair equal fight. Both sides lost men, but neither won. Frex pulled his men back before he lost more. He was beyond furious. He was nearly shaking with rage. How had James known they'd be attacking tonight?! He went to the border line. James met him there.
"How did you know?" asked Frex in a low menacing voice.
"There's seems to be a traitor among you." James lied icily. Frex swung around to face his men, scanning their faces, looking for the traitor. They all gave surprised looks and looked at each other.
"You're lying." Frex accused, turning back to James.
"How can you know?" asked James, "You don't even know who's slipping us the information that just might claim us the victory."
"You seem confident tonight." Frex spat, "Would you like an update on your daughter's health? She's in an insufferable amount of pain, lashed until she lost consciousness. I think her blood will leave a permanent stain on the stone."
************
Frex paced around in his study angrily. After their last battle, there had been no word from the Wizard. Nothing. They hadn't surrendered, but they hadn't attacked either. It was so aggravating. He'd already lashed Elphaba until she fell unconscious and he'd had James notified of that too, but still nothing! It was as though James was planning something. He was acting like Elphaba didn't even matter anymore. Ugh, Frex was so frustrated. He went back up to the East Tower. It was the second day of silence from James, so that meant Frex had to do something else horrible to Elphaba. He opened the door and saw her sitting in the corner, blood pooled around her, sliding down her back. She was shivering violently, hugging her knees to her chest. She didn't even have the energy to acknowledge his presence with a biting sarcastic remark as usual. Frex sighed in frustration again. Odd as it may sound, he didn't want to cause her any more physical pain because he was afraid she was going to die. But he didn't want James to doubt his ability, or say he was bluffing. He couldn't appear, as James so cordially put it, pathetic. He called for Madame Morrible then.
"Morrible!" he yelled. He'd found her in the Great Kells, locked up in some cell or other for using her magic to kill someone, he figured a sorceress like her could be useful. The older woman came bustling up the stairs, her face wore an evil look.
"Yes?" asked Morrible, looking at Elphaba with disgust. Elphaba turned her head slightly to see who had a come. She'd never seen the woman before, but her gaze was of pure hatred and wickedness. She shivered again, but not from the blood loss or cold.
"It's the second day and the Wizard, being all full of himself, still hasn't acknowledged my proposition. I'd break her other arm but I fear that she'd die or something. Oz how frustratingly fragile she is. So use your magic and do something to her, but make sure it doesn't hurt. I want James to break and surrender."
"It would be my pleasure." said Madame Morrible evilly. She cackled then, loudly and maniacally.
**********
It was the second day, and everyone was getting anxious. Fiyero was itching to know what went down at the battle last night, he kept his promise to Elphaba and stayed away from it, taking Galinda to the deep forest while they waited for the fight to end. He asked around what Frex had said, because apparently whatever he'd said left a lot of people uneasy. Everyone seemed reluctant to tell either him or Galinda though.
Galinda had been pouring over the spell books all day yesterday, looking for the exact spell, it couldn't be too complicated and it couldn't be too lenient. Fiyero had tried to give her space, but it proved hard to do. The plan was that he and David would be going (David was practically his partner in crime by now) to the palace. It would be easy to knock out two guards, Linus had said, at one of the exits. They would put on their uniforms and go to the East Tower, either get a key from the guard or blow the door open if they couldn't get a key. Then they'd blow a hole in the wall and be able to fly out. Linus said there was enough space in the tower for them to use a stick of dynamite and not be in the blow themselves. It was a simple enough plan. It would be fine. Fiyero was about to go into Galinda's tent again to check on her progress, but someone tapped him on the shoulder from behind.
"Prince Fiyero, you're parents are here to see you." said the soldier.
"My parents?" asked Fiyero, confused. He'd forgotten all about them in everything that had been going on. He followed the soldier through the maze of tents to the Wizard's. He went inside and saw his mother and father there.
"Mom?" asked Fiyero, "Dad?"
"Oh Fiyero!" his mother cried, running over to him and giving him a huge, suffocating hug.
"What happened? How did you guys get here?" asked Fiyero.
"Well, Frex pretty much abandoned the Vinkun Castle. In all honesty, I think he forgot about us. So we trekked here after we learned about the war." said Lisa.
"Well it's great to see you guys!" Fiyero exclaimed, "Especially you mom, you're not hurt are you?"
"I'm fine dear." said Lisa, "And Harold is too." Fiyero looked up at his father, losing his smile.
"G'day father." Fiyero nodded in his general direction, "Glad you're alright." Harold nodded stiffly.
"The good news, well, besides this good news, is that your father has brought the entire Vinkun guard, so we're up a good 25 percent I'd say against Frex." said James.
"That's great!" said Fiyero, "I'm going to go check on Galinda and see how things are going with the spell, James why don't you tell my parents the plan?" Fiyero quickly exited the tent, the atmosphere was getting tense with Harold in there. Yes he was glad to see his Dad, glad he was alright, but still...
As he neared Galinda's tent, he heard squeals of excitement. He quickly went in and saw two brooms floating steadily in the air.
"Galinda you've done it!" Fiyero said.
"I know!" Galinda cried, "But you'll have to wait over night for the spell to complete set in."
"Thank you so much Galinda!" Fiyero cried, giving her a big hug, "You're the best, I mean it."
"Thanks dearest!" Galinda giggled, "Elphie'll be back in no time. I could only charm two brooms, so she'll have to ride with either you or David, but they should be full proof, I think I did the spell exactly right. See Fiyero? I told you everything would be fine, that you'd see her again. You will see each other again and guess what else."
"What?"
"You'll be defying gravity." she said and the brooms twirled gracefully in the air.