Chapter Twenty-One:

Moments later she knocked on the door of the beautifully made castle to be greeted by a woman dressed in all black.

"Who are you?" she asked rudely and Glinda was taken back by her tone.

She held her chin high and looked at her straight in the eyes.

"Lady Glinda Chuffrey."

At once the woman's face turned humiliated and she covered her heart with her hand.

"Oh, dear I am so sorry," she apologized and suddenly curtseyed.

"Our sister Sarima was expecting the Gale Force to come, and I couldn't really see your face, Lady Chuffrey," explained the woman.

"Quite all right," lied Glinda even though she was slightly annoyed that no one could recognize her.

"Please, Lady Chuffrey do come in," said the woman as she opened the door to allow the blonde entrance. Glinda walked in and was amazed by the carvings and the architecture of the castle. She stared at the stones in wonder.

"I will call for Sarima, she is the one you want to speak with, yes?"

Glinda nodded, her eyes never leaving the interior of the house.

A few minutes later, Glinda heard footsteps and looked down to see a full figure coming down the spiral staircases.

"Lady Chuffrey, so we meet at last," said Sarima as she emerged from the darkness and held out a hand to Glinda. Glinda shook it and then pulled her hand away. Her eyes studied Sarima; she seemed young enough but was nothing at all like she had pictured when Fiyero had told her and her friends about her back at Shiz. First off she was larger than normal women, but her face was flawless and purely white in complexion. Her dirty blonde hair was kept in a loose bun, and her brown eyes held a glint of malice in them as she looked at Glinda.

Sarima managed a smile at Glinda as she stood there in a dress of deep black. A black veil was covering part of her face as well.

"Sarima, I have come here to-"

Sarima held up her hand, "I know why you have come, Lady Glinda. Fiyero talked so much about you; I am not surprised to see you here. You were good friends with him, weren't you?"

Sarima's tone was cold and mocking, almost as if she suspected something of Glinda.

And even though her voice displayed coldness and hatred her eyes remained the same, with that gentle hint of malice and grief.

"I was, but that's not what I came here to talk about," said Glinda quickly before Sarima could get another word in edgewise.

She turned to the woman next to her, "Six would you mind leaving us alone and tending to the children?"

Six as she was called left almost reluctantly and disappeared as she climbed one of the numerous staircases in the house.

"Now then, what did you come here to talk about? Did you come here to grieve, to cry, or to confess something?"

Her eyes slanted as she waited for Glinda's answer.

The public figure swallowed hard, "I came here to confess something, but it's not what you think!"

Sarima did not look the least bit interested or impressed, in fact she looked slightly bored.

"Do you think that I am simple, Lady Chuffrey?" she said with her voice louder than normal and undertones of irritation running through it, "I know why you came here! You are the glamorous Galinda that my husband talked about so fondly, the one who dazzled him with your looks, and your charm-"

"Sarima, please I didn't-"

"Hush! I am not finished yet," commanded Sarima and Glinda fell silent.

"You, the great Lady Glinda were found with blood spattered all over you and with my husband dead by your side in that little lover's nest. Don't you dare even think for a second that I don't know why you are here."

Sarima's face turned furious, as she got closer to Glinda, who was for some reason very much intimidated by her.

"I suspected this affair between you and him longer than you dare realize, Lady Chuffrey. Do not try and say that you are here for a different reason."

"But I am-" started Glinda.

"I said don't," snapped Sarima, her face flushed and finally losing her composed nature, "I will not have you lying to me when I know the truth."

"But if you could just listen to me," begged Glinda.

But Sarima turned away from her and began up the steps towards her private compartments.

"I will hear no more of your stories, Lady Chuffrey. I am tired, my husband is dead, and I wish to grieve. If you could please have the decency to kindly leave me alone…"

"No, I came here to tell you something and Ozdamn it I will say my piece and you will listen to me," shouted Glinda and her words stopped Sarima dead in her tracks. She whirled around with her hands on either side of the stonewall.

Her lips were pursed together tightly and she uttered the words, "Fine, say what you must. But I won't believe a word of it."

Glinda took a breath and looked at Sarima with steeliness in her eyes that she had never used before.

"I killed him. I killed Fiyero in a jealous rage because he was having an affair with a friend of mine. I stabbed him to death because- well because of my own selfish wants and ambitions."

After saying her piece Glinda waited for Sarima's reaction.

The Dowager Princess of Kiamo Ko stood there on the steps of her staircase silent and still. Her eyes seemed locked on Glinda as she thought of what she could say to such a confession as one Glinda had just given her.

"Why exactly did you kill him?" she asked, "and this does not mean that I believe what you are saying," she was quick to add in afterwards.

Her question threw the other blonde off guard.

"What do you mean?" asked Glinda her brow furrowing.

"What drove you to do it? You said that you did it in a jealous rage? Are you saying that he was cheating on you with one of your friends?"

Glinda was conflicted. She didn't know if she wanted to oust her secret to such a woman. She wasn't so sure that she wanted to tell Sarima if she, the Glinda the Good, preferred the company of women to men. Well it was more just one woman, but the female sex overall.

"I am afraid that I really don't know what drove me to do it. But I am so sorry," she said softly. And Glinda really did not so the answer was the truth.

Sarima scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Then you have no real proof and nothing to prove to me, so your visit here was for nothing. It has not changed my mind nor eased it."

"I am sorry for that, but that is the truth. It is not up to me whether you accept it as such or not."

She turned to leave, feeling humiliated and wretched with herself than ever before.

"Lady Chuffrey," said Sarima.

The blonde woman turned in her dress to look at the owner of the castle.

"I still strongly suspect that your vile husband killed Fiyero and will not change my opinion or reasons because of your visit here. You have done nothing but convince me even more that you were carrying on an affair with Fiyero and that your husband hired people to kill him… I do hope you were satisfied with what you and him shared."

Sarima's voice carried on into silence and Glinda could sense that the other woman had thought she had won.

"Oh, don't worry my dear," said Glinda tightly and she said this just to annoy the other woman for she felt no pity towards, "I am…"

She glanced back to see Sarima's face turn shocked and horrified and Glinda smirked to herself as she let herself out of the castle.

She returned to the carriage after a few minutes walk.

"Are we leaving so soon, Lady Chuffrey?" asked the footman, "We've only just arrived and-"

"I'm afraid that my business here is done, and I would like to return home if you please," she said lightly as she helped herself into the carriage and relaxed in its privacy and luxury.

As Kiamo Ko faded out of her sight, Glinda felt a slight pang of remorse.

But she had done it, she had told Sarima the truth and by just saying that to her Glinda felt so much better. She wondered what lay ahead for her once she returned….

I really liked how Glinda and Sarima argued in this chapter. See, even then she wouldn't give anyone forgiveness. Next chapter should be up soon. oh IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: I FINISHED NANOWRIMO 2 days ago! yay!

Review please?

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