Hey yall new chapter is up and it's turning out to be really insane and i wanted to make it a bit funny as how i really enjoy to write but it seems that if i don't write funny i make so that people and myself hate the characters and that makes me sad and yet it tickles me in all the right places. hehehehehe. yeah. i'm writing more but next chapter it will be set in oz when Glinda is conceived and how Elphaba is born and Genry's rise to political power.

A Few Miles Outside of Wittica,

A Carriage pulled by two dark horses turn on the path that leads strait to Wittica in the Upper Uplands in Gillikin. The ride since leaving Munchkinland has become smoother and faster. The passenger inside the dirtied carriage was glowering and sulking. His mood wasn’t a reflection of his travels but a reason of his early return. The driver and the two horses were dirty and tired and he didn’t care; he was still angry at the driver for making his return to Wittica longer. Thinking about the driver arguing with him over the fact that apparently his horses and he were in need of water and rest, just made his frown deepen. He wanted to be in Wittica days earlier so he could go back to his fiancé and spend less time thinking about heading back to the place he had called home and his guilt. Two months in this carriage, alone with his memories of that night of forbidden passion with the Munchkin’s Eminence Second descending. He never asked to be sent to Oz, to fall in love with one of the people he was supposed to use and discard. And yet everything here went to hell in his haste to be free of his benefactor. He got impatient and now he paid for it. Closing his eyes he began to wonder what else was going to go wrong now, after all, all bad things seem to hit in three’s; didn’t they?

Arduenna Manor
Wittica, Gillikin in Oz

The tall redheaded Gillikinese man stood by his sturdy quoxwood desk at his home office, waiting for word on his ‘adopted’ protégé. The man was beyond rage; well it was a good thing that he had, had more than a month to seethe and wouldn’t really call for blood. And yet his mind begged of him to reconsider maybe sending the man his daughter was engage to, to the Glikkus and bury him where all the Animal and some human miners were buried. Looking down at his hands he flexed them and tried to imagine the accumulated blood that he knew was supposed to be there. Lost in his guilt and shame he almost missed the door to his office open; which announced the arrival of his accountant and newly appointed business partner and his son.

“Master Arduenna, I’ve arrived from town finishing the arrangements for tomorrow’s engagement and have brought my son for you to meet.” Ugajor declared as he motioned for his son to step forward. “I know it’s been some years since his last visit to Wittica, but here is Gaslond. Gaslond this is Master Grejor Arduenna the man who will become family tomorrow when you wed his daughter.”

The tall man, Grejor, turned and looked to Ugajor and then to his future son in law.

“Gaslond, I must assume that your father has told you of the reason for your visit as well as for the wedding that will be taking place tomorrow?” Gaslond walked towards Grejor and extended his hand to him and nodded, Grejor met his hand in a firm shake.

“Yes, sir, my father has informed me of the urgency of the matter at hand and also of the delicate troubles that have been brought upon yourself and your family by the con man that wormed his way into your graces. I will give you my word that your daughter will never want for anything and that I will care for her and if need be I will keep that ‘man’ away from her when we take our leave to Frottica.” Looking into the eyes of the older man who looked older than the last time he had laid eyes upon him. His eyes seemed to have lost the bright sparkle of life that seems to follow the Arduenna’s. His hair and facial hair seemed to have lost their battle with the specks of white that seem to have taken home over the majority of his hair. This man, who at one point would have looked tall and regal and poised and elegant, now seems but a shell of his former self.

“That’s good, it saves us time from having to go over it again and I will hold you to your promise of caring for my child. She’s the only family I have left and I wouldn’t bare the thought of loosing her like I did her mother.” Staring past the two men before him, his eyed glazed a bit and he had to fight back the tears and memories that would flood him whenever he thought of his late wife. Swallowing his grief he continued, “My daughter should be out riding and by the time we throw out the scoundrel that has been nothing but a vile snake in this family; she should be finishing her ride. And then I shall announce to her the change in plans and on her engagement and marriage to you tomorrow.”

