Entry 23:
'True love cannot be defined. It looks different depending on the perspective. This was the kind of love that my wife's parents had. Her father became a shapeshifter, making himself part scarecrow and part human. Her mother loved him for the way he was, but he seemed happier being able to be both. I have to say that this was a good decision, for the love of my own life wouldn't be here without it. However, in doing so, his life ended sooner than it should have. To him, living the long life of a usually magical creature wasn't as important as being able to have all of the experiences that every human desires.'
'Sometimes you must sacrifice a lot for the one you love, but others can forget that this is a necessary part of marriage.'
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"Everything needs to be perfect for this ball tonight. Nothing can go wrong." The Guardian of the Throne murmured. He was going around checking that all the golden utensils were perfectly polished and that the flower vases had the same amount of water in them.
Jellia Jamb, the head maid and now the Guardian of the People, rolled her eyes at Omby while mopping the emerald floors. "You need to calm down, Omby. You know that His Majesty doesn't care about such small details. Besides, you're technically doing my job."
The captain turned to the maid and scolded her. "This is the way it has been done since Pastoria! My father told me when he was training me all those years ago. You never do it right."
"Faramont, please come over here and leave your assistant watching the gate." Jellia said through her communication gem. " Omby is being a control freak again."
"I'm not a control freak for wanting things to be done correctly." The captain replied, sounding annoyed.
The Guardian of the Gates heard their small squabble and entered the ballroom, trying to keep the peace. "Can you two please stop bickering over how hunks of metal should be cleaned? The ball is going to start soon, and I don't think you want the guests to see you fighting!"
"I know, but I just want to make sure the king is happy." Omby clarified. "I care about this dinner too, and I do think our most likely future queen deserves a nice send-off."
"I do too, but you always worry too much." Jellia replied, going back to her mopping. "The forks, spoons, and knives are fine. I promise you, and if someone complains, I will take responsibility for it."
"You both are finally seeing it my way. The right way!" Faramont chuckled while both Jellia and Omby went back to work in a huff.
When Faramont started to walk away, Jellia stopped him by pulling on his jacket. "Oh no, you aren't just going to criticize us and not pull your weight." She put a duster in his hand. "Get dusting."
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"Are you planning on putting your dancing shoes on tonight, Dor?" Scarecrow teased while putting on his slightly-curled boots.
"You know I don't dance alone." Dorothy replied with a sly smile while brushing her hair. "So, you will have to put on your dancing shoes too!"
"Well, I'm only promising you one dance, and that's it." He got up from an armchair with a dramatic sigh. "I hate all the fancy dancing..."
"Oh? Would you rather jump around in a cornfield again?" She was teasing him back. "I think I would prefer that form of dancing too."
A pink blush spread across her husband's face. "Oh! Definitely not. I'm too old to do that now."
"Too old?" Dorothy seemed surprised, putting her hand on his human face. "You haven't developed any wrinkles yet!"
"Very funny, Kansas." The king smiled at her playfully. "Neither have you though..."
Dorothy smiled back at him. "You know I'm twenty-three, Stitches. You make my birthday cakes every year after all!"
"Oh my! You're so old." He acted shocked, obviously joking. "I got married to an old lady!"
"Hehe! If I'm old, I would say that I'm a very lucky old lady." She went along with his joke.
"Well, I see that my old lady's neck is completely bare." Scarecrow looked at her with an excited gleam in his eye. "I will be right back!"
"Crow, I don't have any neck—!" Dorothy started before he quickly left the room.
When he returned, the king came back with a small green velvet box. "I know you aren't a huge fan of flashy jewelry, but I hope you like this."
"Anything you give me, I'll absolutely love." Dorothy reassured him, gently taking the box. She opened it to reveal a golden locket with a large sapphire in the center. "Oh, it's very pretty!"
"It is pretty on the outside, but it's even more beautiful on the inside." Her husband replied, smiling.
