AN:

Hello Dearies! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

A new Year, a new story!

Well, before you get too excited, let me explain one thing first:

This is some sort of teaser. I've started writing this story and I'll continue to pre-write a couple of chapters before I'll start posting on a regular basis. So for now this first chapter is all you will get. The next chapter will follow in exactly two months' time (1st of March) and from then on I'll hopefully update weekly (but no promises since I'll go back to uni around that time). If you can't wait that long for the first update, turn 'round and come back in two months ;)

It's not gonna be a super long multi-chap, I think. My best guess would be around 15 chapters, but it could be more or less in the end.

The main reason for publishing the first chap early is so that I can get some advise and constructive criticism before things are in full swing (actually, that's a tiny bit of a lie... I'm also super impatient and 4 months after completion of this chap I could simply not take the wait any more lol) . Hopefully that will later positively reflect on my story.

Ok, so anyhow...

Thank you for your interest in 'The Princess of Oz' and please enjoy this short 'preview'!

xoxox MLE :3


Chapter One: A Slight Complication

Glinda Arduenna, the first of her name, Princess – and soon to be Queen – of all of Oz, disembarked the emerald carriage that had brought her the entire, long way from her childhood home in Gillikin to the Emerald City. A large crowd of staff were gathered around her as she, for the very first time in over fifteen years, laid eyes upon the palace that was to be her new permanent residence from now on.

Relieved to finally get out of the juddering coach and to at last be back on terra firma, she stretched her arms in the air, producing a high-pitched squeal.

From the other side of the carriage, a large, imposing and remarkably fish-faced woman, bedecked in a pompous dress, fashioned to suit a queen, emerged. She strutted past the welcome committee, taking in every single face, whilst staring at the maids and kitchen hands and footmen with eyes as cold as ice. When she came to stand next to the young Princess, she cleared her throat.

The petite woman looked up at her and immediately dropped her arms. Assuming a more appropriate posture, she went on to straighten out the long, voluminous skirt of her green brocade gown.

"Your Highness, we probably should seek our chambers and freshen up before we sup with the Wizard," the odd woman suggested in an impassible tone of voice and Glinda nodded silently.

A footman showed the ladies to their respective rooms, while four pages busied themselves with their luggage. The palace was anything but small and to the weary Princess it seemed like an eternity until they finally arrived at the door to her private quarters.

The footman opened the door for her and as soon as she set foot into the spacious apartment, her eyes opened in wonder and she had to remind herself that is was unbecoming for a princess to gape. Her mansion in Frottica, where she had spent most of her childhood, had been generous in size and more than comfortable, but this room alone was far more ostentatious than anything she had ever seen. Granted, before the tragic death of her parents, she had been living in the Emerald Palace. She had been but a small child then though, and could now barely remember the sound of her mother's voice, let alone what their home had looked like.

The entire suite was decorated with elaborated stucco relief. The walls were of a light mint green hue, the ceiling in splendid white. Most furnishings, such as the ottoman, the pair of wingchairs in front of the fireplace and the padded chair at the bureau were upholstered with a slightly darker green material and matching the curtains perfectly in colour and pattern. The bureau, as well as the small coffee table and the sideboard were made of quoxwood, stained in a dark chocolate brown.

Her entire life, Glinda had known that she was the Princess of Oz, but had always had a rather vague idea of what that was supposed to mean. In this very moment, however, she almost already felt like the queen she was about to become.

Once all of her luggage had been placed neatly in her room, the pages and the footman left. A maid rushed inside and the older woman who had accompanied her, headed for her own chambers, reminding the Princess one last time to be ready for dinner in precisely one hour.

Still marvelling at the beauty and size of her apartment, Glinda explored it room for room. She was currently standing in the her own little drawing room from where three different doors lead to a small morning room with large windows, through which sunlight would flood on fair mornings, an even smaller reading room with well-stocked bookshelves and a desk, and a generous bedroom.

She decided to have a closer look at the morning room after tomorrow's breakfast – as was appropriate - and, in the interim, ignore the reading room, since books were not quite her preferred source of entertainment anyhow.

The first thing she noticed in her bedroom was the large four-poster and she fully approved. She was certain that she would sleep heavenly among the soft pillows and the thick comforter. As she laid eyes on the washstand with its basin, pitchers and towels, she frowned. Of course she had to freshen up, but her dresses were all still stowed away in the heavy trunks and she feared they would turn out to be all creased and crushed.

The maid seemed to have read her mind, for she quickly rushed towards the large armoire and pulled out a beautiful gown.

"I think this outfit is fairly suitable for the evening, if Her Royal Highness agrees."

