Chapter 2: The Festival of Fools

Glinda could not believe her eyes. She had been watching the festival ever since she was a small child, marveling at the colored lights, the music, and the joyfully revere. But tonight, those small colored lights danced over her skin, giving her a multihued glow. The music was all around her, pulsing through her body, reverberating in her chest as if the notes were a part of her. The sounds of singing and of laughter echoed through her ears. The grin she had before she left was still on her face, and, although it didn't seem possible, it was even larger than before. She could barely keep her mouth closed, her jaw dropping at every new sight, sound, and smell. This was nothing like she had imagined. It was even better.

Turns out, the smell that always found a way to waft up to her bedroom was that of soft pretzels, pulled out of a vat of hot oil. Glinda had traded one of the treats for a few loose coins, not even bothering to count them. The vendor had widened his eyes in surprise, thanking her for her generosity. Glinda skipped away, happy to help. She had more than enough money, especially since she usually had everything given to her. She could spare a few extra coins tonight. Glinda took a bite of the pretzel, almost rolling her eyes in joy. Most of the food she ate was so frou-frou; this tasted like heaven.

Glinda continued down the street, taking bites here and there until there was nothing left but grease upon her fingers. She casually wiped her hands off on her cloak, her feet leading her down a windy sidewalk that headed towards the river. When she got to the river, she stopped, watching how the festival lights reflected off of the moving water. From high in her bedroom, they looked like stars, tiny and twinkling. From here, they were ethereal, magical, almost like they were painted on top of the water. She stood there for some time, watching the current roll past, leaving the splatterings of red, pink, yellow, and blue behind. She was staring, almost in a trance, until a man's voice rang over the festivities.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Come one, come all! I officially welcome you to the Festival of Fools!"

Glinda moved fast, hurrying back up to the part of town where the sound was coming from. She followed the man's high, tenor voice until she found herself in the village square. A large crowd had gathered around a platform, built as a makeshift stage. A young man, short and wirey with dark hair and a mischievous grin stood on the platform, hands raised to the sky. He wore a mismatched outfit, one of each color present on the cloth, the top clashing with the bottom. Glinda wondered if he was one of the gypsies that her father warned her about.

She felt herself being nudged closer, the crowd gathering around her. The people she craved to be closer to were now very close, almost pushed up against her. Occasionally she would feel the brush of a hand or a nudge of a shoulder. Glinda almost pulled her hood farther over her face, but in the large crowd, she blended in with everyone else. Besides, she wanted to see what was happening.

"My name is Boq, your Master of Ceremonies for this fantastical occasion!" announced the young man. "And I am very excited to present to you something very special!"

Boq waited, the audience falling into a hush. The voices around Glinda were softer now, murmuring to themselves and to each other. She felt almost a vibration around her, excitement flooding her system. She could not believe that she, Glinda, the Wizard's daughter who was sweet and obedient and always followed the rules, was at the Festival of Fools and ready to watch a performance. Her father claimed these performances were crude and salacious, which made Glinda all the more excited.

"Hurry, hurry, stop and see!" Boq announced. "See the mystery and the romance! See the finest girl in Emerald city mystify you, betwitch you, put you under her spell!"

Boq stepped to the side, leaving the center of the stage open for the mystery performer to appear. Boq raised his arms again.

"Dance Elphaba, my Emerald Angel, dance!"

Glinda heard a small blast, and a puff of smoke appeared on the stage. The audience gasped, entranced at the magical display. Glinda stood on her tiptoes to get a better view as a silhouette appeared in the smoke. The audience began to cheer as the smoke dissipated, revealing a woman holding a tambourine. She was tall, thin but curvy, long raven hair spilling over her shoulders and down her back. Glinda could see why Boq called her the Emerald Angel; her skin was a stunning shade of emerald green. Her brown eyes sparkled, and she smiled impishly at the audience. She wore a white top, the fabric gathered at the edges, exposing her shoulders and her midriff. A long skirt, a patchwork of different fabrics, much like Boq's, hung low on her hips and trailed to the ground. She flipped her skirt artfully, revealing one long, green leg. Glinda heard a few hoots from the men in the crowd.

Glinda felt herself being pushed to the side. She turned, ready to spit back a few choice words, when she felt a large, warm hand on her shoulder.

"Sorry, my lady. My mistake."

Glinda tilted her head, letting just enough of her face peak around the hood to find the source of the shove. There was a young man standing next to her, maybe in his twenties. He was clad in an emerald green uniform, with gold buttons down the sides and a few metals pinned to his chest. The arms and the back of his jacket were embroidered in a blazing OZ. Glinda recognized the uniform; this man was a member of the Gale Force. He caught her eye and smiled, his brown eyes reflecting the colored festival lights. He, like Azra, was an Arjiki; he bore the dark hair and skin, no tattoos being seen above the collar of his uniform.

