Because I am trash, I wrote another thing instead of updating my other works. It's mostly just an excuse to explore the idea of Elphaba as Eminent Thropp. Fiyero and Frex are more reminiscent of the book-verse than the musical.
This will only be three chapters and maybe an epilogue.
Hope you enjoy!
Disclaimer: Baako, Takoda, and Yazpik are mine. Everything else was created by visionaries.
Elphaba sat at the head of a ridiculously long and ridiculously ornate table as three ridiculous old men prattled on about a ridiculous situation. Truly, no other word than ridiculous came to her mind. After all her tutoring, researching, schooling, reading, and intellectual conversations, her brilliant and well-tuned brain could only come up with ridiculous. She recounted past conversations with these three men, and hardly any shone a candle to what she was being forced to listen to now. Ridiculous. Nothing really came close to it when three old men talked amongst themselves, and occasionally at her, about why she doesn't have a husband and who would be the best candidate to fill the spot.
No one, she thought immediately.
She had no use for a marriage, and she sure as Oz had no use for a husband. Elphaba believed herself perfectly capable of presiding over Munchkinland on her own, as she had been doing for the past five years anyway. Her advisors, however ridiculous now, had been serving her perfectly thus far. Munchkinland wasn't falling to the pits of despair, and Munchkins were no longer among the people with the highest mortality ratings. Sure, they had cut back on plenty of things; but she and her advisors had all agreed it was best for the land, and they didn't need a Master Thropp sitting in the background agreeing with them.
But the legacy, they bemoaned at the opposite end of the table. Who will carry on the Eminency when Elphaba passed? Which Thropp would ensure the good name carried on through the next generation? Surely not Nessarose. Even on the off chance she could carry a child in her condition, she couldn't marry until Elphaba did, and then it would be mostly unnecessary. It had to be Elphaba. Elphaba had to marry. Elphaba had to produce a child. Elphaba had to shoulder the burden of a legacy as she shouldered the burden of running a nation. The Thropp name had not lasted centuries for Elphaba to throw it all away, according to her advisors.
More than that, though, what would become of Munchkinland if Elphaba and Nessarose did not have children? Because the Eminent Thropp had maintained positions for centuries, Munchkinland knew no different. No heir meant Munchkinland would be scrambling to construct a new form of governance. Or worse, Emerald City would annex it, which had been a worry for the last half century or so. It was perhaps the only concern to which Elphaba extended a sympathetic ear. Munchkins, herself included most of the time, were very proud of their heritage, and their sense of regionalism rivaled the Gillikinese more often than not. If the Thropps left no heir, the Munchkins would fight tooth and nail for their sovereignty, and Elphaba knew the Gale Force would slaughter them.
A husband, Elphaba thought, would serve no other purpose than to impregnate her. She wanted neither. Munckinland politics had changed so much in the last two hundred years, why could she not adjust the line of succession? The land was full of upstanding and prestigious families who could certainly carry on the name.
It was about blood, though, as her advisors reminded her when she brought it up. There was a respectability that came along with the Thropp name, dating all the way back to the first Eminent Thropp who ascended to the throne, as it were, after consent from the former Eminent Families.
They meant well, her advisors. They meant for Munchkinland to hold its own in turbulent times, for their people to have the necessities, and for their stations to remain secure against other like advisors. But they also meant to make Elphaba do something she vehemently had no current interest in, and if she had to pick her battles, this was the one she would fight.
"All of this talk is useless," Elphaba threw in when they started discussing menstruation and whether or not she could potentially conceive before Lurlinemas. "I won't marry."
They should have been planning to host the members of the Vinkun royal families who were due to arrive in a week's time. Munchkinland recently established a Vinkun Embassy in Colwen Grounds, and the Arjiki, Scrow, and Yunamata were sending their people for its opening. These were the diplomatic issues she needed to be dealing with, especially since Munchkins so frequently threw about the term 'winkie' packed with all sorts of meanings. A Munchkinlander offending a Vinkun prince was a real possibility, and yet they sat here arguing marriage.
"Be reasonable, Elphaba," Yazpik, her spymaster (though he preferred agent of intrigue), responded.
"There's hard to find reason in three old men are bickering over what I should do with my body."
"Perhaps a pregnancy could wait," Jinjuria, her armed forces advisor, commented.
"Perhaps, he says," Elphaba scoffed, "as if it was on the table."
"It's merely politics, Elphaba," said Romen Skarr, her maternal grandfather who maintained connections with the other regions of Oz and made sure she correctly addressed the appropriate people. "To save face and ensure what's happening in Ugabu does not happen in Munkinland."
Elphaba threw an arm out incredulously, "Munchkinlanders are fighting over religion, and you want me to save face and marry some poor sod? We should be pushing for religious tolerance, not nuptials."
And again, her advisors began listing off reasons why it was necessary and beneficial for Munchkinland if Elphaba married. She was raised a Unionist—although she considered herself atheist—and any marriage outside of the faith would be considered a symbol of her toleration. If she married a socialite from Emerald City, Munchkinland would strengthen diplomatic ties with several key figures on the Palace's Financial Investment Board. If she married someone from the Gillikin, they would gain access to the country's resources and precious gem reserves. If she married someone from one of the Vinkun tribes, she could consolidate their power while also providing her assumed heir with a claim to Munchkinland and influence in the Vinkus. All three of her advisors skipped over Quadling Country, though she knew Jinjuria, her military strategist, would be fond of the militia forces the Quadlings would certainly supply.
Throughout their arguments, Yazpik had been compiling two lists. The first, everything they were saying, including Elphaba's counterarguments. The second, names of families who would prove to be good allies in the event of a marriage.
When she had retired for the night, after debating back and forth with her advisors through the evening, Elphaba was absolutely certain in her position. She was the Eminent Thropp of Munchkinland, and she was doing a damn good job at it. She didn't need a husband to tell her that. Truthfully, this topic had been the furthest thing from mind when she succeeded Peerless Thropp. Elphaba and Nessarose were never prepared for the throne. Frex knew nothing about the workings of Eminency, and if Melena had, she died long before she could tell her daughters. When Elphaba ascended, she was worried about the more immediate responsibilities. Elphaba herself was still new to the throne. She was young and had time to marry. It didn't need to be in her near future.
However, as she stared up at the canopy that hung above her bed, Elphaba's mind wandered. She had an Ugabuan among the people living in the palace. Ann was ruling Ugabu currently, but it was by no means a peaceful reign. The Wizard had begun contesting Ann's right to rule ever since she took the throne. Month after month, Yazpik brought Elphaba reports on the volley between the EC forces and Ugabu's militia. It was a long war, and Ugabu had more forces than Munchkinland could ever hope to have. Ugabu's people were more centrally located where Munchkinlanders were separated by miles and miles of farmland.
Elphaba thought of the mission trips she and Nessarose took with Frex when they were younger. The condition war and internal strife left Quadling Country in was hardly ideal; but would Munchkinland face the same fate if they attempted to go head-to-head with the Gale Forces?
It was this small seed of doubt that ruined Elphaba's resolve. Not entirely, but still enough to allow her advisors to openly discuss the topic in front of her and then, after a few days, amongst their contacts outside of the palace.
