Just so you know, I reference Melena as the Queen in the second half of this chapter because it's from Nessa's POV, and to her, Melena is the Queen.
So I suppose I owe y'all an explanation: when I was getting my tonsils out, I was also having what's called a turbinate reduction. The turbinates are in your nose and moisturize the air you inhale. Mine were immensely swollen, which was causing breathing problems, so I had them cauterized. Unfortunately, I was part of the less than 1% who started spontaneously nose bleeding afterwards. I didn't get home until 6 on Friday (instead of what should have been like noon) and I was mostly dead yesterday so here's your update! (Pls don't kill me I'm still recovering)
LifelongLeahstar: yes, yes I did.
Tara: thanks! Your reviews make me really happy!
A stony silence fell upon the royal family of Oz as they ate dinner that night. Preena picked at her meal while Elphaba sent apologetic looks her direction. Melena finally worked up the courage to ask the troubled maid where she got that nasty bruise.
"Ask her," She replied harshly, gesturing to Elphaba with a flick of her head. Melena's eyes flitted to her daughter, silently asking the same question.
"I don't know what came over me it was an accident I feel horrible," Elphaba rambled, words just falling out of her mouth. Her mother's eyebrows slowly crept up her forehead.
"What happened?" She asked in a slow and oddly calm voice.
"I…I was upset…Preena tried to get me to talk to her…"
"Why were you upset?"
"That's the thing. I don't know," Elphaba said, before going on, "I don't remember what I was upset about and I don't know why I hit Preena."
"I believe, Melena," Preena finally cut in, "that it's because Elphaba has some issues."
"How dare you say that?!" The Queen demanded.
"I'm not sure where she got them, as you two are a delight, but they're definitely there."
Melena regarded Preena very carefully, waiting for the maid to start laughing and say the whole thing was a joke, but she remained poised and unwavering.
"I don't know where this is coming from Preena but it's not like you."
She simply shrugged and excused herself, claiming to have urgent business to attend to.
It was then Melena noticed the silent tears streaming down Elphaba's face. She quickly moved seats to the vacant one next to Elphaba. Collecting her daughter in her arms, the Queen felt wetness seep through the shoulder of her dress.
"It's okay, sweetie. She'll come around," Melena whispered to Elphaba, and sobs slowly turned to hiccups.
"This isn't Preena, she would never…act like this," Elphaba responded as she wiped her nose on her sleeve.
"Maybe she does, and we just haven't seen it yet, but…" Melena paused, her mind going back to the events that took place four years prior.
"Mother?"
"Something's fishy, Fabala."
"How do you know?"
Melena's head slowly turned to face her daughter. "Because I've seen this happen before," She said, before giving Elphaba the condensed version of what happened.
"Even after she was allowed to work again, she never seemed bitter or anything of the sort. Whenever I tried to apologize, she'd simply brush it off and insist I didn't need to."
Elphaba sat back in her seat and trained her eyes on the table. "Do you think…?"
"What, dear?"
"Forget it, it's stupid."
"No really, tell."
"Do you think she could be under some sort of spell?"
Melena diverted her attention to Oscar, who looked just as confused.
"Does anyone have that sort of power?" She asked him.
"I don't know, I've never truly looked that deep," He answered softly. "Madame Morrible might, but she would never do something like that."
Nessarose awoke suddenly after that. The Wizard was wrong. Morrible would do something like that, she had seen it herself. But why? Was it a spur of the moment idea? Or was it part of an elaborate plan? She thought back to the first time she had seen that memory. Elphaba's eyes looked scarily vacant, just like Pfannee's did that day what felt like a lifetime ago. Focusing hard, she drew a side-by-side of their expressions and found a perfect match.
You're overthinking, Nessa. There's no purpose in all of this. Morrible's just a big carp. The little voice in her head reasoned.
Too alert to sleep now, she got settled in her chair and sought refuge in the old study at the end of the hall. Flicking the light switch, the room came to life. Dozens of photographs from the last eight years covered all available space on the walls.
One blank space remained, however. A red marker had traced the exact outline of one of the picture's edges, and a heart was drawn in the middle. The first photo that ever was taken had been burned in the fire on Lurlinemas, for looking at it brought too much pain to the young Governor. She wiped a tear from her cheek and looked around at the other photos.
Her dark eyes found the two most recent photos she had taken. The newer of the two was of a single red rose crossing over a white, both laying on top of the shiny oak coffin belonging to her father before it was buried. Upon seeing it again she had half a mind to mutter "good riddance", but somewhere, deep down, he had loved her. Long ago, before he lost his mind.
The older one, however, held much more grief to Nessa. She took it just before winter break, and it was of all of her friends. Five smiling faces beamed at her, for she had learned it was possible to take a picture with the camera turned around on herself. Elphaba was leaning against Fiyero with a light smile. The prince had one of his signature goofy grins as he held his girlfriend. Galinda was smiling ear to ear and Boq was too. Nessa, whose head barely fit in the frame, looked genuinely happy. That was the last time she had felt that, she noted.
Holed up in the study for hours, tears were soon streaming down the face of the fifteen year old. The sun slowly rose over the hills as day broke. In Nessa's eyes, though, the only thing breaking was what was left of her childhood and, more importantly, her heart.
In the two weeks following, at least three letters addressed to her came in the mail from Elphaba. She read them each several times despite herself and they quickly met their fates in the fire.