“You mean she has no idea about her fiancé?” Gaslond asked surprised at the secrecy between father and daughter. “What I mean to say is; she doesn’t know about Genry’s lies and manipulations?”

“Dear Gaslond, my daughter would never believe a word said against that man. She is infatuated with him and if I had told her then I would have run the chance of her not believing me and then I would’ve lost her to him. She would have had ample opportunity to run to him to where ever it was he could be. Now there’s a night to keep her here and no way for her to gain the courage to run to him before the wedding.” Turning to walk behind his desk he sat on the chair behind it and motioned for his guests to follow suit on the chairs seated in the front of his desk. “Your father got word that he would be arriving at any tick tock and since you know of the business and the treacherous destruction he’s been leaving in his wake I want you here when I confront him. You should know to the extent of what you’ve gotten yourself into.”

Ugajor turned to his son and followed in, “My boy you know I left some things out of my explanation but once you hear what this man has done to this family and to dozens if not more of the Animal workers and their families and yet we suspect that he’s done the same to humans.”

The short plump redheaded man would have continued in his explanation if the arrival of a carriage carrying the man they were speaking of, hadn’t interrupted them. They stayed in their seats knowing that a servant would bring the man in to the office.

They didn’t wait long before the voice of a man traveled through the outside hallway and made itself present with the opening of the door. A tall blonde man in his mid to late twenties stepped into the office and took off his hat and coat. With a small frown and glare he looked toward the man sitting behind the quoxwood desk and began to question the urgency of his coming to the office so soon after his travel.

“Grejor what is it that it couldn’t wait a bath and some rest. I’ve just arrived from the long journey you sent me to and I’m feeling a bit lagged from the ride.” Noticing the mans gaze go to the two men occupying the chairs at the front of the desk the blonde haired man’s demeanor changed and he greeted the men. “Oh, there’s company my apology’s. I wasn’t informed that you would be here Ugajor.” He said the last part with a bit of a sneer at the man’s presence.

“Master Genry, we were actually speaking of you. There are something’s that need to be explained and examined about your work with the Arduenna state and his holdings from the Vinkus.” With a small grunt he got off his chair and grabbed some folders from Grejor’s desk and handed them to Genry. “As you can see here you will need a really solid reason for these atrocities.” Ugajor finished.

Looking over the file and what it held made his blood run cold and his face ashen. What he held were some of the documents he swore he had safeguarded so that a meeting like this would never take place until after his departure back to his world. These papers where supposed to stay lost and out of sight. He made sure that no one would reach these unless some one knew what they were looking for. The only man who would do a thing like this would be, lifting his head to meet Ugajor’s eyes he saw the gleam in his eyes. Of course it had to have been him. That little toad would do anything to make him fall from grace. Ugajor had taken a dislike to Genry since his arrival, when Genry began to take over Ugajor’s kiss ass place next to Grejor.

“So it seems that you do recognize the files on your hand, Genry.” Looking up at Grejor their gaze met and when Genry tried going for a response, which of course consisted a well placed lie, Grejor stood up and slammed his hand on his desk. “Who do you think you are to come into my home and disgrace my name and social standing to satisfy your needs, you pathetic insolent bastard. Did you think that I would never find out about your dealings about your betrayal and the trail of blood you’ve left in your path? You sullied my name with that blood and for that I want you to rot in the fire pits of the Great Kells.”

Knowing when to call it quits, he decided to drop off all pretense, and “I believed I would have been long gone, but it seem that your faithful guard dog here can be quite persistent. I had believed that I had gotten rid of him but he still found his way back to his master lap, as only the faithful animals can.”

“You sir, must watch your mouth if you know what is good to your health. Never speak of my father in that manner or I shall forget my upbringing and shall make you regret your spiteful words.” Gaslond stood up and to his full height and threatened the blonde man.

With a scoff he turned to the Ugajor’s son and with a small smirk defied him, “You must be the offspring then. I always believed that Ugajor was a eunich, what with the stick that seems to make its home up his arse. Of course he would spawn the filth always does just like rats and vermin.”