"Well, let's see if that's true." Dorothy then opened the locket and blushed. It contained a small copy of their wedding photo on the left side and a piece of his straw on the right side. "Oh, Stitches, you didn't..."
"Oh, yes, I did!" Scarecrow looked at the photo with a lovesick sigh. "Just look at that lovely woman in that flowery blue dress..."
His wife laughed at him. "Well, don't get more lightheaded than you already are. You might faint, and I need you tonight more than ever. You think I want to talk to every noble alone?"
"Of course not, but only if you wanted to give them each a good wack." The king clarified. "I would want to watch it though, just to make sure you don't hurt yourself."
"As much as I would love to, I can't go around fighting important leaders left and right." Dorothy remarked in a playful tone. "Not unless the Emerald City wants to get invaded..."
"Oz? Invaded?" Scarecrow shook his head in disagreement. "Oh, that wouldn't happen, even if they did want to attack. With you as my queen, they're all too scared to invade."
She blushed at this. "Oh, you flirt, stop it! You may be human right now, but you're literally part burlap, yet you make my face all red!"
"Can't believe you married someone who is half-strawman, huh?" The king teased, holding up his left hand with his wedding ring. "You're stuck with me for the rest of your life."
"Well, I'm very happy about being stuck with you." Dorothy said, noticing the piece of straw in the locket. "Awww, look at that! I got a little piece of you in this."
"Oh, that!" Scarecrow looked at the locket as if he had forgotten. "I put it in there in case you need a reminder that I love you. Before I started thinking of what to make you, I read about some old tradition in your world where people would put pieces of their hair lockets as a sign of affection or remembrance."
"That's interesting." She then put the locket around her neck and finished styling her hair into soft waves. "I just wish I could relax with you tonight before I have to leave..."
Her husband straightened his hat in the mirror before replying in a disappointed voice. "I wish so too, but we can't unfortunately. I spent so many nights searching for a way to find Ozma because I knew that we would be happier on our farm in a little blue house in Munchkinland with the sun peaking out above the horizon."
Dorothy reached her hand over to his and held it. "I know, sweetheart, but at least we have a balcony to watch the sun rise and set whenever we like."
A funny thought came into Scarecrow's head and made him chuckle. "I just remembered when all of the leaders were shocked when you came into your first meeting with muddy boots and messy hair because you were working outside in the garden."
"That wasn't my best moment, but I didn't want to be late!" His wife remarked, trying to hide her embarrassment. "I'm not wearing boots tonight, so hopefully no one else will remember that."
"Well, they may have laughed, but I thought you were absolutely adorable." The king winked at her.
"Of course you did. You're in love with me!" Dorothy glared at him playfully. "I know what you're doing by the way, but it's not going to work on me tonight."
"Well, I do find my wife very attractive, and I was purely expressing that. So much so that she practically lights me ablaze every time she walks into the room." He flirted shamelessly, knowing what his words would do to her.
"Scarecrow! That—that—!" His wife's face grew to resemble a cherry at that moment. "That's not allowed—to fluster me like this!"
"I don't remember where the rules said that I couldn't talk about how beautiful you are when we started this." The king commented, smiling at her lovingly. "Besides, you're going to be gone for a while, and I'll miss you."
"I suppose, but—!" Before she could continue, her husband put his gloved finger to her lips.
"Shhh. You're not talking me out of this, Dor. I am just as competitive as you." Scarecrow was messing around with her again, but his wife wasn't planning on backing down.
"I understand, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to flirt back." Dorothy kissed him quickly on the cheek before he could make another move. "I love you, Stitches."
"And I love you too, Kansas." Crow kissed her back in the same sweet way. "Hopefully, the cooks finally took my surprise dessert out of the oven!"
"Oh, I can't wait to see what it is." She seemed excited, gesturing to her husband to follow her. "Now, come on! We have guests to greet!"
"Alright, my dear!" He glanced at her and seemed surprised, stopping in his tracks.
