And the 200th reviewer is... *drumroll* LifelongLeahstar! Virtual dessert of your choice for you!
Some more stuff coming up in this chapter and it ends with a cliffy... be warned.
16. The Madam's Punishment
The next day, Elphaba was just on her way back from the library in town when she saw the royal Vinkun carriage coming down the country road. She stared after it, her books clutched to her chest, trying to ignore her heartache. There were more important things, she told herself. She'd get out of here, along with Lulu and Galinda, and they'd find a way to be happy. All of them.
She returned to the brothel only to find Morrible in an exceptionally good mood.
"Did you see the carriage, dearie?" she all but sang. "I saw both the prince and the queen inside when they passed by. It seems you've done a marvellous job convincing him to go back to his castle. Well done."
The note of pride in her voice made Elphaba feel sick to her stomach and she excused herself, hurrying upstairs to her room and burying herself in her books for the rest of the day, not wanting to think about Morrible or Fiyero or Lulu or any of it for just a few short hours.
She was mildly surprised to find that Morrible agreed to let Lulu go without too much of a fight. She broached the subject the day after Fiyero had left town and the woman regarded her through narrowed eyes for a while, tapping a finger against her pursed lips.
"You promised," Elphaba insisted and Morrible nodded slowly.
"I did, didn't I?" she agreed. "Very well, dearie. Give me a week or so to settle matters with Sapphire's regular customers and to arrange a couple of things, but then I will let her go. A deal is a deal, after all, and you've served me very well – and will continue to do so for a while yet."
Elphaba suspected that Morrible only did it because she was afraid Elphaba might go after Fiyero otherwise and he'd try to take Morrible down after all – with his family's power and riches, he could pose a serious threat to the brothel if he decided he wanted it closed. Elphaba had considered asking that of him for the briefest of times, but she'd decided against it in the end. She didn't want to drag the whole Vinkun royal family into her problems. No matter why Morrible was doing it, though, she was grateful and she did her work without complaint as she waited for Morrible to indicate that she was ready to let Lulu go.
That, of course, took another while, with Morrible stalling as much as she could and Elphaba pressing her to go through with it as often as she thought she could get away with; but finally, after nearly two weeks, Lulu appeared in the doorway to Elphaba's room with her small bag beside her and her cloak around her shoulders.
"She's letting you go?" Elphaba asked hopefully when she saw her friend, getting to her feet; and Lulu smiled and nodded.
"She's letting me go," she confirmed.
Elphaba moved across the room to embrace the younger girl, hugging her tightly. "Thank Oz," she sighed into Lulu's dark brown hair. "It was about time." She gently touched her friend's abdomen, only noticing the slight swelling there because she knew about it. "Where will you go?"
Lulu shrugged. "I don't know," she said honestly. "Far away from here." She looked at Elphaba sadly. "I wish you could come with me."
Elphaba smiled, taking a step back. "I'll be fine, Lu," she said, trying to sound more cheerful than she felt. "I'll get out of here, too, someday. You'll be fine, too, on your own – you're stronger than you think you are. Take this chance. Leave."
"I will." Lulu gave her friend a look. "And once I'm gone... do me a favour."
"Anything."
"If you get the chance, if there is even the slightest opportunity..." She looked at Elphaba pleadingly. "Talk to Fiyero. Explain everything to him. I hate the thought of you two not ever seeing one another again, Elphaba. You're so obviously in love with one another and it's been so inspiring to see you two together... you belong together. You made me believe in love again. Don't let that go to waste if you can help it."
Elphaba heaved a sigh, her shoulders slumping, but she nodded. "If I ever can, without endangering myself or anyone I care about... I'll try. But I can't promise you anything, Lu. He'll be moving on soon enough, anyway."
"No, he won't," Lulu muttered, convinced of that, but also recognising she would get nowhere with Elphaba now. "Take care of yourself, okay?"
"I will, You do, too. You've got two people to take care of now," Elphaba reminded the younger girl. "Will you be all right?"
"Yes." Lulu smiled. "I don't have that much money, but I have enough to get by for a while and I... I had this idea of where to go."
Elphaba tilted her head a little to the side, curious, and Lulu said, "A mauntery."
The green girl paused for a moment to think about that, surprised, and then she nodded. "You know what?" she said in wonder. "That's actually a wonderful idea. At a mauntery, you'd be taken in and cared for, both you and the baby, at least until well after it's born. You'd probably have to confess to your sins first, or something like that, but I'm sure you'd be cleansed of all guilt and then you can stay without even having to pay. You could get back on your feet that way and try to find a more permanent way to make a living and provide for yourself and the baby." She smiled. "It's a good idea, Lulu. You should do it," she encouraged her. "I hate the thought of you wandering the streets all by yourself, especially in your condition... or worse, having to go back to this life."
Lulu shook her head vehemently. "Never," she declared firmly. "I'd rather not live at all than live this life again."