Not even a second passed before Gaslond crossed the distance between himself and Genry and knocked him to the floor with a well placed punch. He would have picked the blonde by his shirt and continued his punishment on him if it wasn’t for two set of hands that held him back.

Spitting out the blood that seeped into his mouth from the contact that his cheek had with his teeth he took out a handkerchief and wiped at his lips to clean them of the red that trailed his chin.

“Barbarians, as only you can be. Marrying outside of your species you must then be descendant of ‘Rats’ or some other filthy ‘Animal’.” Standing up he stared at both Uplands and then to Grejor. “You’re father’s death must have taken more than your manhood but also your mind if you want to willingly associate yourself with the help.”

His eyes widened and his anger flared up and he pushed Genry against the bookshelf standing behind, the impact was pretty severe and caused several books to fall around them.

“Don’t you ever speak of my family in that manner; you have no right to speak of them as if you knew them. You are nothing to me, nothing to them and nothing in this land. And you must be grateful that my father isn’t here to bring judgment on you, you pathetic excuse of a man. He would have destroyed you were you stand. And never take that tone to any of my guests. Because here in my home they are welcomed and you my ‘boy’ are not.”

Looking at his eyes lighting up with rage Genry grinned.

“Really; you would have me killed. Is that what you want Grejor? Because I can see it in your eyes, I can see that fire that is burning inside of you. You want my blood but you do not have I in you to commit yourself to do it. You don’t have it in yourself to do it. Because if you kill me, if you spill my blood; you become me.”

Feeling Grejor’s grip loosening, he smiled at the fact that he was proven right.

Walking away from the cocky man, after a few steps he turned back and directed the next words straight to his ex protégé with a sneer. “It seems that it makes you feel in control to know that you can read me so well. But Genry I have nothing to loose anymore. Not to you or to Oz. I know that right know I could snuff out the life from your pathetic existence and I wouldn’t loose any sleep over it. You believed you could read me so well and yet you never asked why it seems that my wealth is still intact. Why there hasn’t been a dent in my shares in Glikkus with all the slavery you forced upon innocent Animals and some humans? Well ask me why, Genry? Ask me.”

With a furrow in his brow he squinted a bit in confusion and did what Grejor asked of him but not because he was told to but because he was curious.

“Why are your assets still active and the Glikkus quiet?”

“Because I became you the moment I met you. They’re dead. They won’t talk and I made it happen.” Cocking his head a bit Genry’s eyes widened a bit and Gaslond turned to his future father in law gaped at his words. “I had a problem arise from your bigoted ideals and by your avarice. And I took action, the same action that you’ve been dealing out and it saved my hide and put yours very close to danger.”

“So is that why you brought your dog and his spawn? So they could get rid of my body when you try to snuff out the life from me?” with a laugh bent down to pick up his fallen coat and hat. “Grejor, do you honestly think I didn’t foresee this snag in my plans? Come on; give me more credit than the small insignificant thread you’re throwing my way. From the moment I awoke I knew you were going to be my ticket home. And on the ride home I knew what to do with any inconsistencies that would arise in my plans.”

Putting on his coat and hat he fixed his suit and ‘tie’ and glancing at a metal plaque on the wall he started to dab his handkerchief on his wounds, cleaning any traces of blood, before continuing with his little revelation.

“I’m a lawyer who works for the devil, Grejor. I’ve been taught to expect the unexpected.” Looking at the confused and shocked faces reflected on the metal surface he turned. “I know who I am and with my help I made you realize who you’ve been hiding. But like I said I got to cocky in letting the dog off his leash to quickly without getting rid of him completely. And I didn’t hide my tracks completely because I got careless, believing I wouldn’t be here for the aftermath of my little intervention in your life. But what I kept putting off was cleaning my mistakes and it came to nip me in the bud. And that royally sucked. Your life ending up in shambles and your family deteriorating were just small mistakes and casualties. Don’t really care nor did they make me loose any sleep.”

