AN. This dress was inspired by the one Mia wears in the Princess Diaries 2.
But thank you for all the reviews, they make me smile. And lizziemagic- I'm glad you can see the awesomeness that is Jemma Rix :)
Chapter 29
Elphaba had been faintly worried that the magic would be gone from their second ceremony, because their first wedding had been so perfect. And as much as it was different, and comforting to know that she was already Fiyero's wife, it was still an incredible experience.
The first night had been the tribal blessing by the Arjiki elders and as Kasmira had told them, the elders presented them with an emerald to give them luck in their life together. Then they were each given a green candle and together used them to light a third, white candle- white symbolising new life. The worst part, for Elphaba came when Kasmira approached them holding the china plate to place on top of Elphaba's head.
"Does this thing actually work?" she asked her mother-in-law quietly as the guests around them began to dance.
Galinda and Boq were getting involved, whilst Nessa laughed from the sidelines and Frex sat stiffly by her side.
Kasmira smiled. "Well, I don't know about Ibrahim's mother, but with me, when the plate fell it only broke once, meaning one child. And here's Fiyero…"
"Only little old me," he added with a grin.
"Great," Elphaba muttered, feeling extremely foolish with a plate atop her head.
Corin gave her the thumbs up with a teasing grin and she scowled at him.
"Corin's a dead man," she hissed to Fiyero who only laughed.
The guests began to dance around them, getting faster and faster as the tribe members chanted, moving closer to them all the while. It wasn't long before the plate fell and smashed to the ground. Galinda's eyes were among the many that immediately flew to the ground to count how many pieces there were.
"Five pieces," Kasmira announced, counting them quickly.
The men cheered and Corin grinned wickedly. "Good on you, Tiggular!"
Fiyero glanced at Elphaba, who was staring at the broken pieces as though they'd betrayed her.
"Not going to happen," she said bluntly when she met his gaze and he couldn't help but laugh.
"Come on, Fae. The plate never lies," he grinned and she glared at him.
"Five children? Elphie, will you name at least one of them after me?" Galinda begged when Elphaba escaped to see her and Nessa.
Elphaba was amused. "At least one? Why would you need more than one, Glin? And I'll tell you the same thing I told Fiyero- not going to happen."
Nessa laughed. "What's your limit, Fabala?"
Elphaba glanced over her shoulder at her husband, who was being congratulated by the men for the five apparent children he would father.
"At the moment he's pushing his luck for one," she rolled her eyes.
Elphaba quickly changed her mind about the worst part of the festivities, when she and Fiyero were separated for the night.
"I thought the point of getting married was you didn't have to be separated," she grumbled to Galinda, when the two girls were getting ready for bed.
"Yes, but no one knows you're married already," Galinda pointed out, who for her part, was ecstatic about the chance to share a room with her best friend once more, even for just one night. "Just like old times!" she'd declared excitedly.
Elphaba had managed a faint smile, knowing her best friend was already being nostalgic- even if had only been two weeks since they'd graduated.
Now, staring up at the dark ceiling as Galinda's breathing evened out, Elphaba sighed. One day down, one to go.
The thing she was dreading most about the ceremony the next day was the dress… well, that and having to have her father walk her down the aisle. She hadn't been alone with Frex since he had admitted he blamed her for Melena's death, yet he was going to have to play the proud, doting father giving away his firstborn daughter to be married.
Kasmira hadn't been lying when she said it would be a large wedding. The cathedral was packed with guests from all over Oz, all abuzz at witnessing the royal wedding between the former playboy Vinkun prince and the green daughter of the Governor of Munchkinland.
And Elphaba quickly had to adjust to her new position as royalty. Three maids were helping her dress for the ceremony, and it was a little unnerving. She had to admit though, the dress wasn't quite the horror she'd been imagining. Yes, it was white which made her skin look even more green than usual, but it wasn't all bad. It was strapless, with a full skirt and lace was overlaid the bodice, covering her arms, but leaving her neck and shoulders bare.
