AN:

HAHA, SURPRISE!

You didn't expect to see me this early, did you?

Well, luckily for you, my duckies, I've been writing a lot more recently than anticipated, and because I feel so terrible about the long gap between Elphie's last and next appearance, I thought I speed things up just a notch! But don't get used to this! ;) Next chapter (11) will be up on the usual Monday, but after that I intend to return to my normal 1-week intervals.

All right, here we go!

Happy reading!

Chapter Ten: The Prophecy

Kiamo Ko, Vinkun River Valley,

High Summer 48th, 3045.

Mrs. M. H. Morrible,

My dear Madame,

I received your letter and wish to let you know that I am fairing well. Everyone continues to treat me with respect and kindness and the Vinkus is exceptionally lovely around this time of year.

The Prince, you will be glad to hear, is growing dearer to me by the day. Furthermore, I even believe that he has grown fond of me in return. His father the King, however – he would never say it, but I fear he loves me not. I am aware that revealing my true name and title would probably be enough to convince him to agree to this match. However, it would mean much to me, if I could only prove that I as a person am everything he desires in a daughter-in-law and future Vinkun Queen. For that reason, I will extent my stay here indefinitely, until my mission is either fulfilled, or I am sufficiently satisfied that my goal is unachievable.

Please be not cross with me and do not worry, I already made all the necessary arrangements, so you may enjoy your holiday a little longer.

I remain, my dear Madame,

With much respect,

Yours sincerely,

G. L. Arduenna

Once she had finished writing, Galinda carefully set her pen aside. While she was waiting for the ink to dry, she once more read the few lines and nodded thoughtfully as she did so. The content of the letter was just truthful enough not to upset her sweet, sincere nature, yet fashioned in such a way that she would not have to tell her governess about the actual, and no doubt, unacceptable reason for the prolongation of her sojourn in the Vinkus. The full, plain truth was that she did not want to leave Elphaba just yet. Especially, not with things between them still unresolved.

She neatly folded the paper and inserted it into an envelope, then wrote a brief note for her maid and rang the small, gilded bell. Even before the servant girl reached her apartments, she was already out of the door, headed for the abandoned reading room on the seventh floor. Galinda was used to the strain of climbing so many steps by now, as she had taken this very route many times over the past couple of days. At first, she would check both doors up to four or five times a day; these days, she went before each breakfast and after each dinner, still hoping despite hope, that one time she would find at least one door unlocked.

She reached the secret door to Elphaba's tract of the castle building, took a deep breath and closed her slightly trembling hand around the cold metal of the ring handle. After sending a quick prayer to Lurline and the Kumbric Witch – after all, this was the Vinkus – she pulled, putting her entire, meagre body weight into it. The door wouldn't budge. Frustrated, she punched the old wood with her fist, regretting her action immediately. She rested her forehead against the stubborn door and briefly closed her eyes. There was still one more entrance to be tried.

As she turned around, she was shocked to look straight into deep brown eyes. For a fleeting moment, she thought it was Elphaba who was standing before her, however, that couldn't possibly be. At closer examination, she realised that the specs of mica that made the Princess' eyes so captivating were absent in those she was staring at, and only another heartbeat later even, the difference in skin colour around the eyes registered.

"Lady Galinda," the Queen said evenly, with an amused smirk on her lips and a questioning eyebrow.

The younger woman felt the blood drain from her face, but thankfully, the semi-darkness of the room did not betray her exceptionally pale complexion.

"Your Majesty," she managed to say with obvious surprise, yet barely a hint of a stutter.

"I'm surprised to see you here. What is it you are looking for here, I wonder."

Galinda clenched her hands to fists. The same question could very well apply to Queen Baxiana herself. She had to remind herself not to let her frustration show and tried for a sweet smile. Once again, the dim light worked to her advantage as it masked the grimace that appeared instead of the attempted smile.

When she felt that she had her emotions well enough under control, the blonde apologised for her prying around.

