Thank you to MyLittleElphie for reviewing. I hope the wait this time was much more to your satisfaction. I've begun prepping Reading the Signs so by the time I'm finished here I can jump right to it.
Thank you to nursejoy7 for reviewing. Elphaba is blind sometimes.
Thank you to RavenCurls for reviewing. Larena warmed up to them during their month stay. As for Avaric, I try to write him as he is: a very powerful nobleman with a strong sense of tradition and worth. That makes him arrogant, but as a Margreave, he's second only in the line to a royal family; since Oz has none, he's part of a tradition that is second only to the ruler of Oz. So he's charming, devious, confident, self-centered, etc.
Thank you to chinaluv for reviewing. As I was just telling RavenCurls, there is much more to Avaric than arrogance like most write him.
Thank you to LillyFae for reviewing. In my Oz, here are some answers on the workings. Their judicial system exists to protect the nobles and punish treason; smaller injustices are usually dealt with personally, though some smaller court judges exist. Their laws are not as large as ours but only because it is unfeasible for them to control as much as we can today. I base a lot of it off of ancient Rome's system, and what I know of mdi-18th century judicial systems (which isn't much). Thank you for the compliments.
Here's the next chapter. As I've been saying, I've been trying to finish it up in one chapter, but it keeps going (though I don't hear any complaining). So they'll be one more, then an epilogue. For real this time.
As always, comments and critiques welcome. Read, enjoy, review.
1/26/15
The next week the trial began. It was exactly as Elphaba's mind had pictured: two tables for the defendant and prosecutor, a tall judge's podium, and a smaller podium for the witness. What she had not pictured was that it would be open to the public. Held in the courtyard outside the Palace, a crowd of thousands was able to observe from the courtyard proper and the surrounding buildings' steps. They were there now.
"Relax, Elphaba." Glinda whispered in her ear. Seated behind the green woman, Glinda was resplendent as usual. To Elphaba's knowing eye, however, she looked a bit downcast.
"Are you alright?" Elphaba whispered back. Glinda gave her a wan smile.
"Yes, just tired."
"The stomach bug still nagging you?"
"Just a bit."
There was a murmur at the back of the crowd and the two women turned to see a man in a black robe heading down the long aisle. Elphaba's stomach twisted. Everything had gone like Avaric said, except for the judge. Randomly (or not so randomly, Elphaba thought) selected, he was a staunch supporter of both the Wizard and the Administration. As such, he would have no love for Elphaba. However, Glinda hoped the information would be too overwhelming for him to affect the decision much. As the dark haired man passed by, both jurists frowned.
"All rise." Said an Emerald Palace Guard. "Honorable Judge Ephias Mako presiding."
"Please sit." The man replied as he took his own. His voice was low and gravelly, and when he looked up he scanned the crowd with ice cold eyes.
"Your Honor." Said the prosecutor.
"Yes?" the man inquired coldly.
"May I ask what happened to Judge Stremenn?"
"Judge Stremenn came down ill. Food poisoning or the like. As this case to too important to let sit, I shall be presiding. Any further questions?"
"No, Your Honor."
"How is he?" Glinda asked, leaning forward to their defender. An Owl named Hortimer, he had made his name even during the Animal Bans.
"Fairest judge to walk Oz." replied the Owl. "Couldn't have asked for better."
"Is there something you want to add, Counselor?" came the low gravel. The Owl hopped to his feet.
"No, Your Honor."
"Then let's keep the chitchat to a minimum and get under way." Judge Mako said. "First witness, prosecutor."
"I'd like to enter the written statement of one Madame Morrible into the record, Your Honor." The prosecutor approached the podium. The judge took it and raised an eyebrow.
"What is this woman's first name, and why isn't she here?" he asked coldly, eyes never leaving the prosecutor.
"She was killed recently while being held in Southstairs."
"Killed by whom?"
"It seems other prisoners; though I do admit to wondering if they were put up to it."
"Perhaps it is because she abused them for so many years when they were powerless against her, and turned the tables, Your Honor." Hortimer said, standing. The judged turned his head with mechanical precision to fix his stare on the Owl.
"Perhaps. The speculation of why she was killed is irrelevant. Once again, what was her first name, unless you want me to believe it was Madame?" he asked again, returning his gaze to the prosecutor with precision.