Glinda ran a dainty hand over the expensive material and stifled an excited squeal.

"Yes, this will do nicely."

Her maid helped her as she washed her face, dressed and re-arranged her hair. No sooner had she finished getting all dolled-up to make herself presentable, she heard a light knocking in the door. One hour had passed quickly, and when the maid opened the door, the Princess's chaperone was on the other side, accompanied by the same footman they had seen earlier.

They were lead to the large dining room where a greying, middle-aged man greeted them enthusiastically.

"Princess Glinda, Your Highness." He made a low bow and kissed her hand. "Always such a pleasure to see you. And oh, my dear, dare I say it, you have truly blossomed! Last time we met you were but a young, sweet girl, now you are a beautiful, graceful woman," he flattered and the Princess giggled.

"How do you enjoy your chambers," he enquired, "is everything to your satisfaction."

"To my satisfaction?" she asked with a high, clear laugh. "Everything is absolutely marvellous. I had completely forgotten how grand this palace is."

The Wizard nodded.

"Well, at times it all seems a bit much, I would say, but this is what people expect from the royal family and one always has to give the people what they want; that is the secret key to popularity and devoted subjects."

Then he finally turned his attention towards the large, fish-faced woman. She had put on some more make-up, which she now wore like a white mask.

"Madame Morrible. I am so glad to see you again and I must thank you for your faithful services throughout all those years. I can already tell that you have done very well in looking after the Princess."

"It has been a pleasure," she replied with the faintest smile.

"Well, now that Her Highness is coming off age, I think there will be other positions we might consider you for, but that is talk for later. For now, let us eat."

It was a little early for dinner, however, after the long journey, both women were rather famished and an early meal very welcome.

Once they had finished the main course and were waiting for the dessert to be brought out, Glinda cleared her throat and offered the Wizard an enchanting smile.

"I thank you, Your Wizardness, for looking after our beautiful Oz for all those years of my minority."

"I am glad I could be of assistance," the man replied modestly. "Your mother, the last Ozma, was well beloved by the people of Oz and it fills me with pride to see you crowned the next queen of this wonderful country."

Glinda took a brief moment to commemorate her parents. Truth be told though, the fatal accident had occurred many years ago and she had been so very young that she no longer grieved their death.

"Oh yes, regarding my coronation," she said as she resumed the conversation. "We have never really discussed an exact date. Will it be soon after my twentieth birthday?"

"Well, about that…"

The man cast a brief glance at Madame Morrible, who sat in her chair almost motionless.

"It seems like your governess has not yet informed you about this one minor detail…"

"What is it?" Glinda wanted to know, furrowing her neatly trimmed eyebrows in mild worry. She turned towards her guardian for reassurance.

"The issue is, to be crowned Queen of Oz, you have to be married first," the Wizard finally clarified.

Her eyes widened in surprise.

"Married!" she exclaimed.

"Yes. It is expected of the queen to take a spouse before she receives the crown – to share the burden of her reign, so to speak. That's what the people want and-"

"- one has to give the people what they want," the Princess finished the sentence with a dejected expression on her face.

The man on the other side of the table nodded approvingly.

"My dear, it would seem you have not thought much on the matter of marriage yet."

"I indeed have not. I have barely ever made the acquaintance of young men of my age."

She could not help but feel somewhat lost, realising how little she knew about her duties as queen. Madame Morrible had taught her well in the ways of young ladies, but she had not learnt a whole lot about what precisely would be expected of her once she took her rightful place on the throne. There was much to catch up on.

"So how am I to find a suitable husband then?" she asked wearily. "Perhaps we could organize a ball to festivate my birthday and invite the eligible bachelors of the country."

She could remotely remember that this was what usually happened in fairy tales.

Chuckling, the Wizard nodded towards one of the pages waiting on the small party. The man left the room and soon returned with a moderately sized, square object, concealed underneath a white cloth. He handed it over to the Princess, who looked slightly confused.

It was the portrait of a very handsome man. His eyes were sky-blue - a startling, but absolutely becoming contrast to his dark olive skin tone - and his short, somewhat curly hair was of a light, almost golden brown. The Princess could not deny that he looked much like the prince she had dreamed of when she had been a little girl, playing with her peers.

"This is Fiyero Tiggular," the Wizard explained. "He is the Prince of the Vinkus."

"A Winkie?"

Glinda pursed her lips in disdain as she once more studied the painting. He suddenly appeared a little less attractive.

Noticing her reservations, the regent offered her a kind smile.

"Do not worry, Princess. Rumours that the Vinkuns are nomadic savages are tremendously popular, but just as untrue. They have long become a modern and civilized people. As for the Prince… Well, he is the man every princess or lady in Oz would die to marry, it seems."

