The Wicked Witch of the East: Evanora's Return
[Part 2]
CHAPTER 14: ANDAHAN
-Emerald City-
*~ Firefly ~*
Enthusiasm and excitement spur her on to clean her plate in as little time as safely possible, but Miss Glinda and the others are in no similar hurry. Disappointment leaves her pouting, but she sits quietly regardless, waiting for the good witch to finish.
Miss Casta would would have scolded her or instructed her in the values of patience, but she hasn't left her room since Firefly was introduced to her mother. The witch of the north also hasn't accepted any visitors. Ordinarily that might have upset Firefly, but with the prospect of spending time with her mother dangled before her nose, it's become a secondary concern.
"You're really excited, aren't you?" China Girl daintily wipes her mouth, then smiles at Firefly in a way that feels understanding.
"Mother's not technically under order to stay in her room," Firefly admits, knowing this was a continuation of the conversation from earlier, "but she says she doesn't want to upset anyone by walking around the palace so we have to go to her. I'm not allowed to go on my own yet though."
Apparently having another adult with her, particularly a witch, is considered a necessity by the guards and servants. Firefly isn't sure why, since Mister Wizard and Miss Glinda don't seem angry about her visiting or wandering pre-arranged parts of the castle on her own, but maybe that's because there's always someone keeping an eye on her?
Still, she's allowed to explore on her own. Even if they do limit where she can go because of the wicked witches and Firefly being the daughter of the Wicked Witch, Miss Glinda and the Wizard let her make her own choices too. It isn't like with Mombi, where she was told exactly what she would do and be punished for failing to obey.
Miss Casta once said Mister Wizard and Miss Glinda don't restrict her because they know children shouldn't be confined with lots of rules and that some people learn better if they experience the problem themselves rather than when they're simply told about what could happen.
Though why something like that would count when she just wants to see her mother, she doesn't know.
"Please try not to be too upset about it. Everyone working here in the Emerald Palace likes you and want you to be safe. Many of them are still scared of Evanora, so they're just trying to be cautious." Finley explains with a guilty smile and a shrug.
"I guess." Firefly leans back in her chair, hugging Mister Bear close while sighing heavily. "But it's so mean! Mother and Miss Casta are alike, but I can go to Miss Casta any time I want!"
"Locasta wasn't branded the Wicked Witch." Mister Wizard points out. "I know you want to get to know your mother better, Firefly, but keep in mind that other people only know her by her deeds. Even if she isn't responsible for the flying baboons tormenting the people of Oz, she confessed to killing the king and imprisoning others."
"She helped too!"
"She did." Miss Glinda assures kindly, brushing back Firefly's hair. "Unfortunately, because she refused to share her reasons, most of the land think that she only pretended to help so that she could gain favour in order to continue her misdeeds."
"But that's not true! She was just trying to find me. You said so too."
"Until we have concrete evidence that Evanora was tricked by the True Wicked Witch, I'm afraid there isn't much to be done to change their minds."
"What about the book?"
"The Great Book of Records?" At Firefly's nod, Miss Glinda smiles sadly. "Because the Great Book only works for witches and other creatures of magic, I need both the Wizard and Locasta to support my claims or the leaders of Oz won't accept it."
"Most of them have no idea what they're talking about while others just want to see how they can get more power for their own faction. It's exhausting." Mister Wizard complains in what Firefly assumes is meant to be agreement.
She frowns, remembering Miss Casta saying similar things. Her face scrunches up the more she thinks about it. "Then people shouldn't have power."
Miss Glinda and the Wizard look at each other, then back at Firefly. "Perhaps not, but without power, a lot of good things will be lost as well." Miss Glinda claps her hands. "Enough of that, though. Seeing as everyone seems to be near finished, why don't you and I head to the kitchen to pick up something to take to your mother, hm?"
Perking up, Firefly leans forward with wide eyes. "We can go now? I want to see Mother!"
-Emerald City-
*~ Evanora ~*
"Mother!"
Rising from the vanity with a quick-forming smile, Evanora just manages to brace herself for the impact of her daughter's running-leap embrace. She stumbles back a few steps, but manages to keep her balance. "Hello, my darling."