"Uh…"
"Mordrea." Glinda piped up and almost flinched when he turned his gaze on her. "Your Honor. Her first name was Mordrea."
"A fitting alliteration. Thank you, Throne Minister. But from now on please rise and ask for permission to speak, or go through one of the counselors. Understood?"
"My apologies, Your Honor."
"Duly noted. So the first witness is the disposition from the deceased Modrea Morrible." He said loudly, and his eyes dipped to read the letter. He murmured low. "Interruption of official state business, release of state prisoners, attempted overthrow of government through magical means. I see."
His eyes flipped up to the prosecutor.
"All would be damning, if they were true. As it is not possible to question the witness within the truth circle, we will have to undergo further examination to see if said action are true."
"Your Honor, of course they are true! She is the Wicked Witch of the West!" the prosecutor exclaimed. Elphaba flinched at the title. The judge, however, bore cold eyes down on the prosecutor until he averted his own.
"Your statement has never been tried to produce fact." He replied in his clipped, precise words. "So,the questions are: is Miss Elphaba Thropp of Colwen Grounds the Wicked Witch of the West? If so, did the Wicked Witch of the West commit treason? If not, did Elphaba Thropp commit treason?"
"Your Honor, you can't be serious! The obvious guilt is one her skin!" the prosecutor continued, outraged. The judge's next words could have squelched a forest fire.
"Have you ever seen a half-elf, half-Ozian before? No? I have. A dwarf hyped on so much faerie dust he changes colors? I have. Evians, Ixians, Gnomes, Dolls; I've seen them all and everything in between. I've heard the terrible roar of dragons, and seen the red-gold drakes of the Impassable Desert and the flying greens off the coast of the Nonestic Ocean. When you tell me something is obvious, it tells me you have not seen much." He finished. The judge's cold charisma had killed the sound from even the thousands person crowd. He leaned forward.
"Do we have an understanding?" his words like the dead of winter
"Yes." The prosecutor humbly replied.
"Good."
"Now, is there any other evidence you wish to enter into the record?" the judge asked.
"No, Your Honor."
"I see. Please call your first witness."
"We call Elphaba Thropp to the stand."
Elphaba rose, her back straight and defiant. She calmly walked to the witness stand and took a seat.
"Miss Elphaba Thropp, you realize that the chair you are in is surrounded by a truth circle, do you not?" the judge asked, looking down at her sternly.
"Yes."
"You understand the effects of this truth circle?"
"Most likely better than almost any here, barring Glinda." The answer popped out of her mouth. The audience gasped at the comment but the judge gave a thin lipped smile.
"So I see. Before I let the prosecutor ask questions, I have a few more for you. Are you a witch?"
"Please define the term witch." Elphaba replied, sidestepping the question. The man gazed at her.
"Define it? Are you unaware of the term?"
"No, Your Honor. However 'witch' has been applied to those of sorcereristic, shamanistic, ancestoric, and ritualistic magical traditions. The only common factor between them is a female practitioner. So when you ask me if I am a witch, I cannot honestly reply."
"Intriguing." The judge said and brought a hand to his chin. He leaned toward Elphaba. "Are you a female magic practitioner, and if so, what tradition are you trained in?"
"Yes I am, and the sorcereric traditions of Oz, specifically Shiz."
"Very interesting. I'm sure we'll explore that more later. However, my point is this: do not use your magical talents to subvert the truth circle; our court sorcerers will know. Doing so will be an automatic sentence of my own discretion. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Your Honor."
"Good. Your witness, prosecutor."
"Miss Thropp, are you the Wicked Witch of the West?" the prosecutor asked smugly.
"No." Elphaba replied evenly. He looked at her and blinked, and then realized his mistake.
"Were you ever the Wicked Witch of the West?"
"That depends on who you asked."
"Miss Thropp that is not an answer." The prosecutor bit out.
"I never gave myself that title."
"But some applied it to you?"
"Amongst other, less civil names." Elphaba retorted and there was a chuckle across the audience. The prosecutor scowled.
"She's evading the question, Your Honor."
"You are wording it poorly, prosecutor." The judge retorted.
"Did you title yourself the Wicked Witch of the West?" the prosecutor asked slowly.
"No."
"Who gave it to you?"
"It was beset on my by Madame Morrible, and by proxy, the Wizard."
"And why did they call you the Wicked Witch?"
"Because I did not go along with their plan."
