Then, a Munchkin. “We want Saffron in the East.”
There were cries from the Winkies and Munchkins begging for both of us. That was when I felt it. There was a warm breeze that seemed to be everywhere at once, and my entire body broke out into goosebumps.
I felt it, and I knew. The forgetting curse had been truly broken now.
Chapter 42
Galen
I
didn’t need to see Locasta getting her neck snapped, but Esiro did, so I would be there with my family. Frankie understood. I needed to be alone with my family. It was just the four of us, and it was so fucking awkward. Some things needed to be said, but no one could get up the nerve to say them. What were we supposed to say? Hey, it’s great you aren’t dying and everything?
I think this was even more awkward than me getting up the courage to get close enough for Frankie to sense me in the gardens. I went over every possible scenario that could happen and how I could explain things to her she wouldn’t just up and kill me. My heart was racing, and I was petrified I would say something stupid, but I thought our first meeting went well. I survived with my head.
We may have gotten our mother a reprieve, but not even Esiro knew what to say to her. We got our explanation in the viewing box and then silently watched the Fisher King’s body burn all night. What were we supposed to talk about now? We knew nothing about her, aside from her relationship with the Fisher King. We didn’t exactly have time for a get to know you session because Locasta would die soon.
Illyna sighed right before we were supposed to go out. “It won’t always be like this. Eventually, we’ll be able to sit in the same room and have an easy conversation. At least, I hope it will be like that.”
Esiro sighed. “I think we are all just tense because this isn’t over yet. I could feel the curse breaking, but this won’t be done until Locasta is dead. It’s like as long as she’s alive, she’ll be plotting to come for us.”
“It’ll be over soon, Esiro. From what I understand of the Flying Monkeys, it’s over in an instant.”
“She will not sit there and let them snap her neck,” Esiro pointed out.
“No, but she never was very good at fighting, and she technically didn’t complete her Sentinel training. The other Sentinels offered to help her complete it and she lied her mother had sped up her learning and she knew everything. They didn’t exactly test her and it was one thing she liked to brag about. She found it hilarious she was a Sentinel without the required training.”
“She was always good at ordering beatings though,” Esiro said.
“Once the Flying Monkeys deal with her, she can’t hurt you again.”
“It’s time,” Dorothy said, looking out the window. “Ozma is planning on a few announcements. I’ve got no idea if she intends to do them before or after the execution.”
We all started filing out the door. “She’d best do it before. After a kill is not the time to announce anything of importance.”
We all filed out to the stage again. Kazax was on the stage, flexing his wings. He was the assassin for Ivia. I thought some people might stay home, but the audience was just as big as before. Fuck, I thought Pavius might sit this one out, but he was sitting there scowling at her when she was brought out.
She wasn’t going easily, either. They led her out kicking and shrieking. Her hands weren’t restrained, and I saw why. Most of the guards were sporting scratches all down their faces. They were kind of shoving and prodding her towards the stage.
Locasta took one look at Kazax, flexing his muscles and preening on stage and just started shrieking and attacking everyone close to her. It was total chaos. Locasta would take as many people down with her as possible.
Ivia stood up and instantly shifted into her monkey. “Fly, my pretties. Fly!” she yelled.
The stage was soon swarming with Flying Monkeys, and you couldn’t even see Locasta among the muscular monkeys and flapping wings. It didn’t take long at all. The monkeys swarmed her, then they all stepped away into a formation with their hands behind their back. Locasta was bent in a crumpled heap on the ground.
Kazax bowed his head. “My love, it is done.”
“Did she lay a finger on any of you?” Ivia asked.
“She didn’t get the chance. She was quickly subdued, and it was quick.”
Ivia turned to Roxar. “The Flying Monkeys don’t believe in burying traitors in the ground. It taints the memory of those who are buried there that died honorable deaths. We burn traitors like you did the Fisher King. I realize you are not Flying Monkeys, but ask yourself if you would eventually want to lie next to her for all of eternity.”
Pridius sighed and turned to Frankie. “I know you don’t want to watch it again, but Ivia has a point. She’s not immortal like the Fisher King, but maybe it’s best if her ashes end up in the Deadly Desert along with her lover.”
I thought I knew why Frankie didn’t want to watch Locasta burn to death, and I thought it would be different for her now that she wouldn’t feel a thing. I knew Pridius would give her time if she needed to think about it or talk about it. We’d all be there for her if it gave her nightmares.
“Burning is not a good death. It’s beneath Oz to make someone suffer like that,” Frankie said. “I don’t think it should ever be done again after the Fisher King, since we had no other option. Punishing someone with death is rarely done in Oz. My mother gave no one that sentence. That said, if it needs to be done again, it will be quick and clean, with a sword or scythe. I am okay with the Flying Monkey tradition of burning the corpses now that I know the power exists to raise the dead and control them. I know that no one I know with that gift would ever do so to takeover Oz, but that power will exist in future generations of Oz, so I’m thinking of the future, not the present.”
The Fisher King talked about burning people alive all the time. That was done back where he came from as punishment. Frankie was right. It was an awful death to endure and an awful one to watch. I didn’t care what someone was accused of, if they had to die, just get it over quickly so it could be over for everyone.
