Glinda held her hand over her face. Moments earlier, her two captains had barged into the throne room where she just concluded a meeting with several Ozians.

"Is the wood crisis going to be solved", one Ozian had frantically asked her.

"And what about the Munchkins? We are losing our best people!"

"Food prices are high", another screeched.

"I hear a food shortage is imminent!"

Glinda had promised herself that she would not return to the Emerald City until the Ambassador from the Land of Ev visited the city. However, she also knew that the Wizard was on a much-needed break, so the task of running two kingdoms simultaneously fell to her. This meant that she relied on her subordinates—including Agatha, her chief lieutenant—to run the Quadling Country when she was away. Glinda's frequent appearances in the Emerald City had greatly increased after the Wizard's first year. She attributed this to him being inexperienced with administering a city. The southern witch also believed that the Wizard had been depressed, burnt out or experienced a combination of the two. Despite being burdened with this immense responsibility, Glinda smiled as she reassured her attendees that everyone was safe from these issues and that nobody had any reason to worry. Her guests departed fortuitously as her captains rushed into the throne room. They were out of breath and stammered when they spoke to her.

And this is when her cheerful exuberance ended.

After her captains told her the news, Glinda summoned Knuck. "What are we to do", she asked the small group who was before her. "How did this happen?"

The munchkin frowned at the witch. "I knew that Wizard was a good for nothing..."

"We don't know what happened", Glinda quietly said. But this did not quiet Knuck, who was as grumpy and contentious as ever. "Have you seen it outside", the munchkin passionately exclaimed. "These people want to know what happened to their defender! The Quadling Country is the Emerald City's closest ally! What in holy Oz was the Wizard doing not only in the Winkie Country, but with the Wicked Witch of the West and at her castle!? What was he doing with the Emerald City's sworn enemy?"

Trying to seek answers, Glinda turned to her captains. "What happened", she asked. But they started to shake their head. "W-w-we don't know what he was doing there! All we know is that Agatha told us this morning that we were to head to the Winkie Country for a very important assignment, but she didn't say why or for what reason!"

Glinda lowered her eyes as a confused expression appeared on her face. "I never told her to go to the Winkie Country. What is going on", the southern witch quietly mumbled to herself.

After she rubbed her eyes with her hand, she looked at her captains once more. She was trying to piece together the chain of events. "Did she know that the Wizard was there?"

But her captains both shook their head. "We don't know", they exclaimed in unison. "All we know is that the Wizard stabbed her. We saw it happen!"

Glinda then asked for her two captains to leave the room. Once they did, she turned to Knuck. "You need to venture to the Winkie Country to find out what happened…"

This made the munchkin hold his hands up as he loudly objected. "Oh, hell no, I'm not!" But before he could continue, Glinda reassured him. "I will give you my protection. Take a contingency of the Emerald City's best men. Do not provoke because good Ozians do not kill. But we need to find out what happened…"

Knuck interrupted. "And what if that traitor attacks us with his Wizardly powers?"

"He won't", she reassured him. "But if you are attacked, then defend yourselves only if need be and retreat to the Emerald City at once."

As she dismissed Knuck, the southern witch realized that her reassurance was now only an empty promise. Glinda did not know why the Wizard was at Theodora's castle. While she hid her emotions and feelings well, this news shocked her just like everyone else. Could the impossibility have happened? Could the man that Glinda knew for the past three years really become wicked? She knew that the Wizard was once a fibber and engaged in deceitful parlor tricks. She knew that he was a con artist. But was he a killer? Was he really in league with the Wicked Witch of the West? And why did her lieutenant venture to the Winkie Country? Did someone lure her there? Did the Wizard? There were so many unanswered questions.

One day passed. By this time, the council had been notified of the news and were gathered in the throne room of the palace, which had been cordoned off by the Emerald City Guards. As Knuck returned to the city, he rushed into the palace, barged into the throne room, and interrupted the meeting. As he did so, he waved a piece of paper in his hand.

"Do you see this", he screamed as he entered the throne room. The room became silent as the munchkin's voice echoed vibrantly. "What in Oz is this", he bellowed. As he yelled frantically and with much fervor in his voice, the council members silently turned around in their chairs. They were seated in a rectangular position around the throne, with Glinda in the coveted chair. Knuck's excited voice and dramatic tone made her stand. Something had happened.

