AN:
Hello everyone!
I simply couldn't be happier! 2 reviews within the first hour and 1 more the next morning (NZ time)!
I'm not used to so much attention! :D
Thank you so much guys (also for following and favouriting), you are awesome!
(And sorry, the chapter is not as long as it looks, the author's note is just really massive this time xD Won't happen again lol)
Elphabalover101: … Yeah, guess It's kinda obvious lol I wish I could have added a bit more suspense but a Wicked fanfiction with Elphaba in the character list and a woman who kinda looks like her (minus the green skin as you correctly pointed out) – Who else could it possibly be xD
Elphaba'sGirl: OMO, thank you so, so much! Your comment is really flattering but also a bit intimidating. To conclude after only ca. 1,500 words that a story is "genius" is quite daring lol Now I'm kinda worried whether the whole thing is going in the direction you think it would or whether my writing in general can hold up to these high expectations… (O.O;) I would have had a bit more confidence if a review like this would pop up after like 10 chapters or so xD But thanks again, I'll do my best and sincerely hope not to disappoint!
NiatheWickedLover: Thanks :D Well, we'll see how long the cuteness will last… The general concept of the story and key events are all planned out but how exactly I'll write it is still uncertain until I actually post each chapter I guess.
I could give everyone virtual cookies but since these tend to be a bit tasteless, I decided to simply quick-upload another chapter for your guys! I planned to write a bit for my other story first but I think you deserve it! ;) Not sure if it's particularly exciting but it will clarify some things… Of course the identity of the "mysterious" woman is not much of a mystery, but some other things might still be of interest.
The next update will REALLY take a bit longer though – I want to finish a chapter for my other story first (so technically 2 chapters if you know what story I'm talking about) and that will be ca. 5,000-6,000 words and due to various things keeping me rather busy I only write 700 words a day on average – you do the maths!
Sorry about that but I can't change it. :(
Anyways,
Xoxo MLE
Chapter Two: Awakening
Sitting in a rocking chair in the hallway, right outside the strange woman's bedroom, Ana had been waiting a whole night and a whole day. The instructions had been clear: under no circumstances was she allowed to disturb the girl's sleep. So she had been sitting there, listening for any sound that might indicate that she had awoken. At first she had been very understanding; the poor thing really looked like she had been through hell. But when the sun had set for the second time during her dutiful watch, she grew impatient and irritated. What a useless little brat. Nobody ever sleeps that long.
At long last her keen ears detected the rustling and shuffling of bed sheets, followed by the sound of hesitant footsteps from within. She thanked Lurline that the waiting finally had an end and rushed towards the door. She peered inside to find the young woman uneasily pacing in her room.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," she greeted her in a rather loud and brusque voice as she came barging in. "I'm Miss Ana, the housekeeper. I'm the most senior female staff member here, which means you, like any other female servant, will do as I tell you."
The frightened woman stared at her with wide eyes.
Without even looking at her, Ana went to find some clothes in the wardrobe and tucked them under her arms. Then she lightly pushed the baffled girl out of the door, along the corridor and into a nearby communal bathroom.
She let warm water into a large bathtub and added some flower extract. Once she was done, she looked at the other woman expectantly.
"Well, you can't get into the bath with all your clothes on now, can you?" she growled.
The woman lowered her gaze to the ground. The housekeeper couldn't determine why she hesitated. Was she really scared of her or just overly modest? She sighed in exasperation.
"Look, it's really not that hard and we have to get this done, alright."
Her nimble fingers loosened the laces of the woman's dress and tugged on it until the rough fabric came loose and pooled at her ankles.
"There you go. Now quick, into the tub."
A furious blush spread across the young woman's face and her eyes were fixed to her feet. But ever so slowly she moved towards the bath and climbed inside.
Ana gave her a curt nod of approval and placed a couple of items on the small table right next to the tub.
"Sponge, cloth, soap, towel. I trust you know how to use these. Your new dress is hanging over there. I'll be back shortly."
With that she turned around and left the room.
For a moment the young woman just sat still in the warm water, hugging herself in an attempt to find some comfort in this foreign, intimidating place. She remotely recalled the events of the previous day. She remembered a handsome young man, a carriage. What she did not remember was this brisk little woman and this house. A huge house it seemed, with an army of servants if she interpreted the housekeeper's remark correctly.
After a while her trembling hand reached for the sponge and the soap and she started scrubbing the grime off her pale skin. She could not think of the last time she had had a bath. Then she realized: she had no recollection of anything that had ever happened before yesterday.
She dropped the sponge and buried her face in her hands. Her throat constricted and her whole body was shaking, but she did not cry. She simply had no memory of any loss worth lamenting.
