Dinner passed swiftly and the pair had settled in for the night. The Wizard didn't know if he wanted to give her the surprise now or wait until the morning. It was getting late, but he figured he would stay at the witch's castle for the night before heading back to the Emerald City in the morning. "Follow me", he merely said as they cleared off their plates. The Wizard knew there was a difference in the witch when the Winkie servant boys did not appear and she herself helped him clean up from dinner, something that seemed unthinkable nearly a year ago.

"I want to show you something. It is a surprise." This made her gasp in anticipation as she started to eagerly take small jumps up and down in a child-like manner. "A surprise…a surprise for me, Wizard?"

There were relatively few guards on duty as he gestured for Theodora to sit on a couch in one of the nearby parlor rooms. "Okay, what is going on", she said with much hope and anticipation in her voice. Theodora was always an inquisitive girl, but she knew when something was up. And now the Wizard was acting weird, like he had a trick up his sleeve and did not want to tell her.

He smiled and raised his hand to his mouth while clearing his throat as he stood over her. "Remember when I gave you my last present the night we met?" She nodded her head. "No one had ever given me something just because they wanted to, Wizard…"

His smile became even larger. "I want to really give you something", he responded. "I think you are really going to like it." He then got on one knee, reached into his pocket, and pulled out what appeared to be a small red and velvet pendant box that would store a small piece of jewelry, no larger than a ring. As he did this, the witch's eyes opened wide with surprise and her red lips parted. "Wizard, what are you doing?"

But he merely held the small gift box in his hand. "Go on", he encouraged her. "Open it". Her hand slowly moved toward the box. Her expression conveyed much anticipation as her face lit up with the hint of wonder. Her eyes repeatedly darted between the box and the Wizard. She finally took it and opened the small case.

Inside, there was a small ornate parchment. She reached for the piece of paper and placed the pendant box beside her on the couch. She then began to slowly unfold the parchment. As she did so, the document appeared to be an official correspondence from the Emerald City as the words were written in formal calligraphy:

I, the Wizard of Oz, hereby appoint Theodora 'the Good Witch' as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Land of Oz.

Theodora then looked up at him with much confusion on her face. "What…what is this", she asked.

"I want to expand Oz's relations with other states. I want to encourage others to come here and we to them." The Wizard then stood as Theodora eyes remained fixated on him. "I've been doing a lot of thinking over this past year, and I want to reorganize the Emerald City government. I want to appoint ministers who will help me run these new and different agencies. Theodora…", he said with growing fervor in his voice. "I think you will be perfect for this role. You'll oversee the entire foreign policy of the land. You'll meet different ambassadors, travel to different and magical places. Can you handle it?"

For the past year, the Wizard thought about including Theodora in the administrative handling of the Land of Oz. But he was only going to ask her if he felt she was changing. As more Winkies began to arrive in the Emerald City and tell people about the witch's unexpected and positive change, he decided to take a wait and see approach. And when he finally visited and spoke with Bella, this confirmed to him that she was ready. Now, the only question was whether she was going to accept his appointment.

But the witch remained speechless as she placed the parchment down. "I…I…I don't know what to say", she finally said with subtle nervousness in her voice.

The Wizard clasped his hands together in a state of excitement. "Well, say yes!"

Doubt was now clearly palpable on her face. "Ohhh, I don't know…" She slowly, but anxiously stood from the couch. "I mean, typically a king and queen would handle this job. Why would you want me to do it?"

He took one step towards her. "Theodora, this is a great opportunity for you."

Her voice wasn't sad, but more perplexed. "But I thought…I thought you were going to present something else to me…"

He grabbed her hands with his. "I know this may not be something that you initially wanted, but I think this is something that you need. This will give you real responsibility, a fresh start. And if you do things right, the Emerald City will respect you. You'll get everything you ever wanted."

He looked down as he thought of his own mortality. "I…I won't be around forever…"

"Don't say that", the witch softly said.

He looked at her again. "No, but you are not understanding. Someday, someone will need to step into my shoes. I won't be around forever and…"

"But you are the Wizard! Of course, you will be…"

"Can you just listen", he said in a neutral tone. This made Theodora quiet as she continued to stare into his eyes as he spoke.

"I won't be around forever, and this will give you a real opportunity to secure a position in the city. If you do your job well and excel, if you are patient and smart, then you will gain a real following. You will become a trusted leader. Think of this as rebuilding your reputation from within the Emerald City. This is your opportunity for redemption, Theodora, and I couldn't think of a better gift to give! And who knows, maybe someday after I am gone, you will become the city's Ozma…"

"But…I have a lot of responsibilities here…"

"It's okay, you can always do this from here", he said. "There is nothing that says you can't."

Her eyes gazed down at the floor with uncertainty. "But why me", she asked. This made the Wizard touch his hand to her chin and her eyes met his once again. "Why not you", he retorted.

"No, but really, why me?"

"I think what I need is someone who has a charming demeanor, but I also need someone who can be tough. Someone who can be a bit edgy at times, maybe a little unpredictable. Someone who can keep our adversaries on our heels. Someone who isn't a pushover."

"But why not Glinda?' When Theodora asked this, the Wizard hands left hers as he turned away from her. He sighed. "Glinda has too much power", he finally said. "I want there to be more representation in the Emerald City, more beings from all walks of life. Those who have different viewpoints…" He then turned back to her and started to shake his head. "No, Glinda is not it. I want it to be you. You are my first choice."

"But what if I…"

"What if what?"

"What if I mess up…what if I'm not good…what if I…" He then placed his finger on her ruby lips. "I promise, I won't let you fail. I will help you every step of the way."

She looked at him in silence and he could tell that she was still undecided.

"You don't have to decide now", the Wizard said. "Sleep on this. And let me know in the morning."