"What in Oz's name is this!" The munchkin stopped waving the paper once he was in front of Glinda. "You need to read this", he demanded. "Because either you are keeping secrets from us, which I know you aren't, or I am going crazy!" She gracefully took the paper that Knuck was holding and started to read it. As she did so, her face became white and pale. Her jaw was locked and, for the first time in what had been years, a stone-cold expression was clearly palpable across her face.

Her eyes wide, she looked up. A mixture of sheer panic and great shock were evident in her voice. "I didn't write this!" The room was silent as she continued to stare at Knuck. "Who gave this to you?"

"The Wizard did", the munchkin said.

"This is not my handwriting", Glinda frantically said. She looked around the room, and for the first time in which anyone could remember, she showed anger. "Is this some type of sick joke? Who wrote this", she demanded. But as the letter was sent around the room to each member of the council, they all denied ever writing the letter.

"Do you think Agatha wrote it", Knuck asked.

"Get me one of Agatha's written statements", Glinda shouted. "Now", she emphasized. "We need to find out who wrote this!"

But as the evening dragged on, it was decided that Agatha's writing was distinct and different from whoever wrote the letter. And in the days that followed, every major public figure from every quadrant of Oz had been ruled out. Glinda checked all corners of Oz, but every single lead had been eliminated. No one's handwriting matched. She even reviewed papers signed by every available officer in her entire army, but nothing checked out. She was at a dead end.

Finally, the council lost patience and summoned Glinda to another meeting in the throne room.

Much of the council were former advisors to King Pastoria. When the Wizard became the city's guardian, it was these former advisors who demanded the creation of a council. This was done not to limit Glinda's power, but the Wizard's. And while the Wizard despised Evanora and believed the eastern witch to be his greatest threat, the council largely did not believe that she was the greatest threat that the Emerald City had. And unlike Glinda, some would not even refer to her as the Wicked Witch of the East. Instead, many of them believed that the Wicked Witch of the West was the city's greatest adversary. As a result, they were staunchly opposed to all contact with the Winkie Country. In their eyes, what the Wizard did was not only utterly blasphemous, but it was traitorous conduct as well.

"The truth is, it does not matter who authored the letter", one of the council members angrily declared once the meeting was in session. "Agatha is dead, and the Wizard killed her. We must seek justice!" This caused an uproar amongst all the members in attendance. "We must kill him", one shouted.

"But good Ozians don't kill", another pleaded.

"We must make an exception!"

"No! We can't cross that line!"

The outrage devolved into pandemonium, with council members shouting over each other.

"We must take a vote", one loudly declared. This voice caused all the others to go quiet and murmur amongst each other as some semblance of order returned to the throne room.

"Who wants to start", the council leader said.

"I do", Glinda finally said as she rose from her own chair. "First, I need to see the Wizard. We can't do anything drastic. Knuck told me that he killed Agatha in self-defense. We must hear his side of the story! I must hear his side of the story!"

Another council member stood and loudly interjected. "He also told Knuck that the Wicked Witch of the West was cursed by an apple! An apple of all things! Come on! He's clearly fallen under the sway of this Wicked Witch! He doesn't know what he is talking about!"

As Glinda was about to respond, she hesitated. She strongly believed that Evanora and her magic had something to do with Theodora's behavior. But Glinda was never told that it was caused by an apple. It was quite possible that the eastern witch had enchanted an apple behind everyone's back and used it on their sister. Or maybe she did this multiple times? Glinda didn't know, but she was wholly convinced that it was Evanora's magic that played a role in Theodora's green skinned transformation.

Yet another person stood. "This doesn't matter. The only thing that does matter is that the Wizard has taken up residence with this Wicked Witch. He is still there even after the death of Agatha, a defender of the Emerald City. His absence speaks volumes! I say we do a vote now!"

Glinda spoke again in a soft voice. "But I think I should—"

She was then shouted down by an aggrieved council member. "Glinda! SIT DOWN!" The room became very tense as she finally relented. As she took her seat, the council leader calmly spoke. "We can vote. But I am not in favor of death. I believe that Glinda should go to the Winkie Country. Perhaps there is a real reason why he is there. Maybe he really did act in self-defense? I think Glinda should go and be able to judge for herself. Maybe there is some information that we are missing!"

"No! The time for that has passed! We must seek justice!"

In the end, Glinda's influence and the council leader's reasonableness made little difference in the outcome. Most of the council voted in favor of seeking the Wizard's death, with several others abstaining.