So the arrival of the first of the Vinkun families was a welcome break from the general annoyance she was coming to experience.
The Arjiki tribe was arguably the strongest among the three. They populated most parts of the Vinkus and were mostly sedentary, spare a handful of clans who migrated with the seasons. The Tigelaar clan currently held the most power within the tribe and occupied the eastern fortress at Kiamo Ko. Marilott, the Chieftain (or Prince, as the rest of Oz referred to the Vinkuns chiefs as), would stay behind, but he was sending his sons in his stead.
Elphaba stood in the front garden with her advisors and a few dignitaries as they waited for the carriage to pull up. She clasped her hands behind her back as to not fidget with the fringe of the sash at her hip or the corolla upon her head. She didn't know why she was fidgeting. It was the Tigelaars. Elphaba liked the Tigelaars. They were fine people who made her feel good. She supposed it was the lurking doom of a marriage which upset her. One of the brothers would surely have made Yazpik's list, and she feared he would pressure her to consider the visit from that viewpoint.
The brother Takoda exited first when the carriage finally pulled to a stop before them. Elphaba adored him dearly. He was one of the sweetest men she had ever encountered, and though she considered him vapid at times, she truly enjoyed his company. Takoda was peculiar to her in that he frequently went from one extreme mood to the next. One moment he would be bursting at the seams with energy, running around the gardens or chasing ducks at the pond. At the drop of a brick, he would be calm, morose even. Yazpik assured her it wasn't all that uncommon among Vinkun men. He said most men experienced mood swings like Takoda's until they participated in the Black Moon Hunt, which the royal brothers would participate in when they each turned thirty. For now, though, Takoda was cordial. He nodded to the people bowing to him and beamed when he reached Elphaba.
"Your Eminency," he greeted Elphaba properly as his brother, Fiyero, emerged from the carriage. Elphaba imagined most of the girls (and various men) in the palace were watching with their noses pressed against the windows. "You look radiant."
"It's the morning glare," Elphaba responded with a grin. "I hope your ride was all right?"
"As enjoyable as a ride can be with Fiyero," he jested.
"I happen to be excellent company," Fiyero defended himself, coming up beside his brother. He added with a bow, "Your Eminency," and pressed his lips to her proffered hand.
Elphaba fought off the urge to fidget and simply suffered through fluttering of her chest.
"You two must be exhausted," she said, leading the party inside while the Tigelaar's people unloaded the princes' things with the help of her own staff. "Master Romen will show you to your rooms, and we can meet up before dinner."
"We're to be without your company for so long?" Takoda frowned.
"Believe me," Elphaba replied, playing with the cuff of her dress, "I would much rather entertain."
Fiyero raised his brows but said nothing.
Elphaba and Yazpik stood in the foyer and watched as Fiyero and Takoda followed Romen up the grand staircase. She noticed the diamond tattoo poking out just above Fiyero's collar and the one proudly displayed on Takoda's back left hand. Neither of them had those tattoos the last time she saw them, and Elphaba wondered which task or ritual each completed to acquire it.
Yazpik, the nosy bastard, smirked at her.
"Stop looking at me like that," she snapped when she was sure they were alone. "They seem to have new tattoos each time I see them," she added as justification.
"At least one," Yazpik agreed. "Arjiki nobility will typically have a new one each season, if they're following through with tradition."
Though Takoda was a more recent friendship, Elphaba had known Fiyero for the past six years or so. She ascended to the Eminency just before the start of her second year at Shiz, but she knew him from Shiz. If he hadn't been adopted into her group of friends there, she surely would have heard of him anyway. As far as anyone knew, he was the only Vinkun enrolled at Shiz. Elphaba doubted it had anything to do with the general intelligence of the Vinkun people. They just didn't attend Shiz. The intense inclusion of each member of the tribe made it very difficult for any clan to spare a person. She wasn't sure of the circumstances around Fiyero's decision to attend Shiz, but she knew he was a unique case. Not even Takoda had the opportunity.
Anyway, Fiyero was quickly adopted into their group. Crope and Tibbett adored him in an almost patronizing way. The two of them were in the same theatre class as Pfannee, who had been dating Avaric Tenmeadows, who was the cousin of Glinda Upland of the Upper Uplands, who Boq had followed around like a lost puppy for a good nine months. And Elphaba, who had known Boq growing up, was a permanent thorn in his side during those days, and she was also the roommate of Glinda, who had some elitist friendship with Pfannee and ShenShen. Elphaba liked Boq the best. He was one of the only people who didn't crudely draw attention to her. So through their strange group of strange connections, Elphaba had been some sort of friend of Fiyero's at school.
It was mostly selfish, she thought looking back on it. If the two of them were in the same room together, people would always point and stare at him. He was a Vinkun; he was royalty; he had tattoos which were not common among the heavily Gillikinese-populated institution; and by most accounts, he was attractive. Elphaba enjoyed not being the point of focus in a room—which only lasted a little bit before she was thrust upon the Munchkinland throne.
Of all the people she met at Shiz, she thought Fiyero may have been the one she was most fortunate to meet. Elphaba felt he was easy to talk with, whether through letter or face-to-face. He understood the diplomatic frustrations she dealt with, but he could also reminisce with her if she was feeling particularly nostalgic. As the heir apparent, Fiyero spent Vinkun winters in the Emerald City, rubbing elbows with politicians and breaking bread with the elites. Most of the time, he was acquiring his own intelligence, which he would need when he took over; however, he also acted as an emissary for his parents. These were the instances when Elphaba saw him—when the Wizard would request heads of nations to meet in the Palace or something similar. Fiyero was a welcome sight among the cutthroats in finely embroidered silks and chiffons.
Elphaba glanced at Yazpik, who was studying his nails, before pressing her cool fingers to her warming cheeks. She was being frivolous. There were documents to read, Munchkins to hear out, and relationships to mend. She couldn't spend her time pondering her ties to Fiyero.
Jin was already waiting in Eminency's office when Elphaba and Yazpik made it there, and Romen was not too far behind. He grumbled about Takoda's quick mood swings and wondered aloud if a union between the Thropps and any member of the Arjiki royal family would be worth it. Romen was the eldest among her advisors, and, despite their relations, the one she knew least. Yazpik had always been an outlier in her life, and she suspected it had to do with her previous title of 3rd Thropp Descending. Jin was a close friend and pupil of Frex's. Her earliest memories of him came from those days just after Melena passed when Jin sought a more intimate relationship with the Unnamed God. Frex had been the nearest Unionist to teach him, and from what she recalled, they were fast friends.
Under different circumstances, Elphaba didn't think she would have ever wished to know Romen Skarr. Melena had run away when she was young to marry Frex, a commoner and Unionist, everything the Thropps were not. Elphaba wasn't sure Romen had ever forgiven Melena for it, considering the grief Melena's mother experience lead to her own early death. Elphaba's father claimed he didn't want to leave Rush Margins because of his practice, but she firmly believed Frex lived outside of Colwen Grounds because of Romen's open hostility. Elphaba loved her father dearly, and part of her resented Romen for being the reason Frex rarely visited. But Romen was also a brilliant diplomat. He had acted as a courtier under Peerless Thropp, and Elphaba had considered him an excellent candidate for her own official cabinet. He knew the politics better than she ever could, and Romen acted as a tutor for her in the early years of her reign. He was an Oz awful grandfather, but he was indispensable as an advisor.