"And what was their plan?"
"I cannot say for certain."
"Speculate, please, Miss Elphaba." The judge said. She nodded at him.
"Best I can understand, they were hoping to use me and my magical skills to oppress Oz, and the Animals in particular, further."
"Why were you special? The Wizard had many magic users." The judge asked again.
"Only I could read the Grimmerie."
"What was, or is, this Grimmerie?"
"The Grimmerie is a book of magic. In Ozian tradition, it's THE book of magic. It holds many primal, elemental spells that are stronger than most used today."
"Madame Morrible could not use it?" the judge clarified. Elphaba shook her head.
"She said it had been years and she could only read a few words." She responded.
"And you could read more?"
"I can read ALL of it."
"Impressive.
"Your Honor." Hortimer protested. "I thought that opposing counsel was the prosecutor."
The judge fixed him with a cold stare.
"Counselor, I am not here to prosecute or exonerate. I'm here to find truth, or the best we can of it. My questions are seeking that. As such, I shall ask what I will, and you should either formally object, or stay quiet. Is that understood?"
"Yes, Your Honor." Hortimer said, nodding his head. The judge turned back towards Elphaba.
"Why can only you read it?" the judge asked. Elphaba squirmed. She thought about dodging the question but the judge's piercing gaze pinned her to respond.
"The Grimmerie is not of our world. From what I understand, it is from the world of Dorothy, and the Wizard."
The judge raised a single dark eyebrow as there were murmurs in the crowd. This information was not wildly known.
"Are you certain that the Wizard was from the other world of Dorothy?" the judge asked.
"As certain as I can be."
"When did he tell you?"
"He didn't. He told Glinda, and Glinda told me."
A hush came over the crowd and the judge's icy eyes turned toward Glinda.
"Miss Elphaba, please step down. You will be called upon again soon, however. Throne Minister, if you please."
Elphaba stood and walked to her seat while Glinda left hers. As they passed, she gave Elphaba a small smile. The green woman reached out a hand to lightly brush the blonde's. The contact, withheld for a month, sent the smaller woman's head spinning. She did not come out of it until she was seated, and the judge was asking a question.
"When did the Wizard tell you he wasn't of this world?" the judge asked.
"Right before he left, Your Honor." Glinda replied.
"And why did he do such?"
"He was distraught over one of his actions."
"Which was?"
"I'm sorry, Your Honor, but I cannot answer that."
"And why not, Throne Minister?" the judge asked dangerously.
"Partially due to the deeply personal nature of it, and partially because it is a state secret. Needless, to say, it has no bearing on the trial."
"I see. As it is a state secret, I will not further inquire." The judge said, and Glinda relaxed. When he spoke, she tensed again, "However, I must ask you why the Wizard could not read the Grimmerie if he was from the same world as Elphaba?"
"He could, Your Honor, but it meant nothing to him. It is in a language wreathed in magic, and only magic users can unlock its secrets. Even if he incanted a spell out loud by some means, it would do nothing."
"Wasn't the Wizard a magic user?"
"No." Glinda replied and there were deep murmurs across the crowd. "People from the other world have no magical talent within them as there is no magic in the other world."
"But he was seen to do so."
"Sleight of hand, tiktok tricks, and other such things, Your Honor. By his own admission he had no magic in him."
"I see." The judge said, brow furrowed deeply. "In relation to Miss Elphaba's speculation about why they needed her, do you believe she was correct?"
"Somewhat." Glinda said with a nod. "However, a magic user with the potential Elphaba would be a wonderful asset. She could cure droughts, eliminate blight and pests, and create infrastructure at her will. Frankly, with her at his side, he could have pulled Oz out of the shambles it was heading into these last few years. And, as the hereditary Governor of Munchkinland, he could have kept them close."
"I see. And what shambles was this?"
"The Wizard essentially ran Oz into the ground over the last twenty years. He spent too much money on needless things, such as the Gale Force and his fanciful inventions, while neglecting the things that mattered, such as infrastructure and people. When I took over, the accounts were losing money quickly and were only being paid by shifting money around. It was quite dreadful."
"And why did you not reveal this then?" asked the judge sternly. Glinda stared back.
"One does not come in to a new office at twenty three and tell everyone their beloved leader of twenty years was actually terrible. It's a good way to get thrown out of office! Or get nothing done, at least. So I had to simply move on. Thankfully I'll be done with the position here soon."