"You see, I was looking for a specific book on Animals. I could not find it in the library and remembered a member of the staff talking about an unused reading room. I thought that there might be a chance that I could find it here."

"I see."

Chuckling melodically, the Queen reached out to lightly place a hand on Galinda's shoulder.

"Later I will summon our librarian and you may tell him which volume you are after. If it can be found in our castle, he will know. But for now –" she let her hand slide down Galinda's arm, then rested it on the small of her back. Gently, she pushed her forwards. "- I'd like for you to come with me so we can share a cup of tea. "

Wordlessly following her out of the room and down the stairs, Galinda was certain that the Queen knew that she was lying. Yet she didn't seem to have any intention of bringing it up. She drew a quiet breath and flexed her fists, agitatedly. This had to be further evidence supporting her suspicions – that the Tiggulars had somehow found out who she truly was.

Tea and a light breakfast were being served in the Queen's private drawing room. The table was small, seating no more than two people. A tray of miniature cakes, scones and other treats had been placed on a side table. Absentmindedly gazing out of the enormous windows, Galinda had a good overview over the rose garden and a portion of the paddocks.

"Have you heard from your parents lately?" the older woman asked her after a while and she blinked a few times before slowly turning towards her.

"No. Not recently, Your Majesty. But they must have much to attend to concerning the house and all those matters. I think they must be rather relieved to know me save and looked after here."

"And I feel honoured by their trust," the Queen nodded. "You are an only child, are you not, Lady Galinda?"

"Yes."

"And most precious to your parents, I'm sure."

Galinda lowered her eyes, staring at her teacup without focus. Her father had often called her his 'precious little girl' when he had still been alive. Oh, how she missed being a parent's child, even though she barely dared to admit it to herself. But all she had been for the past fifteen years was a ward, her governess' charge. That wasn't even remotely the same and sometimes, especially when she least expected it, she was painfully reminded of this fact.

"Lady Galinda?"

The blonde forced a small smile before looking up to meet her host's eyes.

"I am sorry. I suppose I miss my parents more than I realised."

"As a loyal daughter should."

Motioning for a servant to pour more tea for Galinda, the Queen set her own cup aside, her serene expression turning more serious.

"But let us talk about something else, shall we?"

Galinda took a sip of her tea and steeled herself for the revelation that the Queen had seen through her charade.

"My son, it seems, has taken some interest in you," the Vinkun Lady said instead, much to Galinda's astonishment.

"Oh," was all she was able to reply and, nervously, she took another sip.

The Queen laughed.

"Surely you must have noticed."

"I grew up with female peers only, so I am not particularly familiar with men and, well, courtship in general, Your Majesty," the blonde explained truthfully.

"I see.

"But since I have drawn your attention to it now – what do you think?"

Inevitably, the subject of their conversation made the young lady blush.

"I-I feel honoured, Your Majesty. Certainly there must be other gentlewomen more suitable for a Vinkun Prince, since my parents are neither extraordinarily wealthy, nor highborn enough to ever aspire marrying their daughter off to royalty."

"That might be true," the Queen confirmed, placing a piece of cake on Galinda's plate before choosing a similar one for herself. "And as you are probably aware, Fiyero's future wife is already as good as determined.

"However; as a mother, nothing would make me happier than seeing my son find his own happiness. So I will try to keep an open mind, as will my King. Do not hesitate when conversing with the Prince. You have our leave to hold his full attention if he is willing to give it to you. I shall write to your uncle concerning these developments, so he may inform your parents. But I assume that they would have no reason to oppose such a match if it were to come about."

Galinda hardly knew what to say to all of this.

"You are most kind, Your Majesty," was the only phrase that came to mind, and judging by the Queen's soft smile and friendly eyes, it was all that was needed.

When she finally left the drawing room to return to her own chambers for a quick change of clothes, she was bewildered and confused. Earlier, she could have sworn that at least the Queen, and most likely Fiyero and the King, knew that she was not who she claimed to be. Now she was not so sure anymore. Of course, the Queen's sympathetic outlook on her and Fiyero's possible relationship might still be an indicator that she was aware of the fact that her son would not marry a girl of lesser nobility if he were to choose Galinda. But why play along with this silly farce? On the other hand, the Duke, her 'uncle', had indeed mentioned that Fiyero would be allowed to select his own wife if he were to do so in a timely manner.