"I've written to several families throughout Oz," Yazpik started when Romen's grumbles stopped.
Elphaba rolled her eyes, something she was only allowed to do when in the company of her advisors and behind closed doors. She was constantly reminded that it wasn't something nobility did.
"We'll host a banquet. We can masquerade it as a celebration."
"And what would we be celebrating?" Jin asked, looking through a field report he had brought with him.
"Elphaba's youth. Munchkinland's greenery. The bloody mole on your cheek. I don't care," Yazpik responded shortly. "Nobles don't need a reason to drink someone else's wine and eat food provided for them."
"You won't be required to make a proposal," Romen added, to which Yazpik begrudgingly agreed. "We'd prefer you see it as a chance to get to know potential candidates."
"The last thing we want is for the rest of Oz to think we're desperate for you to find a match."
"But we are, aren't we?" Elphaba commented.
"No, not desperate, but we place it as a priority," Romen corrected. "We'll address a few letters personally, and you'll need to sign them as if you were the one inviting these men for a visit. I'll deal with the families." He handed a list of invitees to Elphaba.
She noted that many of the women on the list were either married, betrothed, or not interested in men. As long as Colwen Grounds kept the libations flowing, none of these guests would sense the ulterior motive her advisors had for inviting them.
"You make it sounds like I'm picking out a new steed," Elphaba said after a while of pondering the list and just how ridiculous she still considered all of this.
"You've said yourself that a husband would be nothing more than an accessory for you."
"That doesn't mean I'm very fond of accessorizing."
They spent a good hour discussing when the best time would be to invite these people to wine and dine within the palace. Her three advisors agreed it would be best if it was done when they had the Vinkuns under the roof as well. Some of them were eligible candidates, and Romen wanted to capitalize on that. He also thought Colwen Grounds could use their visit as an excuse for a banquet. They could frame it as a celebration of good Vinkun and Munchkinland relations. It would also make Ozians wonder if there was a deeper connection with the Vinkus, which would have other Ozian noble families vying for a seat at Elphaba's side.
This was all a game, and Elphaba seemed to be the prize. None of it sat well with her.
She didn't officially call their meeting to an end, but Elphaba did excuse herself without giving her advisors a reason or an order to wait for her return. Snatching up the fabric of her skirt, she quickly hurried down the corridors which lead away from the office.
It was nothing more than a banquet, she reminded herself. Elphaba wouldn't need to decide her future in one night, and considering their earlier insistence, her advisors were somewhat lax in their decision to allow her time. There had to be eligible nobles who were bearable. If she was lucky, and she used that word loosely, she could find someone friendly enough and who could get her pregnant on their wedding night. Then she would have the husband and heir, and her legacy would no longer be an topic of conversation.
Elphaba made a noise of disgust just thinking about it. Although she had never considered having a marriage and an offspring, she was having trouble putting it in a scientific and diplomatic perspective. It was just so cold, Elphaba thought. For all her parents' troubles and affairs, she never grew up in a household without love. Frex and Melena loved each other on some level. Frex loved his children. And while the memory of him was somewhat faint at this point, the Quadling Turtle Heart brought a lot of free love into the household. She didn't want to be shackled in a loveless marriage, but she also didn't want to marry before she was ready.
Yazpik had once told her, her personal decisions were no longer her own, nor were they personal anymore. Every dress she wore, every person she smiled or frowned at, every small detail of her actions and appearance meant something for Munchkinland. She was a symbol of the region, and her choices reflected Munchkinland's position. If she was selfish about her desires, what would that mean for Munchkinland? How would Munchkinlanders, who often married young and for life, view themselves in relation to the crown if their Eminency couldn't be bothered to even host the idea of a marriage? Elphaba struggled with her relationship to her country constantly. Individuality had no place in politics, and she had yet to master the art of working behind the masque of propriety.
She was talking herself through the idea of marriage when Fiyero found her. He was dictating something to a scribe and passed by the corridor she was walking down. Elphaba heard his steps fade before he reappeared behind her.
"Isn't it against some rule for you to be unattended?" he asked, offering his arm.
Elphaba folded her hands together.
"I am the Eminent Thropp. Surely I'm entitled to my own roaming."
"You look like you're hiding."
She sighed, walking into the back gardens after the doorman held it open for her.
"My legacy has become a topic as of late, the little heiresses and heirs kind," Elphaba confided once they were in the safety of the hedges. She knew the gardens like the back of her hand. "Most likely because of the worsening situation in Ugabu."
"Hereditary positions typically are topics of conversation among rulers with no heirs."
"Well, not now," she interjected. "I have none now, but in time, when I'm ready, sure."
Fiyero made a noncommittal noise. Elphaba knew he understood the position her advisors were taking against her wishes, but she also knew he wouldn't counter whatever argument Elphaba made as he and Takoda had yet to make matches. Not for the Arjiki's lack of trying either. She never asked Fiyero or Takoda about it, but Elphaba heard something kept the matches away despite the princes' good humor and looks.
"You say nothing now, but when it's your head on the chopping block, I'm sure you'll be full of arguments."
"It's just a diplomatic union," Fiyero said, sounding an awful lot like her advisors. "You don't have to love the man."
"But I want to love the man I marry!" Elphaba retorted exasperatedly, though instantly blushing when she remembered her company and the setting of this talk. "Pardon me," she added as more of an afterthought. "I sound like a silly teenager, romanticizing notions of love and partnership." She babbled on, "I should be figuring out how to keep the different religious factions in Munchkinland happy while also making sure the Unionists aren't being slaughtered without Munchkinlanders accusing me of playing favorites. Instead my advisors have me hosting a bloody banquet to celebrate our good relations with the Vinkus when in reality it's merely to scout out the fresh meats they can skewer beside me for their rest of my life. With the skeevy ulterior motives abound, nonetheless."
"Naturally," he replied, causing Elphaba's blush to deepen.
"I'm sorry: I shouldn't have said any of that," she apologized, taking a sharp right turn that Fiyero nearly missed.
"I promise I won't tell anyone your diplomacy dinner is actually a chance for you to speed date," Fiyero chuckled.
"I feel like a piece of meat already. Which noble will pay the most to fine dine? Who'll pay the butcher off to get the best cut?"
"Elphaba, you're far more valuable than a piece of meat," Fiyero responded, and Elphaba felt a heavy weight upon her chest again. "This is all a game, sure, but you hold all the cards."
"You underestimate my advisors," she huffed.
Fiyero took Elphaba's hand and placed it in the crook of his elbow, leading her to the left. Elphaba allowed herself to be lead, but she had to constantly tell herself not to take control. Especially when she knew he was heading towards a dead end. They could just stroll, she thought. She had so little time to stroll the gardens lately, let alone with a friend.