"I see. Thank you, Throne Minister, for your information. You may step down. Miss Elphaba."
They switched again, giving each other small smiles. Once Elphaba was seated, the judge turned his attention back towards her.
"So, you were titled Wicked by Mordrea Morrible and the Wizard. However, you do claim to be a magic user of Shiz training. Care to explain?" he asked.
"I went to school at Shiz for two and a half years for Sorcery and History before in my final semester being called into the Wizard's presence." Elphaba explained bluntly.
"Do you have proof of that?"
"Only through my friends who were there." Elphaba replied.
"Why no documents?"
"They were destroyed by Morrible after the Wizard incident."
"And who told you that?"
Elphaba looked towards Glinda again, and the judge followed his gaze.
"Of course. You may step down, again. Throne Minister."
Glinda made her way back to the chair.
"Now, what happened to the documentation of Miss Elphaba's academic career?"
"It was destroyed by Morrible to cover up the fact that Oz's new enemy number one was trained under the new Press Secretary. Wouldn't look good if people found out."
"And you were a friend of Miss Elphaba's at school?"
"Yes. It is because of her I was accepted into the Sorcery program."
"Really?" the judge said, raising an eyebrow. The feeling was reflected in the crowd. "A talented sorceress such as yourself?"
"Elphaba tends to overshadow all with her talent." Glinda said humbly. "And I was not very talented at the beginning."
Elphaba snorted and Glinda shot her a look. The judge noticed.
"Something funny, Miss Elphaba?" he asked.
"Plenty, Your Honor. But nothing relevant."
"I see. Please keep your reactions to a minimum."
"I will do my best, Your Honor."
It was Glinda's turn to suppress a laugh. The judge noticed.
"Throne Minister, is there something you wish to add?" he warned.
"No, Your Honor."
"I see. You may step down, Throne Minister. Miss Elphaba, if you would."
The witches switched places again.
"Now, this meeting with the Wizard has been alluded to many times, and seems to be the impetus of the Wicked Witch title. Can you elaborate on this meeting?" Judge Mako prompted.
"Your Honor?" the prosecutor interrupted. "I believe it is my job to ask questions."
"Do you have any more at this time, prosecutor?" the judge asked evenly.
"No, Your Honor. But I just want to reassert that it is still my duty."
"Duly noted. Now, Miss Elphaba, please answer the question."
"Well, I was invited in and was challenged to do a spell out of the Grimmerie. I managed to perform the spell, which gave the Monkeys wings, and then-"
"The Winged Monkeys?"
"Yes, the Winged Monkeys. The Wizard planned to use them as spies around Oz." Elphaba explained and there was low murmurs. "Anyway, after they told me that I figured out they had been behind the recent oppression of the Animals."
"This was before the Animal Laws, correct?"
"Yes. So, after learning that, I ran from them and Glinda followed."
"I see. So you two must have been close to invite her to meet the Wizard with you."
"She's my best friend." Elphaba replied looking at Glinda and getting a smile in return.
"After that?"
"Well, I used the flying spell again, which made my broom."
"Your Honor, if I may?" the prosecutor interrupted.
"Go ahead, prosecutor."
"Miss Elphaba, did you take the Grimmerie with you?"
"Yes, I did."
"Your Honor, Miss Elphaba just admitted to stealing government property that is the main source of her ability to undermine the government."
"Objection, Your Honor." Hortimer said and stood. "There is no proof that this Grimmerie was government property."
"Are you absurd?" the prosecutor snarled. "It was given to her by the Wizard! It is also common knowledge that Oz had the book."
"Being given an item by a government official in a government building does not mean it is government property. Unless we are to assume every tea cup and note is government property? And it was common knowledge that the Wizard was a great sorcerer. We see that common knowledge can be wrong!" rebutted Hortimer.
"Your points are well made, Counselor." The judge said. "Though it stands to reason that the Grimmerie was government property, unless it can be proven then it shall not be assumed."
"Your Honor!" protested the prosecutor but a cold stare quieted him.
"Is there anything else, prosecutor?"
"Not at this time, Your Honor."
"Throne Minister, where are you going?" asked the judged. Glinda had risen to her feet and Elphaba could tell she did not look well.