One of the maids pulled her long dark hair up into a bun and placed her tiara on top. The antique and (Elphaba had to admit) exquisite veil was fitted over her hair and straightened out behind her. Galinda was once again serving as maid of honour, this time dressed in a pale green to bring luck and she beamed at her best friend.
"It doesn't look bad, Elphie," she assured her. "You look beautiful."
Elphaba smiled slightly. "Thanks, Galinda. It's only for one day, right?"
"Right."
There was a knock on the door, and Elphaba knew it was her father, coming to escort her. The ceremony was about to begin.
Galinda opened the door and smiled politely at Frex. "She's ready," she informed him, gesturing him into the room.
Frex nodded stiffly. "Thank you. Elphaba?"
She turned to face her father and was alarmed to see his face whiten. "Father?"
Frex stalled for a moment. When he'd first seen his daughter emerge in the clearing the week prior, he couldn't help but think he'd never seen his daughter look… happy, until then. Now however, he was hit by two strong realisations. Elphaba was in fact, royalty now… and in that moment, she had never looked more like her mother.
Frex hadn't spared much thought for what Melena would think if she was alive for this moment, what was the point when she wasn't alive? But now he couldn't help but think of Elphaba's birth all those years ago, and how Melena had loved her daughter, despite the abnormality of her green skin.
"Are you ready?" he finally asked, and Elphaba nodded as Galinda handed her the bouquet of orange blossoms, laurel leaves and bellezza segreta, which although were white at the moment, had been the one thing Elphaba had insisted on in her bouquet.
The florist had been horrified that the princess wanted weeds in her bridal bouquet, but Elphaba had remained firm and Kasmira had supported her, knowing they were her son's favourite.
"I'm ready," she replied.
Galinda gave Elphaba one final bone-crushing hug before she walked down the aisle, leaving Frex and Elphaba alone.
"Fabala?"
Elphaba turned to her father in shock. Nessa was the only one who called her that now, the rare occasions her father had addressed her fondly had stopped after her mother died.
"Yes?" she managed to answer and Frex hesitated for a moment.
"Your mother… would be very proud of you today," he said finally, and those few words almost brought Elphaba to tears.
"Thank you, Father," she managed to choke out and Frex silently offered her his arm as their cue sounded.
The walk to the altar was longer than the one through the clearing had been, and it felt twice as long as it actually was when Elphaba saw all the people watching her. But the feeling of seeing Fiyero at the end waiting for her, under the Chuppah was the same as it had been that night, indescribable relief and overwhelming feelings of love and peace.
The ceremony was long and detailed. Elphaba spoke loudly and clearly, her voice ringing through the cathedral like a bell as she declared she was present of her own free will. Then the reverend handed them each a silver goblet full of sweet Vinkun wine which they sipped before drinking again out of the third goblet, after their cups had been emptied into it. Then they were crowned with the flower wreaths as the reverend blessed their union and they exchanged vows- much more formal this time and the rings they had already exchanged a week ago.
Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime to Fiyero, the elderly man turned and picked up the covered glass, placing it at Fiyero's feet, and for the second time in his life, Fiyero heard the sweetest words in existence.
"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."
Triumphantly, Fiyero stomped on the glass, hearing it crush beneath his boot with satisfaction and he grinned as he quite happily obeyed orders and kissed the bride.
After that, the day was a blur of exhaustion. The carriage ride through the streets; the signing of the contract, witnessed by his parents and a few members of Parliament; and then the enormous feast and long ball, filled with toasts, food, speeches and dancing. Actually, Fiyero had been quite happy to see the food, he was starving by the time he sat down, but even through his hunger and exhaustion, he could tell that Elphaba was very quiet. He didn't get a chance to talk to her about it until they were finally, blissfully alone at the end of the night, preparing for bed.
"What is it, Fae?" he frowned in concern as Elphaba carefully removed the veil with a distracted look on her face.
"It's nothing," she brushed it away with a tired smile, but Fiyero's raised eyebrow told her he knew better.