It was only a few days past that they were reunited, yet ever since her little firefly has made a habit of visiting whenever she finds the opportunity and Evanora is endlessly grateful for it, regardless of the increasing dread of what this time with her child is going to cost her. They've been apart for six years. Six long years in which she was kept up every night wondering if her little girl is happy, hoping and praying that she's still alive.
If the Wizard or either of the good witches demand her life as payment, she may well be unable to refuse.
"I know you're excited Firefly, but at least give your mother the chance to eat." Glinda laughs as she crosses the room to the small sitting area the three of them have taken to occupying during Firefly's visits.
Evanora gives the younger witch a nod of acknowledgement and thanks, seeing the plate she sets on the table.
Another new habit. That is, either Glinda or Locasta collecting her food and delivering it. Honestly, Evanora had been on edge, waiting for something to go awry ever since she awoke in the Emerald City Palace. Locasta must have been as well, and thus their shared lack of surprise when they one day discovered Evanora's near assassination via a poisoned bowl of fruit. Which, incidentally, was also why she was confined in bed the day Firefly was brought to her.
Although it's more a surprise that Evanora is only now beginning to develop an aversion for apples.
"Mother, I've prepared my new questions!"
After the first day, they came up with a 'system' to help familiarise themselves with each other. Firefly would prepare a list between two and five questions for Evanora to answer and in return, her daughter can share little pieces of her own life by volunteering the information. She now knows that green is her little one's favourite colour, that she has a fondness for flowers, an allergy for honey and an interest in mechanical inventions.
Taking her seat without disturbing her daughter is a bit tricky, but not impossible. Granted, it does take more effort than she has to spare. "Oh? Well, let's hear them."
After clearing her throat, she proclaims, "Question number one: When is my birthday?"
Nodding alone, Glinda glances between them. "I've been wondering that myself."
"August 21st. You were born incredibly early in the morning. The sun hadn't even begun to rise yet." Evanora had gone into labour the night before and somehow made it through the several agonizing hours leading up to her daughter's birth. Of course, none of it would have been possible without Heather.
"Huh." She looks as though she has something to say, but instead her daughter quickly shakes, muttering about moving on. "Question two! Who is my dad or other parent?" There's a brief pause as she looks up at Evanora, blinking slowly, "Do I have another parent?"
She feels a sudden pang of longing and a sharp ache in her chest. If only Andahan could see their little girl. "Your father was a very kind and gentle man. Unfortunately, he was killed during the war not long after we found out that I was expecting."
Eyes shining with curiosity and eager, Firefly looks up at her, expectant and eager. "What was his name? Who was he? How did you meet?"
"Andahan was my younger brother." Both Evanora and Firefly turn to Glinda, though her daughter must look far happier with the stolen confession than she herself does. Not that Glinda seems to notice. "They met shortly after Evanora came to Emerald City. In fact, I believe their first meeting came about as a result of Evanora saving our father."
Awe-filled eyes turn back to Evanora, bright with an admiration she does not deserve. "You saved the king? Wait, that means my father was a prince!" Then, as realization sets in, Firefly slowly loses her excitement, smile replaced by a frown. "Does that mean you killed my grandfather?"
Closing her eyes, Evanora breathes in and answers, "Yes."
Perhaps realising her slip, Glinda quickly steers the conversation away from talk of King Pastoria. "It also means that I'm your aunt."
"I have an aunt? Does that make China Girl my cousin?" Her excitement is adorable, unfortunately Evanora can't seem to enjoy it.
"In a manner of speaking."
"What about Miss Casta and Mister Wizard?" Her precious girl is all but bouncing.
Glinda laughs. "As my partner, Oscar can be considered your uncle, though we do not intend to marry for some time still. While Locasta may not share blood with you, she is no less dear to you, isn't that so?"
"Miss Casta's amazing!"
"So are your parents. Did you know that Evanora speaks several different languages? She can even speak backwards."
The awed eyes are back, pinning her in place. "Really?"