His wife noticed this and became concerned."Crow? What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"
"Oh, not all! I just forgot how beautiful you are for a second, but I remembered!" Scarecrow winked at her.
Dorothy's blush returned and caressed his face with her hand. "Why did Lurline have to make you such a charmer?"
"I wasn't much of a flirt until you came back for the third time. You just bring it out of me!" He replied mischievously, taking her hand off of his face and then kissing it. "I must escort my lady downstairs for dinner."
"Oh? Switching roles now, are we? Speaking like a medieval knight won't make me blush." Dorothy remarked playfully, kissing his hand back before walking out of the room. "For I am a knight myself!"
"Hey! Wait for your damsel-in-distress!" Crow then followed after her, shutting the door of their bedroom behind him.
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As the sun began to set over Oz, carriages of different shapes and sizes began to line up outside of the gates of the Emerald City. This was a simple ball after all, so the guest list was only the leaders of Oz and a few of the royal couple's close friends.
Oh! Isn't it so exciting? We get to see Dorothy before she goes to slay a dragon." The Tin Man said, looking out the window with anticipation. "We haven't seen them since their wedding after all."
"Well, we all know what you're coming for, Nick." Lion responded with a grin. "You've come for the love while I've come for the food. I believe the palace cooks make the best food in all of Oz."
"I'm surprised that those two even sent a carriage to pick us up." The princess stated with distrust in her voice. "I thought they would have expected us to take our own like they usually do."
"Well, they are the people who would be taking care of our son if something happened to us, China." Her marshmallow husband replied flatly, not looking at his wife. "Besides, Dorothy is the one who got us together..."
The man made of metal leaned over to the Lion on his right and whispered. "I'm not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing..."
"Dorothy didn't play matchmaker on purpose. We can hardly blame her for their current situation." Lion whispered back, noticing how distant the princess and the now general of Candy County were distant from each other physically and mentally. "They have been going on like this for a while now, and it's starting to make me worry for poor Canean..."
The rest of the carriage ride continued in absolute silence. The only sound that could be heard were the wheels clanking against the yellow bricks of the road, and the horse galloping on it. When they reached the glittering gates of the city, Faramont greeted them warmly.
"Welcome esteemed guests! Their Majesties are expecting you in the dining hall." The Guardian of the Gates exclaimed. "It is busy and crowded in the city so I'll notify one of the cabbies to take you all to the palace."
"We thank you fervently, sir." Nick remarked, remembering something. "Also, Wiser will not be joining us tonight. I'm not sure what he is doing..."
Faramont nodded and crossed all of their names off the guest list. "It's okay! I'll let their Majesties know that Canean and Wiser aren't coming."
"That would be great, Faramont!" Lion quickly said before anyone else could protest.
The party followed Faramont into the city where the cabbie was waiting for them. They all hopped in, and the cabbie immediately sped off toward the back entrance of the palace.
The Tin Man and Lion both hoped that Mallow and China would be able to repair their deteriorating relationship before it completely collapsed.
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Scarecrow and Dorothy walked into the ballroom and were both in awe. Everything seemed to glisten and shine from the emerald-marble floors to the gold chandelier.
"So, you both like it?" Jellia came over to the couple with a smile. "The staff and I cleaned it from top to bottom."
"Definitely, Jellia!" The king remarked joyfully. "It's almost as beautiful as Dorothy here if that's even possible."
"Oh, yeah?" Dorothy looked over at him with love and replied. "More like as handsome as you are."
The head maid laughed at the couple's flirty banter. "Okay, you two lovebirds, while you're waiting for your guests, would you like anything?"
"No thank you, Jellia. Just please make sure every member of staff knows that they are welcome to come down after dinner and enjoy the party too." Scarecrow smiled at his wife, who was standing right next to him. "I know you all love Dorothy too."
"I understand, Your Majesty. I'll tell them all right away." Jellia left and walked up to Omby's office to have him send a message to the staff.
Scarecrow then talked to his wife. "I'm going to make sure that the dessert is being chilled. I'll meet you in the dining room, okay?"
