Tell me it's not true
.
Leila peered through the small crack in the doorway, watching her parents with a large group of official-looking men, presumably from surrounding tribes and provinces, talking in a way she couldn't comprehend or make sense of.
"What are you doing out here, little troublemaker?"
The young princess turned on her heel, trying to hide a sheepish look on her face. "Nothing, Grandma."
Eleanora smiled knowingly at her granddaughter and took her by the hand, leading her away. "Come now, you're too young to worry about politics." Liir, no doubt was down by the stables if he was not glued at his sister's side.
"But I want to help." she pouted. "I'm nearly seven, I'm not a baby."
"I know, Leila. But this is something you can't help with, not yet." Was this how Elphaba was as a child? Her Yero was curious, she had to admit, but he actively avoided getting involved or even wanting to until he had to. "I'll tell you what... why don't you come and help me write out some letters?"
"Who to?"
"Well, even a Dowager Queen still has some business to attend to." she smiled. "And I'm sure you're big enough to manage that."
The pout melted into a smile and she nodded. "Okay, Grandma."
Eleanora led her away to the study that she used while she stayed at the castle.
"If I may, Minister." Elphaba cut across the man droning on for the last ten minutes. She stared him down when he glared at her for interrupting. "Your strategy for the funds and import taxes is all well and good. But having been brought up in Munchkinland... How exactly do you intend on bringing this up with the Mayor of Munchkinland and how do you plan on getting him onboard?"
"It's not about getting him onboard, Madam, it's about funding the upcoming war." he spluttered.
"And you're going to need cooperation. Munchkins are not renowned for their undying obedience."
Fiyero suppressed a smirk and stood up from his seat, stretching as he did. "I'm sure we will find a way, Fae. Why don't you think up something that might help us?" he suggested.
"We'll have to be upfront about why we've had to arrange our budgets like this."
He nodded in agreement. War was indeed darkening their doorstep, and he wasn't able to talk his way out of the rebellions any longer. "We'll also have to come up with an evacuation plan for the children."
The atmosphere in the room tensed and they all shared a dark, apprehensive look with each other.
"Sire, if I may... Maybe we should think of that plan another time. To evacuate the children from an entire province is going to take time."
Time we don't have... Elphaba thought grimly, nodding all the same. "Our honourable friend is right... Perhaps we should take a break, clear our heads," she said and stood up.
The men murmured their agreements, following their monarch in standing and they left the room while Elphaba ran an emerald hand through her dark hair, blowing out a burst of air.
"I hate this." she shook her head, turning to look at Fiyero staring intently at a map on the wall. "You're thinking."
Fiyero barely heard her, chewing the side of his mouth as he started to formulate a plan in his mind. We're going to need Iirjik... He thought back to his old school friend, his partner in crime. "Fae. I'm going to need you to concentrate on getting the Munchkins on side for now. I'll get you back in the planning once that's done."
She frowned slightly, though she knows he's right, after all she is the only one who knows that province best. "I don't know how I would be able to do that."
He drew her close to him. "You'll find a way, you always do. I don't want you traveling out there though... We'll arrange a meeting here."
"It might be better in the village hall... Keep things to a minimum. I don't want to aggravate an already stressful situation. And a plan of my own..." the corners of her mouth twitched when he squeezed her arm. "A whole province of children, Yero..."
"I know... It's hard to comprehend right now, but we do need to think about it."
Her heart clenched as she thought of her own children, their friends. "Could we call on Glinda?"
Truthfully, Fiyero didn't have the answer. For the first time in a long time, he didn't know who he could trust. To bring in their friend could spark another Great War. "I'm not sure she can help this time."
"Then who?" it was unfair to expect an answer from him, she knew, but she couldn't help it. She had to know.
"I don't know!" he groaned. "Just... One thing at a time, Fae. Please. The less blood to be spilled the better. We're already on shaky ground with the Munchkins. If there's one person we don't have to convince about the rises it's her!"
Silence drowned them for what felt like an eternity before Fiyero whispered a gentle apology into her ear.
She nodded silently, keeping her gaze trained on a spot on the wall in front of them. "I'm sorry too, I shouldn't have pushed you."
"I just don't want to make any wrong move, and I'm worried that if we seek help from the Emerald City we might cause a bigger problem."
"Okay... Maybe not to help us fight, but what if we sent the children there? Think about it." she stepped forward to the map, pointing at the famed city. "They would be far enough away from the conflict and at least we would know ours would be safe. I would have to think up a way to facilitate a mass evacuation but give me some time and I could."
He leaned against the table, brow furrowed as he listened to her. "The railway..." he murmured, staring up at a spot on the wall.
"I'm sorry?"
"Carriages to the Upper Gillikin hills... And then on the railway to the Emerald city. Crope and Tibbett are still up there, we could call on them."
Hope surged between them like fire and Elphaba's eyes lit up. "Yero, you're a genius. It could actually work!" she flung her arms around his neck and he swung her around.
"I'll write to them, ask them to meet up so we can discuss the idea and come up with a plan."
"When you do, I take full credit for the idea." he grinned.
"Of course, my love." she laughed softly and kissed him.
"Could you send for Iirjik?"
She nodded and left the room. She had come to know and love Iirjik as a brother, the older brother she never realised she needed until he was there. She hurried to her private library to pen her letters to Crope and Tibbett and a quick note to Iirjik. "Chistery!" she called.
A moment later, the winged Monkey landed on the open window ledge. "Miss Fae?" he took a simple piece of paper from the green witch.
"Can you please take this to Iirjik? It's imperative he gets this right away..."
The Monkey nodded and leapt from the window, taking off into the trees.
Elphaba closed the window softly and went back to her letters to her friends. Nothing like an impending war to bring factions together. She thought dryly.
Back in the study, the men reconvened around the table, Fiyero back at the head and was laying out the tentative beginnings of the plan he and Elphaba had started to work out.
"And these connections of yours... They would help the cause?"
He nodded. "Glinda the Good of Oz would absolutely shelter the children should we have to send them away, and our friends in Gillikin would help with the transport." he hoped.