AN. So, the theme for reviews for the last chapter seemed to be "poor Boq" which I agree with. LOL.

I have a blog the other day. The link is on my profile page.

Chapter Six

When Dillamond was ready to begin the process of selecting the new Vinkun Queen, he called together a few of the guards he trusted most and gave them a list of addresses and surnames. Some left earlier than others, depending on the distance they were expected to travel, but all were given the same orders.

"I want you to go to these homes. Find these young women, and escort them back to the palace. Don't be rough with them. Let them back a small bag and say goodbye to their families."

The guards all knew these girls weren't given an option to refuse the "invitation", but even they didn't know why the dozen girls from all throughout the Vinkus were being summoned to Kiamo Ko.

It was Shell's friend Otho and another guard who often worked the gate who were given Shell's address.

"Thropp?" Otho frowned at the paper in his hand as the carriage neared the house. "I thought Shell lived alone?"

"Maybe it's a different Thropp?" the other guard suggested half-heartedly.

They both knew Thropp wasn't a very common surname.

When Otho knocked heavily on the door, it was opened by Shell, who looked surprised to see his friends at the door on his day off.

"Hello, men. What can I do for you?"

Otho cleared his throat uncomfortably. "We've got orders from Dillamond, Shell. Direct from the King. We're here to escort a Miss Thropp to the castle."

Shell paled. "What?" he asked faintly, and Otho gave him the orders to see for himself.

Shell read it all carefully, and his heart sank. Nothing missed his attention- and he'd worked at the palace long enough to know the direction to pack a bag and say goodbye to their families knew there was a very real chance he may never see his little cousin again, the one he had spent so long trying to protect.

Part of his mind was wondering how anyone even knew about Elphaba to put her on any list, and for what reason these girls could be summoned to Kiamo Ko for.

He considered for a wild moment, the possibility of hiding Elphaba away, or denying her existence, but knew it wasn't possible.

"Shell… I didn't know you had…. Who is she?" Otho asked and Shell hesitated.

"My cousin. I raised her after her parents died," he said quietly.

"Why did you never mention her? Twelve years, man," the other guard said and Shell sighed.

"Uh… Fae," he said, being careful not to call her Elphaba. "Fae is…. I try and keep her out of the public's eye. You'll see why. Hang on, I'll go get her."

With a heavy heart, he slowly headed upstairs. Nanny, in her grief over Boq's fate, had been bedridden for the three days since it happened and Elphaba had tended to her every moment.

"Fae?"

She looked up from Nanny's bedside with a small smile. "Who was at the door, Shell?"

The smile faded as her cousin's expression registered. "Shell? What's going on?"

Sadly, Shell handed her the orders Otho had been given. It took Elphaba a moment to register that her surname was on the list, the orders, and what that signified.

Then she looked up at her cousin, panicked. "Shell? What does this mean?"

Shell couldn't even speak, he simply hugged her tightly.

"What do I do?" she whispered and Shell forced a gentle smile onto his face.

"You pack a bag."

"What would happen if I refused?" Elphaba asked stubbornly but Shell shook his head quickly.

"Don't, Elphaba," he said solemnly, slipping up on her name but not caring in this moment.

"I don't understand what is going on, or why you're being summoned. I haven't heard of anything happening in the castle before, so for it to be this secret- it's something big. But I know it would be dangerous to refuse or to do anything other than what you're told. So, please… don't cause any commotions."

Elphaba smiled slightly for the first time since seeing the orders. "I don't cause commotions. I am one."

Shell smiled too, it was an old joke from when she was a child. "I know."

Reluctantly, Elphaba went to her room and packed a small bag. It didn't contain much, but it felt as though it were loaded with rocks as Elphaba carried it downstairs.

She saw and ignored the startled expressions of the guards waiting at the door for her. All her focus was on Shell as her cousin hugged her tightly and tried not to cry.

"I'm sorry, Fabala," he whispered to her. "I tried to keep you safe… and I failed."

Elphaba shook her head fiercely and pulled back to look at the man who had raised her. "No, you didn't Shell. I will be fine, you'll see. This isn't going to be the last time we see one another."

Shell didn't look convinced and she smiled. "Besides. It's Fae."

He managed a weak chuckle and Elphaba kissed his cheek swiftly. "I love you, Shell. Thank you. For everything."

Shell said nothing as Elphaba turned and Otho escorted her into the carriage.

After Elphaba, the carriage stopped to pick up another two girls. Elphaba watched in silence as the girls said goodbye to their families and joined her in the carriage. They both did the same double take when they saw Elphaba sitting there, but said nothing to her.

The first made a point of sitting as far away from Elphaba as possible. She was a very attractive girl, but also seemed very stuck up. She spent the whole carriage ride filing her nails, not even sparing Elphaba a glance.

The second had been in tears from the moment she'd had to say goodbye to her parents and siblings. She didn't seem as wary as the other about sitting near Elphaba, but stared out of the carriage, silent tears running down her face and her blue eyes anxious and filled with dread.

Now that the initial shock and fear had worn off slightly, Elphaba was more curious as to anything about why they were being summoned to Kiamo Ko. There was a slight feeling of dread of course, and that feeling steadily grew as they approached the castle, but Elphaba was itching to be able to demand answers as to what was going on.