"Alright, hun!" Dorothy replied, seeming excited that she finally had the opportunity to greet some guests.
He couldn't help but be impressed. "You're integrating into your role faster than I thought you would!"
The future queen smiled at his compliment. "Well, as I said before, doing it for you makes it a lot easier because I love you!"
"Oh!" The king blushed but then flirted back. "Baking is easy because I have a wife who is as sweet as pie! So much so that I have to save my new cream puff recipe for when you return from slaying the dragon. I hope you like it!"
"I bet I will, but I will probably need a bath, a nap, and a few kisses beforehand." The queen smiled at him with a look of pure love. "Though, you can't make my favorite dessert.."
"And that you shall receive, even before you leave if you like." He replied sweetly before folding his arms and raising his eyebrow. "What do you mean? I can make all kinds of desserts! The only thing I can't make is galette because it's ridiculously hard."
"My favorite dessert is very unique and only one person has it." Dorothy came closer to him with a flirty expression. "And it's the sweetest thing on this entire planet..."
Her husband smirked, knowing where this was going. "Is it somewhere on my face, Dor?"
"How about you let me show you?" She leaned into his face about to kiss him when all of sudden...
The first of their guests had arrived. In other words, the only guests who knew about the back entrance into the palace through the garden.
"Hello, you two!" Tin Man, more personally known as Nick Chopper, entered the room with a loud greeting that startled the king and future queen.
Lion noticed this and laughed slightly. "Did we interrupt something?"
"Not at all, not at all." Dorothy said, quickly recovering from the shock. "Dinner should be ready shortly, but how are you both?"
"Nothing eventful has happened for a while." The king of the forest replied, trying to be humorous. "Except that two of my friends got married."
"That they did! Didn't we, Stitch—?" She then noticed that her husband was gone. "I'm guessing he finally went to check on his dessert."
"Were you distracting him, Dorothy?" Tin Man questioned with a matchmaker's grin. "I knew you two would act like stereotypical newlyweds."
A moment later, Scarecrow returned from the kitchen and heard what the metal man had said. "We may be a little corny but we're enjoying every minute of it." He kissed his wife on the cheek, making her cheeks slightly pink.
"Bleh!" Lion made a face of playful disgust. "Being single when everyone else is in a relationship is going to take some getting used to."
Nick rolled his eyes at this comment, but to avoid a fight between them, Scarecrow decided to change the subject.
"Is Nimmie coming tonight?" The king asked, sounding a bit disappointed. "I barely saw her at the wedding."
The metal man sighed. "Unfortunately, she's going to be a little late. She had some business in the spirit realm tonight."
"Oh, I'm glad she's coming eventually! Even though she is a ghost, Nimmie always has some very funny jokes." Dorothy requested before noticing that a certain couple was missing. "But speaking of not being here, where is Mallow and Ros—I mean—China Princess?"
"You know that Mallow and China have been having issues." Lion said, sounding annoyed. "I honestly wonder why they got married in the first place."
"Oh, those two can be so cold towards each other sometimes. I mean, we were all at the wedding, and they were super in love. Maybe the spark just died over time?" Tin Man started while he was thinking their relationship over.
"I think they are just very different. An opposites attract sort of thing." Crow observed, confused himself about the whole thing. "You are probably right, Nick. Time can heal but also harm certain things."
The now-human Nick heard this and added. "Marriage is also not easy. Love can be very painful. There are highs and—!" He was stopped midway through his statement when China and Mallow entered the room.
"Hello, everyone!" Mallow seemed happy and jovial, carrying his china wife in his arms. "Dorothy! Crow! Glad to see you two are doing well. Canean also wanted me to say 'hello' to you both for him!"
"Oh? Has the little boy started speaking already?" The king beamed with pride. "He's barely a year old!"
"A very smart marshmallow boy. Like his fath—!" Mallow started before his wife interrupted him.
China Princess cleared her throat before saying. "Ahem. He is also part porcelain as well..."