And truth be told, Elphaba enjoyed Fiyero's company more than most. She felt like she could talk with him in ways she didn't even talk to Glinda in. He understood the necessity of frugality and the burden of prominence. More than that, when he looked at her, Elphaba didn't feel the need to present herself as larger than she was or to cave in on herself. She could just simply be there. It was a relief not to have to be anything other than what she was, a green and rambling girl with more opinions than filters. Although, Elphaba supposed it helped that her first memory of Fiyero was him sobbing on the floor in front of the life science class. It really nipped any later intimidation she may have felt in the bud.
Their walk in silence did not last nearly as long as Elphaba would have liked. Fiyero picked up on the intrusion first, craning his neck ever so slightly to peer at something Elphaba could not see. Well, admittedly, she was far more intrigued by the tattoos which disappeared under his collar. She blushed violently and looked the other way when Fiyero caught her.
Thankfully—though, perhaps she was not too thankfully—Yazpik appeared at the end of the row they were currently in. He stood lazily with his hands at his side and glanced this way and that while he waited for them.
Yazpik was the youngest of her advisors, though he was not young. Elphaba knew she was supposed to naturally be confident in her advisors, but she truly believed there was no better intelligence agent than Yazpik. He couldn't have been much older than Frex, but he had probably seen and experienced things far beyond Elphaba's imagination. Yazpik knew who to contact, when to contact them, and just the right thing to say to manipulate the outcome.
He was the one who found her immediately after Peerless Thropp passed. She had been in the library at Shiz, down one of the aisles and looking for a particular title. When she went back to her table, Yazpik was standing over her material, skimming through it. Had she not seen him from time to time in her youth, Elphaba's not sure how she would have reacted. Yazpik was an intimidating man, merely from their air he gave off, but his worn in appearance added to the effect. Growing up, Elphaba remembered him to wear his hair twisted up in a loose bun with a band keeping the strays away from his face. When he arrived at Shiz, and every day since then, Yazpik wore it down with a strip of leather keeping half of it tied. How he styled his hair or wore his clothes didn't matter, though, Elphaba would have recognized his visible scars anywhere.
Glinda was quite taken with Elphaba's spymaster. She could go on about her crush over him until Elphaba was all but begging her to stop. Perhaps when he was younger, Yazpik may have been considered attractive. Or he could very well be attractive to someone who didn't know what lengths Yazpik would go to uncover information. But when Elphaba looked at Yazpik, all she saw was her people and the responsibilities that came with having a man such as Yazpik at her side.
Responsibilities which she would be thrusted back into after a moment's escape with Fiyero.
"I beg your pardon, highnesses," Yazpik bowed when the two were before him. "I hate to interrupt your stroll."
"Oh, don't lie, Yazpik," Elphaba teased. "You were waiting for the most inopportune moment."
"I'm sorry to have kept her away, Master Yazpik," Fiyero said sincerely.
Yazpik nodded to Fiyero as the latter took his leave.
"You should not be unchaperoned," Yazpik chided when Fiyero was gone. "We've talked about this."
"I'm hardly at fault if a member of the staff sees me without proper company and decides to leave me be. If the people you hire to watch me go and leave me to my own devices, that's your problem," Elphaba replied. "Besides, were we not just discussing your plans to marry me off? I'm perusing the stock."
"You know very well Prince Fiyero is not an option."
"Sarima fought the system to claim her chiefdom," Elphaba argued, more for the sake of argument than any desire to marry Fiyero.
"Sarima is the chieftain of the smallest tribe in the Vinkus, not the sovereign of a nation. And she's only in such as position until her son matures and reclaims the title."
"You spoil everything, Yazpik," she grunted as he held the door open for her.
Had the threat of a union not been looming in her future, Elphaba would have thought the days leading up to the banquet passed with relative ease. Her days were mostly split between holding audiences and meeting privately with rival farms to attempt settlements (which rarely worked but were typically civil). Yazpik allowed her to continue strolling through the gardens with Fiyero when she desired, but her spymaster was always several feet behind them. And as if to drive his point, Yazpik also included Takoda, who was eligible for marriage should Elphaba decide she wanted the other brother.
The representatives from the Yunamata and Scrow arrived within an hour of each other a few days after the Arjikis arrived. Baako, the heir apparent of the Yunamata came with his mother, his mother's lover, and his mother's sister who was also his father's lover. Yazpik had warned Elphaba ahead of time that relations were different when you ventured further west. It was not uncommon for a clan to be torn apart because of the entangling alliances. Fiyero added that as long as a heir was born, most Vinkuns weren't concerned with private sexual matter. Elphaba balked but said nothing. She also said nothing to betray her emotions when the Yunamata party arrived, as she silently noted the similarities between Baako and his mother's lover.
Before Elphaba had the chance to check on all members of the Yunamata delegation, the Scrow arrived in four large and rickety caravans. They had all the staff of the palace on alert and running around like headless chickens. Sarima, unlike the others, had not been entirely truthful with Yazpik in her letters. She had told him she would be coming with the most important of her camp; however, upon arrival, it appeared as if she had brought the entire camp with her. One of Jin's scouts had been the first to see the party and nearly wore his horse out trying to reach Colwen Grounds in time. Yazpik, ever at the ready, sectioned off a large area in the woods belonging to the estate, and several neighboring residences offered to host members of the Scrow party if needed. All of this was done before Sarima stepped out of her caravan.
At times, Elphaba felt like a child in the company of the others. Not because of age or intelligence, of course, but she felt antsy. She would see Fiyero, Baako, and Sarima laughing in the library as she passed on her way to the throne room. Or she would see them out running in the gardens or fields while she sat and listened to her advisors' reports. Before ascension, she had never been barred from doing as she pleased. Although, to be fair, most situations were not welcoming of Elphaba; but if she wanted to, she was still allowed to assert herself. Now, though, she was a symbol of freedom and power, but every move was deliberately controlled.
Her first day free from report obligations and audiences was the day the embassy was to be opened. The three Vinkun leaders were already up when Elphaba's staff deemed her appropriately bathed, dressed, and styled. She was fidgeting with the velvet band around her waist and reading a letter from Glinda when she heard a peal of laughter coming from the East Wing's parlor.
"If you want to do anything in town," Jin was saying as they neared the room, "Yazpik will have an agent ready to do a switch."
"That won't be necessary," Elphaba replied, glancing at the parlor somewhat distracted. "But I appreciate the thought." She paused. "Perhaps we could invite my father and sister for dinner tonight?"
Jin looked over at the parlor doors and bowed slightly, telling Elphaba he would find someone to retrieve them. He gave her a small wink while Elphaba asked the staff to open the parlor doors for her.
Fiyero jumped anxiously to his feet when the doors opened, which caused Sarima and Baako to giggle like schoolchildren.
"Your Eminency!" Sarima greeted. "I hope we did not disturb you. We've just found out Prince Fiyero is the ticklish sort, and Baako and I are quite intent on making him squeal."
