From the moment she was born, everyone could tell she was something special. She had soft pale skin, jet black hair and the brightest blue eyes you'd ever seen. She was tiny, but all babies are anyway. Frex stared at the child lovingly, this was his first child, his daughter.
"Melena, look at our daughter!" Frex cried in elation as he cradled the little infant in his arms. Melena peered past the sheets at the enchanting baby in her husband's arms. She gasped at the sight. The infant was so enchanting and special. Of course, maternally, all babies were special and each mother was expected to think so, but this child really was special and everyone knew it.
"Oh Frex, let me hold her." said Melena, sitting up and reaching out for the child. Frex reluctantly handed the little infant to his wife and sat on the edge of the bed next to her. Melena gazed at her daughter with loving eyes. The infant stared right back, her eyes were the most brilliant blue you'd ever seen, they seemed to shine with their own light and sparkle. They were like watery orbs, so pure and innocent and electrifying.
"Elphaba, we shall name her Elphaba." said Melena.
"Elphaba," Frex agreed, "The perfect name for our perfect child." He said, reaching towards the baby. The little infant, now named Elphaba, reached a tiny hand out and grasped onto Frex's small finger and giggled at her accomplishments at catching his finger. Melena felt tears of joy in her eyes and began to laugh along with the little girl. Frex rubbed at his eye with his free hand and laughed too.
"I can't believe she's ours." said Frex, stroking Elphaba's cheek, making her laugh again.
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As Frex walked through town the next day, he couldn't help but feel his chest swell with pride as he overheard the Munchkins conversations.
"Did any of you hear about Melena and Frex's child?"
"Oh yes! My friend was the midwife, she said she was the most enchanting thing she's ever seen, with eyes that eyes that look like blue diamonds. She's got to be the most beautiful baby..."
"Oh I do hope Melena brings her to church so I can see the little thing."
"Oh the parents must be so proud; all of the maids at Frex's castle are talking about the new baby. Oh look, it's governor Frex now!"
"Hello ladies." said Frex, smiling at them as he felt pride swell in his chest again.
"Frex, now let's not beat around the bush, but I hear quite some news about your new little daughter." one of the women said, "Is she really as enchanting as they say."
"Even more than they say," said Frex, a picture of his darling little Elphaba swept into his mind, "Little Elphaba is beyond words."
"Oh, so you named her Elphaba?" asked another woman, "Unique, but I suppose she is a unique child."
"She is." Frex smiled, "Now I must be getting back home to Melena, good day, and we will see you all at church tomorrow."
"Will you bring Elphaba?"
"Of course."
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The next day as Frex spoke in church, everyone had their eye on Melena Thropp, sitting in the front row, a little baby in her arms. No one could believe how beautiful the baby was. All of the other mothers were jealous and the fathers were just in awe. All of the other little children were straining in their seats to see the new little baby all of the other parents were talking about. Melena felt pride swell in her chest as she held little Elphaba in her arms, she couldn't help but smirk at the other woman and their jealous awestruck faces. Even Frex's eyes wandered over to his daughter every now and then. It seemed no one could take their eyes off of the little angel. When Frex had said the closing prayer, everyone quickly bounced from their seats and crowded around Melena.
"Oh she's so cute!"
"What's her name?"
"Look at those eyes!"
"Look at that face!"
"Oh, can I hold her?"
"Oooh! Feel how soft her skin is!"
"Oh Melena, you are so lucky!"
"I know, isn't she wonderful?" Melena said before she could stop herself. Everyone else quickly agreed. Elphaba smiled at everyone and waved her little hand causing a great burst of 'awe's' to ripple through the crowd.
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About two and a half years later, Nessarose Thropp was born. Frex and Melena hoped for another beautiful, intelligent daughter like Elphaba, what they got was a premature little baby with tangled legs that would never walk, a cripple.
"She's a—a..." Frex began.