"I know, my lady, but I was just saying that—!" He was stopped again by her interjecting.
"You always ignore the fact that he is my son as well!" His wife turned away from him in anger. "Just put me down."
Mallow seemed ashamed and put his wife down on the floor. He barely talked, and this made Dorothy and Scarecrow very concerned. The king looked to his wife for guidance on how to handle the situation, but she knew what to do.
"How about we all head to the dining room? The future queen pretended to be tired of standing around. "It's pretty tiring to just stand here in the middle of the ballroom."
Scarecrow saw what his wife was doing and thought it was brilliant. "Exactly what I was thinking, Kansas! Come on everyone!"
They all followed the couple into the dining room and settled into their seats. The dining room was just as clean and sparkling as the ballroom. The table was laid with a white cloth and a blue runner, embroidered with a D on one end and an S on the other. Both were lined with faux blue flowers.
As they were being seated, more guests arrived, including the now-retired General Candy Apple, the new Mayor of Munchkinland, and the good witches of the North and South. The king and future queen sat at opposite ends of the table to make sure that no guest felt neglected by their company. During the course of the evening, they caught small glimpses of each other, and both saw the tiredness and frustration in each other's eyes. All they wanted was a quiet evening for two, but that wasn't possible.
The mood had already been somewhat dismal in the room because of the black cloud hanging over Marshal Mallow and China Princess. Everyone, even those who weren't married, knew that something was wrong. Lion was unfortunate enough to be sitting across from the couple, but he tried to lighten up the mood by asking a question about their son in the hopes that they would communicate.
"So, you two, where is your cute little son?" He also noticed earlier that Wiser wasn't at the party. "And where is Wiser?"
"He's watching our son." China responded flatly, glancing back at her husband. "We didn't want to bring him..."
"We? More like you. I wanted to bring him!" Mallow corrected, seeming really upset at what she said. "I love my son more than anything in the world, and I bet everyone here was expecting to see him!"
Everyone could sense tensions between the two rising, and Crow knew that they needed to change the topic. "Both of you! You came here to have dinner and celebrate before Dorothy leaves, not to fight with each other! So, control yourselves, please." The spatting couple calmed themselves, and everything was peaceful once again.
Once everyone had finished eating and dessert was being served, the conservation shifted to the legendary dragon that Dorothy was allegedly going to fight.
"I remember my mother telling me a story about that dragon when I was a boy." Nick remarked, taking a sip of tea. "I was scared afterward, but she told me that it wasn't real. Who knows though?"
Dorothy seemed surprised by this. "If it isn't real, then why would I be sent by Lurline herself to fight it?" This reply seemed to be ignored by everyone at the table.
"I know. That dragon with seventeen heads for each kingdom is the stuff of legend. It probably isn't even real." China Princess replied with a seemingly knowledgeable tone. "Mark my words, Dorothy. That's a tale that children get told at the feet of their parents."
"My father believed it was real." Mallow remarked before China could come in with a rebuttal. "He may have been mostly peppermint, but he was not stupid."
"Well, whether it is real or not, the poor girl is leaving for a week." General Candy Apple bunted in, hoping to stop the couple from getting into another spat.
After the meal was over, Scarecrow stood up, called for silence, and stood up to make a toast.
"First of all, I would like to thank all of you for being here to celebrate Dorothy before she leaves. I know how much Oz loves her and prays for her quick and safe return." He raised his glass. "A toast to the health and happiness of my dear wife and your future queen!"
"To Dorothy!" Everyone in attendance raised their glasses and cheered. The lady herself usually wasn't a fan of attention, but today she knew her husband was just trying to make her feel special.
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The party was in full swing, filling the ballroom with chatter and the sound of the small orchestra. There were small green sofas with tea tables placed around the sides of the room for resting and socializing. It was usual for tea to be served and conversation to happen after dinner, but Dorothy felt bored. She also sensed that something bad was going to happen but didn't know what.