Sarima was a short woman who would have fit well among the Munchkinlanders if not for the tattoos decorating her arms and chest. Romen detested her, but Elphaba admired Sarima's passion and drive. Even if that passion and drive centered around obtaining power. Sarima had grown up nomadic with an Arjiki mother and Yunamata father, who both died in Scrow territory. According to Fiyero, Sarima jumped from camp to camp with mercenaries until she was thirteen when she found herself working as an assassin's contact. The assassin apparently set her up with a small flat in Kvon Altar until it was ransacked by Quadling pirates—which Elphaba had never heard of—and Sarima shacked up with their captain until she somehow managed to convince the Scrow's chieftain to eradicate the band. Since then, she married the chieftain, became a mother, then a widow, and was currently Chief Regent for the next ten years. Elphaba was sure the entire story was utterly fascinating, and she truly wished to hear it sometime.
"Oh, you're no bother at all," Elphaba told them.
"Fiyero, sit down, you're being odd," Baako laughed.
"I hope you've all settled in well?" Elphaba asked, hesitating to approach them.
"This palace is absolutely grand and comfortable," Sarima assured her. She added to one of the Vinkuns' attendants, "Be a peach and fetch a pot for all of us, will you? I'd be ever so grateful, Master Attendant."
"Right away, mum," the boy responded and ducked out quickly.
Elphaba settled into the armchair Fiyero offered. She didn't know why she was so nervous being in their company.
"I must say, your Eminence," Sarima started, "I find it strange your father and sister don't live in palace with you. You must be very lonely all by yourself."
"My father preferred to stay in Rush Margins. It's not so far from here, though, and he visits when he can," Elphaba repeated the diplomatic line she had practiced so many times with Yazpik. It was far easier than explaining her family history. "And it's not so lonely here. I have my advisors and attendants, and we have company coming and going all year."
"But still a little lonely?"
"Don't goad her, Sarima," Fiyero chastised. "Sarima is terribly bored unless she hears new gossip."
Sarima shrugged, "I confess, I hate to be a part of it; but I will be in the first row to watch it. I blame having five sisters."
Elphaba struggled not to gawk. She could hardly imagine having one child, and Sarima's mother had six? Good Oz.
"Five sisters?" Elphaba asked.
"Ah, yes," Sarima giggled and waited as the tea was served. Vinkuns preferred tea to coffee. "We separated for a while, but my late husband was very kind and found them for me as a wedding gift."
When Sarima lowered her gaze to her teacup, Fiyero ever so slightly cocked his head in Baako's direction with a quick brow raise. The movement did not go unnoticed by Baako, who gave a Fiyero a scowl, but Elphaba didn't detect much heat behind the look.
Fiyero and Baako had grown up with each other. She knew Fiyero trusted Baako like a brother, and in the small moments she saw the two of them together, it seemed Baako held Fiyero in similar regard. Back at Shiz, Elphaba remembered Fiyero telling their group about Arjiki winters in the Thousand Year Grasslands and how, year round, Baako's clan welcomed the Tigelaars with festivals and feasts. In return, Baako's clan had a signed agreement of Kiamo Ko aid whenever the need fell.
According to Yazpik, the Tigelaars benefitted from a similar arrangement with the Scrow—who welcomed them for a month on the way to and from Kiamo Ko. The Arjiki's strength of numbers, their stronghold Kiamo Ko, and the deeply loyal alliances with the Yunamata and Scrow made them the de facto leaders of the Vinkus, with the Tigelaar's heading the nation. And although it was universally understood, most leaders did not discuss it openly, even if the Arjiki were typically the only Vinkuns invited to diplomatic talks.
"I should probably be going," Elphaba said after talking with Sarima about their different experiences with sisters. At times, she felt Sarima thought it some competition. She seemed set on either telling a happier or sadder story to whatever Elphaba laid down. Elphaba took great care to remain amicable and not needlessly remind Sarima that at least she was not green. "My advisors will never cease to complain if I don't adhere to schedule."
"Of course," Sarima agreed, rising to her feet with the others. "I would be terribly depressed, Eminency, if us women did not have tea before we're each whisked back to reality."
"And the palace would be terribly upset if you were to leave here any bit of depressed."
"Do you need an escort?" Fiyero asked as Elphaba moved to leave.
"I don't," she responded immediately. She truly missed the days when no one asked her or reminded her she was not to wander alone. "But I wouldn't mind your company," Elphaba added.
She regretted her word choice almost as soon as it left her mouth. The back of her neck grew warm, and she felt like the tips of her ears were on fire. Fiyero muttered something in response which caused Baako to snicker, but Elphaba's mind was too busy berating her own comment to take in Fiyero's. Elphaba took a moment to collect herself while Fiyero excused himself to the other two. She was the Eminent Thropp for fuck's sake.
The blame, Elphaba thought, was on the ridiculous banquet. It had her mind fuddled, so she sought out the only sane company in the palace. Jin, naturally. But since he was frequently occupied, Fiyero took his place. It was hardly her fault if Fiyero's head was screwed on more soundly than her staff or other advisors'. She had to get all of it out of her system before the horde of social ladder climbers ruined the palace with their overly expensive cologne and bathing oils. There was no way Yazpik or Romen would allow Elphaba to spend her free time in Fiyero's company when they supplied her with a legion of lustful lemmings.
They had only made it two corridors before Romen and Jin found her. Elphaba supposed it was better than running into Yazpik. She hadn't had enough caffeine to deal with the chastising look he would undoubtedly have given her. Romen, who quite liked Fiyero as he believed the prince to be a levelheaded Vinkun, merely turned his attention back to a roll of parchment in his hands. And Jin, bless him, lead Romen back towards the throne room. He wasn't as adept as Romen and Yazpik at diplomacy or nobility etiquette, but Elphaba appreciated it tenfold. Jin had a way of convincing the others, barring Yazpik, that a little alone time for the Eminent Thropp would hardly be the end of the world. He would remind everyone, someone was always a whisper away, and her three advisors had ensured the Colwen Grounds Estate was the safest place in Oz for Elphaba.
Officially opening the Vinkun Embassy went exactly as everyone expected. Nothing significant happened. There were a few mumbles in the crowd of winkie before the nobility arrived, but Elphaba's people kept their manners and composure while Vinkuns present let the comments pass. Elphaba gave a short speech crafted by Romen, and the Vinkuns in the crowd seemed to receive it welcomingly. It was truly as menial as any diplomatic task was.
Elphaba found herself seeking out Fiyero throughout the pomp and circumstance, though. While Romen gave his own speech, she sent Fiyero a glance to discover she already had his attention. He stood beside her as the four leaders posed for a photograph, and she felt her stomach burst when he rested his hand on the small of her back. It was such an intimate gesture, one she was hardly familiar with. And when Romen and Yazpik allowed those in attendance to greet their Eminency and chieftains, Fiyero was never more than a twig toss away.
"I heard Frexspar and Nessarose are coming to dinner," Fiyero said as the crowd began to thin.
"My father loves traditional Vinkun food," Elplhaba explained. She added a little more boldly, "And Nessa would never forgive me if she didn't get the chance to meet you."
"Me?" he laughed.
"Of course. All she has to go on is what I say of you. It's probably better for her to have a less biased opinion of you."
"And what opinions do you have of me to sway her?"
Elphaba smiled at a couple of Munchkins who were waving excitedly at the pair of them.