She sighed and sat down on the bed in her dress, immediately kicking off her shoes. "It's just… something my father said to me this morning, before the ceremony."
Fiyero tensed slightly. What had Frex said?
"He said… my mother…"
Elphaba's voice trembled and Fiyero's anxiety grew, remembering the last time Frex had mentioned Elphaba's mother to her.
"What about her?" he asked gently and Elphaba looked at him sadly.
"He said… she'd be proud of me today," she whispered and Fiyero's face softened.
"She would, princess," he told her gently.
He'd sort of developed the use of her title as a nickname in the past week and it always made Elphaba smile. Tonight however, tears shone in her eyes and her hands shook as she fought back the tears.
"He… he called me Fabala. He hasn't done that since… since Momma…" that was as far as she got before she broke down in tears and Fiyero held her silently as she cried.
It was a good thing they weren't expected to join the celebrations the next day, because they both slept until late in the afternoon.
"Is it going to be like this every year?" Elphaba asked him as they lay in bed, listening to the distant sounds of celebrations coming from outside the castle.
Fiyero grinned at her. "You don't think 'Fiyeraba' day has the power to take over Lurlinemas as the best holiday of the year?" he asked her, using their old nickname the students at Shiz had given them.
Elphaba rolled her eyes. "We are not calling it that."
On the long journey to the Vinkus the week before, Nessa had asked her sister and new brother-in-law about their anniversary.
"I mean, won't it be suspicious if your anniversary is a week before the date you got married?" she asked.
"They don't have to know when we celebrate our anniversary," Fiyero argued but Elphaba had frowned, agreeing with her sister.
"Nessa has a point, Yero."
Fiyero sighed, not sure how to answer and then he had an idea.
"I've got it!"
"We're not having two anniversaries," Elphaba cut him off, knowing what he was about to suggest and he pouted.
"How did you know?"
She snorted. "Please, you wanted to celebrate our one year anniversary in April, because you didn't want to wait until September."
"No," Fiyero argued. "I wanted it in April because-"
"That was not our first date," she interrupted and he sighed.
"Fine," he grumbled.
Galinda and Nessa giggled to themselves and Fiyero thought about it for a while before thinking of another idea.
"Ok, how about this? The date of the second ceremony, will be our public anniversary and we can make it a public holiday for the city; and the first date can be just for us?" he suggested.
"You would make it a holiday," Elphaba rolled her eyes.
Ibrahim chuckled at his daughter-in-law before turning to his son. "I think that's a good idea, Fiyero. And then if anyone asks, you can just say that you want to celebrate privately not just with the people."
It was slightly disconcerting to Elphaba just how excited the whole of the Vinkus was about the wedding and their new princess. And much to her relief, she wasn't the only one.
"Wow, people really thought you'd never settle down, huh?" Boq asked Fiyero in wonder the night before he, Frex and Nessa would return to Munchkinland, a week after the second ceremony.
"Thanks, Bick," Fiyero said sarcastically.
Elphaba laughed. Galinda had already left for home, she was making a detour on her return to the Gilikins by Micah's home to meet his parents and spend some time with him. Nessa was slightly apprehensive about leaving her sister though, it had just struck her that Elphaba wouldn't be returning with them. Munchkinland was no longer her home.
"It'll be alright, Nessie," Elphaba said soothingly, although she was a little anxious about how her sister would manage without her. Elphaba had cared for her for so long, she was nervous about relinquishing the task to someone else.
"It's not going to be the same," Nessa cried, upset and Elphaba embraced her tightly.
"No, it won't. But it'll be okay," she promised. "We'll write, often. And you can come stay for Lurlinemas."
Nessa nodded sadly. "I'll miss you, Fabala."
Elphaba sighed. "I'll miss you too, Nessie."
And the next morning as she watched the carriage drive away from Kiamo Ko and Nessa waved out the window to her big sister one last time, Elphaba truly felt like everything had changed.