"I must dip off for refreshment." Came her weak reply. Elphaba saw her swallow reflexively. She moved toward an outward aisle where that opened into a cleared courtyard. Her guards moved around her. She stopped for a moment and clutched her stomach.
"Quick, a wastebasket!" Elphaba said, and tried to move to her side. Her feet, however were rooted in place. A dark shape moved quickly as Glinda doubled over. As the man got the wastebin to Glinda's side Elphaba shouted a concealing spell. The last she saw of Glinda was the woman starting to heave.
The courtyard erupted. Screams of surprise and alarm came from the crowd, and shouts from the guard. Bailiffs moved towards Elphaba, at least a few with wands drawn. The green woman steeled herself.
"ENOUGH!" bellowed the judge. Elphaba flinched both at the volume and the tone of his voice. The man was on his feet, radiating command. The bailiffs stopped and the crowd died down. He looked hard at Elphaba.
"What did you do?" he asked coldly. Elphaba shivered.
"A concealment spell. I figured Glinda wouldn't want to be seen sick in public." Elphaba replied meekly.
"I see. When will it end?"
"When either she or someone crosses the barrier."
"Considering how that barrier seems to be ringed by Palace guards, I will say not before she wants to be seen."
"Please, Your Honor, can we take a quick break? I'd like to see to her." Elphaba begged. The judge noticed how this dragon of a woman had turned into a meek kitten.
"Of course. We will take a brief recess while you check on the Throne Minister." He replied and banged his scepter of authority. Elphaba's feet unglued and she vaulted the podium to check on Glinda.
Glinda heaved into the bucket. As this had been a common occurrence over the last few weeks, she knew that she was not done. She was right, and further emptied the contents of her stomach into the bin. Gasping for air, she wished for her stomach to settle. After one more rebellion, it finally did. Glinda finally thought to look at who was holding it for her. A dark arm ran to a concerned face.
"Thank you, Fiyero." She whispered tiredly. Seeing Glinda no longer in danger of making a mess, he withdrew the bucket (and its contents) to a non-offensive distance.
"Anytime. I remember Shiz and knew you didn't look well." He replied. Glinda weakly smiled.
"It's a damned stomach bug. Has been after me for the last few weeks."
"Have you checked with a doctor?" Fiyero asked. Glinda scoffed.
"I have magic. If magic can't solve it, medicine won't either." She retorted. Noting her appearance, the witch waved her hand and re-primped. Wrinkling her nose at the smell wafting from the bucket, she waved her hand again. The contents disappeared, and the bin was good as new.
"I'll keep that in mind." Fiyero replied. He looked over as Elphaba blew past the Palace guards and into the concealment bubble.
"Are you ok, my sweet?" Elphaba asked nervously. Fiyero face drew tighter as he heard the nickname.
"I'm fine. It's just the bug I've been telling you about. I'm feeling better already." Glinda said and smiled. It was true, but less about evacuating her stomach and more about Elphaba using her term of endearment.
"Do we need to get you to the Palace?" Fiyero asked. Glinda shook her head.
"No, I'm quite alright. A glass of water and some shade from this sun will help." Glinda replied. Elphaba opened her mouth but just then Hortimer flew over.
"The judge has decided an hour recess would be best. Please, Lady Glinda, find shelter. Being out in the elements all day can take its toll."
"Thank you, Hortimer. I think I shall change clothes and get my parasol." Glinda replied.
The trial resumed. Glinda had ordered for pavilions to be erected; not only for those partaking in the trial but also for those observing. As such, the courtyard looked like a street fair. Elphaba thought it appropriate for the circus the trial was. The judge once again came down the aisle, causing the attendants to stand. He called the court to order, and Elphaba once again took the stand.
"Miss Throop," the prosecutor started, "after fleeing the Wizard, did you join the Resistance?"
"Yes, if such a term could be applied to it. The Resistance was not some secretive organization with a hierarchy; it was more of a collection of like-minded individuals."
"And who were these individuals?
"I am not going to answer that question. They do not deserve to face reprisals for standing up for what's right." Elphaba answered coldly. The prosecutor looked at the judge.
"Your Honor." He pleaded.
"I agree with Miss Elphaba, prosecutor. The members of the Resistance are not the concern of the trial; their actions are." The judge answered evenly.
"But Your Honor!" he protested but the judge stared him down.
"Do not try my patience, prosecutor." Judge Mako warned coldly.