Genry walked up to his ‘mentor and continued.

“So Grejor you won’t kill me, you won’t do anything other than let me walk out of that door and I’ll take my belongings and my share of the wealth you bestowed upon me, without your knowledge. I mean I would have waited to have taken your daughter and then discarded her after you’d have signed everything to me but I felt that I had to be more prepared than to just wait for it to have fallen on my lap. You see that was when I actually realized I wasn’t going to get home any time soon.”

“You monster, you’ve just destroyed a family and you’re still believing you’re going to walk out this door with gold and property that doesn’t belong to you? You won’t be going anywhere other than to the dungeons here in Gillikin. And you won’t ‘discard’ anyone if you still believe you’re going to marry his daughter.”

Turning to the young man that had dared to threaten him he sighed and shook his head and let out a small smirk that covered up the small grimace and heavy feeling at the pit of his stomach at the thought of speaking ill of his beloved.

“I don’t want her. She means nothing to me, never did, never will. All she was to me was my pass at this fools fortune.” Controlling his breathing, so that he could get out the next sentence without vomiting, he said, “Well maybe I’d have screwed her and left her a bit broken so that when ever you’d see her you’d see nothing but a whore who-

He was cut of by a flurry of fists falling on him covering his face and torso. And with every punch their came obscenities punctuated by every hit. He didn’t know how long he let himself be struck partially to play the martyr and saint when Grenavie walked in to the office and partially because he knew he deserved every hit for saying those things of the woman who made him feel human for the first time since he began working for the law firm.

With the door opening and the shocked yell that Grenavie let out, Grejor finally stopped to look at his daughter who looked at him with confusion at his actions.

“Grenavie, my daughter-

He was interrupted by her as she ran to her beloved and fiancé, well at least to her general knowledge since she didn’t know of her father’s change of heart and her impending wedding the following day to the red headed young man standing not ten feet from her.

“What are you doing, father? Oh, Genry my sweet what happened? Why was father hitting you? Why did you hurt him father? Have you lost your mind?” She was disturbed by her father’s outburst. And she didn’t care that she was raising her voice to her father and disrespecting him.

“Daughter move away from that vile man and learn to show some respect to me in front of my guests.” Grejor was shocked at his daughter’s defiance and her choosing that man over him. He didn’t care about the two men looking in on the squabble but he still had to save face even to the very end.

“It’s nothing my love. Do not worry over me and don’t blame your father. It seems that he’s being deceived by his guests. And has lost his trust in me and for my love to you, dear Grenavie.”

“You dare lie after you’ve talked evil of the young lady before you? You are more conniving than a snake.” Gaslond let out. “You lie there and dare to pin the mess you’ve made for yourself on my father and I? Why do you not tell the truth of why we have confronted you this day?”

“My dear, I have no idea of what this man is speaking of. He’s poisoned your father’s mind and have spoken ill of me to him. And he has come to frame me of ludicrous events that I could and would never dare to think of and by default never even commit them.”

Genry’s ability to twist the truth and still try to put face in front of the Arduenna girl even after having confessed to the three men. It snapped the patriarch of the house hold into action. In two steps he reached his daughter and yanked her by the arm and pulled her back and motioned for Gaslond to hold onto Grenavie. Turning again to the blonde man beginning to stand up he directed a command to him.

“You bloody bastard if my daughter wasn’t present I would’ve had you thrown into a burning pit. I want you to listen to me ‘Genry,’ I need you to take the following into that dark abyss you have in your head and head my warning. You’re to leave this home and take with you nothing. My daughter will never belong to you and you will under no circumstance talk to her or look for her. If you dare approach her or try to contact her I will personally have you shot and fed to the wild animals in the west piece by piece.” Grenavie’s eyes widened at her father’s words and threat and would have put in a word of protest if her father hadn’t continued. “Tomorrow she will marry Gaslond and you will be gone and will never dare to set foot in the Pertha Hills or the Glikkus or better yet the North of Oz.”