She didn't exactly lie to him. Frex did love Vinkun food. She remembered countless times when her father would try to make them a spread, but he always managed to fall short of the taste. Colwen Grounds didn't get Vinkun visitors very often, less much ones who Romen deemed worthy of a traditional meal. And Nessarose had a base knowledge of who Fiyero was, but anything she knew wasn't from Elphaba herself. Any glowing praise she had for Fiyero, Elphaba surely didn't gab to her sister. Nessa could be trusted for certain tasks, but she was a terrible gossip. Not to mention, as Glinda had put it from time to time, an awful bore.
It was doubtful Frex and Nessa would arrive for dinner any earlier than an hour beforehand. Elphaba had invited them too late, and their home was a good ride away from Colwen Grounds. That being said, Elphaba had time to kill between the time she and the Vinkuns arrived back at the palace and her family's arrival. She immediately regretted foregoing a chance to mill around the village. Romen and Yazpik rarely let her foot it, and Elphaba was still learning to cherish the moments were she was able to.
Instead, Elphaba retreated to her private library. Her father had sent her over some new materials last month that she had yet to read. Frex collected them from travelers who came through town. He always offered them a place to stay if they could provide him with payment, whether that be coin or not. Typically, he asked for a book and was rewarded with such. Nessa told her, too, that Frex would snatch up a new book whenever a merchant had a copy. Although their father had never said it aloud, Elphaba had heard enough of her mother to know she most likely inherited her interest in reading from Frexspar.
Elphaba was thumbing through one of the titles when an attendant knocked on the door.
"Your Eminency," he greeted after she gave permission to enter, "Chieftain Regent Sarima of the Scrow."
"She may enter," Elphaba replied.
The attendant bowed and allowed Sarima to pass. Sarima let out a low and impressed whistle when as she looked around the room. Elphaba noted the package in her hands.
"This is quite the collection, Your Eminency," she commented.
"Thank you," Elphaba answered with a proud smile. "I inherited most of it from Peerless, but everything over there is what I've collected," she added, motioning to the wall between two of her windows. "My father helps a lot, too."
"My late husband was teaching me to read when he passed," Sarima said. Elphaba kept her face still despite being surprised Sarima couldn't read. "When you grow up as I have, you don't have much time to spend learning reading, writing, or needlepoint."
"I'm terrible at needlepoint as well," Elphaba told her. Sarima grinned. "My father is an avid lifelong learner. I can't imagine what my life would be like if he hadn't encourage me."
Elphaba offered her favorite armchair to Sarima.
Sarima told told her, "I had so many chances to live a different life, but it seems I was always destined to be at head of a Vinkun clan," which Elphaba thought was on odd thing to say.
Something in Elphaba wondered if Sarima felt compelled to discuss herself in a way to compensate for internal feelings of inadequacy. Although, Elphaba felt wholly inadequate most days, but she didn't see any need to tell people how great her status was. Nevertheless, Elphaba remained silent and took a seat across from Sarima.
"I was betrothed to Fiyero from a very young age. Our mothers had been very close, you see. Did he not tell you?" Sarima asked after Elphaba's brows furrowed.
"Why would he tell me?" Elphaba responded, recovering her composure quickly.
Sarima waved her off. "My sisters and I even had a place in Kiamo Ko when my parents passed, but I was so headstrong. I was not going to be grounded in a castle when I had been so used to traveling across the Vinkus. How can you cage someone so used to freedom? So I ran to the first mercenary troop I found. I was small and quick: there was never a problem finding work for me. There I was playing mercenary, and I hadn't spared one for my sisters' wellbeing. Is that selfish of me?"
"Yes, I believe so," she replied, immediately thinking of Nessarose.
Her companion laughed, "I appreciate your honesty. I think part of me had assumed they'd be at Kiamo Ko, but I hadn't realized they couldn't be there if I wasn't."
"Where were they?" Elphaba asked, thoroughly interested.
Sarima shrugged, "They don't like to talk about it, and my late husband never said where he found them." She paused for a moment, considering. "I imagine their position wasn't entirely so great if they came with my late husband so willingly."
"Or they could simply have been intrigued at the thought of a reunion."
"Perhaps," she agreed. "Anyway, I didn't come to bore you with tales of my past," Sarima went on. "I brought you a gift for your hospitality. My vizier told me it's customary among nobility."
She offered Elphaba the package she had been picking at in her lap. It was heavy, Elphaba noted. Obviously a book, but one heavier than any in her private library or Colwen Ground's public one. Sarima explained that she had found it in a trunk of her late husband's things when they first married. She had been a nosy bride and began snooping one night when she stumbled across it. Apparently someone had stolen it from somewhere in the Vinkus. Sarima's husband had acquired it, but the thief died before the dead Scrow could get the information from him.
The book seemed to hum when Elphaba removed the paper covering. Elphaba thought it was probably the oldest book she had ever laid eyes on and most certainly the oddest book. If the humming hadn't done it, the words on the pages most certainly did. They danced and swirled on their appropriate page like someone had enchanted them. She understood a word or phrase here and there, but for the most part looking at the text was like trying to recall a dream that was rapidly escaping.
"What's it called?" Elphaba asked, flipping through pages to find the same effect.
"Oh, Lurline knows," Sarima chuckled. "I can't make heads or tails of the damned thing."
Elphaba had an idea of what it could be, but she didn't think Yazpik would want her to have it, let alone tell others she did. A spell book. It had to be. The energy it emitted was something akin to the ones Madame Morrible had in her office—though much more gripping.
"I'm sorry if it's a bad gift. I don't suppose there's much use for a book with dancing words."
"No, it's lovely," Elphaba assured her. "Learning whatever language this is will give a personal task. I greatly appreciate this, Sarima."
"I'm glad, Your Eminency."
"Please, call me Elphaba."
Sarima left her alone after a few more minutes of talking about seemingly meaningless things. They mainly discussed how well each of them thought the embassy opening went, and then Sarima strayed into comments on the other members of the Vinkun delegation. The Vinkun was hardly dull, and Elphaba knew she had probably heard whispers that Elphaba was to be seeking a husband. Elphaba got the distinct impression Sarima was trying to suss out who among the Vinkun men were being considered.
When Sarima left, Elphaba ordered the attendant to turn away anyone else who came by. Then, thinking on it, she asked him to just pretend like she wasn't there. Just her luck, Yazpik would come by when she was too invested in the book to respond quickly.
By the time her family arrived, she hadn't made any progress in the book. Well, she thought she could pronounce one phrase; but without any real knowledge of the language she was attempting to read, she couldn't even say that with confidence. The tips of her fingers had begun to tingle dully from continuously drumming them on the desk, and Elphaba felt an oncoming throbbing in her head. She wondered if a court sorceress or sorcerer would be more beneficial than a husband. Yazpik would say no.
"Your Eminency," the attendant knocked from the other side of the door.
Elphaba closed her eyes and took a deep breath as not to snap at the poor staffer. It wasn't his fault she couldn't read the spell book.
"I'll be right there."
Elphaba was always allowed to greet Frex and Nessa in the privacy of her parlor, so she could greet them with a hug instead of them kissing her hand and bowing. That's the way it went for the first several times they visited after her ascension, but Elphaba continuously disobeyed her advisors and embraced her family the moment she saw them. So Romen started showing the Thropps into a private room where Elphaba was able to act with a little more free will.
