For once in her life, she was genuinely happy. She'd never been so happy in her life. The circumstances might have been unusual, but still....she was truly happy. She and Galinda were good friends and she and Fiyero were best friends. Well, technically Elias and Fiyero were best friends, but so what. And the cherry on top, she was in love. And it wasn't just one-sided, she was in love with someone who actually loved her back. Her heart rate seemed to be at top speed and laughter came naturally to her.
"Hey Elias," said Galinda the next day as Fiyero and Elias greeted her at the door.
"Hi Galinda." said Elphaba, smiling, though nobody could see, she actually liked the blonde somewhat now.
"And just forget me." Fiyero said, though he was smiling.
"Oh, Fifi, I didn't forget about you," said Galinda, "I just wasn't acknowledging your presence."
"Gee, that makes me feel so much better." said Fiyero.
*****************
The three friends strode through town. Galinda dragged Fiyero and Elias with her into all of the shops.
"Oh my Oz," said Galinda, "Tell me this doesn't look absolutely gorgeous on me." she stepped out of the dressing rooms. Fiyero and Elias who had been sitting on the benches outside of the dressing room, didn't even look up.
"You look great." they said automatically. The first part of their daily outings was always spent shopping because it was just the way Galinda was.
"You guys didn't even look at me." said Galinda, putting her hands on her hips
"Do we ever?" asked Elias. Galinda huffed and went back into the dressing room. When she came out, she had changed back into the clothes she came in and brought with her a cart of clothes she had tried on and was planning on buying. They walked out of the store with several bags of clothing, which was very typical of a shopping trip with Galinda. As they walked out of the shop, Elphaba saw something that made her heart stop beating as she froze in her tracks. It was Frex.
"I—think I'm going to head back to the castle." said Elphaba, dumping the bags into Fiyero and Galinda's arms, never taking her eyes off of Frex.
"What?" asked Fiyero, "Why? We were going to go bowling, remember?"
"Yes," said Elphaba, "But...I've got work to do." she quickly bolted then, terrified of being discovered by Frex. Fiyero and Galinda stared after Elias.
"What's gotten into him?" asked Galinda.
"I don't know." said Fiyero, shrugging his shoulders.
***************
Sunday came, but Elphaba knew she mustn't go to the plaza and meet up with Fiyero, the risk that Frex would see her was too high. So she stayed in the castle. If Frex ever found her....
Fiyero walked to the beach, a new book in his hand, but Elphaba wasn't there. He waited for her for well over an hour, but she still hadn't shown up. Where was she? Was she alright? He went to their rock and sat there until the sun had begun to set, reading the book he'd gotten her. He had so looked forward to this Sunday, but she was nowhere to be found.
He trudged back to the castle after finishing the book.
"Elias, I'm worried," said Fiyero, "Elphaba didn't show up today."
"I'm sure she's fine. Maybe something came up and she just couldn't make it." said Elphaba.
"I don't know." said Fiyero.
******************
Elphaba stood in the back of the kitchens as the announcements were made in the servant's quarters.
"Alright," said the woman, "We've another guest coming, Governor Frexspar Thropp."
"Hey, isn't that the man who nearly killed his oldest daughter?" someone yelled.
"Well, I wouldn't say killed." said the woman, but it seemed she had her own thoughts about Governor Frex as well, "But his family issues are not our problem and you shall treat him with the respect you give the King and Queen, is that clear?"
"Yes." came the mumbled replies of the reluctant servants.
"Good." said the woman, "You three maids, go get his room ready for him. You two go and greet him at the door and take his luggage." they nodded and went off, "The rest of you, keep working!"
Elphaba felt her breath coming faster. Frex was going to stay here? Nessa had figured her out, and now Frex was here?! Had Nessa really ratted her out to her father? Had she gone against her word and told Frex anyway? Elphaba wouldn't believe that, her sister was many things, but was she really a liar? She was self-absorbed, bitchy, selfish and usually unreasonable, but a liar? Her letter was so sincere and the look on her face when she left with Fredrick was so....believable. In that instance, Elphaba thought that maybe....maybe Nessa actually loved her. Elphaba knew this wasn't Nessa's fault....it wasn't....it wasn't....