"That's okay," Glinda replied. "At least you apologized."

"I hope I didn't offend. I'm usually better with the young ladies." The soldier held out his hand. "I'm Captain Fiyero Tygelaar."

Glinda tentatively reached out her own hand.

"I'm…" Glinda went through a thousand names in her head, choosing a fake one. Most of the Gale Force knew who she was, and even though she didn't recognize this particular soldier, she didn't want the risk of him reporting back to her father or, even worse, forcibly taking her back to the castle.

Glinda clasped Fiyero's hand. "I'm Sarima." His hand was rougher than she had expected, more like that of a farmer or someone who did manual labor than a Captain.

Fiyero nodded. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Sarima."

The two stopped, the performance on stage distracting them from their conversation. The green girl, who Glinda was sure was also a gypsy, had begun to dance. She swayed from side to side, moving hypnotically, tapping the tambourine on her hand and against her hip. She walked across the stage, eyes on the audience. Boq had tossed a hat onto the stage, the brim leaning off of the edge. Glinda noticed that the girl was barefoot. Fiyero had dropped her hand, his gaze fixed upon the gypsy. It was like he forgot the blonde was even there.

Glinda rolled her eyes.

Men.

"Hey what's your name…I see how you stare." The green-skinned gypsy—Glinda then remembered her name was Elphaba—was now singing. "Come gather round… come watch me dance…come listen for the rhythm of the tambourine."

Elphaba continued to sing and dance, kicking just right so that her skirt, slit up to her thigh, revealed the elegant line of her leg. With a swish of her head, her hair would go flying, soaring around her and landing back across her shoulders like a wave. Glinda knew she was singing, but could hear nothing over the cheering and the hollering of the men in the crowd. This woman knew how to move, how to hypnotize all of the people who watched her. Glinda was also entranced, although not for the same reason most of the people around her were. Glinda had sensed a shift in the air, the atmosphere around her buzzing. It felt like static, like just before lightning would strike. Glinda felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Glinda knew this feeling; there was magic here.

Elphaba was at the edge of the stage. She stepped forward, one bare foot hanging off of the edge of the stage. She wiggled the foot for a second, making sure everyone was paying attention.

"Ladies and gentlemen." Boq's voice had returned. "You are in for a special treat. For tonight, you will witness the Emerald Angel defy gravity!"

Glinda perked up. Magic was a rare gift; at least, everyone had told her that from the moment she started displaying signs of it as a young girl. Her father had thrown her into studies with Madame Morrible immediately, hopefully able to cultivate her powers. Glinda was not exactly the fastest learner, but she had been making a lot of progress recently. Madame had even let her read spells from the most powerful and precious book of magic in the Emerald City, the Grimmerie. Aside from Madame, Glinda had never met anyone else with magic before.

Elphaba took another step, walking right off of the stage. The crowd took in a sharp breath. Glinda looked away, and only looked back when she heard the cheering start up again. She glanced up, and her eyes almost bugged out of her head. Elphaba had not fallen from the stage; rather, she was standing in mid air. She took another step, her feet hovering above the ground as if there was something invisible holding her up. She spun around and twisted, continuing her dance above the crowd. The applause became deafening. Glinda noted that Fiyero had yet to move or take his eyes off of the gypsy.

What Glinda didn't see was that her father, The Wizard, was at the edge of the crowd, hiding in a private tent. He also could not keep his eyes off of Elphaba.

The green girl had finished her dance, stepping from the air back onto the stage. She bowed, scooting the hat over with her foot. Boq joined her on the stage, taking her hand and kissing it.

"Remember, if you enjoyed the performance, we would so pleased if you could leave a token of appreciation. Gold is preferred, but all form of coin is accepted."

The crowd broke apart, with some heading down the side streets to continue their revelry and others stepping up to the stage, dropping coins into the hat. Glinda stayed still for a moment as the sea of bodies parted around her. She could not believe it. There was someone else like her, someone else who had magical ability. Glinda had been studying for years, and yet she had never possessed such raw power. Glinda worked for months to be able levitate a tea cup, and this green-skinned gypsy girl was able to walk on thin air! Glinda watched as Boq scooped up the hat, quickly counting what was inside. He gave a quick nod to Elphaba, who smiled, a look of relief upon her face.

Glinda was ready to find somewhere else to go when felt a shove from behind her. She stumbled and hit the ground, the air knocked out of her. She quickly pulled herself into a sitting position, huffing angrily. A young boy had run past her, hitting her by accident. A Gale Force guard was chasing the boy. He had made it almost to the stage when the guard caught up to him, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and yanking him backwards.