"I understand. Miss Thropp, what activities did you undertake while with this group of like-minded individuals?" the prosecutor asked unhappily.
"At first I found Animals, freed them when necessary, and then escorted them to safety."
"Did you attack many Ozian installations in the process?"
Elphaba laughed. "No, I didn't have a death wish! We mostly snuck in, or distracted the guards when they moving them."
"So in all that time you did not harm any Ozian soldier or guard?" the prosecutor asked. Elphaba squirmed in her seat.
"Sometimes things went wrong." Elphaba admitted. "We never killed or maimed any of the actions I took."
"How generous of you." The prosecutor drawled. Elphaba's eye flared but a look at Glinda's blue cooled her.
"We were in the business of saving lives, not taking them." She rebutted evenly.
"How noble." The prosecutor patronized, and there was scattered laughter about the crowd. The anger inside her burned but looking at contained it. The prosecutor followed her eyes, and then turned back to Elphaba. "And just how close was Lady Glinda to you at this time?"
The fire inside her finally broke through but this time it was not Glinda who stopped her; rather the ice cold voice of the judge.
"You better have something more planned than provoking the witness, prosecutor, as your words dance near sedition."
"An innocent question, Your Honor." The prosecutor backtracked.
"I see. Answer it please, Miss Elphaba."
"After I fled, I had no contact with Glinda for two and half years as she became Glinda the Good." Elphaba replied through gritted teeth.
"And when did you meet after those two and a half years?" the prosecutor asked.
"After I was caught sneaking into the Palace to free the Flying Monkeys."
"I see. That was shortly before your sister died, wasn't it?"
Elphaba dimmed, as if someone had turned her lantern low.
"Yes it was." She answered softly.
"From there you fled to your castle in the Vinkus, and that's where Dorothy found you?"
"Correct."
"And you did not undertake any other missions during that time?"
"No. I was still making my way to the Vinkus when I learned of my sister's death." Elphaba answered, skirting the issue of her visions.
"I see. And what transpired between the time of the Company of Dorothy arriving at your castle and your supposed melting."
"First, it wasn't my castle. It was on loan from a friend." Elphaba replied with a hint of smile. "And the Company of Dorothy did not arrive all together. The Vinkus is a very treacherous area, especially if you attempt to scale the eastern Kells like they were. The Scarecrow and the Tinman would not be worse for wear from a fall, and the Lion was deft enough not to. Dorothy, however, could easily have died. So I had the Flying Monkeys kidnap her and bring her to the castle."
"For her safety?" the prosecutor asked dubiously. Elphaba shot him a withering glare.
"Yes, because having a ten year old try to climb a mountain with a minimum thirty degree incline with falling rocks, crumbling ledges, and flying predators is a sound plan."
"I see. What did you do with Miss Dorothy after that?" he asked politely and Elphaba looked away but did not answer.
"Miss Elphaba." The judge warned. She huffed but finally relented.
"I locked her in a room and threatened her with chores if she didn't give me the shoes." Elphaba grumbled.
"What?" the prosecutor asked. Before he could stop himself he said "Why chores?"
"I tried to think of the punishment I hated worst as a child that didn't require me harming her." Elphaba replied. There were chuckles across the crowd.
"The shoes must be pretty powerful if you wanted them."
"Not really." Elphaba replied quickly and there were amazed gasps and murmurs in the crowd. "The only thing the shoes did was help Nessa walk."
"So how did they help Dorothy get home?"
"It seems that Ozian objects react strongly when they come into the presence of things or people from the Other world. It amplifies the effect. As the shoes were magically bond to Dorothy, who had no magic of her own, they began to amplify the magic used on her. Hence their ability, in conjunction with a spell Glinda cast, to take her home."
"I see. So after you confrontation with Dorothy, did the bucket of water actually melt you?"
"No." Elphaba laughed. "A little smoke, some dramatics, and I slipped down a trapped door."
"And what did you do after that?"
"Went to Ev."
"What did you do in Ev?"
"Built a house. Tended a garden. Healed children, animals, crops." Elphaba answered nonchalantly.
"The people there didn't find you dangerous, or recognize you?" the prosecutor asked in disbelief. Elphaba shrugged.
"They didn't care who I was, and I didn't act dangerously so they didn't think I was. The people of Ev don't place much stock into what comes out of Oz; partially since we've been hostile to them for years and partially because many of those that escaped the Wizard's regime fled there. Also, because of the diverse people there, they don't really pay much attention to my green skin."