************
Frex sat at the end of the large dining table, opposite his Majesty, the King of the Vinkus. Fiyero and his mother sat on either side of the table. They ate in silence.
"So Frex, I hear your eldest daughter ran away." said Harold, the King, trying to make conversations.
"Who told you that?" asked Frex.
"My brother works for the Gale Force. I also hear you're being put on trial for child abuse." said Harold.
"That may be so," said Frex carefully, "but I never hit Elphaba." said Frex through his teeth. For some reason, Fiyero did not believe these words. He remembered when Nessa had broken down in front of him and Elias, crying about how she would've ran away too. He really did not like this Frex character. Frex sat in his chair, glaring the King. He did not want to be reminded of his situation. It seemed dear Harold was just trying to rub in his face how terrible his situation was and he was half tempted to throw his fork at the old King. Silence fell upon them again. Fiyero sat awkwardly in his chair, waiting for dinner to finally be over.
**********
The next Sunday, Fiyero went to the beach again, but still, Elphaba was not there.
*********
Despite the letter Nessa had sent him, Frex went ahead and looked around for Elphaba. He searched the beach and town and plaza, everywhere. So perhaps she really wasn't here. Today was his last day in the Vinkus, and then it was off to Quadling Country to continue his search.
*******
"Elias, I fear Elphaba is missing." said Fiyero, "That's two Sunday's in a row she hasn't made it."
"I told you, something probably came up." said Elias.
"But what if she's ill or something?" asked Fiyero, "What if she's gone and I'll never see her again?"
"You will." said Elias, "Just be patient. She'll turn up."
**********
On Frex's last evening in the Vinkus, he ate dinner with the royal family again. He excused himself from the table for a moment to go wash his hands first. He walked into the hall and ran straight into a servant boy. Frex and Elias both fell down.
"I'm sorry sir." said Elphaba, trembling with fright.
"Sorry?" Frex thundered, "You'd better watch where you're going next time!" then he noticed something. While the boy's skin and face were covered by shadows, he could see their eyes beneath the cap, brown and terrified. He felt a sudden jolt of familiarity. He'd seen those eyes before.....Almost like someone had slapped him, he realized where he'd seen those scared brown eyes.
"Take off the gloves." he growled.
"Um...I can't." said Elphaba as he heart beat jumped.
"Take them off....now!" Frex thundered.
"I have to keep them on for religious purposes!" Elphaba said, backing away as Frex neared her.
**********
King Harold heard shouting in the hall. Oh great, Frex had gotten into a shouting match with one of his servants. He sighed and stood up to go see what all the fuss was about. Fiyero followed. They saw Frex yelling at Elias in the hall.
"Take off the damn gloves!" Frex roared.
"He can't!" Fiyero yelled, "He wears them for religious reasons and here in the Vinkus, there is free religion. He doesn't have to." Frex turned to glare at Fiyero.
"Look here, I don't think 'he's' wearing those for religion." Frex said.
"Well, whether or not you believe him is not the case. The fact is he doesn't have to take them off if he doesn't want to." said Fiyero, "Why does it matter to you?" Frex ignored the prince entirely this time and lunged at the boy. Frex quickly pulled one glove off of her hand. His eyes seemed to turn red as he saw the familiar green skin. Everyone in the hall gasped. This included Fiyero, Harold, the Queen and a number of castle staff.
"Aha!" Frex yelled, "I've found you!" All Fiyero could do was stare at the now exposed skin. The green skin. It was Elphaba's skin....but...this was Elias, wasn't it?
"What is the meaning of this?!" yelled Harold, very confused by now.