Elphaba gave her a tight smile. "That's not reassuring, you know."
"Oh." Lulu realised what she'd said and she blushed. "I didn't mean... I mean, I don't think I would ever do what... what Delani did," she said with a small sigh. "I just..."
"I know." Elphaba hugged her again and then pulled away, kissing her friend's forehead. "Get out of here, Lu. Go to a mauntery and do what you have to do to be happy. It's up to you now."
"Will I ever see you again?" Lulu asked in a small voice.
"You can write to me, if you want," Elphaba offered. "I mean... I'd love to stay in touch with you. If you want that, too, just send me a letter when you've reached a somewhat permanent residence and I'll reply. Promise. We can keep in touch that way and maybe we can visit each other at some point."
Lulu looked relieved. "I will." She straightened her back and hoisted her bag onto her shoulder. "Good-bye, Elphaba."
"Bye, Lu," said Elphaba, watching as the younger girl turned around and went down the hallway. She looked over her shoulder once. Elphaba waved; Lulu waved back. Then she left the brothel, never to return.
Elphaba and Galinda waited another while, wanting Morrible to settle back into her old routine after Lulu's departure and also wanting Lulu to be safely far out of the old woman's reach before they took any action. The green girl received a letter from her pregnant friend after a week or so. Lulu informed her that she had indeed gone to a mauntery on the other side of the Vinkus and she had been taken in instantly; she had a room to herself now and everyone was kind to her and willing to help. She told Elphaba that she was confident she'd be safe there for a while and that she'd receive all the help, care, and support she'd need during her pregnancy and the labour, which eased Elphaba's worries a little. Lulu was safe. Now it was time for the next step.
And so one night, almost a month after Fiyero had returned to Adurin Iir, Elphaba kicked her packed bag underneath her bed to hide it from view and slipped out of her room. She slunk down the hallway and crept down the stairs, careful to omit the one step she knew always creaked. Outside, she heard the clock tower in the centre square of Reins ring five times and she glanced at Morrible's office. Everything was dark. She knew the woman's bedroom was through a door inside her office, but Morrible would have no reason to come out of her room – she should be fast asleep at this time of the night, so Elphaba would just have to be very quiet.
She pulled a thin hair clasp from her raven curls and poked it into the lock, prodding and feeling around. She'd learned how to pick locks out of necessity when she was living on the streets; one of the other orphans who had been kicked out of the orphanage had taught her. She'd never thought it was a skill that would come in handy, but as the door clicked open, she could only be grateful for it.
Elphaba sneaked into the room and started her search. She quietly opened drawers, shuffled papers around, and looked inside the cabinets until she finally found a safe and she swore under her breath. How was she supposed to crack the code to this?
Think, she told herself. Delani could do it – so can you. Maybe Morrible had written the code down somewhere? She turned around to continue her search – for a piece of paper with numbers this time – but then someone suddenly said. "Hello, Emerald."
Elphaba jumped and Morrible glared at her as she entered the office from her room, looking furious. "I had a feeling you'd attempt something like this," she sneered. "Between you pressing me to let your friend leave and your behaviour lately, which has been just a little too innocent compared to normal, I suspected you were up to something." She moved closer. "So I decided to leave the door to my room open just a crack so I could hear if anyone came inside. I'm a light sleeper, you know." Morrible crossed her arms. "Trying to steal from me, are you, dearie? You know how I feel about theft."
"It's not stealing when it's rightfully mine!" Elphaba snapped, her temper flaring; but Morrible just cackled.
"How do you think this would look to the authorities if I were to tell them about this? Poor little Emerald sneaking into my office in the dead of night, trying to get into the safe... correct me if I'm wrong, but I do think you'd be imprisoned, dearie."
Elphaba knew she was right, but she was also fairly certain that Morrible wouldn't call the authorities on her. The older woman preferred to dole out her own punishments.
The green girl didn't say anything and Morrible leaned forward and grabbed her arm, dragging her out of the room and up the stairs. Elphaba struggled, but Morrible's grip was vice-like and she took Elphaba back to her room, all but throwing her inside before slamming the door shut behind her. Elphaba heard the key turn in the lock and Morrible said harshly, "That'll teach you for now until I figure out what to do with you. I will not let this go, dearie, you can count on that." With that, she left, the sound of her footsteps moving away from the door.
Elphaba sighed, deflating as she ran a hand over her face. That had not exactly gone according to plan. What was she going to do now? Galinda was in her own room, ready and with her bag packed, waiting for Elphaba to come fetch her with the money. She'd probably heard the commotion in the hallway, too, and figured out what was going on.
She went to sleep in the end, not seeing what else she could do with the door locked. She'd await whatever punishment Madame Morrible would think up for her and at the first chance she got, she'd deliberate with Galinda again to try and see if they could come up with a new plan.
