✉ Chapter Twenty-Nine: Iambic Pentameter ✉
The sisters spent the morning preparing for departure, the bulk of which Elphaba spent convincing Nessarose that she didn't need half of the objects she'd intended on packing. They'd considered making a show of their leaving to the mob of Munchkins but decided against it in the end. Kiamo Ko was on the other side of Oz, and if Elphaba was going to transport them safely she needed to be in a calm frame of mind. Attempting teleportation while fleeing from pitchforks, as fun as it sounded, wasn't an ideal scenario.
"It feels cowardly. To step down and slip out the back," Nessarose said.
"You're not a coward, Nessa." Elphaba and Nessarose both grabbed hold of Elphaba's broom so their hands were set close together as the plume of red smoke began rotating around them to whisk them away from Munchkinland. "This may be the bravest thing you've ever done."
The sisters were spit out onto some rocky dirt with patches of tall, overgrown grass at the mouth of a drawbridge. Nessarose coughed delicately as she sat up and Elphaba fussed over her, brushing the ash off of her shoulders. They were dismayed to see that Nessarose's chair hadn't transferred with them.
"She's back!" hooted a sudden voice. "They're here!"
Elphaba rubbed the smoke out of her irritated eyes as she heard rushing footsteps bound her way.
"Fae!"
"Yero!" she shouted back, scrabbling to her feet and charging towards him in a flood of relief.
They crashed together in a fierce hug on the drawbridge. Fiyero pressed frantic kisses to Elphaba's face and lips before leaning back to take a good look at her.
"I see you made it okay," Elphaba laughed faintly, nodding towards the Vicar who'd apparently been tasked with lookout duty. Dillamond and Amalia hurriedly crossed the bridge to welcome the arrivals and Amalia crossed to Nessarose.
"Miss Amalia!" Nessarose gasped in surprise as the Badger kneeled beside her.
Amalia greeted Nessarose with soft words unheard to Elphaba but their reunion seemed a happy one.
"My grandfather used a wheelchair," Fiyero mentioned to Dillamond as Amalia lifted Nessarose to carry her into the castle. "Check the first-floor study."
Dillamond nodded and he and the Vicar followed them in to get Nessarose settled. With them gone Fiyero turned to Elphaba and gave her another worried once over. He brushed a thumb over a dirty smudge on her cheek with a painfully relieved sigh.
"You weren't worried about me, were you?" Elphaba smiled knowingly.
"Me? Worried? Nah," he scoffed. He pressed a long kiss to her forehead and wrapped a protective arm around her shoulder. "Just never ever leave my side again and we'll be all good."
"Got it," Elphaba agreed.
They turned towards the looming castle and Elphaba let out a low whistle.
"Kiamo Ko, huh? I can see why it was museum worthy."
"Are you ready to see inside?" Fiyero took her hand.
"Why not?" Elphaba mused. "It's about time this wicked witch headed west."
The castle was drafty and dusty, the kind of archaic fortress you'd read about in a childhood fable. Spiderwebs clung to corners and the dim lighting, while sufficient for Elphaba, was dark enough to instill a twinge of foreboding. Fiyero kept his hand in hers as they explored their new homebase, the pair quietly catching each other up on their recent journeys.
"What's this?" Elphaba asked as Fiyero opened a door to a bedroom. It had a wide western facing window with thick drapes and a large, stately bed.
"I thought this one could be ours," he explained, casually flopping backwards onto the mattress and giving her a cheeky look. "Unless you'd rather sleep alone."
Elphaba grinned and joined him on the bed, sighing in comfort as she laid upon the plush comforter.
"I haven't slept on anything better than a straw mattress for years," she yawned, stretching her weary limbs. Her eyes felt dried out from lack of sleep.
"Royals make good beds, you have to admit."
"Hmm?" Elphaba slurred, her eyes already drooping.
Fiyero smiled and kissed her temple. He sat up and removed Elphaba's hat and boots before covering her with the quilt from the foot of the bed. She made a sleepy grunt of protest.
"Go to sleep, Elphaba," Fiyero instructed, brushing a matted strand of hair out of her face.
"Can't," she mumbled. "Have to keep watch."
"I'll keep watch," Fiyero humored her affectionately. "You just rest."
Elphaba awoke to sunlight streaming into her eyes. She sat up to look at the wall clock and was wildly disoriented to learn it was morning of the next day. She stood with a perplexed shake and spotted a note on the bedside table in Fiyero's handwriting telling her to find him downstairs. She followed the sound of laughter and voices down towards the end of the hall and found everybody in a sitting room enjoying tea and coffee.
"Well, well. Look who finally joined us!" Fiyero called loudly.
He stood and greeted a bemused Elphaba by handing her a mug of coffee.
"What did I miss?" Elphaba asked groggily.