"You thought this was a boy?" asked Frex, laughing menacingly, "Does this look like a boy's hand to you?" he asked as he grabbed Elphaba's wrist. He took off the other glove too, "Tell me, what kind of boy has legs like these?" Frex pulled up the pant leg on her trouser, showing her thin feminine green leg, "Does this look like a boy at all?" Frex took off her cap. Her long hair fell down her back and her beautiful face was exposed, "She has fooled you all! This is not a boy on your castle staff, this is Elphaba, my daughter."
Fiyero felt his head spin. He saw before him more than one person. This was Elphaba, the girl he'd fallen in love with, this was Elphaba, Nessa's sister, this was Elphaba, Frex's daughter, this was Elias....his best friend. So when Nessa was speaking of her sister, she was speaking of...this Elphaba. He'd always assumed it was just another girl with the same name. This was the sister and daughter that had run away from home. She had obviously disguised herself as a boy if only for the sake of proper shelter and food. All this time, Elias, his best friend, had been Elphaba. The beautiful girl he'd met with every Sunday, his love. All he could do was stare, as all of these thoughts ran through his mind. His thoughts were cut off by a cry of pain. Frex had struck Elphaba across the face with enough force to throw her to the ground.
"Explain yourself." Harold ordered.
"I—I ran away from home and had nowhere to go. There was a job here, but only for a boy, so I dressed as a boy and took the job." said Elphaba. Frex had his foot on her back to prevent her from standing. She stared at the floor, not daring to look at anybody.
"Why did you run away?" asked the Queen gently.
"I—I cannot say." said Elphaba, her voice shaky.
"Why?!" Frex yelled, digging the heel of his boot hard into her back. Her breath hitched at the sudden pain.
"I—cannot say!" Elphaba said again. Frex removed his foot and pulled her back to her feet, holding her forearm painfully. He slammed her into the wall.
"Why?!" he asked again.
"Because I couldn't stay in that house with you any longer! Living with you was like living in hell!" Elphaba yelled.
"Why you little---" Frex struck her again, "You are coming back to Munchkinland with me, right now."
"No she's not!" Fiyero yelled. He had witnessed enough to know what life must have been like for Elphaba in Munchkinland and he was not about to let her go back there with this terrible man. But there was only one way that was legal to keep her here. Frex was, after all, her father and he had the right to take her back if he wanted to. Even the King couldn't order that she stay here if Frex said otherwise, so Fiyero did what had to be done.
"Yes she is!" said Frex, "This is not your decision to make."
"Actually it is." said Fiyero, "You see, she belongs to me, and therefore, she stays here."
"I am her father! If she belongs to anyone, it's me!" Frex roared, twisting Elphaba's arm subconsciously.
"Whether you are her father or not, it doesn't matter! She signed a paper that stated she was a slave here, she belongs to me. And since she does, she will be staying here." Fiyero said. He hated saying these words, they sounded so terrible and hateful and cold. He glanced at Elphaba and saw thousands of different emotions, they most obvious was fear. Her eyes flickered to his and what he saw nearly broke his heart. She was afraid of not only Frex, but....she was afraid of him. Their eye contact was broken as Frex shook her roughly.
"You signed a paper that made you a slave?!" Frex roared.
"I—I didn't know it would make me a slave!" said Elphaba, "I needed a job--" Frex struck her again.
"You foolish girl!" Frex yelled.
"Let go of her." said Fiyero in a low threatening voice, "I think we've witnessed enough of this, and it's clear that you have abused Elphaba. One of the maids has already called the Gale Force. They will be here shortly and you will go to jail." Frex's eyes glinted with hate and panic. He quickly shoved Elphaba away into Fiyero's arms. Fiyero caught Elphaba and held her close. Everyone waited with baited breath as Frex stood there like a cornered animal. His eyes darted around the room, looking for an escape. He grabbed the candle on the wall and the carpet in front of him quickly went up in flames. He ran from the castle quickly, jumping onto a horse in the stables and then he was gone; he didn't care that he'd be a fugitive now, he would not go to jail.