A/N: A shout out to James Birdsong. So glad you've been enjoying it and thanks for the review.

A/N2: For the record, what is about to happen is all Ultimate Queen of Cliffies fault, so please send the torches and pitchforks in her general direction. Thanks. :P

Chapter 9

Glinda arrived at Kiamo Ko with Captain Khalil and the moment the bubble broke, the Captain excused himself to retch all over the nearby flowers. Glinda shook her head and then rubbed his back to try and soothe him.

"Sorry about that. I suppose I should have warned you that flying by bubble for the first time can be rough, especially if you don't have very good sea legs. Or at least that's what Fiyero said. I'm not even sure I know what "sea legs" means," she admitted.

"Let's put it this way, I'm a soldier because we don't have to go on boats. I don't fare well over the rocking and rolling motions," Khalil admitted.

"Funny, last night you seemed fine," Glinda smirked.

"That was different," he chuckled remembering the fun they'd had the evening prior in the bathtub.

"I'll keep that in mind. Meantime I'd better cast a spell on you so as to avoid you puking on the King's shoes," Glinda suggested.

"Good call," he nodded before emptying what was left in his stomach. She quickly cast a spell to settle his stomach and then she fed him some of the food that they had packed to share with the Bird they were meeting.

"Can't have your stomach growling either," she commented.

"No, that wouldn't be good," he chuckled wiping his mouth. They both looked around for signs of their helper but could find none.

"You think he made it out of the Vinkus ok?" Glinda asked, growing concerned.

"He did say that it was a six hour flight for his little wings. However that's still faster than horses considering they have to mind the terrain," Khalil pointed out.

"Oh true. I just hope he isn't tuckering himself out by trying to get here faster," the blonde said. Khalil nodded and headed back inside the dilapidated castle. As a wedding present to the entirety of Oz, Glinda had promised that after the wedding, plans would be revealed to restore the castle to its former glory and it would be used as a safe haven for travelers and as an outpost for the Gale Force.

"Lady Glinda!" A voice from far away came out of nowhere and then suddenly the Bird they'd been looking for dropped himself onto a lower tree branch. His chest was heaving and it was obvious that he'd been flying very fast.

"Oh Henry! Are you all right?" She asked, holding out her hand so that the robin could land safely a little closer.

"Yes my lady I am. I fear Miss Elphaba and Master Fiyero as not," he heaved a sigh.

"What happened?" Glinda paled.

"They were arrested for treason. It seems the King threw them both, along with Zetti, Roth, and Olaf, in jail. At sunset they intend to execute them!" Henry relayed.

"We haven't a moment to lose then, sunset is but three hours away! It seems that Fiyero's father did not take the news of his son being married very well. Nor did he listen to your letter," Khalil pointed out.

"No it seems not. It will take us almost that long to get there," Glinda said, handing the food to Henry and instructing him to take it easy for a little bit.

"I have sent some friends to Miss Elphaba's aid. Hopefully they will slow things down," Henry explained.

"Very good!" Glinda exclaimed as she drew the bubble up around her and her fiancé and they raced off toward the Vinkus.

Meanwhile, Fiyero tried to get his father to listen to reason. He tried threatening him. None of it worked nor would his father budge from his decision. He would destroy his family before letting the Vinkus fall apart. Upon the conclusion of Havel's reign a successor from Sarima's blood line would be chosen to rule. In the meantime she would be allowed to marry anyone her father deemed worthy and they would then become King and Queen.

Eliska had refused to accept that her husband would do such a thing and tried to get him to listen. Unfortunately all that did was enrage him. How dare she question him? He was the King! Eliska was locked in their bedroom and she pounded on the door and screamed for someone to let her out until she could no longer speak due to the hoarseness of her throat.

Down in the prison cells, Fiyero now paced, trying to think of anything that would get them out of their current predicament. He looked to his beloved wife. She was the answer if she could help them. Her strength was slowly crawling its way back to normal but her brain was still very sharp.

"I have a plan but you aren't going to like it," she admitted.

"I'll take anything at this point," he said.

"Then you have to leave me behind," she said.

"Not an option," he told her. She was about to say they couldn't afford to be choosy when a guard showed up at the door to their cell.

"The King wants the green one and the traitor in his chambers. The other three are to remain," he told the men standing next to him. They quickly opened the cell door and headed to grab the two that the King wanted to speak to when Elphaba did the only thing she could think of and zapped the man who went for her arm with some purple electricity that shot through her hand. He fell to the ground and the other guards turned to her.

"Don't let her touch you with that!" They struggled to corral the witch as she continued to zap the guards as they grew near. Zetti and Roth joined in the melee and before they knew it, all the guards that had been guarding them were unconscious.

"Make a break for it boys. Head back to the horses," Elphaba instructed. Zetti and Roth scooped a still unconscious Olaf up and started to head out of the prison via the back door.

"Stop!" A guard that was late joining his fellow guards came running toward them from the stairs. Elphaba shot the electricity at him but it wasn't before he managed to fire off a round from his rifle. The shot would alert the other guards at the main door of the prison so their time was growing short.

"We have to go," Fiyero said, rushing to Elphaba's side. It was then that he noticed the errant shot from the guard had struck her in the shoulder. She was bleeding and in pain. He quickly tried to scoop her up in his arms but she refused.

"Leave me Yero. Get out with the boys. Get Glinda," she tried to tell him.

"I'm not leaving you," Fiyero said.

"I'm not strong enough to save you. If you get shot that's it. My power is practically zapped. Get out while you still can!" She practically barked at him but he refused. Grabbing her by the waist, he scooped her up and ran; the sounds of hundreds of footsteps were only moments behind them.

To Be Continued…