"We've been cleaning," Fiyero commented, draping a lazy arm over Elphaba's shoulder as she sampled her coffee. "We can't all dream the day away."
"I can't believe I was out that long," Elphaba said with an embarrassed smirk. "What was it, eighteen hours?"
"Twenty," Fiyero corrected, kissing the top of her head. "You needed it."
"Uh—Elphaba?" Nessarose called uncertainly from where she sat at the window. "You might want to come take a look at this."
Elphaba and the others walked towards the window and peered through the curtains. Waiting just outside were dozens if not scores of winged Monkeys sitting patiently on the castle lawn.
"Whoa," Fiyero said.
Elphaba rushed outside and as soon as the Monkeys spotted her they began bobbing and screeching excitedly. She placed a hand over her mouth to stifle a giddy laugh as many of them approached her. At the forefront, seemingly leading the group, was a familiar friend in a red jacket.
"Chistery!" Elphaba greeted him warmly. He ambled up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist in a hug.
"Seems like you've got some minions, Elphaba," Nessarose called as the others watched from the entryway.
"No, The Wizard used them as minions," Elphaba said, as she patted Chistery's back. "But perhaps I've some familiars."
After taking reasonable precautions to ensure the Monkeys were not being tracked since their liberation, the group accepted them into the castle. They would come and go as they pleased, occasionally flying off for a few hours or even a day or two, but they always returned. Most opted to hang around the turrets and lawn, keeping watch over the horizon like gargoyles, while others took up residence in the towers.
"Their speech is non-existent," Elphaba confided in Doctor Dillamond one afternoon. "The Wizard used them as prototypes for his scheme well before restrictions were passed outside of the palace. Most haven't spoken in years and I fear the younger ones may never have spoken at all."
"They do seem quite far gone," Dillamond agreed. "But that does not mean we do not try."
Fiyero guided Elphaba and Dillamond to the second floor where he pushed open a jammed door to reveal a deserted library. Dillamond beamed at the sight, pushing aside old cobwebs as he examined the stacks.
"Marvelous, Master Tigelaar!" Dillamond praised him, already grabbing a few books. "These will do quite nicely for recitations. And—ah! Perhaps I'll take this one for enjoyment."
Elphaba assisted Doctor Dillamond in selecting some titles that would be appropriate for practice with the Monkeys and the Goat shuffled off, eager for his first opportunity to teach in years. Fiyero watched as Elphaba hesitantly turned her attention back to the bookcases, drifting her fingertips along the book spines with a melancholy air.
"What's wrong, Fae? I just showed you a secret library. You love this smarty-pants stuff," Fiyero encouraged. "Take a few."
"I haven't read for a bit is all," she dismissed with a shrug. "No room in my bag…and it's not like I ever had the time."
She hesitated before turning her back to the shelf. "Ah—" she waved a dismissive hand. "It's just as well. It's not worth the headache I'd get to read without glasses."
She patted Fiyero on the cheek in appreciation and drifted out of the library. The afternoon wore on and Elphaba spent most of it fixing up one of the towers for her use. Chistery assisted her with cleaning as she delicately set out her crystal ball, broom, and The Grimmerie. When the work was done she stood at the tower window and looked out on the mountainous horizon as her Monkeys made lazy circles in the sky. Footsteps from behind startled her out of her reverie and she turned to see Fiyero approaching her.
She clapped a hand to her chest and exhaled sharply. "Don't sneak up on me like that you could have…"
Elphaba trailed off as Fiyero calmly slid a pair of round reading glasses onto her face.
"I have no idea what this one is about," he said as he placed an old, thick novel into her hands. "You'll have to tell me later."
Elphaba knitted her eyebrows together and cracked the cover of the book. She exhaled in wonder at the clear print on the page.
"I looked for them all day," Fiyero explained, adjusting them fondly. "They're probably pretty old but—"
She cut him off with a kiss.
"Thank you, Yero," she said sincerely, holding the book to her heart. She tilted his chin to the side to pose for him. "How do I look?"
"Like a total nerd."
Over the next week Elphaba did almost nothing but devour books. Fiyero spotted her reading in the library, reading while hanging upside down from a couch, reading while eating, reading while walking, reading before bed, reading when she woke up. Fiyero's favorite was when he'd caught her sitting in the window of her tower with Chistery over her shoulder, reading aloud to an avid audience of Monkeys. The only times she paused was when she socialized with others, and even then she'd needlepoint intricate designs as she conversed.
For years Elphaba had gotten to do nothing except survive. Now she had the time to pursue hobbies, sleep in, drink coffee, write. She had the privacy to make love with Fiyero in an actual bed. She had safety enough to let herself laugh, smile, connect, breathe. Fiyero had provided her with more than a castle. He'd given her the opportunity to simply, if even for a short time, exist.
