Pretty

Since she had been a young girl, Glinda had always been told she was pretty.

She could remember growing up princess like, posh and delicate in her manner, and cared for in the way a child of extraordinary beauty would be. Her mother had dressed her up like a doll and she was carried about like a marionette. Pink was her mother's favourite colour to dress her in. Her mother used to say it made Glinda's crystal blue eyes sparkle and made her golden hair sheen brighter than the sun.

Glinda was either kept close to her mother's side or she was fussed over by her maids, it was usually the maids that bothered her the most. She used to be called mischievous by them; she always ran from their sight and hid in the halls of the Upland Manor, sometimes, if she was lucky, she'd run and get herself lost in town somewhere and drive them absolutely mad with worry. Little did they know Glinda did it because she longed to be left alone. She wasn't allowed to run and play and dress comfortably like a child ought to and it was all in the name of fashion.

All because Galinda Upland, was always expected to look pretty.

She would pout and small tears would stream down her cheeks when the maids styled her hair. Pulling the silken sunshine strands so tight into braids or curls that left Glinda with a mild headache after the torture ended. Her caretaker would scold, "Don't make that face lovely, it's not pretty"

Once she had been allowed to play in her private courtyard alone for only a few minutes and had befriended a small spider she found in its web. She had allowed the little guy to crawl over her hands, lightly giggling at its goofy run.

Her nanny had shrieked and wrenched Glinda to the side, causing the spider to fall loose and disappear into the green grass below.

"Don't touch those disgusting things!" her nanny scolded "You're far too pretty to let those ugly things touch you"

Glinda looked back sadly as she was dragged away.

As Galinda Upland grew, her child-like cuteness developed into stunning adolescence.

Her hair grew long, like rivers of silky gold. Her eyes became sharper and her face more defined. Her lithe little body developed into beautiful feminine curves.

She was gorgeous indeed. Brighter than the sun, fairer than the moon, her beauty was absolutely dazzling.

It was this beauty that brought her some unwanted attention.

The first time someone suggested marriage to her parents, Glinda had been absolutely terrified.

The princes and the sons of nobles had gathered from miles to ask for her hand. Each had fawned and commented on her beauty, as if it would impress her, as if she hadn't heard it all before.

Even as she was introduced to good society as a new adult they continued to whisper all around her.

"She's so pretty"

She had felt so pressured to find a husband she slowly went insane. She didn't want to be married, not now. She didn't want to spend her life being nothing more than eye candy. There was a hole in her life and she didn't know how to fill it.

It was this very emptiness that caused her to really stare hard at herself in the mirror one day. What difference did her life make? What good did she do for anyone? What else did she have except her looks?

She angrily pulled her neatly made hair out of its many pins and shook the blond curls so they fell loosely down her face and back. She angrily scrubbed off the phoney painted makeup that made her appear more doll like then human.

Glinda heard a knock at her door and the heavy oak door was pushed open and a woman ushered in.

"Miss Glinda? Miss Glinda where are-?" She stopped at the sight of Glinda's tear streaked face, "Miss?"

"Am I pretty?" Glinda looked up at Ama Clutch tearfully.

"Yes" the sweet woman answered honestly, thinking it was what her little charge wanted to hear.

Instead it had the opposite effect, Glinda sobbed brokenly. Ama Clutch's face shadowed with sorrow and she wrapped her arms around the young woman, "Oh Galina Miss… what's wrong?"

"I don't want to be pretty" Glinda whispered, "I'm afraid to be pretty… they all look at me, they all want something from me, they are all watching me carefully to see if I make any mistake at all… and the suitors" Glinda shuddered, "I can't breathe …" She whimpered.

Ama Clutch stood forlorn beside her, unsure of what to say or do. All she knew was she had to find a way to help Miss Galinda.

The poor dear had become so depressed as of late that Ama Clutch had privately spoken to Glinda's parents and they decided to allow her to attend Shiz University. So she could exercise a bit of freedom, free her mind, and, though they'd never admit it, so she could meet a nice boy.

And like usual, Glinda was fawned over at Shiz. She was followed by hordes of student admirers, though none seemed to see anything other than how pretty she was.

And as usual next to no one noticed anything besides how gorgeous she was.

But maybe that's what makes Elphaba so special.

Unusual, discreet, peculiar, awkward Elphie.

She was nothing like what Glinda had expected to fall for…and yet… Elphaba was every one of Glinda's dreams come true.

Elphaba had long ago abandoned the eye for physical beauty, never having any herself, the gift of vision seemed almost irrelevant to her.

But what she did see was a woman burdened by the constant pressure to be perfect in the eyes of all. Glinda had at first thought her beauty alone would be sufficient to keep Elphaba with her and imagine her shock when Elphie had requested she not wear any makeup one day and to let her hair dry naturally after her shower.

Elphaba loved to look upon her beloved's natural face and she felt a sense of pride when Glinda's porcelain cheeks tinged the slighted shade of rose whenever Elphaba flirted with her.

They had tried far too hard to enhance her natural beauty and tried to turn her into a perfect doll when they failed to realize is that no one is ever truly perfect.

But that was alright because she was perfect enough for Elphaba.

And for Glinda, life with Elphaba meant a life of true love; her love was real and feelings pure.

It was all a woman could want.

"What are you thinking about my pretty?" A voice sounded through the quiet room, breaking the peaceful silence.

Glinda turned to gaze at her green wife, not being able to hold back the joyful smile that stretched the corners of her mouth at the sight of the love of her life.

Elphaba smiled when she saw her wife's face light up the moment she saw her, "You're smile is so dazzling"

Glinda's smile grew even wider, "I'm thinking of you and how happy I am that you're here in my life to stay"

Elphaba swooped the blond into her arms. She was so lucky to have such a wonderful, thoughtful, understanding wife.

That night they spoke of magic and sorcery. Elphaba shared her ambitions as far as her activism went with Glinda and in turn Glinda gave everything to Elphaba, her trust, her loyalty, and her companionship and most of all her love….all of her love.

Glinda was special to Elphaba and she knew it. She felt it. She lived it every day.

And whenever Elphie uses that pet name she gave her back in their college years, "My Pretty" always meant so much more when Elphaba said it.

The End

Final Thoughts:

A little one shot to practice. I kind of feel like writing a Drama but I am not sure I can pull it off seeing as my forte is humour. This is my hand at Romance. I just wanted to experiment a little and brush off the rust. Hope you liked it.

~ LeShea