Esiro stood. I was so proud of my sister, and she would make a great Sentinel of the North.
“Locasta’s burning will be done off this field. I think after this trial, Oz needs to heal. We need to put this behind us and move forward. I want this field to be used for what it was originally meant for—a place for celebration. I want your merchant stands back in this field and games set up. If you’re a guest in the North and you have a trade, by all means, show us. Gillikins, be hospitable and let your guests use your homes and goods to cook and make items for the festival. We’ve had enough death. In three days, we will celebrate in this field.”
Everyone started whooping. I think it relieved everyone we didn’t have to sit through another burning, even if we all agreed with doing it. A festival with all of Oz was the perfect thing to help everyone move on. No conspiracies, no testimonies, no talking heads, no burning, just a good old fashion party.
I’d spent my entire life plotting to bring down the Fisher King. Even in my time at Emerald City, I hadn’t been to a single celebration or party like this. I couldn’t view my first party as something the Fisher King stole from me.
I had to view this party as finally getting to live my life free of him.
Chapter 43
Frankie
W
e did it. Saffron and I cleared our mother’s names, and now all of Oz knew them as Sentinels instead of Wicked Witches. We’d get to return to our ancestral homes. Saffron found love and so did I. The Fisher King was gone and the North now had a proper Sentinel again once she had been trained. Galen, Esiro, and Dorothy had a mother they could talk to if they ever figured out how.
Ivia informed me once everything was done in the North, she expected me at the Flying Monkey court to be presented as Idris’ mate. There was some Flying Monkey ceremony we all had to do to make it official on the Flying Monkey side. Ozma already pulled me
aside and told me at the big celebration, she would announce the revocation of several laws and announcing a few she was putting in place.
I’d be able to marry all my men without the threat of death hanging over my head, and Ozma would be free to be with Dorothy and her soldiers. There was no law against it, but she talked with Ivia queen to queen. If anyone fell in love with a Flying Monkey, the union would be approved and their offspring would be recognized as official citizens of Oz and the Flying Monkey court. She was also announcing that discriminating against any of the hybrid children or hurting them would result in jail time and a fine.
She was also changing how things were run before the forgetting curse and before the Wizard. Before, a Sentinel and a governor were running each region. She wanted more accountability for the future in case another Sentinel went bad. Because when one of us went bad, we went totally wicked.
It wasn’t just going to be a Sentinel and a governor in each region anymore. Ozma learned a lot from all of us working together. There would be councils in each region, and they would be voted in by the people every five years. They also could be voted out before their five years was up if they weren’t doing their jobs.
Yeah, Oz had seen its first Sentinel go bad, and now checks and balances were being put into place so if it happened again, someone saw the signs before it got as far as it did this time. I didn’t mind having to answer to a council. The Sentinels were still human, and we still made mistakes. I would not betray my mother’s memory by trying to take over Oz as Locasta did, but I had flaws like everyone else and despite all my training, I would fuck up, eventually. As Locasta proved, Sentinels were not above paying for their fuckups. It’s just they had been before Locasta went full psycho.
The next three days were low key. Galen was gone a lot to be with his mother. We were having really uncomfortable dinners with Roxar and Ivia. Really, if they were into each other and she was vetting him for a mate like Idris said, why was she doing it with an audience?
It was awkward for all of us, not just Idris and Daxar. Ivia’s flirt game was strong, and Roxar was nothing like a Quadling master around her. He was like this lost little puppy. If anyone was getting spanked in that relationship, it would probably be Roxar, not Ivia.
Daxar and Idris had a lot of man time to talk to each other about their parents getting together, but when we got a moment alone, they found it as weird as I did. Idris said she should have been courting Roxar in front of her other mates so they could approve him, not us.
I didn’t learn why she was doing it in front of us until she was leaving the night before the party. Ivia asked to speak to me alone, so I led to her my bedroom.
“Thank you for allowing me to eat with you. I normally would have done this with my mates, but I haven’t spent the same time around humans as my son has. You have very different customs than we do. I was trying to watch you and Saffron around your men, so I didn’t get some human custom wrong at meals. If the Flying Monkeys are going to integrate with humans, we will have to learn your customs as well as our own.”
“Yes, but if someone wants to mate with a Flying Monkey, they will have to learn Flying Monkey customs too. It can’t just be one-sided. It’s not fair to the Flying Monkeys to give and give and have the humans take.”
“I agree. I’m just seeing if this is something I would like to try. I’d never entertained the notion of mixing before, even though I knew about Zusim and Glinda, and I knew Idris was in love with you. Azami never married and raised you alone. I always assumed you would be the same, and tried to prepare Idris for getting his heart broken. Thank you for loving my son back.”
“How can you not love Idris? I think every single woman at the trial is now in love with Idris after seeing him with Elore.”
Ivia laughed. “Yes, my son has that effect on people. You are not possessive like a Flying Monkey. Idris would have said something to the audience if you were up there, and they wanted to see you shift because they knew they would see you naked.”