Late in the afternoon, the castle dwellers sat in their cozy sitting room as Chistery snoozed on the rug by the fireplace. Dillamond and Amalia prepared for recitations as Nessarose engaged in a deep, theological discussion with the Vicar. Elphaba sat on Fiyero's lap with her head nestled into his shoulder. His cheek leaned against her head as he sheltered her in his arms.
"I'm getting one of those moments again," she murmured privately.
"What moments?"
"I don't want this to end."
"Me neither."
"No, I don't want it to end but I know it will."
"Why do you say that?"
"I had the very same feeling just before I left for The Wizard. The feeling that…all was right with the world. But the clock keeps ticking, Fiyero. It never stops ticking."
"That doesn't mean it's ticking towards something bad," Fiyero soothed. "After all, time brought you back to me. Didn't it?"
Doctor Dillamond, the Vicar, and Amalia gathered to read recitations from a book of sonnets Nessarose recommended. Doctor Dillamond cleared his throat and began to recite the selected poem in a strong and clear voice.
"A callous dragon lives inside the clocks
Devouring life's moments as its prey
It sits atop its tower as it mocks
The fools who squander all their time away
/
Some gather coins to help assuage the beast
Collecting gold to purchase them more time
The dragon eats their moments as a feast
Mere wealth earns one no extra ticks or chimes
/
Some try to scrape more days by way of might
Delusions of their grandeur too overt
The dragon bests them in their every fight
And none hold power from beneath the dirt
/
So, when the dragon sets its sight on you
To judge how brightly your life's moments shone
Though true that dust is what we all come to
Through love you shall not turn to dust alone
/
To gain its mercy when your clock runs out
Take care that love's not what you live without."
Dillamond and Amalia moved on to a different poem but Elphaba and Fiyero sat together silently, still feeling the weight of the first.
"Why was it written that way?" Fiyero asked Elphaba curiously. "That buh bum buh bum buh bum?"
"It's in iambic pentameter."
"Iambic pen-what?"
Elphaba smiled graciously and placed Fiyero's hand over her heart. "It's written like a heartbeat…feel that?"
"I like that poem," Fiyero said softly.
"You hate poems."
"Not that one."
In the spirit of their fragile serenity, Fiyero leaned his forehead against Elphaba's. He kept his hand over her heart and she placed her hand over his, a gesture that came so beautifully naturally to them, and they took a deep breath together. As they felt the lovely rhythm of the other's pulse, it came as no surprise to either of them that one could put one's heart into writing. They'd been doing that all along.
"Elphaba, will you marry me?"
Elphaba jerked back and met Fiyero's eyes with a jarred look.
"Come again?"
"Marry me," Fiyero asked again. "Today."
He moved to wind his arms around Elphaba's waist but she wiggled off his lap and stood. The group began casting curious glances towards the couple from across the room.
"You're not serious."
"Yes, I am," Fiyero stood as well.
"But—" Elphaba stammered. "But why?"
"Why not?" Fiyero stressed.
"What were we just talking about?" Elphaba said. "We have no idea what will happen next. The world could end tomorrow for all we know!"
"Exactly my point!" Fiyero said passionately. "We don't know what's going to happen tomorrow so there's no time like the present!"
"What's going on over there?" Nessarose called nosily.
"Vicar Popkin, you can perform marriages can't you?" Fiyero turned suddenly.
"Marriages?!" Nessarose gasped.
"Fiyero!" Elphaba hissed.
"You can, can't you?" Fiyero asked again.
"Why—yes!" the Owl sputtered. "I haven't been permitted to do so since the restrictions but none of that matters in the eyes of the Unnamed God."
"You see, Elphaba? Even the Unnamed God is on board," Fiyero back turned to her with a roguish smile.
"And you'd have me be a widow?" Elphaba said seriously. The air sucked out of the room as she stood her ground. "We marry and play happy family but what happens after? What if I'm killed? What if you're killed? What difference could being married possibly make for us other than to hurt us deeper?"
"Elphaba…" Fiyero calmly took her hands. "I don't need to play happy family. I don't need a wedding. I don't need the future to make us any promises it can't keep. All I need to know is that you love me and that wherever we may go…we'll go together. Can you promise me that much?"
"Of course," Elphaba whispered.
"Okay, then."
Fiyero properly lowered himself to one knee before her and Elphaba trembled as he took her hand.
"I don't have an engagement ring for you and you know that I'm not very good with my words—"
"I beg to differ," Elphaba interjected breathlessly.
"But you have all of me, Fae. You've had me from the first stroke of your pen, you have me right now in this moment, and you'll have me always," Fiyero said. He offered a helpless shrug. "We might as well make it official so you can refer to me as something other than your lover."