"So, did you all enjoy my blueberry pie?" Scarecrow asked in a warm and friendly tone. "I
made it since it's Dorothy's favorite!"
"As a good food expert, that was definitely some delicious pie." Lion replied. "I will have to take some home!"
"It was pretty good tonight." Dorothy kissed her husband on the cheek. "Thank you for the pie, Stitches!"
"Aww, I'm very glad you liked it, Kansas." The king blushed softly at this.
For the entire evening, Mallow noticed how Dorothy and Scarecrow's loving banter with each other. Just knowing the other person was there could make them both happy. It didn't make him jealous but discouraged that he would never have that with his wife again.
However, China Princess was growing angrier every time she saw them express any kind of affection and was very envious of both of them. They couldn't possibly be that happy, while she and Mallow were miserable!
"I don't understand why you changed yourself for her." The porcelain princess asked, sounding a bit upset. "I mean, what's the point?"
This was a sore subject for them both, but Scarecrow kept calm. "When you love someone, you would do anything to make them happy."
"So, she didn't love you the way you were?" China Princess, trying to get a reaction out of him. "Were you too different for her?"
"Hun, that's enough—please..." Mallow tried to calm his wife down. "They don't deserve this type of questioning..."
"It's okay, Mallow." Dorothy reassured him that China's hurtful comments weren't affecting either of them. "You see, he loves me too much to watch me wither away into an old lady while he stays relatively young. I will die a lot sooner than him since magical creatures live longer than humans. I didn't want him to be lonely and live at least another hundred years without me. Ultimately though, it was his choice."
"I wanted to do it for her." Scarecrow clarified, smiling lovingly at her. "I was planning on keeping it a surprise before our wedding day, but she recognized me in my human form and that was it."
After this unbothered reply, China fell silent. Her attempt to get them to show any signs of weakness in their relationship had failed. She was jealous of their happiness but would never admit it outright. Both Tin Man and Lion could see that, but they weren't going to disturb the peace of the party.
Both Dorothy and Scarecrow knew what she was trying to do. They decided to not worry about China's insecurities and instead wanted to help. They felt compelled to try and repair China and Mallow's broken relationship, mainly for their nephew's sake.
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Near the end of the party, Nimmie Amee arrived in the ballroom. Her grey and transparent figure was only visible to people who knew of her. When Nick saw his undead love, he went up to her with a smile.
"Nimmie! You're finally here!" He hugged her, as much of a hug as you can give a ghost.
"Nicky! Sorry that I am so late!" Nimmie replied happily, looking around for the king. "Where is Scarecrow? I have something to give him."
"He's over there! I ran over here because I wanted to see you." The metal man winked at her. "Since you've been gone for a long time, I almost forgot how beautiful you were."
"Aww, how sweet!" The ghost remarked with a smile. "Oh, there's Crow!"
Scarecrow noticed Nimmie with Dorothy lying on his shoulder. She looked absolutely exhausted but still opened her eyes and sat up.
"Why, hello, Nimmie!" The king took off his hat in greeting. "How have you been?"
"I've been good, Your Majesty!" Nimmie said, bowing to him.
Dorothy laughed softly. "You don't have to bow to him, Nimmie."
"But you bow to the king, right?" The ghost asked, sounding a bit confused. "Unless that changed here."
"Usually, but you're a friend of the king!" He stated with a friendly smile. "If I had my friends bow to me, it would be strange."
"Oh, I see!" Nimmie then handed him a scroll. "I thought you and Dorothy could use this."
Scarecrow opened the scroll and showed it to Dorothy, who gasped in surprise. "Nimmie, you didn't!"
"Yes, I did! I found the last scroll that contains the secret to growing all the rare types of apples in Nonestica! I got it from a newly-dead farmer who's had it in his family for generations!" The ghost declared proudly. "More apples for your pies, Crow."
"That also means more delicious pies for me to eat!" Lion had also walked over to the group.