"I see. So why did you return?"
"I didn't; not willingly at least. Glinda summoned me. One minute I was making dinner and the next I'm standing in her room."
"Really?" the prosecutor looked at Glinda and then turned back to Elphaba.
"Yes."
"Before you continue, prosecutor, I'd like to call the Throne Minister to the stand." Judge Mako interrupted.
"Your Honor," protested Elphaba, "she isn't feeling well, and-"
"Your concern is commendable, Miss Elphaba." Judge Mako cut her off. "But there are some things I think need clarification if we are to come to a just conclusion."
Elphaba glared up at him but a shuffling from the crowd drew her attention there. Glinda had begun making her way to the stand. Elphaba pondered remaining in the chair, but reluctantly stood when Glinda neared. Glinda tipped back her lace parasol to give Elphaba a smile and went to her seat. Elphaba shot one more glare at the judge before sitting down. Judge Mako gave a small smile and leaned towards Glinda.
"Protective of you, isn't she?" he said in low bass that none besides Glinda could hear.
"She is." Glinda replied fondly. "When one has as few of friends as her, they guard them close.
"Too true." Mako replied, and then spoke louder. "Throne Minister, did you know Miss Elphaba did not die?"
"Yes."
"How did you know?"
"Well, after her supposed melting I grieved. However, in my grief I began to think upon our time together, and realized there had been many occasions when she had bathed, or gotten wet. Then how could water melt her? I guessed she must have escaped Oz."
"And why did you not tell anyone?"
"I was a bit busy with Dorothy and the Wizard's departure, and then stabilizing Oz. As you may have gathered, I did not agree with her vilification. Why would I alert Oz to anything? I did not know where she was nor was she operating in Oz anymore, so she was an issue of the past. Not something to get hung up upon while trying to move forward."
"And you did not hear from her?"
"No, I did not. I had meant to go look for here after everything calmed down, but between being Throne Minister and trying to mitigate my successor's neglect of the Emerald City and his blunders with Munchkinland, I was quite busy."
"Then why did you summon her?"
"I didn't intentionally; I used a spell to try to find something else. However, magic is tricky as it works off of will. My mind was not really on the object I was looking for; it was on her. As such, she appeared."
"Quite a spell. Why didn't you do it before?"
"Oz was, and still isn't, a nice place for her. Having her suddenly appear would not have been good. We had to scramble to avoid her being detected after I summoned her."
"And when did this happen?"
"This past year's celebration of her death and the Wizard's leaving."
"Ah. I see why your mind was on her, then." The judge paused moment. "Your handmaiden was her?"
"Yes." Glinda answered and there were low murmurs. Many members of the city had interacted with the handmaiden.
"I see. Is that why you eventually fled the Emerald City? Someone found out the Miss Elphaba was under those veils?"
"No. My house was raided in the night by the Gale Force." Glinda answered. This time there were shouts of surprise and roar of conversation. Judge Mako slammed the scepter down on the podium.
"I WILL HAVE ORDER!" he roared. Glinda flinched. The crowd began to quiet once again. He turned hard eyes on Glinda. "How did you know they were Gale Force?"
"They had the Home Guard deployed in support, and when we tried to flee over the Canals, we were accosted by a Gale Forcer in full uniform."
"Did he see Miss Elphaba?"
"Yes, but he saw and called out to me first, and pointed his pistol at me."
"I see. How did you get out of this predicament? Sorcery?"
"No. A man named Duran came and saved us."
"Duran." Jude Mako said and narrowed his eyes. "Who is he? A Resistance member?"
"No. He's…he's…I don't know what he is, but he managed to help." Glinda admitted.
"You Honor." The prosecutor said. "I'd like to verify with this Duran person. Having him show up just in the clocktick of time seems suspicious. For all we know he could have been the one to stage this entire thing."
"That's highly unlikely." Glinda protested.
"I tend to agree. However, if it can be verified, then we must do so." He said and looked at Glinda. "Please find this man and bring him here."
"But I don't know where he is now!" Glinda exclaimed. The judge shook his head.
"I will give you one week to find him. I trust with all of your resources you will be able to. Until then, we will recess." He pronounced, and dropped the scepter on the podium for the last time that day.