So after hiding the spell book deep in her desk, Elphaba quickly strode through the corridors to reach the room. She hadn't realized how long it had been since she last saw them or how deeply she missed them until she had to close those last few steps between her and the door.
"Father!" Elphaba greeted the moment she passed the threshold. She hugged Frexspar tightly, relishing the familiarity and stability she associated with him.
"Nessarose had a prior engagement," Frex explained after Elphaba inquired. "How are you, Fabala?" he asked.
"Better now you're here," Elphaba responded. "We have a large Vinkun delegation visiting, so the kitchen has prepared a feast of traditional Vinkun food."
"Oh, that sounds wonderful," Frex said with a hand on his stomach.
"Yes, in fact, Yazpik is quite hoping one of the Vinkuns finds it doubly so." She continued when, as anticipated, Frex looked confused, "he has an agenda. He and Romen are pushing for a marriage."
"A marriage?" Frex asked incredulously.
"They are growing increasingly concerned about my affairs."
"I thought it was against the Wizard's word for heads of state to wed each other."
"It is," she confirmed, "but Takoda—the Tigelaar's youngest—is eligible. Sarima, the Scrow's Chieftain, brought her entire camp, which must have at least one. And who knows what the Yunamata can scrounge up."
"If you don't want to get married, Elphaba, don't marry. As far as I know, there's nothing in the Munchkinland constitution requiring you to."
"I can't let our people down, Father," Elphaba replied quietly.
"Let the Munchkinlanders down? Fabala…"
Frexspar grasped her shoulders gently, and Elphaba felt transported back to her childhood. When she would fret over something or other, and Frexspar would begin a series of endless questions to figure out why she thought in such a way. The older she got, the more she realized he did it for her benefit. So she could talk herself through it. Despite knowing this, she immediately and willingly fell into the pattern. If anything, she reminded herself later, it was a comfort knowing Frexspar would never change. She could count on him to be her father whether she was Elphaba Thropp, the green gangly girl, or Her Eminent Thropp, leader of Munchkinland.
Fiyero was outside of the room when Frex and Elphaba emerged just before dinner. The Vinkun was pacing and gesticulating wildly to himself. His arms sharply retreated to a clasped position behind his back when the door opened, but it was a second too late. If Frex noticed, though—which he surely did—he mentioned nothing to Elphaba or gave Fiyero any indication he had. He merely nodded to Elphaba before the latter came up to introduce himself, which Elphaba knew her father would consider a bold move. Frex may not have grown up learning proper etiquette, but he had been exposed to it long enough to know Ozian nobility typically called for a third party diplomat to introduce them.
"Master Frexspar," Fiyero smiled, offering his hand for a shake, which Frex accepted. "Fiyero Tigelaar of the Arjiki tribe."
"Your Highness," Frex bowed low.
"I wanted to greet you and Miss Nessarose personally."
"Ah, I'm afraid Nessa had a prior engagement she could not shake off. Perhaps another time, if it pleases your Highness."
"Well, I won't turn down the chance to spend more time at Colwen Grounds."
Her father hummed, and Elphaba noted some of the color seemed to drain from Fiyero's face. She imagined if she took his hand, it would be clammy. Elphaba pulled at the sleeves of her dress, feeling the skin of her arms raise.
"I trust your stay has been enjoyable thus far?" Frex asked while offering his arm to Elphaba. "Romen prides himself on welcoming company graciously."
"His pride is well placed," Fiyero agreed. "I've never felt more comfortable outside of the Vinkus."
"Quite a bold claim," Frex commented cordially, but Elphaba knew her father's tones well enough to detect the coolness to his words.
"I don't see the point in denying it. The officials in Munchkinland have been nothing short of open to stability between our nations. Colwen Ground's staff have been nothing short of generous to me, my brother, and my countrymen. And the Munchkinlanders have been nothing short of kind and considerate."
"This surprises me." Frex frowned slightly.
"Why's that, Master Frexspar?"
"Munchkinlanders are notoriously prejudice against Vinkuns. Most grow up knowing Winkie and Winkie Country long before ever being taught the proper terms. Though relatively more conscious of their company, Munchkins in Colwen Grounds are no exception."
"Father," Elphaba warned.
"It doesn't bother me," Fiyero assured them both as they all turned down the corridor which lead to the dining hall. "A fear of the unknown breeds hostility, in my opinion. Munchkins and Vinkuns have been separated for decades over small scuffles and past skirmishes few remember the cause or effect of. My own people are hardly innocent in name calling, but I think it's an ignorance that is not without hope."
If Yazpik were with them, Elphaba guessed, he would caution them against hope. He didn't think hope did anyone any good. Hoping for something was a good as waiting around for fortune to show up at your doorstep with a bow and smile. Cynicism ran deep in Yazpik's veins, but Elphaba thought there was some truth to his mindset.
Romen and Yazpik had drawn the table settings, Elphaba thought immediately upon seeing where everyone fell to. As custom, she took the head of the table with her father on her right, and Romen sat at the end of the same side. Between them were the prominent members of the Scrow delegation. Takoda was seated immediately to her left with Baako and his mother separating Fiyero from them. Frex made no effort to hide his surprise at seeing the younger Arjiki standing across from him. The rest of the Yunamata party were to Fiyero's left, and Jin closed off the setting.
Yazpik would dine with the staff, as he preferred. Though, Elphaba had heard from a few of the staff that Yazpik didn't even eat with them. It was one of the reasons Colwen Grounds residents thought he was part devil. They said the only sustenance the spymaster needed to live was the secrets of others. Romen and Jin alluded to it every now and then, and more often than not, their words earned a crack of a smile from Yazpik.
The seating arrangement didn't bother her as much it did Frex that Takoda was the one who Yazpik and Romen decided to seat so close to her. The two of them could press the match until they were a breath from the grave, and Elphaba would still refuse to pick Takoda. What concerned her, though, was whatever mood he would be in that evening. Frex was as patient as any person, but he didn't know of the dramatic mood swings the Arjiki were accustomed to. He was also terrible at concealing his opinions or emotions when they came on a whim, and Frexspar wasn't in a position where he had to constrain himself like Elphaba. It was this oversight on her advisors' part that bothered Elphaba.
Takoda, it seemed, took notice of the seating arrangement, too. His brow furrowed for a split second when he saw his placard. No longer than a blink, but one that Elphaba and Frexspar did not miss. Takoda adapted quickly, though, as Elphaba knew him to do. His confusion was replaced by bemusement as he slowly moved his gaze around the table. He kept it up as Elphaba recited the small welcome Romen had given her to memorize. Toward the end of her speech, Takoda rocked back on his heels and grinned widely at Fiyero.
"You know," Takoda started when they all sat down, "this all feels like a family dinner at Lurlinemas time."
"Assuming the old folk tales are true," Frex responded, "we're all related tens of generations down the line anyway."
"Unless anyone of the Munchkinlanders here descended from the Gillikin line," Takoda said, nodding at the staff member who offered him wine.
Frexspar made a noise, impressed. "You know the intricacies of Ozian mythology."