"What's going on here?"

Fiyero had appeared again, his arms crossed and his brow furrowed.

The guard held tight onto the squirming youngster.

"This boy was pickpocketing an elderly man," said the guard. "Not surprising, seeing as he's a gypsy."

"Do you have proof that he was pickpocketing?" asked Fiyero. "Or do you assume that he was because he's a gypsy."

"I caught him red-handed." The guard reached into the boy's pocket, pulling out a gold watch. "I highly doubt this belongs to him."

"Good show, Captain." Glinda knew that voice. She pulled her hood further over her face and slunk away, keeping her eyes on the ground. That voice belonged to her father. She cursed under breath; she had no idea that her father would be here. The Wizard was dressed in a navy blue suit, looking tailored and sharp. His beard was trimmed, and his hair, or what was left of it, was slicked to the side. He complained about the festival so much that she was very surprised that he showed his face at all, let alone looking nice.

Glinda hid behind an abandoned cart, watching. Something was not right.

"Pardon?" Fiyero turned around, confused, his expression only dropping when he registered who was talking to him.

"Sir!" Fiyero bowed his head. "I'm very sorry. I didn't expect to see you here!"

The Wizard reached out his hand; Fiyero returned the handshake.

"Well, Captain, I had a few matters to attend to. I had heard of your company's glorious triumph at the battlefront, but I hadn't anticipated you returning so soon."

"I had received your message, and your offer of me taking over the Captain position in the castle. I missed the Emerald City, and frankly, I missed sleeping in a bed and not in the dirt."

The Wizard laughed, slapping the Captain on the shoulder.

"Of course, of course! I am very happy that you have arrived so soon to take on those duties. In fact, I'm very pleased to note that you have barely arrived and are catching criminals."

Fiyero's eyes flickered to the boy, who had stopped struggling under the other soldier's grasp and had started to cry.

"I wouldn't call that a criminal, Sir. I would call that a child."

The Wizard's forehead furrowed. "A criminal is a criminal, no matter what age. The gypsies teach them young. They start stealing as soon as they learn to walk."

The Wizard glared at the boy. "Take him away! He will pay for what he's done!"

"NO!"

Elphaba was now standing in front of the soldier, her fists clenched and her eyes on fire.

"Let him go."

The soldier laughed her. "What makes you think you can speak to me, gypsy? I don't want your filth near me, and who knows if that verdigris of yours is contagious or not."

Elphaba's face hardened into a scowl.

"He's just a little boy. I didn't realize the Gale Force arrested children."

"We arrest criminals," stated the Wizard. "He stole, therefore he is a criminal."

The Wizard turned away, not wanting to waste any more time on the situation. "Take him away. I have more pressing matters to attend to. Captain, you know what to do."

The Wizard walked away. Elphaba flung her head, her fearsome gaze now set on Fiyero. Fiyero stood for a moment, saying nothing. The other soldier rolled his eyes and began walking, dragging the boy with him. Elphaba grabbed onto the soldier, wrenching him backward. The soldier stopped, furious that a gypsy would dare touch him. He sent his other hand careening across her face. Glinda could hear the impact of the slap from where she was, the force sending Elphaba to the ground. Glinda knew at that point that she needed to do something to help.

Glinda ran from her post, heading straight for the soldier. She skidded to a halt in front of him, pretending to almost run into him. She put on her best innocent face, and decided to use all of the acting skills she had perfected over the years. Glinda always knew how to get what she wanted.

"Officer! Officer! Oh thank Oz I found you!" Glinda pleaded, forcing her large blue eyes to brim with tears. "I'm so lost! There was this man following me, and I tried to lose him, but when I did, I didn't know where I was!"

The boy was wiggling himself out of the soldier's grip. Glinda flickered her eyes to side, meeting the chocolate ones of Elphaba. Glinda raised her eyebrows and turned her head, mouthing the word 'Go!' to the green girl. The boy finally slipped out of the guard's grip, falling into Elphaba's arms. She made eye contact with Glinda again, and mouthed back the words 'Thank you'. Glinda wailed dramatically and buried her head into the soldier's coat, giving Elphaba just enough time to disappear with the boy in a puff of smoke. The guard jumped back, realizing his charge had escaped. He looked down again, but the crying girl had also vanished.

Glinda was now standing in a dark alley, panting, her chest rising and falling with her rapid breaths. She pressed her back into the cold stone, hoping that the soldier didn't find her. She was lucky that he didn't recognized her, and she was even luckier that she got away before he could grab her and get her into major trouble.