"She's disabled." said the midwife gently, "Which is perfectly fine, she still has a lovely face and nice pretty brown eyes...." Frex had hoped for shining bright orbs of electrifying blue, not these dull hazel/brown eyes. He had hoped for pale glowing soft skin, not this cream dull skin. He had hoped for jet black hair soft as silk, not this light brown normal hair. Nessa was not special, and she was crippled. Melena was still resting, so she hadn't seen Nessa yet. The midwife held the little baby out to Frex. He backed away.
"Take it away." he said coldly. The midwife looked confused and tried to press the child into his arms, but he backed away again.
"Take it away!" he ordered, pointing to the door. The midwife quickly left the room with little Nessa, crying her eyes out. Elphaba had not cried when she was born. That seemed to be the only thing Frex could think about, was how much more special Elphaba was.
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Melena never woke after giving birth to Nessa, she had gone. Frex could not believe this was happening. He had a crippled daughter and now a dead wife. He remembered how proud he had been when Elphaba was born, he wondered what people would say when they learned of Nessa's paralyzed legs. They would sympathize him and pity him and promise to pray for him and the family.
Melena's funeral was sad and it rained. It rained hard, which is how the weather should be at funerals; rain and dark skies. Nessa was left at home with the nanny. Elphaba was dressed in a black dress short sleeved dress and wore black gloves on her tiny hands. Elphaba was small for her age, but where she lacked in physical body, she gained in intelligence. Elphaba was amazingly intelligent for her age. Her vocabulary was larger than anyone of her age he'd ever heard of, and she already used complete sentences most of the time. Most two and a half year olds would not know how to act at or funeral, or what the concept even was. Frex doubted Elphaba knew what was going on, or that he mother had just died. But she had analyzed his and everyone else's mood and she acted as they did. She sat next to him, her hands in her lap under the gray awning. Her blue eyes and pale skin seemed to stand out through all of the gray and black. Tears were shed and even Elphaba's blue eyes watered, but she did not know why, she just had the feeling as though something terrible had happened.
At the end of the funeral, Frex picked up Elphaba in his arms and stood next to the casket as the rain poured down as though the clouds were weeping too. He rocked her in his arms and held her close and sobbed, burying his face in her silken hair. She rubbed his back upon instinct with her small hand. They stood like that for a long while as the rain fell and fell.
"It'll be okay Papa." said Elphaba soothingly into his ear. Frex looked at her and smiled a watery smile.
"It will be, because I have you little angel." said Frex.
"And I have you." Elphaba smiled. Frex sighed and began to walk back up the small hill of the graveyard.
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Two years later, Nessa was two and Elphaba four. Frex had still not learned to love his Nessa as he loved Elphaba. He did not think it would be easy to love her, and it wasn't. He had gotten used to how Elphaba had acted at two, and was frustrated that Nessa could not speak in complete sentences at two. He usually just shoved Nessa into the Nanny's arms and kept the crippled child away from himself. He would take Elphaba places though and buy her presents and treats. Barely a soul had seen Nessarose since she was born, because of her disability, she was kept at home and Frex never bothered to bring her along on the outings he took Elphaba too. Elphaba was still incredibly small for her age, and Frex doubted she'd ever grow to be the average for someone her age, but her tiny self just made her even more adorable. Elphaba was extremely loved by everyone in Munchkinland, she was nice and adorable and enchanting and it was just hard not to love her. Her and that angelic beauty she held. Not to mention her little voice that everyone loved to hear. One day as Frex was in his study, his door creaked open slightly and Elphaba walked in.
"Hello my darling Fabala." said Frex as he looked up from his papers. Elphaba got straight to the point, she usually did when she wanted to talk to Frex about something.
"Papa, why doesn't Nessa come with us to town?" asked Elphaba.
"Because she is too young." said Frex, "And she cannot walk."
"But you carry me, and I can walk." said Elphaba, "You could carry Nessa and I could walk."
"No, Nessa is not for the public eye," said Frex.
"What does that mean?" asked Elphaba.