“If I got mad at everyone who saw Idris naked, I’d have an enemy of everyone in Oz. He does like to show his body off. I’m the only one who he allows to touch it, so I don’t care if people stare when he’s preening and showing off.”
Ivia winked. “Wise words. Tell me, have you played with all your men together? There are so many possibilities when you have more than one — bringing a woman in spices things up. I like Ozma and her openness when it comes to love. You’ve all found love except Esiro, but she has time. I have the perfect Flying Monkey warrior for her when she’s ready if she’s interested. I didn’t pick him. He watched her during the trial and asked my permission to court her. I permitted him to introduce himself, but advised him now is probably not the time to court her. She needs to heal her relationship with her mother so she can train before she needs to worry about men.”
“True. She will make an amazing Sentinel once she’s trained if she can get past everything with Illyna.”
“She’ll get there. Now, we have a party to attend. Roxar has asked me to attend on his arm. I guess it’s a date. I must see how he treats me in public before I decide if I want to introduce him to my other mates.”
“Well, let’s go! I haven’t been to a good party in years.”
Chapter 44
Frankie
A
ll of Oz, or at least, the ones who came for the trial, were out on the field to celebrate. I had no idea if it was always like this, but someone had strung enchanted lights everywhere that would burn like fairy lights without setting the place on fire. Merchants had set up stalls with food and goods, and it was beautiful. There were Gillikin running stands right next to Munchkins, Quadlings, and Winkies.
I had been goofing off with Idris, Oprix, Galen, and Daxar all night. Sometimes, Esiro joined us with Illyna and a Flying Monkey named Ikron. She seemed totally clueless, but I could tell he was the one Ivia told me about, and he was smitten with her. Illyna knew and was barely hiding her smiles.
Ozma, Dorothy, and her soldiers barely had a chance to enjoy the party. She disappeared into the viewing box on stage with all the judges except Roxar and hardly ever came out. People kept knocking on the door to bring her gifts and food, but they seemed to want to stay in there all night. She never sent for me and any of the other Sentinels, so I had no idea what was being discussed.
When she finally reappeared, Pridius was wearing his ceremonial robes. She quieted the crowd and Pridius was beaming at me like he knew something I didn’t.
“I’m announcing some changes to Oz law here and now and then if things go according to plan, we’ll have more to celebrate. There are certain laws on the Oz books that prevent people from loving who they might. Certain relationships are punishable by death. I’m here to tell you I am not that kind of queen. I’m revoking any and every law that tells you who you can and can’t be with. If you love someone of the same gender or you love more than one person, it’s now legal to marry them again. Oz used to be this way, and it’s high time we got back to that place.”
I looked at the surrounding crowd. I expected them to be judgmental. I expected them to not be okay with it. Instead, they started hooting and hollering. I watched several people, and it didn’t matter if they were Winkie, Munchkin, Quadling, or Gillikin, grab the person they were with and passionately kiss them. Apparently, there were many couples like Ozma and Dorothy and many couples like my men and me.
When the crowd died down, Ozma cleared her throat. “I need Frankie and Saffron up on the stage.”
What did she need me for? Saffron and I exchanged a look, but we went up on the stage. Emarus followed Saffron and Oprix, Idris, Daxar, and Galen followed me. What the fuck was going on.
Ozma suddenly kneeled in front of Dorothy, Dixius, and Ethar and Aldor. Oh, shit, was she proposing? She whipped out a box with five rings in it and held it out.
“I love all of you, and I want to be with you forever. Will you make me the happiest woman alive?”
<
br /> Dorothy was bawling, and I swear, something must have gotten in my eyes because they were watering up. Ozma had a lot of guts to propose to them in front of everyone right after she revoked that law. What if people revolted? What if they said no?
“Yes!” Dorothy shrieked.
Dixius pulled her to her feet, and all three soldiers kneeled to her.
“We should kneel to you, not the other way around. It would honor me to be your husband.”
Ethar just gave her a roguish grin. “We were plotting this once you made it legal, but you’ve always done things your own way. I’d love to be your husband. Yes.”
Aldor was straight up crying. “Yes. You know the answer is yes.”
Ozma slid a ring on each finger, and they all passionately and openly kissed in front of everyone and not a single person made a complaint. The audience was cheering or crying. Once all the hugging and kissing was out of the way and the audience had settled down, I realized how quiet things had gotten. I also realized everyone was staring at me. Was I supposed to make a speech?
I turned to look to Daxar to see if he knew anything about what was going on, and I realized all four of my boyfriends were on their knees behind me holding boxes. Oh, shit. When had they planned this? How did they even get a ring? I would make a total ass of myself, but if they were asking, I already knew what my answer was.
Idris had shifted into a man, and he was holding a box with a necklace in it. The chain had been fashioned to look like vines. I’d seen Ivia wearing the same type of necklace.
“Francesca, I’ve been in love with you since we were children. I would be honored if you would be my princess in the Flying Monkey court, and I could be your husband in the West. We didn’t bring you a traditional ring, but we can get one. This is how Flying Monkeys display their union. Will you be my mate?”
Oz Has Spoken: A Reverse Harem Academy Romance (Emerald City Academy Book 3) Page 25