"Fiyero and I are well educated in the classics, common etiquette, art, music, and—I kid you not—needlepoint."
"You sound like fine Gillikinese noblewomen," Elphaba commented.
"It's a wonder you have any time to hone your hunting and trapping skills," Frex added.
Takoda laughed, "All those tales are fabricated," he said and earned a small upturned quick of the lip from Frexspar. "Vinkuns hate the wilderness. Too gross. Too dirty."
"You are quite an interesting individual, Master Takoda."
Elphaba sat back in her chair as Takoda and Frex delved into a discussion over Gillikin mythology later when the first course was being taken away. She caught Jin's stare from the other side of the table. He winked at her and then turned his attention back to Baako's mother's lover. Directly above him, Yazpik stood in the galley and watched the dinner like it was a show. He was gripping the bannister with a smug look on his face. Smugness was one of the only emotions Elphaba knew Yazpik to so willingly display. It was a diversion tactic, Romen told her. If Yazpik was smug, people thought he was overestimating himself or had gotten his desired result. Yazpik was the master deceiver, and smugness was his merely a trick of the trade. In the gallery, her spymaster smiled, and that threw Elphaba off. She took her eyes off of him for a second to see where he had been looking, but nothing distinct among her guests stood out; and when she returned her gaze to the gallery, Yazpik was gone.
Elphaba sighed and grabbed her goblet.
This was the life she lived, Elphaba thought while, once again, looking around at the people seated around her. Every time she stepped in public, her appearance was scripted, her manner, her tone of voice, her words, and even any smile she did or did not smile. Her guests were hand selected to ensure her prominence in Oz while also assuring the Wizard he was the most prominent. She caroused with academics without being able to engage them in meaningful discourse. She took tea with sorceresses and could not learn more of their craft. She listened to the concerns of Animals with an objective front. Elphaba blindly thanked the staff member who put her second course in front of her. She was trapped in a gilded cage.
When Baako's mother asked her a question on her next travel plans, Elphaba supplied a well-rehearsed diplomatic answer for the month and company. She was in talks to visit with family friends of a mining community in the northernmost part of the Gillikin, but she very much wished to visit Kvon Altar during blooming season. As Baako's mother babbled on about her favorite something or other bush, Elphaba fell back to her thoughts. She supposed, if her advisors had their way, the next time she would visit the Vinkus, she'd be wed. Or at least soon-to-be, and possibly to one of their own. It was yet another chain binding her to this mundane life, and she found herself despising Peerless for not lasting another lifetime.
Sarima took control of the conversation, and it somehow managed to steer into the topic of the banquet. Takoda laughed after someone, most likely Romen, listed off some of the people who would be in attendance.
"All bachelors and bored wives? Colwen Grounds certainly knows how to entertain."
Frexspar looked on disapprovingly.
"I beg your pardon, Eminency." Elphaba startled at the sudden reappearance of Yazpik. He stood close to her chair and spoke low, "A matter needs your attention. Simply a moment of your time, if you would not mind."
"Urgently?" she whispered back over the rim of her goblet.
"Not life or death, but with haste if possible."
"Of course," Elphaba replied and stood. The rest of the table quieted quickly and followed suit. "Please continue to enjoy the meal. I apologize, but I must step out for a moment."
Elphaba followed Yazpik out into the corridor and nodded encouragingly after the door to the dining hall was shut.
"Is everything all right?"
"Frankly, I was worried you would break the glass goblet." Elphaba blinked at Yazpik. He motioned towards the courtyard and added, "It's a bright night out. Most of them won't miss you for another five or so minutes."
"I thought everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves," Elphaba said as they walked. She relished the feeling of the cool spring air on her skin once they passed the doors. It was grounding. "My father was especially excited about all the food being served."
"You looked lost, Elphaba."
"To my thoughts, perhaps," she agreed. Instead of sitting, Yazpik stayed by her side as she began strolling the perimeter of the courtyard.
"Anything in particular? Although, I suppose I could guess."
"If anyone could, it's you," she told him and kept on when he broke from her side to pace around the fountain in the middle. "I don't want to marry, Yazpik."
"You must at some point," he reminded her.
"In my own time, sure; but I'm not ready for that."
"You weren't ready to rule a nation, but you're doing quite well."
"Marriage is different," she snapped, sending him a side glance. His arms were folded over his chest, and his eyes were fixed to the stones at his feet as he moved. "You can train me to talk to dignitaries, to dine with sovereigns, and to gesticulate properly to a crowd. But, Yazpik, a personal relationship is out of your hands even if you arrange it."
Yazpik clasped his hands behind his back and said, "I assure you, nothing is out of my hands."
"I am out of your hands, sir. You can lead your horse to the stream, but you cannot make it drink. You taught me that."
"I also taught you that you must coax the horse to drink."
"And will you coax my hand to sign a marriage license, hmm?"
"Of course not. You are not a prisoner."
"I am a slave to my people, I know that," Elphaba said and came to a stop.
"But it's not the Munchkinlanders, is it?" Yazpik asked. Elphaba didn't respond, though she wasn't entirely sure what question he was asking. Yazpik went on, "It's the Wizard's proclamations which discourage you?"
"Ah," Elphaba remarked, "you're asking if I would be more willing to comply if heads of nations were up for consideration." She sunk onto the nearest bench and slouched back.
"Elphaba, you know the interests of Colwen Grounds have been my utmost concern," Yazpik said and she nodded. "I…" he started and trailed off. "Listen," he began again, sitting next to her, "I can make you no promises of the outcome, but I do promise I will do everything in my power to reach a result pleasing to you."
"You could call off this nonsense," Elphaba muttered. She waved a hand dismissively when Yazpik readied to reply. "Yes, yes, I know. I understand my position must be consolidated. I know my duties, and I know the weight of this all. I just don't like it, and I think you could afford me some time alone to spend with people I do like."
"I have no problem if you wish to walk the gardens with whomever you like, so long as that person does not jeopardize your reputation."
"You mean cause people to question my purity? You know, Yazpik, for someone who hates politics, you put things quite diplomatically."
Elphaba chuckled softly and enjoyed the silence when Yazpik gave no response other than a smirk. He allowed her a few minutes of peace with her thoughts. She and Yazpik weren't always at opposite ends of a situation, but Elphaba frequently had to remind herself they were not enemies when the two did find themselves disagreeing. It took her a moment to collect those thoughts and remember this was the same man who fought for her interests when Romen failed to put his own behind. He was hardly the kind of ally she had in Jin, but Yazpik wasn't the bad guy her mind had been making him out to be these last few days.
"You promise you'll look for a loophole?" she asked after another minute.
"I stake my life on it. If I cannot and you do not find someone to spark your interest, we will discuss a compromise. You'll have access to my files on the guests coming, if it helps you."
She nodded and patted his knee.
"I should get back before my father thinks the worst has happened. I can see myself in. You work on that task." Elphaba paused after a few steps and then added, "Yazpik, you know what I want and what I'd be content with. Please strive for those."
Ehhhh? Yay? Meh? Nay?
I'm trying to finish up writing an MA thesis, so I'll probably update within the month when that monster is finished.
Reviews are awesome, and you are awesome.