Above all this, a new issue had arisen over the past couple of weeks: was she really ready to marry Fiyero? If she was entirely honest with herself, she did not love him quite as much as she had hoped, although he certainly fulfilled all those criteria she had thoroughly considered before coming to the Vinkus. Her head reasoned that this was all that was required of a queen's consort, but her foolish heart had begun to object, and its protest was growing louder day by day.

And thus their official courtship began.

Already in the evening of that very same day, Fiyero came to her room about one hour before the usual dinner time, a bouquet of pink Gillikin roses in his hand, proposing a private dinner in one of the smaller parlours. Galinda bashfully accepted the flowers, as well as the invitation and immediately called her maid to help her dress accordingly. A footman knocked on her door when the time had come and accompanied her to the salon on the third floor, where Fiyero was awaiting her anxiously.

Everything was quite perfect – the candle light, the soft music in the background, produced by a pianist playing in the adjacent anteroom, the flowers, the food; everything, save Avaric. Of course Galinda knew that it was custom to always have someone around to play the gooseberry when a gentleman, intending to court a lady, asked her to keep him company. They had coped quite well without a chaperone so far, however, she supposed that now that things were considered more official, a certain standard of propriety would have to be maintained lest members of the court would begin to whisper and to gossip. But why in Oz did it have to be Avaric?

Thankfully, the typically audacious man made a good effort restraining himself, only occasionally throwing in a comment or two whenever he could no longer keep the words from spilling over. When the table had been cleared and the couple had moved to another adjoining room with a fireplace, he remained in the parlour, feigning interest in a book he had found lying around, while covertly watching them through the gap between the double doors.

Fairly late that night, the Prince walked her back to her room, kissing her hand as a manner of saying goodbye and goodnight. The blonde giggled, slightly inebriated from the wine he had convinced her to try and especially drunk on this special, first time experience of being treated as a true adult and a woman worth desiring. It made her feel more powerful than being the Queen of Oz ever could. It was a power she could now feel growing within her - not one bestowed upon her by centuries or even millennia of tradition and family history.

Back in her own room, however, she quickly sobered up and remembered the one obligation she had yet to fulfil that evening. She waited just long enough to know Fiyero well out of sight and earshot, before opening her door and quietly slipping outside, once again on her way upstairs to see if she would finally be able to open that cursed door to her green friend's tower.

It goes without saying, that her endeavour remained unsuccessful and that several more days went by without her catching even as little as a glimpse of Elphaba.

In the meantime, she could not recall ever before seeing Fiyero as often as she did now. Had it been her during the first few days of her stay at Kiamo Ko who had tried to seek out his company as frequently as possible, their roles appeared very much reversed these days. He seemed incredibly eager to spend all of his spare time with the petite blonde and to delight her with small gifts and wonderful outings. Whenever they left the castle, Avaric, and in most cases, Galinda's maid, were obliged to accompany them. For that precise reason, hacks through the Vinkun wilderness had become regretfully rare, while strolls through the town at the foot of the hill the fortress was built upon, had become their main source of entertainment.

A week went by in no time. Sitting in front of the mirror, brushing her golden curls, Galinda reflected on how much these past few days had worked out to be exactly the way that she had so dearly hoped when she had first planned her trip to the Vinkus. Eventually, she would return to the Emerald City, and soon thereafter, she would summon Fiyero and propose marriage. And thanks to the time they had already spent together, he would not reluctantly agree to the match purely because of the fact that she was his sovereign, promising him the highest station achievable in the entire realm of Oz. No. He would be overjoyed to accept her offer, for he adored and loved her. He would be a most perfect husband to her, cherishing her and supporting her in everything she did.

