Wicked: The Witch's Daughter #43

Instructions

Madame Morrible's POV: I was furious. I had spent days listening to Glinda defend Elphaba in front of the people of Oz, insisting that the so-called Wicked Witch was nothing more than a misunderstood woman, and now I had finally received the information I needed. Elphaba was at Kiamo Ko. Fiyero was there. And so was their daughter. Kendra Thropp. I paced across the room in my temporary quarters, replaying the spy's report in my mind. He had been positioned near the castle for some time, watching from a safe distance and reporting what he saw. He had seen Elphaba enter the castle. He had seen Fiyero with her. And he had seen Kendra. There was no longer any question. The family had been hiding at Kiamo Ko all along. "After all this time," I muttered. "They thought they could simply disappear." I stopped beside the window and looked out toward the Emerald City. Glinda had been telling everyone that Elphaba and her family were innocent, but now I had proof that they were hiding. To me, that was enough. They had concealed themselves from Oz, and I intended to make certain they could no longer do so. I summoned a group of guards and waited for them to arrive. When they entered the room, I turned toward them. "I have discovered where Elphaba, Fiyero, and their daughter are hiding." The guards exchanged surprised looks. "Where?" one asked. "Kiamo Ko." That name immediately changed the atmosphere in the room. The castle was remote, old, and difficult to reach, but I had no intention of allowing that to stop me. "You will go there," I said. "You will enter the castle quietly, locate Elphaba and her family, and bring them back to the Emerald City." One of the guards hesitated. "Madame Morrible, what if they resist?" I narrowed my eyes. "Then you make it clear that they are coming with you. I want them captured, but I do not want unnecessary harm." My anger was directed at Elphaba, not at the guards who would carry out my orders. "And Kendra?" another guard asked. I paused. The question almost amused me. "The girl comes with them." I had spent enough time listening to Glinda describe Kendra as some harmless child who loved books and animals. Sixteen years old, green-skinned, and the daughter of Elphaba Thropp. I had no intention of leaving her behind where she could disappear again. "Do not underestimate her," I added. "We know very little about what abilities she may have inherited." The guards nodded. I dismissed them, and they began preparing for the journey. Once they had gone, I returned to the window. For the first time in days, I felt that events were finally moving in my favor. Glinda could continue giving speeches. She could continue asking the people of Oz to trust Elphaba. She could continue pretending that everything would be peaceful. But she didn't know what I now knew. Elphaba's hiding place had been discovered. Her family was no longer safely concealed. Soon they would be brought back to Oz, and once the people saw Elphaba standing before them again, perhaps they would remember why they had feared her in the first place. I smiled to myself. "Let's see how long your story lasts now, Glinda." Then I turned away from the window and began waiting for the guards to return with the family.