"Well, Your Wizardness," Glinda replied with a smirk, "I would like to remind you that I am not some princess, I am the Princess of all of Oz."

Madame Morrible narrowed her eyes at her, trying to reprimand her for speaking in such a pert manner, while the Wizard smiled mildly.

"So, what do you think, Your Highness? Does Prince Fiyero appeal to you?" he probed.

If the young man really looked anything like the picture in her hands, he was the most attractive person she had ever seen in her life, though that did not mean much; her lifestyle to this point had been excessively sheltered and men had simply not been a part of it. So what did she know about how to chose a husband?

"I will give the matter some thought," she decided in the end and neither Madame Morrible's appalled expression, nor the Wizards friendly persuasion attempts could change her mind.


Exactly one week later, Princess Glinda celebrated her twentieth birthday and her coming of age. Of course there was a ball, only the number of guests was not quite high enough to comprise even a fraction of all suitable bachelors in Oz. In fact, it did not go unnoticed by Glinda that most of the guests were middle-aged to elderly aristocrats, businessmen, members of the council and other influential personalities. The only gentlemen slightly closer to her age had brought their elegant wives. She highly suspected that the guest list had been composed with some sort of ulterior motive in mind.

On their second day in their new home, Madame Morrible had set up Prince Fiyero's portrait above the dresser in the Princess' bedroom, from where it smiled down on her whenever she went to bed at night and also when she rose early in the morning. And one time, when the Princess had curiously snuck a peak at her small, private library, she also had discovered that at least half of the books on the shelves dealt with Vinkun culture, Vinkun geography, Vinkun history, or anything else Vinkun she could think of. It did not take much for her to realise that her governess and the regent Wizard had an obvious interest in a union between her and this man.

Glinda did still not quite understand why both of them were so fixated on this particular suitor, but after all those years, she trusted them almost completely. Morrible, she had learnt, was strict and a little stiff, but always had her best interests in mind. And the Wizard had, to the best of his ability, been looking after her country while she had been too young to do so herself. As a girl, she had told her playmates that she would only marry for love, but she was all grown up now and understood that things would not always be the way naïve, idealistic children would imagine them to be. If this match was indeed the best for her kingdom, she would readily defer to her councillors' wishes.

The ball dragged on and on. Glinda had always been fond of glamorous social events such as this and this dance being organised in celebration of her twentieth birthday should have absolutely delighted her, yet that night her spirit did simply not seem to lift. Dutifully and just as was expected of her, she danced every other number, but began to tire halfway through the evening. Was it subconscious memories of her previous life in this palace that weighed her down, or was she dreading the upcoming wedding to a young men she had never even met?

A short while later, it was announced that the adjoining dining room would be opened so that the ladies and gentlemen could have a little nosh and replenish their energy for the dances to come. An elderly gentleman extended his offer to take Glinda to the buffet, for which she was immensely grateful.

He introduced himself as Gillbred Imph, Duke of Mossleberg. This empty title no longer gave him any authority over this small region in the upper Gillikin, he explained, but he was close to the royal family of the Vinkus and through them found it easy to further his trade business and make a decent living.

While he was gone to fetch her some pasties and a drink, the Princess considered the information he had shared with her and a plan began to form in her head.

When the Duke returned with a tartlet, topped with sweet cream and a cup of jasmine tea, she accepted the treat with a gracious smile and took a small bite before putting her fork aside and studying the man for a brief moment. With his short, balding grey hair and those green eyes, framed by soft laughter lines, he reminded her a little of one of her distant uncles. She supposed this odd feeling of familiarity would help her opening up and sharing her thoughts with him.

"My dear Duke," she began, "there is a matter I would like to discuss with you, but the words I am going to say are for your ears only and must under no circumstances be retold to a third person."

He raised his eyebrows at this, but then nodded his agreement, quietly waiting for her to elucidate.

"Well, you see, I am to marry soon."

He nodded – that much was to be expected.

"It has been suggested, that I should wed Prince Fiyero Tiggular of the Vinkus."

This time a hint of surprise was reflected on the man's features.

"Pray tell, in your own honest words: what do you think about this?"

The Duke rose his eyebrows in slight disbelieve, as if he could not fathom why his opinion was of any consequence.

"Well, Your Highness," he began after allowing himself a brief moment to consider his answer, "you will find that the young Prince is a most pleasant person to be around. It is not only his good looks and his charm; his mannerism is excellent as well. You may or may not have heard that he is rumoured to have a more than healthy appetite for the ladies, but rest assured, these are nothing but malicious defamations, spread by those who resent him for his good fortune. He is nothing but attentive and courteous when in the company of ladies and all without any dishonourable intentions."