Having lost her voice, Evanora can only nod, grateful that Glinda seems to have picked up on the mood and continues the conversation for her. "She taught Andahan and I how to speak Traditional Munchkin, though it took your father several accidental insults before he managed to master it. He was far more interested in magic and inventions than how to pronounce the minister's name."
"Inventions? Like Mister Wizard's?"
"Oh yes. Once he made this beautiful mechanical bird and used some Powder of Life to give it sentience. Of course, we had to sent it away after it began stealing the hats of visiting dignitaries."
"Why did it start stealing hats?"
With a laugh and shrug, Glinda smiles brightly at Firefly. "We never found out."
"It was replicating the servants." Her daughter and the good witch turn to her as one and for a moment Evanora thinks that she should have remained silent. Instead, she clears he throat and averts her eyes. "Andahan had Phinx assist the servants as part of its education as well as to ease their workload. Unfortunately, once it collected the hats, it hadn't the faintest idea what to do with them."
Unexpectedly, her daughter bursts out into a peel of laughter that soon sends Glinda over as well. Evanora watches the two, smiling in spite of herself as she wonders how long this will last. Part of her hopes the end shan't ever arrive, but she knows that's naive. Even so, she hopes.
"Mother!" Almost thrown from her seat by the sudden embrace, Evanora is forced from her thoughts and made to refocus on the beaming child in her arms. "Tell me more about Father?"
The open, honest expression and genuine enthusiasm her daughter graces her with while Evanora brushes Firefly's hair out of her face, has her speaking before she can consider what to say. "I wish he was here. He would have adored you." Unable to pull back her confession, she quickly adds, "It's strange. He wanted to name you Firefly and here you are, using that very choice of address."
"He chose my name?"
She hesitates then, remembering her little one mentioning that her current name is one she had chosen for herself after being rescued by Locasta. "It… It was a suggestion he made, several times. We agreed to keep it as a nickname, regardless of your gender."
Firefly looks at her contemplatively for a moment, head tilted. Then she asks, "Did you choose a name when I was born, Mother?"
"I… Not until some time after."
"What was it?"
Glancing between her daughter and Glinda, Evanora feels the heat of embarrassment rise up her neck, quickly averting her eyes. "Ozma. I chose Ozma."
"Ozma?"
"It means princess." Glinda explains, sounding suspiciously happy though Evanora wouldn't know as she's still making a point of staring up at the corner of the room. "It's a title used by the royal family, before my father's rule."
"The Great and Powerful Firefly Ozma!" The girl giggles in delight, jumping from her place to run between the furniture and proclaim a slew of titles for herself that make Evanora burn brighter with embarrassment.
When she chose the name, she was half delirious from battle, lack of sleep and a rather intense hallucination on top of having to soothe the fever of her newborn. Heather approved, or so she claimed, but it doesn't mean Evanora lacks the ability to come up with something more creative. At the time, she was just so tired!
"-a! Firefly the Ozma of Witches! Ozma the Fire-flyer! Ozmafly the Fiery! F-"
She's well aware she could have done better! No need to rub it in!
However, a glance at her daughter, happily dancing her way through the room while clapping her hands, stills any such thoughts from leaving the confines of her mind. The child is adorable.
"It's a good name." Glinda says suddenly, smiling at her when Evanora turns in surprise. Still red-cheeked, Evanora looks away again upon making eye contact, abruptly wondering why Locasta chose now of all times to sequester herself away.
-Emerald City-
*~ Locasta ~*
"Ughn…"
She slips down the wall, head aching from the impact. Her vision blurs, Zurline's smirking face caught in her mind's eye even though she knows the Ancient Witch made no such expression when she obliterated the scrying spell and destroyed the orbuculum from the safety of the East. Even so, Locasta cannot help but conjure the visage as her senses abandon her and she loses consciousness.
Spying on the woman was a foolish notion and she knew it.
Even so.
It was worth it.
We're nearing the end, though I'm not yet certain what that will entail for some of the characters. There are still questions left unanswered and stories yet shared, so perhaps this tale shall continue further than I intended. Who is to say?
Until next time!
– L.L.
