The whole way home, Elphaba did not wake. Kendal kept her in his arms even during the carriage ride back to the mansion. He held a certain sympathy to the green girl. He'd been her only friend for six years, and before, she'd had none. He'd begun to work for her father when he was 13 and she had been 11. They'd become great friends, until she was on her way to Shiz. He would've quite long ago, had Elphaba not been there. He thought she needed someone, a friend. Then when she went to Shiz, he thought about quitting then too, but then he assumed he'd never see her again. So he kept his job. When they got to the mansion, he laid Elphaba down on the couch and waited a moment, looking at her face and the burns inflicted upon her by the water.
"Elphaba? Hey, Elphie, wake up." he gently shook her shoulder. Slowly, her eyes flickered open, she looked a little lost and disoriented. She focused her beautiful eyes on him.
"Kendal?" she asked confused.
"Yeah, it's me." Kendal smiled and helped her into a sitting position. She winced as the burns on her arms pressed into the couch. Kendal felt his throat clog up with nervousness, "Listen, your father told me to tend your burns and he wants you to finish preparing the meal."
"Ok. He used too much water that time." Elphaba said, "Usually it's just a small cup or something, he used a whole pail! Did you see the size of that thing?"
"Yeah. I saw, I'm really sorry." Kendal said, "C'mon, there's some extra oils in the cabinet." Kendal led Elphaba over to a cabinet near the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of oil. He poured some in his hands before rubbing his hands on Elphaba's wounds.
"There. All finished." Kendal said, putting the bottle back in the cupboard.
"Thanks." Elphaba said.
"Anytime." Kendal smiled and gave her a small hug. She was surprised but gave him a small pat on the back, not used to being hugged. Kendal chuckled at this and she gave a small laugh as she made her way to the kitchen.
******************
Later that night, the mansion's huge dining hall was crammed with the leading men of their countries and some had brought their sons and wife's as well. Frex sat at the head of the table with his lovely Nessa at his side. Elphaba hadn't finished the preparing meal yet and Frex was growing impatient, he was about to get up and tell her to hurry up, when maids suddenly rushed out with big trays of food. Elphaba was among them, though she didn't wear the maid's uniform. Some of the guests began eating immediately. Fiyero was aghast but not exactly surprised when he saw Elphaba serving food like the servants. He glanced over at Nessa and saw that she was avoiding looking at her sister. Fiyero figured Elphaba was probably treated like a servant here.
"This is amazing Frexspar! Who's your cook?" asked one of the more decent looking men.
"Elphaba of course." Frex answered through mouthfuls of his own food. Fiyero tasted his food, it was really good. She'd made the whole meal, probably been forced to. Though the food was amazing, Fiyero couldn't bring himself to eat it, knowing that Elphaba had been forced to make it.
"Really?!" a few exclaimed. Elphaba leaned in-between two men as she set the food down before them, she was about to pull back and return to the kitchen to get the rest of the meal when one of the man's hand stopped her. He held her small face in his large hand and grinned mischievously at her as his thumb traced circles on her cheek. She tried to pull back, but found he wouldn't let go.
"Sir, please let go." Elphaba said. He just smiled at her and ignored her request. Fiyero, who was sitting at the other end and side of the table, was glaring at the man. If looks could kill, that man would be a smoldering pile of ash by now. He recognized the man from the last political meeting he'd attended as the leader of the Great Kells, Raman.
"Say, I could use a cook like this at my house. She's got a voice I could listen to for hours and she's not bad on the looks either, you know, supposing I get bored of my wife..." Raman said. Some of the other men at the table snickered at this while Fiyero fumed. Raman sneered at her as she tried to pull away again, "Plus, it might earn me some respect if I own the most beautiful girl in Oz." Elphaba froze at this...own? Was he planning on buying her like some slave?
"Say Frex, how much are you willing to sell her for?" asked Raman, only slightly joking. Frex looked up from his meal, a set his napkin down.
"How much are you willing to pay?" asked Frex. Elphaba stared at him, was her own father really going to sell her to this awful excuse for a man?
"Father!" Nessa exclaimed, she could not just let her father sell her sister away like a slave, she was his daughter and she was her sister! Fiyero was distraught as he listened, would Frex really do something like this?
"Quiet Nessa, daddy's doing business." Frex said, then turned his attention back to Raman, who still hadn't let go of Elphaba's face, "Would you give me 10,000 for her?"
"Any price and I'll pay it." Raman said, staring hungrily at Elphaba. She flinched at the look on his face and quickly turned away and gaze pleadingly at her father.
"Father please," Elphaba pleaded.
"Quiet." Frex snapped, "How about 50,000?"
"I'll take it, that's as high as I can go though, I've still got taxes like any man though." Raman said, "Look, I've got the money right here. Just take it and she'll belong to me, you'll have her off your hands, isn't that what you've always wanted?"
"I will not belong to anybody, nor will you own me." Elphaba snapped, prying his hand from her delicate face. She shot away from his clutches, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back.
"Oh yes you will, if I pay for you, you will be mine and I assure you that in paying money, it constitutes as owning you." Raman said greedily, licking his lips.
"Whoa now, if you're really planning on selling her, I'd pay 55, 000." said a man at the opposite end of the table near Fiyero. Raman glared at him.
"Deals closed, she belongs to me!" Raman growled.
"No, Frex hasn't taken your money yet." the man shot back.
"C'mon, 55, 000 for the most beautiful creature in Oz, who can cook like this and with a voice like angels, that's a little low, don't you think? Frex, I'd gladly give you 70, 000 for her." said another man. Fiyero couldn't believe this, this political meeting had turned into an auction in which Elphaba was being sold. Elphaba, a person, the most amazing person he'd ever met. He could not stand for this. He looked around the table and only saw maybe four of five men who weren't shouting out prices, they were shooting disgusted looks at Frex and the bidding men and sympathetic glances at Elphaba. He recognized one of the men not bidding as Galinda's father of Gillikin.
"Now Frex, you can't honestly be thinking of selling your daughter." said Galinda's father sternly, "It'd be going against everything you preach about, you cannot sell her." Frex didn't seem to hear. Suddenly, a man shouted out 100,000 and he saw a flicker or agreement cross Frex's face, as though he really was going to accept this offer. That was when Fiyero snapped. He shot out of his seat.
"NO!" he roared, "You cannot just auction her off to these awful people!" The room went quiet and Elphaba gazed at Fiyero with a helpless but grateful look in her eyes, she hadn't noticed him there before. After a long pause, Frex cleared his throat, he obviously didn't remember Fiyero from the last time they'd met.
"Well, the boy's got a point. As generous as your offers were, I can't just sell my daughter." said Frex, "I don't know how you got it into your head that she was for sale anyway!" Raman glared at Frex. Frex noticed that Raman still hadn't let go of his daughter, "Raman, I'd appreciate it if you'd let go of Elphaba so that she may serve the rest of the meal." Raman reluctantly released her and she quickly shot away from him and hurried to the kitchen.
"Now, back to politics." Frex announced. There were grumbles of agreement from the other men and Fiyero sat back down. Elphaba came back out moments later with two more trays of food. She had to lean in between Fiyero and his father to set one of the down.
"Thank you." she whispered to him as she set the food down. He smiled at her.
"Anytime." he said. She smiled back weakly and went back to the kitchen. Fiyero gazed after her and then turned back to the table, half-listening to all the political happenings in Oz and what could be done.