"Of course! More pie for everyone!" Scarecrow gently held his wife's hand and gazed lovingly at her. "We need a way to celebrate after Dorothy comes back!"
"Comes back? From where?" Nimmie was the only one who wasn't told about the task.
"Oh, you don't know?" Nick realized that he had forgotten to tell her. "Dorothy is leaving tomorrow to go fight a dragon, sweetheart."
"A dragon?!" The ghost seemed frightened for her friend. "How scary!"
"I'm used to fighting dangerous monsters, Nimmie." Dorothy tried to reassure her that she would be okay. "Nothing is going to go wrong. I'll come back safe and sound!"
"I think you'll come home much sooner than you expect." China responded in a sassy manner. "There probably is no dragon! Besides, why would Lurline have you go defeat it?"
Dorothy noticed this sassiness in her friend's voice. "Do you not think I'm capable of dealing with it, China?"
"Oh, I'm not saying that." The porcelain princess laughed, seemingly mocking her. "I just don't understand why Lurline would choose you instead of someone who has more noble parentage."
That's when Scarecrow began to fight back. No one could start insulting Dorothy in his presence, without him speaking up. "More noble parentage? I couldn't think of anyone more noble than Dorothy in the whole land of Oz!"
"Nobility isn't defined by one's deeds but where one comes from." Her words were becoming more insulting. "Being born on a farm and an orphan isn't really a glamorous upbringing."
Mallow was appalled at the comments his wife was making yet again. "What does that have to do with anything? Dorothy is a strong fighter and a great leader! Just because not everyone grew up as privileged as you in a palace doesn't make them lesser!"
"Well, some people actually have supportive husbands who help with their children!" China yelled, getting upset at him.
"Supportive? I always watch our son when I'm home!" The marshmallow man fought back. "Regardless, Dorothy is fully cut out to fight the dragon, unlike you!"
Dorothy then stood up, attempting to stop this pointless arguing. "Enough!! You both need to be quiet and act like adults!" She sighed in frustration and walked off. "For Lurline's sake..."
"Dorothy, wait!" Scarecrow pleaded but she ignored him. He was not one to be quick to anger, but if China thought he would be okay with her insulting the love of his life, she was a fool. "I hope you two are happy with yourselves! She has done so much for the both of you over the years, and this is how you repay it by ruining her night!"
Mallow was about to apologize when his wife interrupted him, sounding annoyed. "I was just purely expressing my opinion. Take it with a grain of salt if you like, but a farm girl becoming a queen sounds absurd to anyone with a brain."
"Opinions are fine, but I will not let you insult her either. I have a brain, and I think that if a king happens to love a farm girl enough to marry her that she deserves to be queen!" Scarecrow directed all of this at China, visibly upset but composed. "Her upbringing may not be as grand as yours, but neither was mine! I would be in a cornfield rotting away on a pole right now if it wasn't for her. She's done a lot for all of us and doesn't deserve to be mocked!"
"He's right, you know, China! Dorothy brought us all together and has done a lot for this country." Lion replied, surprised that the princess was being so nasty. "I think most of Oz would agree that she deserves the respect of a national hero."
"All she did was come into my kingdom and destroy it." She retorted in a rude tone. "I still believe the Jester sent that earthquake because of her to punish us for letting her in, which I don't intend on forgetting! Some savior she is!"
"Well, maybe you should blame me instead and leave her alone. I was the one who brought her here after all! How about you stop picking on her so much? She's trying her best because she knows that I love her enough to want her to rule with me." The king was now formulating his own attacks, over the whole ordeal. "The same cannot be said for you, your Shininess. All you've done here tonight is yell at Mallow and make everyone feel awful! You won't even make him the Prince of China Country because you don't trust him! If you really love him as you claim, show it a little!"
The whole group fell silent. No one had ever seen Scarecrow get that angry before and openly call out anyone. The strawman himself noticed this and sighed, holding the side of his head in his hand. "I'm sorry to all of you. The party is over, and I think it's best if you all leave..."