Glinda was still perplexed at why her father was there. Every January, right before the festival began, he would turn angry, constantly ranting and raving about the evils of the Festival of Fools. He would rant during services to the Unnamed God, he would rant at dinner, he would rant to anyone who was unlucky enough to cross his path. There was nothing he hated more than the festival, but yet here he was, not only attending, but attending in his most expensive suit. Glinda got a very angering realization.

He's been lying to me, she thought. My father says he hates the festival but here he is. He says one thing and then does the other. He's a hypocrite. I never realized that my father was a liar.

Glinda was seething, her magic scurrying under her skin like little electrical currents. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself. Glinda's magic tended to go out of control when she was angry. She once got into a fight with her father and hit him with a gust of wind so strong that it slammed him into a wall. Another time, she flung all of the books in the library off the shelves and onto the floor. She leaned her head back against the wall, taking in another deep breath. She didn't want to cause a cause a scene here and have someone notice her.

But someone had noticed her after all.

After finally calming herself to a reasonable level, Glinda had turned to exit the alley. She stopped in her tracks when the soldier she had just spoken to appeared in front of her. She whipped around, ready to flee, when the soldier latched onto her arm. She pulled, but he gripped tighter, causing a sound of pain to leave her lips. He yanked her towards him; she met his gaze, noticing an evil look on his face.

"And just where do you think you're going?"

Glinda opened her mouth, hoping to say something witty, but could only stutter.

"I…I…"

"You made me lose the delinquent," he growled. "You made me look like a fool."

"I…I didn't…"

The soldier moved forward, dragging the blonde back into the darkness of the alleyway. He slammed her up against the wall, his fingers digging even tighter into her forearm, leaving red marks.

"You know what?" The soldier's voice changed. There was something in it, some tone that Glinda didn't recognize, but it made her skin crawl. "I think you might owe me."

"What do you want?" asked Glinda, terrified and desperate. "I have money. I have lots of gold."

"That's not what I want." The soldier was staring at her, his eyes roaming her body. He pinned her arm to the wall, the other arm snaking around her waist.

"I know how you can owe me."

Glinda felt the fear hit her like a lightning bolt.

"NO! Get off me! Help!" she cried. "Somebody help!"

The soldier slammed his lips into hers, his kiss forcing her to stop making sound. Her eyes widened, feeling absolutely terrified, more terrified than she had ever felt before. He continued to kiss her, one hand roaming over her torso, the other going under her dress. Glinda wanted to push him off, to hit him, to fight him, but she was so overwhelmed with sheer terror that she froze, completely unable to move. His hands continued to roam her body while his lips rained down the exposed skin of her neck. She felt the tears running down her face, her eyes stinging with the humiliation. He continued this for a few more agonizing minutes, minutes that felt like torturous hours, until he suddenly stopped. He looked at her face, noticing the tears, and scoffed at her.

"Ugh, crying," he grumbled. "Ruins the moment. I can't deal with that. I'm done with you." The guard brushed himself off and walked away, leaving the girl alone in the dark.

Glinda waited until he had been gone for some time before she tried to leave the alley. Her knees shook, her body weight pressed against the stone for support. She slid along the wall, too afraid to walk on her own. She was shivering, her entire body enveloped in shakes. She held her hand over her mouth as she walked, trying not to let the sobs break out. When she finally reached the edge and stepped into the light, she found herself in the arms of her father.

"Glinda…" The Wizard spoke softly and soothingly. "One of my men just alerted me. He said that a gypsy man had attacked a Gale Force soldier, knocking him out and stealing his uniform. They said that the man had followed you."

Glinda didn't understand. She knew that guard. Her father had spoken to the guard just minutes before. She didn't understand how he could have been a gypsy man in disguise, but maybe she had been confused in the dark. There were so many things going through her mind that she couldn't focus on anything other than how she felt.

She grabbed tightly onto her father, the sobs finally erupting from her throat. Her father held her close, tightening his embrace around her.

"Did that man touch you, Glinda?"

Glinda couldn't say the word. She just nodded. The Wizard stroked the top of her head.

"There, there, my love. My men are going after him right now." The Wizard sighed. "See, this is why I kept you in the castle. This is why I wanted to keep you safe. I knew the men out here would not be able to resist your beauty. I tried to keep you protected, but you disobeyed me. Now you see what I had warned you about."

Glinda continued to cry into her father's shirt, feeling the sting of humiliation and the phantom hands still wandering over her. She was wrong. She should've listened. She should've stayed in the castle. She should've listened.

The Wizard pulled his daughter away from him, tenderly wiping the tears off of her face. He wrapped her hand in his, gripping it tightly, almost too tightly.

"Come now, Glinda. I think it's time for us to go home."