Every day, Elphaba eagerly ran to her mailbox, hoping for a letter from the desk of the governor. Every day, she was disappointed to see an empty mailbox. A response was refused to the young princess.
On the seventeenth day, a letter arrived for Nessarose, penned by the Queen.
Madame Governor-
I invite you to the Emerald Palace for a few days this weekend. We never had the meeting with your father since unexpected complications arose, but we need to have it nonetheless. We will send a carriage for you on Friday eve. There is also news we wish for you to know.
Your Nanny, Cattery Spunge, is alive. It's hard to believe, I know. Everything will be explained when you are here, though.
Hope to see you soon,
Her Majesty Queen Melena Alaycia Diggs
True to her words, on Friday eve a carriage was waiting in front of the mansion. A footman helped Nessa into the carriage and strapped her luggage to the top. As fast as a whip crack, they were blazing down the road towards the Emerald City, leaving Colwen Grounds in the dust. Nessa attempted to relax and sleep through the five hour ride, only her mind wouldn't let her.
Nanny was alive.
It seemed impossible. Almost two whole months had passed without a word, and they were just telling her now that she was alive. How could she survive such a horrific crash? And the Queen and the Wizard were Elphaba's parents. They must be the other two people she heard in the stolen memories. She'd also get to meet Wen's aunt, Preena the maid. Her story was still incomplete.
Nessa spent so much time lost in her thoughts that she didn't notice that they were at the Emerald Palace until the footman opened the door to help her out. Once settled back in her chair, she made her way inside. The Wizard and the Queen were waiting in the foyer for her, and upon her entrance, the Queen's face was unreadable.
"Your Majesties, it's a pleasure," Nessa said, bowing to the best of her ability.
"Madame Governor, how lovely to make your acquaintance," The Queen responded with a shaky voice.
They retreated to the sitting room, where a dark haired maid was waiting for them. Preena, Nessa realized.
Munching on tiny sandwiches and sipping tea, the Queen and Nessarose made small talk after the Wizard left, claiming to have work to do.
"Madame Governor-"
"Please, just call me Nessarose."
"Alright Nessarose," The Queen said after a very brief hesitation, "About Miss Spunge-"
"Don't toy with me, is she really alive?"
"Yes, somehow. We found her about two hundred feet from the crash site, just breaking the woods. We didn't want to say anything for a while because we didn't know if she actually would survive or not."
"I can't believe it."
"Neither can we," said Preena.
"I'm sorry, your name is?"
"Preena Oppahenski, personal handmaiden to the Queen," Preena answered proudly.
"I know that name…you have a nephew right? Wen?" Nessa asked, feigning innocence.
"Yes, do you know him?"
"He's my best friend back in Munchkinland."
"How is he?" Preena asked eagerly, albeit sadly, "It's been a while since I've seen him."
"He's great, actually. He's off in the Vinkus at school. I just saw him a few weeks ago."
Pacified, the three women talked for a few hours about politics, history, and other stuff, before resorting to more personal things.
"I've heard you became good friends with my daughter, Elphaba," The Queen mentioned, taking a sip of tea. Nessarose looked at her for a moment, trying to see if the question was as innocent as it seemed.
"Yes," She answered tentatively. "We liked to get lunch together at Shiz."
"Ah."
Nessa swallowed hard. "Is it alright if I see Nanny?"
"She's staying with Madame Morrible, our Press Secretary. Down the hall, turn left, and it's the second door on the right. We will call you for dinner later, Nessarose."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
The Governor followed the Queen's instructions. After a calming breath, she pushed on the half open door. Nanny was, in fact, laying on a couch. Her face lit up upon seeing Nessa and quickly beckoned her over. A large bandage was wound around her midsection as well as a separate one around her left thigh.
"Nessa!" She cried when the Governor approached and eagerly hugged her.
"Oh Nanny," Nessa sighed, tears of joy escaping down her cheeks. Once they dissipated, she told Nanny everything that had happened since the accident, not missing a single detail. The caretaker never interrupted, and her gaze seemed hollow once Nessa mentioned the newspapers reported she was dead. It remained that way, though, and that's what scared Nessa.
"So you're governing Munchkinland?" Nanny asked in a voice that was almost monotone.
"Yes, I was inaugurated about a month ago."
"You should let me help you."
"I was planning on it…Nanny are you feeling alright?"
"Never better, dear."
A servant poked his head in to gather the two for dinner. It didn't take long for the Queen to notice that Nessarose was picking at her food, and it sent her stomach in knots.
"Nessarose, are you alright?"
"Oh, I'm fine. You needn't worry about me, Your Majesty."
"Maybe I want to."
Nessa's fork clattered to the table as it was rising to her mouth. Her eyes were the size of saucers.
"What was that?" She whispered. It honestly sounded more like a whimper.
"Maybe I want to worry about you."
"I…I have to go," the Governor said softly, avoiding all eye contact, before briskly leaving the room. The Queen, confused, turned to Nanny, who was still contently eating as if nothing was out of the ordinary. A throat clearing finally caught her attention. The other three at the table, in perfect unison, flicked their eyes in the direction of the fading sound of scratching wheels.
"It doesn't matter, she just needs to calm down," Nanny reasoned. When she noticed that Melena was staring at her as if she had three heads, eyes rolled. "What?"
"Nothing," Melena mumbled.
Something's not right, she thought.
About three hundred feet below her spot, a voice broke forth from the darkness and silence.
"You're correct, Melena. Something's not right. Something wicked this way comes."