“Father, why are you doing this to me? Why do you take him away? I don’t want to marry any other man, I want Genry. He’s my soul mate my only true love. If you send him away I will run with him and I shall not marry anyone other than him if you dare try to hold me back.”

“You are going nowhere, Grenavie, and tomorrow you will marry the man standing next to you and you will forget of this treacherous snake and you shall be happy. And you leave before I change my mind and not care my daughter is present to witness your death. Leave, NOW!”

With a glare and one last look to Grenavie, Genry walked out of the office and disappeared into the hallway where he still heard his beloved’s screams which he tried to block out.

“Genry, please don’t go. Please Genry, come back, PLEASE!!!!!”

She broke free of Gaslond’s grasp and ran through the hallway into the sitting room and reached the front door. Before opening it she was pulled back by her father, who followed along with the other two men.

“Grenavie, don’t you dare go to him. I am your father and I forbid you to try and find him. You will need your rest and tomorrow you will marry Gaslond. And you shall forget that monster and you will be happy.”

“Why can’t I go? Why do you believe the lies these men are telling you?”

“They are not lies, Daughter. That man almost sullied our family name and has brought nothing but grief to this family. Nothing by tears and blood! Listen to what I want you to do and do not question me anymore.”

“Your father is in the right by chasing that man away, my lady. That man is a charming liar and murderer. My father wouldn’t ever dare to accuse any man unless he had proof of their dark deeds. We are not liars nor are we after your father’s money. Please believe him and us when we try to protect you and your family. You shouldn’t be siding with the devil my dear. You should try to side with your family, with your father. You are the only thing left of you family and you shouldn’t be torn apart.”

Looking at the young red headed man who seemed to be about the same age as her Genry, she glared at him and at the words he tried to preach to her.

“I don’t care for your opinion ‘Gaslond,’ and neither your father’s. This is between my father and I. How dare you try to marry me off to this man? You know that I love Genry and you won’t stop me.”

“You will do as I say and you will never see that man!”

“No, I won’t. Do you hear me ‘father’ I won’t. You won’t stop me and neither shall your two dogs. I won’t be your poppet and I won’t let you keep me prisoner like you did mother those last few days of her life. You won’t kill me like you did her!”

“You do not know what you speak of Grenavie. And you will bite your tongue and quit mouthing off.”

“Never, father, I shan’t keep to your rules or to your will. And I will never marry him and I will never forgive you for what you have done to the only person who ever really loved me. I won’t live the hell mother lived with you. I will hate you for…forever!”

Grejor slapped his daughter in anger, while she looked at him in shock and ran up to the stairs crying.

“Do not let her get to you, Grejor. She does not know the full extent of the darkness in that mans soul. And you are doing right by not telling her. It is better for our children to think of hate towards us than to know the truth of the darkness out there that will crush them.” Ugajor said trying to soften the guilt that the tall redheaded man was feeling.

Nodding at his new business partner and then looked back to the door and screamed out for the help to convene in the sitting room. Once all of the people who worked in the home arrived, he walked in followed by the Upland men.

“Listen to my orders and I want all of you to follow them. I want the maids to keep a round the dragon clock schedule guarding my daughters room. The men will keep the grounds guarded and will keep my old business partner, Genry from coming into the grounds of this estate and from contacting my daughter. For the cooks I need you all to go out in town and bring in food and decorations for a wedding. I need them all today for tomorrow there will be a wedding. Tomorrow my daughter shall marry the son of my business partner.” When he mentioned them he pointed at them. “Do you all understand your roles and tasks?” with their nod of understanding he sent them to their tasks.

Looking at the retreating forms of his staff he turned to the two men standing at his side and said, “I will need to head to town to bring a law man to preside the wedding. Ugajor and Gaslond you both will be coming with me to look for formal suits as well as to take care of legal matters.” The two men nodded and followed him out the door.

Sorry for taking so long in getting to Oz in the middle greatness that is the great world were Elphaba and Glinda changed each others respective worlds. it will be about two more chapters and it will get there. so patience.