Despite all this, the smile on her beautiful face was wry and insincere. Even though the Prince had done everything in his might to please her, she still felt a strange sensation of emptiness within her chest. Her heart was still not satisfied, still protesting its discontent.

Angrily, she clutched at the fabric of the nightgown concealing her chest. She pressed her hands over her heart, as tightly as she could, wishing for it to stop beating in such an obstinate fashion. Marrying Fiyero was the right choice to make, and she would not allow her immature feelings to lead her astray.

Later that night, she lay in bed, fast asleep

Initially, her dreams were pleasant enough – something about Fiyero taking her out for one of those rides she missed oh so much, intermingled with a couple of other, often absurd, elements, as was the nature of dreams. Then however, the images in her head took a turn for the worse, becoming darker and more grotesque. At the point when she could hear the wind how, feel the rain whip against her delicate skin and the cold creep through her very bones, her awareness began to take over. The scene was all too familiar for her not to realise that she was having the same nightmare that had been haunting her nights for fifteen years now. She struggled to wake up, but these horrendous phantasies were not so easily shaken off. Only after another five minutes, which in her state seemed like an eternity, she was at last able to open her eyes.

The wind was still howling, but its cry was muffled by the strong walls surrounding her. The rain was still whipping, but against the window glass, incapable of inflicting any harm. She attempted slow, deep breaths, frustrated with herself when she could barely manage shallow, ragged gasps. She flung her blanket aside and stormed out of her bedroom.

In her small drawing room, the lamps were still alight as per her request. The brightness immediately comforted her, if only slightly. Still shaken, she sat down in one of the stuffed chairs. On the coffee table before her lay Elphaba's biology book. She had yet to read past the second chapter. Mayhap, this would be a good time for that, she supposed, and hesitantly picked up the thick text. Looking at the worn cover and thinking of Elphaba, it suddenly hit her like a load of bricks: she had forgotten to check on the door that evening.

Clutching the book to her chest, she began to cry, apologising to her friend who could not hear her pleas for forgiveness. How could she have been so negligent? How could she have simply forgotten about the only true friend she'd ever had? She knew that she was most likely overreacting a bit; Elphie would surely laugh about how serious she took this minor lapse. But with her nerves already on edge, it all did feel terribly serious.

Carefully, she placed the volume back on the coffee table, grabbed her dressing gown from the clothes stand and made for the door. Her first idea was to head upstairs and make good for what she had failed to do earlier. However, as soon as she had reached the next floor and found herself standing in near complete blackness, her fear and panic began rearing their heads again, driving her back down the stairs with her heart racing. Undecided whether she should try and see if the main door to the garden was still unlocked – as unlikely as it seemed and despite the storm outside - she descended another flight of stairs.

Standing in the huge, empty hall, Galinda found that the light was once again rather dim and she noticed how her hands had begun to tremble. She clasped them together to support one another, then brought them up to her heart, resting her chin on them. Cautiously, she allowed her eyes to roam and survey her surroundings, while her feet remained firmly planted on the final step of the staircase.

After a couple of clock-ticks of careful searching, she detected a small, yet bright light coming from the opposite corner. She had passed this corner dozens of times on her way to the dining room, yet only once had walked these stairs. The long path Elphaba had dragged her along that evening they had fled the ball together was too difficult and too winding to remember, but the flight of stairs Nanny had directed her towards after the Princess had left, had lead her straight to the main hall.

If there was light, she concluded, there had to be staff still working in the kitchen. If there were staff in the kitchen, she reasoned further, it should not be too difficult to get a mug of fresh, hot milk. Perhaps, such a little midnight treat would help her go back to sleep. Already looking forward to the warm drink, Galinda crossed the room and floated down the stairs.

Upon arriving in the kitchen, she wished she had bothered finding her slippers before leaving her room, for the bare flagged floor was damn cold. She smiled when she saw Nanny, busying herself with the dishes. As far as she could tell, the old woman was alone.

"Now what leads you down here, Lady Galinda?" a croaky voice asked.

The blonde had been watching Nanny for a short while and was almost shocked that the kitchen maid had not turned around once, yet had still been able to guess who it was that was standing in the arched doorway.