Elphaba laughed faintly and Fiyero placed a long, humble kiss to her hands before looking up to ask her one last time.
"Elphaba Thropp…will you be my wife?"
"Yes."
"What?"
"Yes."
"Really?"
"Yes, Fiyero!" Elphaba sighed impatiently. "I will marry you. Now get up."
Fiyero stood and met Elphaba in an overwhelmed, fervent kiss as the rest of the room broke into dumbfounded applause. Nessarose hurriedly snatched a piece of paper, scribbled something on it, and handed it off to Chistery. She whispered something in his ear and he nodded before scampering out of the room and down the hall.
"So…what do we do?" Elphaba glanced awkwardly between Fiyero and the Vicar. "Shall we just get it over with?"
"No, my beautiful bride!" Fiyero stood behind her and threw his arms around her waist. "We're getting married. We have to make it special."
"You just said that you didn't need a wedding," Elphaba groaned. "I'm feeling a little duped."
"We'll do it tonight at eight," Fiyero decided, spinning her to face him. "Right in here."
"Okay but what you see is what you get," she warned, gesturing to herself and placing one hand on her hip.
Fiyero let out a low whistle and looked her up and down flirtatiously.
"Then I hit the jackpot."
Elphaba scoffed and covered her face with her hands, trying her hardest not to smile over her husband-to-be's antics.
"Now get out of here!" he shooed her, earning a surprised gape from Elphaba. "It's bad luck for me to see you on the wedding day."
"You've already seen—"
"Nessa! You're on Elphaba duty," Fiyero assigned.
"Understood," Nessarose agreed.
Despite Elphaba's grumblings, the sisters ended up in a rustic powder room on the first floor. Amalia had offered to freshen up Elphaba's dress so the bride to be sat before the mirror in a robe.
"This is dumb. I feel dumb," Elphaba complained, frowning as she messed with the baubles on the vanity. "I don't know where to start with any of these."
"You don't need to worry about those," Nessarose assured her as she unwound Elphaba's hair from its tousled bun. "Oh, Elphaba. When was the last time you properly brushed your hair?"
"Shiz?" Elphaba shrugged, wincing as Nessarose yanked some of her tangles apart. Elphaba sighed and reached for the hairbrush. "Don't worry about it, I'll do it."
Nessarose grabbed the brush from her hand and shook her head. "You brushed my hair one hundred strokes every night. It's your wedding day, Elphaba. Let me do this for you."
Elphaba softened as Nessarose began gingerly brushing her waist length hair. She began at the bottom to detangle the edges and gradually worked her way up. Elphaba's hair, while clean, had knotted sections from her years of sleeping in the wilderness and getting windswept from flying. After close to an hour of patient work, Elphaba's tresses fell over her shoulders in fresh, soft waves.
"I was always jealous of your hair, you know," Nessarose confessed, fluffing it out for her.
"You? Jealous of me?" Elphaba snorted.
"Yes, in a way I was. Why do you think I made you take such care of my hair?" she said with a guilty laugh. She peered over Elphaba's shoulder and looked at her sister in the mirror. "You look quite nice now, you know."
"Beautifully tragic?" Elphaba smirked.
"No. Just beautiful."
Nessarose took care to wash Elphaba's visible scrapes and smudges with a damp cloth, taking extra care to clean her fingernails. Elphaba hardly knew what to say as Nessarose freshened her up. To have her sister tend to her for a change was a meaningful gift.
"Are you…you know…nervous?" Nessarose asked as she filed Elphaba's nails.
"To marry Fiyero? Yes, actually. Though I hardly know why," Elphaba chuckled.
"No. I meant…after," Nessarose alluded delicately. "Are you nervous about what you'll be expected to do tonight?"
Elphaba burst into a cackle and Nessarose looked up innocently. Elphaba cleared her throat awkwardly and shook her head.
"Uh—no. I'm not worried about that part."
Close to eight Amalia returned with Elphaba's freshly cleaned dress as well as a bundle of handpicked flowers.
"Poppies?" Elphaba noticed with a surprised laugh.
"I know they're not very fancy," Amalia apologized.
"No, they're perfect," Elphaba assured her.
Elphaba dressed and they headed back to the drawing room but Amalia stopped Elphaba before she walked in.
"He wants you to wait in the hall."
"That man! I don't need a wedding my ass," Elphaba groaned and Nessarose gasped at her language. "Sorry, Nessa."
"Come in when the music plays."
Nessarose and Amalia entered the drawing room and Elphaba waited in the hall like she was told, feeling tremendously silly. She listened from the hall for a moment before she heard a sudden sound, but it wasn't music. It was coming from outside. Elphaba rushed and opened the castle door and her jaw dropped.
"Elphaba Thropp! Were you actually planning on getting married without your best friend!?"