She also realised that if she were going to the castle, she might have a chance of seeing Boq and wondered if perhaps her situation was similar. Were they being taken to the castle to become servants to the new queen?

"Here we are, ladies," one of the guards said as the carriage rolled to a stop outside the front doors of the castle.

The stuck up girl scrambled to be escorted out of the carriage first, and Elphaba followed quietly, taking her first look at the castle.

It was a beautiful old building, made of non-baked clay bricks and spread over a huge area of land. It overlooked the entire Greater Kells City, and Elphaba was sure if she was to turn around she'd be able to see her house just from the front doors alone, despite the fact their house was on the city outskirts.

She was interrupted from her thoughts by one of the guards clearing his throat and she turned to see he was holding the castle door open. The other guard and two girls had already entered, and he was waiting for Elphaba to follow. She flushed, but said nothing as she hastily picked up her skirts and entered the castle.

They led the girls through many corridors, until they reached an outdoor paved area, overlooking a beautiful garden. The paved area was shaded, with many cushions scattered around the floor. Some of these were taken with yet more girls, their expressions with various degrees of apprehension.

Standing before them was an old Goat. He smiled reassuringly at Elphaba and the other two girls as they entered and gestured to the cushions.

"Welcome, ladies. Please take a seat. Hopefully we'll begin soon."

Elphaba, already feeling the other girls in the room staring at her openly, immediately chose a cushion at the back and a little away from the others and sat down. She was puzzled that the Goat didn't seem surprised to see she was green, and added that to her list of questions to ask.

"Would you care for a refreshment?" the Goat asked the three new arrivals.

Whilst the stuck up girl accepted immediately, as though she had been waiting for a long time to be offered a drink and it was about time the offer hadbeen made; Elphaba and the other girl refused, Elphaba silently, and the other with a quiet and polite "no thank you."

Over the next hour, more girls arrived, all escorted by guards and looking nervous and confused.

When all twelve cushions were taken, the Goat cleared his throat, although it wasn't required to call their attention to him. Hardly a word had been spoken.

"Welcome," he said with a warm smile. "My name is Dillamond. I am the King's Chamberlain and for the time being, your guide. I am sure you are all wondering why you have been summoned here at such short notice. Allow me to assure you that you have nothing to be afraid of. Indeed, this is the beginning of a new adventure. One of you, will become the new Queen of the Vinkus."

The nervous silence was broken as several of the girls gasped in amazement and whispered to the girls next to them. Elphaba said nothing, but one eyebrow rose sceptically.

Queen? They were here… she was here… to be considered as Queen?Elphaba now had a new question for her list- who in the name of Oz had come up with the bright idea of putting hername on the list of suggestions?

Dillamond cleared his throat again, this time with the purpose of quietening the din.

"Over the next month, you will engage in both a routine of beauty and spa treatments, as well as learning about the duties that will be expected of you as Queen. After the month, you will each be given one night with the King. The King will, of course, make the final decision. Those of you who are not chosen will remain in the castle as concubines. If your family can arrange a marriage and dowry for you, you will be able to return home if you are not chosen."

Elphaba's heart sank. She knew why this was so. Women who were unmarried and not pure would be ostracized and shunned in society, often forced into prostitution to find food. Unless the girls' family could find someone willing to marry them, it was much more desirable to remain in the castle as a concubine, where at least you were guaranteed food and a good life.

Elphaba knew there was no way Shell would be able to raise the money for a dowry, let alone arrange a marriage for her. No one would agree to marry the green girl.

Dillamond was speaking again. "We have rooms prepared for you for the next month. Eunuchs will be here to serve you if there should be anything you desire to make your stay more comfortable, please don't hesitate to ask. Now, I've assigned you to rooms. There will be four girls to a room. When I call your name, could you please stand? And then I think we'll give you some time to settle in before reconvening for dinner and getting to know one another."

He pulled out a list and began to read. ""Miss Gl-gl-linda?"

A beautiful girl with blonde curls spilling over her shoulders jumped up, shaking her head. "No, it's Galinda. With a 'Ga'.Miss Galinda Upland."

Dillamond bowed his head. "Of course. My apologies."

"Miss Pfannee?"

The stuck up girl who had been in the carriage with Elphaba rose to her feet.

"Miss Aysha?"

A shy-looking girl with dark skin and dark brown hair slowly rose to her feet, her face pale.

Dillamond glanced down at his list, although he had no real need. He knew who the fourth girl was already.

"And Miss-?"

Elphaba saw his eyes flicker to her for a moment and jumped to her feet gracefully and swiftly before he could finish.

"Fae," she announced herself and Dillamond was surprised, although he didn't show it.

He didn't know why she was introducing herself by a different name, but decided not to mention anything of it.

"Welcome, Miss Fae. You four ladies are in room one. I trust it is to your satisfaction. Otho, please escort the young women to their room?"

The guard who had picked up Elphaba nodded and gestured for the girls to follow him. Elphaba felt the remaining eight girls watch them leave. She knew most of them were already imagining themselves as queen, and seeing the others as competition to the crown that must be eliminated.

Elphaba simply focused on learning her way around Kiamo Ko, already resigning herself to a life as a concubine. What other possibility was there?