Ana's return disrupted her thoughts.
"I thought you would be done by now," she said.
She hesitated for a clock-tick when she noticed the other woman's state. She pitied her, but she was not the type to coddle or console her. Instead she reached for the plug and pulled it, soliciting a surprised shriek from the girl.
"Dry yourself off and get dressed already," she directed as she stood with the back to her and busied herself with cleaning up the sink and mirror.
Hesitantly the woman did as she was told. When Ana turned around, she smiled briefly.
"Let's get you back to your room."
Back in the small chamber she went on to brush and style her hair. She informed her that a doctor would soon come to see her and left.
The whole night he had barely even slept. He could not stop thinking about the raven-haired girl he had brought home with him. Despite the lack of rest, he had been up with the first rays of the morning sun, eagerly awaiting word from his housekeeper that their guest had woken up. But for hours and hours his waiting had been futile. By the time a maid had finally delivered the message he had longed for all day, it was already dark outside.
He stood in front of her door, ready to knock, when he heard voices. Evidently the doctor he had sent for was still with her, so he decided to wait outside.
It was not too long until the physician emerged from the room.
"How is she," he enquired as soon as the elderly man had closed the door behind him.
The doctor shrugged. "Well, besides her amnesia she seems fine. I couldn't find anything physically wrong with her, although I would suggest you make sure she eats a bit more. She is severely underweight."
"I noticed," the younger man agreed glumly. "Have you found out anything about the child?" he then asked.
"Well, I had a look at the boy earlier today and would estimate that he is about five months old. After such a long time it is hard to tell whether she is the mother, since her body would have mostly recovered from the birth. She is not nursing him, however, there could be plenty of reasons for that. I can tell for certain that she has birthed a child at some point in the more recent past. So yes, I find it rather likely that the infant is hers."
"I see," he said slowly. "It's curious though, he looks nothing like her."
The older man waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. "That doesn't have to mean much. He might just take after his father. It is also common for young children to change their appearance considerably while they grow. His hair will not turn black of course, but his face could turn out to show much more resemblance at a later age."
He simply nodded silently.
"Well, if that is all for today I will be off then. She may or may not regain her memory; that is hard to predict at this point, but just let her rest and she will at least reattain her strength."
"Thank you doctor." A tired smile tucked at the corners of his lips.
"Don't mention it, always welcome."
With that the physician turned to leave and the younger man directed his attention back to the door. He hesitated for a moment before knocking. When nobody answered the door, he decided to enter anyway.
He found her sitting on the bed, arms wrapped around her midsection and eying him warily. He was not quite sure how it was possible, but she looked so much prettier than she had the day before. She was dressed in a plain midnight blue dress, which contrasted beautifully with her pastel skin. Her hair, now washed and brushed, was shimmering in the candlelight. She wore it in a bun, a braid gracing the top of her head like a hairband.
Even this simple look made her appear ethereal and he was overwhelmed by the richness of emotions he felt building up in his chest. He felt excited, passionate; he yearned to touch her, to protect her, to make her happy. He felt himself melting away under her gaze. In that moment he knew he loved her, despite the fact that he knew literally nothing about her.
As he stepped closer, she jumped off the bed and retreated to the farthest corner of the room. He frowned in concern.
"Do you not remember me?" he asked, tentatively reaching out a hand.
Her breathing became more rapid with every step he took in her direction. She did remember him, however, with everything that had happened this evening, she was unsure whether trusting him the day before had been such a wise decision. Sure, this place seemed an awful lot nicer than the streets she had found herself in when she had awaken from her long, dark daze, but the people she had encountered today scared her. Everyone was too importunate, too invasive. She hated how they pushed and touched her as they pleased, as if she had no say at all in what was to happen to her own body.
When he noticed that his advances only made her more nervous, he took a step back and finally took a seat on one of the wooden chairs.
"I'm sorry, you must be rather confused. You fell asleep before we arrived, so you probably have no idea how you ended up in this room." He smiled reassuringly.
"It's alright, I'm not going to come any closer if you don't want me to," he reaffirmed.
Cautiously she came out of her corner and resumed her seat on the bed. For a while both just sat there in silence – him studying her attentively and she staring at her folded hands.
"Do you remember anything by now?" he finally asked.
Her eyes still downcast, she shook her head.
"Not even your name or something?"
She was about to shake her head again, but paused.
"There is a name that has been stuck in my head," she admitted, speaking in an almost inaudible voice.
"Yes?" He was exhilarated. He was dying to learn her name.
But she tried to drop the matter.
"It's silly. I don't even know whether it's my own name or that of an acquaintance. A friend's perhaps."