They all listened. China left first in a huff with her sad and discouraged husband following behind her. Nick, Nimmie, and Lion wanted to stay, but Scarecrow stated that he also meant them. They would have usually argued with him but not tonight.
Once his friends had gone, the king got up from his seat and announced that the party was over to everyone else in the ballroom. It ended early, but they figured that tomorrow was going to be a busy day. However, Scarecrow felt a bit of regret, but he knew that all he wanted to do was spend the rest of the night with Dorothy in peace.
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The rain hit the window of the bedroom with a soft thud. Dorothy was sitting in front of the fireplace and listening to the rain with her dog, Toto, at her feet. She didn't want to leave her husband to deal with their guests alone, but it was for the best. If she hadn't calmed down, she would have exploded. She heard the bedroom door open and turned around to see her husband, standing in the entryway with an upset and exhausted demeanor.
Dorothy frowned when she looked at him, already knowing what happened. "She attacked me, huh?"
Scarecrow nodded his head and sat down in his armchair facing hers. "Mhm, she did...every time she does."
"Shh. It's okay, Stitches." She patted her husband on the back and kissed him on the cheek. "Just relax. You did the right thing."
"I shouldn't have raised my voice at her, but I couldn't help it." The king felt dejected, but he reacted purely out of love. "I've always had a certain soft spot for you, Dor, even before we were anything more than friends. Every time one of the leaders would try to criticize you, I would always be quick to defend you."
Dorothy smiled at this and held his hand. "Which is why I love you so much. You care so much about me and my feelings, even when I'm not in the room!"
"Of course, sweetheart!" Scarecrow smiled back at his wife and chuckled, finally noticing that, even though she had changed out of her dress and into her silk pajamas, the locket was still around her neck. "You really like that locket, don't you?"
"Oh, definitely! You made it for me, so I don't want to lose it!" His wife clasped the locket in her hand. "It's very special."
"It is quite special, just like you." The king booped her on the nose. "A special gal deserves a special locket."
"Oh, you! I was planning on going to bed soon because I have to get up early tomorrow, but I wanted to wait for you to come back up here, just to make sure you were okay." She replied while looking out the window, seemingly changing her mind. "Though, we didn't have our peaceful evening..."
"Well, why can't we have it now? We have an hour before midnight, so I think we could squeeze some 'us time' in." Her husband remarked, hoping that she was fine with that.
Dorothy nodded at this. "I wouldn't be opposed to that, my dear." She went under the side table and pulled out their chessboard. "Chess?"
"Oh, you're on, Dorothy Louise Gale! I do need to change first though." Scarecrow glared at her playfully and competitively before going to his closet. A few moments later, a thin blonde-haired man stepped out in blue pajamas.
"I just realized that I forgot to return the kiss you gave me when I was in distress." He said, kissing her back on the cheek. "My sincerest apologies."
She laughed at this gesture. "Hehe. It's alright, hun. You know getting kissed by a handsome man like yourself flusters me!"
"Okay, you beautiful woman, let's play before we get any other ideas." The king winked, flirting with her again on purpose.
Dorothy blushed profusely. "Just focus on getting my king, you dork! That's the point of the game and nothing else!"
"Whatever you say, Kansas." He smirked at her slyly, setting up his pieces. "As long as I win the flirt battle for this evening."
She shook her head. "Oh, no. You can win this game, but I will never give up the flirt battle until I fall asleep, Stitches."
"Fair enough, my dear." Scarecrow smiled at his wife and gave her a soft kiss on the lips. "I love you, Dor."
"Aww, I love you too!" Dorothy kissed him back, now confident that tomorrow would go smoothly. "I need to finally win a game of chess against you."
Her husband took the opportunity to tell a joke, making his first move. "Well, luckily, you aren't a pawn. You're basically a queen, and I'm a king, so I say this is a pretty even match."
"Not just any queen though." His wife said with a smile. "I'm the queen of my favorite country with my favorite man in the entire world."