"It means that people would not accept her in public society..." Frex said. This was mostly a lie. Most people would accept Nessa, Frex was just ashamed and angry at Nessa, who was only two. It felt unfair to blame Melena's death on Nessa, but he had to blame it on somebody, because surely the Unnamed God would not be so cruel as to end Melena's time.
"But Sue is in a wheelchair and people accept her even though she can't walk." Elphaba pointed out.
"Fabala, just let the matter drop," said Frex, rubbing his forehead.
"Oh alright," said Elphaba, "I'm going to go play with Nessa then." Elphaba walked out of the office. Frex couldn't help but wonder how Elphaba could do that, how she could love Nessa so unconditionally so automatically. He was the child's father, and yet he could not find it in himself to love the crippled child. He wondered where Elphaba got her heart. He needed a heart like that.
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Four Years Later
8 year old Elphaba wore a long pretty silk hooded cape that her father had gotten her for her. She wore the hood over her head so that it covered her face as she pushed Nessa in her wheelchair through the market. She talked to Nessa and Nessa listened. When Elphaba began talking about school, Nessa just felt all the stupider when she couldn't figure out the meaning of all of the big words Elphie was going on about.
"Hey Nessie," said Elphaba, "You want some free ice cream?"
"You can't get free ice cream, you're not that pretty." said Nessa, crossing her arms sulkily. Strangers were always coming up to Elphaba and giving her free treats of trinkets because she was just so pretty and sweet.
"Sure I can." Elphaba said, always ready for a challenge, and she most definitely viewed Nessa's comment as a challenge. She walked up to man selling ice cream at a cart and pulled off her hood so that he could see her face.
"Sir, may I have some ice cream?" asked Elphaba sweetly.
"Sure." said the man, smiling at her and scooping up some ice cream to put in a cone.
"How much is it?" asked Elphaba.
"Three shillings." said the man.
"Oh," said Elphaba, looking down, acting as though she was embarrassed, "I've only got two."
"Oh, it's okay little angel, you can have this one for free." he said and gave her the cone.
"Really?" asked Elphaba, smiling at him with dazzling straight teeth, "Oh thank you, you are so nice." she beckoned for him to come closer and he leaned down so that she could kiss him on the cheek. She hurried back to Nessa and handed her the cone.
"See, I told you I could get you some free ice cream." said Elphaba in a told-you-so tone.
"Fine," Nessa sulked, but ate the ice cream anyway, "Maybe you are that pretty."
"No, you're right Nessie, I'm not that pretty," said Elphaba quickly, she didn't like receiving so many compliments when Nessa hardly received any. Nessa was always looking down on herself, "Nessie, I think you're much prettier than I am." said Elphaba, sounding sincere. Nessa blushed, and this time, she chose to believe her sister, even if she knew it wasn't true. Elphaba patted her sister on the head.
"Oh look, it's Boq." said Elphaba. She waved to a little boy who was standing a few yards away licking a licorice stick. He quickly came over and pulled an envelope out of his pocket.
"Hello Miss Elphaba." he said, "And Miss Nessarose." he handed Elphaba the envelope, "This is for you, Demetri told me to give it to you. It's an invitation to his 9th birthday party."
"Is Nessa invited?" asked Elphaba.
"Well...erm...I don't think so." said Boq uneasily, looking away from the beautiful girl in front of him. She handed him the envelope.
"Then I'm not coming." she said matter-of-factly.
"But Elphie, it won't be any fun without you." said Boq.
"Oh I'm sure you can find some other way to amuse yourselves without me." said Elphaba, turning to leave.
"If I get Demetri to invite Nessa, then will you come?" asked Boq.
"Sure." said Elphaba, and with that, she left, pushing Nessa along in front of her.
"Elphaba, you could've gone to that party." said Nessa.
"No, it wouldn't be any fun without you Nessa." said Elphaba. Nessa blushed again and chose to believe her sister again. It was so rare for Nessa to receive compliments, always living in her sister's shadow, so when she did receive compliments, even if they were just from her sister, she found herself blushing and feeling rather pretty.
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