"Well, we'll have to call you by some name," he persisted. "So I'm sure that this one will be as good as any other. And if it is the only name you can remember, it must mean something"
She bit her lower lip nervously, but had to agree.
"Fabala. It's Fabala," she whispered.
"Fabala? I like it."
Despite herself she offered him a shy smile.
"Fabala…" he relished saying her name. "Is there anything else you remember? Maybe nothing big, just any minor detail?"
"No. Nothing."
He nodded.
"Do you have an idea where you are?"
"Still somewhere in Oz, I hope?"
Her voice sounded apprehensive, but he chuckled.
"Yes, you are."
He could hear her letting out a relieved sigh.
"You are in the Vinkus."
For a clock-tick she though that this meant something to her, but the moment passed and her mind went blank again.
He saw the spark in her eye appear and vanish. This and the fact that she remembered her name (well , some name), convinced him that her memories were still there somewhere, they just needed some stimulation to resurface.
"Are you the master of this house?" she asked quietly.
He grinned.
"This house is the castle of the royal family." He watched her perplexed expression with amusement. "Well, one of the castles," he corrected. "My name is Tawim. I'm the new crown prince."
She gaped at him for a moment, then she averted her eyes.
"Your Highness," she breathed, all flustered.
"Please don't," he laughed. "I don't like this title much. Just Tawim is fine."
"But Your Highness, I'm just a stranger to you."
His heart ached. She was so much more than just a mere stranger.
"Don't worry, its fine," he assured her in a calm voice. "Trust me."
She nodded timidly.
She looked up and considered the man in front of her.
"You said new crown prince…"
"Yes," he sighed sadly, "My brother died almost a year ago. Nobody wanted to really believe it, so we waited for quite a while in case that there had been some kind of mistake or something, but three days ago we finally celebrated my appointment as the new heir to the throne."
She noticed how his grey eyes had darkened and how he clenched his jaw.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"Yes. Me, too. Despite what everyone believes, he would have been a much better king than I ever could be."
"You seem to be rather compassionate and generous," she mused. "I'm sure you are going to be a great king."
He was thankful for her encouraging comment, but the slight smile forming on his face did not quite reach his eyes.
The topic left a bitter aftertaste and an uneasy silence followed.
The prince had just made up his mind to leave, when Fabala nervously cleared her throat.
"Um your housekeeper… Ana, was it?"
"Yes?"
"She said that I am a servant now. So what kind of work would you have me do? To be honest I'm not sure if I'm actually of any use."
He looked at her in surprise.
"Ana said that?"
Fabala shrugged. "More or less…"
"Listen…"
He got up from the chair and went to kneel in front of the bed ,so that he was at the same height as her. He reached for her hands, but she shied away.
"For now the most important thing is that you get plenty of rest and get better. Until then you are our guest."
She could not help but quirk an eyebrow.
"And after you recovered, well… I don't think my parents would be very pleased to let you stay here indefinitely, unless you make yourself useful in some way. But by no means am I going to dictate to you what to do."
He took a deep breath.
"If you decide to leave, you can do so any time. If you decide to stay, I though you could be my sister's lady's maid?"
He searched her eyes for any reaction, but she maintained her blank expression.
"You are free to come and go as you wish. However, I do hope that you might stay," Tawim whispered, giving her a pleading look.
She was not sure what to say. Why would the prince want her around?
"If that really is your wish, you might be in luck," she answered. "I don't think that there is much out there for me. I mean, you saw the state you found me in."
He reached for her hands once more, this time she did not withdraw. Giving them a gentle squeeze, he rose.
"I'll get someone to bring you some food. The doctor said you need to eat well."
"Thank you."
Before closing the door, his eyes sought out hers for one last time.
"Good night, Fabala."
She blushed slightly.
"Good night."
AN:
Oh dear, I'm so glad to finally use names! All that "She" and "he and "the woman", "the girl" was driving me crazy and sometimes I myself lost track of who was saying/doing what… But I did not want to blurt it all out in advance.
And:
Just in case it doesn't make sense to everyone – Elphaba might seem a bit OOC at the moment but that is largely due to her losing her memory and just kinda coming to terms with what's happening around her… and also of course because she is not green anymore and she has no memory of herself ever being green. Much of her rather snarky, sarcastic character is built on being defensive because of ppl having a problem with her being green. Now that she isn't green and nobody knows she used to be green, ppl simply don't treat her in a way that would warrant her developing this persona independent from any knowledge of her past. Part of it is just her personality and will resurface soon enough but the "real" Elphaba needs to get her memories back first… If she ever does…
You think you get my point?!
Thanks for reading, see ya next time!