"Come closer and have a seat at the table, dear," she beckoned. "Old Nanny doesn't bite."

Galinda did as she was told, glad to be able to rest her feet on the stretcher of the chair so they would not touch the freezing floor.

"You're up late."

"Well, I had a terribly upsetting dream. I was wondering if you would have a cup of hot milk for me? It always used to calm me when I was a child."

Chuckling, Nanny abandoned the washbasin to waddle over to the shelf. She removed the cloth covering from one of the jugs and gave the content a quick sniff, before wrinkling her nose in disgust.

"Will have to fetch a fresh one from the larder it seems. Wait here, I'll be back in a flash," she said, setting the jug down on the counter beside the other dirty dishes and slowly hobbling towards the backdoor.

Galinda jumped up.

"No, please don't bother! I'll be fine without. It would already help a lot if I could simply sit here a short while longer and keep you company. Would that be all right by you?"

The ancient woman turned to look at her and raised her eyebrows.

"If your plan is to interrogate poor old Nanny about the Princess…"

No, this certainly had not been young lady's plan – at least not before Nanny had planted the idea in her pretty, blonde head.

But the maid shook her head with a soft cackle.

"Nanny's lips are sealed. I shall not tell you any secrets."

"Then I won't ask," Galinda assured her, though she was clearly disappointed. "But would it be too terrible of me to enquire how she is? Do you know anything at all? I have not been able to see her for an eternity, it seems to me."

She watched the old crone lifting the lids of some pots until she found the leftovers of the soup they had had for dinner. She poured a ladle full of the broth into a small bowl and handed it to her.

"At least it's still lukewarm," she said, the corners of her wrinkly mouth pulled slightly upwards.

Galinda thanked her and begun sipping the soup. Truth be told, it was nowhere near warm, hardly even at what she would consider normal room temperature. But she drank it anyway.

"You care greatly about my little Fabala," Nanny said after a minute or two.

'Fabala.'

Trying to hide her wide grin, the blonde took a final gulp of her soup, raising the bowl up as high as possible.

"Not so little anymore," she replied once she had placed the dish back on the table and dapped her mouth with a rag Nanny had given her. "She's barely shorter than her brother, that long, scrawny thing."

Nanny laughed at that and took away her bowl, along with the used cloth.

"Too true. But little or tall, she has never been any easier to handle, wayward as she is," the wrinkly, old woman said fondly. Her demeanour changed in an instant as she shook her head, this time looking quite concerned. "She wouldn't tell me what she did for them to keep her locked up, nor did anyone else. But it would hardly surprise me if her confinement were well deserved."

Galinda's bashful gaze fell on her lap, where her hands lay neatly folded.

"Regretfully, I have to admit that it is mostly my fault, not hers. I hoped to apologise, however, it seems impossible for me to see her. I've been trying for over a week and still could not get a chance."

"Typical!" Nanny spat. "As per usual, the face of innocence deceives everyone."

Face pale in alarm, Galinda looked up to meet cloudy eyes.

"No! I never-"

"Don't be so upset, duckie. Nanny's not blaming you. Only those ninnies who are too foolish to see beyond anything their eyes perceive."

"I don't know how she does it," the blonde almost whispered, fiddling with belt of her dressing gown. "Developing and preserving such a strong personality despite the way people treat her."

"There have been some trying times," the kitchen maid admitted. "But old Nanny has always told her to hold out, for one day someone would come along who'd appreciate and love her, someone who'd take care of her."

"I'm not sure if she believes it."

"She might be reluctant to admit it, but she certainly does. And rightly so. Methinks my prophecy has already come true."

Galinda looked at her imploringly, but Nanny did not deign to elaborate and she herself did not dare to actually ask.

AN:

I think my Nanny ended up a bit of a synthesis of Nanny and a hint of Ama Clutch – which is funny, because I think these two ladies are quite opposite in character… Maybe it's just me loving the "duckie" too much lol! But this is AU, so what the heck ;)