Chapter 1
Wrongdoings
Nessarose Thropp had finally found love. A perfectly thin, handsome, dark eyed, polite, young man, who looked past Nessa's condition, and saw the real lovely person in her. His name was, Locke Ceiles. Nessa loved him and she planned to move away to Vinkus with him, you know he had very good connections with the Arijki Prince there, Fiyero Tiggular. Her sister Elphaba was helping her pack her things into the carriage and was trying to talk to Nessa.
"So, tell me again why you love Locke?"
"What's not to love, he sees me as me, and not as just a girl with twisted legs. He's perfect Elphaba!" she said clasping her hands together and stared at the sky with a faraway look in her eyes. Elphaba smiled, she knew that her sister was dreaming about the life they would have together. Elphaba didn't want to ruin her sisters daydream.
"Nessa, why didn't you love that Boq character who lives right across the way, he's a sweet loving munchkin, and he saw you for you?"
"Oh, Elphaba you silly, Boq only loved me because of that Gillikin girl, oh what's her name...Galinda or Glinda something like that. In addition, did you hear that Locke and I are engaged? Oh Elphaba, isn't it wonderful?"
"Just wonderful, Nessa, if your happy, I'm happy!" she finished packing and wheeled her sister into her house where Locke and the governor of Munchkinland, and their father, Frexspar Thropp, were waiting. Locke bent low to kiss Nessa's hand.
"Are you ready to depart my precious flower?" Nessa giggled girlishly.
"Of course darling!" she said with another giggle.
Elphaba felt the pang of jealously before she wandered aimlessly upstairs; her father stopped her by grabbing her writs. Elphaba looked behind herself and saw her father looking at her with unforgiving eyes.
"And just where do you think that you are going?"
"Um, upstairs."
"Not so fast, it's nearly dinner, and Nessa and her charming friend Locke are staying for dinner. Get in that kitchen and cook!" he wheeled her around the corner of the stairs and sent her flying into the kitchen.
Frex wasn't abusive but he sure wasn't the perfect loving father either. Elphaba got out some of the ingredients for one of the only things she cooked when they had guests over, grilled salmon, even it really wasn't grilled it was more fried.
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She plated it and placed the garnish just right on top of each of the four. Elphaba was such a talented young girl. It was a wonder Frex treated her as if she was nothing just because of her skin color. If she looked normal well she would be prized even above Nessa. However, her father couldn't look past the worst in a person.
"Can you hurry with the food!" snapped Frex.
"Coming up father!" she said trying to balance four plates on her arms. She walked out of the kitchen into their dining room where their long table was only set for three, and the three were already seated. Her father laughed at the sight of his green daughter carrying four plates.
"You expected to dine with us? Oh that must be the most absurd thing I have ever heard. Go up stairs your dinner is on your bed, and leave the extra plate!"
He shooed her away laughing, she set the plates on the abnormally long table, and ran to her room upstairs crying at how curl her father was being. Nessa looked back at her sister and felt guilty although she didn't know why.
"Father did you really have to be that mean to Elphaba, she did, after all, make this lovely dinner?"
Frex dismissed the question and began eating the salmon; he started to talk to Locke. Elphaba watched quietly from the balcony, not daring to touch her so called dinner she knew what it was, a cold bit of left over's from about a week ago. She would rather starve. She watched as Frex addressed Locke without a thought to Nessa.
"So Locke, how are you connected to the Arijki prince again, Fiyero, that's his name am I correct?"He said through a mouth full of fish. Even though he was a great host, he lacked table manners.
"Well sir..." began Locke, he was very refined and began to place his cloth on his lap. He even ignored the bit of fish that had escaped from Frex's mouth and landed right in front of his plate. "I met Mr. Tiggular through business and we automatically became friends. I could arrange for Nessa to meet him if you wish?"
"Oh Locke really?" squealed Nessa. "I've heard so much about that Arijki prince, his reputation is scandalous."
"I would do anything for you Nessa dear!" and they leaned in to kiss.
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Dinner was over and it was time for goodbyes, Nessa and Locke were leaving and Elphaba was allowed down to say goodbye to Nessa and Locke who had taken a liking to Elphaba, he wanted her to see them off and Nessa liked the idea too. Frex was all for anything that made Nessa and Locke happy.
"Goodbye Nessa, I'll miss you!" Elphaba said bending to give Nessa a hug.
"Goodbye Miss Elphaba!"Locke bent to kiss her hand and Elphaba blushed.
"Ahem!" said Nessa impatiently.
"Oh right, farewell to all!" Locke waved goodbye then stepped into the carriage and pushed Nessa in.
"Oh, Locke we will have the most fun in Vinkus!" said Nessa giving him a kiss. Then they drove off and out of sight.
Frex and Elphaba stood outside on the porch in an awkward silence. Elphaba stared at her shuffling feet, and Frex watched as the dust settled behind Nessa's carriage. The sun was beginning to set and it was getting late. Elphaba waited for Frex to tell her to leave.
"It's late, go up to your room and lights out!" he said.
Elphaba did as she was bid and rushed up to her room for lights out, well not all lights, at least not her reading lights. She ran up the stairs and into her room. On her bed was a cold piece of meat, or was it pasta, whatever it was she didn't want to touch it! She picked it up with her thumb and forefinger and held it arms length, and plugging her nose with the other hand. She threw it out of her window and watched as it fell into the bushes under her window, and joined every other one of her dinners from experiences! She looked under her bed and found her reading light and a green book with electric blue letters on the front that read,
THE MUNCHKINS GUIDE TO VINKUS
Elphaba wanted to research as much about Vinkus as she could, even if it meant buying a book that she found at a tourist shop. She turned on her reading light and turned to a page that read in big letters,
ARIJKI PRINCE FIYERO TIGGULAR
And began to read...
Fiyero Tiggular, the Arijki Prince of Vinkus, is a humanish Winkie. He lives in Kiamo Ko with his parents the king and queen of Vinkus...
It continued on to talk all about his personality and Elphaba was starting not to like him. She turned to page and found a picture of him smiling; his messy blond hair whipped everywhere, and his feature made him the perfect target for stupidity. "WOW!" whispered Elphaba. She thought of all the stupid girls who fell for his boyish charm, and promised herself that she would never be caught with the likes of him.
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Frex walked by Elphaba's room and sighed; he was stuck with his green daughter. He saw a small sliver of white light coming from under her door. His face turned a slight color darker and he was ready to yell.
"ELPHABA... LIGHTS OUT INCLUDES ALL LIGHTS, EVEN READING LIGHTS!"
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Elphaba fumbled her book and light from the ambush. She switched off the light and hid the book before her father saw it. She wasn't allowed to have it.
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Frex saw the light go out and his face turned back to normal. He walked into his room slathered in crimson drapery and leather. He looked a photo of his Melena above the bed and noticed something he had never noticed before, Melena looked so much like Elphaba. Nessa had always slightly resembled Frex but Elphaba never had any resemblance to him. He remembered how he always treated Elphaba badly because he needed someone to blame for Melena's death. Now he realized his wrongdoing, he laid down on his bed and buried his head in his pillow, it just didn't seem right to blame someone one for something that she didn't do. He began to cry.
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Elphaba was nearly asleep when she heard a muffed cry. Frex never cried! She didn't dare go to comfort him for fear that he would yell at her. So she just drowned it out and went back to sleep.