"Perhaps his interest lie else where," Glinda suggested, arching an eyebrow, but her guest shook his head vehemently, the loose skin of his chubby cheeks flapping like the flews of a bulldog.

"I promise you, they do not. When he was younger, I often had to comfort him when he was pining after one girl or the other. His abstinence is all purely due to self-restraint and proper breeding."

She nodded and smiled slightly.

"And do you think he would be a good king one day? Not just for the Vinkus, but all of Oz?"

"That is something I dare not attempt to predict, Your Highness," the man answered. "I am not an expert in king-making. He will be a fine husband - that much I feel comfortable vaticinating."

"Well, that shall be good enough for now. At the very least you have put my mind at ease, for you see, I already have devised a plan to find out the answers for these other questions myself. And this is where you come into play: I need you to organise a meeting with the Prince for me."

"Would such a matter not better be handled by Your Highness' advisors?" he asked, confused.

"No. Not the kind of meeting I have in mind."

"And what sort of meeting would that be?"

"A covert one," she replied, a spark of excitement glowing in her eyes. "I wish to meet him incognito, because I believe such a meeting would be most informative. Do you think you could do this for me?"

"S-sure, Your Highness-"

"Good. And if you could arrange for it to be of a more extended duration; a visit at their castle perhaps?"

Scratching his head, the poor man began racking his brain, trying to conceive a scenario that would allow the Princess to stay with the Royal Family of the Vinkus without using the privilege of her own title.

They did not remain in the dining room for longer than appropriate. After they had finished their sweets and drinks, the Duke of Mossleberg accompanied Glinda back to the ballroom and bid her, at least for the time being, farewell. She went on to dance with several different gentlemen, but they barely ever talked. Her mind was even more preoccupied now than it had been before and she could not refrain from envisioning herself on this undercover mission to observe her possible future husband in his natural habitat.

As the hour grew late and the first guests began to excuse themselves and disappear into the night, it occurred to the Princess that her deal with the Duke still hat to be confirmed formally. She wrote him a quick note and told one of the waiting servant boys to deliver the message.

They met in a small adjoining parlour, in the presence of Madame Morrible and the Wizard, who were wary of whatever reason Glinda had to summon them like this.

All four of them stood rather awkwardly in the middle of the room, until the Princess gestured for them to take a seat. She herself remained standing.

"Madame. My dear Wizard. As you know, I have so far been reluctant to embrace the idea of marrying Prince Fiyero Tiggular of the Vinkus. Although I value you as my most trusted confidants and advisors, I still feel uncomfortable entering into the bond of marriage with a young man who I personally know nothing about."

While she was currently fixating the regent Wizard, she also registered a deeply disapproving look on her governess' face.

"Before you say anything, Madame," she immediately began to placate her, "I am positive that my being so difficult has noting to do with the naïve and juvenile notion that a marriage needs to be based on true love. As a young girl I might have believed this, but I have long since outgrown this sort of immature sentiment. All I wish to do is meet the Prince in person, hiding behind a name and title that is not mine."

"Why in Oz would you do such a thing, child?" Madame Morrible asked exasperatedly.

Glinda would not have the woman belittle her and raised her chin in a haughty gesture.

"I want to see for myself whether I deem him suitable to live and reign beside me, sharing the responsibility for all of Oz's future. I have discussed the matter with the Duke of Mossleberg here-" she made an elegant hand gesture towards the man and offered him a grateful smile,"-who is a family friend of the Tiggulars' and he will be the one to organise my vacation with the Vinkun Royal Family."

"Vacation?" It seemed like dismay would not vanish from Morrible's face that evening.

"Yes," Glinda confirmed confidently. "I believe ten to fourteen days would do nicely."

The large woman huffed at that and shook her head, but did not feel like it would do her any good to argue. The Wizard, at least outwardly, seemed rather placid.

"So what would the pretext for your visit be?" he enquired curiously, although Glinda wondered whether he secretly hoped for a plan so ludicrous that he would be literally forced to discourage the scheme.

The Princess bit the insides of her cheeks, turning her attention towards her accomplice.

"I could introduce her as my niece - twice removed or so, to make the lie less obvious. Perhaps there was a fire in her family home and temporary accommodation would be needed? The Tiggular family are very generous and very welcoming. I am sure that they would be glad to entertain and distract a sweet girl after such an traumatic experience."

A satisfied smile spread over Glinda's face. She was glad that the man had obviously spent the evening thinking about this and his plan did not disappoint. Even Morrible and the Wizard only nodded their quiet approval and thus the deal was done.