Even with that decision made, though, she didn't actually sleep very well or very long and she eventually gave up, getting out of bed and leaning on the window sill, staring at the slowly lightening sky. She thought of that one night at Fiyero's grandparents' house, before things had started going awry, and she couldn't help the small smile tugging at her lips. She'd been right. It was so very different when it was her own choice... when it was with someone she loved. She could only hope she'd get another chance with him.
She remembered the days after that, the growing distance between them, and the conversations they'd had. She could only hope that he had meant everything he had told her in those days before his departure... that he really did love her and he'd be willing to let her back in. He was so sweet and she'd hated hurting him; despite the fact that she really did think he was better off without her, she wasn't sure if she was strong enough to stay away if she and Galinda managed to get away from Morrible. Fiyero made her feel things she had never felt before. She loved him. She knew that now. And although she didn't regret sending him away, not with Lulu and her unborn baby's lives on the line, she couldn't help but hope for a second chance with him.
As she mused on those thoughts, there was a soft knock at the door and Galinda's voice. "Elphie?"
The green girl turned around and padded across the room to the still-locked door. "I'm here."
Galinda's voice was hesitant. "I take it that it didn't go well?"
"Not quite, no." Elphaba chuckled mirthlessly. "I'll be all right, though."
"Will you?" Now the blonde sounded wary. "Elphie, Morrible was up at dawn this morning and she's been in her office all this time. I don't want to scare you, but… he is here. I think she's going to make him punish you."
All girls knew what that meant. Morrible's lighter punishments weren't usually so horrible; one less meal if they were lucky, or having to work on their free day or night. When that man was here, however – a friend of Morrible's who was every bit as sadistic as she was – they knew it'd be worse than that. Whiplashes, maybe. Ropes, definitely. It was very likely that he'd try to get some pleasure out of her as well and all the girls knew he liked it rough. Morrible liked having him teach her girls lessons like that when they'd done something wrong because it pretty much ensured that they would never do it again. The mere thought of him being here for her sent shivers crawling down Elphaba's spine, but she bit her lip and kept her head up high.
"Probably," Elphaba agreed flatly. "I'll handle it somehow. It can't be any worse than some of the things I've already been through."
"Oh, Elphaba..."
"There's nothing either of us can do about it, Glin, and I won't have you risking yourself in the process of trying to stop him from hurting me. Whatever's coming for me, I can take it. Just... try to think of a different plan. We still have to leave. Maybe now more than ever."
"I will," Galinda whispered. There was a rustling sound. "I have to go. Morrible is coming." She was quiet for a moment, then said, "Good luck, Elphie."
"Thanks." They both knew she'd need it.
Galinda left and Elphaba sagged against the wall, closing her eyes for a moment as she braced herself for what was to come. She'd suspected Morrible would do something like this – set that man on her to try and break her spirit and to teach her a lesson. The thought made her feel sick, but she knew she could take it. She had to. For Lulu, and for Galinda, and for Fiyero... for herself. She just had to take comfort in the thought that whatever happened, she would be out of this place soon.
A key turned in the lock, the door opened, and Morrible let the man into the room. She smirked at Elphaba as she closed the door again. "Here's your punishment, dearie," she purred. "Enjoy it." Then she was gone and it was just Elphaba and the man.
She looked up at him, careful to keep her face blank. He was a tall, bulky blond man with a weather-beaten face and a crooked grin. He was holding a length of rope and a whip. It seemed so stupid, so very cliché, but she knew it would be effective nonetheless.
He smirked at her, studying her so closely it made her uncomfortable, but she didn't dare show it. "Pretty little thing, despite the colour," he decided. "I think we'll have a good time together."
Elphaba snarled at him, but he uncoiled the whip in one quick movement and struck her across the face with such force that she crashed into the wall. "Be respectful, you little slut," he said coolly.
She could feel blood trickling down her face and she could taste it, too, but she just spat it out and wiped it away with her hand. It made her angry and more than a little afraid of what was yet to come. She'd told Galinda she could take it, but could she really? She wasn't so sure now. Her face stung, but she knew that this was only the beginning if she didn't manage to fight him off.
"Don't worry," the man told her as he ran his fingers down her cheek and neck, brushing against the collar of her revealing nightgown with a smirk. "You might even enjoy it."
He tied her wrists together, the ropes so tight that she could feel them chafing her skin, and panic took over despite her desperate attempts to control herself. Elphaba bit, kicked, and struggled even as he whipped her again to punish her for it. She spat a mouthful of blood and saliva into his face and he reddened in fury as he wiped it off.
"You should not have done that."
"Go to hell," she choked out.
He tied her bound wrists to the bed and then stepped back to admire his work. He tapped the whip against his hand and fear and adrenaline coursed through her body, even though she tried her hardest to calm herself down and think rationally. The man just grinned at her and slowly dragged the tip of his whip along her body.
"Now we can get started," he purred as he raised the whip again.